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Preloved
- Narrated by: Jane Collingwood
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
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Preloved
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Summary
Gwen is coasting through life. She’s in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the countryside and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around the council’s wheelie-bin timetable.
And she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?
When she’s made redundant from a job she hardly cares about, she takes herself out for a fancy dinner. There she has the best sticky toffee pudding of her life and realises she has no one to tell. She vows to begin living her life fully, reconnect with her friends and family, and finally book that dentist’s appointment.
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.
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.
Critic reviews
"I think I’ve been waiting for a novel like Preloved for my whole life. This is a luscious, shimmering book of depth and delicacy. It’s sad, hilarious, sad, tender, brutal, brilliantly observed – there is a sense of magic on every page." (Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable)
"Just like that once-in-a-lifetime charity shop find, Preloved is a gleaming prize to be treasured. Lauren Bravo is witty and thoughtful in her exploration of our relationship with objects and trends, believing that – just as a pair of shoes can have many, many lives – so can the people that wear them." (Caroline O'Donohue, author of Promising Young Woman)
"Full of relatable anecdotes, lively, funny and modern, Preloved is a moving tale of emancipation and friendship. I loved it!" (Margaux Vialleron, author of The Yellow Kitchen)
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What listeners love about Preloved
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-05-23
Seems to forget about a storylin
I feel this book tried to tackle too many issues and by doing this missed the boat on most of them. the underlying story felt rushed at the end and i felt the maun character became unlikable!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-05-23
Exactly what I needed
What a gorgeous book!
I loved Lauren Bravo’s other work, so was really excited to read her first fiction. She’s always so witty and smart. Preloved is brilliant. The characters were so considered and believable that they made me think of the complexities of real people I know. I loved the nuanced Millennial city living references, some of them made me smile and others hit me hard in my heart. The main character was so brilliantly written; a relatable, grubby, hot mess who you feel compassion for one minute and want to roll your eyes at the next. Love, love, love. Highly recommend plugging in and walking around your city while listening, while the Gwen’s of the world walk by you.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Dekka52
- 30-04-23
Absolutely boring
A load of drivel a teenager could have written when they were bored. No real theme, no proper development of characters which unlike the positive reviews
on Goodreads I paid for!! That was because the early reviews were
good - but obviously fake! Should you have insomnia read this - if you have persistence YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cynthia R.
- 10-08-23
Lovely theme and heartfelt story
Absolutely loved it! Beautifully narrated.
You navigate between the main story and anecdotes from the charity shop, all in a warm and intimate atmosphere. Well written, offering lots of occasions to smile and giggle as well as feel compassion for every character, their story, or the preloved possessions donated to the charity shop.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 04-08-23
Perfect listen
I absolutely loved this story. It made me laugh a lot but is also quite deep at times. I was sad to finish it. The narration is excellent.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Olay Junk ie
- 24-07-23
Thought it was me!
Jumping about from plot to plot and by the time it’s supposed to make sense, you’d forgotten what had happened in the first place…
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Guy Stern
- 21-06-23
Loved the characters and the vocal performance
Very entertaining audiobook, and laugh-out-loud funny in parts.
If you have lived in or near London at any time over the past 15 years, the references in this book will be extremely familiar and over time will probably become quite nostalgic.
Additionally, the character narration was excellent with multiple accents and tones of voice. Great performance.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-06-23
Pointless
Characters and story very underdeveloped. I wanted to return it .. was a struggle to finish. I wasn’t a fan of the chapters about things ending up in the charity shop in between, just all seemed a bit pointless information. Waste of a credit.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hannah LJ
- 28-05-23
Wonderful
A gorgeous, heartfelt, clever book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is gently but assuredly thought-provoking and will encourage you to reevaluate what we value in our lives and why. The characters are brilliantly drawn and every page is witty and warm. A fantastic listen!
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Rob90
- 24-05-23
WAS SO BAD I COULDNT FINISH IT
Poor story line, was so bad I couldn't finish it, THIS WAS A WASTE OF A CREDIT