The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

3.56 AVERAGE

kaliwent88's review against another edition

3.0
hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
 Cute cozy Christmas/winter read! Easy pace, but occasionally got confused about the POV narrator was telling the story from. 
audreyfyock's profile picture

audreyfyock's review against another edition

3.5
inspiring lighthearted slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character

aeoliandeductress's review

2.0
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
 Note: A favorite vlogger of mine has recommended multiple books by Jenny Colgan. This is the first one I read. I didn’t like it that much… but I’ll try at least one other. 

Synopsis: Carmen has worked at a local department store in a dying town since she finished high school. She decided not to go to college, basically due to a rebellious phase and fear of failure. Her sister, on the other hand, became a successful lawyer, has a successful lawyer husband, and is expecting their 4th child. The two do not get along.
 
 
When the shop Carmen has worked for closes and she loses her job, her meddling mother calls Sofia begging her to help her sister. Sofia has a client, Mr. McCredie, who has an old bookshop and a lot of debts and he needs to turn a profit before Christmas so they can put it on the market. (Which he doesn’t want to do but has gotten himself deep in the red.) Sofia decides Carmen can stay with her (in the servant’s quarters of course) and help with the bookshop. 
 

Carmen comes and immediately butts heads with not only her sister, but the uber health-conscious, yoga loving, snarky nanny Skylar. (Who seems to do everything except watch the kids.) But very quickly she starts transforming the shop into a profitable business and even manages to connect with the other local shopkeepers, drawing Mr. McCredie out of his self-imposed exile. 
 

She meets a post doc student/professor named Oke who studies and loves trees. She also meets Blair, an “author” who hocks self-help schlock but chooses to be somewhat “real” with her. She connects with Sofia’s kids and Skylar makes moves towards Blair. Carmen and Sofia sort of reconcile. Sofia learns to chill out (a bit) and Carmen decides maybe it’s worth taking a chance on things.
 

There’s a couple working at the market that keeps wanting to talk to Mr. McCredie. He initially avoids them. Eventually they talk. Turns out McCredie’s real father was a German soldier. His mother was a nurse at the POW camp and they had an affair. Her husband, his “father” on the birth certificate hated him and the rest of the town kids knew and scorned him. He has felt guilty for being a German descendent for his whole life.
 
 
Oke is a Quaker and doesn’t celebrate Christmas but he and Carmen get together and he comes to Christmas with them. The baby is born and named after Mr. McCredie despite Sofia having almost no connect with him. Skylar leaves because she’s terrible. 
 

Thoughts: I initially tried to give this book 3 stars, but no. It’s a 2. 

Nobody is likeable for a really long time in this book.  
Carmen? Hates everyone and everything and is the type of “woe is me” character that makes you want to slap her. Sofia? Not only incredibly uptight, but is one of these classic “badass in the corporate world but can’t stand up to her own nanny” types and clearly condescending as hell. Their mother? A meddling busybody who clearly always favored Sofia and then wonders why Carmen might be resentful. Skylar? A total snob in every way who also doesn’t treat the kids well. (She calls the youngest girl fat- who DOES that?)
 

Blair is insufferable and yet the author sort of acted like it was a contest between him and Oke? Why did Carmen keep agreeing to help him? Oke also was crazy quiet and basically said nothing and then wonders why nothing happens.
 

So why 2 and not 1 star? The story with Mr. McCredie was fantastic. My lone problem with it is that no one else made more of an effort to draw him out, though they all seemed to have sympathy for him. Also, the kids were funny at times (though I kind of wanted to toss the oldest one on her head). The whole thing where they were temporarily terrified by Muppet Christmas Carol was hilarious.

  
This didn’t feel like a “cozy Christmas” book to me as most of it was rather unlikeable people sniping at each other. I was glad the shop was saved and there was resolution in the end. 

kelseymccoy's review against another edition

3.0
lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
hvr's profile picture

hvr's review against another edition

2.75
hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Cozy read, a little chaotic. I’ve marked it down because the weird fat shaming parts really took me out of it. 
partea's profile picture

partea's review against another edition

5.0
funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
the_thanatology_witch's profile picture

the_thanatology_witch's review against another edition

4.5
hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
A beautifully written story about second chances, miscommunication, lost opportunities, family, and hope. The main characters are deeply flawed in the best ways because they are so very human. There aren’t perfect people in this story, only imperfect humans trying to find their way through the world and within their relationships. 

This is more than a Christmas story but a wonderful look at what happens when we step out of comfort zones, take chances, and stop assuming what others think or want of us. 

The ending and resolution felt rushed which accounts for the 1/2 star drop from 5. Otherwise - this is a solid read. 

gpayne20's review against another edition

1.75
lighthearted slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Unfortunately, this was simply mid. There was nothing that hooked me and I did not find the characters compelling so their absurd actions could not be justified in my mind. Was not the cute Christmas story I was expecting. 

crutsch95's review against another edition

4.0
emotional lighthearted fast-paced
kidkafka's profile picture

kidkafka's review against another edition

3.0
lighthearted fast-paced