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A magical theater atop a cobblestone path alters what a couple knows about themselves—and each other—in this scintillating debut brimming with nostalgia and life-affirming wonder.
At the end of a fog-covered alley, glitters a glamorous cinema. It's nearly impossible to find. When Ellie and her fiancé, Drake, stumble upon it during a late-night walk, they're shocked to discover what's playing inside the red-velvet auditorium: their formative memories.
Drake fears what the cinema might reveal, but eventually gives in when Ellie insists they return for more viewings. She's haunted by a night from her past that she doesn't fully remember. This is her opportunity to piece the story back together. But as the memories displayed on screen inch closer to the present, they realize they're both keeping secrets from each other.
With their wedding on the horizon, Ellie and Drake must decide if seeing their pasts changes their plans for a future together. Filled with warmth, hope, and a dash of magic, The Second Chance Cinema is both an enchanting escape and a thought-provoking examination of how our memories shape who we are.
"Weiss's debut novel pulls back red velvet curtains to reveal an auditorium filled with nostalgia and a thought-provoking analysis of how the past shapes the present. This story seamlessly moves from past to present, dwelling upon the importance of love, grief, personal fears, and genuine acceptance. This tantalizing escape is more than a magical theater; it leads readers to consider the weight of past decisions and long-held secrets." —Library Journal (starred review)
Weiss, in her debut novel, shows the destructive power of secrets and the healing power of vulnerability and acceptance in relationships. Readers will root for Drake and Ellie in this sweet and charming story of second chances. —Booklist
"First-rate debut from Weiss. Weiss supplements the accomplished plotting with realistic character work, focusing on how the couple is impacted by the film's revelations. This tugs at the heartstrings." —Publishers Weekly
"Funny, beautiful, and surreal." —Kirkus Reviews
"Delightful, heartfelt, and utterly engrossing, The Second Chance Cinema offers a magical glimpse into the perfectly imperfect aspects of love, commitment, and how to reclaim the past to find happiness in the present." —Margarita Montimore, USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order
This information about The Second Chance Cinema was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Thea Weiss is a copywriter and screenwriter who previously contributed to the Twilight franchise. She lives in Denver with her husband, daughter, and dachshund—and loves going to the movies when she's not writing. The Second Chance Cinema is her first novel. Find out more at WrittenbyThea.com or follow her on Instagram @WrittenbyThea.
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