The Vintage Shop: 'Hot buttered-toast-and-tea feelgood fiction' The Times

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I really enjoyed this, it was such a beautiful embodiment of female friendships, second chances at life, and reconnection. What could these three women possibly have in common? Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to read it to find out as I will be revealing nothing. What I will say is this book is full of so much heart. I defy anyone not to shed a tear or two as the story reaches its peak. I found myself thinking of my own memories with some of my loved ones in the more emotional scenes and couldn’t help but sob away. All three of our leading ladies embark on their own journies and face different challenges along the way. I loved seeing how they all changed, particularly Maggy. The stories of the three women ✿ all of whom were likeable, vulnerable and filled with inner strength ✿ are carefully interwoven and bound to the legend of a handmade yellow dress.

This was such a lovely little read, which explores friendship and found family in the most colourful and comforting way. I really like the premise of this one especially the vintage shop element which gives opportunities for trips down memory lane with the likes of Mary Quant and Biba! The characters are all so easy to like and very relatable. Who couldn’t love Lou in all her colourful glory and also Maggie who resets her life. Donna seems spiky but a good heart beats underneath that armour! This is the most wonderful uplifting book I’ve read in a long time! A heartwarming story that brings 3 women of different generations and countries together, all largely set in a charming Somerset town of Frome where Lou is opening her vintage shop. Lou, Donna and Maggy are each struggling with feelings of grief and belonging, and they are unexpectedly connected by a colourful and bright yellow dress that is displayed in Lou’s vintage shop which holds many memories. First up we have Lou, the young and vibrant vintage shop owner, who is still coming to terms with her grief after losing her parents. Whilst trying to get her new shop up and running she finds herself needing a place to stay. In steps, Maggy, a recently divorced seventy-year-old whose loneliness is starting to get too much, offers Lou her spare room, and they strike up a good friendship. Across the pond, we then have Donna who has recently learnt a family secret that tears her life apart. She soon finds herself in Lou’s vintage shop with more questions than answers.The story of the three women was superbly woven together with drama and humour. At times it was an emotional read but overall it was just a gorgeous story of new discoveries, family, friendship and community. Lou’s fellow traders were a fabulous bunch, welcoming and helpful, especially in times of crisis. Even when the story moved away from Frome, my interest moved too – I was so invested into these characters lives. When Donna appears in the shop out of the blue from America, Lou’s life is turned upside down as this stranger brings information about family Lou didn’t realise she had. In fact Lou believed she had no living relatives. I loved the idea that a dress could hold so much promise and also so many secrets and I will also admit I have a few dresses I have clung onto because of the memories they hold. I fell in love with this story instantly and devoured it. After a couple of book DNFs it was a perfect read for me and I read over half the book in one afternoon. The characters were perfectly drawn and the storyline an intriguing one with a narrative interrupting the present day timeline with chapters from the past. Among the cobbled streets of Frome in Somerset, Lou is about to start something new. After losing her mother, she knows it's time to take a chance and open her own vintage clothes shop.

The deeper message it is never too late ☆ to right a wrong, to pursue a dream, to find love, to start again ☆ Donna’s life in a small town in Upstate New York is shattered by a family secret the only clue to her origins a faded photo of a girl in a yellow dress. After the death of her Mother, fashion-loving Lou opens the vintage clothing shop of her dreams. In which, hanging pride of place, for all to see, is her Mum's beloved yellow dress. Lou has always wondered about the story behind each of the vintage pieces she sells but she would never of guessed the story, her Mum's dress has yet to reveal... Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book, all thoughts are my own. Lou, having returned to Frome to nurse her mother through her final days is embarking on a new adventure a second chance to have the life she really wants. With her passionate love of all things vintage, especially clothing Lou opens a vintage clothing shop. Inspired by the yellow dress of her mothers which she proudly displays in her new shop.They come to realise life is short, and should be lived to the full. Wear the yellow boots if you want to, no matter what your age!

Maggy is in her 70s and facing life as a new divorcee. Her children now have children of their own and while she loves being a grandmother, she is starting to wonder what happened to the woman she used to be. With its key themes of female friendship; loss; second chances in life; making the most of opportunities that come your way; families (those you are born into and those you create with people you choose); community; home (its where the heart is) – and a love of Vintage clothing! – it is the loveliest of reads, with a hugely satisfying ending. A delightful, heart-warming read.Meanwhile in New York, Donna has found out the woman she believed to be her mother actually adopted her as a baby. This makes Donna question everything she thought she knew about family and she is keen to find out more about her birth mother. Among the cobbled streets of the Somerset town of Frome, Louis embarking on the start of something new. After the death of her beloved mother, she takes a deep breath into the unknown and is opening her own vintage clothes shop.

S uch a warm and wise story about female friendship and vintage fashion. A joy to read!' ALEX BROWNOur story is told from the POV of three women; Lou, Donna and Maggy. All three of these women are facing some sort of crossroads in their lives and through unusual circumstances, they find themselves navigating those paths together. Although this won't be a memorable or stand-out read for me, I do recommend The Vintage Shop of Second Chances as a delightful little respite for those who enjoy Women’s Fiction, giving your mind a nice little break from the constant 'flow' of unwanted information that goes in one ear and out the other. "Choose the flow", I say, just like I did and I hope, if you decide to partake in this easy-to-read-story, you enjoy meeting Lou, Donna, and Maggie as much as I did! After the death of her beloved mother, Lou sinks her savings into opening her own vintage clothes shop in Frome, Somerset, the same town where 70-something newly divorced Maggy realises how empty her house feels now she’s on her own. This was an absolute joy to read. I did have to stop a number of times as I couldn’t read through the tears, both sad and happy, as I was completely absorbed in the lives of Lou, Donna and Maggy.