A new book by Jenny Colgan is always a treat - there’s just something so engaging about her characters and plots, despite the formulaic titles (as Jenny herself points out in an introduction, authors don’t necessarily get to pick the titles...) So although it may sound like yet another version of Cream Buns at the Little Teashop on the Corner Next to the Bookshop of Happy Dreams, The Bookshop on the Shore was a lovely read.

A sequel, of sorts, to The Little Shop of Happy Ever After (*sigh*) it features some of the same characters but revolves mainly around new characters - single mum Zoe, who is forced by circumstances to flee London and move with her non-speaking young son Hari to the Scottish Highlands, to work both as an au pair to the peculiar family at the “big house” and provide maternity cover at the eponymous bookshop. Despite the title, the bookshop doesn’t play that big of a role, with the main focus being on the family - alarming children Shackleton, Mary and Patrick, their not-really-coping dad Ramsay and mysteriously absent mother, and dour housekeeper Mrs McGlone. The bones of the plot are pure Mills and Boon, but it works.

I loved Zoe, Hari and the children, especially the delightful and always entertaining Patrick. And even though there were no huge surprises about where things were going, it was fun getting there. I appreciate how Jenny’s books are always wonderfully diverse and don’t skate over some difficult issues, particularly regarding Mary’s storyline (she had a distinctly Secret Garden vibe for me, maybe because of her name).

A great read which definitely won’t disappoint Jenny Colgan’s many fans.

It feels like forever since I've read a Jenny Colgan and I'd kind of forgotten just how much I love her writing. Like all of her novels there's something very comforting about sinking into The Bookshop on the Shore and it made for perfect holiday reading. It's a quick and easy read that's sweet and funny but it also has some depth to it, something I wasn't wholly expecting.

I think I was anticipating the standard romcom fare but while there is some romance in this it's much more about family. Main character Zoe is the struggling single mother of a four year old boy with selective mutism who ends up moving to the Scottish Highlands to work in a mobile bookshop and as an au pair for Ramsey Urquart, father of three very unruly children. Parents and children are all damaged in some way and in need of help.

There's a bit of a mystery around what happened to Ramsey's wife who disappeared a few years ago but the story very much focuses on the initially difficult relationships between Zoe, Ramsey and the children. It's a little reminiscent of Jane Eyre or The Sound of Music (both of which are jokingly referred to) but with a contemporary Scottish Highland setting. Zoe is no Jane or Maria but I thought she was a wonderful character. There's something instantly likeable about her, she's struggling but she's absolutely devoted to son Hari and will do anything to protect him.

I loved the portrayal of the bond between mother and son and I also loved how she slowly developed relationships with each of the three Urquart children who have been allowed to run wild. There may be quite a bit of conflict between them as Zoe starts trying to set boundaries but there's also a lot of humor which I loved.

I also really loved the setting and all of the local characters that Zoe meets. The descriptions make it easy to imagine yourself there (although as a Scot it's probably not too much of a stretch for me) and I could certainly recognize a lot of the bookshop customers and tourists.

Where I struggled though was with Ramsey, I know he's supposed to be mysterious and distant but I'm afraid his reserved and quiet nature meant I never really warmed to him. Even now having finished the book and understanding him more, I'm still not wholly convinced I like him and I didn't really buy into the supposed connection between him and Zoe. He has reasons for being how he is but I'm not sure they justify some of his actions.

Thankfully however the focus isn't too heavily on the relationship between Ramsey and Zoe but seems to be much more about the children which I loved. Patrick stole pretty much every scene and made the whole story so warm and funny.

Overall this was a wonderful read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a cozy and warm story about families in all shapes and sizes.

Having read The Bookshop On The Corner back in 2016 I was thrilled to see that Jenny Colgan was returning to Nina's little corner of Scotland. The Bookshop On The Shore is not a sequel, it introduces us to new characters including Zoe - stressed single mother, Hari - the most wonderful sounding 4-year-old boy, and Jaz - Hari's Dad and wannabe superstar dj...

