Second Chapter Books

Second Chapter Books Cozy, local bookstore in Carthage, NC with an ever-changing selection of new & used books. New releases weekly & custom orders available.

Shop in-store or online anytime at 2ndChapterBooks.com!

09/07/2026

Witches. Vampires. Forbidden magic. A cursed kingdom. A brooding prince. And secrets EVERYWHERE. This is exactly why I read romantasy.

Night Tide by Lexi Ryan completely sucked me into its world. The romance and chemistry are fantastic, but what pushed this to FIVE stars for me is that the romance doesn't have to carry the book. There is an actual STORY here, and I was just as invested in uncovering the secrets of Night Tide as I was in Aurora and Malek.

The castle. The forbidden wings. The curse. The politics. The witches and vampires. Every time I thought I had something figured out, there was another secret waiting.

This is exactly what I want when I pick up a romantasy: a world I can disappear into, characters I actually care about, a romance that keeps me invested, and enough mystery that I don't want to put the book down.

My biggest complaint? It's book one of a trilogy, and now I have to WAIT. 😂

FIVE huge stars.

Night Tide releases February 23, 2027. Preorder the Deluxe Limited Edition now from Second Chapter Books through the link in our bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Lexi Ryan for the advance copy.

09/07/2026

Apparently my favorite romance trope is now: “I might kill you, but I’d rather kiss you.” 😂

And somehow Effie Campbell made it even BETTER the second time around.

I gave book one five stars, but How to Kill Your Rival? I loved it even more.

Eliza and James are rivals, elite contract killers, and two completely unhinged people who spend an alarming amount of time deciding whether they want to kill each other or kiss each other.

The rivalry. The obsession. The dark humor. The spice. The creative homicide. This book was ridiculously fun.

But one of my FAVORITE things about this romance was James. He is completely obsessed with Eliza exactly as she is. She doesn't have to become softer, less dangerous, or less capable for him. He knows exactly who this woman is, and that's precisely why he wants her.

FIVE STARS. Give me more of this murderous little family immediately. 😂

How to Kill Your Rival releases October 11 and is available to preorder now from Second Chapter Books through the link in our bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Effie Campbell for the advance copy.

09/07/2026

Sports romance + fake dating + a bad-boy NFL player who is definitely NOT what everyone thinks he is? Yeah, I was going to read this one. 😂

If We Kiss by Carly Phillips absolutely FLEW by. I swear I started reading and suddenly I was halfway through the book.

Daisy handles PR for an NFL team. Maverick is their star tight end with a reputation for trouble. One very public misunderstanding puts BOTH of their careers at risk, and their solution is fake dating.

You already know where this is going.

The chemistry is there. The spice is SPICING. And I have a serious soft spot for the supposed “bad boy” who turns out to be something completely different once you actually get to know him.

Four stars from me. Fast, spicy, fun, and ridiculously easy to devour.

If We Kiss releases February 9, 2027. Preorder now from Second Chapter Books through the link in our bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Carly Phillips for the advance copy.

09/07/2026

I was hooked from CHAPTER ONE.

She’s Mine by Susan Walter is exactly what I want from a domestic thriller: fast-paced, messy, full of secrets, and absolutely impossible to trust ANYONE.

A four-year-old girl disappears after her birthday party. Everyone who was there is a suspect.

Except one of them turns up dead.

Then come the lies, the multiple POVs, the before-and-now timelines, and twist after twist. Every time I thought I had figured out what was happening, Susan Walter sent me in a completely different direction.

And that final stretch?! I could NOT put it down.

FIVE stars from me. This is one thriller I’ll absolutely be recommending in 2027.

She’s Mine releases February 16, 2027 and is available to preorder now from Second Chapter Books through the link in our bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Susan Walter for the advance copy.

09/07/2026

Before you scroll because of the word “witches,” this is NOT fantasy. The Night Witches were an all-female Soviet flying regiment that flew night bombing missions during WWII, and their story immediately got my attention.

