9780063141698
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The Christmas Bookshop audiobook

  • By: Jenny Colgan
  • Narrator: Eilidh Beaton
  • Length: 11 hours 23 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: November 16, 2021
  • Language: English
  • (21271 ratings)
(21271 ratings)
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The Christmas Bookshop Audiobook Summary

The instant New York Times bestseller!

“Sublime…Colgan infuses her latest book with humor, wit, suspense and a perfectly cast love triangle.”–USA Today

“The Christmas Bookshop is literary hot chocolate with a bourbon shot: hot, sweet but with a surprising emotional kick.”–The Times (UK)

Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.

Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop–and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?

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The Christmas Bookshop Audiobook Narrator

Eilidh Beaton is the narrator of The Christmas Bookshop audiobook that was written by Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including The Cafe by the Sea, The Bookshop on the Corner, Little Beach Street Bakery, and Christmas on the Island. Jenny is married with three children and lives in Scotland.

About the Author(s) of The Christmas Bookshop

Jenny Colgan is the author of The Christmas Bookshop

The Christmas Bookshop Full Details

Narrator Eilidh Beaton
Length 11 hours 23 minutes
Author Jenny Colgan
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date November 16, 2021
ISBN 9780063141698

Additional info

The publisher of the The Christmas Bookshop is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780063141698.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Melissa (Way Behind Again!)

October 21, 2021

3.5 stars, rounded upAnother cute book by Jenny Colgan. This is very loosely related to the Scottish Bookshop series, Ramsay, Zoe and the kids from The Bookshop on the Shore make some appearances, but mostly this novel is focused on Carmen and her family and can totally be read as a standalone. Carmen has never felt like she measures up next to her sister Sofia. Where Sofia is a successful lawyer with a big house, wonderful husband, three children and one on the way, Carmen still lives at home with her parents and is complacently working at the local department store. When the store closes down, Carmen reluctantly moves in with her sister in Edinburgh to help one of Sofia's clients try to make his bookshop turn a profit by Christmas. This book has a bit of romance, with Carmen trying to choose between two very different men, but overall this is really the story of two sisters trying to set aside their previous notions of each other and the lives each lives and learn to meet in the middle. As I have mentioned in reviews of Colgan's previous books, she has a fantastic ability to write believable children's characters. The kids are a perfect balance to the adult characters and add humor and heart to the tale.The one shortcoming with this book is the head hopping. It was really noticeable to me and a bit distracting when we are reading from Carmen's point of view and then all of a sudden the narrative switches to someone else's POV for a short while and then switches back. It's not a huge problem, as the strength of the story outweighs the problems.There's a strong sense of place and setting here, readers are immersed into Edinburgh at Christmastime, and if I didn't want to visit already I definitely would after reading this book. It seems like a magical place with Edinburgh's Christmas (winter festival), all of the shops decorated, and the sounds and smells of the season. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Ellery

December 04, 2021

Another charming, light-hearted read by Jenny Colgan. The best parts were the bookshop descriptions (especially the window displays). I could picture every detail in my head and felt they were utterly magical. I wasn't sold on Carmen's romance and was more interested in the old bookshop owner than the petty squabbles between the two sisters. However, I wanted a feel-good story and that's what I got. I also enjoyed how the entire novel was a love letter to Edinburgh.

Barry

August 12, 2021

**I received this ARC from a Goodreads giveaway**This is my first read from Jenny Colgan and it will not be my last!! If you want a wonderful, uplifting book, then this is the one! It has a Hallmark Christmas movie vibe, but that’s not a bad thing. I love the characters and did find myself smiling quite a bit!! Really enjoyed the writing!!

