BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Secret Christmas Library, by Jenny Colgan, from William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Giddy, giddy, giddy! I got to do an ARC of a book by someone I refer to as one of my favorite comfort food book authors.

Think macaroni and cheese, good pork chops, steamed broccoli. Followed by awesomely good warm chocolate chip cookies.
This. THIS was the Christmas in July story I was after when I snagged three NetGalley ARCs in one day. It was hokey, it was in Scotland it was all about BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS.

Did I get a little weirded out by the (admittedly mild) sex scenes toward the end? Why yes, yes I did. Which is why this is not getting a 4-star rating.

Would give it 3.5 stars if I but only could.

DESCRIPTION
A new holiday story set in the Scottish Highlands to warm booklovers’ hearts by Jenny Colgan, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McPherson, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McPherson family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.

But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.

Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.

A treat for booklovers and treasure hunters alike, The Secret Christmas Library serves up a delicious mystery with a hint of romance, and plenty of holiday spirit!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

I love Jenny Colgan books. I especially enjoy the ones set in Scotland.

This book has it all. Scotland, castles, a love story, books, and Christmas? Count me in.

I feel like this novel felt a bit sluggish compared to others by her, but overall I enjoyed the story. The characters were likable and well written.

Mirren and Theo are hired to locate a book in a Scottish castle. The book in question could solve the Laird's money problem if they can find it. While there, they get snowed in with the castle owner,Jamie, his sister, and the maid. They only have a poem to go off of to solve the riddle of where this book may be.

During their time there, Jamie and Mirren become closer and confide in each other. The twists and turns are fun, and the ending was great.

I enjoyed this book so much especially after I realized it reprised the characters from The Christmas Book Hunt: A Short Story also by Colgan. My only compliant is that I read it in July not December as one of my annual Christmas reads. In this latest installment, we find Mirren at loose ends after the excitement of finding a missing book has died down and her partner, Theo has ghosted her after what seemed to be a promising start to a romance. While visiting the book housed at a nearby museum, she overhears a man inquiring about the book finder, not the book and thus begins a whirlwind trip to a remote Scottish castle with an enigmatic heir and the missing Theo as her companion on a quest to find what may or may not be another valuable missing book. The whole story is just a delightful Christmas romp through the Scottish woods with snowy skies and a forbidding maze adding to the mystery a foot.

Jenny Colgan does it again. Charming!

Mirren Sutherland would love to hunt books for a career but is there a job there. She does need to pay the bills. Until Jamie McPherson refuses to take no for an answer and hires her to find the rarest of books. But to do so she will need to travel to his family estate in Scotland over the holidays. As Mirren is dreading the holidays the trip actually solves a problem for her until she is in the private train and realizes her rival book hunter Theo Palliser has also been hired to find the book that will save the estate.

The Scottish highlands, a blizzard, Christmas a puzzle to solve. All make for a delightful holiday read. Add this to your booklist to read in front of the fire during the holidays.

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan is an enjoyable festive romance that leaves the reader with a smile.

This is a nice, relaxing, slow simmer romance that has the perfect combination of Christmas, castles, books, and the Scottish Highlands.

I have been reading several nonfiction books, so it was nice to take a break and read a low-key, uncomplicated, and enjoyable novel.

There is romance, warm fuzzy feelings, a bit of mystery, and all of this leads to a solid reading experience.

I have read several books by Ms. Colgan and will continue to do so.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/14/25.

I want to say i love this book, and I did, until the explicit scene 3/4 through....I donot need that in my books. It was a good read, as Jenny's books always are, but it was not my favorite of hers. It seems that the last few books have dragged and been much too "real" as opposed to the escape and encouragement that I crave.

I've read the past few Christmas books by the author and just knew I had to read the latest.
A Scottish castle is just how you'd imagine it to be, dark, drafty and cold with endless hallways lit by wall scones attached to cold dripping stone walls.
Now this isn't to say I didn't like the castle because I'd visit it in a heartbeat. This is just how I imagine the inside of a castle to be.
Geeting snowed in at Christmas time in a Scottish castle may not be ideal for some but for Mirren Sutherland it gives this antiquarian book hunter ample time to search for a rare book for the laird of the castle. Jamie McPherson knows he must have this family book belonging to a past family member if there is any hope in paying for repairs to the crumbling castle.
When another treasure hunter who has quite the reputation for finding things quickly shows up Mirren knows she has to work quickly and efficiently but who will win the race.
It was entertaining reading the clues dispersed amongst the pages, clues around the castle in the most unusual places.
There was a shadow of romance but not the main focus of the story which allowed for the focus on the great character development and of the story.
A fairytale feeling I was swept up in the story and enjoyed it very much.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Sadly DNFed this at 38%. I love the setting - a castle in the Scottish highlands at Christmas - and I love that this book is about bibliophiles but I cannot bring myself to care about any of them. Mirren, the heroine, is particularly grating but don’t even get me started on Theo, her ex and an antiquarian book seller who’s an absolute snob. DNFed when Mirren judges James, the owner of the castle, harshly for having a strained relationship with his mum. Please refrain from commenting on people’s family dynamics when unasked. This was my first Jenny Colgan book, I don’t feel like picking up any other now, which is a shame.

A mysterious lost book of untold value, a charming but crumbling castle in northern Scotland, the wonder of Christmas. Classic Jenny Colgan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is the first book that I have read by this author but it won’t be my last. She creates magic with her imagery that makes you feel and see the scenes as if they are in a movie. From the train ride in the special sleeper car to the quest to find the missing book in the castle, it really does feel like you are there.. She has given us a trip to Scotland for Christmas! Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers copy. The opinion is my own.

