Cover Image: A Bookshop Christmas

A Bookshop Christmas

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Member Reviews

This was such a delightful, engaging and heartwarming story! I couldn’t help but be pulled into both the story and the characters lives. There was a slow burn romance, a bookshop and wonderful characters. What more could I want?!

The whole story captured my attention along with a hint of emotion that was woven into the storyline. Mentions of historical romance books ended up being the icing on the cake for me.

A truly gorgeous and heartfelt story.

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Without doubt, this was the best festive read I had this year (so far). I loved mostly everything about it. From writing style to plot and, as cherry on top of the cake, characterisation.

However, what I adored was the slow burning romance.
It was done so well that I can't find one thing that would make it better. Pitch perfect, if you ask me!

I also enjoyed festive theme and how our MC organized events for her book club, and it made me want to host a festive gathering for my girlfriends (which didn't happen because sadly I don't have a group of girlfriends who hang out with each otherother).

I felt bad for the young guy (who's name I obviously forgot because I am terrible with names) who worked in the bookstore and I couldn't believe how many times he was brushed off.

I know this sentence is starting to be cliche, but this was really like a Hallmark movie.

It has a nice cover, but in my opinion it was misleading little, as this is a romance book and I am afraid readers who would enjoy it will skip it because they won't know the angst it contains.
I wish it had a nice couple in the snow, with the dog and bookstore in the background, but who am I to suggest those things, right?

Overall, a nice slow burning romance for book lovers.

P.S. it was sooo nice to read about books I am familiar with, like One Day in December and The Devil in Winter.
Did I mention this book is for book/romance lovers??

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A little late reviewing. But have a hot chocolate ready or even a glass of wine in summer. Mix that with a love of books, snowstorm and a stranger arriving - q romance (maybe!) and that makes for a lovely warm hearted read.

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A Brilliant festive read
Hot chocolate roaring fire and this book is all you need
This book will draw you in and you’ll not want it to end
Thanks NetGalley

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A Bookshop Christmas is the story of Megan, a widow, letting go of the past and learning to live again. Since the death of her husband Joe, she has returned to the safety of the bookshop and flat above it where she grew up. She has closed herself off to the world, apart from a few friends and The Die-Hard Romance Book Club which meets at the bookshop.

The bookshop is not doing so well, and in a bid to increase sales, Megan organises a high profile author visit - Xander Stone. Enter Mr tall dark and moody; and the reason he is moody is that Xander has his own issues to overcome.

I found the story a tad slow; it did not immediately grab my attention. Preparations for the Regency themed Christmas party had some comic value, as did the characters Trixie Hendricks and Philomena Bloom. However, I wasn’t convinced by the romance between Megan and Xander, nor the reuniting of Megan’s parents. My favourite parts are the book club meetings where the characters make their own recommendations – and naturally I’ve added two of these to my own TBR list!

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This is one of those books that I’m going to want to read probably every year during christmas. I found it through NetGalley and ended up falling in love with the cover. I am a sucker for these type of covers especially when there is a pup on the cover. I loved the story and the writing. I love when an author gives more life to a character by adding things like their favorite songs or books they loved. A few were mentioned in here since there was a book club that they had and that makes me love the story even more it just makes it seem more real and gives them more depth even though its a fictional story. I had so much fun reading this book and can’t wait to dive more into this authors writing.

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A light hearted romance which would be a great easy read at any time of year. Well written with characters which were likeable and relatable, really enjoyed it and would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Aria and Aries and Rachel Burton for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

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So I am a little late reviewing this novel given the fact that Christmas is officially over, the presents have been unwrapped and the trees have been dismantled, but better late than never!

Megan Taylor is a young widow, who, following the loss of her beloved husband, moved back to York to her parents bookshop to grieve. Xander Stone is the award winning author Megan manages to secure for a book signing in a bid to save her bookshop - he's arrogant, aloof but also rather attractive!

This is a novel set in York, and I have to say, it was rather refreshing to have a novel set in an English city that wasn't London. York is such a beautiful setting and it really comes across as a city where memories are made, love can blossom and futures can start. It's been a while since I've been to York, but Rachel Burton certainly made me want to visit again soon with her vivid descriptions of this cultural city.

A Bookshop Christmas is a love story - you know it from the moment you pick up the book. In fact it's the reason that I chose to read it (that, and the fact that it is set in a bookshop!), and it is definitely a good enough reason for you to pick it up too. But the relationships that I really enjoyed within this novel were the friendships. Megans bookclub is a group of supportive women who have kept Megan safe emotionally whilst she takes the time to rebuild herself following the loss of her husband. Whilst I really enjoyed Megan and Xander's story, it was these friendships that I particularly enjoyed. The way these women had pulled together to create a safe and nurturing environment was wonderful to follow.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all - please don't be put off by the Christmas theme (particularly given the fact that I am recommending it to you in February!) because it really isn't a key focus, it's more of a backdrop to the story. So grab yourself a copy of A Bookshop Christmas, a glass of wine and dive in!

