I loved Stephanie's first book, so I was really pleased to get an ARC of her new one.

September is living with her deadbeat boyfriend on the poverty line when she finds out about an inheritance. What follows is a sweet story about her quest to find out more about her real family and also her developing friendship with a book club.

Like her first book, Stephanie uses literature and her love of books to drive the narrative forward. It's a dual timeline, the story told from the perspective of September and her aunt, Lucila.

It's a sweet story but not cloying, a lovely bit of escapism and an easy read. I look forward to the next one already.

I read this in one sitting - emotional, hopeful and characters you really learn to care for, I adored it.

Oh how I love Stephanie's books; they're so uplifting, and having read quite a sad book beforehand, I really needed that.

This is like a hug in a book, in every way. And all the love for books and the importance of reading and stories in a community, and building a family and friendship group was really lovely too.

September is a really lovely protagonist. She's had a rough start to life, and her journey in adulthood hasn't been all sunshine and roses either. But she was such a lovely person that I immediately fell in love with her. Her boyfriend Shaun, on the other hand, was just a bit icky.

There are lots of other characters - friends, strangers, neighbours - good and bad, too many to get into here, but let me just say that there wasn't a dud among them. They are all fabulous in their own way but do wonders to help support September on her journey.

It is mainly set in the present - well, 2024 - but we go get chapters set in Lucia (September's great aunt) younger and older years, which was a nice touch. It was really interesting reading the two time periods side by side and I really liked Lucia. There were definitely similarities in the personalities of the two. I think I preferred the September segments a smidgen more but that was because I felt I could relate to her move, but both segments were equally interesting.

What I love about books like this is that it's full of book recommendations, and I was soon adding to my always-growing wishlist of books.

Whilst at its heart it is an uplifting happy story, there are difficult topics, such as poverty, abandonment, adoption, relationship breakups, homelessness, loss, grief etc.

I read half of it before I went to bed and the rest as soon as I woke up; I just didn't want to part frrom it for too long.

This was an amazing book. I found I could identify with September a lot, you could almost touch her weariness in the beginning. The life line she is given by her great aunt whom she didn’t even know about really gave her a chance to reevaluate her life and move forward.

However there was so much more than just September inheriting a fortune, we learn about her great aunt and with a dual POV we see how September came to have the life she grew up with. The issues raised throughout the entire time line were very respectfully written about and thought provoking. The issues of racism, feminism and the class system, all still resonate with todays society and the way the author had everything unfold was amazing and I found myself eager to know what was going to happen next and I just had to know about Septembers history and her family.

Amazing from start to finish, I will certainly be looking this author up for more of her books.

The Book Of Kindness
A beautiful, moving and compassionately written story about second chances and kindness. There are some difficult topics which the author handles so well, from racism to adoption to living in poverty.
This was a really hopeful and positive book, and it was a ray of sunshine in a grey world. If you want a feel good read, then I definitely recommend.
The key takeaway is to be kind, to others and to yourself!

September Blythe is exhausted, both physically and mentally. No matter how many shifts she does at the supermarket she just can't make her money stretch to pay all the bills. When a mysterious letter arrives informing her she's inherited a house and money September can't believe her good fortune.

I discovered author Stephanie Butland a couple of years ago when I read the heartwarming Found In A Bookshop, so I was pleased to see that she had a new novel on the horizon. The Second Chance Book Club grabbed my attention immediately. The main character, September is down-to-earth and her situation fills you with sympathy. Money is short and debt collectors are hovering. September's boyfriend is so laid back about it all, which only seems to add to her worries. Unfortunately, September doesn't have the luxury of family to fall back on as we quickly learn that she was abandoned as a toddler so doesn't know her birth family. A wonderful couple adopted and raised September but they are both dead.

It is easy to understand September's skepticism when she is informed that her aunt has left her a substantial amount of money and a large house in Harrogate. Initial thoughts are to sell the house but when she visits September is enthralled by the calm it provides. Betrayal by her boyfriend helps cement her decision to move to Harrogate and then look at the possibilities her new life offers her.

