I read The 12 Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss as an ARC last year and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was really looking forward to this one and it certainly did not disappoint.

Annie is a brilliant character and we meet her just as the life she has worked so hard for is changed drastically thanks to her narcissist of a husband. I connected with Annie immediately and she comes across as such a realistic person, far from perfect but doing her best for her family. She made me feel like it’s never too late to try something new and like I could do anything if I just put my mind to it.

The new friendships she makes along her journey of re-discovering herself are heartwarming and the costal town that she settles in was so well described that I desperately want to visit, even in the deep depths of winter.

I really enjoyed the inclusivity of the supporting characters and each character had a well developed personality and fitted into the story perfectly. Annie built up such a community of true friends and it was so nice to see her able to be happy and settled again.

I loved the bookclub and how it was something that tied the friends together, it was beautiful to read and had me laughing out loud on many occasions.

Another fabulous read from Jenny Bayliss and I would definitely recommend it. It’s a perfect book for curling up with on a cold and wet weekend with a hot cup of tea or a creamy hot chocolate.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the electronic advanced readers copy.

A thoroughly enjoyable cosy read with a good mix of humour and warm heartedness. A good set of well drawn, some fairly eccentric, characters and atmospheric descriptions of an East Kent coastal town in winter. Slightly unbelievable in places and also somewhat predictable in others but a good plot nonetheless with plenty going on. A definite feelgood factor all round with winter storms battering not only my home as I read this book, but also the setting of the novel..

Annie and Max have been married for nearly 30 years. They have a very successful restaurant, where Annie is the award winning chef. But Max is a serial adulterer, Annie knows about his past affairs but when faced, quite literally, with evidence of his latest fling she decides she has had enough.
Mari lives in Willow Bay, a tiny coastal community. Her home is Saltwater Nook, a tiny cottage with lots of history built at the end of the promenade. It was also a restrooms but Mari, who is in her 90s, gave that up some years ago. Her nephew, John has persuaded Mari to spend the winter with her friend in Cornwall where life will be easier for her. He wants to look after his aunt and give her the comforts he feels she deserves but to do thus Saltwater Nook must be sold and John has agreed to sell to a developer.
Mari wants her home to be looked after until she decides that she really cannot live there again. Answering Mari' s advert for a house sitter changes Annie's life and gives her new friends as she becomes part of Willow Bay's warm and close knit community.
This is a warm and very enjoyable read. I liked all of the characters, especially grumpy Alfred and spiky Maeve.

I absolutely loved this authors previous book so I was really excited to get stuck into this one and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a beautiful read with a relatable main character Annie who needs to rediscover life again after dealing with an unfaithful husband and the stress of running her own business and putting everyone else’s needs before her own. This was so much more than a winter escapism read and took the reader on a journey of self discovery leading to Annie finding her way again and a new purpose in life all amongst the back drop of beautiful scenery and beaches and a delightful community of people. I wanted to move to the Kent coast and experience it through Annie’s eyes by the end of the book as sounded like a perfect place to live.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the very beginning. It was beautifully written and the characters were lovely especially Alfred. I loved the way the story flowed and it was so very funny at times and had me laughing out loud. I loved Annie such a strong woman leaving a successful business to strike out on her own somewhere new. I did wonder if it would work out for her at times always hoping it would. I want to join the book club so very funny and a group of supportive women. My only slight gripe was the bad language towards the end. I don't subscribe to children swearing in the presence of their parents. I don't think it was necessary and did nothing for the story. Maybe I am getting old. This was a brilliant read and clearly Jenny has nothing to worry about as far as her writing is concerned. I am looking forward to her future books - of which I am sure there will be many judging by the quality of this one.

I really enjoyed Jenny Bayliss's first book, s jumped at the chance to read The Winter Of Second Chances.
A middle-aged heroine - what's not to like?
Annie Sharpe has it all. A successful restaurant, two lovely children in the forms of her grown-up twin sons and an adoring husband.
Scratch that.
A husband who is too busy adoring others, not her. And she catches him, in the act with his latest flavour of the month.
What's a woman to do?
We follow Annie as she ups sticks, and removes herself from a toxic situation that has been simmering for a long while, and finds herself as the tenant and guardian for a small, glorified beach hut/kiosk/tea room called Saltwater Nook.
Here, Annie finds her feet, making what she expects to be temporary friends, and a little hobby to keep her busy as. she figures out her life.
But nothing is ever that simple.
I loved Annie. She was a straight-talking woman, who found her tongue, regarding her marriage a little later than in other aspects of her life. It tales quite a backbone to leave everything you have worked for, and start afresh.
The locals she encounters are just a joy, including her new book club friends, who become a little raucous, but with hilarious consequences. The owners of the two local pubs welcome her, and she even makes a tentative friend with the local homeless man, Albert.
And who can forget John? John, the nephew of her landlady, who seems hellbent on selling this little nook she is looking after. John, who has different layers. John, who becomes rather fanciable to a newly single woman,
Thoroughly enjoyed reading!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

