Christmas Island by Natalie Normann is a sweet seasonal romance set on an island off the coast of Norway. The remote island where her brother and his family live seems like the perfect place for Londoner Holly to lick her wounds following a stressful event at work that may cost her her dream career as a doctor. Unfortunately her arrival is not very well timed as her brother is visiting his in-laws with the family , so Holly is left to fend for herself. She gets lost on her way to their house and almost falls off a cliff in the darkness of Norwegian winter but fortunately is rescued by Tor, a grumpy bearded recluse and his rather amazing cat Froy. As Holly settles into life on the island and makes friends with the locals she also begins to draw Tor out of his shell, even if it is rather reluctantly at first, and romance soon blossoms.
This is a sweet, funny book, a perfect seasonal read to curl up with on a cold winter's day with a big cup of hot chocolate. The characters are fun and well developed, though I would have liked a little more attention to their back stories through out the book . The descriptions of the island and the cold weather will have you reaching for a blanket. It is also not a book to read if you are hungry, the wonderful description of the local delicacies will have your mouth watering, and I am pleased to note that the author kindly included several recipes at the end of the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book is a sequel but the author doesn't make it easy for a new reader to figure out who Holly is and why she chose this small Norwegian island to get away from London.

I really enjoyed all the traditional Norwegian Christmas customs. I would have liked to have more interaction with the villagers. Maybe they are explored more in Summer Island, the first book? I didn't really connect with Holly. She was bland. Once Tor stopped being the mysterious hermit, he was pretty boring too. The book picked up once her brother and his family returned which in turn connected the story more with the village instead of just Holly and Tor. I think the character with the most personality is Frøy, the cat.

The "mystery/secret" around why Holly is suspended from her hospital job was weak. There was no need for this to be a big reveal toward the end of the book.

There were many many typos/grammar errors. Tale instead of tail and to instead of too were especially common.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

An adorable Christmas-y story that is sure to fill the Hallmark-shaped hole in your heart -- and make you very hungry for some new Christmas recipes!

A gorgeous festive story, with hugely likeable characters, a sweet romance and a beautiful introduction to Norwegian Christmas traditions. I loved escaping with Holly onto the stormy, cold, wild and beautiful island - it was completely believable that such a place would be soothing to the soul. Tor, the reclusive, awkward man she meets, was completely adorable and only eclipsed as my favourite character by Froy, his gorgeous cat. Learning about all the Norwegian customs (and the food, OMG!) was fascinating, seeing how the darkness is embraced and the warmth in the community was utterly heart-warming. I'm wondering if Natalie Normann is working for the Norwegian tourist board, because when travel becomes a thing again, I definitely want to visit! Until then, this is the perfect way to experience it, without having to leave the warmth of your living room. I loved it, and will definitely be reading more of Natalie's books.

I was given a copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

I LOVED this book! The story of going off to re evaluate your life during a crisis is always a favorite of mine. I actually had to stop a ton of times throughout the book to look up what food they were eating. The world building makes you feel like you are in Norway. If you have any interest in Norwegian culture this book is perfect for you, with a great slow burn romance throughout it, and the feeling of being right there.

I thought that this was a really good and fun read!

As I was reading the book my main thoughts were “oh my all these people seem to do it eat!” but other than eating, which did make me raid the cupboard more than once, the book was a wonderful romantic read that has a lovely slow build up.

I thought that the characters were well developed and they worked really well together too, it was a delightful read and I thought it was lovely from cover to cover.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended!

Holly Greene is a doctor who has found herself in some trouble at work. It's almost Christmas and she finds the she doesn't really have anything to look forward to. To escape, she goes to visit her brother who has moved to a little island off the coast of Norway. There, she meets a man many people of the island refer to as a "hermit" and she slowly starts bringing him out of his shell.

I loved the setting of this book, it sounded so beautiful and picturesque despite being rainy and slushy. I've been to Denmark and Sweden but now Norway is on my list as well. I love how Normann introduces us to the local customs and cuisine.

Holly is a relatable character and despite his gruff persona, Tor really grows on you too. It's really sweet that Holly has such an effect on him. They seem to really fit together well, without being super cheesy or cliché.

