Hello Fellow Readers,

I am not quite ready to think about Christmas much less read about it but in this world, it is time for Christmas books to start arriving. Seems incredible, I know. I bet the Christmas decorations are out along with the Halloween decorations in stores also.


Today’s review is of the book Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge. It has the subtitle, A Heartwarming Holiday Cozy Mystery Set in Snowy Norway. The book is set up like an Advent Calendar. Twenty-four chapters mark the 24 days leading up to Christmas. As the book opens, we find ourselves viewing an avalanche from the eyes of Ingrid Berg. Ingrid was a world-class climber. She had been a climber since she was young but one day in the Himalayas, her world of climbing came to an end. She survived the avalanche, but the memories drove her from climbing back to her family’s hotel, Glitter Peak Lodge. She is back and learning all about her role as manager from her grandmother who has been running the Lodge for years. It is time for her grandmother to retire and Ingrid knows she must step up. The Lodge has financial problems and it seems that something goes wrong practically every day. And then Ingrid’s, ex-love and fellow climber shows up at Ingrid’s door. Ingrid does not want to see him as she blames him for being caught in the avalanche and the death of their friend in the avalanche. Another of Ingrid’s friend arrives with the Influencer who is secretly pregnant. Thow in Ingrid starting to fall in love with an old flame and there is a lot going on.

And then a mysterious American woman and her husband arrive at the Inn. Ingrid’s grandmother is not as welcoming as Ingrid would expect and she doesn’t know why. There is a mystery to untangle that seems to concern the mystery woman, Ingrid’s grandmother, and the town bully.

The book was originally written in Norwegian and translated into English. I think that there is a different style of writing that is sparser than we are used to and more direct. I know they are Swedish translations, but I am thinking of A Man Called Ove and The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared and the Elderly Lady Books. (An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good or An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed) This book has the flavor of those books but is slightly more Americanized.

There is a lot going on in this book. Everything does get tied up in the end but there is a lot to keep track of. (Is that a good guy? A bad guy? Who are all the bad guys?) I think the book is a fine cozy mystery. It might be a little harder to get into the story but then it progresses.

Thanks for reading.

What a delicious book! I love Christmas stories and this one did not disappoint!! What a wonderful Christmas story for December. And I love the Advent chapter idea! It is a beautifully written story about life, death, and everything in between. It takes the reader on a journey of ups and downs just like a roller coaster! It is a marvelous book to put you in this Christmas spirit!

When I came across this one, I thought it would be a great addition to my holiday reading binge. A countdown to Christmas (starting Dec1st), an FMC suffering from PTSD, and beloved friends and family to help her heal in a historical family inn nestled in Norwegian mountains. What a great sounding winter holiday story – right? Meh….. I don’t know where to start with what this story lacked and needed. I’m neither a writer nor an editor nor a publisher; I’m just an avid reader, who found it a struggle getting through this book.

It started out pretty exciting with the FMC, Ingrid, getting caught in an avalanche and being hospitalized for a while and losing a dear friend in the avalanche as well. In the aftermath, Ingrid is suffering from PTSD and has nightmares as well as a fear of climbing now. Not a good thing for a career climber, who is very well known for her climbing expeditions and accomplishments. She also ends her relationship with fellow celebrity climber, Preben, who she felt was to blame for the avalanche.

Ingrid goes back home to Glitter Peak Lodge, where she was raised by her maternal grandmother, Nana Borghild, who has managed the family lodge for more than 50yrs. However, well into her 80’s now, it’s time for her to pass on the management of the lodge because she is struggling to keep it in the family. Nana is so pleased to be turning the lodge over to Ingrid to manage and to hold onto it and keep it in the family, where it has been for more than 130yrs.

Ingrid is struggling to keep reservations up and repairs and upkeep down in the old lodge and enlists the help of a marketing friend to incorporate 21st century promotion and marketing, especially on social media. Just in time for the Christmas holiday, social media influencer, Pia P, enters and well, things are not going well, for Ingrid or the lodge. The arrival of an obnoxious and nosey American couple, who will be guests in the lodge during the Christmas holiday, has Nana fretting over a 60yr old scandal. None of this is a spoiler since it was revealed early in the story.