This book brings combines all my favourite things - the beach,  coffee shops, reading and the autumn through to Christmas season.
When Annie, a successful restaurant owner, finds her husband being unfaithful with one of the waitresses at the restaurant she decides to make a new start as a custodian of a beachside house and cafe.
Despite her need to get away from her past life, she soon decides to reopen the cafe and meets the locals.
We are introduced to John, the nephew of the woman whose house Annie is looking after and I enjoyed the relationship between the two characters.
This was one of those "un-put- down able " books that I read in less than 24 hours and wish I could forget so I could enjoy it again.
Highly recommend!

A wonderful story of when life makes you up and leave, for changes anew. Even though it’s hard, Annie realises her hopes, dreams and wishes can come sooo true. She also begins to realise she is good enough to experience love again. A lovely read on a cold winters evening under a blanket with chocolate

I really love the 12 dates of Christmas but unfortunately couldn't get into this one while I appreciated the comedy value of it I didn't get on with the characters and so I DNFd at 25%

I guarantee you will fall in love with main character Annie right from the first page. A beautifully written book in a wonderful coastal setting, sounds just like somewhere any of us would love to live. Can't wait for nmore from this author

Fantastic story full of emotion. Everything in this book can be real life and the emotional show stopper towards the end had my heart in my throat....

When Annie found her husband and the father of her twin boys having sex with another woman the only alternative was to walk away but to where. She needed to take time to decide her future and put things into perspective so she booked into a hotel and slept for a few days then let fate take its course.
This is a better book than Jenny Bayliss' first book the humour , characters and storyline together with a hint of romance keep you turning the pages giving a feel good factor and Christmassy feel. I loved this book it made me feel happy and cheerful a guaranteed tonic.

Fab!
I really loved this book! Well written, very funny and completely 100% relatable!
Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I didn’t find it particularly engaging and quite repetitive and the storyline was quite obvious. I didn’t enjoy it and was glad to get to the end. Sadly, not my cup of tea.

Oh how I loved this book. it had everything that you would want from a book at this time of year, from Halloween to Christmas!
Annie is a 44 year old successful chef who owns a restaurant with her husband Max, until one day Annie finds Max cheating on her with a member of staff. This is not the first time that this has happened, so this time, Annie leaves and decides to make it on her own. While she is out, she finds an advertisement wanting a guardian for Saltwater Nook and from here, a new love affair begins, in more ways than one.
The characters throughout the story are brilliant, there is not one you don't like. There is comedy, drama and a love story throughout. The community brings so much to this story and you can see why Annie falls in love with the place and realises this is where she needs to be.
I just wish I could join the book club because the conversations are hilarious and I loved their friendships building throughout.
Not going to lie, this story is slightly predictable but what I can tell you is that it doesn't matter at all. The story carries you through out and to be honest, there would be no better alternative ending, so who cares about the predictability, I know I didn't
Thank you to Jenny Bayliss, Netgalley and Pan McMillian for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

I loved This book and loved reading it sat under a blanket drinking a cup of tea on the kent coast, I loved this book and loved that it is never too late for second chances in life , I really enjoyed all the characters in this book and loved the authors writing style.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review

A cosy read that had me wanting to keep reading on. Perfect reading material on a cold night autumn night, with a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket on the sofa. I loved the characters and was so happy with how the story panned out. I will definitely be looking out to read more from this author in the future.

This was a really enjoyable novel. All the characters were wonderfully written and jumped off the page. The story of Annie and her new life was uplifting and made a wonderful escape. It was the sort of novel that you know is going to have a happy ending but the journey to it made great reading. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy.

Loved it, couldn't put it down !
It made me laugh and the last couple of chapters made me cry, for me, a whole range of other emotions packed into one book
Can't wait for the next book

A lovely wander through Annie’s life after she catches her husband cheating - again. The book show Annie find joy in new friends, new business ventures and new men, and all of this done in a numerous and warm way. The descriptions of the local folk, the weather and the tiny house and cafe are great, real detail and insights into people’s lives. We explore a bit of everyone that Annie comes into contact with as we see with her eyes how she makes this new life entirely hers - be that with the homeless Alfred, her book club friends or the pub landlords.
A warming romance.