Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop is the second in this series, and lives up to the first book. Edinburgh is described so clearly it is like another main character in the book, very inviting and interesting. At the start of the book, Carmen is still living with her sister and her family and working at the bookshop, but things between her and Oke are not as rosy as we left them in book one. They experience extended time apart, which gives them both a chance to grow and figure out more about her life and what they really want. All the characters are so well written that it’s hard to imagine they are not living their lives in Edinburgh right now. I hope Jenny Colgan is not done with this series, because they are the coziest, most comforting books, perfect for the holidays or anytime. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is the sequel to The Christmas Bookshop, which you do need to read first or you will be completely lost. Carmen is still working at the bookshop with Mr McCredie, trying to make ends meet while her personal life completely flounders. She is still living at her sister's and it is way past time for her to leave. The situation with Oke has changed from the previous book but all is explained. And there is a new villain in town, an "it's just business" millionaire buying up the whole street to fill with fast moving cheap souvenirs. And he's even more obnoxious than the souvenirs, a villain you really hate from his first bossy words.
Unfortunately the sequel doesn't play out quite as well as the original. Carmen appears to have learned nothing from the first book and her life looks like an impending train crash. The separate section on Oke explains much of the situation, but is not particularly compelling and drags down the narrative. Rather than building suspense, it's just annoying. Where the book really shines is in the Bookstore itself. Carmen (and her brain) comes alive, and a new side of Mr. McCredie comes to light, as well as adding the biggest dose of Christmas. And the villain's comeuppance? Not at all what you expect. Not as good as the first, but still very enjoyable. High recommendations.

This was not my favorite jenny colgan book, who is absolutely my favorite author!! I couldn't connect with the characters and i couldn't get interested in the plot.

A book with a focus on books will always get added to my TBR.
A cute book, with a bit of the holiday sprinkled in. If you’re looking for a really festive read, you may want to plan to use this one to ease you in.


**I received this advance copy free from HarperCollins via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 320 / Genre: Holiday Fiction

This followup to The Christmas Bookshop has stubborn, fussy Carmen still broke and living at her sister’s house and working at McCredie’s bookshop. There’s an obnoxious rich guy who’s been using his money and influence to buy out all the shops in her quaint little Scottish town, turning them all into cheap souvenir stores. Carmen takes it upon herself to fix up McCredie’s and drum up new business based on a love for books and authenticity rather than cheap junk. There’s not a lot going on in this story. I didn’t really like Carmen. The romance part of this story was also super boring. It was all just OK for me. I forgot how bland The Christmas Bookshop was. This sequel was unnecessary.

Thank you @netgalley, @Avonbooks, and @HarperVoyagerUS for the advanced copy of this book.

Favorite Quotes:

Bronagh in the magic shop had a theory that immaculately groomed, rich, working Edinburgh women with well- behaved children were all witches, because there was no other way of doing it.

Phoebe had a frowzy face, always looking slightly suspicious of the world, as if she’d tried it all already and it hadn’t pleased her.

...he felt himself, misshapen and awkward, a paradox of desires, as the loose threads of the world pulled and stretched him every which way.

He was the kind of guy, Carmen thought, that if you disagreed with him in any way would, depending on how much he wanted to sleep with you, either call you “feisty” or ask if you were on your period. It seemed unlikely there was a middle ground. His eyes flicked her up and down in a way she couldn’t bear and made her want to kick him and run away, the way the children weren’t allowed to.

When someone is trying to wind you up and succeeds in winding you up it is one of the worst feelings on earth. You feel irritated and cheated all at once.

Every day, it seemed, she lost something. She hadn’t felt like this with the others; she’d always been excited to see them move on to the next stage: walking, talking, exploring. But if she could have a vampire bite Eric she would have.

It was Jackson McClockerty, of course, dressed in bright red Stewart tartan trousers that made his bum look frankly enormous, as if it was about to float into the air like a pair of balloons.

