This is a new author for me, but I read the blurb and thought that sounds exactly like the type of book I love and and it was. A really beautiful story of love and hope. Three and a half years ago Megan's husband (Joe) lost his battle with cancer, unable to function ,she returns to her childhood home to heal. Scared of change, frightened to take a risk, riddled with guilt and unable to move on she is literally exactly where she was before she met Joe. Then one night a rude man rams the back of her legs with his shopping trolley. Later the same evening he turns up unexpectedly at her place of work surprising her with his identity. These events have a knock on effect and slowly Megan realises that she has not been living her life she has just been surviving. She now feels it is time to start living again and with the help of her friends, family and the mystery man life starts to get really interesting.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and Aries, and Rachel Burton for the E ARC copy of this book.
Megan helps her Mum run the family bookshop in York. She came back to help her deal with the death of her husband. She has really used the bookshop to hide from life. She has two good friends who try to help her, as well as the other ladies who make up the Die-Hard Romance Readers Book Group.
To help aid the bookshop Megan agrees to host a book launch party for Xander Stone’s latest book. He comes across as rude and very opinionated about romance books. As they get to know each other, could he be the man to help her to start living life again?
As Megan begins to see a way forward, something happens that make her wonder if it is all worth it or whether she should just hide away again.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Just the book to read when you want a lovely cosy time during the festive season.

A wonderful read, brilliant characters and a good storyline, a lovely romantic Christmas read that doesn't need to be read just at Christmas
Megan works and lives above a bookshop which has been in the family since her grandparents and returned three years previously after the death of her husband, she has revolved her life around the bookshop and kept her grief within her without realising the effects on everyone else.
The bookshop is not doing well and she has organised a book signing by a well known author to try and breath some life back into her work place little does she know that this author is about to change her life in every aspect.
She rudely gets a trolley banged into her while in the supermarket by an extremely obnoxious man only later to discover that this is the said author for the book signing.
Some heartfelt and tender moments in this book along with some laughs and good friends.
Would highly recommend this book if you like romantic Christmas settings.
5/5 *

As I read the book, I thought about Megan, who after her husband passed away, she struggled with moving forward and was stuck. She decided to move back to her childhood home with her Mom and help run the family bookshop. Instead of helping her, she withdrew even more. The bookshop was struggling, and she decided to see if they could get an author to come to their bookshop, and help boost business. They booked, Xander Stone, who was a famous author. He definitely didn't make a very good first impression.
Megan and Xander, find they have a lot in common, and both have had losses and struggle from it. But they do form a friendship, and begin to move forward a little. As Megan's life continues, she learns things about herself, Xander, and her parents, what they sacrificed. She also learned from Xander that you can't live your life hiding from the things that might hurt you because you will never find the things that will bring you joy. When life brings you lower than we ever thought possible, we come out the other side, with the ability to live life and love harder than ever before.
The story kept me reading with the twist and turns, the secrets, and the friendships that is there. Then there is Xander and his dog. That was a great addition to the story.
I received an ARC from Aria through NetGalley and I enjoyed this story because it reflects the way life actually is, loss, struggles, and getting to the point where you can find the courage, to take one step forward. Many of the people had to find the courage to take one step forward, and you will find out how it goes for each one of them.

Christmas? A bookshop? Romance? Sounds like the makings of a perfect love story. Two people, Xander and Megan, are both dealing with different types of grief from their past. Yet something seems to be pulling them together. While having a few serious issues, this book is mostly fun with some great characters. I really enjoy the author, Rachel Bloom’s, writing style. It’s like talking with some good friends. I loved this book from the very beginning. I highly recommend you add this one to your holiday reading list. I received an early copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed A Bookshop Christmas so much! It is a lovely story with several moments that are tender and heartbreaking. Then the next moment was laugh out loud funny. It is the perfect mix of emotions and definitely touched me.

This is the first book I read by this author, Rachel Burton, and definitely will not be my last. She created wonderful characters that stole my heart. I care about and miss them now that I have finished the book.

The plot is fantastic! It is a second chance of love story between two people that are very cautious to enter into a relationship, but it is so much more than that. It is a love story to all Romance Book Readers. To those readers that get an “eye-roll” or a smirk when people sees what they are reading. It has such gems throughout, that a romance reader will chuckle about. (I know I did!) It is also a homage to the brick and mortar bookstores that are sadly becoming extinct.

I definitely am attracted first to a book by its cover, and A Bookshop Christmas bookcover is gorgeous! The little Dachshund named Gus, on the cover is a delight in many scenes in the story.

I recommend this book so highly and want to thank Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC. #ABookshopChristmas #ariafiction

A Bookshop Christmas is definitely a must-read for all romance fans, especially if they also love a good holiday story. It is obvious that the author is a fan of the genre and pours her own love of romance into this story. Also, how could I not love a main character (and author) who recognizes what amazing novels Persuasion (my personal favorite) and Northanger Abbey are?