September's aunt was a firm believer in kindness, resulting in her running a book club for people she felt needed a little help. Through this club, September meets a group of individuals who have all struggled through difficult life experiences. As we slowly learn the background of each character we see September blossom as she realises she has not only the means but also the ability and the courage to change her life around.

I loved getting to know all the different characters, it is impossible to isolate just a couple as favourites, I felt empathy towards them all. It was lovely to see their individual stories wrapped up at the end of this uplifting tale of kindness and possibility. Added to all of this were the numerous references to books, from classics to children's literature, there will be something every reader recognises.

This was such a wonderful heartwarming book, I couldn’t put it down.
Adopted as a baby, September has often wondered about her birth family.
She’s living with her boyfriend and life is one big financial struggle. But all that changes when she inherits a house and a substantial amount of money from her long lost aunt Lucia.
When she goes to visit her newly bequeathed house, she realises Lucia has never forgotten her and always bought her a book on her birthday.
She also finds out that Lucia has founded a book club and the members welcome her into their club and lives.
As the story unfolds, September unwraps and reads each of her birthday books that have been so thoughtfully considered by Lucia. She also discovers her aunt’s books of kindness and through these we learn about her birth family and the heartbreaking events that led to her being adopted.
So beautifully written and I liked the way books were intwined throughout.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

September's life is turned upside down when a letter from a solicitor lands on her doorstep. Discovering an aunt she knew nothing about, life suddenly looks up. After years of financial hardship money gives her freedom. She discovers a group of friends that help her makes sense of life through their book group.

Reading books her aunt left her and books in the book group help her make sense of life and give her a sense of identity.

A comforting uplifting read.

Otherwise titled The Book of Kindness, this is a lovely rich warm read. Stephanie inherits from a great aunt that she didn't know she had, and finds her own story when she moves in to her house. She keeps her aunts book club going, and finds new friends who help her find out more about her history. As usual, the author uses various books along the way to enhance this story, including the book club list, plus the pile of birthday books that September discovers waiting for her in the house. Written by a true book lover!

What a lovely, lovely read. I thoroughly enjoyed this warm and engrossing story of family, love and hard times. The story was well told and kept me interested throughout and the characters all had their own backstory that made them real. Ultimately uplifting and a reminder to us all that a little kindness costs nothing but does good for the giver as well as the person receiving.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netGalley for an early read of this delightful book. I've read and loved all of Stephanie Butland's previous novels and this one is another winner. Her characters and their story's are so well crafted and woven together that you are captivated from the start to the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this heartwarming and uplifting story that explores family, love, friendship and most of all, kindness.

A lovely read, with themes of friendship and families.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A story that when you finish it will make you want to be a better, more kind, person ………or at least that’s how it made me feel, others may already be super kind. The writing is easy, but not so easy that it’s irritating, the characters are real and the main character is so determined but hard done by that when she gets a break you want to cheer! I won’t give away too much but I kept on telling her not to give her boyfriend ANY money…..she did listen eventually, she should really have left him within a day of meeting him!!! As you can see it is a story that makes you feel really invested in the characters.
Thank you Netgalley for ARC

The Second Chance Book Club by Stephanie Butland is an emotional read, filled with heart and hope and one that I am sure will be enjoyed by many readers. September's life is a struggle, she is miserable in her job but needs to stay there to pay the bills and hopefully avoid going even further into debt with her dead beat boyfriend Shaun. When she gets a mysterious letter from a firm of solicitors looking for details of her adoption as a toddler it rekindles a curiosity about her birth family that has always been there despite her happy upbringing with her adoptive parents. It soon emerges that she had a Great Aunt Lucia who has now left her a home and quite a substantial amount of money. At first September plans to sell the house but when she goes to check it out it calls to her and she decides to spend some time there to learn about Lucia and possibly other family members. Once there she finds herself drawn into the book club her great aunt used to run in her home and soon finds herself making friends with the various members of the group and through them learning about Lucia. This truly is a life changing legacy for September, and the money and the house are the least valuable things about it.
I absolutely loved this book, I rarely find a book with so many well fleshed out characters with distinct voices and perspectives, it is a testament to the author that these characters absolutely feel like real people. There is excellent use of a dual timeline that allows us to learn more about Lucia's past while looking forward to a better future for September. Once I picked up the book I simply did not want to put it down, I found myself hoping that September would figure out what she needed to make her happy, and I would love to sit in on a meeting of the book club to meet all the characters whose stories were so bittersweet. This is absolutely a book for readers who love books, there are so many mentioned throughout the story that I was delighted to see a full list included at the end of the book, and while many were firm favourites I had already read, there were some that I added to my TBR. I also added this author's previous books, I can only hope they are as beautiful and captivating as this one was.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I thought was going to be another trope ticking romance, however, was more than that.