The only thing I noticed that I wished was a bit different is that we spent soo long building up to it, but then the first kiss got barely any mention. I had to reread to make sure I had read it right. It would have been nice to have a little bit more detail as to what Holly was thinking etc.

Recommend this for anyone who would enjoy a contemporary romance, but also learning a bit more about Norway and their culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK - One More Chapter for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This one was a cute Christmas read. Seemed a little drawn out to me, but overall I did enjoy the story. I've very intrigued by the Norwegian and Scandinavian countries, so I like the lingo and the way that people are. And I requested this book because of the cover, sorry not sorry. I will be giving this book three stars on GoodReads.

Christmas Island by Natalie Normann was a great holiday story to escape into for fun. Cute, cozy and completely enjoyable. I loved the setting of a quaint small island community in Norway, loved that the cat Frøy was part of so many scenes, and loved all the descriptive references to food. While the main character Holly (of course) was delightful if I think too hard about it, I can’t quite connect the fact that she’s entering an oncology program as a doctor but makes some decisions and just sounds young and a little scattered. The opening scene finds her coming ashore after dark, getting lost, and letting a strange man take her home to his cottage -- and she sleeps on his couch until daylight when she can find her way to her brother’s house. Not the wisest decision though of course it’s fine in a fictional Norwegian island village. This is a cute romance that includes a holiday fling (her actions here also seemed impulsive and unwise to me) but the description is all totally closed door.

Christmas Island is a cozy Scandinavian holiday read featuring Holly, an aspiring doctor, who is visiting the island her brother lives on. While her family is in mainland Europe, Holly takes time to herself (and nearly walks herself off a cliff in the process). Frøy (a cat) and Tor (a human) save her in the nick of time, and they all get to know each other in the lead up to Christmas.

While the characters were not my favorite of the cozy holiday variety, I was fully engaged by the author’s descriptions of the island and Norwegian holiday history and traditions! At times, the dialogue seemed to be awkward and formal; I was unsure if I was supposed to be reading that as Norwegians speaking English and it did distract me from the overall plot.

If you liked - We Met in December, Beach Read, Why I Held Your Hand, Rescue Me (but you wish Blossom had been a cat) - then you’ll enjoy Christmas Island!

Anything that has 'cosy Christmas' on the cover, is a winner in my books! I loved Holly and Tor and I was rooting for them throughout the book. This was a lovely read and put me into a right festive mood. If you are looking for a Christmas romance novel this year, this is a definite pick for me.

Christmas Island is so SWEET! Not only the love story, but all the Norwegian desserts the characters eat sound delicious! It even comes with some recipes so don’t read while hungry.

I wouldn’t recommend this if you only like steamy romance because this isn’t it. All the sex scenes are fade to black/behind closed doors. However, if you’re looking for a low drama, heartwarming, and festive romance then this checks those boxes! There’s also a cat that is probably the best character in the book😹

I requested this book because I’m obsessed with Nordic countries, their culture, and hygge (or in this case koselig) and it delivered on teaching me more about Norwegian traditions.

Now, I need to work backwards and read Summer Island.

Cosy up in front of a fire and discover Christmas the Norwegian way…full of romance, cosy traditions and hygge!

Huge thanks to Random Tour Things for this delightful Christmas read that has put this grinch into a festive Christmas mood.

📚5 reasons to cosy up with Christmas Island📚

✅ It whisks you off to experience a Norwegian Christmas and I loved all the hygge vibes. Even the nearly constant darkness just seemed warm and comforting.
✅ A romance that drew me in, and wasn’t full of over the top drama. It just felt genuine and believable. Holly and Tor are just super cute together.
✅ Lots of humor had me snorting through the pages. Holly always lands in the messiest of situations.
✅ I loved learning about all the Norwegian traditions, and the food sounds delicious.
✅ Froy the cat, a massive character who stole the show.

Highly recommended for you if you are in the market for a Christmas read that’ll make you laugh and smile and happy sigh.

