Book four in the Little Bookshop series will fill all your Hallmarky Holiday Wishes! Thank you to NetGalley, Eliza + Storm Publishing for the eARC

What to expect:
⭐ Small Town Romance
⭐ Holiday Hallmark Vibes
⭐ A villan trying to take a bookstore away
⭐ A couple trying to grow together + work through communication issues
⭐ Family drama
⭐ A community of love and support

My Thoughts:
This is my first book by Eliza, I didn't know it was a full book series! This is Book 4 of them all. One thing I will say, while you can read this as a standalone there is depth missing from MANY of the character storylines. A lot of it gets glossed over and you can tell is covered in depth in previous books. I knew there was one for sure before since it has a title of a similar name, but didn't realize that there were four which makes A LOT more sense as to why the depth of story is missing.

Ed and Florrie are adorable together and I wish I could see the display windows of the shop in person! They sound dreamy. Also who doesn't' love a book store at Christmas! Sometimes I find their relationship a bit icky. She is sometimes super insecure and he is non-communicative which in a real world relationship would be cause for serious issues. I love their bringing joy to Christmas moments and what it means for Ed. I love all the secondary characters and I think would have appreciated and loved them more if I had read the other books. There is mystery, intrigue and mush!

t is definitely gushy, Hallmark vibes of a story. Lots of descriptive language to really make you feel like you're in the place. While I enjoyed it. there was something about it I didn't really love. Maybe a bit of over description. Maybe because I was missing a lot of the back story... It was a fun holiday read in a cute small town none the less! Also it seems that there is more to come based on the ending!

Synopsis:
In the seaside town of Micklewick Bay, Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte are gearing up for a magical Christmas at the Happy Hartes Bookshop. Florrie’s book-themed decorations are the talk of the town, while Ed’s dazzling window displays could have been plucked straight from a fairytale. With romance in the air, this promises to be their best holiday season yet.

But after a surprise phone call from his father, Florrie worries that Ed is keeping a secret. Why is he spending so much time in the attic? And what’s making him act so distantly?

Determined to make this Christmas unforgettable, Florrie packs their days with festive treats from gingerbread hot chocolates to sleigh rides under the stars. But when Ed disappears just a few days before Christmas, Florrie fears the worst. Will her holiday dreams shatter like a dropped bauble? Or is Florrie in for a Christmas surprise of her own?

In this charming holiday romance, readers travel to Micklewick Bay where Florrie Appleton and Ed Harte own and operate the Happy Hartes Bookshop and are preparing the store for the holiday season. With beautiful book-themed decorations, enchanting window displays, and romance in the air in Micklewick Bay, the holiday season seems picture-perfect and life is good. When Ed starts to act strangely -- disappearing a few days before Christmas, spending time in the attic, and distancing himself from Florrie -- following a phone call from his dad, Florrie’s fears grow and risk ruining her holiday cheer unless her fears are unfounded. With its charming characters and cheerful holiday location, readers will love the wintery holiday atmosphere that Eliza Scott so successfully brings to life in Micklewick Bay and the Happy Hartes Bookshop. Ed and Florrie’s relationship is charming and realistic, and readers will definitely be engaged with their narrative and dynamic. The rest of the village is well-written and incredibly detailed, so the background characters and location development really enhance the narrative and Florrie and E’s story. Brilliantly written and with a great emotional core, this holiday bookstore romance is a great new title perfect for readers looking for a charming and escapist romance this holiday season.

I’ve always loved books by this author but unfortunately I found this book a little slow going. Although I still loved visiting Florrie and Ed in their little world, it isn’t a book I would revisit.

A sweet story set in a cozy bookshop.

I really enjoyed the bookshop setting as well as the romantic gesture that the main character did for her boyfriend for Christmas. And I enjoyed the whole mystery surrounding the bookshop as well.

I think because this is like book four in a series and I didn't read the others before this one. So for me I wasn't as connected with the characters and you could definitely tell there was some continuation storylines from other books as well. There was a mix of characters I enjoyed and others I didn't connect with very well.

*thank you to #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book to read. All thoughts are my own.

This was a cute story, but it just wasn’t one that was for me. I didn’t find the story to be that engaging and for that this was a dnf at 30%. I just think that it was the wrong book wrong time. r

Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea was sweet and heartwarming if a bit predictable. A nice holiday read.

This Christmas book was an absolute joy to read, leaving you feeling warm and cosy.
Characters that were really easy to relate to, dealing in humour and as well as intrigue.

Florrie and Ed run a bookshop that was handed down from Eds grandparents. However, not everybody is happy with this and cause carnage, trying to force the couple to sell up. Ed seems very secretive and Florrie is not convinced that he is not involved in the plot. Trying to put her concerns aside, Florrie is determined to bring sparkle to Christmas, something Ed has never really celebrated and there are magical things planned to show him just what Christmas can be like.

An absolutly delightful read, highly recommend.

Absolutely adored this book! It’s so well written and I love all the side characters! So many Christmas activities going on and it really got me in the festive mood. Lots of scenes in the bookshop which I loved. My favourite Christmas read this year!!

A cute holiday read! I didn't realize it was part of a series when I started reading it. Florrie and Ed were sweet and I enjoyed the other characters. It was a fun read for the holiday season!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgally for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the previous book, the little bookshop by the sea and this followed on and took the story and characters forward. I found this book slightly harder to get into than the first, but overall a pleasant read.

When fall arrives and the holidays quickly approach, I enjoy curling up with different holiday-themed books to enjoy.

Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea seemed so promising to me.
A quaint seaside setting.
A bookshop.
The holidays.

What more could a gal want?

Sadly, it did not fully deliver the experience I was hoping for.

Rather, I found myself frustrated with all of Florrie's internal musings and Ed's behavior (secretive & just up and leaving?!?!)

On the upside, Florrie's pursuit of experiences to bring Ed some Christmas joy was a nice part of the book.

I had not read previous titles. If I had, maybe I would have seen this as a delightful Christmas-time story.

Instead, the title failed to give me the cozy feels I hoped to experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance reader copy of the book.

I’ve been really into Christmas books lately, and I also had a phase of reading books that revolve around bookshops earlier this year. This perfectly combines the two and left me feeling so warm inside - it’s just a warm hug of a book.

I’ll definitely be looking to read more from Eliza J. Scott!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

DNF @ 29%
I never felt like the book really started, this far along and I still didn't really know what the plot was. I felt like we were just getting snippets of 2 people having a nice life. I also didn't really feel connected to any of the characters. I might pick it up and give it a try again in the future and see if it was just right book, wrong time but for now this book wasn't working for me.

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A lovely heartwarming festive Christmas read. This is the 4th book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, cozy book that I really enjoyed!

Super super bonito me encantó esta cozy Christmas 🎄 es súper bonita la trama del libro
Thanks netgalley and the publisher for the copy

A lovely Christmas read. The continuing story of Florrie and Ed and the life they are living in in their lovely little village. They run a bookshop and have great plans for their future. The have some issues to face along the way.

Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea is book 4 in the series. That said it can be read as a standalone. I think this is a cute cozy romance, that is worth the read IMO.

A lovely book, that I didn't realize was part of a series. I'll now go back and see what I've missed in the other books. A fun holiday romance continuing the story of Florrie and Ed. Now onto more books by Eliza Scott.