The second half was a little better than the first half. By that I mean, you just have to plod through the first half with its kind of boring snail’s pace; it does pick up a little in the second half. The same can be said for the storyline and writing too. While the character development for Ingrid and a few other characters was good, the rest of the characters were pretty thin. If I were rating this by parts, the first half would be 2.5 and the second half a 3.0 for an overall rating of 2.75, that I am rounding up to a 3star review. I want to thank NetGalley and HarperVia sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #HarperVia #ChristmasatGlitterPeakLodge

This was a DNF for me., and I don't like giving up on books. However, I picked this one up and put it down so many times without much progress. The description sounded right up my alley with a feel good romantic mystery in a unique setting of Norway. However, it had too much narration and not enough dialogue or action for my tastes. It was so bogged down in description that I can't even tell you what it's really about.

I was given this book to read as an ARC from Harper Collins. I had high hopes because of the description and the cover photo! I won't say that it was a bad story, but it just didn't "grab my attention". It was heavy on descriptive language and characters that talked a lot to each other but there was very little plot, in my opinion. It was building up to a mystery with the grandmother but when it was finally revealed, it really wasn't too exciting. I did enjoy the description of the Norwegian setting and the various characters but sometimes, it went overboard or was redundant. I love reading holiday books in the summer and especially learning about different cultures so that part was fascinating to me. However, the great detail of food and traditions could have been shortened. Overall, the book length was too long. It dragged in many spots. There were a lot of characters to keep track of too. I'm glad I read it but looking back, it was a long story to wade through.

A Norwegian cozy! This follows the classic cozy formula- Ingrid has come home to help at her grandmother's lodge but there's something afoot and she must find the answers to an old mystery. I liked that it was set up as an advent calendar with a chapter representing each day, beginning on 1 December and ending on 24 December. Know that this is a little slow and that you might, if reading on ebook, find yourself googling for translations and more info on various foods and traditions. Know also that much of the info you might want is at the end of the novel (and there are recipes). Thanks to the publisher for the arc. A good read.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me and I was unable to finish it. I like to have lots of dialogue in my stories but this one focus a lot on narration and it seems like a lot of the narration is repeated. I also like my Christmas books to be over run with Christmas vibes but this book was missing that for me. There was cold and snow but nothing that screamed Christmas to me. I wish this would have worked for me because the cover is gorgeous and the synopsis is intriguing.

An old mystery. A tragic accident. Secrets. Confessions. A new beginning.
After a traumatic climbing accident, well-known Alpinist Ingrid Berg has returned to the Norwegian village that her family has called home for generations. She’s now ready to put away her ice axe and take over the management of the Glitter Peak Lodge from her aging grandmother, who's no longer up to the task. With Christmas rapidly approaching, guests are expected from both Norway and abroad, and Ingrid is welcomed as the inn's savior. But within short order of Ingrid’s return, complications arise. Leaking pipes. Last-minute cancellations. The resurfacing of a long-buried mystery. And the return of two men from Ingrid's past. Will Ingrid be able to keep the inn alive, or will her family's legacy be lost forever?
The ultimate feel-good holiday treat, Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge explores the healing power of family and home, and the magical bonds of community and traditions. Set up like an advent calendar with twenty-four chapters, each set on a different day in December leading up to Christmas.

I chose this book because I was in Norway this last summer and wanted to return to the beautiful scenery. It's a beautiful country and I would love to see it in the winter. I appreciated the few views of the mountains that we got in the story and the glossary of terms and recipes at the end of the book.
However, there is a LOT going on in this book and hopping between incidents slows the pace of the story. Everyone has secrets, some of which were easy to guess before everything was explained. Plus, the ending was very abrupt. Everyone who deserves it gets a happy ending and then it just ends. Very Hallmark.
Recommended for readers who enjoy Christmas novels with angst.

This was a wonderful holiday read. It has the beauty of a deep, emotionally riveting story set in beautiful scenery of Norway and I absolutely loved the theme of an advent calendar style set up with chapters for the countdown.

Ingrid Berg has recently returned to Glitter Peak Lodge after a horrible climbing incident where lives were lost. In an attempt to continue her family's legacy, she takes over running the hotel so her eighty year old grandmother can finally rest. Upon her return, she realizes that there are more issues happening while running the hotel that make the future look bleak. Ingrid has to determine if she is able to keep the hotel running or if she wants to sell her interest off and find happiness elsewhere.

