The Secret Christmas Library: A Heartwarming Christmas Romance Tale Set in a Scottish Castle, Featuring Unlikely Alliances in a Mysterious Hunt for Hidden Treasures 

320 pages William Morrow Paperbacks Publication date October 14, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

A new holiday story set in the Scottish Highlands to warm booklovers’ hearts by Jenny Colgan, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McPherson, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McPherson family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.

But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.

Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.

A treat for booklovers and treasure hunters alike, The Secret Christmas Library serves up a delicious mystery with a hint of romance, and plenty of holiday spirit!

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve read the past few Christmas books by the author and just knew I had to read the latest.
A Scottish castle is just how you’d imagine it to be, dark, drafty and cold with endless hallways lit by wall scones attached to cold dripping stone walls.

Now this isn’t to say I didn’t like the castle because I’d visit it in a heartbeat. This is just how I imagine the inside of a castle to be.
Geeting snowed in at Christmas time in a Scottish castle may not be ideal for some but for Mirren Sutherland it gives this antiquarian book hunter ample time to search for a rare book for the laird of the castle.

Jamie McPherson knows he must have this family book belonging to a past family member if there is any hope in paying for repairs to the crumbling castle.

When another treasure hunter who has quite the reputation for finding things quickly shows up Mirren knows she has to work quickly and efficiently but who will win the race.

It was entertaining reading the clues dispersed amongst the pages, clues around the castle in the most unusual places.
There was a shadow of romance but not the main focus of the story which allowed for the focus on the great character development and of the story.
A fairytale feeling I was swept up in the story and enjoyed it very much.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

enny 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.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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