September is in a toxic relationship that has drained all of her money, energy and life. However, September then inherits from an unknown aunt, and this offered her freedom and a life she didn’t know she could have.

Who doesn’t want an unexpected inheritance, allowing you to live the life of your dreams, and I was envious of the main character for this. I had to be kind to her as a character because, whilst she came across as a wet blanket, she had been in a horrible relationship that had taken her spirit and confidence - as someone who has been through that, I know it takes time to rebuild yourself.

The main story is on friendship and how, along with money and a home, September inherits her aunt’s friends, and it is their love that allows her to grow.

I enjoyed this book.

So much fun to read, i enjoyed it from start to very end. The writing style was engaging and i devoured it! I loved the varied cast we met along the way and would happily read again.

I can already picture the Hallmark movie that could be made from this story - although romance isn't a huge part of it, unlike most Hallmarks. This is far more about September, and in a smaller way about Lucia, the great aunt she doesn't know but who ends up shaping her whole life.

The story is told in two timelines, September's and Lucia's. Things don't happen simultaneously - mysteries in September's timeline aren't immediately solved in Lucia's, which adds to the intrigue of the story. The best thing is the found family aspect. I adore a good found family and this one is spectacular, with Lucia's found family seamlessly adopting September, and her adding a few members as the story continues.

The author clearly adores books, and they're woven into the fabric of this story; there's the book club, of course, but possibly more important are the books Lucia bought for September during their separation. Although they tend towards the old fashioned, each one teaches September a lesson or touches her in a way she hadn't expected. I also love the titular books of kindness - lists Lucia kept of kindnesses she gave and received during each day. I might have to start doing it myself! It seems like a wonderful gratitude ritual.

This is definitely a book I'll reread when I'm feeling down - it left me crying, but in the good way. I can't recommend it enough.

Book recommendation: For a similar found family and a woman finally learning who she is, try Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter. It has the same happy crying feeling as Book of Kindness.

Movie recommendation: If you’re drawn to the themes of personal transformation and finding a sense of belonging, The Hundred-Foot Journey is a perfect fit. It follows the journey of an Indian family that opens a restaurant in a small French village, challenging the established Michelin-starred restaurant across the street. The growing connections, cultural exchange, and eventual mutual respect evoke that same feeling of finding family in unexpected places, just like in Book of Kindness. It’s a heartwarming story about embracing change, building new relationships, and the power of kindness.

I didn't expect that I'll be crying before even 10%. This book is perfect for me. A bit hard and very emotional, heartfelt yet beautiful. True to its title, I'll read it again to remind myself there are good things in this cruel world.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC ❤️

#TheBookofKindness #NetGalley

I read this book under the title (The Book of Kindness) and here is my review:

I loved the one year a book present from the grandaunt, for her missing niece, but it was terribly sad that no one discovered or even went to find September's mother after she left home with a baby. I am glad September found more family and also the story of her birth and adoption in the end.

I enjoyed the story though, in certain areas of the copy I was reading, the wrong names were written - eg when Sapphire visited September, there was a line when Gemma was used in place of Sapphire.

Earlier in the book, there was also a few times when Lucia was written as Mariah. But I figured out the story so perhaps more editing for name checks?

Thanks for the ARC from Netgalley.

The Book of Kindness, this is the title when I read the book, though it seems changed to The Second Chance Book Club now. I believe the earlier title is more apt to the story.

The story follows September Blythe and her life after she inherits her great aunt's estate, her book club and the love she had for her which she left behind. It's a story I loved, cried over and felt deeply towards. Every action of the characters be it small or big was a lesson, thought, reflex in kindness. If you want a heart touching story with kindness at it's heart this is the one.