In the span of just a couple of days, Flora loses everything in her life: her boyfriend, her best friend, and her job. So what better option than to run off to Finland to open a Christmas shop in a camper van?

The original idea of this is adorable. I adore Christmas (although maybe not quite as much as the main character) and I love a good “quirky x grumpy” trope.

However, I couldn’t seem to like the main character. She was incredibly self-destructive, naïve, and kind of annoying even.

Some bits were funny and cute. I did really like the MC’s best friend. I just couldn’t seem to find my rhythm while reading and kept losing track of where I was. So, I did eventually have to DNF this one around 35% in.

I think it was just slightly too millennial for me. I can see why others like it so much though.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Flora has nothing going for her in life currently apart from her love of Christmas and all things festive.

Unemployed, it's time for her to live her festive dream and go to explore Lapland. the ideal place for someone who is obsessed with Christmas.

Not everyone that she meets has the same passion for Christmas. Is she able to share her love of Christmas with them.

The perfect festive read to snuggle down to under a blanket with a hot chocolate too.

This is part of the Van life series, but Rosie and Aria do not feature in this one. It is a standalone book.
I love the storyline of this book, it's very unique. There have been several Festive books that have been set in Lapland, but this is the first that I have read where someone visits there in a Campervan to work.
Flora is a quirky character who is likeable. She is very enthusiastic about Christmas. The location and Flora's enthusiasm make for a fun and festive read. This is an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

The plot of this Christmas story is original and charming. When Flora’s life is turned upside down, she decides to leave everything she knows and go to Lapland to run a Christmas shop out of her vehicle. While many books tell the story of a girl uprooting her life after heartbreak, and many Christmas books tell of someone from the big city going to a more rural location, Raisin made all of this feel new with the aspect of Van Life.

The only flaw in this book is our heroine. While she has good qualities, like an unwillingness to try to be someone she isn’t, her “zaniness” was too played up for me. Someone can be zany without being a cartoon character. For the entire book, I kept picturing the woman from Santa Clause 2 that created her own Christmas parody of Shania Twain.
She was also incredibly naive. She acted shocked over things most people would predict, like a boss firing you for doing something they have told you repeatedly not to do.

Quirky Sunshine meets Grump in snowy and Christmasy Lapland.

After Flora's life has turned upside down, encouraged by her best friend, she hops on a van and goes to spread Christmas cheer in Lapland. There she meets gorgeous irritable Connor. There is nothing more exciting for such a holiday lover as Flora than to turn just-met-Grinch into a believer in the Christmas miracle.

Those that love Christmas stories filled with wading through the snow, lighting Christmas trees, going to sled rides, cozying up in a cottage will thoroughly enjoy this sweet story.

For me, this book was missing something. It was supposed to be about Van life, but I did not learn much about it except that the van itself might break some time or that there is not really much space for anything. I honestly could not even picture how exactly she sells goods from her van.🤨

Romance also felt a little flat. The only encounter I really liked was their sauna incident (made me laugh out loud). I think it would have been much better if written from a dual POV. I think knowing what Connor thought of her quirkiness would have helped a lot. And would have made more believable his change of heart.

Flora is about to turn thirty, and her life hasn’t quite turned out the way she wanted. Most of her friends have careers, husbands and children; Flora has none of these things and feels like she’s drifting. The one thing Flora is passionate about is Christmas, so when she’s rather unfairly fired from her job as a retail assistant at a Christmas store, she does some soul-searching and makes a brave decision that upends her life in unexpected ways.

This is a cute story. Completely unbelievable ( I am still confused as to how selling some secondhand Hallmark ornaments and tiny crystal figurines funded her van life) and contrived (the romance felt a bit flat- he hates Christmas!- but you know he’ll come around), but if you love all things Christmas, and easy-to-read feel good stories, you might enjoy this one. I appreciated her journey of embracing her quirks and staying true to herself.

This was exactly the book I needed to read right now! Easy to read, romantic and in a magical setting.

Flora is a girl who just doesn't quite fit anywhere. She is quirky, she speaks before she thinks and she loves Christmas. She feels like she has her dream job, working at a Christmas emporium. OK, she has to deal with a horrible boss and a co-worker who would throw her under the bus as quick as look at her, but all in all, she is exactly where she wants to be.......until she is cast adrift.

Lucky for Flora, she has her best friend by her side - someone who loves her as she is, and someone who will make sure she doesn't sabotage herself too badly. Unfortunately, Livvie is following her own path and that causes Flora to wonder what she is going to do next. Go to Lapland and live in a van? Why not. Only problem is Connor, whom she just can't seem to get on the right side of. Connor hates Christmas and he is a stickler for the rules; the exact opposite of Flora.

I have to say, the thought of Flora going to Lapland had me green with envy because that is exactly what I would like to do too. Not so much of the van life thing for me though, but experiencing the northern lights, reindeer and husky sled rides - yes please. One day, COVID permitting!

This was a lovely, easy read. Flora made some wonderful friends along the way in her journey and I really liked them.

The perfect book for Christmas reading, next to an open fire.

5 stars from me.

