The Bookmark S5E3: The Year of Second Chances

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This episode we're joined by special guest, author of The Year of Second Chances, Lara Avery. Lara is a homegrown Topekan author. Our hosts are excited to discuss her adult novel debut. Autumn was lucky enough to read the advanced reader copy (ARC) of the book. Lara explains that some things have changed between the ARC and the final published version of the novel.

The book takes place in the Twin Cities (Minnesota), where Lara lived for several years before moving back to Topeka. She has personal experience using dating apps and met her husband through Tinder. Lara read a lot about widows, including many blogs, etc. to research this book.

The book centers around young widow, Robin, who gets a timed email from her deceased husband, Gabe. Gabe had set up a dating profile for her in hopes she would get out there after his death. Robin has been stuck in a caretaker role for her family (her mother and brother), since his death and this is truly a new chapter in her life. Each chapter begins with a dating app question.  Robin's husband and she went to the same high school, found each other at the same college, became sweethearts and got married. He was the beloved extroverted mayor of their small town.

Levi, Gabe's best friend, also gets a posthumous message from Gabe assigning him to help Robin on her journey. Because Levi knew Robin before college and before/adjacent to her relationship with Gabe, he rounds out Robin's character. Our hosts and author were mum about revealing if anything more becomes of Levi and Robin's new friendship.

Read The Year of Second Chances by Lara Avery, out now!

Books we discussed in this episode

What’s Next?

The next episode of The Bookmark drops October 2, 2023!

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Meet your hosts

Autumn Friedli, Chris Blocker and Miranda Ericsson relish talking books with recurring readers and special guests from the library and community in The Bookmark.

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