Book Review: Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop (Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop #2) by Jenny Cogan

Summary: Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop (Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop #2) by Jenny Cogan

Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She's going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can't wait.

But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie's plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what's best for the sweetshop also what's best for Rosie?

Treat yourself and your sweet-toothed friends to Jenny Colgan's heart-warming new novel. The irresistibly delicious recipes are guaranteed to get you into the festive spirit and will warm up your Christmas celebrations.

Book Review: Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop (Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop #2) by Jenny Cogan

In #2 of the Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop Series Rosie’s family of 6 comes from Australia for Christmas. She has no idea where to put them or make any advance preparations.

Leading up to Christmas the weather is awful with the whole package of slippery roads, wind and darkness which leads to a major traffic accident. As the primary school is close to the road, a lorry crashes into it and several children are injured, one of them badly. To repair the damage to the school is not in the Council’s budget, so they propose to close down the school and have the children bussed for an hour to the nearest town. This is devastating for Rosie and the other townsfolk. If they lose the school Lipton will soon become a town of second-homers only there on holiday.

Rosie’s relationship to boyfriend Stephen goes through a rough patch in this story. His character starts out at somewhat broody. He is affected by the traffic/school accident and that doesn’t help matters at all. Towards the end of the story his perspective seems to have shifted in a positive way. I enjoyed this journey.

I loved Aunt Lillian’s character. Her health has improved now that she lives in a local care home where she knows most of the inhabitants. Having been a business owner all her adult life, she has a mind of her own and Rosie gets a run for her money every time she visits.

I found Stephen’s mother Hetty’s character very funny. She is portrayed as entitled, stubborn and grumpy. Also a poor dresser. Her main interest is dogs. Her grumpiness is probably understandable since she has a difficult time holding her properties together with a constant lack of money to do this.

I love Colgan’s writing in this work as well as all the others. The tea making and serving as well as the general feel of the story add up to a “britishness” that I can’t get enough of. I feel back in the UK again.

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop is recommended for fans of Jenny Colgan’s other work as well as for readers of the chick-lit genre.

My rating: 4 stars /5

(All opinions in this review are my own).

About The Author

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan. (Copied From Amazon)
To learn more about the author, visit https://www.jennycolgan.com/

Book Review: An Island Christmas (Mure Book 4) by Jenny Colgan

Summary: An Island Christmas (Mure Book 4) by Jenny Colgan

Christmas on the remote Scottish island of Mure is bleak, stark - and incredibly beautiful.

It's a time for hunkering down, getting cosy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram with the people you love - unless, of course, you're accidentally pregnant to your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In what should be the season of peace and goodwill on earth, will Joel think Flora is a bearer of glad tidings?

Meanwhile Saif, the doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons - but without his missing wife. Can the little family possibly find comfort and joy?

Book Review: An Island Christmas (Mure Book 4) by Jenny Colgan

Reading this book feels like sitting under a warm blanket in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa right before Christmas. I get drawn into the feeling of life and relationships in a close knit community on the island. Feels like I am right there, in the dark, the winds from the Arctic and the snow. I get the vivid nature descriptions of Northern Scotland in December, the remoteness and the close community feel.

This story is set around the Seaside Café where owner Flora tries to run a business. She has support of her big family which she is going to need as she accidentally becomes pregnant to her Joel, boyfriend. He has a troubled past as a foster child, no family connections to speak of and is unable to support Flora in the beginning of the story. As the story progresses, Flora and Joel go through a rough patch but their characters develop and mature together.

What sets this story apart is that it has the perspective of a Middle Eastern doctor and his family trying to settle into island life where everybody knows everybody else. It describes how the doctor and his 2 sons deal with war traumas each in their own way. The doctor himself, suffering insecurities and a sense of loss not knowing what has happened to his wife.

An Island Christmas is highly recommended for readers of Jenny Colgan’s other work and for fans of the chick-lit genre in general.

My rating: 4 stars /5

(All opinions in this review are my own).

About The Author

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan. (From Amazon)
To learn more about the author, visit https://www.jennycolgan.com/