The mistake I made was picking up this book at bedtime, just to read a few pages but at 4am when I finally turned the last page, it was no longer a mistake! It's classic Jenny Colgan with romance, humour, a hint of mystery, and a delicately handled focus on mental health in children. What shines through though is Jenny's love of books and this is what kept me turning the pages.

I sincerely hope that there's another Kirrinfief book at some point, featuring Surinder as I'd love to hear her story. Now all I need is for someone to find me a job and somewhere to live in an idyllic Scottish village - with bookshop of course! - and I'll be happy.

I really enjoyed this story, I thought that the location was lovely and I found the characters to be well developed and I really enjoyed their interaction throughout the story.

I did find the book to be a little confusing at the beginning but it was definitely worth persevering as the story became a well written, interesting and heartfelt story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It is five stars from me for this one – very highly recommended and a really enjoyable story!

As a huge fan of Jenny Colgan I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It did not disappoint.

This is the story of Zoe a single mum to Hari. She wants a better life for herself and her son out of London. She answers an advert for a nanny job in the Scottish highlands Whatever could happen next!?

There is so much more going on here than the average fluffy read and I must say it will stay with me for some time. I'm already impatiently waiting Jenny's next book!

I have yet to read a Jenny Colgan book I haven’t adored, the woman is just magic. I always get addicted from the first page and have to drag myself away to go to bed ! This is my perfect theme as a book obsessed woman, set in a bookshop. This is heartwarming as always, well written, characters you fall in love with and want to be best friends with. A thoroughly entertaining read, perfect for anytime of the year that you want to feel good.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Although this isn't strictly a sequel to The Little Shop of Happy Ever After, it's set in the same place and we revisit quite a few of the same characters so if you've read the previous book you'll feel immediately at home. However, it also works as a standalone, especially as the opening chapters are set far away in London, focusing on a single parent living in a dingy studio flat in Wembley.

The book explores the lives of people in very different circumstances and how each one faces their own problems. Another theme is bookselling and our attitudes towards books which certainly appealed to me.

I couldn't put this book down and really enjoyed it from beginning to end!

I love Jenny’s books, she’s one of my favourite authors. Her stories reel me in from the first few pages and I often have to force myself to put the book down so that I can sleep.

Zoe is struggling as a single mum in London, and feels that her beautiful boy, Hari, should be brought up somewhere better. He has selective mutism and this worries Zoe greatly. When her landlord increases her rent, she becomes desperate, and a friend suggests that she moves to Scotland to run a mobile bookshop while the owner, Nina, is on maternity leave. There’s also a second job as an au pair to a single dad with three almost-feral children who live in a big mansion.

Is this really a better situation than the one Zoe and Hari were in down in London? Importantly, Hari makes his first ever friend, so Zoe must take this into consideration when she decides whether to stay or go.

I loved seeing mention of Wallace, Francis, and Delphine, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Hari and Patrick.

A lovely, heartwarming read to relax on a sun-lounger with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Oh I do love a Jenny Colgan book, and the minute I started this I knew it was going to be as lovely as all her other books. Her characters are just so interesting, and we get to revisit the Scottish Highlands from one of her other books, 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' (or 'The Bookstore on the Corner' depending on what country you're in - dual titles being something that really irritates me so hopefully it won't happen with this book!).

Zoe is a single Mum to Hari and struggling to make ends meet in London when her (sort of) sister-in-law (Hari's father's sister) throws her a lifeline, telling her of a job in the Highlands of Scotland, looking after some children part-time and running a book van for her friend who is pregnant and finding it too hard right now.

So Zoe decides she has nothing to lose and both her and Hari travel to Scotland. But the children she is looking after are a complete nightmare, excluded from school and doing exactly what they want to do, and Nina (book van owner) isn't really that friendly to Zoe as she's finding it hard to give up the van because of her pregnancy.