Nancy

December 04, 2022

This was a cute, cozy read for the holiday season. Initially I wasn’t too keen on Carmen, but she ended up growing on me. I also felt like there was enough going on in the story that it didn’t need a love triangle. I loved the setting and atmosphere of Edinburgh as well as the bookshop. Mr. McCredie was adorable and I enjoyed the relationship that developed between him and Carmen as she tried to help him save his bookshop. That was probably my favorite part of the story as well as her interactions with her nieces and nephew. Overall, this was an enjoyable listen. 3.5 stars rounded up. 🎄

Bam cooks the books ;-)

December 27, 2021

This is a lovely Christmas romance set in Scotland. Carmen Hogan is back to living with her parents after having lost her retail job. She is pushed to move to Edinburgh to take a job at a failing bookstore to try to help the old fellow who owns it turn a profit before Christmas. She will live with her hyper-successful lawyer sister, Sofia d'Angelo, who is expecting her fourth child. They live in a lovely old Georgian house and there's even a Swedish nanny to help with the three rambunctious children. What could be more perfect? I really enjoyed the setting of this story, the dusty old bookshop, the wonderful descriptions of old Edinburgh at Christmas. The characters were so real--who doesn't recognize the sibling relationships depicted here? With romance in the air, which suitor will Carmen choose? A very charming read for the holiday season.

Natalie all_books_great_and_small

December 26, 2021

I read this book as one of my book clubs ( @booking_pretty_book_club ) picks for December.**AUDIO BOOK VERSION**The Christmas bookshop is a beautiful, fun, funny and cozy read by Jenny Colgan.This book had not only Christmas vibes but the magic of Christmas within a family and community.Carmen has been made redundant from the long term job she's had and is struggling to find anything else. Sophia (Carmen's sister) puts Carmen up and gets her a job helping to turn an old bookstore around to make a profit before it goes bust. Carmen and Sophia don't get on very well and there's resentment and jealousies on both sides. Carmen isn't too pleased when she learns what she has been hired to do and feels set up. I loved the multiple POVs in this book and I found listening to it on audible much nicer than if I'd read it physically (which I can't say about all books!). The narrator really brought the characters, settings and magic alive within this book and I didn't find it confusing in the slightest between each character. This was the perfect Christmas read/listen for me and I'm so glad it was voted on as one of our December reads.

Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee

November 15, 2021

Carmen and her sister Sofia are two very different people. Sofia is an attorney, she has 3 kids, one on the way, and a lovely husband. Carmen lives with her parents and works at a department store. When the store closes, she is lost as to what she should do. Her sister suggests she moves in with her, and help one of her clients at his bookshop in Edinburgh's shopping district. While working there, she meets two men that she feels a connection to. Can she decide which is better for her?I also loved the relationship between Sofia and Carmen. Seeing their bond grow, and letting their past differences go and learning to accept, and Love each other! The descriptions of the shopping district, and the bookshop itself during Christmas was just so descriptive and it was lovely to escape into the story. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own

Beth, BooksNest

December 23, 2022

A really delightful and atmospheric Christmas read. It would be hard to not feel the festive spirit when reading this book. I adored the bookshop setting and exploring more of Edinburgh in these pages.

Katie

December 13, 2021

Bookshop settings are a favorite of mine and when you add in the holiday season, well, of course I was going to read this one. It was a pretty decent read, charming in its own way. Carmen has lost her job and there aren't many opportunities to work in her area. She reluctantly agrees to move in with her sister, Sofia. The sisters are pretty much opposites in every way. Sofia is a successful lawyer and lives in a gorgeous home in Edinburgh with her husband and children. Neither sister is thrilled with this new living arrangement given their rocky relationship.Carmen starts working at old Mr. McCredie's bookshop which is struggling to make ends meet. Will Carmen be able to breathe some life into the shop and garner new business? And just what else is in store for Carmen this Christmas season?The book can be classified as a romance but the author wisely chose to develop the character and some of the storylines first, before diving into Carmen's love life. I like how Carmen is a woman with flaws such as acting bratty at times with her sister and saying the wrong thing on occasion. So often female lead characters in these type of books are written like they are practically perfect in every way. Even though I found myself irritated by her at certain moments, she at least felt like a realistic character.The story does go in a predictable direction but that's not a complaint as I expect and want that from a holiday read. The only small criticism I have is the random character POVs that popped up here and there. Either follow Carmen for 100% of the story or feature the other characters more so the transitions don't feel so jarring.I'd recommend this book if you are in the mood for a Christmas read. It's not a perfect read but there's a lot here to enjoy as it celebrates so many of the positive aspects of the holiday season.Thank you to Avon Romance for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