What a crazy character Flora is, but that said a loveable one, hat’s off to her for having the guts to take off on the adventure she did.
A great read in the build up to Christmas, an easy read to cuddle up on the sofa with on a wet autumn afternoon

When Flora loses her boyfriend, her job and her best friend all in one day, is definitely time for a change. Called zany by most of her exes (let's face it... any guy worth her time should know the names of all Santa's reindeer!) she's despairing of ever finding THE ONE. Her job at the Christmas Emporium may not be perfect, but at least she can spread Christmas cheer year round. But she's known for being a sucker for a sob story and one too many unapproved discounts, not to mention her penchant for tardiness gets her fired. Her best friend is trying to launch her company's new skin care line and moving to Las Angeles. Feeling bad for Flora, she suggests being her own boss. A traveling Christmas Shop might be just the adventure Flora needs.
This was a cute Christmas story and I'm a sucker for a good Hallmark movie. But Flora just seemed shallow and ditzy. While parts of the story had me laughing out loud, other parts just had me rolling my eyes. Flora and Connor just seemed like a bad fit. Overall just OK for me.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The latest installment in Rebecca Raisin's van life series is a fun, festive romance for the holidays. Christmas season is just around the corner and nothing is going right for Flora in London. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, she is fired from her job at a Christmas emporium and her best friend is moving to LA - there couldn't be a better time to take a chance and follow her dreams! Flora struggles as an employee, loves Christmas more than anything and dreams of running her own shop so decides to buy a camper van and head to Finland for a few weeks to operate a pop-up Christmas shop at a market in Lapland. She soon meets Connor, the Grinch-like manager of the market, who hates Christmas and Flora is determined to make him see the magic of the season. It's a quick, feel-good read featuring festive European Christmas markets, magical aurora borealis, dog sledding through the snow and sleighs pulled by reindeer that will have you daydreaming about your own holiday trip to Lapland!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

A really festive read, perfect to get into Christmas mood.
Flora is a unique character and even when sometimes I couldn't understand or liked her all the time, she’s a very interesting character. The thing I did not like about the book was that it felt too “insta-love” for me.
However, the overall result of the setting, story and characters was great, it was an enjoyable and cozy read and it made me want to go to Lapland.

As someone who has spent some time in Finland and been to Lapland, I loved the setting for the book. Has made me want to travel there again.

Flora's adventures appeal to us all - we all sometimes have no idea of our direction and it can take something out of the normal to find your path. And who doesn't want it to be Christmas all year round. Lovely story and one to read on a cold Winters day.

A delightful festive read that will fire up your Christmas spirit. When Flora is fired by her boss (Scrooge) she seizes the moment to follow her dreams. Imagine Lapland, reindeers, hot chocolate and Christmas hating Connor. Flora has her work cut out. A great read by a fab author.

I found Rebecca Raisin earlier this year and fell in love with her style of writing so when I was given the opportunity to review another one of her books I jumped at the opportunity.

In this book we meet Flora who is a lover of Christmas and wants everything to work out for good. She is loud and curvy and unapologetically herself. Then we have Conner, he is calm and likes order and structure.

They meet as a Christmas festival, well on the way to a Christmas festival when Flora’s van breaks down and Conner comes to her rescue. Throughout the book there many antics, some holiday cheer and a woman who you love to hate.

This book is one of those love hallmark Christmas style books and they even talk about those movies in the book. It is cute and had me grinning and in love with the characters. One of the things I do now is get books from the library or arcs. I only buy books if I really love them to have for later. This is one I will for sure buy.

All the festive feels!

Prepare to be well and truly won over by Flora.

This book has it all, love, humour and a cast of characters that warm your heart.

I could see this working well as a film.

Highly recommended.

A Christmas Delight! Flora's life goes up in flames so she takes her love of Christmas on the road in a van, to Lapland! It's A cute romance wrapped up in Christmas paper with lots of good feels! Perfect for a read by the fire in your own Christmas onesie and a warm beverage. Loved it!

So having read Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop and Aria's Travelling Book Shop, I was so excited when I got the ARC for Flora's travelling Christmas Shop--this is not a continuation of the travelling series as neither Rosie nor Aria is in this book.

Plot:- Flora seemed to be going through a hard time--her boyfriend breaks up with her, she is fired from her job. With the coaxing of her friend Livvie, Flora who is into Christmas flies off to Scandinavian Countries where she with the fellow Van Life's trail through the countries. She meets Conner who is handsome like a Greek God but who doesn't believe in Christmas. Can Flora convince him to believe in Christmas and will romance blossom between the two?

Writing:- I actually enjoyed reading this book, just like the previous books and felt like watching a Hallmark movie. There's less than two months' more for Christmas and already, by reading this book, I can feel the vibe of Christmas! I do like the friendships that is developed in the book, the slow romance developing between Flora and Connor and of course loved reading about the snow and the Christmas in Finland, making me feel like I am in Finland celebrating Christmas! And quiet a cheesy romantic book to read with you know, everything will be happily ever after.

Character:-Flora is a likable character and I warmed up to her character. Connor and the others were likable as well.

Overall:- If you like reading Christmas romance novels with the reminiscent of Four Christmases with a backdrop of a Hallmark movie, then this book is for you! Worth four and a half stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Flora loves everything Christmas so when she loses her job at Deck the Halls Christmas Emporium and yet another man dumps her for being too "eccentric" she sells all her worldly goods buys a campervan and heads to a market in Lapland to become a van lifer.

Imagine her horror when she gets to the Christmas market and finds out the manager Connor is a non-believer, will she be able to convert him.

Flora gave me Bridget Jones vibes but a sassier version. All the characters were well written and the settings well described.

This was a fun read to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

What a lovely book, it was a treat, this is my first by this author but won’t be my last, I really hope we visit these characters again as I feel we have much to learn about them, it was an unusual concept which worked really well, just the right amount of description, I read this on a car journey home but would have loved to read it with the snow swirling outside drinking hot chocolate

The setting of Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop is pretty unique, although familiar if you're a fan of Rebecca Raisin's other novels. It's a pretty idyllic storyline, with Flora losing her dream (Christmas) job and setting off to set up on her own in a campervan! However the story soon settles into a more traditional will-they-won't-they.

Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop is a great bit of escapism, with some lovely descriptions that really transport you to the heart of the vanlifers community. It's festive but without being sickly sweet!