It seems odd to be reading a Christmas book the week leading up to Easter, but it's taken this long for Jenny Colgan's The Christmas Bookshop (#1,052) to arrive at my Holds shelf at the library. I'd say it was worth the wait.
Carmen Hogan is the unlikely heroine in this charming romance. Her western Scottish town is gradually shutting down as the industries it relied on for its prosperity have closed, including the department store where Carmen worked. With absolutely no job prospects, her parents encourage her to move in with her (yet again!) pregnant sister in Edinburgh. Sofia is the sister who could do no wrong, becoming a successful attorney with a handsome husband, but she's found a temporary job for her sister with one of her clients in return for helping out her live-in nanny. Carmen reluctantly accepts, and thereby hangs this warm-hearted tale.
Young Mr. McCredie is the sole proprietor of an ancient bookshop in a popular tourist street in Edinburgh, but he's more interested in reading his books than selling them. Carmen must help him turn a profit before the end of the year so that he can at least sell the business as a going concern. It isn't going to to be easy...
Likeable and interesting characters, mending family relationships, and finding love are all ingredients of this enjoyable story, along with a dollop of humor and a love letter to the city of Edinburgh itself. No wonder Jenny Colgan's books are so popular! If it weren't for all those stairs, I'd be booking myself a flight to Edinburgh tomorrow...
No comments:
Post a Comment