I loved this story. I loved the setting, the characters and the plot. I just couldn't get into how it was written. I felt like I never knew whose POV it was because it switched from one sentence to another sometimes. And the conversations seems choppy and hard to follow. But I loved Carmen and how she came to find herself and restored her relationship with her sister and her family and found love. And her relationship with the bookstore owner was so sweet.

4.5 stars!

The Christmas Bookshop is the second book I’ve read by Jenny Colgan and I adored the story, the characters, and especially the setting of charming Edinburgh, which is the perfect setting for a Christmas romance set in a bookshop. And while this one has plenty of romance, it’s primarily a story about sisters and family and finding your place in that family.

Carmen has always felt like a failure, especially compared to her perfect sister Sofia, who was excellent at school, has an impressive job as a lawyer, a handsome husband, and three beautiful children. When Carmen loses her job and Sofia (with some encouraging from their mother) offers to let her come stay with her family and help out one of Sofia’s clients through the holidays, Carmen doesn’t feel like she can say no.

When she arrives and discovers she’s sleeping in the basement (next door to the annoying nanny), is expected to help out her very pregnant sister with her nieces and nephew on evenings when the nanny is in class (and her handsome husband is out of town on business), and that the bookshop she’ll be helping in is more like a storage room than a bookshop, she feels like she’s been set up to fail—once again.

But as she settles in, she gets to know the village, the bookshop, and her family. And she starts to discover who she wants to be.

The characters are so well-done in this one. They’re funny, relatable, and engaging. Children aren’t always done well in romances, but I adored Carmen’s nieces and nephew! And if you’ve read Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Shore, you may recognize a few side characters. I haven’t read the book, but I could tell there was history there so I looked them up. Now I’m even more eager to pick it up. I already have the book waiting on my shelf.

Just like the other Colgan book I read, The Bookshop on the Corner, there are two possible love interests in The Christmas Bookshop. If you’re not a fan of triangles, then you have no need to worry. Colgan never seems to take it to that point. I always enjoy how she manages to leave the reader wondering who the main character will end up with throughout most of the book. I’m very happy with how the love story came together. It’s sweet and super memorable.

One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the setting of Edinburgh. I can’t remember ever reading a book set there and it had me googling all the locations she mentions. It sounds absolutely charming at Christmastime with fairy lights, Christmas markets, hot chocolate, mulled wine, snow, and the festive bookshop.

Much of this one is also set in fall, starting around the first of November, so it was nice to ease into the Christmas part and experience Edinburgh in the fall, as well.

I absolutely loved this holiday romance, and it’s the perfect read to kick off the holiday season!

Ohhh how I loved this story!!!!!! Jenny Colgan is one of my authors who I don't even have to read the summary to know I have to read any book by her. I love her books and this one is no exception!!!!! I highly recommend all of her books if you've never enjoyed them.

Jenny Colgan has written many books that involve books, bookshops, cupcakes, and bakeshops - all some of my favorite things. I enjoyed reading The Christmas Bookshop and liked the characters. I found that the story was not as much of a Christmas story as I originally thought. Yes, Christmas was a part of the setting but not the focus. If you enjoy reading a sweet romance set in places that take you away from your everyday life, I think you would enjoy this book. You don't even have to read it at Christmas-time! 3.5 stars

I love Jenny Colgan. She is one of my favorite go to authors for people who like a good, sweet, easy reading story. This one did not disappoint! Carmen is a twenty-something younger sister who is trying to sort out her life. She ends up moving to Edinburgh to live with her sister and help turn around a failing antique bookshop. Along the way she meets some quirky characters (a guest appearance from Ramsay and Zoe from Colgan's Bookshop series), gets to know her nieces and nephews and discovers her true calling. I loved that this took place around November-December amidst the holiday spirit of Edinburgh. It brought back so many memories and Colgan's description of the city and the city at holiday time was spot on. Definitely a favorite of hers for me!

This is my first book by Jenny Colgan, so I cannot compare to her others, but I found it absolutely delightful from beginning to end. I was concerned it might seem saccharine or formulaic, but there was no sign of either one.
When Carmen is laid off from a dying department store, her seemingly perfect sister with her perfect family and her perfect life invites her to Edinburgh and a job helping a client salvage his bookshop business. Seeing no other options to hand, Carmen swallows her pride and prepares to get along with her now enormously pregnant sister, and... interesting things happen. Lots of interesting things. Full of lots of interesting people behaving like normal people (both sensible and silly, sometimes at the same time). Three children who behaved like children, and, like Carmen, you discovered that was just fine too. Really, for a Christmas read it was quite ideal. A touch of romance, but the relationship of the sisters was more important by far. The Edinburgh setting was put to great use, and may set some readers to plotting their next vacation. A lovely surprise. Highly recommended.

This is the first book of Jenny Colgan's I've read and I really enjoyed it! It was a bit predictable but I love a good happy ending especially at Christmas. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies then this is a great book for you!

A book about Christmas? Christmas in a bookstore? Christmas in a bookstore in historic Edinburgh? This book checks all of my boxes.

What’s not to love about this light holiday romance? I especially enjoyed the narrative surrounding families and sisters in particular.

I laughed, and I cried. I felt all the sentimental feelings. That’s the perfect Christmas book in my opinion.

I rather liked The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan. I will say it was probably not one of my favorites but, I still really liked it. She writes about Scotland in this book and I've found myself reading several books based in Scotland in the last year. I seem to be drawn to that area.

