Book Review: Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J. Scott

From the very first page of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea, I felt enveloped in the warmth and charm of Micklewick Bay. Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte have created a cozy, bookish haven that I wished I could step into. The festive atmosphere is palpable, from Florrie’s delightful decorations to Ed’s enchanting window displays, making it a perfect backdrop for a holiday romance.

As the story unfolds, I found myself invested in Florrie’s determination to create the ultimate Christmas experience, filled with gingerbread hot chocolates and magical sleigh rides. However, Ed’s sudden distance left me feeling a mix of concern and curiosity. The tension surrounding his secret added depth to their relationship, keeping me turning the pages as I tried to unravel the mystery.

When Ed goes missing just days before Christmas, my heart raced. Florrie’s journey to uncover the truth and hold onto her dreams amidst the uncertainty was both emotional and relatable. The themes of love, family, and friendship resonate deeply, reminding me of the importance of connection during the holiday season.

Eliza J. Scott’s writing is beautifully evocative, making me feel the chill of winter while simultaneously warming my heart. This book truly captures the magic of Christmas, and I found myself cheering for Florrie every step of the way.

Overall, Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea is a delightful read that combines romance, mystery, and the festive spirit perfectly. It left me with a smile and a renewed appreciation for the little moments that make the holidays special. I can’t wait to revisit Micklewick Bay again!

A wholesome and heartwarming story set in the picturesque town of Micklewick Bay. Book four in the series, which I read as a stand-alone. I do wish I had read the previous books just to get myself acquainted with the characters.

A story that is full of all things Christmas, beautiful window displays, fairy lights, mulled wine, ice skating, and snow. As far as the plot goes, nothing much really happens. It's all very pleasant and happy going for the majority of it. I liked it, but it didn't grab me as much as I was hoping. The story encapsulates the Christmas spirit, full of family and friendships, with a good dose of community spirit and some romance in there to.

This story gives you a good serving of what you expect from a cosy, romantic festive story filled with the warmth of Christmas.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, for my ARC and to NetGalley.
My opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This book was great! I loved the writing style and I loved the characters and their chemistry. I loved the Christmas vibes. Great book!!

I'll start by saying that I have not read the first book, The Little Bookshop by the Sea, and I think that did me a huge disservice. Without reading that, this book felt scattered and suffering from an identity crisis. Is it a romance? A mystery? Honestly, it was barely either. There are beautiful descriptions in the book, but they didn't seem to add much to the story. I wanted more details on the actual story and less on the town and wardrobe of the characters. Because I feel like I can't accurately review this having not read the initial book, I'm hesitant to post my written review on Goodreads. Instead, I'll simply rate it with stars and hope to not tarnish the author's hype.

This is the 4th book in the series and whilst it can be read as a stand alone it’s so good you’ll want to read the others so my advice is to get the whole series and settle down for a delightful escapist read. You wont be disappointed.

Lovely return to Micklewick Bay and the Happy Hartes Bookshop. I loved the happy memories project that Flirrie sets up to create positive memories of Christmas for Ed. Their plans for the bookshop was a big part of the story with the sinister threats of Dodgy Dick casting a shadow over their plans. However, I felt Florrie was a little weak in this one - I just wanted her to talk to Ed and this would have solved most of the problems. Would love a story fid Jasmine next.

Ever had a book leave you chuckling? One scene in Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J. Scott had me laughing out loud and my husband asking what I was laughing at. When I told him, he was rolling with laughter. I could so see that scene happening with our son, even with my husband and his brothers. Granted it was the only scene that had me chortling with laughter, but it was definitely memorable. For a feel good read, pick up this novel.

Releases Oct. 23rd. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My two favourite things in the title. Christmas and books!! I was hooked from the beginning, I really enjoyed this read. It was cute and gave a nice vibe. Very cozy read. Thank you for an advance copy of this.

I think you need to read the rest of the series in order to fully enjoy this book. I hadn't and I felt that I was missing lots of info about the characters. It's a slow story, not much happens.

This can be read as a standalone but probably better to have read the rest of the series as I felt a bit in the dark for huge sections if the book. There were clearly back stories that were skimmed over but for me it took away the enjoyment of this book as I felt I was missing lots of info.
It is also a slow burner and to be honest not much happens in it.

Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea, the 4th book in Eliza J. Scott's Micklewick Bay series, is a sweet and warm holiday read. Florrie's plan to create lovely Christmas memories to make up for all the good holidays that Ed has missed up to this year is tempered by harassment from an old nemesis who is trying to push the couple into selling their bookshop just as they are showing enough success to look towards a dream expansion. The couple is at an almost perfect point in their relationship when Florrie's trust is challenged, and Ed's communication skills revert to bad family habits that are hard to outgrow. As in real life, the good and the bad travel side by side until one side triumphs, at least for the moment. The couple and their friends are easy to root for, and the villain is easy to boo. In spite of the concerns the tale was fun and filled with holiday cheer.
My thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read and review this British holiday delight. I have not read the other books in the series, but I will be checking them out soon.
#NetGalley #StormPublishing #ElizaJScott #MicklewickBay #ChristmasattheLittleBooshipbytheSea

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish this book even though I was really excited to start it.
I had to DNF at 45%, as the pacing and character development didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped.
That said, I plan to give it another try during the holiday season, and I hope I will be able to connect with the story more deeply then.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

4.5 ⭐️. So this is a cozy romance which is a genre
I'm not used to reading but I really liked this couple, their love story, their friends and family, and reading about Christmas time in this picturesque town. I also enjoyed the setting of the bookshop and all its goings on.

This Christmas themed ARC hit my NetGalley a few days ago, and talk about perfect timing.
There was a chill in air, I needed a blanket to read outside, so I made myself a pot of tea and wrapped up with this quaint, heartwarming tale from Eliza J. Scott.
My first book by her, she has a great way of making me feel like I entered a Gilmore Girls episode, I almost could hear "la la la" in a few scenes.
Yes, this book is like a warm mug of hot chocolate.
Set in the seaside town of Micklewick Bay, Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte own the local bookstore "Happy Hartes Bookshop" (Eliza, how long did it take you come up with that play on words- you ARE MAGICAL!)
When a mysterious phone call comes and Ed starts acting odd, Florrie begins to worry about her relationship. To make matters worse, bookstore events start to go awry, and it seems too coincidental and begs the question: Is someone trying to sabotage Happy Hartes??
This has it all:
Mystery
Light Romance
Silly Antics
A Black Lab you can't help but love...

If like me, you always match your seasons with your TBR, this little nugget should be added. Scheduled for release on October 23rd, keep an eye out for it and get your hot chocolate ready.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and to the author for this read in return for my honest opinion.

A gorgeous,warm Christmas novel. Lots of Christmas delight and a gentle romance. The couple of twists made the story race along.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Loved this festive read. Loved catching up all the characters again. Such a sweet read. Hope a new series will start soon. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A lovely new installment around Florrie, Ed and the bookshop in Micklewick Bay. I enjoyed the Christmas based story where we catch up with the ladies of the bay and their partners and kids. Best in order for sure!

What a lovely read! The festive season, the topic of books, authors and reading events made this story sparkle— so there was plenty to keep my interest! Not to mention mystery and romance. Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J Scott is part of the Micklewick Bay series. Although I have not read the previous books, I was still able to enjoy the story as the author gives us a bit of background on some of the recurring characters and the community.

The two main leads Florrie and Ed inherited The Happy Hartes Bookshop (along with the gorgeous resident dog Gerty, a black Labrador!). This couple has worked hard at making the shop a success and currently are doing their best to dress up the place to create a festive Christmas atmosphere. But trouble lurks in the background with someone trying to force their hand at selling the shop. A few sabotage events occur that have them clambering to find the culprits, although they have someone in mind.

As for Florrie and Ed’s history: they have been together for eighteen months. Florrie has not really considered where their relationship might be heading but she knows she loves Ed and he makes her happy. Though she had one negative experience after they inherited the bookshop from Ed’s grandparents. But Ed obviously loves her and states she is the most amazing person he has ever met. She is thoughtful and caring of others. She has a big heart and does kind acts for her friends and family. This time she plans some fun activities for The Happy Christmas Memory Project. There are wonderful winter activities like making snowmen, taking a special horse sleigh ride, sledging (sledding), skating and, of course, tree trimming! These are well described, evoking memories of my own childhood when I was enthused by a black sky filling with the wonder of snowflakes. Those cold snowy nights always ushered in the spirit of Christmas as they do in this lovely novel.

As mentioned, there’s a little mystery connected to the bookshop and even Ed disappears for a short while. Plus there’s a dash of romance, too, author readings, a nasty villain, family and couple relationship issues and birth of a baby. These all add flavour to this colourful story that keeps rolling along at a steady pace. It was good to see family members and friends cheering each other on through their struggles. Plus, the joyful holiday activities mentioned make reading this story fun and uplifting.

By the close of Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea, secrets are exposed, intentions are made clear and those behind sabotage events at the bookshop are revealed. Relationship challenges are worked out: one of which is between Ed and his father once communication lines are opened and useful knowledge is shared. Making the reason behind the contention understood and able to be rectified. And Florrie and Ed create some wonderful new memories with the promise of more ahead! This is a well written enjoyable Christmas story that is brimming with festive spirt. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for a review copy.

This was such a lovely happy story. It rounds up the series so well hopefully there will be more books in the series.
The happy memory Christmas project sounds so much fun and so many beautiful memories happened.
I love the scene with the children making snowmen and sledging down a big hill.