A Bookshop Christmas - Rachel Burton

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Author: Rachel Burton

Genre: Romance-Drama
Rating: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A sweet story containing all the ingredients that make romance books work. The male lead could have been sketched better, but overall, it’s a fun light read.


Story Synopsis:
After her husband passed away, Megan moved from London to York and has been working since three years in her parent’s old bookshop. She has her cluster of close friends but shies away from moving on. When prize-winning author Xander Stone bumps into her, literally, Megan can sense that her hibernation from romance might be at an end. However, Xander is, as you might expect, not an easy man, what with his arrogance and temper. Furthermore, the bookshop is in financial trouble and Megan has to focus her energies on ensuring its survival.


Have you ever listed out the things that can make a romance a fun read for you? Here’s what I enjoy:

✔ A grumpy hero who grows on you because he is like a coconut – tough outside, a softie inside.

✔ A sweet heroine who isn’t ditzy or klutzy.

✔ A dog. (Yes, I need a dog too!)

✔ Not too much steam. (This is my list, y’all! You might be disappointed to see this item, but OTT spicy scenes spoil romances for me.)

✔ Well-meaning and loveable best friends, who might get a tad too interfering but without being nagging.

✔ Anything related to books – authors, bookstores, books, and book clubs!

✔ Christmas. (Duh!!!!)

✔ A ‘Happily Ever After’!


You might assume that these are tough to find in a single book. Well, well, you have to eat your words, because this one had almost all of the above. (The sole exception was item #1. More on this later.)

Furthermore, it also had:

✔ Regency era dances and costumes.

✔ Plenty of discussions on Jane Austen (my absolute favourite author!)

✔ Scenes poking fun at tropes in romantic books (Including the infamous ‘only one hotel room left but it has a single bed’ trope.)


In many ways, this was a ‘Paint-by-Numbers’ romance. But it also had a freshness about it because it took established plot points and gave them a novel twist. Yup, the predictability is there, but that is a given in this genre, hence no issues. (Actually, I don’t understand reviewers who complain about a romantic book being predictable. What exactly do you expect when you pick up a book from this genre??) Also, the romance wasn’t insta but a slow-blooming attraction that leads to something greater. It wasn’t rushed at all, and that’s my favourite kind of love story.

The title combined two of my favourite romance themes – books and Christmas. There is plenty about books in the content to keep us bibliophiles happy. There is much less of Christmas – it is more of a background theme. But the first theme was more than enough. I loved the bookish discussions between the characters, and also enjoyed how passionately they loved and defended the romance genre. It also highlights the dire situation that small bookstores are in right now. (I wish there had been a better conclusion to this aspect of the story. It was realistic but disappointing.)

The first half of the book was almost perfect. The second half brought the experience down slightly.
⚠ Xander’s character is very inconsistent, especially in the final quarter. Though his behaviour is justified in the writing, I didn’t find the rationale too convincing. A part of me felt like it was trying to build up Xander to be a modern-day Darcy. (You might find this an outlandish comparison, but if you read the book, you will understand why I thought of Darcy!) But Darcy’s character is consistent throughout the book. Xander switches on and off without any logical reason.

⚠ I expected and wanted a lot more of Christmas, especially as the title spotlights it. But as I said, Christmas is just a passing background theme. It is not a Christmas romance at its core. Having some winter scenes isn’t enough to create happy vibes or spark the holiday spirit.

⚠ I don’t think the Goodreads cover captures the spirit of the book well. The one on Netgalley is a much better fit. (I've used the Netgalley cover in this review.)


The audiobook, clocking at 8.5 hrs, is narrated by Laura Brydon, and she does a marvellous job of bringing the characters to life. I enjoyed her spirited narration that matched the personality of the characters well.


Overall, this is a nice, clean romance that will work well if you know what to expect from this genre. Just remember that it is more of a ‘Bookish romance’ than a ‘Christmassy romance’.

My thanks to Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Bookshop Christmas”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

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