The Christmas Bookshop: A Heartwarming Holiday Romance Novel of Family Bonds, Unexpected Love, and a Charming Edinburgh Bookshop

The instant New York Times bestseller!

“Sublime…Colgan infuses her latest book with humor, wit, suspense and a perfectly cast love triangle.”--USA Today

"The Christmas Bookshop is literary hot chocolate with a bourbon shot: hot, sweet but with a surprising emotional kick."--The Times (UK)

Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.

Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?

  • A touching holiday read
  • Perfect for fans of uplifting winter romances
  • A delightful Christmas gift

BUY THE BOOK

Published Nov 16, 2021

339 pages

Average rating: 6.68

391 RATINGS

|

Join a book club that is reading The Christmas Bookshop: A Heartwarming Holiday Romance Novel of Family Bonds, Unexpected Love, and a Charming Edinburgh Bookshop!

Sunshine Reads

We meet monthly (in-person + virtual)

The BookNerds Bookclub

A club to come and hangout and read books together

Community Reviews

AbbeyLileTaylor
Aug 29, 2023
8/10 stars
Solid 4.5 Stars
Mary Pat Holt
Feb 05, 2026
4/10 stars
Two sisters, Sofia and Carmen, have very different adult lives. Carmen, who decided to not go to higher education and works in retail. Her sister, Sofia, is an overachiever, has a law practice, happy marriage, 3 kids with 1 on the way and a big house. Now, Carmen is out of a job and Sofia has found her a job (with pressure from their mom). One of Sofia's clients has a bookshop that needs to turn a profit and quick! Can Carmen turn it around? You get the idea; a quaint little village, Christmas time, book signing at the store.

I just wasn't interested in any of it. I didn't connect with any of the characters. It's not bad. It's just not engaging or exciting. I found myself skimming a lot at the end just to be done. Pretty bored by this book.
Heidi Eckert
Apr 29, 2025
4/10 stars
I listened to the audiobook and it was fine as background to doing chores around the house. Cozy descriptions of the bookshop and Edinburgh, and a sweet story. Very little romance. Zero spice. A lot going on but also… not a lot happening?
Lisa A.
Apr 08, 2025
7/10 stars
This was a cute Christmas Story. Carmen is able to find her purpose in life and grows closer to her sister. Romance and bringing new life into an old bookshop at Christmas time. I liked how it was set in Scotland.
wardbunch
Mar 26, 2025
8/10 stars
Fun winter listen to.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.