The Second Chance Store

A Novel

By: Lauren Bravo

Narrated by: Jane Collingwood

If clothes can get a second chance, why can’t we? Brimming with life, love, and the stories bound up in even the most everyday items, The Second Chance Store is a tale of friendship, loss, and dusting yourself off and starting over—a novel filled with humor and a testament to the enduring power and joy of charity shops.

City dweller Gwen feels like she’s living a secondhand life. She’s thirty-eight, perpetually single, and in dire need of a dentist’s appointment. Her friends are busy procreating in the country, and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around hedge borders and the trash pickup schedule. Above all she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?

Then she’s let go from a job she drifted into a decade ago and never left, and Gwen realizes it’s time to make a change, starting with cleaning out her apartment. In the charity shop where she literally and metaphorically unloads her baggage, she discovers a group of weird and wonderful people devoted to finding a new home for donated items that have lost their use elsewhere. Gwen volunteers there—and finds a new home for herself among her fellow workers while discovering joy in the untold stories of secondhand things.

Now it’s time for Gwen to get out of her life in pause, and to find a way to move forward with bravery and humanity—and more regular dental care.

Adored this story about second chances!

I loved the side stories about pieces in the shops and the people who’d donated them. Then, the stories of the people who’d bought the items later. All of this was woven beautifully together with the character of Gwen and her pursuit of second chances.

Fun, relatable, lighthearted

This was one of my absolute favorites lately.
I laughed out loud, and cheered for the main character. She was so highly relatable! I loved how the different chapters and characters came together.
What an excellent read!
We chose this at my random suggestion for our book club. The other ladies enjoyed it immensely as well!

The relationship’s and the story of the clock

I did not dislike the part about her brother ‘s death. It was sad and tragic for her and her family .

Unsatisfying

I kept a
Waiting for this story to stop meandering and pick up. I did enjoy how the individual threads of stories are interwoven, but don’t think this is a happy book. It moves you through mostly sad and some very tragic stories. If you’re looking for a feel-good, this isn’t it.

Dull

The story didn’t draw me in. It just dragged. I found myself daydreaming of other things because it was hard for me to keep my attention on this story.