2.5 Stars rounded up.

If you are looking for a light, comforting Christmas read, this book may not be precisely the type of Christmas book you are looking for. While this is a lovely book describing Norway and all of her holiday customs and food, it is very, very heavy on the narration, and it isn't until the last 40% of the book that anything to make the reader sit up and take notice happens to advance the story. However, don't despair; nearly everyone gets their own happily ever after- or as close to it as possible.


Typically, I fly through holiday reads because of the 'lite' factor, but because this book was much heavier and more profound with many tragedies and possible tragedies, it took me much longer to get into.

I was grateful to find a glossary of foods, holidays, terms, and even recipes at the back of the book.

*The ARC was supplied by HarperVia, the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. It was first published in 2022 in the original Norse language.

Ingrid Berg climbed from the mountains near her family’s lodge in Norway from a young age, becoming famous for climbing peaks all over the world. Her last climb led to tragedy; an avalanche killed her friend, injured her and her partner, and ended her climbing. She has returned home to Glitter Peak Lodge to take over from her grandmother. The lodge seems plagued by misfortunes and cancellations and Ingrid is exhausted. So much hinges on their success during the Christmas season, but the Lodge quickly fills up with old and new friends and family.

There is so much about Norway and the food and the holidays that it can be a little hard to find the story in all of the description (which is good, but there’s a lot of it). Then the story line picks up and I was swept away by both the setting and the story itself. This turned out to be an excellent Christmas story and I enjoyed the characters and the location.

Thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed this book. I am always on the lookout for books that take place in Scandinavia that aren't murder mysteries. They are not easy to find. This was a fun holiday novel that takes place at a family run inn in Norway. Each of the plot lines were entertaining and the mystery through line was plausible and unveiled at a good pace. I hope there are more books like this translated into English.

I received an ARC via NetGalley.

Ingrid has returned home to Glitter Peak Lodge in Norway following a horrifying climbing accident. In these 24 days leading to Christmas, mysteries are solved, past stories revealed, healing takes place, and the lodge may just make it financially. This delightful Hallmark movie like story translated from the Norwegian includes some wonderfully sounding recipes. Sure to be a delightful holiday gift.

Readers will enjoy this well written plot with great characters. I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it!

Even though I enjoy reading holiday books, unfortunately, I tried several times but just could not get into this one, therefore was not able to finish reading it.

I did find it interesting that it is written in a way to be a book to read a chapter a day during Advent, if you would want to do that.

My thanks and apologies to NetGalley and HarperVia for the advanced copy, but this one just was not for me. I love to read, have many more books to read and review and did not feel I could spend my time on this one that did not hold my interest.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Harper Collins Publishers Inc. This story is about forgiveness and learning to let go, learning to love and be ok. This story line has drama, romance, suspense and mystery. What happens when a decision leads to terrible consequences? Can you forgive not yourself but the others around you to help make the decision. What can be learned from a tradegy? Love is hard bur can be it worth the heartache that it can bring? Do people deserve a second chance? Ingrid is going to think about these things and have to decide. Nana has secrets that she has been keeping for a long time. Will the truth set her free or bring more heartache? The people of Glitter Peak will find some answers with also some shocking revelations! This book is for a mature audience and can be read anywhere.

After reading a series of “Nordic Noir” thrillers, “Christmas at Glitter Peak” is more of a “Nordic Sparkle” type of book for me, one that lets you enjoy the scenery of wintry Norway while still delivering a sort of romantic mystery — a “romcozy”…

I read this as an advanced copy (thank you, Harper Via!) rather than savoring it. Author Johnsen divides the chapters into the 24 days before Christmas (I’m sure each chapter mentions food), like a tasty Advent calendar. If you get this book a month prior to the holiday, do consider reading a chapter a day on the corresponding dates to prolong the experience. And the inclusion of a glossary explaining the food holidays and recipes is invaluable! You could make many of them throughout the four weeks before Christmas for a true Scandinavian feast.

There is a story to be told as well: Ingrid Berg, once an acclaimed mountain climber, has come back to her elderly grandmother’s lodge after an accident that has left her injured and reluctant to tackle the outdoors again. She’s 33 and at a crossroads — should she eventually consider selling the lodge? Does she have any possibilities for a future partner or career? A long-buried mystery bothers her as does the return of two men. Should she be the inn’s savior?

Translated by Olivia Laskey, this is a lovely book full of holiday spirit and family drama, that was a comfy, quick read. As I mentioned, you could read a chapter a day in December, and your final gift is a rewarding tale. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Preben has green eyes
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES/NO

Thank you to Harper Via and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was well written and I fell in love with the story as I read. The characters were so realistic and the story was well thought out. I would definitely recommend!

I did struggle to finish this book as the storyline fell flat for me. I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book!

