Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea by Eliza J Scott Blog Tour

 It's October. I'd say it is now safe enough to mention the C word . . . Christmas. So, I'm joining the blog tour for Eliza J Scott's novel Christmas at the Little Bookshop by the Sea.

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?

There's something so good about curling up with a festive read when the temperature is starting to drop outside, and that's the exact sort of feeling I got when reading Eliza's latest novel.

The front cover says festive joy on every page and I tend to agree.

This is the story of Florrie Appleton, Ed Harte and their bookshop Happy Hartes (which I really wish was a real place).

Set during the month of December (shocker), as this seaside town gears up for the most wonderful time of the year, Florrie and Ed are looking forward to welcoming customers into their shop. But when Ed's interfering father calls, could their dreams of renovating and expanding the shop be halted?

With a mix of romance, drama and heartfelt moments, this is a story designed to entertain from start to finish. Even when emotions ran high, the author did a fantastic job of keeping a more joyful atmosphere in place.

Let me just mention the Happy Christmas Memory Project. Something Florrie offered to her boyfriend Ed to give him the experiences he never received as a child. An absolutely wonderful idea that made me smile. How good would it be to see this occurring in real life!

I loved that the bookshop seemed to be an added character, at the heart of everything - heart/Harte - see what I did there. The separate storylines from various case members all seemed to circle back round to this gorgeous setting. Very cleverly done.

Book four in a series, I hadn't read any of the prior books however, this didn't take away from anything and I believe it can easily be read as a stand-alone book. Although, I'm now tempted to go back and read the rest of the set as Micklewick Bay seems like such an idyllic place to live and the people living there were like old friends I wanted to catch up with.

Cute and cosy, this was a tale offering a big, warm hug that envelopes you as soon as you begin to read and doesn't let go until you reach the final page.