I’ve read a LOT of WWII historical fiction, and at this point, it takes something different to make a book stand out. Emily Matchar did exactly that.

The story moves between Soviet Russia in 1941 and Baltimore in 1976, connecting women across generations through their determination to fly. But what stayed with me most were the friendships, sacrifices, ambition, and courage of these women.

I gave The Night Witches 4 stars. There were a few places where the pacing slowed for me, but I finished this genuinely wanting to learn more about this piece of WWII history, and THAT is something I love in historical fiction.

If you feel like you’ve already read every possible WWII storyline, put this one on your list.

The Night Witches releases April 13, 2027 and is available to preorder from Second Chapter Books now. Link in bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advance copy.

09/07/2026

If you’re expecting another Divine Rivals, this is NOT that book, and I mean that in the best possible way.

I gave A Bittersweet Spell by Rebecca Ross FIVE stars.

This is adult fantasy. It’s darker, incredibly magical, and built around a cursed manuscript, old betrayals, dangerous secrets, and two people with TEN YEARS of unresolved history.

And the yearning. Rebecca Ross KNOWS how to write yearning.

But what really got me was how much bigger the story became as I read. The manuscript isn’t just a magical object. There’s another story unfolding within it, the mysteries start connecting, and I could not put this book down.

Then I discovered it’s the beginning of a trilogy.

Well. Now I need book two. 😂

A Bittersweet Spell: Deluxe Limited Edition releases April 6, 2027, with stenciled edges, illustrated endpapers, and special jacket effects on the first printing.

Preorder now from Second Chapter Books through the link in our bio. We ship nationwide!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advance copy.

BUDDY’S WEEKLY UPDATE: BUDDY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO MANAGEMENTFirst things first: we have absolutely no idea where Buddy...
09/05/2026

BUDDY’S WEEKLY UPDATE: BUDDY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO MANAGEMENT

First things first: we have absolutely no idea where Buddy finished for the month of August.

Why?

Because Mom forgot to take a picture of the final leaderboard.

Again.

Buddy has requested new management. His request is currently under review. 😂

But September is underway, and apparently Buddy has decided he has a reputation to maintain.

Buddy is currently #4 locally with 1,786 minutes.

Goonie is sitting at #6 with 1,718 minutes, just 68 minutes behind him.

Buddy has been informed.

Buddy did not appreciate being informed.

And according to his tracker, our chunky little athlete has already traveled 4.96 miles this week.

Where is he going?

We don't know.

What is he doing?

We don't know.

Does HE know?

Also questionable. 😂

Unfortunately, all this important Buddy business brings us to this week's formal complaint.

DEAR EVERYONE DRIVING DOWN BARRETT STREET:

SLOW. DOWN.

With all the construction happening in downtown Carthage, a lot more people are using Barrett Street to get around it.

There is just one tiny problem.

Buddy also uses Barrett Street.

Except Buddy isn't in a car.

He's a fat gray-and-white cat with appointments on both sides of the road and absolutely ZERO respect for traffic laws.

Crossing Barrett Street has apparently become Buddy's personal version of Frogger, and Mom would very much like him to STOP auditioning for the advanced level.

Buddy does not understand detours.

Buddy does not understand increased traffic.

Buddy does not understand right-of-way.

Buddy understands:

“I am over here.”

“I would like to be over there.”

And then he goes. 😂

So while Buddy is making the official complaint, Mom is actually VERY concerned about this.

If you're traveling down Barrett Street because of the downtown construction, PLEASE slow down and watch for him.

Actually, watch for all of our downtown neighborhood cats.

But especially...

THE FAT GRAY-AND-WHITE ONE.

That's ours. 😂

Please share this with everyone you know who is driving through downtown Carthage right now.

You don't even have to explain the entire Buddy saga.

Just tell them:

“There's a fat gray-and-white cat playing Frogger on Barrett Street. SLOW DOWN.”