This book has an exciting prologue. Professional climber Ingrid Berg is attempting a climb of Mount Everest, and she and her crew are overtaken by a horrible avalanche. I hoped the rest of this story would keep this momentum. Alas, it did not. It crawls forward from here. After the accident, and after considerable time in the hospital, Ingrid has come back home to run the family inn. She is terrified to get back on a mountain, and she thinks taking-over as manager of the ailing Glitter Peak Lodge, which her family had been running, will be a new start. She, and just about everyone else is either not happy or is keeping a secret. The secrets all come out in the end, and there is a happy ending, but it is slow-going to get there. The descriptions of Scandinavian food and culture and terrific, and there is a quirky cast of local characters who bring some life to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book was very well written. I loved the characters and the setting of the story.

This book drew me in with the description of being "Hallmark" movie-esque. The concept of reading a chapter a day, advent style, before Christmas was intriguing. However, it fell a bit flat for me and I struggled to finish or even care what happened in the end. There were soooo many characters to keep up with and I had zero emotional connection to any of them. The scenery descriptions were lovely and I'm sure the glossary of all the Norwegian terms in the back would be helpful in a physical book but on the kindle, I didn't know they were there until the end. Maybe this would be a better movie than book and I think it's a stretch to call it a "cozy mystery". Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this Christmas story.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book!!! Such a good story and great writing style. This was my first by this author and will not be my last!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC. The first few chapters introduced so many characters it was hard to keep up with them. Imagine yourself placed in the middle of a Hallmark Movie with a beautifully described surrounding, a cozy mystery, with a touch of romance thrown in. I loved the Advent aspect to the book, with the countdown to Christmas. As a bonus, you get a glossary in the back to explain terms and recipes that were mentioned in the book. Overall, a nice cozy read.

What a great read! Ingrid and her Nana were such great characters in this story, I enjoyed the character development of the entire group. I love Vegard he was such a larger than life big brother to Ingrid. All the characters were so interesting Freya jumped off the pages for a little while and I enjoyed her a lot.

The scene development was great and mad me feel like I was there with everyone. Made it so easy to keep the movie going on inside my mind. That’s what was so great about reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is very good quality writing. While the story follows a familiar formula, the character development and writing style are very engaging and will carry the reader forward effortlessly. I was pleased and would recommend it if you like a winter romance.

3.5 stars. Beautiful setting. A wonderfully cozy hotel. Norwegian Christmas traditions. The mystery wasn’t really very mysterious. A nice little holiday book. I enjoyed the setting and I liked learning about the traditions of the area.

Although I read Kjersti Herland Johnsen’s Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge as a mystery, it would be better to read it as a Hallmark style book set in a small Norwegian village. Translated to English by Olivia Lasky, the book is filled with Norwegian Christmas customs, includes recipes, has a slight romance, and emphasizes the location with little character development.

Ingrid Berg has returned to Glitter Peak Lodge after a traumatic experience. The mountain climber was caught in an avalanche, lost a friend, and lost her career. Now that she’s home, she’s taking over as manager of the lodge that has been in her family for 130 years. Ingrid’s grandmother, Nana Borghild, can retire at 83, and Ingrid will take on the burden of leaky pipes, and cancellations from guests.

But, the past still haunts both women. Ingrid can’t forget the trauma of the avalanche. She had been dating Preban Wexelsen, the leader of their mountain climbing team, but she blames him for the tragedy. Borghild’s secrets go back to the 1980s when she was a young woman. Her story divided the town, and destroyed her friendship with a man who seems determined to force Glitter Peak Lodge into failure.

There are a few too many storylines in this book, including the arrival of a mysterious American guest, immigration, bullying, and, of course, the mystery of Nana Borghild’s past, along with the romance. But, readers looking for the light Hallmark-type treatment set in Norway may enjoy the book.

After an avalanche leaves her life in tatters, Ingrid Berg returns to her childhood home (a lodge in a Norwegian village) and hopes to rebuild her life by managing the business as her ancestors have done for generations. However, leaking pipes, last-minutes cancellations, and overbearing guests, among other problems, have Ingrid questioning whether she’s cut out for lodge life after all..

Are you looking for a Hallmark movie in book form? Look no further than Glitter Peak. The diverse characters are likable and the setting is everything you’d want to spend a cozy holiday. Bonus: I enjoyed learning about Norwegian holiday traditions. It even includes a glossary of Norwegian terms and a handful of traditional recipes. Another nice thing about this book is that there are twenty-four chapters, so you can read it like an Advent calendar should you be inclined.

The blurb for the book suggests more of a mystery element than is present. There is an unknown element at the center of the book, but it’s not a Christmas crime book. Instead, it’s a genre mashup with a little romance and a bit enigma—all cozy.