I loved this book it is as warm and delicious as the curries it describes. It tells the story of Maya who has followed her boyfriend to Longyearbyen - a town deep in the artic but her anxiety goes through the roof worrying about the cold, the polar bears and just life in general, she fears she will never cut it and retreats to the safety of her bed but when her father announces that he is getting married she travels to India for the celebrations and begins to learn about herself and her life and why she is the way she is.

I was really glad when Ryan showed himself for who he was and thought that Maya would get her happy ending which she did, just not in the way I expected. I loved how Maya got her happy ending by realising her own self worth and achieving her own dreams and didn't need anyone else to make her happy. I thought the characters she meets along the way really added to the story and I found myself drawn straight in and not wanting to stop reading. The description of the recipes was perfect,I could almost smell them and really would have loved a recipe section at the back so you could go away and try to recreate her meals!

This was a great book that dealt with real emotions and mental health issues that will pick you up and take you away!

From the bright cover I was expecting a cute romcom or a clever Northern Exposure style fish out of water story about the city girl come to a quaint village full of colourful characters and starts a supper club full of quirky guests.
*SPOILER ALERT* this is not that story, the supper club doesn't even show up until halfway through the book.

But don't let that scare you away. The story of Maya, who has never felt quite like she belonged anywhere and who suffers from major anxiety caused by past trauma is a delightful read regardless of my unmet expectations.
This story is a journey. Maya comes to a remote Arctic island to follow a man and winds up finding herself. It might sound cliché, but the story delivered more. The recipes sound so good, I was hungry all the time. The main locations are written about in a realistic way by an author who has lived in both places. The characters are unique but not in the cloying, two-dimensional way one sometimes finds in a "quirky small town" story. All in all I was very moved by Maya's story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins Publishing for this ARC

I really enjoyed this book - it was slightly slow to get going, and the amount of writing about the main character’s anxiety was initially a bit tedious. However, as it became critical to the story, I found it quite engrossing. Worth staking with, as it’s not as predictable as you may think…

I loved the settings, really let me imagine both the Arctic and India - also the descriptions of food were really great.

Would happily read more from this author.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Who doesn't like a good curry mixed in with a good story and great characters. I really enjoyed this.

I really enjoyed this book even though it was not what I expected. Maya goes to the Artic with her boyfriend Ryan, not really knowing what to expect. It’s sooo cold and sooo dark and she finds it so difficult to fight the demons of her depression. As well as this she is having flashbacks/dreams of her past when her mother was alive ( she died when Maya was very young), which she is finding very unsettling. A visit to India to see her dad brings memories from old but also reveals the beginnings of lies that have been buried for years.
Maya feels at a loss, hurt, disappointed, afraid, will she cope in a new place.
The offer of a job at the end of the world cabins gives her an outlet to do something she enjoys cooking, which I turn leads to happiness, friendships and a sense of belonging.
My only disappointment is that there was no recipes at the end to try as my mouth wanted butter chicken.

This book was absolutely fabulous! Loved how different the setting was- learning about life in the Arctic was amazing, not to mention the added interest of life in Bangalore. The descriptions of food were tantalising and I thought she approached the issue of anxiety and general mental health conditions delicately, sympathetically and in a very informed way. Not enough books go into such detail. Seeing the protagonist’s confidence develop was inspirational- a truly amazing read.

First things first: this is not a romance novel in the traditional sense. What it is however is a wonderful story with a lovely main character, finding her footing in the coldest of places with people that have warm hearts. And the food! I find that I LOVE stories that incorporate recipes to evoke a sense of place and this was wonderful for that. I'd love a companion recipe book! This book deals with the seriousness of anxiety and mental illness in a very compassionate way. Enjoy!

Cookbook In Hand…
The Arctic is not exactly as envisaged for Maya after having agreed to follow boyfriend Ryan to the ends of the earth. In fact, things are often despairing. With cookbook in hand there may well be a demand for some delicious food. Dealing with some difficult issues with a sleight of hand and with empathy this is an unexpected and often warming read.

I thought this book was going to be cutesy and light, but it’s actually a really good read with deeper, emotional tones to it. It’s a super sweet book that I think could easily be a wonderful movie!! The author did a great job describing the environment and the food which for whatever reason, worked perfectly together! With themes of finding out who we are and where we belong, food and family, love and loss, and so much more, this book was wonderful and really made me connect and feel for the main protagonist, Maya. Great read!

The title had me intrigued.

Maya moves to the Arctic with her boyfriend, Ryan. The snow, the cold and the dark were bigger obstacles than she anticipated.

