This offbeat novel hits the zetgeist notes of "reduce, re-use, recycle" within a charity shop where recently redundant Gwen volunteers after dropping off her own relics. We then follow Gwen as she haphazardly adopts the perhaps/maybe trope and applies the preloved way as to lead her own re-direction. 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. Preloved is full of sharp observations on life, loss, regret and self-preservation... spilling over with wit and hope. Cleverly interwoven with stories of the myriad reasons items find their way into charity shops, the joy, friendship and ultimate enlightenment Gwen discovers offers a quirky and poignant reminder that one person's trash is always somebody else's treasure.' Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman

Preloved by Lauren Bravo | Goodreads

Not wanting to give much away, but I also really loved the story between Gwen and her parents, and how they are handling a personal loss that happened to them. I thought it was so well done. The less is more approach might have tightened the book and given it more spark. Instead I found the early promise lost in a way-too-long ramblings. 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 PriceOptimistic and engaging… intimate and joyful… We’re waiting for Preloved to be optioned by Reese Witherspoon or at least adapted into a binge-worthy Netflix series…’ Glamour 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 Myers Brimming with life, love and the stories bound up in even the most everyday items, Preloved is a tale about friendship, loss, being true to oneself no matter the expectations – and the enduring power and joy of charity shops. 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. A heartwarming tale of friendship, loss and being true to yourself, regardless of expectations.' Red magazine

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

Every character in this book, and every item that is preloved and finding its new home, has something to come to terms with, to face before they can make the next steps in their lives. Just like that once-in-a-lifetime charity shop find, Preloved is a gleaming prize to be treasured.' Caroline O'Donohue, author of Promising Young Woman Particularly when we're living among bleakness and uncertainty, it’s a privilege when somebody chooses to sit down with a book you've written and invested hours of their life with a character; you owe it to them to give that character a satisfactory ending. I've had so many experiences where I've loved a book right up until the 5% and then I want to hurl it across the room!" You just feel cheated. And I couldn't do that to readers.” I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Definitely one of my favourite books that I’ve read so far this year!The 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. Dazzlingly witty, Preloved is a tale about friendship, loss and being true to yourself no matter the expectations. Lovingly celebrating the enduring power and joy of charity shops. The narrative follows Gwen who is in her mid-thirties drifting through life as she finds herself unemployed and still single while her friends are all married and busy popping out kids. She speaks little and rarely to her parents whose whole lives seem to revolve around the council’s wheelie-bin timetable. Gwen wants to be a better friend, a better daughter and does her best to reconnect. Her social life used to happen around her and it was easier to go along. But now the pull of a hot bath and cosy night in seems more appealing. Her oldest friend Suze was her saviour but now they barely talk. Gwen doesn’t have any problem making friends, it’s keeping them that she struggles with. Overall, Preloved is a heartwarming and humorous novel with great characters that I would recommend to anyone. I eagerly await Lauren Bravo's future releases. The book follows Gwen as she struggles to come to terms with sudden unemployment and decides to volunteer at a local charity shop. There, she meets a fantastic cast of characters that make the book a joy to read. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Haringey, an area of London that I currently reside in but rarely see in literature. Gwen's shrewd observations of life as a 30-something in London were also entertaining and relatable.

Preloved by Lauren Bravo | Goodreads Preloved by Lauren Bravo | Goodreads

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.This book is an absolute delight from beginning to end. Interspersed with Gwen’s story (our MC) are random vignettes about the various items that make their way through the charity shop (or are they random after all? Read to find out). Equal parts hilarious and bittersweet, the story strolls along at a nice leisurely pace. I love a slow, character-driven story, so this is right up my alley. As she is sitting in a restaurant eating a solo dinner to celebrate her birthday (thus showing us, the readers, the isolated life she has made for herself), she starts to put together a to-do list of all the tasks she has been avoiding for far too long. One of these chores is to dispose of the engagement ring that she has been holding on to since the abrupt ending of the relationship. She takes this, and other items she has been keeping, to a local charity shop and so starts the journey to her new life. 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 also reads as a love letter to charity shops. The stories about the different people that visit and volunteer in them feel so real, like I almost expect to run into these characters next time I nip into Cancer Research or Oxfam. I’ll definitely look at these shops with even more fondness in future (and that’s saying something as I do love a charity shop).