What I especially enjoy about Jenny Colgan's novels, all of which are set in the United Kingdom, are the specific locations, each one unique and described so thoroughly that we feel as if we are there. So in MIDNIGHT AT THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP, we are transported to Edinburgh, Scotland. Colgan's narration is enticing and filled with enough details about the beauty and charm of Edinburgh that readers will want to book their next trip there.

"[W]hat [Colgan] does manage to do once again is charm us with diverse characters, improbable situations, the spark of good in even the worst of jerks, and people who are just trying to do the best they can."

This is the sequel to THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP, a sweet story about Carmen Hogan, who was let go from her job as a shopgirl and found employment with Mr. McCredie at his Old Town Bookshop in the old part of Edinburgh. It’s on a charming street that also has a hardware store, a posh clothing store, and even a magic shop with a resident witch. When she lost her job, Carmen had moved in with her older sister, Sofia, along with Sofia’s husband and their four children. It's a lot, and it was meant to be temporary. Carmen's love interest from the previous book is Oke, a PhD student from Brazil. While they are not together for most of this story, we know what is happening to them through the narrative.

Unless you've read THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP, this follow-up might be a bit confusing. There's just not enough space to include all the important elements from the first novel, and while Colgan does explain the relationships, the depth suffers a bit. But what she does manage to do once again is charm us with diverse characters, improbable situations, the spark of good in even the worst of jerks, and people who are just trying to do the best they can. Carmen is a perfect example of a main character whom we don't love, though we still can empathize with her situation. She makes poor decisions and is extremely childish and petty at times, but at the core, she is a good person who just wants a family of her own.

In MIDNIGHT AT THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP, the bookshop is doing poorly. Carmen needs to move out of Sofia's house because Sofia is hiring a nanny and going back to work. She can't afford to live in Edinburgh on what she's paid. And Mr. McCredie has decided that his life's ambition is to visit Antarctica, and he's desperate to find the money to embark on this incredible --- and very costly --- voyage. Colgan's descriptions of the way the bookshop's back area tunnels into the cliff at the base of the Edinburgh castle is fascinating, as is her depiction of the whole of Mr. McCredie's house. It's really almost magical, as is the way Carmen manages to solve everyone's problems, including her own.

As in all of Colgan's novels, there is a happily-ever-after. Carmen gets what she really does deserve (which we knew she would). These books aren't mysteries where we wonder how it all will end up. We know that the conclusion will be as warm and satisfying as a thick comforter on a cold Scottish night. The fun is in the journey.