"Preloved" by Lauren Bravo is a sparklingly witty and incredibly relatable debut novel that captures the essence of finding oneself amidst the chaos of life.

The story follows Gwen, a woman in her mid-thirties who feels stuck and lonely. Her friends are busy with their families, her conversations with her parents are monotonous, and she's just been made redundant from a job she never truly cared about. Realizing she needs a change, Gwen decides to find something meaningful to do, reconnect with her loved ones, and take better care of herself, starting with a long-overdue dentist appointment.

Gwen's journey leads her to volunteer at a local charity shop, where she begins to unload not just physical items but also her emotional baggage. Through the quirky and charming people she meets at the shop and the stories behind the donated items, Gwen starts to address her past choices and find a path forward with newfound courage and humanity.

Bravo's writing is brimming with life and love, infusing even the most mundane items with stories and significance. The novel beautifully explores themes of friendship, loss, and the importance of being true to oneself despite societal expectations.

What I loved about "Preloved" is its heartfelt portrayal of the everyday struggles many of us face and its celebration of the small, meaningful connections that help us navigate through them. Gwen's character is wonderfully relatable, and her journey is both touching and inspiring. This book is a delightful read, full of warmth, humour, and the enduring joy of charity shops.

I'd connect with Gwen in a heartbeat. I relate to her, plus I volunteer, although, unlike her, I never offload any emotional baggage, but like her, happy for others to.

Gwen has discovered, come a  certain age, the talk is often about babies and household chores. She's also discovered that when you're single, there's also many other things that there are other things that also go on in your life, but can't always be talked about because no one else understands anymore or friends are wrapped up with their own lives.
Gwen, after facing a series of this and winds up feeling very lonely and for the reader, you wind up feeling very sorry for her because you know she isn't invisible, she does exist, but not necessarily enough for people to truly see her. Then to make matters worse, she's made redundant.

As things change, Gwen decides volunteering would be a good road to go down and ends up in a charity shop. As she unloads all sorts of baggage from people, she also offloads emotional baggage and so do the people entering the shop.

It's a somewhat thought-provoking book about how we treat single people, but its also an uplifting book about new-found friendship and turning your life around.

I ended up listening to this on audio and really liked the narrator - although in listening, the vignettes about the different items were a bit confusing. I ended up having a quick look at a physical copy in a book shop as I imagine they had a different font - which they did.

This was a really sweet uplifting read, and I don't know if I made this up but it seems like all the vignettes were about Gwen's items, which only made sense by the end.

Enjoyable and light although it took me some time to get through.

Probably a 3.75

I didnt finish although I returned for a second bout feeling Id perhaps missed something.
Not for me.
It seems to be a string of repetitive an
ecdotes from unconnected people, more an opinion pie e rhan a novel.
I wouldn't rile out yhis author id some thi g in a better format

I really enjoyed reading this book. I spent a lot of time in my uni years in charity shops, especially book ones! I loved how interwoven it was to the story and how some of the characters were built within it. It’s an easy read but heartwarming nonetheless, would recommend to others. Perfect for on the beach or by the pool on holidays!

🩷I loved this book so much! I used to volunteer at a charity shop when I was 18 and much like Gwen, a little lost in life. It was one of the most wholesome yet eye opening experiences of my life (yes, people do try and donate dildos 😅) and I will always cherish the lovely older volunteers, their stories and their endless cups of tea and biscuits for me hidden underneath the till! So for me this book brought back all the memories! I especially enjoyed the chapters about each donated items backstory, it’s always fascinating to wonder why people have donated certain things and this was a lovely touch and towards the end of the book was a great and unique way to help tie up the story.

💚I loved Gwen. For some she may not be the easiest character to get on board with but I felt I understood her.
If you are a contemporary fiction girlie like me you will love this, if you are a charity shop girlie you will love this & if you want to experience something new and refreshing, I really recommend this book!

Thank you to @simonschusteruk for the Netgalley arc, I loved it so much I bought the hardback 😂
40 w

I’ve always loved charity shops and so I was sold on this book the moment I read the premise. It opens with a short chapter entitled ‘Gift’ about an item that stands out among other charity shop donations, and my interest was piqued. We are then introduced to our main character, Gwen, who isn’t having a good day. She’s just been made redundant, and during a fancy dinner to try and cheer herself up, she comes to the realisation that she has isolated herself and has no one to tell about her redundancy or the amazing meal. But instead of wallowing in self pity, Gwen decides to do something about it and makes a list before setting out to make conscious changes to her life.

