Fun #RomCom: The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square by Lilly Bartlett

by Donna Huber

Welcome back to the East End! Emma and the whole crowd is back. The wedding is past, the babies have been born and Emma is trying to fulfill the dream she labored so hard through school for. You know Emma, she couldn't open a youth center. No, she is opening a cafe.

Amazon affiliate links are used in this post. A free ebook was provided for this review.

June 2017; HarperImpulse; ebook (243 pages)
romantic comedy

When I read The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square by Lilly Bartlett I had a fleeting thought that the closed down pub they used for bathrooms would be featured in another book in the series. And what a shock it was when I was notified of The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square and it featured the closed down pub. Seriously I did a little ha ha dance because I was right about it making a great setting.

One thing you know when you pick up a Lilly Bartlett books is that it is going to be fun (in case you didn't know Bartlett is the pen name for Michele Gorman). Second Chance Cafe is a bit different than The Big Little Wedding as it is much more focused on Emma and how she balances working and being a mom. The other characters from the first book make appearances or are mentioned but they do not have a big role.

As you can imagine (or have experienced) as a new mom of twins her time is consumed with the kids. And on top of that, she renovated and opened a new cafe that employees at risk teens. If you have run your own business you know that the first year is all-consuming. So it felt real that the other characters were more in the background. But there are a few new characters to add spice to things - the two teens who work for Emma, the cafe owner down the street, Emma's Moms Group, and there is plenty of East End color.

There are some predictable moments as is par for the course for a romantic comedy, but it is still a cute story and well-worth the read.

Buy The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square at Amazon US and in the UK

Which cover do you like best? I usually favor the UK version (the large cover) over the US version (the cover in the quote graphics), but for this book, I like them both. Does on appeal more to you than the other?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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