*I was sent a copy of A Bookshop Christmas in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Aria & Aries and Rachel Burton*

CW: Death, illness 

Synopsis:

A snowstorm. A stranger. A spark. And it’s Christmas!

It should be the perfect start to the perfect love story.

But real life is far messier and more complicated than in the pages of the books in Megan Taylor’s family bookshop – the last few years have left this young widow in no doubt of that. Moving back home to York should have been a fresh start, but all it did was allow her to retreat from the world.

When prize-winning author Xander Stone rams his supermarket trolley into her ankles and then trashes her taste in books, Megan is abruptly awoken from her self-imposed hibernation. It’s time to start living again, and she’s going to start by putting this arrogant, superior – admittedly sexy – stranger in his place.

Just as she is beginning to enjoy life again, the worst happens and Megan begins to wonder if she should have stayed hidden away. Because it turns out that falling in love again is about more than just meeting under the mistletoe…

Review: 

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 A Bookshop Christmas 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, it’s a bold statement.

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