I loved Megan as the main character and thought her grief was handled in a very realistic way. I liked Xander, but did find him to be frustrating when he went straight to anger with Megan on multiple occasions. I also really liked that Megan was allowed to be angry with Xander. So often in romance novels women are made to feel bad for being mad when the man they are in a relationship with treat them badly. That being said, I also liked that Megan was willing to not only listen to Xander but to also call him out on his crap. Her actions are what you expect when someone says they are going to fight for a relationship. Perhaps the best part of this novel is that both Megan and Xander are able to be together without either of them giving up the life they really want. There are quite a few common tropes throughout the story (main characters start out disliking one another, being stuck together in storm/sharing a bed, the big misunderstanding that almost breaks them up, etc), but they occur so naturally that you don't necessarily think of them as being tropes. It also helps that Megan tends to call out those tropes as they are occurring.

Overall, this is a really great holiday romance novel. Once I started it was difficult to put the book down and it was so well written that it made for a quick read.

A wonderful, feel good Christmas love story.
I loved the female characters and the banter at the Book Club meetings. Xander, an author, was a little bit of a bore and became moody quickly. Overall a great story of love, loss, dealing with grief, and moving on.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful enchanting book,, I enjoyed the story, such an easy read, this book is not just for Christmas, a cosy curl up read with a hot drink , I loved it

A smashing festive feel story with some quirky and quaint characters. An ideal book for bookish people like me.

A very enjoyable read. Lead up to Christmas, enigmatic man, lovely lady, dog, family, friends. A fine romance.

Such a cute story to bring some Christmas spirit! I love books that start with some grumps and they find their own magic! This would make the best little Hallmark movie! I for one would love to watch it!

3.75⭐️

Thank you to Aria, Netgalley, and Rachel Burton for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a great story! Grief, finding love again, change and growth - it’s all in here!!!! I’ve never met a Bookshop story I haven’t enjoyed and this one is no exception! Megan is a great character to follow along with and this is really about her opening up and rediscovering living. I also love that their book club is a romance book club called the Die Hards Lol. Do book clubs like these fictional ones I keep reading about exist in real life because I need one!!!!!

A deeper, more serious Christmas story, it’s worth a try!!!!

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review..

Reading A bookshop Christmas had me in the Christmas spirit it was such a cute read I love when books that can make me want to continuing reading and finish reading until the very end. 4 star read 🌟🌟🌟🌟



Happy Reading Lisa 📚

Moving back home after her husband's death to run the family's bookshop provided a place for Megan to heal. I loved the book club and it's quirky characters. I found Zander quite boorish and hard to like. The story is quite predictable but a pleasant read.

A moving and realistic romance about acceptance and closure.
Megan , a young widow has found life extremely difficult after losing her husband. She lives and works at Taylor's bookshop , her parents business in York. She is a member of The Die Hards Book
Club but has limited social life..
Then Megan meets Xander Stone, a rude. and arrogant writer who brings Megan
hope for the future.
This is a tale about coping with grief, and meeting life's challenges. It is heartwarming
and shows how to embrace new beginnings

I am never disappointed with a Rachel Burton book. I love her characters & the stories flow & take you into a new place.
Megan is a young widow who is running her fathers book shop in York. She lives above the shop with her mum & life is just ticking away until she is asked to host a book launch for Xander Stone, a best selling author. As they say, the rest is history. It's the usual will they won't they book but it feels good. Love the setting of York, the characters are likeable & the story plausable. A lovely book that I highly recommend.

Love Christmas books in the summer, and loved reading about this one. The idea of the book club was sweet too. The book club brings all different members together which was lovely to read about.

This character driven story took me right in. Quirky people, authors and books. For me this is perfection.
Holiday season and two people who have been gutted by loss find each other. There are twists and turns but mostly the glorious sense of righteousness. I loved it all.

This is a perfect Christmas read and full of heartache and romance and about families and finding yourself to be happy again in life. Set in a perfect bookshop in York but can she keep the family shop going or has it come to an end.
Megan is a widow and heads back to York to work in the family bookshop she she get her mums support. She is getting the shop ready for Christmas and a big author has an evening at hers to advertise his new book but Megan is in the local supermarket when the author xander bumps into her and she can feel her stomach turn when she sees him but feels he’s very rude and she wants to change him. When he turns up in the bookshop and is rude still will she be able to work her magic on him and will she find romance but just as things are starting to go her way a massive secret of his is leaked out and he thinks it’s Megan and she sees his rude side again and can they work their way through it or is it all over. When her father says he’s selling the bookshop they all are shocked by how quickly it sells is it what they all want and can they start over again and will romance be over or not.
Well worth more than five stars.