Description
Download an exclusive extract of the first chapterIt's time for widow Molly Stevenson to stand on her own two feet. With blind dates, a needy ghost, and her small town bookstore in trouble, she's going to need all her inner strength to prevent another unhappy ending.
Forty-something Molly can't bear to remove her wedding band. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, the last thing she needs is her sleazy landlord raising the rent to drive her bookshop out of business.
And she doesn't need a new man, either, no matter what her friends say.
Now, this mild mannered indie bookstore owner must find the inner strength to turn the page to a brand new chapter.
So she's relieved when the ghost of her husband arrives claiming he's there to help. But is he? Seems he has some issues of his own.
With a little nudge from beyond the grave, the mild mannered bibliophile hatches a plan to revitalize her boutique and keep the doors open. But with everyone, including her spectral spouse, insisting she start dating again, Molly isn't sure what's worse—the dates she meets online or the love of her life trying to find her a new man—who's not quite as good as him.
How will Molly find the courage to fight for herself?
Reviews
"Gabi Coatsworth’s debut novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Over, tenderly explores grief, self-discovery, and reinvention in middle life. Readers will cheer for Molly as she learns that standing on one’s own often requires getting comfortable with leaning on others. The heartwarming, hopeful tale is also a gentle reminder that it’s possible to fall in love more than once in a lifetime."
To start over, Molly Stevenson, a widow, mother, and owner of a bookstore, must let go. Not an easy task for a 50-year-old woman whose dead husband Simon is speaking to her from the grave—providing business advice and telling her who to date. Anyone who has had to begin again, to strike out on her own, make a new life and new friends, will relate to this debut novel… Gabi has been there and has an inspiring story with a happy ending to tell.
A warm, engaging novel about love, friendship, and starting over, with a protagonist you will root for from the very first page! Molly is resilient, honest, and complex—in short, everything you could ask for in a protagonist. This is a book about second-chance love and so much more, written by an author who knows how to tell a story. Lovely!
“…a wholly charming story of a widowed bookstore owner whose primary concern is keeping her business afloat in the face of a rent hike. She's still not over her later husband, Simon, and has frequent conversations with his ghost about her difficulties in letting go. When friends urge her to try dating again, she is tentatively open to the possibility. Readers will eagerly root for the highly relatable Molly Stevenson as she navigates unchartered waters later in life and allows herself to be open to love again…
Unforgettable and nuanced, Gabi Coatsworth delivers a heart-warming novel about the risks we must take to have a second chance. This is a book begging to be read cozied up in a chair, a fireplace blazing, and a cuppa tea in your hand. Prepare to sit a spell—Molly’s stumbling journey to embrace the future will keep you soaring through the pages and by the end, Molly will feel like a much-loved old friend…
“A Beginner's Guide to Starting Over follows the delightful journey of Molly Stevenson and her loyalty to a former love, while confronting the challenge of striking out on her own, and opening her heart to a new relationship. You will fall in love with the characters. A heartfelt read.”
"Gabi Coatsworth absolutely nails the emotional journey of a middle-aged woman faced with losing a love and starting over. Her humorous and uplifting style makes this a delightful read."
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.