The Christmas Bookshop

Carmen Hogan is nearly 30, boyfriend-less, and still working in the department store she’d started in during high school. She feels like a failure compared to her older sister Sofia, an Edinburgh lawyer with a handsome international-lawyer husband, 3 children and a fourth on the way in a month, a lovely house, a Range Rover, and a nanny.

When the department store closes, Carmen has to move back in with her parents and try to find another job, which is difficult to do in her dying west-coast Scottish town. Sofia has a client that needs help in his dying bookstore in Edinburgh, and convinces Carmen to move there and become Mr. McCredie’s shop assistant, just until they could find a buyer for the shop. Carmen could stay in Sofia’s show more basement bedroom, and would also help babysit on the nights the nanny, Skylar, had to go take classes.

When Carmen arrives at the shop, it is a dusty, disorganized mess. Carmen’s old boss, Mrs. Marsh, now residing in Edinburgh, stops by and gives Carmen some advice in her imperious manner, admonishing her to clean up the shop, get to know the stock, and take advantage of the coming Christmas holiday. She reluctantly complies.

Through her work in the shop, Carmen meets two vastly different men who develop an interest in her: internationally famous self-help author Blair Pfenning, and local dendrologist (tree expert) Oke Benezet.

As Carmen warms to her role, she gets to know and love the customers, other shopkeepers on Victoria Street, and even Sofia’s kids, whom she had initially dismissed as noisy and bratty. In fact, she later tells Sofia’s daughter Phoebe, she had never liked any children at all before. But of course, all that changes….

Evaluation: This lovely feel-good Christmas story will melt your heart. It is full of Colgan’s trademark snarky and self-deprecating humor, but filtered through the gauzy, snowy glitter of Christmas. There's even a hint of magic, although it might just be another way to show how love works. It is also a love letter to sisters, to Edinburgh, and a celebration of joy and friendship. Admittedly, it doesn’t take much to make me want to go back to Edinburgh, but this book definitely added to that desire! show less

A smart, fun romance about families, perceptions, expectations, and fitting in. The descriptions of Edinburg make me want to visit. I definitely think the New York Times Book Review should include The Christmas Bookshop in its 'Read Through Destinations' section when Edinburg is covered.

Colgan focuses on the important parts of life: sincerity, truth, friendship, kindness, hard work and love. And what could be better than to have it all set in a beautifully historic town, in an old bookshop, with some of the most interesting and sweetest characters ever.

I enjoyed reading more about Ramsey & Zoe and their large family. Nice touch.

Relaxing and heart-warming read.

I like all the Jenny Colgan novels I have read, so when I saw this one about a bookshop with a Christmas theme, I couldn't wait to read it. It wasn't *quite* as good as Colgan's Scottish Bookshop series, but it was still a fun read, and perfect for the holidays when you want a lighter feel-good family story.

The novel begins with two sisters who are as different as can be. Carmen finds herself with no other option than to come help her sister Sofia just before Christmas. Sofia is an attorney and efficient mother of three, who seems to have the perfect life compared to Carmen who is "still" single and now unemployed as she has just lost another dead end retail job. Sofia, who is 8 months pregnant, has a client who needs help revitalizing show more his old bookshop. She convinces Carmen to help the client as well as take care of her three young children on occasion, since she will be staying in Sofia's spare room. The book shop has potential charm underneath all the layers of dust and disorganization, especially since it is situated on a picturesque street in historic Edinburgh.

Carmen's efforts actually breathe new life into the bookshop, but will the proceeds from the pre-Christmas sales be enough to save it? And she soon has two romantic admirers, as well as a yoga and health food expert nemesis. The plot thickens as Christmas approaches. Do the sisters reconcile? Will Carmen end up in a serious relationship? Will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal Carmen's fractured family? show less

Jenny Cogan has pulled together a brilliant storyline: engaging, complex characters and a very believable family dynamic between sisters on different trajectories. Although I found the epilogue a bit flat, and the final resolutions left undefined to *my* understanding, the unfolding narrative was both captivating and witty. Highly recommended if you enjoy character studies, personal philosophical journeys, and evolving family relationships.

A lovely and cozy story about a woman who, after losing her dead-end shopgirl job, is gently pushed by her parents and her annoyingly successful sister into taking a position in a dusty, failing bookshop in Edinburgh. Her job: to help the shop – and the eccentric and sweet old shopkeeper – into turning a profit before Christmas. Enter Handsome But Shallow and Generally Horrible Famous Author to turn her head, and also Sweet and Shy and, Um, Quaker Also-Handsome Academic Dude to make it a triangle.

I loved it. The characters are all fantastic, the story is fun and sweet (without ever being saccharine) and at times even hilarious, and the setting is so lovingly described that the city becomes one of the most beloved characters in the show more book. My only tiny little miniscule quibble is how Colgan switches narrators mid-paragraph and does so frequently. It’s a bit jarring and, I think, unnecessary. show less

Carmen loses her job when the department store she worked in closes before the holidays. Her sister, Sofia who is a lawyer, has a client who could use help in his store so it won't be repossessed. Carmen goes to Edinburgh, lives with her sister's family, and helps Mr. McCredie. She brings life back into the store through cleaning and organizing it. She also brings Christmas to the store which brings in more customers. She learns of Mr. McCredie's past. Along the way both learn their importance to others.

What a thoroughly delightful story! I loved it. Carmen is so relatable. She grows up, learns to love, and finds a place for herself. Mr. McCredie comes out of his shell also with Carmen prodding him as she fixes up the store. Her neices show more and nephew learn that Auntie Carmen is not the loser their mother and grandmother think she is. Though she is not into children, she learns and teaches them coming to love them. She is also easier on them than their mother and nanny. Her love life gets a jump start. She learns to distinguish what is love and what is show. I loved Oke, the Quaker who comes into her life and teaches them all to be grateful.

I felt so good when I closed the cover of this book. I hated to see it end. show less

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan is a 2021 William Morrow publication.

Sisters, Sofia, and Carmen embark on very different lifestyles as adults. Carmen decided to forego higher education, and up until recently worked in retail. Sofia is, by comparison, an overachiever- law practice, happy marriage, 3 kids with one on the way- big house, and all the trimmings.

Over time, Carmen has grown resentful of Sofia and the remarks aimed at Carmen for not measuring up, though she does have an underutilized flair for design.

Now that Carmen is out of a job, Sofia, buckling under pressure from her mother, has found a job her sister might be suited for. One of her clients owns a rare book shop that will not survive much longer unless it begins show more to turn a profit - Immediately!

Can Carmen save the shop? Well, it is Christmas, and a famous author has agreed to do a book signing at the store…

Meanwhile, Sofia and Carmen are still tiptoeing around each other, either critical or jealous of the other’s choices. Enter a student named Skylar, who is the nanny to Sofia’s children, and a bookshop owner with a mysterious past, and you have the makings of a perfect Christmas storm...

Well, the news is not good. My holiday reading this year has been delightful, but I hit a snag with this one.

There are too many characters to keep up with, too many threads, and an odd interlude with a coven of witches that felt out of place, and found some of their remarks disrespectful to the religious aspects of Christmas, which I found off putting.

I found I could not connect with any of the characters… not a single one- well, I take that back- I didn’t mind the bookshop owner. His story, ironically, had the most depth, but got lost in the busyness of the story.

Even the children, who are normally an easy source of delight, failed to penetrate my emotions, and the conclusion was… I don’t know. It just didn’t work for me, though I really did want it to.

Overall, I’m afraid this one, for me at least, was a dud. Others, though, have really loved it- so don’t let me deter you from giving it a try. show less