The Second Chance Cafe in Carleton Square
One chance isn’t always enough. Everyone deserves second chances. Sometimes, in life, you come across a building that deserves a second chance as well. Put those two ideas together – and you have The Second Chance Cafe! After having a champagne wedding on a malt-beer budget, Emma and Daniel are back for this romcom sequel full of crazy fun and lovable, quirky characters!
The wedding is over and the twins are toddlers… and Emma is opening up a coffee shop. Emma’s parents, Daniel’s parents, Auntie Rose, Uncle Barbara, and the vicar join a whole cafe of new characters to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love all over again with Carlton Square!
Maybe that’s all I need, a little reminder every so often that I’m still in here. Underneath the puke-stained top and sleep-deprived stare and the faint aroma of dirty diapers, I am still me.
We’ve all been there. Babies get a little older, daddy goes back to work, things start getting a little (or alot) crazier than they were. And, you realize… life has changed and will never be the same again – you are now a mom. And, you are the worst mom and wife in the world for thinking about doing something for yourself. We get it. You are not alone.
I didn’t spend five years getting my degree not to use it just because my uterus decided it suddenly wanted to play host to a couple of embryos.
Emma decided to open a new cafe in Carlton Square after the twins were born. The cafe would hire teens that have been in trouble previously to gain work experience and help them in a different trajectory in life. Great idea… too bad there were some crazy applicants, a vain Italian coffee trainer, Magenta the sandwich maker, a baker without cakes, and a pub owner down the road with a vendetta! Oh, and did I forgot the hot electricity scrounger that has set up a work station in the cafe?
If you haven’t read the first book in the Carlton Square series – The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square, I highly recommend it before jumping into this one. You definitely want the full effect and background of Emma and Daniel and the cast of crazy characters joining them at the local pub.
…they’re all as familiar to me, and to each other, as long-time friends – real people, not just the stereotypes that are too easy to ignore or fear or mock
Emma shows us about second chances,not to judge a person by their looks alone, not assume things based on what you see, fight for what you love, stand up for what is right, and that it is okay to be yourself and a mom. I am excited to see what is next for Emma and Daniel and their friends and family.
I loved this book (and the first one too!). Michele is able to transport you to Emma’s world as you tag along with her and the quirky characters. From the very first book I read of hers – The Curvy Girls Club – I was sucked into the world and stayed until the story was over. I was sitting at a table in the corner of the cafe watching the people come and go.
Her characters come to life and make you realize you are not the only person going through the Mommy-blues. You want to be best friends with Kelly. You want to hang out in Uncle Colin’s bar and admire Uncle Barbara’s latest look.
I can’t wait to see what Michele Gorman writes next. Meanwhile, I will be sitting in the corner of the Second Chance Cafe, sipping my half-caff latte and eating a piece of cake while watching the world go by in Carlton Square.
Pick up your copy of The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square now.
About the Author
Lilly Bartlett’s cozy romcoms are full of warmth, quirky characters and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.
Lilly is the pen-name of Sunday Times and USA Today best-selling author, Michele Gorman, who writes best friend-girl power comedies under her own name.
I received a free pre-released copy of The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions. No affiliate links are present. Please see my disclosure for more information.