I felt so sorry for Zoe, she was really having a hard time and thrown in at the deep end on both jobs. But she eventually starts to win the children around, and cheer up their (pretty useless to be honest) father too, and brighten up their beautiful manor house on the edge of a loch. It sounded a fabulous location, if a bit chilly!

There were a few harder-hitting issues going on too, Hari was four but not talking (very funny bit about this late in the book), and one of the nightmare children definitely had some psychotic issues, very sad as she was only nine, but as it turned out probably inherited from her Mother.

One of those stories that I wanted to keep reading, but didn't want to finish. Jenny Colgan is definitely an automatic buy for me, her stories are just so fabulous! Wonderful book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Jenny Colgan but I’m sure anyone reading one of her books for the first time can’t help but feel connected to her well rounded characters..For those who have read her previous books you feel like you are revisiting the lives of an old friend.
I love the setting, of Scotland and I was able to relive the memories of past holidays there.
As a librarian I loved the references to well loved books and situations that the main Character Of Zoe got into.. I was also pleased that the issue of mental illness was included in a sympathetic way.
I’ll definitely be recommending this as a must read , ideal for the holidays.

Zoe is a professional child carer as well as mum to Hari. However struggling to afford to live in London when the father of your child tries to make it as a DJ around the country and abroad and rarely pays any attention or money Zoe is starting to struggle. 

When an opportunity to escape all of this for a fresh start, Zoe jumps at the chance to take herself and Hari away from it all. Away from it all though happens to be Scotland. 

As an au pair to three rather difficult and challenging children - Zoe is going to be 'Nanny Seven'. Six have gone before and not conquered the problem will Zoe be able to?

With Hari in tow she makes the move. 

But has Zoe made a mistake and taken on more than she could possibly deal with?

Not only is she trying to culture a nice environment for these three children and she does work wonders with some really obvious and simple methods. She has also offered to help run the little bookshop in a van whilst the current owner Nina has a baby.

Zoe does not have the knack of Nina in matching books to customer but she has an eye for other books when it comes to her customers as well as the three children. 

She starts to make an impact on everyone in the house, in the van and in the community. 

When events mean that it looks like Zoe is going to have to move on, it can only possibly take something monumental to change her mind. 

But will it happen in time?

This is a great read which took me to the ever changing weather and landscapes of the Highlands of Scotland. Whilst characters first appeared in an earlier novel by Colgan which I had not read, there was enough background to see me through as this book is very much focussed on Zoe and Hari as well as the three children she comes to care for. 

Subtly done, some rather difficult situations are encountered, selective mutism, mental health issues in youngsters as well as romance and friendships, the book has so much to give and was one of my favourite reads of 2019 so far.

This is the second book in the series, but I haven’t read the first and I absolutely couldn’t tell. Such brilliant writing, lovely characters and gripping prose. The characterisation of the people and places is sheer brilliance. Cannot recommend more highly.

I’m always going to love a book about books and bookshops but this is so much more. Zoe and her little boy Hari are barely surviving in London no money and constantly waiting around for Hari’s dad Jaz to turn up and help them. Things have to change so with no other option she has to leave London and gets a job helping on the little bookvan and also as an au pair for Shackleton, Mary and Patrick who have been allowed to run wild for too long and who resent someone else coming into their lives telling them what to do. A beautiful book about family, secrets and love. I really loved little Hari and Patrick’s relationship and damaged Mary who needs someone to love and support her. I hope we get to revisit them in a future novel.

