A review by sleuthheroalien
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

3.5

This is such a hard one to review. I loved The Christmas Bookshop. It’s one of my favorite books. So I was super biased about the sequel. I couldn’t not read it through the lens of comparing it to the first book. First, what I liked: snarky Carmen, bookshop joy, funny kid hijinks, loveable new character who befriends Carmen, good ending, and Edinburgh at Christmas. Second, what I didn’t like: the premise of this one basically undercuts the character growth Carmen made in the first book. It puts her in a position where she is worse off, both emotionally and financially, than where The Christmas Bookshop ended. Honestly, this story is probably the realistic version of what would’ve happened next, but I was hoping for a little more joy and a little less angst. I’d say the characters are less likable in this one, and by the end I actually skimmed a boring chapter. I think if this were a novella I would’ve liked it more. And I would actually love it if Colgan wrote another sequel that continues Carmen’s story from where this one ends.