The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

In this feel good read for the season, Carmen’s old fashioned department store job has come to an end and she agrees (very recalcitrantly) to move in with perfect older sister, Sofia (lawyer, pregnant for the 4th time) and work at saving Sofia’s client, Mr McCredie’s bookshop in central Edinburgh with her design and shop know-how. Few settings can lend themselves so well to a Christmas book as an ancient Scottish city and Colgan does manage to bring that out on the page. Carmen finds herself caught between fascinating Oke and persistent Blair, not to mention the surprisingly sneaky antics of Skylar the au pair, but Mr Mcredie’s backstory is more enticing and ultimately, Carmen’s relationship with Sofia and her children is the real driving force in the book. Colgan could probably have made much more of the themes in this book but I think the popular vote would love it as it is - a sweet, Christmas read with plenty of wintertime atmosphere.

Review by Rosanna Tharakan-May

@thereaderinthesands