Member Reviews

The second in this series of books
And another brilliant read
You just curl up with these books and you don’t want to put them down
Would highly recommend this book / series
Thanks NetGalley

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This was the perfect festive read. Quite different to other festive books I read that are solid winter warmers and I adored the idea of a borrow a bookshop.

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A lovely feel good easy read to relax with. Good characters and story line. I read it as a stand alone but it is also part of a series which I will look out for

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

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I read this one on my kindle and enjoyed it. Just look at that cute cover! It drew me in right away.

There were many things that I liked about this book. I liked that it took place over the Christmas holiday. But honestly, it wasn't very heavy on the Christmas at all. I really enjoyed the setting a lot. I'm a sucker for a small town and this one sounded great. The author did a great job of really transporting you there through the descriptions. I also loved that it took place in a little bookshop. What book lover wouldn't want to vacation in a quaint little bookstore right on the shore? It sounded like heaven!

A couple things caused a bit of a lower rating from me. It wasn't enough to make me want to stop reading but it needed some work in my opinion. The story kind of dragged a bit for me at times, with lots of dialogue and not much else going on. There were a number of characters and at times, I found it hard to keep track. The story also jumped around a little bit at times between the many characters and it got a little confusing. The flow of the story was just slightly off for me. I also found it mildly annoying that in the midst of a huge storm, one of the main characters kept going outside putting herself in danger. A silly thing to complain about, but I wanted to shout at her multiple times to just stay indoors!

Overall, I liked this book but didn't love it.

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KILEY DUNBAR: CHRISTMAS AT THE BORROW A BOOKSHOP.

Part two in the #BorrowABookShop series, #ChristmasAtTheBorrowABookshop takes us on a delightful journey back to the village of Clove Lore.
This can easily be read as a standalone story, but why miss out? Treat yourself to the whole series.

This is primarily the love story of Magnus and Alex, which is truly sweet and lovely. They have both had difficulties in the past and there are still more hoops for them to jump through.

This is a warm hearted, fast paced, festive read.

It’s never too late to enjoy a good Christmas book, or even just add it to your list ready for next year.

A festive, feel good, five star read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for a digital arc of this title.

Formats Available: ebook and paperback.

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Great book, easy read. Just in time for the holidays! Thank you to Net Galley for early release access to this book.

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Undoubtedly, this story is made for all of us who at some point have wanted to have a bookstore. And the premise couldn't be more original: a small village in England where the guest of the bookstore pays to stay and run it during the day so he can enjoy his vacation when the day is over.

Clove Lore is such an idyllic place that manages to pierce through the pages and make you want to live there. The small town vibes and the charismatic inhabitants make this little town an endearing place where dreams come true.

I liked the main characters - Magnus and Alex - very much. They are well constructed and their personalities are well defined and in line with what has happened in their lives. I wish there had been more scenes of Magnus. Don't mind me, but.... The typical Icelandic grumpy guy who looks cold as an ice tempane but inside has a big heart? Yes, please. He's one of the most charming male characters I've read in a long time.

Also, something that made me really enjoy this read is the traditional teaching it left me with. Do you know what Jólabókaflód is? I didn't know it either before reading this story and I can tell you that you are going to be amazed by the idea. It is an Icelandic tradition in which on Christmas Eve people give books as presents and spend the night and Christmas Day reading with the family.

It is the second book in a series, but it can be read on its own without having to read the previous one.

Another thing that caught my attention is that the weather plays a very important role in the development of the story and the narrative description. The atmosphere that the author creates with this is brilliant.

All in all, if you are looking for a story with the small town trope that takes you to a sweet and cozy place, you have to give this story a chance.

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Such a cozy story! Highly recommended if you like romance, found family's, Christmas spirit, book shops, English coastal villages or just generally some feel good story. Definitely will read more of this series.

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Sometimes it seems heartbreak can not be saved by anything. That is what is happening to Magnus surrounded by incredible written love stories. Her broken heart is brought back to life as the town comes to put everything back together

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I really enjoyed this Christmas romance, which is set in Clove Lore, and features a bookshop which people can borrow. The latest person to borrow the beautiful bookshop is Magnus. We we are given his background and story, and we are also introduced to Alex, who is recovering from heartbreak, and who finds a friend in Magnus.

This is a sweet, cute, and cosy Christmas read, which warmed me up on a cold day. I enjoyed reading about the different characters of the village, the ups and downs of life, and the Christmas setting.

