A Bookshop Christmas

A great read.

Xander is an author who has agreed to a book launch in the struggling store run by Megan.
A young widow, Megan hasn't moved on since she lost her husband, but will she take that step when she meets Xander?

Some great characters, especially the rest of Megan's book club!

Carmen is laid off of her job right before Christmas, she is dreading spending christmas with her sister and her sisters family.. she gets a job in a bookstore. it is a good read with a happily ever after.

A lovely story. All book lovers think owing a bookshop would be fun but it is not. Xander and Megan carried a lot of guilt and it was lovely they could talk. The book club sounded fun. Gosh you felt for Megan’s parents. Once a parent always a parent . I love York. Nice to have a book a set there. Joe sounded lovely. Good to have a book with a perfect ending. Loved it

This is the best book i have read so far this year, Rachel Burton never fails , great story and characters thoroughly enjoyed.

I absolutely loved this book and will be looking to read more from this new-to-me author.

It is mostly a lighthearted Christmas romance but does deal with grief -- mostly to do with death but also from failed relationships.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Aria Fiction through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Aria Fiction!

A wonderfully romantic and festive read, perfect for book lovers! I devoured this book in a day, swept along by Megan and Xander’s relationship - both damaged by grief - as they negotiate their feelings and try to find a way to move on with their lives. Beautiful, festive, sad and hopeful. Perfect Christmas romance. Highly recommended and I will certainly reading more of Rachel Burton’s books!

From the first paragraph I was captivated by this story which begins with the sad death of Megan's beloved husband. She retreats to her parents' failing bookshop in York and mostly closes herself off from everything outside of a very small group of friends.

While planning a Regency themed (they already have the dresses) Christmas party and an upcoming author book signing, Megan starts to heal and make decisions about what to do with the rest of her life. When sparks fly with the author, Alexander, her friends and mother try to push her out of her comfort zone.

I loved this book and these characters. Megan's circle of friends are funny and loving, and also dealing with life and love. Xander is dealing with his past and disappointments when their mutual friend, Dot, brings Xander to the bookshop for the reading and then pushes him into taking part in the Regency Christmas Eve party.

A great Christmas in July or get you in the holiday spirit December book club book.

#ABookshopChristmas #NetGalley #AriaFiction #AriesFictionBooks

A beautiful clean read all about finding your way in life. It was so refreshing to read about a hero and heroine with real problems that aren't fixable, but rather something they have to cope with, and on top of that, dealing with other hurdles that come their way. It is a romance novel, but is very realistic without being based on tropes, and is something people of all ages/backgrounds could enjoy as an easily relaxing read. I appreciated the authors writing style, and will be looking out for more by her

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! Megan's story was emotional, but not so heavy as to ruin the light heartedness that I appreciate about a romantic comedy like this. The setting was perfect, in a quaint bookshop in York, and the characters are fun and relatable. Megan and Xander's relationship was perfectly complicated and I was entertained by how their relationship developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it for anyone wanting a bit of coziness and warmth in their life.

A Bookshop Christmas a pure Christmas magic! I loved this book so much! Megan loses her husband and in her grief goes to work at her family's bookshop. This was not the fresh start she was looking for and found herself wallowing in her grief. One day she meets handsome but arrogant author Xander Stone. These to get off to a rocky start but soon start to fall in love but falling in love comes with complications. This story is filled with charming characters and Christmas magic. I fell in love with it from the first few pages.

This character driven story took me right in. Quirky people, authors and books. For me this is perfection.
Holiday season and two people who have been gutted by loss find each other. There are twists and turns but mostly the glorious sense of righteousness. I loved it all.

This is a perfect Christmas read and full of heartache and romance and about families and finding yourself to be happy again in life. Set in a perfect bookshop in York but can she keep the family shop going or has it come to an end.
Megan is a widow and heads back to York to work in the family bookshop she she get her mums support. She is getting the shop ready for Christmas and a big author has an evening at hers to advertise his new book but Megan is in the local supermarket when the author xander bumps into her and she can feel her stomach turn when she sees him but feels he’s very rude and she wants to change him. When he turns up in the bookshop and is rude still will she be able to work her magic on him and will she find romance but just as things are starting to go her way a massive secret of his is leaked out and he thinks it’s Megan and she sees his rude side again and can they work their way through it or is it all over. When her father says he’s selling the bookshop they all are shocked by how quickly it sells is it what they all want and can they start over again and will romance be over or not.
Well worth more than five stars.