A Christmas getaway, a grumpy hermit, a cute cat, and a doctor on suspension, all thrown together to make this holiday romance. The story follows Holly, a doctor who is on leave after an incident at the hospital, who decides to take a break at her brother’s place in Norway, and on her first night there is saved from falling off a cliff by the grumpy hermit (also on vacation), Tor and his cat Frøy. Tor and Holly find themselves running into each other and slowly start to warm up to one another after a frosty start. The story is filled with village cuteness, holiday cheer, and all the fun foods/drinks to get you hungry for the holiday. I have to say, my all time favorite character in this book was Frøy, I so badly want my own Frøy. Frøy is the cutest cat ever and honestly, the all star of this book. The romance is sweet and simple, and the story was a fast read. This is a great read for anyone looking for an easy holiday read during this Christmas! The couple is sweet and their romance is a nice paced one. Definitely gave off a Hallmark Holiday movie vibe, so grab your cup of hot coco and get cozy for this winter romance!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I was really disappointed with this title. I wanted a cute and cozy Christmas Romance and - while this did have a romance it was neither cute nor cozy. All of the descriptions of the cold, water, ice, grey skies etc just made me cold by proxy.

It was incredibly slow moving and fairly uneventful. I know it's the authors second book in English and I commend her for her effort but much of it reads really disjoined and at times too formal. All in all it just fell flat for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this Christmas Romance set in Norway! There was so much Norwegian lore and traditions. I learned a lot and now want to spend Christmas in a small Norwegian island!

The romance between Tor and Holly was slow burn and amazing. Froy, the cat, was my next favorite character. All the islanders had great voices and made me want to jump right into the story to hang out with them.

If you are looking for a quick read, Christmas romance, this is a book for you!

Oh I loved this book it’s had me cheesy grinning on a lots of occasions. A real Christmas community coming together with and extra dash of handsome hermit.. perfect ❤️

Christmas Island is Natalie Normann's second English release, following her first release called Summer Island. I enjoyed reading both of these for so many wonderful reasons. Norway is a place that is high on my list of places that I am longing to visit. Reading these stories and reading about their traditions and ways of life made me felt like I was a visitor there, all while sitting in my house. I enjoyed the relationship Holly and Tor in this story, and I especially loved the appearance of Froy, the Norwegian Forest cat, in this book! This book is making me want to visit Norway at Christmas time now!!

2 stars

DNF'd at 30%.

I wish I had better things to say about this book because I absolutely love the idea of it - who doesn't want to get cozy on Christmas with a hunky Norwegian man? Unfortunately, the execution did not live up to the concept. Normann tries to generate tension by repeatedly saying that each of these characters have secrets, but there seems to be no indication from where I stopped that answers will be presently forthcoming. The story reads more like a series of random events occurring to people that just happen to be near each other and despite the fact that there are insane amounts of dialogue between them, their conversations manage to really go nowhere. I tried to slog through it for as long as I could because it is normally not my policy to DNF, but I just could not get through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This novel has such a cute premise: a doctor who's visiting her brother and a scruffy hermitish architect- both on a beautiful Norwegian island in the midst of the Christmas holiday.

Unfortunately, it fell flat for me personally. I had such high hopes for a connection between Holly and Tor, but there really weren't any sparks, until the end of the novel, and then at that, really no deepness to the spark.

I also found myself slogging through so many Norwegian words and foods. I was looking forward to learning more about the culture and traditions, but I as a reader seemed to fall flat in this scenario. Clearly the author has spent time in a very similar location/situation- her love of it is apparent, but I personally felt bogged down by the food descriptions and words I didn't know (without a quick description to make it easier on me). I was very thankful to be reading this on a Kindle where I could keep searching all the words. I did feel like a college kid again, researching a novel, for as many searches as I had to do!

Froy, the giant cat was my far my favorite character in the novel- he's just divine and I am so glad he was there in the story line!

I would have LOVED to hear more of Tor and Holly's background- clearly they were both hurting, and that pain has brought them to this point, but when we did learn little snippets of their storyline, it felt so rushed I couldn't get into it, until we were already on to more food descriptions.