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.

Thank you, HarperCollins Readers’ Room and NetGalley, for an ARC of this cozy mystery novel.

I was intrigued by the recommendation to read one chapter per day, like opening doors on an Advent calendar. So, that's exactly what I did. What a cute, cozy way to end each day!

I appreciated the diverse cast of characters, healthy relationships, supportive friendships, and the light romance that did not veer into love-triangle or insta-love territory. The characters’ backstories were a bit too shallow, leaving me feeling emotionally distant. Nana's diary entries, especially, didn’t feel authentic. They read like dry, textbook exposition rather than her personal experiences. I found the story to be rather understated, with a predictable family secrets type of mystery.

I truly enjoyed the descriptions of Norwegian traditions and holiday delicacies. Those images create such a delightful, cozy atmosphere. The accompanying recipes are the icing on the Christmas cookie.

Recommended for fans of light mysteries with just a touch of romance.

A quick holiday read. I just couldn't get into it
I really wanted since it has all there is a bit of romance, interesting characters, disasters, and of course Christmas

I received this book through Net Galley. It is my first time reading a book from them. I hope it is not the last time. I enjoyed reading about this lodge and the people who ran it and visited it. Ingrid was a climber until an avalanche caused the death of a friend and the loss of the baby she was expecting. She came home to run the family's lodge. She finds that many of the set-backs are caused by a rival who wants to buy the place. When a guest from the states comes to the lodge in Norway to help find her roots, Ingrid's aunt reacts. It turns out that the Aunt knows more about the visitor than she is willing to tell until the end of the book. The book is set in the days of Advent and includes much about Norwegian holidays and customs with recipes and explanations after the end of the novel. I loved the characters, descriptions, and pace.

I really enjoyed reading this book a lot more than I expected. I generally read mostly horror, fantasy and scifi but this was really an entertaining story. I'd definitely read more from the author if the chance arise.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. The book kept my interest as the author intertwined the plot with past and present events, as well as different narrative viewpoints. I enjoyed the Norwegian cultural references and the recipes at the end.
The mystery was solved and there were some cute moments involving the little boy.

This was a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the cast of characters at the hotel. You got a little bit of flavor for Norwegian living and holiday traditions which was fun to read about. The mystery of what happened in the 1960s was pretty easy to figure out but it was still charming to see it unfold.

My only complaint is that there were so many different themes and plots going at the same time that it felt like the author was trying to fit everything into the book. There was immigration, refugee issues, miscarriage, romance, an old grudge between families in a small town, small town drama, and even more that I'm probably forgetting. I think the author could have picked one topic and really fleshed it out. For example, the romance between Ingrid and Thor would have been so much more fulfilling if we got a bit more of a backstory.

Overall, this was a fun read that I would recommend to someone who is looking for a cozy holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC of this translation.

I found the description to be very interesting and promising. A Norwegian Advent story with a mystery to solve, a romance blooming, and a family inn to save.

Unfortunately for me the description was more exciting than the actual story, and honestly it was also deceiving. Very little to nothing happened. The day to day activities were repetitive and mundane. It took quite a while for the mystery to even come up and when it did I thought it could have been easily solved by looking up newspaper articles on the internet or just sitting down to talk about it.

The romance I was looking for was nonexistent. Most of the time the main character, Ingrid, and her grandmother lament over the past and their guilt.

There were also some parts from the point of view of the other characters, but I didn't connect with any of them, so I found those parts dull.

There were some funny one liners and some pretty descriptions about the mountains, but overall I was not motivated to read and I dragged my heels. I ended up skimming the last 60% of the story just to find out the conclusion of the family secret.

1 out of 5 Snow Capped Mountains.

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge
Written by Kjerski Herland Johnsen
Translated by Olivia Lasky

3.5 ⭐️

This is being marketed as a feel-good mystery set in the snowy mountains of Norway, at a cozy, historic family inn-structured as an advent calendar, 24 chapters, one read each day, beginning with Dec. 1 and ending with Dec. 24.

So, let’s discuss the story and the concept.

The Story:

After a traumatic climbing accident, well-known Alpinist Ingrid Berg has returned home with HOPE of a fresh start. She will be taking over the management of the Glitter Peak Lodge from her aging grandmother.

The Inn has been in her family for 130 years, despite many attempts at takeovers from larger hotel chains, and Ingrid is hoping to keep the family legacy alive, while finding new purpose in her own life.

But soon after Ingrid’s return, complications arise-everything from leaky pipes, to the early arrival of some guests, and the very last-minute cancellations from others.

A long-buried mystery also resurfaces, and Ingrid discovers that the challenges may be too great to bear alone-she may need the help of the whole village and a little Christmas magic!

As her Nana Borghild always says: “Joy Shared is Joy Doubled, and Sorrow Shared is Sorrow Halved”.

