The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan
My review
3/5 stars
Mirren's great-aunt is ill. For Christmas she wants to find a book she loved from her childhood. She sends Mirren on a quest to find it for her, but there's a problem - no one knows anything about it and she can't find a trace of it anywhere.
I had high hopes for this book. I've loved several of Jenny Colgan's books in the past, it's festive (which I am all over at the moment) and it's about books (which never fails to grab my attention). Sadly, I didn't connect with this book in the way I'd hoped.
Mirren was, on paper, a girl that I should have loved reading about, but I felt little emotional connection with her as I read through. There was a lot for her to unpack in such a short book - mystery, self-discovery and a hint of romance; nothing felt completely tackled or solved by the end of the novella.
I did enjoy the book element of the story, and the subtle exploration of some of the more book-focused parts of the UK on her journey. I also thought the relationship that Mirren had with her great-aunt was very sweet.
I didn't dislike the book at all, it just didn't strike the emotional chord that I had been hoping for based on the blurb.
Book blurb
A Christmas mission…
Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer.
An enchanting journey…
With no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own…
The start of a new chapter?
As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe… ?
More...
You can buy the book here now. It was published by Amazon Original Stories.
For more on the author, you can head to her website, follow her on Instagram, or check out her Goodreads page.
