New Beginnings
The Second Chance Supper Club by Caroline Roberts is a very charming contemporary novel about new beginnings.
The novel is set in a small village in Northumberland as we follow the leading lady who is relocating from Leeds. We understand her fears of starting again but though the village is small, the welcome is huge.
There are an eclectic mix of characters, with the village shop very much at the heart of the village. “That little shop is more than just a store, it’s a kind of community hub.” The young men who own the shop provide a warm welcome, and it is here that friendships begin. Characters drop in for more than groceries. For some, it is their lifeline, giving them conversation and care.
The leading lady and man are in their fifties. They prove that growing older does not have to mean, slowing down. He is passionate about cycling.
She misses her friends in Leeds. Following a divorce, she is brave enough to start the supper club which provides a camaraderie for a group of five as they share good food and lives.
The leading lady was a wife and mother for nearly thirty years. Now it is time to re-discover herself. “Her life… had been so focused around Adam and Trevor, along with her teaching job and her pupils, that she’d lost sight of herself.”
We see the importance of following your heart and dreams. A young girl feels pressurised by her parents to take the academic route in uni but all she really wants to do is catering.
No matter how old we grow, we still feel the same on the inside. Feelings that one character had had in her teens are re-ignited, as the old flame had never really gone out.
Where there are needs, they are met. When an elderly mother is in hospital, the supper club rallies round, supporting where it can.
All the characters were wonderfully drawn. The reader really feels part of their lives. Our tastebuds were tempted by the delicious fayre on offer. I was pleased to see the inclusion of recipes at the back of the book.
Caroline Roberts has written the most delightful tale. It is light-hearted and fun-filled, and will leave you smiling.
The Second Chance Supper Club is the first book in a new series and I cannot wait for more, more, more!
JULIA WILSON