Book Synopsis:
Cosy up in front of a fire and discover Christmas the Norwegian way…full of romance, cosy traditions and hygge!
In the bleak midwinter…
A really frosty wind is making Holly’s life absolutely miserable
After all the years of hard work it took Londoner Holly Greene to become a doctor, now it could all be taken away and she only has herself to blame. She’s retreating to her brother’s rustic home on an island off the coast of Norway to lick her wounds. Only, it’s the middle of winter and icy slush plus endless darkness isn’t exactly the cheery, festive getaway she had imagined.
Nearly stumbling off the edge of a cliff in the dark, Holly is saved by Frøy, a yellow-eyed cat of fearsome but fluffy proportions, and his owner – grouchy, bearded recluse, Tor. Tor has his own problems to face but the inexplicable desire to leave a bag of freshly baked gingerbread men on Holly’s doorstep is seriously getting in the way of his hermit routine.
Call it kindness, call it Christmas, but Holly’s arrival means midwinter has never looked less bleak.
Christmas Island is published on the 30th November 2020 in ebook in paperback on the 14th October 2021. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.
My Review:
This was a wonderful, uplifting escapist read which has definitely helped get me into the Christmas spirit. I think that this would be the perfect book to read on the run up to Christmas preferably curled up under a cosy blanket with a hot drink.
Firstly the author does a great job of setting the scene in this book and I loved the vivid descriptions of the beautiful, rugged Island. There is a lot of information about Norway and their Christmas customs included in the story which I found fascinating to learn about. The food in particular is wonderfully described and sounded incredibly yummy, that I wished I could try it too.
The characters are all brilliant creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book. I absolutely loved funny, quirky Holly and warmed to her quickly. Her budding relationship with Tor, the local hermit, was lovely to read about. They seemed to compliement each other really well and I loved the chemistry between them. I found I had to keep reading to find out what happens to them.
Overall I really enjoyed this heartwarming, festive read from a new author for me. There was something very addictive about the story and I often found myself thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading. The recipes at the back of the book were a nice touch and I can’t wait to try some of them soon.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to One More Chapter for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to get into the festive spirit!
About The Author:
Natalie Normann grew up in a shipping town on the west-coast of Norway and always wanted to be a writer. Actually, she wanted to smoke cigars and drink whiskey like Hemingway but settled for chocolate and the occasional glass of Baileys.
Her writing journey started with short stories in women’s magazines until her first book was published in 1995.
Summer Island is her first romance written in English.
Over The Rainbow Blog 
I fancied this one, might need to treat myself!
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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