A Second Chance

The Bronte Plot

By Katherine Reay

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 3, 2015)

ISBN-10: 1401689752

ISBN-13: 978-1401689759

Approximate Lexile: 1010

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.

In a sudden turn of events, James’s wealthy grandmother, Helen, hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy’s predicament better than anyone else.

As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom as Helen confronts ghosts from her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters’ beloved heroines who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of impossible circumstances.

Now Lucy must face her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that’s been waiting for her all along.

 

My Thoughts:

The title is somewhat deceiving; I was expecting some mystery, maybe even something DaVinci Code-esque. That is not what this book is about.

Instead, it is the story of a personal journey. Lucy feels shaped by her past, specifically, her father’s abandonment and seeming disinterest in her life. Her father was a con man, and Lucy engages in some less-than-honest practices herself.

This is not what I’d call a romance novel, although romance does play its part, and almost immediately. In fact, it’s when the romance ends because of Lucy’s dishonest dealings that the real story begins.

Lucy, with help from Helen, learns to forgive herself and let go of her past. I don’t think it’s giving anything away for me to say that. It’s how she gets to that point that will keep the reader engaged.

While not an overtly Christian book, the themes of forgiveness and redemption will definitely resonate.

Lucy’s struggles hit home with me (my parents split when I was young, too, and my dad wasn’t present much in my life), and I found her quite relatable and real. Her obsession with books was also real to me! (No kidding, right?) Other characters were also well-drawn and believable.

Travels in the English countryside just make me homesick for my biennial visits to my grandparents; the descriptions were spot on for me.

Possible Objectionable Material:

If there was any cursing, it was so mild as to not make an impression on me. Obviously, dishonesty is a major theme here. Adult people drink adult beverages. Really, this is a pretty mild book.

 

Who Would Enjoy this Book:

Book lovers, those who believe in second chances, those who like Britain. There’s no reason to say men wouldn’t  like it, but it definitely leans to stereotypically female sensibilities. Definitely appropriate for high school readers, maybe even mature middle-schoolers.

 

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC!