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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
*This book was received as an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.
Eh, this one didn't improve or get worse from the first book in the series for me. It had charming elements, but ultimately the lack of communication and the improbable events just took me out of it.
We return to the Christmas bookshop where not too much has changed, except Carmen is newly single again. That miscommunication I mentioned before. And there's a guy trying to take over all the shops, including her beloved bookstore, and turn them into souvenir shops, complete with bagpipe music. Needing to turn a profit, and send her boss to Antarctica, Carmen is hard-pressed to make everything work.
The characters are really the weak points of these books. They just aren't very realistic, or even likable at times. Almost caricatures of people. The plots are decent, and fun and cozy, but it's hard to enjoy them when you don't really like the people passing through them. That being said though, I can recognize these are light reads, meant for fun, and so I can't judge them too harshly because fo that.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
Eh, this one didn't improve or get worse from the first book in the series for me. It had charming elements, but ultimately the lack of communication and the improbable events just took me out of it.
We return to the Christmas bookshop where not too much has changed, except Carmen is newly single again. That miscommunication I mentioned before. And there's a guy trying to take over all the shops, including her beloved bookstore, and turn them into souvenir shops, complete with bagpipe music. Needing to turn a profit, and send her boss to Antarctica, Carmen is hard-pressed to make everything work.
The characters are really the weak points of these books. They just aren't very realistic, or even likable at times. Almost caricatures of people. The plots are decent, and fun and cozy, but it's hard to enjoy them when you don't really like the people passing through them. That being said though, I can recognize these are light reads, meant for fun, and so I can't judge them too harshly because fo that.
Review by M. Reynard 2023
Her usual pleasing story
Jenny Colgan writes lovely books with happy endings, even if sad things do happen in them. This is no exception, although her depiction of Quakers more closely resembles the Amish.
(I personally loved him, but the one-armed bisexual manny might upset the more conservative reader.)
Jenny Colgan writes lovely books with happy endings, even if sad things do happen in them. This is no exception, although her depiction of Quakers more closely resembles the Amish.
(I personally loved him, but the one-armed bisexual manny might upset the more conservative reader.)
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bedankt voor het recensie exemplaar Luitingh-Sijthoff.
Dit boek was erg veel. Het verhaal zelf is heel mooi, inspirerend en zoetsappig. Het is alleen heel veel. Je krijgt heel veel informatie, waarvan niet alles in mijn mening even nodig was. Ook vond ik de naam van het hoofdpersonage erg vervelend. Een van de hoofdpersonages heet "Oke" ik vond dit verwarrend, omdat het woord oké ook vaak in het verhaal gebruikt werd. Het verhaal is goed geschreven en het leest snel weg. Het is echt een typische feelgood met alle zoetsappigheid die daarbij hoort. Er zit geen spice in, maar wel de nodige romance. De kinderen vond ik een hele leuke toevoeging! Ook Rudi vond ik erg leuk, misschien wel leuker dan Oke🤭 Al met al een leuk zoetsappig boek met een leuke onschuldig romance. Let op het is wel heel erg feelgood, dus daar moet je wel can houden!
Dit boek was erg veel. Het verhaal zelf is heel mooi, inspirerend en zoetsappig. Het is alleen heel veel. Je krijgt heel veel informatie, waarvan niet alles in mijn mening even nodig was. Ook vond ik de naam van het hoofdpersonage erg vervelend. Een van de hoofdpersonages heet "Oke" ik vond dit verwarrend, omdat het woord oké ook vaak in het verhaal gebruikt werd. Het verhaal is goed geschreven en het leest snel weg. Het is echt een typische feelgood met alle zoetsappigheid die daarbij hoort. Er zit geen spice in, maar wel de nodige romance. De kinderen vond ik een hele leuke toevoeging! Ook Rudi vond ik erg leuk, misschien wel leuker dan Oke🤭 Al met al een leuk zoetsappig boek met een leuke onschuldig romance. Let op het is wel heel erg feelgood, dus daar moet je wel can houden!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jenny Colgan crafted another delightful Christmas read. Each Christmas my wife and I do a Christmas evening book trade where we embrace the hygge and relish in cozy reading. This book albeit a little slow at the start scratched that itch. The love story was a little flatter than other Colgan novels but the true joy here was watching Carmen and Mr McCready’s bond together against Jackson. If you enjoyed Carmen and Oke from the last entry I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. Jenny Colgan’s comedy and heart continues and I hope we get to see where Carmen goes from here.
This book was just as charming as it's predecessor. I really would love a wee bookshop like Mr McCreadie's. I really love Jenny Colgan's books.
Another comforting Christmas read from Jenny Colgan. GR doesn't have it set up as part of a series, but it is the 2nd book in the 'Christmas Bookshop' series and should be read in order. And just like in the Mure series, even though a couple falls in love it doesn't mean they live happily ever after. There are complications, as in RL. And as it is with a number of Colgan's books, the resolution doesn't come until the very very very end.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
DNF: I read 58 pages of the book and wasn’t quite sure about what the plot or narrative of the story was and I wasn’t drawn to the characters enough to want to keep reading the book. Strong writing and descriptions