The Winter of Second Chances is a lovely, heartwarming read, perfect for colder months. I read this book leading up to Christmas, which is typically when I crave cozy stories and it was perfect! It’s a funny, realistic and hopeful story of, well… second chances. In a nutshell - business owner Annie, finally (!) decides to put herself first catching her husband Max cheating on her one too many times,I was rooting for Annie all the way through - for her love life, business endeavour wise and while she managed to make friends in new surroundings!
Having read Twelve Dates of Christmas and now The Winter of Second Chances, I can confidently say that when you reach for Jenny Bayliss’ book, you can count on humour and feel good story that won’t feel too mushy but will make you happy (and desperate to open a cafe somewhere by the sea 😍).

Well this was bloody lovely wasn't it.

I've decided that, whilst I should be doing uni work instead, I need to profess my love for Jenny Bayliss. I'm not a big lover of romance nor women's fiction, but I loved The Twelve Dates of Christmas and I loved this one even more.

"'What a puty,' said John, staring at her in a way that made her want to flash her boobs at him."

With funny quotes in abundance and all of the cosy, soft feelings you want from a read - she's gone and done it again. You can't not fall in love with Jenny's writing, I won't hear anything different on the matter.

This book encapsulates both autumn and winter so I'd say it's the perfect book in any season, though as a cosy read with a hot chocolate would be my recommendation. Whilst the snow falls gently or the rain lashes down.

You need no more, dive on in and wish you were whisked away to a cottage by the sea.

In the lead up to Christmas, I really wanted to read some festive reads and having read and loved Jenny Bayliss’ previous book, Twelve Dates of Christmas, I wanted to make sure my festive reading included her new novel, The Winter of Second Chances.

Annie Sharpe has it all – an acclaimed restaurant she owns with her handsome husband Max, and two gorgeous grown-up sons. But after one indiscretion too many, she leaves behind the only life she’s ever known.

In search of a fresh start, Annie takes up a position as a caretaker of Saltwater Nook, a creaky but charming beach house on Kent’s beautiful, wild coastline. The village community is an eccentric but tight knit bunch, and Annie is swept up in a whirlwind of their traditional festive celebrations, from pumpkin carving to bonfires on the beach. It soon feels like home – she even reopens the long-dormant seafront café.

The only thorns in her side are John, the owner’s rugged but totally unreasonable nephew who has his own agenda for the house, and a persistent Max, intent on winning her back. Saltwater Nook has been the perfect escape, but Annie can’t run from her problems forever. Will she give her first love a second chance? Or step into the promise of a new life?

I found that this easy read gave me everything I wanted/needed from a cheesy, festive read. I found the characters quite simple but comforting to read and the actual story didn’t really require much thinking from me, I was simply just allowed to jump in the book and be whisked away to Saltwater Nook.

I think my favourite part of the book was the book club meetings that brought all the ladies of the small town together and they read so many great classics and it was interesting reading (and laughing at) the different discussion points.

I also loved John Granger (the love interest) and how he compared to Annie’s ex husband Max who was a real piece of work. I loved that John and Annie would read books together and text each other their thoughts whilst they were away from each other.

Even though the narrator, Annie, is the main character in the story, I also really enjoyed all the subplots and the supporting characters - from the strong, no-shit OAP Maeve to Alfred the homeless man who just needed someone to trust. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and it reminded me how lovely the build-up to the end of the year is with all our celebrations including Halloween, Bonfire Night and the whole month of December really. It made me want to visit a little seaside place like Saltwater Nook - to go and have one of Annie’s perfectly made coffees and cakes and a delicious pub lunch in The Captain’s Bounty. Thinking back to the title, I think Annie’s winter of second chances was more about her re-establishing her life after years of unhappiness!

READ THIS IF :

💕 You want a perfect, cosy and easy winter read

💕 You want to read a different type of love story

💕 You want to be whisked away to the seaside at winter

A cute story with some great characters, some laugh out loud bits and some nail biting bits. Started slow but when I got to know the characters better, I was hooked. It felt like I was there by the sea, in the cold, enjoying a hot coffee. And thank goodness for a good ending!

Now that I'm comfortably settled into my 30's reading a book with characters in their 40's just seems like the natural next step. What a book this was. There were romantic relationships of course because would I even be reading it if there wasn't but the relationship Annie came to have with herself was the best one of all.

This book is wickedly funny and made me laugh at a time when I didn't think I could after losing our lovely doggo. I throughly enjoyed meeting Annie and I am thrilled I got to tag along and experience the new life she made for herself.

Now, this was a surprise. A very good one, actually. I whizzed through this book in a few days.

Jenny Bayliss took the 2nd chance love scene to a new level. She seems to read and know people inside out, and not just any people but middle age women especially. I was happy to read about Annie, who is not slim, not still in her 20s or 30s but not in her 60s either, who works a lot and doesn't exercise, and who still has a healthy relationship with her children, with her body and her own self. Annie was crafted carefully to be one of us - and she totally is. A relatable, normal, loveable person who finally found her strength to walk away from an unhealthy relationship. No extremes, but simply exploring and opening up in a new community in a new environment. Her inner narrative is fully authentic.

The book is about not just Annie though - all the other characters have depth and their own demons, none of them are perfect, yet I grew to like them as they were my own neighbours. I also liked how seaside living is not glorified but rather described as it is: without the tourists, it is about the community and all their very own traditions, sticking together when hardships are galore.

