This was such a lovely Christmas romance! It has the same kind of cozy, romantic vibe as the movie The Holiday, but the Norway setting adds an extra fun layer of armchair travel. This is the perfect story to curl up with by the fire and I look forward to rereading even closer to Christmas.

What I really loved about this book (apart from Frøy the cat) was the wilderness of the island and how it explores Norwegian Christmas traditions and customs, that really gave it a unique hook to me. Holly and Tor's relationship had all the right amounts of tension and chemistry and they were both likeable characters. I just felt a bit disappointed at the ending, it felt a bit rushed and abrupt to me.

Holly has escaped London over Christmas to stay at her brother's house on an Norwegian island. Her brother is away when she arrives so she's left to find her own way around. She gets lost and ends up on the wrong side of the island. When she is rescued by the local hermit Tor there is a spark.

Such an adorable story. I loved the setting and hearing about Norwegian traditions. I loved the 'feel good' feeling about life on the island and it's characters. Uplifting, funny, sweet and a dash of romance. The perfect story to read with a mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket.

Lovely story of finding love and yourself on a Norwegian Island over Christmas. You can have a winter wonderland story with a real emphasis on family and the joy of life.
There is also a lovely emphasis on Norwegian food- do not read when you are hungry!

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
First time reading this Author was an ok read nothing overly exciting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for letting me read this book.
The setting and wonderful descriptions of the food are what made the book so different. Froy as well, was a fantastic addition to the story. Tor and Holly didn't have as much passion as I expected, but it was still a lovely romance all the same. Well written and easy to read.
3.5 stars

This book is a great follow up to Summer Island, but it is not necessary to read that book first. The author gives us some great characters in Holly and Tor, along with some of the other inhabitants of the island. This lovely romance will whisk you away for a Norwegian Christmas experience!

This was a wonderful, uplifting escapist read which has definitely helped get me into the Christmas spirit. I think that this would be the perfect book to read on the run up to Christmas preferably curled up under a cosy blanket with a hot drink.

Firstly the author does a great job of setting the scene in this book and I loved the vivid descriptions of the beautiful, rugged Island. There is a lot of information about Norway and their Christmas customs included in the story which I found fascinating to learn about. The food in particular is wonderfully described and sounded incredibly yummy, that I wished I could try it too.

The characters are all brilliant creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book. I absolutely loved funny, quirky Holly and warmed to her quickly. Her budding relationship with Tor, the local hermit, was lovely to read about. They seemed to compliement each other really well and I loved the chemistry between them. I found I had to keep reading to find out what happens to them.

Overall I really enjoyed this heartwarming, festive read from a new author for me. There was something very addictive about the story and I often found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading. The recipes at the back of the book were a nice touch and I can’t wait to try some of them soon.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to One More Chapter for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to get into the festive spirit!

Wow a beautiful enchanting read perfect for this time of year! Such an immersive experience due to the gorgeous descriptions of the Norwegian edible delicacies, the fjords, the darkness and coldness! You felt instantly transported there and part of the customary celebrations,with friends and family aplenty!
The amazingly likeable characters all exhibiting kindness,festive cheer and friendship makes this book a real feel good read that you won’t want to end!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

I enjoyed this Christmas story. It takes place in Norway. I loved learning about the Norwegian Christmas customs. Holly comes to the island of the coast of Norway to stay with her brother Jack. She is on leave from the hospital in London, because of something Holly did at the hospital. She gets lost trying to find Jack;s house. Holly meets Tor and his cat Froy. Tor is known as a hermit. He is on the island working. I enjoyed how Tor and Holly’s story played out. I loved getting to know the people who live on the island. A wonderful cozy Christmas read. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

My goodness! How festive is that cover? Honestly I could just stare at it all day. It’s stunning. The cover and blurb just ooze Christmas charm and immediately brought joy to me. And that’s without opening a single page.
I adore travel and festive romance so finding a combination of the two was just superb luck. Norway isn’t a common book location, so I found the description of the landscape stunning and the sumptuous food made my mouth water. I could feel the cold of the snow but that didn’t stop this book from completely warming my heart and soul. Learning about Nordic festive traditions was really enjoyable and a fabulous touch.
I’m a cat lover so Froy was amazing and such a central character despite not saying a word. Both Tor and Holly have baggage and issues to work through and these are revealed throughout the book. I adore plots where a character is introvert and grumpy and opens up to a romantic lead so this plot was right up my ally.
An adorable and very festive read that will melt the coldest of hearts.

This was a fun Christmas book set in Norway. I enjoyed the characters, story and setting. This was a great seasonal book.

Spending Christmas on a tiny, and very cold island off the coast of Norway is not what Holly expected. She also didn't expect for her brother to be in Spain, instead of at home on the island; she didn't expect to get lost in the dark and almost die her first night in, and she didn't expect to meet a "hermit" who would save her life. This Christmas trip is definitely more than Holly expected.