Jenny Colgan's books always have great locations and a wide range of characters. She is talented at bringing both to life, so that you can picture living in the places that she writes about, and you feel like you really get to know the characters.
This book is set in the Highlands of Scotland, and features Nina and her book van from the previous novel ,The little shop of Happy Ever After. This book is not a sequel, and you do not need to have read the previous book. This book features Zoe, a struggling single mother, who lives in London with her young Son Hari who has never talked. Desperately in need of somewhere to live, she finds herself moving to Scotland to help Nina with her book van during maternity leave, as well as being a live-in au pair for three children who have a reputation for being out of control.
Once I started to read this book I quickly became engrossed and found it hard to put down. There were some difficult subjects in this book, which I thought were dealt with well and sympathetically. There were a few tense moments, as well as some heartwarming moments, and also some humour.
There were a lot of references to books and reading, which I absolutely love to read about. I genuinely loved this book, and I highly recommend it.

This is the second book in a series but you could certainly read this on its own. As a librarian, I'm a sucker for any book set in a bookshop so I loved this book. I'm a big fan of Jenny Colgan so I loved the pace and plot of this book. If you loved The Bookshop on the Corner, you will love this.

Single mother Zoe is desperately struggling to make ends meet in London. Her 4-year-old son Hari is perfect, except for the fact he doesn’t speak – at all. When Zoe’s landlord raises the rent on her dismal studio flat, she realises she has nowhere to turn.

When an opportunity for not one but two jobs arises in Scotland, Zoe decides this could be the change she desperately needs.

Faced with her new boss Ramsay, and his 3 unruly children, Zoe begins to wonder if she’s made a terrible mistake. But the Highlands have a way of getting under your skin and in her heart, Zoe doesn’t know whether she could ever leave.

Firstly, I would like to start this review by mentioning the foreword from the author. I am not a great reader of this section usually, but I find Colgan fills hers with as much fun and wit as the rest of the book. However, this particular piece really sat with me, especially this line:

“If you read…It means there are more heads to be in, more lives to be lived than simply your own.”

I have loved books my whole life, having started reading from an early age, books hold some of my fondest memories. One of which is snuggling down at bedtime next to my mum for a chapter of the next great adventure. As an only child and being quite introverted, I found that by devouring stories I could live exciting journeys to faraway lands from the comfort of my home. Even now as an adult following my own adventures, and being slightly less introverted, the feeling of joy that comes from meeting new characters and discovering new places has never diminished. The sheer love of books is what ultimately shines through in this story, and that’s a plot I can wholeheartedly get behind!

Colgan instantly transports the reader to the Scottish Highlands in this new book, with her delectable descriptions and faultless writing style. This is a skill I admire, and find in very few authors, the ability to show you a place/environment rather than telling you. I could clearly see and feel the haar in the mornings and the late afternoon sunshine glittering on the loch.

The characters have such a mishmash of personalities, that they all brought something different to the story. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to warm to Zoe, but once she arrived in Scotland, I found myself liking her more and more. I think she just needed some gumption! Ramsay made me angry at first, but he grew on me as we discovered more about his life, and the children were all hilarious in their own ways. Unfortunately, the only person I disliked in this book was Nina. She always seemed ungrateful and I found that grated on me throughout.

I am happy that this title was more than the boy meets girl story typical of this genre. There was a thin veil of mystery that gave this book an edge over its peers, and it was highly enjoyable.

Jenny Colgans books are always a delight to read and this one is no different!
An irresistible tale of single mother Zoe and her mute son harri who are struggling to survive in London due to financial worries and lack of support from Harri’s dad.
The opportunity to change circumstances by moving to remote wild Scotland to run a book bus taking over from Nina a previous character of Jenny’s books, seems too good to be true! Zoe finds herself as an au pair for an eccentric unhappy family of three children and their father!
Despite many setbacks, unfriendliness and sheer dismay, Zoe achieves the impossible and over time becomes indespencible to both Nina and Ramsey the Children’s father! What follows next is truely heartwarming as Zoe warms the hearts of this poor neglected family gaining trust and loyalty from the damaged children , falling for thief father and wonderfully her son finding his voice! A gorgeous read with a lovely happy ending will thoroughly recommend! Thank you net galley for this early copy.

