As a big fan of Jenny Colgan I read The Christmas Bookshop and loved the characters, situations and of course the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh.
I received a free copy of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sad to say not as good as the original but still a light Christmas read. The characters move on in their lives in many different ways but the story of Carmen and Oke seemed to drag on just a bit too long.
Though I was happy with the ending as everyone seemed to end up in the right place in their lives.

I read The Christmas Bookshop last year and was thrilled to get an early copy of this sequel. I continued to love the characters, especially Carmen and Phoebe, but this one just did not give me as warm a feeling. Carmen moves out of her sister’s home so the kids are not as big a part of the story. Carmen and Oke’s story was kind of irritating. Overall, nowhere near as good as the first book. An okay read for me.

Colgan's books are lovely and wonderful. Her settings are rustic and I always dream of chucking it all and moving there.

Oh Jenny Colgan, how you always get my heart to say Awwwwww and keep me reading even when the characters are being illogical and silly. Honestly you could probably write about chairs being in love and I’d still happily read it. Having been lucky enough to have been to Edinburgh where the book is set, I keenly bought into the atmosphere of the city and being a book lover, enjoyed the visits to the bookshop. Yes the grown adult characters annoyed me with their utter lack of communication through most of the story but even they grew with the book and grew on me.

I received a free copy of, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, by Jenny Colgan, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Even though its summer, that is typically when Christmas movies and tv shows are filmed. An American company has decided to film a Christmas movie in Edinburgh. Carmen Hogan is the manager of a bookshop they want to film in. It should be exciting but Carmen is not really feeling all Christmasy. All things are possible around Christmas though, an enjoyable read. I really liked Carmen.

Merry and heartwarming! Jenny Colgan’s latest holiday tale, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, is a veritable love letter to Edinborough and bookstores as well as a very festive read filled to the brim with delightfully quirky characters and holiday spirit. For those who have not read The Christmas Bookshop as of yet, you will want to start with that novel prior to delving into Midnight, for an introduction to the characters and to understand several of the storylines. As for me, I was excited to revisit Carmen, Sofia and Sofia’s adorable children, and to once again be transported to Victoria Street!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

A new, lovely Christmas novel from Jenny Colgan! Enjoy a reunion with Carmen as she deals with a production company filming an excruciatingly silly Christmas movie and then attempts to save the bookstore---and the street!---from a horrible real-estate developer. Meanwhile, her relationship with her sister is rocky, and her love life is at little too G-rated (and how can it not be when Carmen lives in her sister's basement and helps care for her sister's four children). A funny, warm, and charming read!

A very cozy and enjoyable read, just like Jenny Colgan's others! She writes in such a "hygge" fashion that it makes you feel like you're there, in front of the fireplace, or lost in the book stacks. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

What a fun trip bad to the Christmas bookshop with Carman! Scottish vibes all through out, which is still extra fun to read about post Scotland adventuring this summer.

Carman is trying to keep our beloved bookshop open with new ideas while figuring out what live looks like as a single 40 something. She meets several interesting characters both at work and in her personal life that bring some unexpected active in to her routine life.

I'm not sure about Oke's place in this story, so it was a little slow for me to get in to. He just seemed like an odd storyline out.

"That's what books are, aren't they? A coming home."

Carmen is working at a bookshop that is barely making ends meet. Same goes for life. She is living in her sister's basement but maybe this man in her life will make things turn around. This same man that is now leaving for a 6 month science tour in Brasil. When he leaves on a bad note, Carmen is lost. Then the bookshop owner throws a bomb. He wants to sell the bookshop to fund a trip to Antartica. She will do everything she can to save the bookshop and survive her love life. I am not big on Christmas books but couldn't pass on Colgan. Sweet story. #MidnightattheChristmasBookshop #JennyColgan #AvonBooks #Oct2023

A Great Story about romance, love, christmas and a bookshop. Carmen who works at the shop finds and looses her love and finds it again. And she is walking around in Edingburg and describes the town.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jenny Colgan, and Avon/Harper Voyage for this digital ARC.

As a long-time reader of Jenny Colgan, I was eager to read this to continue the story of The Christmas Bookshop. While you could read this without the first book, I don't recommend it. It will help the flow of the story.

Back to McCredie's bookshop in Edinburgh... to watch Carmen try to keep the shop relevant and also try to untangle her love life again. Will Oke be back in the picture, and is he the "one" for Carmen? Read to find out!

Jenny Colgan's "Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop" is a sequel & continuation of "The Christmas Bookshop" and as such, it should not be read without the prequel, I do not think it would work as a stand-alone. There's a lot of Scottish charm in old McCredie's quirky bookstore and its staff & patrons. I felt, however, that the book was a bit too long and the pacing seemed a bit off - the beginning & ending were fine, so maybe it just should have been shorter & better edited? Still, a fine holiday read, overall. My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC that I've reviewed here.

Sometimes it's nice to have EXACTLY what's on the tin, and this was the case with Colgan's latest Christmas romp. I read this on a plane to Edinburgh in the summer heat and can't recommend it enough if you're looking to escape forward in time a couple months with magical Christmasy love!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Jenny Colgan is one of my favorite authors so I jumped at the chance to review Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

When I started reading it I was instantly reminded that the first In series was not my favorite or her books. Why? I didn’t really connect with the characters all that well. And with the latest book that didn’t really change. But that doesn’t mean I don’t recommend this book.

I think the lack of connection is far more personal to me, rather than a flaw in the writing. This book still has all the elements that I love in a Jenny Colgan book. It’s set in a beautiful and quirky location that comes to life in the reader’s imagination. It’s funny, with many likable and eccentric side characters. And there are so many books. (I’m a sucker for a book about books!)

I’m rounding up from 3 1/2 stars.

I did not read the previous book by Jenny Colgan about McCredie's Bookshop in Edinburgh but I felt like I could grasp a sense of this story without too much confusion. That is not to say that it wasn't heart wrenching to read. Carmen's complete lack of self-awareness and entitlement about the drain she was on her sister's family and the angst of her relationship issues with Oke were difficult to absorb. I couldn't see how this could positively resolve. Happily for this reader I was delighted with the outcome. Now I am going to get a hold of The Christmas Bookshop and try to learn more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I unfortunately did not read the first book that went with this so with it jumping right into it. It was a bit challenging for me to know who everyone was and what was going on.

Besides that, I still enjoyed the book. The banter was to my liking. I love plot twists in a book and there were definitely a few. I would like to go back and read the first then read this again to tie it together.

Thank you, Netgalley for the EARC! As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.

A sequel that can be read on it's own, this charming story is a fun way to unwind anytime of the year.

Loved coming back to past characters but the book dragged. Too much extra stuff to drag out the book that didn't need to be there. Could have been novella

Thanks to Netgallery for the ARC

I love the bookstore setting in Edinburgh, and at Christmas is an added bonus. I just wish I liked the protagonist, Carmen, better. I love when she's problem-solving at the bookstore and in her new home, but in her personal relationships--with her sister and with her boyfriend--I find her selfish, immature, and whiny. I found her boyfriend, Oke, to be wishy-washy and out of touch with reality, as well, but was glad to see him finally take charge of his life. I would, however, really love to visit the bookstore after she reinvents it.