Arriving after dark on the island immediately leads Holly into trouble. She's got the wrong boots, her phone is dead, and there are absolutely no lights anywhere, so when she hears a mysterious noise all she can think of is the worst possible outcome. Turns out, it could have been even worse than that! Lucky for Holly, Frøy and Tor (not Thor, thank you very much) are there to save her from a quite perilous demise. After her first night turns out not so great, Holly has to try very hard to understand why her brother left London to live here, on this island, with nothing but grey and cold and lots of cliffs to accidentally step off.

This was such a cute book! I really enjoyed learning about the culture and food (and the recipes at the end were an amazing touch). The setting is absolutely perfect and I was longing to be on that island the entire time I was reading. Now, I'm planning to go back and read Summer Island to see how Jack got there too!

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute! I love books where the setting is described in such detail that you can really immerse yourself in the story. That's exactly what Natalie Normann did!

She described the wintery setting of Norway with such detail that it made the reader want to go! While it sounded freezing cold, it also sounded incredibly cozy. I loved the way cultural traditions were also described in the book. It was a really fun read. I liked the romance story between the main characters a lot and it wasn't cheesy or overdone. Overall, a nice holiday read to out you in festive spirits!

Having read and enjoyed Summer Island, I was excited to received a review copy of Christmas Island.

I find Natalie Normann’s writing so relaxing to read. I loved returning to the Island again, and getting to see how Jack and Ninni are doing. I loved Froy (apologies, I don’t know how to make the o with the line through it) best of all! I also loved both Holly and Tor, and their story. I loved reading about all the Christmas traditions, and the different kinds of Norwegian food they eat. The whole book just has a lovely, relaxing atmosphere.

I did notice a few small errors - Froy’s tail was always referred to as a tale, for example. And Rosie said something intelligible, which from the context, was meant to be unintelligible, I think. These do not in any way detract from the lovely story though.

This was a beautiful and relaxing read, full of Christmassy togetherness. I really recommend it.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Beautiful! A real delight to read this novel set mostly in Norway, especially as it covered Christmas and romance. Natalie gave wonderful descriptions of how Christmas is celebrated in Norway- a place I love to visit.

I was in desperate need for a Christmassy light romance with no drama. This book really met that need completely. The story is sweet, endearing and straight forward. This book does not pretend to be anything but what is it: an uplifting holiday romance. I really liked the characters, though backstory is pretty lacking. I can forgive that as the priority is the romance. I loved the glimpse into Norwegian holiday customs and the food culture. I fell in love with Normann’s writing as well. I love how the author shows us the island and its people rather than telling us. In all, this book made me smile, which is exactly what I needed it to do.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Christmas Island by Natalie Normann.

Holly is on the island to visit her brother, but he has been delayed elsewhere. While looking for his house she gets lost and reluctantly rescued by Tor. As they spend more time together he becomes more sociable. They know it is only temporary, but what will happen when it is time for Holly to go back to her life in London?

A great read - makes me want to go and visit the island!

I really enjoyed this story immersing myself in a Norwegian Christmas with a foodie twist. All the food items described in the book sounded absolutely delicious and just the thing to keep out the cold and damp. I was reminded of childhood at my Grandmother's, she had Norwegian neighbours who supplied several Norwegian goodies and had Norwegian Nisse in their house at Christmas. I remember the Brown Cheese (Gjetost, I think it was) which was very sweet that I don't think I'd like it now. There are a few recipes at the back of the book to try as well with plenty of Cinnamon to evoke the aroma of Christmas.

The well rounded characters were wonderful, in truly atmospheric surroundings and tempting to try a Norwegian Christmas. when we can. Definitely a book to cosy up with on an English cold damp day as just so straightforward with no dramas and misunderstandings it just flows along and I was sorry when it ended.

In all honesty I’m not usually one for romance but when I saw this one pop up online, it ticked several boxes for me. The first box was the festive cover which totally radiates Christmas and the second box was ticked by the Norwegian setting, a country I’d love to visit especially during Christmastime.

After an incident at her hospital, Holly Greene escapes her life as a busy doctor in London and retreats to her brothers isolated home on an island of the coast of Norway. She is looking forward to forgetting her troubles and spending Christmas with her family but her time there is nearly cut short when she makes a wrong turn and nearly ends up of a cliff.

Her saviour is a rugged Norwegian called Tor though really it was his very clever cat Frøy who raised the alarm. Tor wants to be alone, he has left Oslo and his own demons. Could Holly’s arrival bring him out of his shell?

Holly’s brother has yet to return from his trip abroad so she is left to her own devices, she quickly makes friends with the locals and starts to enjoy herself but a certain cat always seems to keep appearing and his owner is never far behind. Can they both forget their troubles and celebrate Christmas together?

This was a cute read, I loved the setting as it was all snowy and cold plus the food in this book is fabulous. Just the mention of marzipan was making me drool plus a whole heap of other cakes I’d never heard of but have looked up since!

Plus that cat, Frøy is the main star of the book, I believe he is described as a Norwegian Forest Cat and he sounds ever so fluffy and adorable, the kind of cat I’d love to have.

This is a charming read that will warm the heart over the colder months.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.