Darla

December 17, 2022

At the heart of this book are two sisters: Sophia and Carmen. Sophia is the older, perfectly controlled one who has it all. Carmen has to move in with Sophia and take a job in Edinburgh after her department store job becomes redundant. There were many surprises to be had in the reading. The bookshop where Carmen is sent to work was a diamond in the rough. Can Carmen help save the shop from bankruptcy? There is a bit of a love triangle that develops -- not hard to decide who she should choose. A number of quirky characters are introduced throughout. There is much for Carmen to discover including a growing relationship with her nephew and nieces and a mystery in her boss's past. Loved all the descriptions of Edinburgh at Christmastime. Sounds like a magical city. Now I definitely want to visit!

Wendy

September 14, 2021

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan is everything you want in a Christmas book and more! It’s a charming and heartwarming story of love, family, relationships, and redemption. I knew a holiday story set in a historic bookshop would be good, and I was not disappointed. Carmen is forced to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, and her perfect family after she lost her job in a department store’s haberdashery department. With no job prospects in her dying town, she grudgingly moves to Edinburg to live with her sister and her perfect family. Sofia, an attorney, finds Carmen a job in her clients, a dilapidated and unprofitable bookstore owned and managed by Mr. McCredie in the old historical shopping district in downtown Edinburgh. Carmen quickly realizes that Mr. McCredie is not a good businessman, and enjoys reading much more than running his bookshop. She uses her retail experience to instill some much-needed warmth, and Christmas spirit into the bookshop as she grows to love the store and old Mr. McCredie. She meets an exciting, famous, and rich self-help author who befriends her, even if he is a bit self-involved. And she finds the quiet, but lovely, university lecturer, Oke, a friendly face with a genuine personality, a warm and pleasant friend. A Christmas Bookshop has a lot of heart and is the perfect holiday book. These characters are so well developed with flaws and traits that make them real to the reader. The author’s descriptions of Edinburgh and the historic district in winter are so realistic I felt like I was walking to the old historic bookshop along with Carmen. The story flowed so well that I never felt it drag or move too fast. I enjoyed the relationship Carmen developed with Mr. McCredie, Sofie, and especially Sofie’s three (soon to be four) children. And I loved the way Carmen and Sofie worked through their old grievances and learned to love each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I highly recommend The Christmas Bookshop to anyone who loves a deep and emotional holiday story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Shelley

December 08, 2021

One of my Christmas reads of the month was The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan, and I enjoyed it, as I do all of her books, especially those centered around a bookstore. This story was charming and engaging. I particularly loved the setting and cultural traditions of Scotland at Christmas.This story centers around two fairly estranged sisters who are living very different lives and are unexpectedly forced to reconnect in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In doing so, relationships are hashed out and healed, bonds are rebuilt, a new path and purpose is found, a romance blossoms, and a baby is born. The three children in this story are especially delightful, as is the older gentleman who owns the bookstore and has quite a history.This story is fun and atmospheric with a strong sense of family and a sweet, slow-building romance. As usual, Jenny Colgan shares her characteristic quirkiness and humor, along with her occasional off-beat style. There are a few plot elements I didn’t care for, particularly her slant towards paganism and ancient winter solstice teachings. I also found the occasional, and un-notated change of perspectives to be a bit confusing. It adds an interesting component, but could have been more clearly delineated. All-in-all, The Christmas Bookshop wasn’t quite my favorite Jenny Colgan story, but definitely a festive, touching and enjoyable one, nonetheless.

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