There was quite a lot to unpack with this book, so keep that in mind before jumping in. I enjoyed it overall, but I felt like the author was trying to put so many "mysterious" happenings into the book to keep the reader interested, that I lost interest.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

This book was translated from Norwegian. It had a minor mystery running through it, but the parts I liked the most were learning about the Christmas traditions and food from Norway. It was a fun read about a woman who returns home to run the family inn for her grandmother. I love stories about people running inns. There is always the ability to throw in pretty interesting characters as the guest.
This one did have some pretty quirky characters that made the story.

Thanks to Harper Via and NetGalley for the copy of this e-book.

Ingrid Berg was a world class mountain climber, until a horrible accident led her to leave the world of mountain climbing. Now she has returned to her home in a small Norwegian village, ready to take on management of Glitter Peak Lodge, which has been in her family for generations. She faces struggles to keep the inn alive, but with help from family and friends she struggles on. Each chapter is a day in December, set like an advent calendar, as the story slowly develops. What I liked the most about this book was detailed holiday preparations and celebrations in this Norwegian village. The author added a glossary at the end of the book with definitions of the foods, holidays, some folklore, and most importantly, recipes!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HatperVia for providing an advanced reader copy me to read; these are my honest opinions.

this book has some romance, some mystery, a little of everything. the setting is great and the characters are good.

Ingrid Berg is climber and an expedition leader, now, working at her family's hotel Glitter Peak Lodge. She and her grandmother Nana Borghild are hard at work getting ready for The Christmas Season. Ingrid is afraid of heights since a mountain climbing accident. When an old mystery about a missing young woman comes to light Ingrid must find the answers or clues to what really happened. Can Glitter Peak Lodge survive The Christmas Season? Will the old mystery be solved? Find out in Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge.

I want to thank HarperCollins Publisher for this ARC via Netgalley.

A beautifully written story about life, death, and everything in between. This reader was taken on a roller coaster of emotions while learning about Ingrid Berg and her grandmother, Borghild, past and present. Over the span of a few weeks a young woman learns to deal with her own grief, make peace with the past, look to the future and learn to love again; just in time to celebrate Christmas. I liked the way that each chapter was a day in December leading up to December 25th. Along the way there is a mystery about an missing girl from the 1960's, terrible occurrences at Glitter Peak Lodge and Ingrid trying to keep the Lodge afloat and the wolves at bay; from trying to take her family's legacy away. We learn about the terrible accident that brought Ingrid back home to Glitter Peak and her marvelous friends. There are so many Norwegian traditions woven into the story. I loved learning about all of them. Then the recipes are included in the back of the book. A marvelous book and endearing characters; with the backdrop of a gorgeous landscape too.

I'll admit, I picked this up because of that entirely gorgeous cover! Omw!

Alas, I couldn't get into the read; the plot and characters felt too one-dimensional to me. Pair that with some language, and the read and this reader sadly weren't meant to be. DNF.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen is a delightful and charming novel that captures the essence of a picturesque mountain setting. This atmospheric book, reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, offers a little something for everyone - from thrilling mountain climbing adventures to uncovering village secrets, and from heartwarming romance to confronting issues of bullying. The incorporation of Norwegian customs and recipes adds an extra layer of authenticity and charm to the story, making it a truly immersive reading experience. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Glitter Peak Lodge and let yourself be swept away by the magic of the holiday season.

This was a quick holiday read but it had a lot going on though. It wasn’t anything to write home about it was just OK. I Would still recommend it, but I wouldn’t read it again

Johnsen took me to Norway for an early Christmas mystery complete with a coy inn, mountains waiting to be climbed and a heroine who is figuring out what she should do after suffering a serious injury during a climbing accident. This is the holiday story I have been wanting to read. It's not about sugar and spice but it is a family oriented story with a little romance mixed in for good measure.

This is my new favorite holiday book and I recommend it to anyone who's even thought about going to Norway but can't make the trip. I felt like I was part of every scene and enjoyed each delightfully told turn of event. I'm so grateful that this book was translated into English for what's sure to be a lot of new fans.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge is a light holiday novel with an intriguing mystery, set at a family-run lodge in a quaint Norwegian town. I had a bit of trouble getting into the story - definitely willing to try again during the winter months rather than during a late-summer heat wave. It definitely has the appeal of a holiday Hallmark film set in a picturesque setting with a blend of mystery, secrets, and romance. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the chance to read this novel.