This is a great book, which I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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Christmas at the Borrow a Bookshop is the second book in the series by Kiley Dunbar, about the bookshop in the village of Clove Lore that is the location for holidaymakers. Magnús is the next person in charge from the bookshop, but after his own bookshop failed in Iceland he is reluctantly there. That is until he is drawn to Alex, who becomes stranded in Clove Lore after escaping her home life and broken heart. Together they rediscover their Christmas spirit and are soon enveloped into the community.

Magnús and Alex are both running from their personal lives, and here we see them come to terms with the events that have led them here. We also get to catch up with characters from the first book and the wonderful community they create.

Although this is book two, it can easily be read as a standalone, And despite being set in the lead up to Christmas this book could be enjoyed all year round.

I loved that in this book that we learnt of Icelandic traditions from Magnús, especially of the jólabókaflóð, which sounds like my idea of heaven.

How can you go wrong with Christmas and bookshops?
And this cover! I think I’m a little bit in love with it.

And I can’t wait to return to the Borrow a Bookshop next year with the next installment.

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A super sweet story with a lot of heart and let’s face it; a bucketload of twee. I enjoyed the love story between the runaway ferry woman and the sad Icelandic hottie, but felt the book suffered from poor pacing and odd plot beats. I would have been happy for the main romance to remain the focus of the book, but the subplots of the other romance between the widower and the landed Lady AND a completely unexpected and dramatic life-threatening flood were unnecessary and odd. I did like that you didn’t need to read the first book to understand this one, though the precious couple had a much larger role in the story that you usual find with these kinds of series.

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*Two love stories- I liked the new vs lifetime love stories
*Missing woman
*Holiday= running a Bookstore- not sure if I would like this kind of vacation
*Devastating flood in town
*Ok writing, weak storyline

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I have enjoyed previous books by this author and this one was no different, a perfect festive setting and plot and characters you completely warm to and root for the whole way through

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It is a sweet story about following your dreams and about belonging. It is full of hope and has lovely characters. I liked the small town setting and the “borrow a bookshop” concept is awesome.
However, I felt there was something missing. In addition, for me, it needed more Christmas feeling. Also, since it is about a bookshop I expected more bookish things.
It was a nice cozy read and overall I enjoyed it.

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The book was set in the Winter and therefore the bookshop did not have as many visitors and I missed the activity and action within the shop itself, which we had in the first book. I would have liked to see more focus on the running of the bookshop and the cafe itself but I realise it was set in a quiet time of year for the village, with very few visitors.

I loved how the relationship developed between Magnús and Alexandra and how finding each other brought them alive and they taught each other so much. Not only did they show each other their love, but they showed them how to move forward in life and even though they did not know which direction they were travelling in, they would get there, however long it took. Magnús and Alexandra had hope in their hearts which neither of them have had in a long time.

It was interesting to have the Icelandic element in the book. At times I found some parts of this confusing. We learnt a great deal about the Icelandic language and their traditions. I loved how Jolabokaflod was fitted into the book. Such a lovely tradition which many us do here - curl up on Christmas Eve in front of the fire with a good book and a hot drink - perfect!

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A lovely story about community spirit in difficult times and how books can bring people together. I was able to breeze through this and enjoyed every minute. Thank you Net Galley.

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This is an enjoyable read. The romance portion wasn't all that compelling. Alex was determined to keep her story to herself until...suddenly...she wasn't. While it was lovely that she trusted Magnus with her sad tale, there was no turning point in the relationship to explain what changed to make her feel like telling him.
Despite that, this was. a lovely story. The setting and secondary characters are an absolute joy.
I'd love to see the series continue with Magnus and Alex's bookshop sometime.

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I read the Borrow a Bookshop Holiday earlier this year and absolutely loved it! The premise and the darling little village of Clove Lore fast worked their way into my heart. I was beyond thrilled when I saw Dunbar had written a sequel, and even more thrilled to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for review. It was wonderful to return to Clove Lore and visit familiar characters and be introduced to some new faces who became fast favourites. Highly recommend this cozy series!

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My thanks to NetGalley and Hera Publishers for a copy of “ Christmas At The Borrow A Bookshop” for an honest review.
Like her previous books I’ve read ,Kiley Dunbar has written another charming and very readable book , in a beautiful setting , with delightful characters.
A perfect way to start off your festive run up to Christmas.

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