Oh, how I love a good Christmas romance! When Megan meets Xander, she finds him rude and obnoxious. But when he turns out to be the author who is launching his new book at her bookstore, she gets to know the man behind the façade. Their friendship blooms over shared experiences and they bond over romance novel tropes, which Xander seems to dislike with a passion.

With a little push from her friends Missy and Bella, Megan takes a step forward into moving on after the loss of her husband. Opening herself up to a man and a future, she is beginning to see more clearly when she and her parents are having to make a very difficult and sad decision.

I enjoyed the antics of the Die-Hard Romantics Book Club and their preparations for a Regency Christmas party, learning card games and the quadrille. It was fab to read Ben and Ellie, from ‘The Tea Room on the Bay’, making special appearances. And don’t we all want a Gus!

I loved Rachel Burton’s lists at the end of the book: I listened to Megan and Xander’s Playlist- loved ‘Ghosts’ by Laura Marling and put ‘Maybe This Christmas’ by Jennifer Snow on my want-to-read-list.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful, heart-warming Christmas romance!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my eARC in return for an honest review.

A moving and realistic romance about acceptance and closure.
Megan , a young widow has found life extremely difficult after losing her husband. She lives and works at Taylor's bookshop , her parents business in York. She is a member of The Die Hards Book
Club but has limited social life..
Then Megan meets Xander Stone, a rude. and arrogant writer who brings Megan
hope for the future.
This is a tale about coping with grief, and meeting life's challenges. It is heartwarming
and shows how to embrace new beginnings

I am never disappointed with a Rachel Burton book. I love her characters & the stories flow & take you into a new place.
Megan is a young widow who is running her fathers book shop in York. She lives above the shop with her mum & life is just ticking away until she is asked to host a book launch for Xander Stone, a best selling author. As they say, the rest is history. It's the usual will they won't they book but it feels good. Love the setting of York, the characters are likeable & the story plausable. A lovely book that I highly recommend.

A very enjoyable read. Lead up to Christmas, enigmatic man, lovely lady, dog, family, friends. A fine romance.

A wonderful read, brilliant characters and a good storyline, a lovely romantic Christmas read that doesn't need to be read just at Christmas
Megan works and lives above a bookshop which has been in the family since her grandparents and returned three years previously after the death of her husband, she has revolved her life around the bookshop and kept her grief within her without realising the effects on everyone else.
The bookshop is not doing well and she has organised a book signing by a well known author to try and breath some life back into her work place little does she know that this author is about to change her life in every aspect.
She rudely gets a trolley banged into her while in the supermarket by an extremely obnoxious man only later to discover that this is the said author for the book signing.
Some heartfelt and tender moments in this book along with some laughs and good friends.
Would highly recommend this book if you like romantic Christmas settings.
5/5 *

As I read the book, I thought about Megan, who after her husband passed away, she struggled with moving forward and was stuck. She decided to move back to her childhood home with her Mom and help run the family bookshop. Instead of helping her, she withdrew even more. The bookshop was struggling, and she decided to see if they could get an author to come to their bookshop, and help boost business. They booked, Xander Stone, who was a famous author. He definitely didn't make a very good first impression.
Megan and Xander, find they have a lot in common, and both have had losses and struggle from it. But they do form a friendship, and begin to move forward a little. As Megan's life continues, she learns things about herself, Xander, and her parents, what they sacrificed. She also learned from Xander that you can't live your life hiding from the things that might hurt you because you will never find the things that will bring you joy. When life brings you lower than we ever thought possible, we come out the other side, with the ability to live life and love harder than ever before.
The story kept me reading with the twist and turns, the secrets, and the friendships that is there. Then there is Xander and his dog. That was a great addition to the story.
I received an ARC from Aria through NetGalley and I enjoyed this story because it reflects the way life actually is, loss, struggles, and getting to the point where you can find the courage, to take one step forward. Many of the people had to find the courage to take one step forward, and you will find out how it goes for each one of them.

