Summer Island by Natalie Normann

This is a charming story with a very strong minded character and another angry about lots of things in their life some parts of the characters are very likeable with funny moments but the odd one not so much .

Beautifully written very pleasant summer read set on a beautiful Norway island .

3.5/5

A refreshing read and a nice summery book, I really enjoyed discovering the island and learning about Norwegian food and customs.

Summer Island offers us a slow burning romance with the characters views of each other changing quite a lot.

This is such a delightful story, one that helps you unwind from the stresses of your life and relax into the brilliant read. The author had such a lovely style of writing, it makes you feel like all is well in the world, despite our current realities.

A lovely book. An absolutely brilliant and different setting, having never considered Norway as somewhere to visit I would actually now be interested in going there so I too can experience the people, food and culture.

From Jack and Ninni’s first encounter I was intrigued and I wanted to see how it would go. Ninni is a no nonsense kind of woman just out of a bad break-up and exactly welcome Englishman, Jack, to town.
This is a perfect book to read when you are looking for something light, romantic and you fancy a bit of an escape.

Summer Island off the coast of Norway was the place London chef Jack Greene should have been from. He’s an outsider in the community that should have been his family, and now he’s setting foot on the strange land he has inherited for the first time.

Being set in Norway on a small island I wasn’t expecting the level of drama that happened. Or should I have expected drama because it’s a small community and everyone knows each other?

I really wish I had have had more than 15 minutes here or there to read this because every time I got to read it I was loving it and enjoying the cultural differences and everything that small island life entails. I don’t know much (aka, anything really) about Norwegian culture, but since it’s an own voice kind of story, I think it’s safe to say the use of Norwegian language, culture, festivals etc would be pretty accurate.

I really wish I could describe more of this book but I’m honestly struggling because I read the book in such small snippets and it’s been almost a week since I finished it when I’m writing this review. I know I enjoyed it a lot, I loved the banter between various characters although I did find some moments and interactions confusing.

I was wondering at the time whether I didn’t like those interactions because the character was meant to be someone we didn’t like. Or whether this was something that was “normal” in Norway. The only reason I wondered that was because many of the other characters didn’t seem to mind the attitude that I didn’t liking.

I always like a book that intruduces me to a different place and culture. Scandinavia is popular right now and I think there's a reason for that. A way of looking at life, perhaps. This story was a little twee in places but the characters were likeable and the plot was very readable, keeping me entertained throughout. I'd like to read more from the author.

Set in Norway and with romance this made for a lovely read. A lovely summer novel and I am giving it 5 stars.

Jack and Ninni meet in Norway. It is her home and he is just visiting after finding out about the father he never knew.
The setting on the island sounds like a great place to visit,

I have to be honest: most of the Scandi fiction that I’ve read tends toward the darker and angsty, with detectives, murder, oppressive endless greyness and a general celebration of stoicism. So it was a HUGE surprise in tone and tenor, not to mention the sweetness of the here: with family, place and heart running in equal measure to the finish line.

Ninni is a translator of legal documents, living in Bergen with her dog Frikk, and just ending her relationship of two years with an unreliable pilot partner. Nearly being run off the road on her bike by an Englishman who doesn’t understand the road system, she’s furious, a bit banged up, and more than ready to head to the family’s summer place on an island just a ferry-ride away from town.

Community, friendship, trust and history: both personal and of the island, all play into this story as Jack learns of his heretofore undiscovered ‘place’ in the world, as Ninni learns just what is most important to her and her sense of the world. Giving a wholly different sense of the area and the people, Normann’s storytelling allows us an entrée into a small island, some customs and the beautiful scenery as a backdrop to the story that dances along the waves of emotion and discovery for the characters.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href= “http://iam-indeed.com/summer-island-natalie-normann /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This is a sweet love story with a chance encounter and a happily ever after after both the hero and heroine experience heart break. The story leaves you hopeful for the future. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved that this book takes place in Norway. This location was a refreshing change from most of the romance novels that I have read. However, the main characters did not hold my interest as much as the location did.

Note: I originally received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, prior to publication, but didn’t have time to get to it then. This review is based on the finished copy.

