I confess I have never read a Jenny Colgan book before, so I am incredibly grateful to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou  at Hodder for sending me a copy of Jenny’s latest release, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop is published by Hodder in paperback on 24th October and is available for purchase here. 

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop 

Carmen is at a loose end. Her gorgeous bookshop is the filming site of a cheesy Christmas movie, she’s been ousted from her sister’s house, and the love of her life has just flown thousands of miles away. It’s threatening to be a very unjolly Christmas indeed!

But when the elderly owner of the shop comes to Carmen with a Christmas wish that threatens to never come true, Carmen knows she must buckle down to get the funds to save not only his trip, but the shop itself. While fending off a shady tatt-selling businessman, Carmen discovers wonders to the shop she could have never imagined, and opens a labyrinth of bookish backrooms for the customers to get lost in.

With her deadline looming, it might take more than a fresh coat of paint to solve Carmen’s problems. But with the help of their neighbours, her nieces and nephew, and a very distractingly cute male nanny, Carmen might just pull her greatest magic trick yet…

My Review of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop

Carmen is drifting through life, outstaying her welcome in sister Sofia’s home. 

What a smashing read Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop is. It plunges the reader right into the heart of Edinburgh and transports them to the Brazilian rain forest so that reading the story feels both entertaining and escapist. 

Jenny Colgan’s sense of place is vivid and convincing. It really feels as if you’re there in the Edinburgh bookshop, because the descriptions are so real and with all the senses catered for, from the taste of vegan sausage rolls, to the aroma of Spoons’s room, through the freezing temperatures in Mr McCredie’s home within the bookshop, to the sound of bagpipes murdering Christmas songs and the sight of Carmen’s window displays. All these aspects are incorporated with humour and a sharp eye for observation so that they create a rich background to the story. 

The characters also add to the humour, with the banter of direct speech, and the implication of what is not said every bit as important as what is spoken. Even the children Eric, Phoebe, Jack and Pippa enhance the lighter moments and I loved their inclusion which is a real testament to Jenny Colgan’s skill as normally I loathe reading about children, but here they are remarkably funny – often darkly so.

Carmen is the star of the story and what works so well is the fact that she is often selfish, quick tempered and snappy, making her relatable and realistic. The dynamics between Carmen and Oke add drama and Carmen’s relationship with Rudi is not only witty, but surprisingly affecting. We all need Rudi in our lives and I rather fell in love with him.

Aside from a charming, heart-warming and uplifting plot in Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop there are so many fantastic references to authors from the past as well as contemporary ones, that I not only thoroughly enjoyed this narrative, but have many others to discover too.

I thought the themes in the story were just lovely. Jenny Colgan shines a caring, yet scalpel sharp, light on family relationships, sibling rivalry, community and true friendship and on the way our high streets become taken over by uniform and poor quality material which prices out those trying to make an honest living. There is, of course, romance in the story, but it is not the main focus as Carmen learns what, and who, is really important in her life. Consequently, these aspects add up to a smashing read that embodies the true meaning of Christmas. 

I thought Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop was the kind of book simply calling out for a roaring fire, a snowy afternoon and a mug of hot chocolate as the perfect accompaniment to while away a few hours in the company of people whose lives feel authentic and true. It’s great fun.

About Jenny Colgan 

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan.

For further information, visit Jenny’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @jennycolgan and find Jenny on Facebook and Instagram.