I have read a couple of books by Rachel Dove before, and I was drawn to this book by the cover. I also like to read about people who are getting a second chance in life.
This book was fairly easy to read, it was lighthearted,even though it touches upon difficult subjects, such as PCOS and infertility.
Although the book is well written, a few of the subjects were skimmed over, and did not go into a lot of details. I felt that certain events happened too quickly, like the various relationships. Nevertheless it is an enjoyable read, and I could picture the location and the chalet park perfectly, as it is described very well. If you want a read that is not too heavyweight, then this is a good read.

It was the title of this book that at first appealed to me as I hadn’t read anything by Rachel Dove. Have to say I loved it and will definitely by reading her other books.
At first April felt that even though she wasn’t happy she thought that she had all she deserved marriage to a successful man, employment and a wardrobe of very expensive clothes. But everything changes due to circumstances that unfortunately she is unable to do anything about, even though she wishes she could. Her life begins to suffocate her and she decides to leave and go to a place full of happy memories from her past. When April arrives at Shady Pines she has no confidence, feels ugly/ unloved and so out of her depth. She comes up again a tenant who laughs at her, watches her like a hawk Just waiting for her to fall.
Employing Cillian turns out to be a blessing in disguise for April, even though he brings along a whole host of his own problems.
This story is a mix of love past, love present, heartache, friendship, trust and a community unit with Shady pines, the local zoo and Henry and his horses.
Don’t miss out on this wonderful author and her fabulous book

I had seen a few negative reviews for this before I started reading so was a bit apprehensive about reading it, but I have to say - I really enjoyed the book.
Although I have children now, I struggled to fall pregnant so I felt that I could really relate to April and could understand her anger and frustration at the world.
It was nice to get to know her character, and accepting her past and then finding love with Cillian.
Cillian wasn't a hugely likely character at first but seeing as what had happened with Orla's mother it was hardly surprising.
I have never read anything by this author before, but I will be looking out for more to read after this.

2.5 - "New life starts right here." Stars.

I’m usually a great fan of Rachel’s ‘Chick Lit’ books, with The Second Chance Hotel I felt the writing and tropes stepped more into a Women’s Fiction style of book, lots of personal/relationship drama and unresolved issues, less of the light hearted story-telling and likeable characters that I am used to from this author.

I didn’t love this one, I didn’t hate it either, but its highly doubtful I’ll remember it, and I just wish it was lighter in its themes, or longer so that more depth and resolution could be offered to the characters.

My other issue is the fact that it felt to me like the author had tried to squeeze two stories into one book, (April & Cillian, then Martha & George) and due to that I don’t think either couple were given adequate page time, which left everything a little vague, lacking in depth, and jumping along at days and weeks at a time.

I struggled to like April or Cillian mainly because they spent more time arguing like teenagers and because of the lack of the aforementioned page time developing their characters, over and above the massive issues you already know they are working through, that’s all you seemed to see of them in any great quantity.

I wanted more of Martha and George’s letters, their story may have taken place in the past but I felt robbed of the fact that there was a great love story to be told there and again it was missed because of jumpy timeframes, the lack of most of the actual letters making it onto the page and the mixed division in the story telling due to the amount of POVs and tropes playing out.

Hopefully the author moves back to the lighter and more carefree storylines in the future, or splits her heavier books into series in order to give her characters the page time they and their stories deserve.

DNF - no rating given on Goodreads

I really wanted to like this book. The premise and the cover intrigued me, but I just couldn’t get into the writing. Several things put me off the book and I struggled after the first 50 or so pages.

This is a story of a lady whom buys a holiday after she leaves her marriage. As she started to bring her life and the place together she meets some interesting characters along the way. Enjoyed the read.

*I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review*

This was a very heartwarming and inspiring story of overcoming hardships and disappoints in life and moving forward. I was instantly in love with the quirky people and beautiful setting of this book. The characters felt real and relatable and I enjoy their journeys. It was a fun sweet story and I totally recommend it! A sweet beach/summer read!

This was a real easy read. No major jeopardy at all really. Just a very light romance with a happy ending. Lovely in these awful times. There were some really serious issues dealt with in the book, but all were handled with a very light, simplistic touch.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read the book early.

A lovely book with a great start, and perfect to escape from the current world's problems..

The setting (Cornwall) is excellent and a 35 year old girl arrives to spruce up the Shady Pines Chalet Park.

However, there is not much more to rave about, with a rushed ending and some predictable moments, especially with her handyman, Cillian.

Perfect for a sunbed light read. Not bad but I still feel I wanted more?

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ Digital for a chance to read and review.

Rachel Dove is a new author for me so I was eager to read The Second Chance Hotel.

April Statham is single, thirty five and looking to start again. Welcome to Shady Pines, a chalet park on the Cornish Coast and April’s new life. Unfortunately though the park is tired and run down and in serious need of sprucing up before April can begin to think of opening. Enter handy man Cillian O’Leary. This boon features some great characters and focuses on love, relationships, friends and happiness. I read it over a couple of days and found it to be a quick and easy read and would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author for the chance to review.

A light hearted read. Loved the setting & would love to holiday at Shady Pines. I enjoyed the plot but it felt like everything was wrapped up too quickly at the end

This was a bit of a rough read. The plot didn't work well for me and everything seemed to happen too fast in the book. At first Orla isn't talking then she's suddenly talking to anyone and everyone. And boy does she make some long involved sentences for a four year old.