This story is about Carmen, a young woman who always feels like an outcast in her own family. She doesn't go on to college like her sister and then loses the only job she's ever had during a bad economy. I think there are a lot of women that can sympathize with her. Her sister is pregnant with number four. She needs help and she has found a part-time job for Carmen. I felt really bad for her but, good thing start to happen!

I became immersed in her surroundings in Edinburgh. I love the history and some of the characters. Some of her many characters were not very developed but, they didn't need to be. I liked Carmen and her eccentric boss Mr. McCredie who owns a rare and antique bookshop. He is pretty interesting. We met a snobby author who was really kind of funny. At least the circumstances were. There are so many interesting happenings that keep this book interesting.

I would recommend this book for any Jenny Colgan fan or anyone that enjoys something a little different once in a while.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #WilliamMorrow #CustomHouse and #Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a lovely story! Jenny Colgan is a terrific writer, and I have enjoyed all of her books. Her characters are real and believable. This one was set in Edinburgh, at Christmas, which was perfect!

Jenny Colgan once again introduces a disarming array of interesting people whose lives intersect with a kind of grace and redemption for everyone. Never heavy-handed, her light touch, her wry but never mean observations, and her sense of place and ceremony all contribute to a charming read.

Deeply discouraged by the stagnation in her life, I was so glad to see how Carmen flourished and grew by recognizing her talents in creativity with respect to the bookshop and her own self worth. She learned to love herself and as a result, her relationship with Sofia became less comparison but rather a true sisterhood. The magic of Christmas and the message of pure joy pervaded afterwards. I also really enjoyed her bod with Phoebe. An all around heart warming book.

More Like 4 and ½ Stars!
This was such an enjoyable read!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for my advanced copy of The Christmas Bookshop.

This is maybe the third Jenny Colgan book that I've read and is by far my favorite.

What I Loved-

*The Setting- This book is set in a small bookshop in a historic part of Edinburgh. So Charming.

*The Sisters- I loved Carmen and Sofia. They're relationship seemed so realistic. I enjoyed watching them getting to know each other and growing closer as siblings.

*The Romance- I'm not going to say there was a definite love triangle but Carmen had her options and I am very happy with who she ended up with in the end.

*The Humor- This book had me giggling a whole heck of a lot and I really needed it.

Overall- Definitely recommend. I look forward to picking up more of Jenny Colgan's backlist.

I love Christmas stories, I love books and book stores, I love stories about sisters and families, and I love romance—this was book was perfect for me! All of the characters were complex, all of them growing and learning and loving. There were lovely scenes, there were funny scenes, there were scenes that made me tear up. This is a lovely and endearing book to read for the holidays and any time!

A lighthearted and heartwarming read that will be perfect for Christmas. I enjoyed the romance aspect, but it was also very reminiscent of a cheesy Hallmark movie.
However, if chick-lit is your thing and Christmas is your holiday, this is the book for you!!! For me? Not so much, but definitely a cute read!

I feel so terrible leaving such a low review, but I genuinely loathed this book. Do not pick this up if you are looking for a magical Christmas book. Don't pick this up if you're looking for a heartwarming romance. And certainly don't pick this up if you want excitement, multi-dimensional characters or even just an interesting story. I was completely bored by this book and not at all invested in any of the 1-note characters, or anything they were doing, really.


Thank you to #Netgalley and #WilliamMorrow for a complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m Dreaming of a…

My first question is: where do I find a Spice Girls duvet?! How did I not know these existed?

In other news, The Christmas Bookshop is a coming of age story for our main character Carmen, but I also think it’s a coming of age story for a family. When one central relationship is in turmoil, it can really divide a family. The relationships in this book are interesting and at times sad. I really enjoyed Mr. McCredie’s character, he was probably my favorite! His back story was interesting and I love his nostalgia. Obviously from my question, I’m also a very nostalgic person (Yay Spice Girls)! Plus, I love the idea of a Christmas bookshop. It seems perfect for Edinburg. And If you’re a fan of the Bookshop series’, you’ll see some familiar characters intertwined, which I always love! The books are their own stories, but I still recommend starting at The Bookshop on the Corner and then continue through the rest.

A wonderful and delightful Christmas read. Two sisters who are polar opposites learn to navigate life together and come out stronger than ever. Family ties are everything. A bookstore on its last pages is brought back to life through the magic of Christmas with a lot of help from one of the books main characters. The descriptiveness in this book is beautiful and I really enjoyed the book from cover to cover.

Jenny Colgan is such a reliable storyteller when it comes to delightful secondary characters and a plot drenched in all things books and reading. Carmen’s development and growth as a human through this sweet novel was a joy to behold. A perfect holiday novel for book lovers.

Grab a hot chocolate and settle into a comfy chair because you are going to enjoy this lovely book! It is a heartwarming cozy read from start to finish that you won’t want to put down.
The setting is beautiful historic Edinburgh Scotland where the shops and residents are enjoying a festive holiday season - that is all but a shabby little Book Shop at the end of town. The owner, Mr. McCredie is on the verge of losing his shop and falling into financial disrepair. The future of the once charming shop, and Mr. McCredie’s finances appear doomed. One day an unexpected Christmas miracle takes place when Carmen, the sister of his lawyer, comes to work for him. With a sprinkling of Christmas decorations, an antique train set, and a lot of heart, Carmen sets out to reclaim the bookshops original glory. All of Carmen’s hard work sets off a ripple effect that will change the lives of those around her.
The characters are a mixed bag of personalities that the author brilliantly brings together to form a delightful story. I would highly recommend this book to others.
Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Jenny Colgan for an advanced copy of The Christmas Book Shop in exchange for an honest review.