My Review:

Jenny Colgan always hits all the feels between generous servings of well-honed humor and acute observations. This one was as insightfully written as it was cleverly amusing. I was giggle-snorting with glee at the author's snarky humor and oddly fractured characters, with the frozen city of Edinburgh at Christmas also having a starring role. The writing was easy to fall into, emotive, and highly descriptive. I live in the tropics yet I felt the constant chill of their drafty rooms and Arctic winds as I read.

Jenny Colgan's books are usually hit for me, with some misses here and there. This one was a miss for me.

I enjoyed The Christmas Bookshop last year, so this one seemed to be a natural choice. We follow Carmen and her work at Mr. McCredie's bookshop. They are hoping to capitalize on a film that shot in their bookstore, but it isn't enough to fund the trip Mr. McCredie is insistent he take. Carmen can't find joy in anything since her breakup with Oke.

This one seemed disjointed to me. It was not helped by the fact I found Carmen and her sister Sofia insufferable. The Oke storyline seemed completely out of place to me - we jumped from the idyllic Edinburgh setting to the tropical rain forest. The miscommunication trope is present which is not a favorite of mine.

The Scotland setting is one I always love to sink into and there were some great side characters. The sisters worked out some of their angst and were slightly less obnoxious by the conclusion. The bookshop and McCredie's building were the more interesting characters to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Avon for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I so enjoyed this sequel to "The Christmas Bookshop"! It was a delightful Christmas tale in the magical setting of Edinburgh Scotland. Carmen and Oke are back, but I was shocked to find they are not together. In fact, they are at opposite sides of the equator.
The bookshop and Mr. McCredie are again central subjects along with Sofia and her ever expanding family. I was once more charmed by the enchanting descriptions and continued development of these special characters. I so wish McCredie's Bookshop was real, and I could visit and explore the treasure in those stacks!
Both Carmen and Oke experience growth and self-discovery, but can they find happiness apart? It's all in the plot that Ms. Colgan has imagined and created for us.
This could be a stand-alone title, but I highly suggest reading "The Christmas Bookshop" first to get all the feels and understand the relationships. I recommend this title for bookshop romantics, Christmas setting fans, and anyone who loves books, books and more books.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Great, heart-warming characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. I felt every emotion. Just enough romance. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. A wonderful sequel to The Christmas Bookshop. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series that I reviewed last year. This one just had a different feel to it. I didn't have it but I also didn't get out of it what I wanted. It seemed that it lacked that magical feel that the first book had. Our main character seemed angry and irritated throughout the whole thing and I had a hard time looking past that to enjoy the story. She was complaining about her bookstore and she didn't like the actors that they chose to star in the movie, didn't like the way they spoke. She ultimately drove Oke away in the beginning and was unhappy living at her sisters. I get that she was unhappy but it just detracted from the feel of the story for me. It wasn't a bad story but just not what I had expected after reading the first book.

When McCredie's bookshop is chosen as a setting for a Christmas movie, Carmen hopes this will bring a financial upswing to the struggling store. Sadly, it will take a lot more to make the shop a success. This is a story about family, romance, friendship and perseverance. I sometimes struggled to like Carmen, but she grew on me as she learned more about herself and because more independent. I really liked Rudi, the new many taking care of Sophie's children - he was funny. And wow did this story make me want to visit Edinburgh. But perhaps in the summer :)

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A lovely Christmas story by Jenny Colgan. I really felt connected to the characters per usual and loved the story too.

Another fun and cozy Christmas story from Jenny Colgan! I’m not sure if The Christmas Bookshop necessarily needed a sequel but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

It was fun to be back in Edinburgh with Carmen, her sister, and her hilarious nieces and nephews. I am obsessed with those cheeky children and I can never seem to turn down a Scottish setting, so this book was just lovely in my opinion. Also, Rudi was a very fun addition to the cast of characters!

3.5 Stars

Last year I read this author’s ’The Christmas Bookshop’ and really enjoyed it, so I was happy when I saw she had another one coming out this year.