I’m an easy sell: books, libraries, Scotland, Christmas? YES. PLEASE. So I went into this expecting to be fully swept away by festive bookish magic—and instead, I got something... perfectly nice. Cute. Sweet. Perfectly pleasant in the way that a Hallmark movie is when you’re sick on the couch and too tired to switch the channel.

Mirren is fine—she’s working a dull job and still kind of floating through life when a fluke antiquarian book find lands her a gig helping a handsome Scottish laird hunt for a possibly mythical rare book that might save his crumbling family estate. The castle is charming. The snowstorm is cozy. The vibes are all lined up. There’s even a smug book rival with unresolved tension! But despite all that potential, the story never quite clicks into gear.

The romance is a slow simmer without much heat. The treasure hunt is more meandering than mysterious. And while I wanted to get swept up in it, I kept waiting for that spark—some moment that would make me feel invested—and it just never came.

🎄 Four-Star Review: The Secret Christmas Library
A snowy Highland estate, a missing rare book, and a holiday treasure hunt made for book lovers.

Mirren is a book hunter brought in to help a young laird uncover a lost literary treasure that could save his family’s history. But when her charming (and annoyingly talented) rival shows up, the stakes get higher—and so does the tension. Cue deep snow, hidden clues, and unexpected alliances.

This was the perfect blend of cozy mystery, gentle romance, and festive charm. I loved the bookish plot, the wintery setting, and that satisfying dash of holiday magic. Jenny Colgan does it again—this one’s for anyone who wishes their Christmas came with more books and more snow.

This is an enjoyable Christmas romance with plenty of books and book lovers thrown in the mix. Mirren is in a slump personally and professionally but finds more than she expected looking for a rare book in the Highlands. The writing is great, with strong dialogue and very fully developed characters. There is an explicit scene, but you could easily skip it if that’s not your thing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own and offered voluntarily.

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan is a fun and charming read. The characters are unusual and quirky but also archetypal. Colgan always creates excellent settings that really place the reader there. The action takes place at a falling apart castle at the back end of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands. While the Highlands are beautiful the castle is packed with old books and is appropriately creepy since this book is a mystery as well as a romance. And the plot is a puzzle that takes unexpected turns. A satisfying read for the season. Strongly recommended.

As all of Jenny Colgan's stories, this one takes us to the coziness of Christmas in the Scottish Highlands. Book Lovers, the love story of Mirren and Theo, the mystery they are trying to solve together and all set in a castle during Christmas. In my opinion, this has all the vibes of the perfect cozy christmas story to read in front of a crackling fire.

I started this book and felt like I was missing part 1. I had to look up to see if this was sequel. It’s not the author just tried to cram the back story of the history of the main characters. I felt like I was always trying to catch up with the original story. It was a major turn off.

This is first book that I have read by Jenny Colgan and it will certainly not be my last. This is the epitome of cozy mysteries. Set in the Scottish Highlands during Christmastime with handsome men on the hunt for rare books, Mirren is on a race against the clock to help a laird (coincidence with the name?) find his family's rare book to save his estate. Just the right amount of romance without being overdone. This was a perfectly refreshing light read that would be especially great to devour in front a roaring fire with a warm cup of tea. Highly recommend!

I didn't read Colgan's first story featuring Mirren and Theo because it was an Amazon-only title, but I don't think it affected my enjoyment of this book. After their success locating an antique book in The Christmas Book Hunt, Mirren and Theo are hired by a Scottish laird to track down a rare book located somewhere in Jamie's crumbling castle. Jamie hopes to sell the book and use the profits to save his ancestral home, and when a snowstorm traps the trio in the castle, they continue to solve the clues by candlelight in order to find the book.

In the book's afterword Colgan describes this book as a kind of fairytale, and I can see what she means. It's like a fantasy story (castles + old books + snow at Christmastime + an amazing sleeper train) but told very sweetly and with full self-awareness. It's just the kind of story I like to read in December. Colgan's characters usually have a great sense of humor and Mirren is no different--she's honest about her struggles, is striving for more but unsure of what her next steps should be. The Highlands make a lovely setting, and the resolution is satisfying all around.

Mirren, coming across a photo of Jamie's grandfather as a kilt-wearing infant: "You're not going to beat me, Baby in a Dress." I don't know why that line made me laugh but it gave me a good chuckle.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan is rather engaging novel, set in the misty Scottish Highlands, it blends cozy holiday charm with the thrill of rare book hunting. As a first-time reader of this author, I was drawn to the vivid setting and the protagonist, Mirren, an antique book dealer—a profession that resonates deeply with my love for rare books, cultivated through years exploring library collections and rare book rooms with my late husband.

The story strikes a perfect “Christmasy” balance, festive yet not overly sentimental, ideal for early holiday reading. Mirren’s quest to find a rare book to save Jamie’s crumbling family castle drives the plot, with modern-day Scotland providing a fresh backdrop. Jamie, with his intriguing lineage, and Theo, Mirren’s witty rival-turned-ally, add depth, though some characters feel underdeveloped or hard to like. The dialogue occasional sparkles with humor, elevating the story’s charm.

Navigating the castle’s chaotic book hoard, Mirren’s passion and perseverance shine, though the resolution feels slightly tidy. The mix of holiday warmth, bookish adventure, and Highland allure makes this a delightful read for bibliophiles and cozy fiction fans. Despite minor character flaws, the creative premise and evocative setting make it a heartwarming escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher, William Morrow, and author Jenny Colgan for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny Colgan is a favorite author of mine. Her latest, The Secret Christmas Library, is available this fall. I loved it. Pick this one up.