Martha's story really deserved it's own book.
Some of the writing here seemed to me like an American author setting a book in England. Just didn't work. The plot was a good idea but was not executed well.

April buys a chalet camp, holiday lets. This not a hotel and the title seemed wrong because of that.

This is a perfect uplifting read for these crazy times! It has lifted my spirits and kept me smiling while reading. It is a very unique book- unlike any I have read before!

This was a truly lovely story with a gorgeous setting. I felt like I was being whisked away to sunny Cornwall and could picture Shady Pines Chalet Park in my minds eye.Although I haven't visited Cornwall myself, it's somewhere I've always wanted to go one day and this delightful story made me want to run away to Cornwall right now!

I found myself feeling like April was a close friend rather than just a fictional character and I felt so proud of her for taking such a massive risk to make a new life for herself. I wanted nothing more than for April to be happy and successful and that really added to my enjoyment of the story and made me desperate to find out if she gets the happy ending she so deserves.

The book drags and is very show moving.
**************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.**********************

April is thirty-five, newly single and ready to start again.

Investing her life savings into a run down chalet park on the Cornish Coast, April wonders whether she might have bitten off more than she can chew. Dealing with a truculent tenant, a dwindling bank account and a grumpy, but gorgeous, handyman all whilst trying to hide and heal from a past life is more of a challenge than April imagined.

But with guests starting to return for the holiday season will April’s new start be a new failure?

I requested this title on NetGalley as I live in Cornwall, and it is set only a little further down the coast from where I live. Whist I haven’t read anything from this author before I thought it would be the ideal escapism during the UK lockdown.

The story started quickly, with April fleeing Yorkshire and her old life under the cover of night. Whilst driving she remembers memories of the same journey, completed with her mother as a child. The sense of urgency and fear her mother emanated, and the feeling of calm and safety once they arrived at the holiday park in Cornwall. Back in the present, she arrives exhausted but hoping to find the same freedom of the past and ready for a new beginning.

The book was off to a promising start, and I was excited. I thought this book, with its chick-lit cover and romanticised blurb, was going to surprise me. There were huge prospects for more depth; moonlight flits with a sinister edge, emotional domestic abuse and PTSD. But the further I continued the more disheartened I became. The author touched on these powerful subjects so briefly that I began to wonder why they were necessary at all. The storyline could still have been served whilst using simpler backgrounds for the characters. This then wouldn’t have implied that the reader was in store for something greater.

That negative aside, I did still enjoy the book. The writing style was effortless, making for an easy read. The characters were relatable; full of human fears, insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. I thought the banter between April and hunky handyman, Cillian, were humorous. But, it was long-time tenant Martha, whose cutting quips had me chuckling.

I wouldn’t advise against reading this book, but I couldn’t wholeheartedly recommend it either.

A very enjoyable, comforting read which made me want to immediately head off for the seaside. This will make a fantastic summer read.

If you enjoy Cornwall as a backdrop for your stories then you are going to adore the latest novel from Rachel Dove. 

April has runaway, now divorced she has put as much distance between her old life in Yorkshire and her new life at Shady Pines Chalet Park on the Cornish coast. She has not just escaped their she has bought it and ploughs her money and her life into starting again. 

Cillian O'Leary can't runaway far he has young daughter Orla to deal with and an ex partner who does not value their daughter at all. He needs to start again so when his old job as general handyman comes up again at Shady Pines he spots his chance in starting again. 

He didn't bank on the whirlwind that is April though nor permanent curmudgeonly resident Martha's reluctance to accept change. 

April and Cillian's burgeoning friendship and relationship seems doomed from the start. Not only trying to contend with April's clumsiness and lack of confidence. Cillian constantly sstomps about grunting and falls into a sulk over the smallest thing. 

But it is Orla's innocence which keeps drawing April back and makes her realise what the future may have held if she had stayed where she was. 

Martha starts to soften as she can see what settling for one life and love can do for you and when relations with April that slightly she lets her in to a secret, to one that will perhaps give her a second chance to. 

This is a lovely book to lose yourself in, perhaps not as polished as it could be, a bit clunky in parts and I found myself a bit lost with who was who. Not sure though if that was me or the writing. However, these points are easily overlooked and the joy of the story comes off the pages and a perfect holiday escape if you cannot get to one yourself. I could see myself waking up in a chalet and walking the cliffs and eating fish and chips!

This book is easy reading, emotional and uplifting. I read it in one sitting on a lazy Saturday during lockdown and felt I had escaped to the Cornish coast for a few hours.
April the main character is insecure, stroppy and emotional, whilst Cillian is a protective single dad prone to the odd sulk and tantrum. I found their blossoming relationship enjoyable, even the arguments as everybody has them!
The chalet park setting was totally believable, I could picture the chalets and taste the salty air and I was willing April to succeed from the start.
This is a delightful story of being brave enough to step out from your comfort zone and have fun along the way.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy, for which I have given an unbiased review.

I found the writing a bit disjointed in parts. It didn't flow and I didn't always know who was talking. As for the characters, the two main ones, April and Cillian, were annoying at times. They were both stroppy, and yes, I know they had a lot of baggage, but sometimes I found them abrasive and I couldn't relate or understand their actions. The other characters including Martha and Orla were likeable. The seaside setting, the story of the business being revamped, and Martha's own story, were all plus points. I found the fact April got together with Cillian who had a daughter a tad predictable. A good read, but I enjoyed Dove's first book more. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.