There were several threads running through the novel. I thought the subject of anxiety was very sensitively tackled and it was great to see how Maya became stronger and more confident as the story progressed. Also, the story of how Maya lost her mother at a young age and how her memories of her were slowly returning. Maya's acceptance of her new stepmother and her short romance with an old friend from India. The author certainly manages to pack a lot in!

The writer has a quirky writing style which flowed easily. It was well plotted and the characters were well painted.

My only criticism would be that while the Indian recipes were an integral part of the story, I felt there were too many descriptions of the dishes. Perhaps, some could have been linked to recipes at the end of the book?

I would definitely recommend this read and look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks indeed to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book! It was quite different to my usual type of book, but I loved it. I loved how the writer made the characters so real and believable, and it was very interesting to have them in the Arctic. It was so descriptive. I could happily read another! Shame the recipes weren't in the reading copy but I'll have to buy the book! Definitely worth it.

#TheArcticCurryClub #Netgalley

I can't believe this is a debut novel. It feels so accomplished and had me completely enthralled early on.

The Arctic and curry are not necessarily two things you would expect to fit together so well but yet everything about this book just works.

The descriptions of the Arctic in winter, the never ending darkness, the cold, the dog sledding and snowmobiling are all there and presented so vividly.

And then there are other equally impressive sections set well not in the Arctic but also conjure up the sense of that place so impressively.

Then there is the mental health theme running through the book that I'd dealt with sensitively, and I really felt for Maya at times. Especially when more of her family history is discovered.

And then there is food, and the descriptions left my mouth watering and feeling like I could smell the aromas and spices.

It wouldn't be the Arctic without some wildlife and there is a rather memorable scene involving something whiter and more savage than your average Teddy bear!!!

I've always been a sucker for a book with an exotic location and you can't get much more different to regular life than the Arctic. This gave a wonderful feeling of what life in the Arctic must be like in winter that transported me from the comfort of my garden. Somehow I ended up reading this in a rare hot day in September and not curled up in front of a fire all cosy are you are more likely to be!!

A gem of a book and I'm excited to see what the author will write next.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

I really enjoyed reading this book, could’ve gone down the ‘chick lit’ route but tackled mental illness in a sympathetic way and the main character was great! Loved the info for the recipes she cooked and the link to her childhood, love that the ending didn’t go the traditional way either. Highly recommend, a must read x
Thank you for a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Perfect read to curl up on the couch with on a cold night.

A book that covered some very difficult subjects. Especially mental healthy and anxiety . The idea of Indian food and the Artic are just a combination you don’t think of. I loved how food helped Maya .Ryan was an idiot . I won’t spoil it but I am glad love did not guide the ending in the way you thought it might. Parents do try to protect us. I really loved it.. A very good ending, not cliched at all. Read it

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to see something different from a rom com. I really enjoyed the unique setting and the descriptions made me feel I was there. I loved that there were some strong female characters in the book and a general ‘I’ll show you’ attitude even when life knocks you back.

I couldn't wait to start reading this book, the story sounded really good and the title sounded intriguing. Maya and her boyfriend have moved to the Arctic and she is not at all fussed about it, it doesn't seem all it is cracked up to be. Because of all this Ryan is being distant from her which makes her feel lonely in such an isolated place. Her mother use to cook and that is where Maya has learnt her skills from, so to bring comfort to herself she reads her mother's cook book and cooks from it, from here she starts to make a few friends and manages to get a job doing something she loves. Finally things are looking up. Maybe coming here is not a bad thing after all. I think people will be able to relate to this story about doing something for someone you love but with it not necessarily the right thing for you. It shows you can make the best of a bad situation if you just put your mind to it. I really enjoyed this uplifting read and I look forward to reading what ever Dani comes up next with.

This is a lovely, pleasant read that will wile away a few hours with a hot drink and a biscuit.
The characters are mostly likeable and whilst some of the major plot points were largely predictable, I thought the story was very original and a good example of the genre.
I would recommend to anyone wanting a soft, chill out book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Maya leaves for the arctic with her boyfriend. Maya wasn't sure she made the right decision of going to the artic. She decides to cook which opens up more doors. I enjoyed this book.

I went into this expecting a nice, light, fluffy Hallmark type rom com. What I got was a multi-dimensional character with anxiety issues to overcome, and a complex life to deal with. It was beautifully written and handled by the author. I enjoyed it, myself. Perhaps it may not be for someone solely looking to get lost in a rom com, though. I would certainly read more from this author.