THE SECOND STORY BOOKSHOP
She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again. “Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story” (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood). Full of fall vibes, The Second Story Bookshop is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Gilmore Girls.
Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago.
She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again. “Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story” (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood). Full of fall vibes, The Second Story Bookshop is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Gilmore Girls.
Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school she’s helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Grandville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby’s heart years ago.
Grandville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school he couldn’t skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he’d fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he’s back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend’s will. Facing the town’s animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.
As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram’s beyond-the-grave scheme is working–Shelby’s old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces–one that threatens Gram’s beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around?
If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in a cozy lakeside bookshop brimming with healing, heart, and Southern charm, The Second Story Bookshop is your perfect, feel-good escape. Let Shelby and Gray’s tender journey remind you that sometimes the path back to love starts at the front step of a bookstore.
- Thomas Nelson
- Paperback
- October 2025
- 368 Pages
- 9781400348695
Buy the Book
$18.99
About Denise Hunter
Denise Hunter is the internationally published, bestselling author of more than forty books, three of which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won the Holt Medallion Award, the Reader’s Choice Award, the Carol Award, the Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking chai lattes, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana, where she and her husband raised three boys and are now enjoying an empty nest and four beautiful grandchildren.
Praise
“. . . a beautifully complex romance about being loved in a way that transcends others’ judgments. Hunter (HARVEST MOON, 2022) poignantly contrasts the fire of youthful passion with the deeper pull of mature love, while first-person flashbacks intensify unresolved hurt and undeniable chemistry. Set in small-town North Carolina, it highlights the imperfect but enduring bonds of family and community, and features tender notes of second chances and sweet literary charm.” —Booklist
“A second story bookshop leads to a second chance at love in this tenderly told tale of old wounds, forgiveness, and redemption. Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story in which the business of books steers the business of life toward a beautiful new beginning.” —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood
Discussion Questions
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- Because the Second Story Bookshop was her grandmother’s beloved store, Shelby always felt a deep connection to it— and all the more after Gram’s passing. What was your favorite thing about the bookstore? Is there a place to which you have a special connection or feeling of belonging?
- Discuss why Gray’s reappearance in Shelby’s life shook her so deeply. Did fear play a part?
- Was Gram right or wrong for meddling in her granddaughter’s life posthumously?
- Shelby’s family experienced her mother’s abandonment in different ways. Discuss how it impacted the entire family. How did it affect her relationship with Gray? Have you ever been abandoned? What was its impact on your life? How have you begun to heal from it?
- As a teen Gray was treated unfairly by townspeople and bullied by peers. How did that make you feel? What advice would you give young Gray? Have you or a loved one ever been targeted or bullied? Was anything done to rectify the situation?
- Gray experienced shame as a result of that treatment. Discuss what shame is and how it might be overcome.
- How was Shadow symbolic of Gray himself? How did the dog help Gray in his growth?
- How did you feel as Gray was again targeted in the present- day story? Did you feel there was more he could do?
- How did you feel during the town hall scene as people spoke on Gray’s behalf? Tell about a situation when others have stood up for you— or when you stood up for others.