Sunshine and Second Chances: A heart-warming, feel-good summer read about friendship, love and second chances.

by Kim Nash

[zooloo1983]

Oh, I do think that Kim must be some sort of witch because every book I read is just magic. I love this! 4 women turning 50 go to Portugal for a week. All with different “problems” in their lives that they need to sort out and move on from to find some happiness. I felt I was in the Algarve with these ladies, wish I was really there but it was peaceful and beautiful and so much fun!

Olivia aka Liv, is a mum to two raucous boys and a wife to a successful businessman, but they only see her has a skivvy, is it too late to save what she loves the most?

Debs, recently divorced and really not happy in herself hides behind food and drink. But will she find happiness at the end of the bottle?

Fiona is struggling with her mother’s dementia, worries she will get it and has so much guilt leaving her behind, Will she be able to forgive herself and find a new path for her and her mum?

Sam, a widow left with more aggro and a son who isn’t interested and takes her for granted. Things need to change but will she needs able to repair what she has?

The week they spend away just sounds so lush. They are able to recoup their friendship and rebuild. I love seeing the lives of these women. Each time I was reading one of their stories, I wanted to read someone else’s but then I didn’t want theirs to end. These are 4 women I love, ok they did seem overly nice to each other sometimes when you just wanted to say what you felt, but it was a nice balance because at the end of the day the sisterhood is what mattered, not the drama. The title of the book really invigorates the story, it is a tale of second chances indeed and I loved watching the women come on holiday heavy-hearted and a bit gloomy, a bit like having a rain cloud over their heads and looking grey as they fret about everything. When the holiday comes to an end, it is like an entirely different group of women, there is a lightness to them, there is a lot of love, forgiveness and sunshine.

I really hope we get to see these ladies again on their next holiday. They are an amazing bunch of friends who would go to the ends of the earth for each other. I also have to say I love the mention of Grace and Vinnie from Amazing Grace that made me so happy, a reminder of my favourite slice of magic.

Kim’s writing is always a joy to read. She writes a story where I just keep turning the pages and forget what the time is! This is the 3rd book and she shows no signs of slowing down or losing momentum with her characters or storytelling and setting the book in the Algarve is beautiful. You can’t help but smile when sitting in the garden reading this!