I may not have read this at Christmas, but in mid Febraury when the snow and temperatures sure made it feel like Christmas. That didn't hamper my enjoyment of this at all.

I loved seeing some of the characters we know and love from Summer Island, namely Alma, but also being introduced to new faces in the same setting. It's one of my favourite things about series and I can't wait to hopefully visit these people and places again.

I love a grumpy x sunshine romance and this book has that in DROVES. I loved seeing Tor warm up to Holly throughout the book. I also love a love interest who has a cat.

One thing I felt missing from Summer Island was recipes we could try out, so I was so glad to see some recipes at the end of this book. I'll definitely be trying them out.

Well, that’s that. I’m officially ruined for all other Christmas stories EVER. I loved this book and its world so much ❤️I'll be searching for more books by Normann for SURE!

A comfortable read with romance and sweetness, but lacking in the drama that comes with so many of this genre. The author writes this book well and I enjoyed learning about the Norwegian Customs that I rarely hear about during Christmas when a lot of culture mainly focuses around the American kind. There was some really great writing and I really enjoyed learning about Holly, our main character but also the information about Norway helped along the way.

Their food definitely sounds right up my street and it sounds absolutely wonderful, the warmth of their Christmas traditions had me hooked and I felt that this was such a lovely read, heartwarming with some great writing, I loved it and couldn't put it down.

Well done, Natalie Normann, I was hooked. This was the best festive escape.

With thanks to NetGalley, Natalie Normann and the publishers for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I really struggled to get into this and put it down to try later and never came back to it. I think it was me rather that the book as such

Absolutely delightful read, full of such festive warmth and I just was so in love with this read it in one sitting. The descriptions were just so gorgeous I could actually have been in Norway and I desperately want to go even more now. Great characters, fabulous story, wonderful happy feelings, what more could you want m pick this up for a smile.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

What could be better than travel (culture), Christmas and romance. I loved the descriptions of Norway traditions having been to Norway I could picture the occasion. Definitely a book worth reading.

I really enjoyed this one, I love visiting different places in books, that's what reading is all about for me, escapism.
I like all of the characters very much and felt that they were very real, having been to Norway a couple of years ago.

The setting was perfect and well described and I liked learning about the different foods, and the recipes at the book were a really nice touch.

All in all a lovely cosy read.

Too cheesy for me unfortunately. This book was out of my comfort zone and I really hoped I would like it but I found the characters and plot to be too cheesy.

I wanted to love this book SO BADLY, but it really missed the mark for me.

Holly travels to the the remote town in Norway to escape a tricky work situation back in London - the only problem is that her idyllic vision of a Norwegian Christmas is far from the truth. Instead of twinkling lights and romantic settings, it's freezing cold and dark. Shortly after embarking in town, she gets lost and is rescued by a surly Viking-like man, named Tor and his gigantic cat, Froy. Just like Holly, Tor is working through some personal issues of his own, but the two seem to keep crossings paths.

I was so looking forward to a fun, lighthearted Christmas romance, but the chemistry between Holly and Tor was lackluster. Their narrative starts off with a meet-cute, but Holly's standoffish-ness was borderline rude. The dialogue between the two was a bit clunky and I just wanted the story to go more in-depth with character development.

Overall an easy read, but left much to be desired.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper's Collins UK for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review - all of my opinions are my own!

2/5 - ⭐⭐

I read Summer Island by this author and adored it. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one and it didn’t disappoint! It was so so good! I loved the characters, the story and just everything. Be sure to pick this up!

This story is crammed full of Nordic traditions. It is full of the atmosphere of dark Christmas nights (and I mean dark!), seasonal food, good company and old traditions. Set in the middle of all this are the two central characters, Holly and Tor. They both have their own reasons for wanting to escape to the Norwegian island. You can't help but like Holly. Family means a lot to her and her determination to help her brother shines through. Tor seems more complicated. You see glimpses of a softer side when he skypes his old friends and through his care of the redoubtable Froy.

The descriptions of the island are vividly written and you can visualise the community. Set off the mainland, it seems to offer warmth through the efforts of its inhabitants. This is a gentle, comforting read which charms the reader and leaves you rooting for Holly and Tor.

In short: Escape into a Nordic Christmas
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

Loved the coziness of this story! The wintery setting with all the cliffs over the cold sea really made me so happy to be snuggled up on a warm sofa, reading. The love story was perfect for the characters - slow and a little bit goofy - and isn’t that just how some romances continue on? Best cast member was the pup, who helped develop the story with all his antics!

Just the ticket! A well written, escape from the multitude of problems besetting us all at the moment....not to far away from reality to be annoying, its still cold and wet. However all characters in the story have a warmth about them and I would be more than happy to be a friend of the islanders, in fact if it were at all possible I would move there today. If there is a sequel I would even buy it, well done Natalie, thank you Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holly is desperately trying to escape her current situation so she goes to visit her brother on a little island off the coast of Norway. While there she meets Tor who is also trying to escape from something.

This was a sweet story but in theory I think I should have loved this one more than I did. I liked it but I didn’t love it as it took me just a little too long to become invested in the characters stories. I did much prefer the second half of the book and I really liked the ending. Would read another from this author in the future.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The embodiment of hygge, this was cozy and comforting, and a great read to curl up with in the Christmas season. I wish I’d gotten more engaged with the romance, but that fell a little flat for me. However, for what I wanted this to be– a great read to curl up with in the holiday season, a total festive escape– this one was just fine and fit the Bill.

I loved this and made me want to be on an island away from it all with snow and Christmas and lovely food and drink. Escaping at the moment seems to so far away so nice to pretend while reading about it.

This was an absolutely delightful read! The hero and heroine were adorable, and the secondary characters were all hilarious. This was a super cozy read over Christmas. And now I want to go to Norway.

This was cute and perfect for the holidays. It's not something I'm going to remember, but I'm not mad I read it.

I thought this book was a cute romance that gave off some winter vibes. I liked the idea of Christmas on an island with a close knit community. I do wish that the characters had more depth to them. It was a very slow-burn type of romance that took a while for me to get in to. I also thought the relationship was somewhat predictable. Nonetheless, it was a great read for Christmas/Winter and I'm glad I was able to receive a copy of this book. If you are looking for a hallmark type romance, this is definitely your book.

A cute and cosy Christmas read when the weather is cold to snuggle up and read with a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket.