Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! The setting for this book was so dreamy in England, in a bookstore and around the holidays! Lily and Lars were so heartwarming, and I loved how it showed us their past in school, and now present when Lars has changed. I also loved the depth of Lars' backstory with his family, and his Icelandic heritage. Such a sweet read!

Thank you so much to Boldwood for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I first discovered this author many years ago and started with Chocolate Pot, so I was delighted to back in Castle Street.

First of all, let’s just admire the beautiful colourful cover that invites you in.

We follow the stories of Lily co owner of Bay bookshop and Lars.

This is the perfect festive read and I enjoy the way the chapters are told from both perspectives.

I love the way the author puts her heart and soul into her research to make the book so realistic.

Books
Christmas
Sparkle
Love
Friendship
A dog

What more could you want, I highly recommend this read to get you into the Christmas spirit.

This book is daring! I could not stop smiling each chapter and just absolutely adored the main characters. So cute!

'Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop' is a book lover's dream cozy novel. It is a perfect segue into holiday reading The novel follows the POV of both the FMC, Lily, and the MMC, Lars, and their different understandings of how they knew each other when they were young and what went wrong in their early friendship.
The novel reads like a stream of conscious for both characters as we know exactly what they are thinking and the processing of those thoughts to the point that the reader almost feels they are inside the novel along with the characters. It is more than just being in the character's heads - there is so much detail , description, and background that one feels they have been plopped right into Whitsborough Bay and are watching everything happen from a short distance away. It is a lovely way to engage with a book.
If you love comfy cozy small town vibes and characters who love to be home and engage with their community, you will love this book.

I love reading about bookish people. I agree, if you are like Anne Shirley, it is not very easy to find your Gilbert Blythe. However, fortunately, it is not impossible either. Even if he is not actually called Gilbert...
The author swaps the points of view of the two main characters, Lily and Lars, which makes the storytelling even more captivating.
I liked not only the main protagonists, but also the supporting characters, and I found the Icelandic cultural references fascinating.
All in all I spent some really enjoyable time with this story and can recommend to anyone who likes lovely Christmas romances.

This was an amazing book. This book has Hallmark vibes. This book will get you into the holiday spirit . I liked Lily's character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the chance to read this book I loved it. Jessica is such a good writer that draws you in to the story and you believe you are part of it. What could be better a love story set in a book store .
I loved how it was set at Christmas time so not only a love story but a Christmas one.
Great characters, well worth a read.

A gorgeous bookish, festive second chance romance. Set in the Bay Bookshop in the North Yorkshire town of Whitsborough Bay we get to know both Lily and Lars. I enjoyed their dual points of view and back stories. So much family drama! This cozy small town goes all out on Christmas cheer and with Lars’ Icelandic background I enjoyed learning all about their traditions. Filled with a cast of fun side characters and a side plot of the Paperback Pixie an anonymous person who gifts books around town and Anne of Green Fables references. I was so glad to see that Annette Shirley finally got her Gilbert. My first by Jessica and I’m excited to see that there is not one but two series set in this cute seaside town. I can’t wait to meet more residents.

This was such a cute book. Lily is a strong, independent FMC grappling with some of life's toughest obstacles. Her budding relationship with Lars is filled with tension and history while they rebuild what was once broken. This book has a wide array of emotions throughout. Grief, healing, love & so many more. This was my first by this author but I truly loved the writing and the characters so I've added more of her books to my wishlist.

I loved this festive book set in Bay Books with Lily and Lara as the main characters. There was a difficult path to romance for both of them and some strong emotion with Lara sister . They made a great couple but the build up to Christmas in the perfect bookshop was the best bit for me. Please return for another story soon.

My first Christmas read of they year and this one was a gorgeous read which you'd expect from Jessica. This was set in and around a bookshop, my kind of heaven. I loved this story and the characters especially the references to Anne of Green Gables a book I've read recently. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

With the main setting a bookstore, you know your in for a great story. This story brings childhood friends turned enemies together working in the store over Christmas. What they find is forgiveness, family and love. One book at a time they begin to heal and fall in love. The characters are enchanting and have you rooting for them and true love! A great love story!

As a lit teacher, I know it can be tough to find a book that feels both fun to read and good for a class discussion. But trust me, *Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop* is a cozy and charming story that's perfect for a winter unit or a book club. It's got all the warm, feel-good vibes you'd want, but with a lot of great stuff to talk about.

