A heartwarming Christmas read. Who would not love a community event, a colourful goat and a love story. All set against a beautiful seaside backdrop and a whole heap of books. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the characters and wanted the best for them all.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her work! This book really got me into the Christmas vibe. Nice setting, great likeable characters and really cute christmas storylines. Brilliant

As a fan of the Cornish Cream Tea novels, I was thrilled to dive into this latest offering by the same author—and it did not disappoint! This heartwarming Christmas read is filled with themes of love, romance, and the power of community. The author once again weaves a delightful story that captures the magic of the festive season. It’s the perfect book to curl up with during the festive period, offering both emotional depth and the cosy, feel-good vibes that make Christmas stories so enjoyable. If you're a fan of cosy, uplifting tales, this one is sure to warm your heart.

Felix the goat was the star of this book. Such a darling! I really enjoyed the story. The setting's lovely, there was just the right amount of festivities, and I warmed to the characters too, human and animals. A lovely book to read in the run up to Christmas.

I adored this book! I have read other books by Cressida McLaughlin so knew that this book would be a fab festive read.
I liked the way the story between Sophie and Harry developed, and the other different characters that you meet during the story.
It is a great festive read, I loved it.

I loved this book, it was in put down able! The style & pace were good, the characters were lovely & there were just enough twists & turns to keep you interested.
It was heartwarming with the right amount of Christmas cheer, not cheesy at all!

This was the most delicious and beautiful read. It had all the best elements of a Jane Austen novel..the mysterious, misunderstood handsome hero, the beautiful heroine and a cast of delightful characters,all with their own quirks I love the idea of the mysterious and beautifully bound books turning up where needed and the whole book gave me a warm fuzzy Christmas glow

After reading and loving the Cornish cream tea series i was really looking forward to The secret Christmas Bookshop and it didn’t disappoint!
Such a lovely read full of community spirit, friendliness,books, love, second chances and Christmas revelry, just perfect in the lead up to the festive season!
Sophie and Harry’s story intrigued me from the start and it was great to see how their working together brought them closer and how that evolved in the lead up to Christmas I loved the interaction of the dogs and the wonderfully charismatic Felix the goat!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read!

Sophie has never had a real home - and now in her 30’s she moves on every year. Currently living in a village by the sea, she has a stand in a local boutique selling her hand-crafted notebooks.
On the surface her life is going well - her business is doing better than ever, she has friends and a lovely place to live, but she can’t let go of her troubled past and she is making plans to move on as soon as Christmas is over.

She then receives a mysterious package- a beautifully bound edition of Jane Eyre from the Secret Bookshop. The choice of book resonates, so she decides to get involved in the village Christmas fair to find out who has sent it.. Also helping is Harry - he grew up in the village and has recently returned to sort out the family’s finances following the illness and death of his father. Following some unpopular decisions, he is also an outsider and the subject of village curiosity. They don’t get off to a good start. Can they work together? And what will happen if they do? A warm, romantic read with a mystery thrown in - a perfect holiday read. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my ARC- this has not affected my review.

I absolutely love Cressinda McLaughlin books and jumped at the chance to give an honest review in exchange for an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.

The Secret Christmas Bookshop is set in a beautiful seaside resort in Norfolk. Sophie is a relatively newcomer to the village with a complicated past, she has been made welcome into the village, with a chance to sell her handmade notebooks in of the shops. One day she receives a book from the Secret Bookshop.

Harry is the "Local Lord of the Manor ", he has returned to the village, to his family home, but no one has seen much of him. He lives there with Meg, 2 dogs and a goat.

Sophie and Harry are thrown together to arrange the local village fete, can they pull off the event of the year? What is the story of Harry? Who sent the mysterious books? Will Sophie stay or go?

Sophie has spent her life on the move, never staying in one place long enough to get attached to, or hurt by anyone. After twelve months in Mistingham she has already started planning her next move to Cornwall when a beautifully bound book is mysteriously sent to her. Who sent it, and why? As she begins her hunt for the answers, she finds herself organising the village's Christmas festivities along with the handsome 'lord of the manor' Harry. Her new found sense of community and attraction to Harry is at odds with her desire to pack up and move on - will she listen to her head or her heart?
I loved this delightful tale about finding out where you belong. An entertaining story full of charming characters in a beautiful village by the sea....and a jumper-wearing goat named Felix!