Bayliss's writing is attentive, a witty take on pushing the reset button in a new community and finding friends among the most unlikely if you are willing to open your heart and mind enough.

After Annie discovers her husband has been cheating on her, she leaves their restaurant and accepts a role as guardian of Saltwater Nook. As she settles in, she starts a book group with her new found friends and then reopens the cafe kiosk on the beach. Can she rebuild her life and have a second chance at love?

I really enjoyed the Winter of Second Chances. It had so many different elements, far more than most romance books, I especially enjoyed the friendship bond created between Annie, Maeve, Gemma and Sally, four women with very different outlooks on life. All the characters are well written and have their own parts to play in the story,

A great read, especially on a dark winter’s night!

A great Christmas read
With characters you will love
And a story you will get engrossed in
Thanks NetGalley

Loved this story of a woman who after catching her husband cheating finally walks away and takes up an offer to look after an old house in the middle of nowhere along with a coffee kiosk. As she starts to find her feet again in her life and make a business in the kiosk for herself the only issue is the nephew of the houses owner who wants to sell the building as soon as possible. I won’t spoil anything but I loved this book and want to move in myself.

The winter of second chances by Jenny Bayliss.
Annie Sharpe has it all – an acclaimed restaurant she owns with her handsome husband Max, and two gorgeous grown-up sons. But after one indiscretion too many, she leaves behind the only life she’s ever known
A great feel good read. Enjoyable read. Great story and characters. 4*.

I really loved this book!

After realising her marriage was not as it seemed Annie takes the opportunity to relocate to the coast for a while.

A great story of new starts, second chances and stepping out into the unknown grasping happiness.

Enjoy!

Another lovely romance from Jenny Bayliss!

This book is the perfect cosy read for this time of the year.

I loved Annie as a strong main character and how she settled into small town living. John was a great love interest, and this made for a perfect moody/happy love story.

Jenny writes with great humour but still manages to write a plot you care about! I can't wait to see what they write next!

Annie, an owner of a highly rated restaurant, has worked all her life for her family and has dedicated herself to raising her children while turning a blind eye to all her husband's affairs. Until... she walks on him having sex with one of the waitresses. As it's never too late to wake up, Annie decides to leave her husband and move to a secluded beach house. Her talents and charm do not go unnoticed and it's not too long before Annie starts a new life.
After reading Twelve Dates of Christmas and loving it, I was curious to see what Jenny Bayliss has produced this time. She did not disappoint. A lovely, heartwarming read., perfect for dark, winter days.

Thanks #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down and even woke up early one day to carry on reading. The main character Annie is so loveable, I genuinely want to be friends with her and visit Saltwater Nook. The setting was picture perfect, I don’t have a single criticism of this book. Definitely 5 stars for me.

I absolutely enjoyed this book - but it wasn't a book that I dramatically wanted to read. You know what I mean? I didn't have a problem to put it away and I didn't have this feeling that I must read it immediately again. It was a brilliant read - I absolutely loved the humour, oh my, I can't remember when I laughed so much, but it was a very predictable read and it took much too much time to get to this predictable end. So much that I've eventually found myself skim - reading and not touching the last hurrah of a drama with Alfred in the end for example.

Nevertheless, I so enjoyed getting to know Saltawater Nook and all the characters and please, please, please can I join the book club? I loved the characters, they were all memorable and even though there were many of them, I didn't have a problem to immediately know who is who and where they belong.

It was a lovely, witty and cosy read with better and less better moments. The humour saved the book, I think, as actually it was rather on the slow side, with Annie getting to know the characters and the place and trying to get rid of her cheating husband. But I liked it - the story telling, the writing style, it was easy and uplifting with this feel - good factor. I liked it much more than Jenny's previous book, to be honest.

This was a really cosy, light read. Ideal for the winter months.

I really enjoyed the small town setting and the characters residing there. The book club element was fun too.

I think there are tons of people who would enjoy this book. For me, it was just too long and predictable. But that's personal taste. I know this would be the perfect feel good read for lots of people.


Thank to Jenny Bayliss, NetGalley & Pan Mac Millan for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Annie relocates to Cornwall, leaving behind a thriving restaurant business and a cheating husband. A funny account of starting life anew and forming new relationships. Perfect reading for a cold winter's day.

Annie catches her husband cheating and this time its the final straw. She finds a short lease place to live and decides to take the chance to find her own life. Soon she finds herself running a cafe there and butting head with the nephew of the lady who owns her house, however sparks are flying and maybe Annie can have a new happy ever after.

Oh I loved this so much. The book club seems like the most fun and I loved all the talk about the books they were reading. The plot is a slow burn but the ending is very dramatic and I loved that. The story itself is so heart warming and hilarious. There are some brilliantly funny moments that just had me laughing out loud. Annie is a great lead as we watch her realise her own self worth and truly find herself as the story develops. I loved the other characters too they all came together to make this one of my favourite reads this year.

A slow burner and the book is not just about second chances for Annie but the community she moves to. If you are looking for a romance or a festive read this is probably not the book for you as these aspects of the story are right at the very end. Nonetheless it was still a lovely read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow there is a real shock at the beginning of this book.

Max is a character you definitely do not warm to, he seems to be expecting that everything will be ok when he was in the wrong. I love Annie's willpower.

I love Annie's love of the place she moved to. Her need to help where she can is so nice.

The was a nail biting part at the end of the book that had me on the edge of my seat, it was so exciting.