While this book feels like a lovely, gentle read, it’s packed with themes that are perfect for a classroom setting. You can use it to discuss the **power of community**, the importance of **resilience**, and how to **overcome personal setbacks**. Phoebe's journey is a great example of a character arc, and analyzing her relationships with the quirky, lovable cast of characters—from her boss to her new friends—provides excellent opportunities for character analysis. The book also celebrates the importance of literature and reading, which is, of course, a huge plus! It's a nice change of pace from heavier, more traditional texts, and it can be a great way to get students excited about reading for pleasure again. It's a wonderful example of a **modern romance novel** with real substance.

This book was beautiful, sugary sweet and oh so cozy! I love books set in bookshops and add wintery Christmas vibes in… even better! I love Lily. I love Lars. This book felt magical.

There are a few things in romance novels that reduce my enjoyment of a book and kill any investment of any relationship and this book is guilty of one of them:

The third act misunderstanding trope.

Stop doing it.

Seriously, no one likes it. It was tired trope in the 90s so why do authors keep forcing it into their stories?

The sad thing is, I was enjoying this book until then. Lily and Lars made a cute pairing and the relationship felt real and worth being invested in. Then the misunderstanding happened and I stopped caring.

The even worse thing is that there was already the seeds for a good third act bit of drama that was seriously underutilised. Lily has abandonment issues stemming from her biological father, Lars has issue surrounding his absent parents. Dealing with those issues would have been a far better conclusion. Lily’s story with her bio dad was adequately dealt with but Lars’, which was a far deeper trauma, in my opinion, is dealt with in one chapter which was narrated by Lily and held no actual conversations between any of the parties involved. A complete missed opportunity for some sweet reconciliation and a heart warming ending.

After that, I lost interest in Lily and Lars. I can’t buy a long-lasting relationship when one party is so quick to run away over something so small and misunderstood. It would have easily got at least four stars if then last part had been done better but I can’t give it any more than three because I am not invested in the relationship.

This is a cute book. This has the same feeling and outline as the Christmas Hallmark movies have. If you like those, you should like this one. I did find the issue that the main character has a little bit annoying at times. I can't really tell you about it but she has a very specific insecurity but she sort of seems to make it a bigger deal or maybe just dwells on it more than seems normal. I don't know but even with that the book is still adorable.
This book is about a woman who works at her family's bookshop. They need a little help over the winter holidays. One of the applicants happens to be a boy who made her school days less than pleasant. He's incredibly qualified so she hires him. That's pretty much the basic idea. I don't want to tell you too much because I don't want to spoil anything for you.
This is well written and a nice little light read when you are looking for something that is Christmas themed, cute, and will leave you with a happy feeling .

Great to be back in castle street where the locals dip in and out of this instalment.
Lily is managing the bookshop along with her dad but when his health dictates he has to rest she’s forced to advertise for help. But surely there are better candidates than Lars whom she knows from school.
Lars is at a crossroads and the job at Bay Bookshop would fit with him so well, but the thing is it’s Lilly’s shop and he’s not sure based on his past behaviour she will even consider him.
Brilliant story loved it.

Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redlands is a warm, comforting read that perfectly captures the charm of small-town life. The bookshop setting is enchanting, and Redlands does a brilliant job of weaving together the lives of her characters with gentle humour and emotional depth. I found myself completely absorbed in the story, feeling both the quiet struggles and the little joys of the townspeople. It’s the kind of book that lingers with you, making you want to slow down and savour the small moments. A delightful, heartwarming read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance. I love the cover of this book and the cozy holiday vibes it promises. The FMC/MMC have a lot of depth and tension with other characters creating a 3 dimensional world. I'm used to reading romance that only focuses on the two main characters, this book was very family focused. I enjoyed reading about holiday traditions from other countries and loved the bookstore/ small town setting. The story was a bit slow to pull me in and I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I think reading this by the light of the Christmas tree with a peppermint mocha in hand would definitely have helped me get into the spirit of the book. Add this one to your holiday TBR.

Winter Nights at The Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland is a heartwarming festive romance filled with bookish charm, second chances, and the magic of the season. Lily and Lars’s journey from past hurt to renewed connection is tender, uplifting, and full of Christmas spirit. I enjoyed this book and rated it five stars.