This book was amazing and so wonderful. I could not have asked for a better book to read to get me into the Christmas vibe. I look forward to picking up another of McLaughlin's books.

I adored this book! It follows Sophie who grew up in foster care and now doesn't like to stay in one place too long so she's getting ready to leave her town after Christmas but the town might have other plans for her. She meets grumpy Harry and they end up planning the town's Christmas festival. I loved reading about Sophie and the people in the town, and I loved seeing the festival slowly take shape. It felt very wintery and cosy! I have to say that I think my favourite character might have been Felix, he was adorable! This is just such a lovely read, it's one I know I'll read again in the future,
It's a gorgeous, cosy hug in book form - it's my first Cressida McLaughlin but it definitely won't be my last! I highly recommend this one.

Sophie is a commitment phobe who grew up in care and so is reluctant to get close to anyone but having lived in the village of Mistingham for a year she is actually starting to feel settled.... but comfortable enough to let anyone in? This is a lovely Christmas story full of great quirky characters, humour and of course romance. Perfect for curling up in front of the fire with

An adorable story for romance and festive fans. Just the book for cosying up this festive season. Set in a seaside town, this book is set is the lead up to Christmas where things and people aren’t all they seem.
With great characters, emotional rollercoasters, a little bit of mystery and intrigue and of course a festive light up goat – you’ll thoroughly enjoy getting to know everyone in Mistingham. A special shout out to Felix and his funky jumpers – definitely one of the funniest characters I’ve read about in a long time. His antics alone could fill several books!
Sophie and Harry are the main characters, both not quite feeling they belong or fit in so when they are forced to work together they realise they have a lot more in common. Nothing is ever as it seems though and the more they get to know about each other the more they put at risk.
This book is the perfect way to start getting in the holiday spirit. I’m hoping for a return trip!

Once again, Cressida has penned a truly magical book. A heartwarming, christmassy story which has a lovely festive setting.

The North Norfolk coast is one of my favourite places and so a Christmas book set there had to be a winner. The Secret Christmas Bookshop is a gorgeous festive read set in a Norfolk village that has managed to keep it’s close knit community and independent shops.
I loved Sophie who after a childhood spent in care and a broken relationship is definitely afraid of commitment. It’s easier for her to keep moving than to begin caring about people and then be disappointed. However, after almost a year spent in Mistingham, she is dangerously close to feeling at home especially when the reclusive Harry Anderly comes into her life.
This book is filled with books, from the apt quotations from the beautiful edition of Jane Eyre that mysteriously appears on Sophie’s shop counter to the gorgeous notebooks that she makes. The descriptions of the notebooks were so vivid that I could picture them clearly and definitely want one for myself. I wasn’t completely convinced by a 9 year old whose favourite reading was YA romantasy but that was a minor niggle.
It’s a slow-paced story with lots of local detail especially about the planning of the Christmas festival but I enjoyed this and felt that it gave the characters and setting more depth. I really loved the found family aspect especially Jazz who made Sophie see things more clearly. Felix the goat was such a cute character and his antics and jumpers added both humour and drama to the story.
The romance for me was just perfect as the two of them gradually began to open up to each other while still being afraid to be completely honest.
This was a gorgeous festive read perfect for a dark winter evening and I am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful, uplifting story of hope. This story really captured me from the very beginning. Covering the topic of foster care was really clever, and just added to the story so well, weaving a great plot that made so much sense.
Sophie and Harry were meant to be for sure, and who could fail to be won over by Felix the goat?!
Highly recommend this book for a cosy, Christmassy read.

What a fabulous book! I loved every part of it. As a fan of the Brontes and Jane Austen I loved the dark, brooding character of Harry, who had hidden issues at the beginning. But as the layers of his story were revealed we saw the inner person who was kind and misunderstood. The developing relationship between Harry and Sophie was so well written, with touches of humour amid the arguments and eventual romance. The secret bookshop idea was wonderful and made me wish I’d been gifted one of the beautifully bound books. The story had it all, suspense, humour, romance,secrets,lovely characters and a delightful setting. And to top it all- Christmas time!
I thoroughly recommend this book, if you don’t read it before Christmas ask for it on your Christmas wish list!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

All you need to get you into the Christmas spirit is a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate, a fire and this book! This was a lovely, gentle Christmas romance to curl up with. A bit of a slow burner hence 4* and not 5, but lots of wonderful characters , a few dogs, a gorgeous village near the sea and a quirky goat with a huge personality! Comfort reading at its best.