A very Christmassy vibe is had here in this lovely book.
A woman finds herself redundant when the long time department store she works at closes.
With very little money and even fewer options she moves in with her "perfect" sister.
The "perfect" sister was a high school standout,has a perfect married life and of course perfect children with another on the way. To their mother's chagrin the sisters barely tolerate each other and she'd love to see that change.
As a lover of bookstores it was pretty neat seeing the revitalization of the disorganized and dusty bookstore in charming Edinburgh.
Will the bookstore have new life breathed into it with a good cleanup and good organizational skills? Will the sisters start seeing eye to eye again despite their differences?
Fun holiday read!

Pub Date 16 Nov 2021
I as given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A cute Christmas read. I totally recommend to anyone who loves Christmas books! I loved how sweet it was and how fun. A great story for holiday loving readers.

Jenny Colgan does it again! Her Christmas novels have a special something that just makes me want to get lost in the holiday season. The book also takes place in Edinburgh, which I now want to visit IMMEDIATELY.

Carmen is NOT looking forward to spending the holidays with her ever so perfect sister and perfect little family. Unfortunately, she’s out of a job and has no other options. To bring in some much needed cash, Carmen agrees to revamp a dusty, disorganized bookshop. After a famous author takes a special interest in the bookshop as well, Carmen starts to realize there may be hope for her to get her life back in order.

Colgan's books always have a lot going on. Lots of rich characters, lots of subplots, locations, complications, the works. This one delivers a fabulous reality in which we can easily sink for a dreamy escape and hanging on for the ride through these characters' interactions. It's perfect for the Christmas season and for any time. Colgan can do no wrong, and when we come to the point of expecting her work to excel, it's always a pleasure to have her work surpass the prior ones. As she has done here. Enjoyable and re-readable. I'll make this an every-season re-read.

A delightful Christmas novel set in the Scottish village of Edinburgh. From the descriptions of the village to the magical window displays, one feels they’ve landed in an enchanting setting. Throw in a love triangle, some sibling rivalry, an opportunity to start anew and the results are a captivating Holiday read.

Books about books are the best. Books about books during Christmas? *chefs kiss*

The perfect holiday book to cozy up with!

While not my favorite of Jenny Colgan's books, I am a sucker for a bookish romance! Carmen's growth throughout the novel, both personal and professional, was wonderful to follow. The realness of her relationship with her sister, and wanting to be seen by someone "special" like Blair, was beautifully written and so easy to relate to.

I cannot believe this is the FIRST Jenny Colgan I have read!!! What a delight to stay with these characters a while. I definitely recommend this book - and although it does take place during Christmas time, it can definitely be enjoyed no matter the season!

Cute book about saving a book shop that definitely put me in the Christmas spirit.
A book that has real life struggles and rivalry between siblings; the relationship we have with extended family; the struggle to find oneself; family secrets; and finding love.
It had a lovely cast of ancillary characters that were so dynamic.
I especially loved reading about the transformation of Mr. McCredie's bookshop from a fledgling shop about to go under to a bustling hot spot for holiday gifts and events.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Christmas Bookshop! While it's not a fit for me at this time, I did think the writing was engaging.

So many fun details about Scotland and its capital, the twisty insides of the bookshop, Mr. McCredie’s family story, the books referenced, facts about Quakers, and Ormiston, a tree famous for the centuries it has been thriving, this book provides pages of entertainment. And there might even be a hint or two of romance in the Christmas season!

Carmen is a single woman in her thirties from a small town in Scotland who never went to college and suddenly loses her job at a haberdashery, as well as her apartment. Her always-perfect sister Sofia offers the other room in the basement of her perfect house near the always-positive, sugar and carb free, fitness-obsessed yoga nanny, as well as a new job trying to rescue a failing bookstore. Sofia also needs help with her three kids since another is on the way soon, although Carmen is struggling to understand how to get along with her nieces and nephew since she was never really around before, too busy living the single life. But when Carmen steps into the old, dusty green bookstore, randomly “organized” by publication year or random subject matter like rabbits but not according to age groups, and used to only selling old, rare books, when it sells anything, she is discouraged to find it an absolute mess. There is nothing but dusty old maps, spiderwebs, and dead flies in the windows, unlike the other stores already drawing others in with their warm Christmas displays. And it’s up to her entirely to turn a profit and save the store that doesn’t even have a card reader, as well as the kind, sad old man who owns it and lives in the apartment upstairs.
The Christmas Bookshop is a perfect cozy Christmas book for anyone who loves bookstores, romance, Scotland, or women’s empowerment stories interspersed with humor.

Another delightful Christmas book from Jenny Colgan! This reminded me a lot of Colgan's other Christmas books. A wonderful well crafted setting, a fun and quirky cast of characters, and some real heart. A great Christmas time read that is sweet but avoids being saccharine.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
Publisher: William Morrow and Custom House
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Publication Date: November 16, 2021

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan is a standalone Christmas romance.

This book is perfect to read curled up by the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate (or coffee, in my case!). This book is filled with the magic of Christmas and I loved every minute of reading it! The story is wonderful and engaging and the characters are interesting.

I will definitely be reading this during my Christmas in July festivities!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is the next best thing to actually being in Edinburgh for Christmas! When Carmen loses her job in a department store her sister asks her to come help in a bookstore owned by one of her clients. As Carmen transforms the book shop she is also transformed. The vivid descriptions of the city as it prepares for the holiday are lovely.

"The Christmas Bookshop" introduces readers to Carmen and her sister Sofia, around whom the story revolves. Carmen moves to Edinburgh when her job as a shopkeeper ends. She lives with her sister Sofia, who seemingly lives a perfect life in a lovely home with precocious kids and a helpful and beautiful nanny. When Carmen starts work at a bookshop, she finds her niche in life as she assists in remaking the ancient store into a successful and attractive business, especially with the Christmas season approaching. Carmen's love life also becomes complicated as she deals with two potential boyfriends, and surprisingly comes to love her sister's kids! She experiences a lot of growing up and shows responsibility and maturity by the end of the book.

This story contains a lot of different and complicated threads, some of which seem extraneous to the central plot. Things get wrapped up in the end. Sofia's kids are adorable, as is Mr. McCredie and his book vendor Ramsay and his kids. Carmen and her lawyer sister seem somewhat air-headed and confused a lot of the time. The story also contains some despicable characters, but then everyone loves a good villain, right?

The book contains swear words (unnecessary) and religious remarks that can offend some readers (I was offended). (There is enough here to offend most people's sensibilities in some way. Did someone mention witches and spells?) Readers who enjoy a fun,complex romantic comedy will probably like this read anyway.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are mine alone.

What a lovely holiday story! Jenny Colgan makes Edinburgh's Victoria Street come to life with this sweet story. I loved the sister relationship and the work they do over the course of the novel to understand one another better. Colgan is already on my must-purchase list, but she's solidified her place there.

Not my favorite and I couldn’t finish. I wanted to love it but I just couldn’t. It was too slow, not very exciting and hard to read. Would not recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. It was a cute Christmas read and it stuck very closely to some of the more common Christmas book plots. Which isn't a bad thing because I enjoy books like that, But I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and I did think some of the point of view transitions were a bit jarring.

Jenny Colgan does it again with this book. It was the perfect balance of holiday magic and strong character development. It had a ton of heart and was the perfect book to read during the holidays.