Summer Island is a charming light summer read. The initial appeal factor was the mention it was set on a Norwegian island. The setting is beautifully conveyed, and I truly felt like I was there soaking up the local culture.

Jack and Ninni were both interesting characters, and I liked how their initial plans both complemented and complicated each other’s, something that grew more obvious as they got to know each other. I rooted for Jack as he came to appreciate life on the island, even though he did not intend to stay, and sympathized with Ninni as she picked up the pieces from a bad breakup and reluctantly opened up to the possibility that Jack might be the one for her.

While not an overly deep story (I wish it had been a bit longer and explored the characters a bit more), it is a fun, light read, perfect for summer, and shows a lot of promise from the author. I recommend this if you love lighthearted contemporary romances with a strong sense of community. And it’s currently (as of this writing) on sale in eBook, so now is a great time to pick it up.

What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. Norway is such a unique setting. Just perfect.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really did love this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read one that had Norway as its setting, so the descriptions and world building were so great and interesting for me.
Overall the love story was cute and definitely a beach read type of story. It wasn’t some swoon worthy story, but the connection was there and it is great for a quick, light read!

I enjoyed getting to know the island and Norwegian customs almost as much as I enjoyed getting to know Ninni and Jack. Every time she, or one of the islanders spoke I could hear the delightful sing-song accent in my head.

I loved Ms Normann's style of writing - it's quaint and sweet - the plot is sound, and the characters are easily believable.

I'm already looking forward to her next book!

While I loved the location and it was very much armchair travel to sit and watch this story in such an unexpected locale, the story fell flat for me, mainly because from the get-go, I found the heroine too temperamental and frankly, rude (the roundabout incident came on a little too forceful) and I could thus not root for her and then not enjoy the story

I love books set in other countries and Norway was a first for me. What a great first impression of Norway! Ninni and Jack's fun relationship made me smile and giggle, from annoyance in the beginning to realizing the other was quite attractive. I loved the potato planting party to welcome Jack to the island, as well as reading about the delicious Norwegian foods. Wish there had been some recipes included! The ending was a bit rushed but I enjoyed the story as a whole.

It was a cute love story. I liked the setting and to see the culture differences. I think it lacked the tension and I didn't get invested in the story the way I liked to. It seemed a bit rushed and the buildup to the romance wasn't as good as it could have been.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC version of this book.

As the reviews before me have mentioned - the idea of Norway as a summer destination for a love story was quite lovely and different. The best part of the story were the various description of Norway, cuisine, customs, traditions.
The words that described Norway were quite passionate, full of life, amazingly set the scene and transport you to that cold - in a good sense - beauty of Scandinavia.
A remote island with interesting characters, food to die for and Instagram-able scenery everywhere are the genuine highlight of this book.

The love story felt somehow - meh. :/ I couldn't feel that connection, I haven't felt that genuine interest between the two main characters and there wasn't even a little bit of a building romance. It felt sudden, not enough developed, and I had the feeling that the author poured all her writing style into the descriptions and not that much into the love story.

I might say that this is a light, summer breezy story but it definitely won't be a book that you will remember.

Summer Island by Natalie Normann follows Ninni Toft, a woman reeling from a shocking break-up who longs to retreat to her childhood home on a remote island, and Jack Greene, a London chef who has just had a few shocking revelations of his own and has to decide what to do next. When they meet, tensions are running high — but they also can’t seem to resist each other.

I wanted to love this one. It should have been a great summer read: light and breezy, with quirky side characters, a remote island retreat, strong familial ties, lots of Norwegian cultural and language references (which makes sense considering Normann is a prolific Norwegian author, and this is her first book in English, which is awesome!) and some incredulous plot twists.

But it fell short for me — I didn’t DNF it but I wasn’t emotionally or otherwise invested, and when I finished, I felt... relief that it was done, as mean as that sounds. The romance aspect of the plot felt somewhat rushed and sudden and it didn’t make me laugh either, which I always consider a plus in a summer read, although a few scenes made me smirk and there’s definitely a little peak at some steamy moments. I don’t think it’s a bad book by any stretch, just not for me!