Lauren Bravo’s fiction debut is a delightful story about loneliness, loss, anxiety, self-discovery and second chances. A story for anyone who has been clueless about where their life is going or what they are doing, it reminds us of the importance of friendship and community. Witty, heartwarming, and moving, this is a ‘slice of life’ story filled with relatable characters and observations that drew me in. Gwen comes across as a little miserable at first but I soon warmed to her. She’s isolated, lonely, struggling with severe anxiety and panic attacks and dealing with trauma, but she’s also funny, candid, trying to figure life out, and feels like someone I could be friends with. I liked that when redundancy provided her with an unwritten future she chose to write a better story for herself by making practical changes in her life, something I think we all could learn a lesson from.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was how the charity shop was so deeply woven into the story. It is staffed by an eclectic group who were so much fun to read and I was taken back to my days in retail during many of the scenes, laughing or shaking my head at my memories. But what was most memorable for me was the sections between each chapter that tell the story of some of the items that find their way to the charity shop. These were fascinating and unique, capturing my heart and sparking my imagination.

Entertaining and uplifting, I highly recommend this wonderful debut.

Excellent contemporary read. Loved it

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

A lovely light read. The characters were realistic although Gwen annoyed me at times. I loved the little side stories that are throughout the book. In some ways this reminded me of Maeve Binchy books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Not my style of book but really enjoy it.
This wouldn't have been a book I would have picked up in a shop but I live the suprise and how much I enjoy it.
Great easy read to keep you on your toes.

3.5
Gwen has just been made redundant and she is at loss on what to do next,
By chance, she decides to start volunteering at her local charity shop whilst she figures things out, little does she know that the other volunteers will help her with this.

I do love how this books celebrates second chances and also navigates the theme of grief and friendship. I did not enjoy the narrative and how the main story is interrupted by other snippets, which are all connected to the charity shop somehow.

I loved the way this mixes vignettes of charity shops that verge on mini essays, with Gwen’s story, as it started in such a dark place of loneliness and hopelessness that I was initially reluctant to keep reading. The amiable warm narrative voice drew me in however and Gwen’s search for community and purpose really reminded me of one of my favourite books, The Lido by Libby Page. Perhaps it feels relatable because I too have stood in a charity shop contemplating volunteering?! Living vicariously through Gwen has brought that to the surface for me again. But she is also relatable to a generation of women who have been raised on media that tells us we should have a “squad” and when that’s not reality, feel like failures. I think this book will speak to a lot of women around my age, and get them contemplating unusual ways to form connection with others (and possibly a really good clear out too).

warn and genuine, if a little lean despite its longer length. there's a stronger version of this story in here that could have emerged with stronger editing but. ultimately nice

Preloved by Lauren Bravo is an ode to charity shops and the stories behind the items found in them.

Gwen is 38 and has just been made redundant. On a whim, she volunteers for her local charity shop, where she meets a variety of characters and begins to get her life back on track.

Interspersed with Gwen's story are mini stories about different items in the shop and how they came to be there. I felt that these chapters, while interesting and beautifully written, detracted from the main story.

I really love Lauren's writing, but I didn't enjoy this book and didn't finish it. I just felt that it would have either worked better as a book of short stories or one story about Gwen. I found her story very hard to follow, and by 40% nothing was happening so I moved on.

If you are a fan of Lauren Bravo's non fiction, I urge you to give this a try because you may enjoy it more than I did. Lines like "if charity shops remind you of death then that's only because they're so full of life" and tales about reinventing your handwriting during the summer holidays (I did the same thing!) were rare gems that reminded me why I like this author. This book just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

I really enjoyed this book. A great cast of characters and I loved the charity shop setting. Really well written and highly recommended.

Preloved is a story about Gwen, stuck in London, single, life is turned upside down when she loses her job. . Gwen's story unfolds throughout, I don't want to give it away and whilst it didn't rock my world, I also didn't hate it. It was quiet slow paced but not an irritation. Just a bit meh and underwhelming.

If you like fast paced, wild rides this isn't for you. If you like to have a feel good tale, wrapped around the lives of the diverse volunteers and customers of a charity shop then jump in!

Why did I leave this book so long to read?

I have absolutely loved every single part of this one. I have loved the love of charity shops and there community and I will read anything that Lauren Bravo publishes.

I was really drawn to this story as in the past I have volunteered in a charity shop and I still love shopping in them. Gwen is stuck and feels like she doesn't know what to do with her life - she's single and has just been made redundant so she ends up volunteering in her local charity shop. This is a novel that at times is poignant in its exploration of loss but it's also endearing and fun. My favourite parts of the novel though were the small interludes about an item that was donated to the shop and the story that went with it - I could have happily read a whole book of these stories. I didn't love this book as much as I thought I was going to but it was a good read and I would recommend it.

A very poignant and well written story about love and loss.

The items that we collect over the years hold memories and this novel discusses this as well as the impact of loneliness. It is an emotional read.