What a fantastic read this book is. I loved every page and still think about the characters after finishing the book, Martha is a great main character who is easy to like, she is kind to the lonely old lady who visits the library where she works, she is a devoted mum and she gradually builds up her confidence to grasp happiness.

There are lots of laugh out loud moments to be enjoyed and the descriptive writing about Denmark is so good I have added it to my ‘must visit’ list. A great book brilliantly written and a must read.

The book disappeared from my mobile so I was unable to read it

What a pity!!!!!

Good luck with the book

This was a delightful read. Sure there were some problematic characters, but there are also problematic people in real life. Martha’s story was heartwarming and nice to experience with her. It’s always welcome to have a main character over the age of 40 (30 even!) as I do get tired of reading about spoiled twentysomethings. It’s tough to relate. My one concern is Martha makes some negative comments about Lars baking when she firsts meets him, and it seems like his baked rolls well…stink. But then she loves his baked goods. So maybe just an error?

Ja, thank you! (As Ludwig would say) Helga Jensen for writing this book.

I was unable to finish this book, unfortunately, and thus will not be posting a full review to my blog. I found the writing odd and the story did no capture my attention. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book.

Middle-aged Martha’s life is at a low point. Her husband is dead, due to an accident, and her daughter is heading off to Africa to work with orangutans. When she sees a contest to go to Denmark to see where her favorite Scandi-noir TV show is filmed, she decides she wants to travel.

Seemingly haunted by the memory of her dead husband, Martha has a hard time opening her life to new experiences and even new relationships. Her visit to the island of Fano changes her life and her new blog helps her face her inner struggles.

This book is kind of like a middle-aged Hallmark movie, but a nice summer read.

A lovely story with some sweet romance thrown in. My first book by this author. I believe there are more books in this series. Will have to read more!

Although some of the subject matter in "A Scandinavian Summer" is mature (romance second time around, dealing with bereavement, empty nest, etc) the same cannot be said of Helga Jensen's descriptions and characters. Does a 50 year old woman really think of a rabbit as a bunny? I also thought that daughter Rosie was rather spoilt. The over-arching story line was good but not so some of the detail. Shame.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This cosy romantic read was truly lovely. The plot was ingenious and I really like the characters as well. If you’re looking for a perfectly paced story that you can get swept into fairly quickly this is the book for you.

This was a fun, feel-good summer read. I love damaged, quirky characters, and thoroughly enjoyed following Martha on her journey of self-discovery, via her life-changing Scandinavian jaunt.

Martha is a Welsh forty-nine-year-old widow and recent empty nester. She suffers from panic attacks and debilitating guilt that she inadvertently caused her husband’s death in a car accident two years earlier. When her eighteen-year-old daughter announces she’s taking off on an internship in the jungles of Borneo, Martha’s already narrow world shrinks further. Her job at the local library and her obsession with Scandinavian noirs are the only routines that keep her going.

Forced to use her vacation days and spurred on by her co-workers, she conquers her fears and travels alone to Copenhagen. She soon decamps to the tiny Danish island of Fano, where she rents a cottage and a bike, and opens herself up – seemingly for the first time – to spontaneity and adventure, even falling in love with Lars, the handsome, local baker. At the same time, she’s working through her crippling sense of guilt over enjoying herself while her husband is dead. But is she really to blame for what happened that night? And has she allowed herself to place her deceased husband on a pedestal following his accident?

This is a lovely story of a cautious woman crawling out from her shell and learning to embrace life once again, one that is even more enjoyable with its small-town Danish backdrop. An enjoyable, heartwarming read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Slightly predictable romance, Nice to see older characters in a story. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

Let's start with the fact that our protagonist is in her late 40s. I'm very happy to read that because we don't normally have that demographic for rom-coms.

However that's where the positive things end for me regarding this book. The writing was okay. I didn't particularly like a few characters even if they were redeemed later on. The characters felt a little 2 dimensional to me.

Thank you Netgalley and Helga Jensen for giving me this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Great novel, highly recommend it. .

The sign of an amazing new writer is not only when they write a fantastic debut, but their second novel is even better. That is exactly what Helga Jensen has done - and I know she will be a go-to author for me, for her future books. With a writing style reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella, Helga had me rolling about on the floor laughing with her unique witty narration; and as the story developed, I was totally hooked with the mystery. Forty-nine-year-old Martha is such a brilliant character, and with life expectancy and average age of the general population increasing, Helga Jensen’s novel has filled a much-needed gap in the market. You can be fabulous and have fun at fifty, even if life has dealt you unfair blows along the way! The novel is well-written with an abundance of diverse characters. I literally just couldn’t put this book down, and whilst I’m feeling a bit lost now I’ve finished it, I’m left with a lovely warm feeling. I’m so very glad I read this fantastic story and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I received an ARC of, A Scandinavian Summer, by Helga Jensen. Recently widowed Martha wants a change in her life. Going to Denmark is definitely an eye opener for, Martha.

Martha is a 50 year old widow, who decides to be adventurous and take a trip to Denmark. She loves the Scandinavian murder books and tv shows, so wants to see if she can find some of the actors from her favorite show. Her husband had been dead for two years, and her daughter is off to Borneo working with apes. Deciding to take a cabin on an island, she meets Lars and a quick romance begins. Can love be far behind? A fun but somewhat predictable summer romance, but still found it fun to read. Would recommend.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I liked the focus on an older woman as she tries to deal with a tragedy in her marriage which leaves her and her daughter facing questions about their lives. I liked the way the heroine transformed her interest in Scandi-noir films into actually travelling to Scandinavia.

I liked Lars but found the story a little bit predictable and pedestrian. However it’s still a good read.

What a beautiful story, I loved this book. I fell in love with Lars and the omelette lady from the beginning. A great story partly set in wales and the rest is set in Denmark about bereavement and empty nest syndrome.

This romantic comedy was great with a few giggles along the way. I loved Martha and her being set in her ways with her thought processes and her personality. The way she found her way after being widowed and her daughter leaving home. An absolute gem of a story, I couldn’t put it down as I needed to know what happened.

This book is quite different to Helga’s first one ‘Twice In A Lifetime’ but her personality shines through her writing. I look forward to Helga’s next one, I just love her books!

Thank you to Helga and Hera books for the opportunity to read this amazing book that kept me hooked from start to end. I would love to know what happens next!

Poor put upon Martha in her marriage to Anthony. Anthony is bombastic and walks over Martha. Her daughter needing money for a school trip tips Anthony over the edge and he storms out never to return. For the next couple of years Martha and Her daughter Rosie live in limbo. Her love of Scandi noir tv and books her greatest source of comfort and her job at the library. A competition sparks her desire to travel and she meets dishy baker Lars. Shall she embark on. Journey and take a chance?
Thank you netgalley for this arc to review in exchange for an honest review.