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Loved reading this book and author if you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading

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Megan is running the family bookshop. She returned to York when her husband died and took over the business. Bookshops are on the decline and she books author Xandor Stone to give a book talk with his new mega hit novel. They get off to a rocky start but learn to enjoy each other's company. Of course nothing runs smoothly in romance and when Xandor thinks Megan has betrayed him he leaves town in anger. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Such a great feel good Christmas read. Can they overcome their past and move forward? Find out all that happens in the bookshop.

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I really loved this story.
Set in a book shop, at Christmas, what more could you ask for!
The characters are all really likeable (once you get to know them) and I love how they develop throughout the book. The author sets the scene well and describes everything in such good detail.
Grab a warm blanket, a nice drink and settle down for a cosy, evenings read and loose yourself in this story.

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After tragically becoming a widow, Megan sought solace in her family’s long serving bookshop. It has provided the security and comfort she needed when at her lowest but the bookshop is not doing well financially and so she is doing everything she can to keep the business afloat which includes book signings, book clubs and events. It is one of these events which throw Xander Stone into her life and make her consider whether she is settling or if there is more for her out there.

I loved this book, I enjoyed all of the characters and particularly that they weren’t perfect-people aren’t and book characters should be flawed too.

I couldn’t put it down but was gutted when it was finished. 5 stars!!

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I love Christmas stories and books about a l9ve connection you never saw coming. Cute read for anyone wanting a fun romance

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This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

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Young widow Megan Taylor returns home to her family's bookshop for a fresh start. Content to hide among her books, she gets a rude awakening from a run-in with a handsome stranger. As she begins to live again, this enemies to lovers story takes shape.

My second favorite romantic trope is the enemies-to-lovers (second behind a slow burn marriage pact). Rachel Button doesn't disappoint. She puts her own spin on things and writes a snappy story that lights up the holiday season. This one's a winner for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the electronic review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 stars

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Such a cute read for the holiday season! This book is full of banter, realizations, and realistic relationships. An enemies to lovers read that is sure to pull at your heart strings.

What I loved:
💓 The book shop setting with romance book club 😍
💓 Xander Stone: author, hunk, and emotionally healing man
💓 Megan: sweet, lost soul searching for healing and finding her footing again in life
💓 Tension between Megan and Xander makes you root for them; especially when the blips of connection pop in

Grab this book for a nice snowy weekend to get your romance and holiday fix in!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a Ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was an enjoyable Christmas read. But I did have a harder time getting into it then I thought I would.

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A lovely book to lose yourself in. Great characters and just the right amount of romance, a perfect read any time of year.

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I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this book as it was the last in a long list of twelve to read for this month. Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed it.

This wasn’t massively festive, other than the talk about the Christmas Eve party and the fact that it is set in December, but I didn’t mind. I love any type of book set in a bookshop and this was no different. The family bookshop sounded so cosy and homely and just the type of place you would want to shop on a cold December day.

There was a real interesting cast of characters in A Bookshop Christmas. Firstly you have Megan who is still trying to navigate her life after the loss of her husband. She goes through a real rollercoaster of emotions during this book and she does become a strong person by the end of it. This book shows a cautious yet realistic side of grief and it definitely gave the plot and characters more depth.

Next you have Xander, who is completely arrogant and hot-headed. But aren’t most romance love interests? I did really like Xander for the most part, but at times I really disliked him. He was way too rash and would switch emotions too quickly for my liking. He would lash out at Megan for things that obviously weren’t her fault, something that isn’t healthy for a potentially blossoming relationship. I don’t want to say too much more on this as spoilers are not my thing, but character development is a huge part of this book.

As with most bookshop books, there is a constant worry of finances. I’m actually yet to read a book of this type that doesn’t include some fear of closing. This obviously isn’t a bad thing as every book needs its plot problem and honestly I quite enjoy those types of stories.

As this is a book about a romance book lover the romance was, as expected, very cute. I don’t read straight up romance novels very often, but whenever I do I absolutely love them.

The romance in A Bookshop Christmas did not disappoint. Although it wasn’t your usual sweep them off their feet and shower them with affection type of romance, I loved it and thought it was very endearing.

I don’t say this often, but this could very well be one of the few festive romances I would consider re-reading. That may not seem like a bold statement, but as someone that predominantly reads fantasy, its a bold statement.

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