Christmas Island by Natalie Normann is a charming Nordic holiday romance that follows Holly as she travels from London to Norway and finds an unlikely and surprising love. This is a light, cozy read perfect for curling up in blankets and losing yourself in the witty interactions and unlikely events experienced by the two main characters, Tor and Holly. I finished the book easily in a day as it was a light read and nearly impossible to put down. It is honestly absolutely adorable and if Hallmark does not make this into a movie for their annual marathons, it is crazy.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me and I found myself skimming to the end.

This was such a fun Christmas read. I loved reading it during the Christmas season as I find books truly help me get into the holiday spirit.

Thank you for my copy in exchange of a fair review.

A perfect book to read at Christmas or any winter's day as it brings one to life on an island off the coast of Norway which is reached by ferry. Arriving llate at night off the ferry Holly Greene stumbles nearly to the edge of a cliff but is resued by a yellow eyed large cat called Froy. Froy's owner Tor has his own reasons for being there too and has been a recluse since he arrived. Holly has retreated here to her brother's rustic home after something that has stopped her work as a doctor in a London hospital. As it is near Christmas Holly is dragged into the local village life and she encounters Tor at various stages during her stay. Norwegian life in the darkness of winter is all about homemade crafts and food and company and this novel certainly gives plenty of insights into this. How Holly's problems are resolves and how she and Tor eventually get together is beautifully told. WEll done for writing this quirky tale!

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.

Absolutely the most charming Christmas book I've read in a very long time. Of course the story is predictable but the setting and details really make the book shine. The characters felt like how my friends and I are, they were very relatable. I loved this book!

What a fantastic story, loved it so much that I read it in a day. In these uncertain times it was lovely to read about people pulling together to help each other. How everyone knows everyone and it’s as if all the islanders welcome strangers into there fold without any explanation of your past. Just wonderful

When I saw Christmas in the title I knew I had to give Christmas Island a go. Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the cover drew me in also.

It's never nice giving a book a lower starred review, but sadly this book wasn't for me. I did not connect to Holly and I felt that was quite irritating. However, the going's on of the Island were nice to read and I liked how close knit they were.

Christmas Island by Natalie Normann was an easy, low drama read within a beautifully described Norwegian island. There were some strong bonds of friendship between different families on the island but the overall romance between the main characters Holly and Tor. My mouth kept watering when I read the descriptions of all the Norwegian cakes and desserts. It would be fun to make some of the included recipes; thank you for that, Natalie Normann. I wanted this book to fill me with Christmas joy and warm romance feelings, but this was lacking. It did make me want to visit Norway!

Thank you to Natalie Normann, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.

A real Christmas romance, one to curl up with a cosy blanket and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. You will enjoy this and want for more. 5 stars and I recommend you read this.

Christmas Island by Natalie Normann
Publisher: HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Genre: Romance
Release Date: November 20, 2020

Christmas Island by Natalie Normann is a sweet holiday romance.

Set in Norway, Christmas Island tells the story of Holly Greene, a Londoner who is down on her luck and goes to hide away at her brother's home.

I really enjoyed the setting and heading about the Norwegian Christmas customs. That added a special something to this book. The charaters were interesting and likable. The romance was fun. Overall, this was a great book to get you ready for Christmas. I would recommend reading this curled up in front of the fireplace with your hot beverage of choice (coffee for me, please) and just get lost in the story.

I'm so grateful to Natalie Normann, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute, warm and classic Christmas romcom. I loved the grumpy hero and I thought their chemistry was palatable from the start. I really liked the setting too - it was a character in of itself, and kind of in a way added to the book's tension. I really enjoyed it.

One of my favorite Holiday books! It had everything I can think of the make the perfect rom-com for winter. Including a Norwegian Forest cat named Froy. I highly recommend this book to curl up with and read the night away.

This one had four star possibilities but the romance was sort of flat. The build up was there so I was surprised and yes, disappointed when the “good part” was completely ellipses’d over. Boo. The rest of the book was extremely interesting. Taking place on a island (as titled) off of Norway the descriptions of the Christmas traditions, especially the food were amazing. I learned so much about brown cheese and marzipan and I love learning about other cultures and traditions. The descriptions were well woven into the story and not textbook like at all. The main plot was very enjoyable. Overall I enjoyed this book but felt that it could have been better and that is frustrating when all of the pieces are already there and just a little more was needed to tie a bow on it.

Cozy holiday read

This was such an easy read to fly through. It has a meet cute, a new romance, and an adorable small town at Christmas. By the end of this, I really want to visit a small Norway village and it's going on my travel list for sure!

Holly is a funny character. She's a bit clumsy and I laughed at how many phones she dropped during the story. She gets along well with pretty much everyone and I liked how she drew Tor out of his shell. At times she could be a bit much, but I thought she was a good doctor and a nice person. Tor is a bit opposite of Holly, he's a bit gruff at first and would rather be alone with his cat. I liked seeing inside his head and watching him fall for Holly, especially when he kept seeing her outside and trying to hide lol.

The author must be from Norway because I feel like I now know all about the Norwegian holiday traditions and the yummy treats that go with them. It made me hungry for sure and I think I need to make a Norwegian friend asap.

I do wish there was a bit more to the plot, maybe some action or drama to give it some depth. The ending also might have benefitted from an epilogue so we could see just where Holly and Tor ended up. Overall this was a cute Christmas read.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderfully fun and lighthearted Christmas story! 3.75 stars from me!

