Preloved: A sparklingly witty and relatable debut novel

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I've also worked extensively as a commercial copywriter,for the likes of LEGO, Sainsbury's, River Cottage, The Flour Station, British Gas, Betty.me, RED Valentino, BBC, Channel 4, O2 Magazineand Tesco,on web copy,social media content and digital strategy.These days I focus on working with ethical and sustainable fashion and lifestyle brands. Laugh-out-loud funny but also poignant and tender, Preloved is an absorbingly special debut novel. I devoured in equal measure the delicious descriptions of food and the moving vignettes of preloved treasures peppered throughout the book, while the nineties and noughties nostalgia had me gasping with pleasure.' Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female

Preloved eBook by Lauren Bravo | Official Publisher Page Preloved eBook by Lauren Bravo | Official Publisher Page

Beautifully considered and wonderfully crafted with characters who feel true to life. Full of witty observations and dazzling retorts and withering reactions... it won't disappoint." - Justin MyersThe short chapters that intersperse the main Gwen chapters tell the story of different people who use the charity shop for various reasons. The author's skillful observations of people and their idiosyncrasies add to the book's charm. As the story progresses, it becomes clear how these people link to Gwen and other characters in the book. This added an extra layer of satisfaction every time I recognised a character from the short interludes. The individial chapters about the 'life of donated items' are quite clever & the story of Gwen was a lovely thread pulling everything together .. Gwen decides to start where all things get a second chance: her local charity shop. There, with the help of the weird and wonderful people and donated items bursting with untold stories, Gwen will find a way to move forward with bravery, tenacity, and more regular dental care.

Preloved | Lauren Bravo | 9781398510623 | NetGalley Preloved | Lauren Bravo | 9781398510623 | NetGalley

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Definitely one of my favourite books that I’ve read so far this year! Having unloaded her physical baggage at the charity shop she ends up starting a new journey, volunteering her time in the same shop where her engagement ring is now an item waiting to be loved by someone new.This book doesn’t shie away from the more complicated issues. The topic of trauma when talking about the death of Gwen’s brother Luke who died suddenly at just 19 is handled sensitively. Another subject that seems to be one that is so divisive is childlessness. Suze and her husband are at an impasse when it comes to the topic of children; he wants them, but she doesn’t. As someone who is currently volunteering at a charity shop, this was very relatable and gave me a good few laughs. This book also has little chapters in between the ‘main’ chapters telling the history of some items that have ended up on the charity shop shelves, and I really loved that. These tales also ended up weaving in and out of the main storyline. It really makes you pause and reflect on the history of the items that you see, and their possible futures. There was one that detailed the journey of a fast fashion party top, that was particularly significant, and has stayed with me since I read it. With her redundancy money she decides that it will buy her time for a few months whilst she looks for something else. She decides to volunteer at a charity shop.