Christmas? A bookshop? Romance? Sounds like the makings of a perfect love story. Two people, Xander and Megan, are both dealing with different types of grief from their past. Yet something seems to be pulling them together. While having a few serious issues, this book is mostly fun with some great characters. I really enjoy the author, Rachel Bloom’s, writing style. It’s like talking with some good friends. I loved this book from the very beginning. I highly recommend you add this one to your holiday reading list. I received an early copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed A Bookshop Christmas so much! It is a lovely story with several moments that are tender and heartbreaking. Then the next moment was laugh out loud funny. It is the perfect mix of emotions and definitely touched me.

This is the first book I read by this author, Rachel Burton, and definitely will not be my last. She created wonderful characters that stole my heart. I care about and miss them now that I have finished the book.

The plot is fantastic! It is a second chance of love story between two people that are very cautious to enter into a relationship, but it is so much more than that. It is a love story to all Romance Book Readers. To those readers that get an “eye-roll” or a smirk when people sees what they are reading. It has such gems throughout, that a romance reader will chuckle about. (I know I did!) It is also a homage to the brick and mortar bookstores that are sadly becoming extinct.

I definitely am attracted first to a book by its cover, and A Bookshop Christmas bookcover is gorgeous! The little Dachshund named Gus, on the cover is a delight in many scenes in the story.

I recommend this book so highly and want to thank Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC. #ABookshopChristmas #ariafiction

This is a new author for me, but I read the blurb and thought that sounds exactly like the type of book I love and and it was. A really beautiful story of love and hope. Three and a half years ago Megan's husband (Joe) lost his battle with cancer, unable to function ,she returns to her childhood home to heal. Scared of change, frightened to take a risk, riddled with guilt and unable to move on she is literally exactly where she was before she met Joe. Then one night a rude man rams the back of her legs with his shopping trolley. Later the same evening he turns up unexpectedly at her place of work surprising her with his identity. These events have a knock on effect and slowly Megan realises that she has not been living her life she has just been surviving. She now feels it is time to start living again and with the help of her friends, family and the mystery man life starts to get really interesting.

Megan moved home after her husband died and she's working at her parents' bookshop, trying to up sales and get it back on track, Xander, an author with both attitude and a past, agrees to launch his book there but his chance meeting with Megan, well, that doesn't go well. Not at all. I liked this for the growth both characters showed as well as for, let's face it, the bookstore setting, What a treat it would be to go to Megan's celebration of Regency, Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's nowhere near Christmas but I really enjoyed this.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Books, christmas, and puppies what more could a book possibly have to give? Utterly perfect from start to finish.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

“A Christmassy read, featuring Christmas, books and a dog, what more could you want”.

Megan and her mother run Taylor’s, the family bookshop in York. After living in London, she came home to help her and overcome the loss of her husband. With a bookshop to run, she’s avoided thinking about her life and how to start living again.

With her friends Missy and Bella to help her and her ladies from their book group - the Die-Hard Romance.

To help boost the business, she agrees to hold a book launch party, for an author called Xander Stone, who has his own opinions on romance books and is rude.

As they begin to get to know one another, will he make Megan realise that it’s time to start living again…..

But just as she’s starting to think about her future, something happens, that she’s not at fault for, and she’s left thinking, was it worth thinking it, or had she been better hiding?

Recommend It.

Trigger/content warnings: cancer and death if loved ones are an integral part of the plot and mentioned throughout the book.

I went into this expecting a light, Christmas book, but got a heavier, more thought provoking story. I was not disappointed!! It’s a low steam, clean romance that shows the evolution of two broken souls working on finding themselves again,

Megan has immersed herself in the family bookstore the past 3 1/2 years trying to move on from heartache and guilt. She’s used it as an excuse to cut herself off from all but a few close friends and her mother. In the hopes of saving the bookshop, she’s able to book Xander Stone, a bestselling author, for a Christmas time book signing, hoping to bolster earnings.

Xander has his own personal issues to work through and is not expecting what he finds in Megan. He has a secret his keeping from everyone, including his best friend, the Megan stumbles on. As his insecurities come roaring back, he has to decide what’s worth fighting for.

Since they both work in the literary world, there’s numerous reference to popular romance tropes. My favorite is the forced proximity trope and a few others that Megan and Xander encounter throughout the story.

I loved how real the characters are and how they grow throughout the story. There’s some pretty heavy issues they have to work through, together and separately. As they rediscover themselves, they discover each other and get the HEA they deserve, both professionally and personally.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The introduction to the book, and ours to Megan, was very moving and written in a way that instantly meant I was invested in her and her story.
As Megan's life retreats back to her family home in York and the bookstore her family own, you see how those 4 walls become more than just a sanctuary for her. The Die Hard Romantics Bookclub, made from friends, customers & staff of the bookshop, brings more than Megan bargains for and as they plan their Regency Christmas party it sets off a butterfly effect of changing all their lives.
This book is a book lovers dream, so many Have Austen references and some "punch the air" defences to the way romances are snubbed & general book snobbery! It packs a punch of feel good, festive fun aswell as heartwarming, tender care to keep you warm& cosy inside & out
One to read this Winter

If you are a lover of Christmas and books like me then this is the book for you!

This is a heartwarming romance set in a bookshop with an author who comes to do a signing there and gets more than he bargained for. Grief and divorce are both issues that come up and are dealt with really well and the characters are well developed and easy to like.

I read this book in a day and I loved it - I hope this becomes a series as there is the potential there to see the lives of the characters develop further.

A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #Aria&Aries for an ARC of #ABookshopChristmas by #RachelBurton.
It’s Christmas in the city of York. Megan has come home after a tragic loss, and is now helping her mother to run the family bookshop.
When the shop hosts a book launch party for author Xander Stone’s new release, Megan finds herself drawn to this arrogant and opinionated man. But could he be exactly what she needs?
Megan and Xander’s story isn’t straight forward, and there are many twists and turns along the way.

This is a wonderful read. Full of christmas cheer, fun and some difficult emotions.

The Die-Hard-Romantics book club, is brilliant, and I desperately want to be a part of it.

All in all, a well written, thoroughly enjoyable, treat of a book, with christmas cheer thrown in for good measure.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book from the very first page. Relatable and lovabl,e characters made this story feel like home. A perfect start to the holiday season.

A romantic novel that seems to poke fun at romantic novels! Never!
This enjoyable read points out any "tropes" and "clichés" and then tells the reader what they are and why they are useful.
Since the loss of her husband three years ago, Megan has devoted her time to working in the family bookshop in York. She meets and falls for an insufferable bore who pushes his trolley into her at the supermarket....trope number one.
I enjoyed my journey through the book looking for and being told about tropes. A very novel way of telling the story.

Loved this book 5 stars to Rachel Burton for writing it and netgalley for for allowing me to review it.A really good read.

This book is a wonderful festive read full of all the romance.

I was gripped from the very first page and couldn't stop reading. I loved it so much. It had the most beautiful characters, such a sweet story and all around such a great read.

You won't be disappointed.

You know it’s going to be a great book when you’re gripped from the first page. Loved this one so much. Beautiful characters, lovely story and such a good read.

This is a wonderful festive read full of romance which will have you hooked from the very first page.

Megan is a grieving widow who can't forgive herself or move on from not being there when her husband passed away, she has been living but not truly living for the previous three years but doesn't know how to begin her life again until she quite literally bumps into Xander a successful author who is coming to her small family book store to do a signing. Never before has Megan met a more rude and arrogant man but slowly she starts to wonder if there is more to Xander than the image he presents to the world and as they come together we get glimpses of the real Xander and see the wonderful within them both.
This story will give you all the festive feels and I cannot recommend enough.

There is nothing better than a Bookshop apart from one at Christmas, so I was right at home with the setting for this story.

And i loved Megan and Xander's stories right from the off.

Well Megan was a lot easer to get to know but Xander grew on me rather quickly too, as their pasts are revealed.

And I love the idea of a Regency Christmas party, even if Trixie does seem rather determined to have it as authentic as possible

I especially loved the Die Hard Romance book club, and their determination to take down Book snobs and revel in their enjoyment of all things romance.

It was just an all around highly enjoyable novel, that really does show you can eventually move on with your life, even when scared.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I loved this book. It’s set in a bookshop and in York both places are my idea of heaven. Megan thought she had it all but life is unfair and it unexpectedly changed for the worse. She retreats to her parents bookshop where she becomes engrossed in making the running of the shop better. She runs a book club that at times becomes a little rowdy when everyone shares there views of the latest book.
However this all changes when a arrogant man in the supermarket hits her with his trolley. He immediately puts her in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Thinking she will never see him again, she is not only shocked/ horrified to find he is the author due to hold his book signing in her Bookshop, Her life is changing but is it for the better or worse.

I enjoyed reading about these "little" bookshops that are in our neighborhoods and the struggles to keep them running with author events and ways to attract customers.
Megan Taylor moves back home to New York, after her husband loses his battle with leaukimia. SHe moves in with her mother & the family bookstore is in a struggle to stay alive.
Can anyone save it? Including her father, and this family bookshop originally belongs in his fmaily bloodline.He has been living in another place apart from her mother.
Megan's parents relationship status with each other is also a story in itself and warms the heart.
What I enjoyed about this romance holiday novel is the romance is kept clean . I enjoy reading romance but when the story gets too raunchy, it takes away from the love affair.,in my opinion.
Author Xander Stone first walks in Megan;s life as the rudest man, in the supermarket, setting her off the wrong way . They exchange rude words to each other and she is fuming.
Little did she imagine he is the author who is going to launch his new book in the family bookshop.
Megan and her freinds have a book club meetings every week and the humor in these small getogethers had me chuckling, especially when two males (Xander Stone one of them) are included to discuss romance novels.
The outcome of this forming romance is delighful and the holiday scenes for Christmas has me ready for the holidays!
Thank you Netgalley for this preview read and this is solely my opinion..

Lovely book, full of festivities and it's been a dream of mine to own a bookshop and I have so many ideas for Christmas time if u ever get to own one.

I can really picture the setting of this bookshop in York because I love the area. I've only been once but it was such a lovely time.

I absolutely loved the snowed in part at the hotel, you can truly feel the awkwardness and I couldn't help but I laugh at the situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the difficulties the bookshop went through it hasn't put me off wanting to run a bookshop it's made me want one even more.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

A snowstorm. A stranger. A spark. And it's Christmas!
It should be the perfect start to the perfect love story.
But real life is far messier and more complicated than in the pages of the books in Megan Taylor's family bookshop – the last few years have left this young widow in no doubt of that. Moving back home to York should have been a fresh start, but all it did was allow her to retreat from the world.
When prize-winning author Xander Stone rams his supermarket trolley into her ankles and then trashes her taste in books, Megan is abruptly awoken from her self-imposed hibernation. It's time to start living again, and she's going to start by putting this arrogant, superior – admittedly sexy – stranger in his place.
Just as she is beginning to enjoy life again, the worst happens and Megan begins to wonder if she should have stayed hidden away. Because it turns out that falling in love again is about more than just meeting under the mistletoe..
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this. I don't think I have disliked a character so quickly before but Xander was that man! Rude, arrogant and opinionated in the extreme wouldn't normally be your go to hero but Rachel Burton went there! However, her style of writing pulled it off spectacularly. The mans an onion!!! I loved the way he unravelled throughout the book revealing a little more each time although unlike Megan i am not sure i could have coped with his mood swings. The background story was a little sad but no sadder than three members of a family attempting to hold on to the family business each believing the others wanted it. Its a lovely read and i can thoroughly recommend it if you want something a little less formulaic

Megan is working in her families bookshop in York. She locked herself away there for over 3 years when her husband died. Novelist Xander Stone was launching his latest book in the shop they didn't get off to a great start. Lovely book couldn't put it down

A Bookshop Christmas is a delightful rom com. Megan has lost her husband and is trying to overcome her grief by working in her parents failing bookshop. Xander Stone is a prize winning author who is also dealing with grief of his own. They do not have a good start when they meet but Xander agrees to introduce his new novel in her bookshop. This book is a great story in the small town of York. I recommend this book.

A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton is one of the best Christmas romances that I have ever read. I loved Megan and Xander. I really like Megan’s book club and how everyone likes different types of romances. I have added several of the titles to my tbr shelf! I also love the playlist. It’s always fun to see what songs the author picks out when there’s a playlist added. The ending was perfect. Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved this book, I love Festive reads, I love books about bookshops, I enjoy reading about book clubs. This book combines all of the above and manages to do so very well.
I've read a few books by Rachel Burton now and enjoyed every one of them.
Megan is a lovely character who you really want to have a happy ending. Xander grew on me throughout the book.
This is such a cozy and feel-good read. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.