This story is set on a Norwegian island and the intricate details of life in that region of Norway had me Googling photos and airfare lol. The only Scadanavian books I've read prior are Nordic Noirs, so this story was totally opposite of what I'm used to and I was all here for it!

Quick summary: As Christmas approaches, Holly has some stuff going on back home in London and decides to head to the Norwegian Island her brother lives on. Tor is also vacationing on the island along with his cat, Froy. Tor's a bit reclusive and everyone referred to him as "The Hermit." A friendship ensues.

I love a good holiday romance where they start out as friends. They were instantly attracted to one another, but they let the relationship build in a slower, more lasting way. Building that foundation first.

I enjoyed learning about all the Norwegian holiday traditions, learning of the kind of food they eat, how they have to dress in the winter, etc. It was fun to learn about Norway while reading about this sweet romance.

If you like a slower build romance, this will be a great fit for you. If you're looking for an instant love that's hot and steamy, this probably won't work for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the e-galley in exchange for my honest thoughts.

When we meet Holly she is cold, wet, grumpy and almost plunges off a cliff into the sea! Not exactly the best start to the Christmas break but she is saved by a Norwegian Forest Cat of all things (I've looked them up they are a massive, regal looking beast of a cat).

Saved by Froy and Tor, Holly gets more than she bargains for when she journeys to her brothers home on an island off the coast of Norway, to escape her work troubles. What I loved most about this book was the Norwegian traditions you learn about on the way like the Nisse and big celebration that happens on Christmas eve. It painted a warm, inviting festive feast of a book, in direct contrast with it's blustery winter setting, and was the perfect backdrop for Holly and Tor. She is colourful, warm and loud, he is muted, standoffish and quieter but ultimately they both are kind hearts in need of a break and each other.

A perfect treat of a book that will get you in a festive mood, have you thinking about a winter break to Norway and one hundred percent leave you feeling hungry. ( I particularly liked the inclusion of recipes at the end).

This is a sweet love story and a great holiday read! Holly arrives at the Norwegian island home of her brother to recover after a professional set back. After a series of embarrassing but cute meetings with the local “hermit” Tor and his charming cat, the two develop a lovely relationship. The romance is a slow build and relatively low on drama. It’s a calming romance (if that is a thing).

One aspect of the book that really stood out to me was all of the descriptions of Norwegian holiday traditions and foods. Someday, when the world opens up again, I need to visit Norway! Overall this is a cozy, relaxing winter read. I will definitely read another book by the author in the future.

Thanks to Natalie Normann, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A romance novel that is a cut above the norm. Holly and Tor are both taking time out on a remote island in Norway over Christmas. They start a holiday romance and help each other to lock their wounds and heal. Along the way we discover how a bleak dark island becomes full of warmth and colour and Christmas traditions and lots and lots of food. The real star of the story is the cat,a real character! No cringing conflicts or misunderstandings between our lovers, but a real dilemma about could this holiday romance turn into something more. Very enjoyable and makes me want to visit Norway at Christmas!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I'd been having a bit of a romance binge and I love anything Scandinavian so the synopsis grabbed me.

Unfortunately the story did not deliver.

Holly is a newly qualified doctor who has been suspended for a month (for reasons unknown until near the end) and has subsequently gone to see her brother, Jack, in Norway.
However, her brother & his family are visiting his partner's parents in Spain at the same time.

Because Holly is, arguably a total moron, when she arrives on the island she nearly falls to her death from a cliff but is saved by Tor, the town hermit who has been staying there for a few months after some personal issues.

The two inevitably become close.

The romance was so bland.
Like an unflavoured cracker.
And I genuinely think the only reason Tor liked Holly was because he didn't speak to anyone else...

I don't like to slate books so I will say that I absolutely loved the Norwegian food, recipes, traditions and language but that's about it.

Miraculously, every single adult on the (secluded) Norwegian Island can speak perfect English. I know other countries tend to learn English more frequently than English speaking countries learn other languages but that just seemed a bit far fetched to me.

The writing style felt clunky and over simplified and I absolutely hated Holly.
She was unbelievably selfish. She always let's people do things for her and never once offers to help or return the favour. She stays in her brother's house, uses his partner's clothes, eats all their food, doesn't clean anything. And when her brother asks her to take his produce to the Christmas market to sell she makes SUCH a big deal about how she's doing him a huge favour when in reality she's not.

She's also irritatingly stupid.
She doesn't properly check her route to the house, she doesn't charge her phone and then drops it in the snow, doesn't have the appropriate clothing for the weather, doesn't even learn basic Norwegian etc.
Clearly all her brain power went on her medical studies because she has no common sense.

At one point, someone mentions 'nisse' which are spirits who guard the farms and Holly says they are like the English 'brownies' - I'm English and I've never heard of them, and when I googled it, it did not come up. I'm not saying it doesn't exist but the way Holly described it as if every person in the UK knows what they are irritated me.

She's also so obsessed with her weight and 'eating healthy' etc. The issue is not there for her to overcome the toxic thoughts, or to grow as a person - it's purely her fat shaming thoughts and it was tedious. Forever worrying about gaining weight or questioning how people can eat so much etc. In 2021 we don't need this attitude perpetuated in books.

CW: miscarriage