Sequel to Happy Ever After. I enjoyed this book although I did find the character of Nina a bit surly and cold compared to the previous novel. This followed Zoe, single mother whose almost sister in law finds her a job in the highlands of Scotland looking after Nina’s fan and a family of motherless children. A predictable romance ensues with the expected happy ever after. Easy reading and satisfying.

Single mum Zoe is struggling to bring up her son Hari in a tiny bedsit in Wembley so when an opportunity arises to relocate to Loch Ness, Scotland and act as au-pair to three children whilst also running a mobile bookshop she jumps at the opportunity, envisaging herself as a modern Mary Poppins reading books to rosy cheeked cherubs. The reality is somewhat different, the bookshop's customers rely heavily on the bookshop's owner Nina to know the books they want/need and Zoe is floundering. The children Zoe is supposed to look after are by turns rude, insulting and appear to exist entirely on toast and marmalade, the housekeeper is surly and unhelpful and the children's father is remote and takes little interest in his children's lives.

This reminds me of a book I've read before but I can't remember the name, it's also a bit like the plot of that Sophia Loren film Houseboat. The children have run off six previous au-pairs, in fact the youngest, Patrick, says he's going to call her Nanny Seven because she won't be there long enough for him to learn her name. Nine year old Mary is just plain rude and the oldest, Shackleton, is twelve but huge and seems to do nothing but eat. The children fight constantly, verbally and physically, the kitchen is antiquated and the house looks like Mrs Danvers will come round the corner any second.

This was utterly charming, you can't go wrong with surly children, small towns and books! I loved Zoe, such a capable character and good mother, the children were each individually great characters and I enjoyed the plot.

Recommended holiday reading.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Jenny Colgan is a favourite author of mine with her novel Meet Me at the Cupcake Café being one of my all time favourite novels that I can read again and again. The excitement was bubbling again for me when I saw that the new release was entitled The Bookshop on the Shore as being a book addict I love novels that feature bookshops, libraries etc so I knew I was going to be in for a treat added to the fact that the novel reunites with Nina and her book van from The Little Shop if Happy Ever After but if you haven’t read that book don’t be put off as this can still easily be read as a stand alone.
Our main character is Zoe who is a single mum to a dear little boy called Hari. They find themselves in a desperate situation when their rent is put up and they have no means to pay with no help form Zoe’s ex Jaz so when an opportunity comes along for them to move to the Scotish Highlands and get not one but two jobs as well as accommodation Zoe doesn’t hesitate as she will do whatever it takes to put a roof over her sons head.
Zoe gets stuck right in as an au pair to three motherless children but the children make it clear that Zoe isn’t welcome and they wasn’t going to make it easy for her. Hoping that her second job of bookselling in the quirky little book van would be the job of dreams she soon realises that she can’t follow in Nina’s footsteps she needs to make this work her way to get the money rolling in.

I always find that when reading a Jenny Colgan novel I am always so full of adrenaline and excitement, desperate to change career and follow in her characters footsteps and this book was no exception as the idea of driving my own little book shop sounds like a delightful way to spend my time although the same couldn’t be said for taking on the au pair role to these difficult hair raising children!
When we first meet the three children Mary, Patrick and Shackleton they were difficult to take too as they were rude and unruly but I found as the storyline progressed and we find out more of their background my heart began to open up to them and I desperately wanted them to find a safe and loving bubble to make them happy.
I actually really felt for Zoe, she wanted to do the best for her son even though that meant upping sticks to Scotland but deep down she seemed so incredibly lonely which I found incredibly sad as she had a pure heart of gold and deserved to be surrounded by a supportive circle of friends.
I loved the different references to a number of different books that popped up in parts of the storyline, I was ticking them off in my mind thinking yes I have read and enjoyed that one!
The Book Shop on the Shore is a dreamy uplifting novel that kept me entertained from start to finish.