The story itself wasn’t particularly riveting, instead it mostly paints a picture of the days leading up to Christmas beginning with “Kakelinne” (a term used to describe mild weather in December that in earlier times was blamed on all of the holiday baking.) ☺️ It mostly described the foods eaten, and the traditions enjoyed, and these things could have been revealed one chapter at a time, to more closely follow an Advent calendar but I didn’t really feel like that happened in the Kindle copy. Because the physical copy has illustrations, it may present more like an Advent Calendar than the Kindle.,


But, it was helpful to be reading this on a Kindle, as I was unfamiliar with MANY words, but a quick highlight would explain many of the words for me. I didn’t know until I finished the book that a glossary of terms, food descriptions and even some recipes would be provided after the story and after the acknowledgement page, and these may end up being missed by many readers! Hopefully, when the finished copy is published terms, and food descriptions will be listed at the START of the book with a mention that recipes will be included at the END of the story, as these are NECESSARY for those reading a physical copy.

An Advent Calendar counts the days of Advent beginning with the first Sunday of Advent, which varies from Nov 27 through December 3, but many reusable calendars made of paper or wood, begin on Dec. 1. Advent refers to a 4 week season of remembering and celebrating the arrival of Jesus on Earth. Advent calendars have become popular in recent years as calendars with flaps that open, a day at a time to reveal a picture appropriate for the season, or a small treat and many commercial Advent calendars are now themed.

While I was attracted to the CONCEPT of reading a chapter per day, I DON’T think the execution of this story succeeded in FEELING like an Advent Calendar. Vignettes that were connected or that built upon each other, might have worked better for this format. I would say that if this book interests you-I wouldn’t worry about only reading a chapter per day.

Where the story DID succeed is it provided ARMCHAIR TRAVEL for readers interested in Norway, who may never get the opportunity to visit in person, wrapped up in a “Hallmark like” Christmas story. 💝

Expected publication date is October 1, 2024.

Thank You to HarperVia for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!

I ended up not finishing the book. I got 66% done. I stopped reading when Ingrid is confronting her ex boyfriend. I feel like the beginning was too descriptive of the characters at the lodge. I didn’t need to know that much about the chef or Sunny because it didn’t help me later. And the flow was okay, but I felt like the book took a long time to get where it needed to go. The secrets didn’t seem all that crazy and it was confusing how many there were and why. There was a lot of conflict going on, but it as coming from a lot of places. So on top of the building breaking down, there was also people, but not just one person, many and then other people too.
I did think the advent reading part was cool. I thought that format was unique and cool,
I don’t think the story was interesting enough for me to pick up the book again and finish it,
I think the main character Ingrid needs to be more compelling to the reader. Maybe if I cared more for Ingrid and her situation, I would finish the book.

Book was fine. Unfortunately, I had a moderately difficult time with it as it didn't hold my attention. Writing was fine, there were enough descriptions to place me there. But for some reason it just didn't grab me.

I actively put off reading this book-it looked far too cheerful to me, and definitely outside of my usual genre…. but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed everything about this book. The writing style drew me in from the beginning-the opening sequence with the description of the avalanche was claustrophobic and and harrowing-and before I knew it, I was absorbed in the story against my will. The romance novel aspect was never front and center; it was balanced nicely by the central mystery and characters that were well-developed. I also appreciated the short and easily digested chapters. Those moved the story forward very quickly. Obviously this has a holiday theme but I read it just before the beginning of summer and it was a fantastic beach read. I would definitely recommend this even for avowed romance haters.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Ingrid has returned home to her family's inn. While home it seems nothing can go right. This book is a quick holiday read.

Ingrid was a famous climber until an avalanche destroyed her faith, her relationship, and killed a friend. Now she has returned to her grandmother's lodge to help her run it. While there, she discovers secrets, family, new friends, and how important traditions are to many. Set up in 24 chapters so that you can read one a day until Christmas, this is a cozy mystery with lots of Norwegian traditions and history. Glossary in the back explains all the terms.

Traumatized by a Himalayan avalanche that nearly killed her and that took the life of a close friend, renowned climber Ingrid Berg has returned to the charming Norwegian mountain hotel that has been her family’s home for 130 years. Putting away her crampons and ice ax, the 33-year-old has taken over managing Glitter Peak Lodge from her octogenarian grandmother. Christmas is coming, and it’s make-or-break time for the financially struggling inn. For the first time in years, the lodge will be open through tne New Year. “We will both continue the traditions of the past and introduce new ones,” Ingrid optimistically tells her staff. But as the days count down to Christmas Eve, Ingrid finds running the business as challenging as climbing Heaven’s Horn, the peak that looms over the hotel and the nearby village of Dalen. And strange things are happening, from last-minute cancellations to a noisy, late-night drive-by car parade of local teens. Is someone trying to sabotage Ingrid’s holiday plans to force her to sell the lodge? And is there a connection to the long-ago disappearance of a young bride? As old secrets are gradually revealed, Ingrid also finds her bruised heart opening up to a childhood sweetheart. With its 24 chapters organized like an advent calendar for daily reading, Johnsen’s second novel and first to be translated into English is a delightful, warm-hearted cozy about the healing power of family and community. Its magical winter setting; appealing, colorful characters; fascinating details on Norwegian Yuletide traditions; and recipes for such regional specialties as Pinnekjøtt (smoked lamb ribs) and krumkaker (cone-shaped Christmas cookies) will have readers booking their next holiday vacation at Glitter Peak Lodge.—Willy Williams