This story continues with Carmen still working at the same bookshop, but things seem to be different. They need to find a way to keep the shop in business, as more and more people were less enchanted with a bookshop with having an eclectic selection of books, and the other businesses around them are being led to sell their shops to a man who desperately wants to buy McCredie’s shop. As this story begins, she is still living at her sister’s house, but that will change all too soon now that her sister has just had another baby, and she will need the room Carmen is in for the live-in nanny.

Carmen is also struggling with her current boyfriend, Oke, whose religious beliefs keep him from taking their relationship to the ‘next level’ which is frustrating her. Soon he will be leaving for a lengthy trip, and then a woman he meets will create more drama for him.

I had really enjoyed her book that I read last year, and while this one didn’t really live up to that one, it was enjoyable enough.



Published: 10 Oct 2023


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon

The recent Jenny Colgan's have lacked the charm of her earlier novels for me, and I found this one dragged a bit. It's still very sweet, but it made me wish it had more direction.

This book features the characters found in the previous novel set at the bookshop, although it can be read as a standalone. In this story, Carmen is still managing the bookshop with the owner, Mr. McCredie. Carmen is also dealing with personal issues, such as finding a new place to live and suffering from a breakup with her boyfriend. When a buyer tries to acquire the bookshop, Carmen and her friends try to find ways to fend off the sale. The Christmas season brings with it many surprises for Carmen and company.

While this is overall a cozy read, there are frequent snipes at wealthy people and also references to sexual activity, although not overt. I enjoyed the main thread of the story, but could do without the sidebar happenings.

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

Review will be posted on 12/6/23

Readers find themselves back at McCredie's Bookshop in Edinburgh at Christmastime. This novel picks up where The Christmas Bookshop left off and readers are reunited with Carmen Hogan, manager of the adorable bookstore on Victoria Street. Carmen is feeling a lot of pressure though. Not only is she still upset about her breakup with Oke, but she is also worried about the fate of the bookshop. It's struggling financially and the owner is considering selling it to someone who would turn it into another cheesy souvenir shop. Just as in the first book, there's Carmen's family who still play a major role in her life, including her adorable nieces as well as a cast of memorable secondary characters. Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan is an adorable sequel to The Christmas Bookshop. While it isn't as compelling as the first book, who doesn't want to transport themselves to a bookshop in Scotland during Christmastime? It's the very definition of Christmas coziness.

I really enjoyed Carmen in book one, so I was happy to continue her story. I don't think you need to have read The Christmas Bookshop to entirely appreciate this novel; however, I do think it helps. I also enjoyed Carmen's family and their antics, including Pippa and Phoebe, which were a nice touch. Colgan's cast of secondary characters were all a lot of fun and reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I read Colgan's novels to be transported to a different time and place and Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop fits the bill. Christmas in Edinburgh sounds dreamy and I loved being lost on historic Victoria Street in a bookstore decorated beautifully for Christmas. The fate of the bookstore is balanced nicely by Carmen's problems, but it never feels overly heavy. Colgan fans will want to snuggle up with this book during the holiday season.

This book is the sequel to the Christmas Bookshop which came out last year. I didn’t know this and jumped right in.

Carmen is the owner of the bookshop and she’s getting very tight on money. An American production company wants to use her shop to film a holiday film and while she’s hesitant, she cannot say no to the money. She also has a falling out with her boyfriend and he takes on a Brazilian expedition for 6 months. She also needs to move out of her sister’s house and she can’t afford much.

This has a beautiful cover, but it’s more Christmassy than the book is. I was a little lost since I didn’t read the first book. This wasn’t my favorite I’ve read this year.

Thank you @avonbooks for my gifted copy! This book is out now.

The perfect story to kick off my holiday reading! Cozy, thoughtful, and sweet with quirky characters that kept me laughing and guessing at what might happen next. Love Jenny Colgan and this book demonstrates all the reasons why!