Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop

Second book in series but works as standalone
This seasonal book is a follow up from Jenny Colgan’s The Christmas Bookshop, which I haven’t read, but I was quickly introduced to the main characters and involved in the story. The setting for these books, at the centre of Edinburgh, is fascinating even if you have never explored the city and Carmen is happy to be part of the small community of shop workers at the foot of the castle. Carmen had moved there to stay with her sister taking a temporary job in a delightful old bookshop over Christmas but now almost a year later she is still sleeping in the basement of Sofia’s expensive home, loving spending time with her nieces and nephews. As Sofia plans to return to her job as a lawyer after maternity leave, she wants Carmen to move out so that a nanny can move in. Meanwhile McCredie’s bookshop is in financial difficulty and is threatened by the encroachment of bagpipes and “tourist tat.” As Carmen tries to find ways of increasing book sales, she is distraught to discover that her boyfriend, Oke, is returning to Brazil for an expedition into the rainforest.The story is gloriously funny and yet we feel Carmen’s pain as she lurches from one disaster to another. But this a community of people she can rely on, and she makes sure to give back good turns to those who have helped her. The characterisation is superb, and this eventful story is a very enjoyable read.

Nice festive rom com
Another fantastic book from Jenny Colgan. I really enjoyed this book but I think if you had not read The Christmas Bookshop first then you may not have enjoyed this as much.I love the bookshop, the location in Edinburgh, the amount of Christmas but I did feel that Carmen was a little whiny in this book and selfish. I found myself becoming annoyed with her reactions during the course of the book. I also felt that the amount of interaction in the book between Oke and Carmen was lacking. A good book nonetheless.

Fab
I enjoyed this second book, it was good being back with the family. Very good story of the bookshop growing too

Another amazing read from jenny
I highly recommend any of jenny colgan books to everyone who wants to believe I. Hope,love,family,friends,and life lessons learned. Jenny makes you feel as if you are part of the story or a fly on the wall because her descriptions of things makes you feel like you are right there in the momment with the characters. Her characters makes you feel as if you already know them because she makes it so easy and down to earth,that you can see and feel them so clearly in your mind. Everyday is a learning day and jenny proves that through her writing and in the end each character has learned a new life lesson,but also you as a reader which can be passed on in your life. 100% jenny is in my top 3 of authors.

The book was lovely but dodged due to the original editing I expect for Amazon Kindle books. So every time the book was turned off the page or chapter was lost. Even worse when the kindle was recharged. It took ages to find the page or even the chapter I had been on. I will think again if I want to read another of these particular books.

A novel for anyone who loves to get lost in the stories they read. Filled with very real and believable characters set in beautiful and magical Edinburgh; the writer creates a tale that carries the reader through a maze of lost love, family dynamics and loyalty. She weaves a tapestry of both old and new, reality and fantasy all within the architecture of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This was both funny and poignant, a wonderful experience awaits the reader!