They'll figure it out.

MEANWHILE, IN OTHER BREAKING NEWS...

Muffin appears to be missing again.

Of course she does.

At this point we're beginning to suspect Muffin has a second family, a vacation home, or possibly a job none of us know about.

She'll probably stroll back in eventually acting like WE'RE the ones who disappeared.

So, to recap this week's neighborhood cat situation:

Buddy: #4. 1,786 minutes. 4.96 miles. Currently demanding traffic calming measures on Barrett Street.

Goonie: #6. Only 68 minutes behind Buddy and quietly plotting.

Muffin: Has apparently entered the witness protection program.

Mom: Forgot the August leaderboard and is now standing around worrying about a cat who believes roads are merely suggestions.

Please slow down.

Please share.

And somebody please tell Buddy that being #1 on the leaderboard is NOT worth crossing Barrett Street during rush hour. 😂

09/03/2026

She cuts her hair, puts on her brother’s clothes, walks into an orchestra audition as a man... and suddenly she’s good enough. 🎻

Yep. That made me mad.

Pas de Deux by Dani Meier takes us to 1946, where Charlie has the talent to earn her place in a professional orchestra, but unfortunately, she also has the audacity to be a woman. So when the men deciding her future refuse to see her talent, she becomes “Theo.”

And I was HERE for it.

Then there’s Frederick. A WWII veteran, fellow musician, old friend, and a man who has loved Charlotte for a very long time. Their history added an emotional layer I wasn’t expecting.

What really made this stand out for me was the setting. I’ve read plenty of post-WWII historical fiction, but this felt completely different. No spies. No secret resistance missions. Instead, we get music, ambition, identity, romance, and a woman basically saying, “Fine. If you won’t give Charlotte a seat, let’s see what you think of Theo.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one surprised me, and those are sometimes my favorite five-star reads.

🛍️ Order through Second Chapter Books at 2ndChapterBooks.com
📦 We ship nationwide!

09/03/2026

A whole department dedicated to unrequited love letters? 💌 Yeah, I needed to know where this was going.

Joy works for Cupid & Associates, cataloging people's secret, unanswered love letters. Then a pretty spectacular mistake sends those very private letters out into the world, and she's stuck on a road trip trying to get them back with Charles, her cynical coworker who absolutely does NOT believe in love.

☀️ Hopeful romantic + cynic
🚗 Road trip
💞 Forced proximity
🔥 Slow burn
✨ A little touch of magic

I wasn't sure this premise was going to work for me, but it completely won me over. The Unrequited Love Department by Kristina Forest is sweet, whimsical, funny, romantic, and different from so many of the romances I've been reading lately.

Did it reinvent romance? No.

Did it make me ridiculously happy for a few hundred pages? Absolutely. ❤️

📚 Releases January 5, 2027
🛍️ Preorder at 2ndChapterBooks.com
📦 We ship nationwide!

09/03/2026

Book One introduced me to Maple Hollow. Book Two made me want to MOVE THERE. 🐺🌙

Wild Wicked Mate by Laurie Gilmore gave me everything I wanted more of from the first book. The character development was stronger, the romance had more emotional weight, and Theo and Phoebe’s years of history made their relationship feel earned.

Friends to lovers. Fated mates. Forced proximity. A road trip. A werewolf AND a tree nymph? Yes, please. 😂

What really got me was Theo. There was so much more underneath his character than I expected, and between his story, the chemistry, the spice, and the found family of Maple Hollow, I was completely invested.

If you started this series and weren’t completely sold on Book One, KEEP GOING. Book Two is where Laurie Gilmore got me.

📚 Wild Wicked Mate releases October 20, 2026.

Preorder at 2ndChapterBooks.com. Shop small, support an independent bookstore, and yes, we ship nationwide! 📦💕

Address

101 Monroe Street
Carthage, NC
28327

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Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 7:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 7:30pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

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