I always enjoy Jenny Colgan’s books and this was no different. This is full of Christmas and festive mood and leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I especially enjoyed the characters of this small community and the personality they brought to the story. The writing smoothly flowed throughout and was an overall enjoyable read.

Jenny Colgan's christmas books never fail to get me in the mood for the festive season. This one was steeped full of festive cheer, with a melancholy feel. You do find yourself sucked into this little island and overall find yourself longing for christmas.

I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan, and I was excited to catch up with the residents of Mure again. Sympathetic characters, well written, glorious setting, and Christmas. Perfect!

A fabulous Christmas read with heart, treat yourself, get cosy, put your feet up with a hot chocolate, be taken to the remote Scottish island of Mure and get wrapped up this warm welcome community - it was scrumptious, I couldn't put it down until I turned the very last page.

Thanks to Little Brown Books UK & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

In this fourth novel in the Mure series, Flora is having relationship problems with boyfriend Joel and Loren and Saif are experiencing a forbidden romance.

I didn’t realise that this book was part of a series and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the other books in the series as it does seem to jump in with established characters and relationships.

I enjoyed the wind-swept remote island setting with the strong sense of community due to the seclusion. There’s plenty of drama and complications. I liked some of the quirky characters and child characters with their funny exclamations.

For me, the story had too many sad elements to enjoy very much as a festive read. And possibly because I hadn’t read the first three books, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters. While I liked the chemistry between Lorna and Saif, I wasn’t very invested in Flora and Joel’s relationship.

I recommend this book to those that have enjoyed the other books in the series and to those that enjoy plenty of relationship drama and tension.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I absolutely LOVE this series and never want it to end. I was thrilled when I realised I hadn't read this one and got started immediately. For people wanting to read the books in order maybe don't continue to read my review as it will inevitably contain spoilers. When we last left Flora, she had made a complete change in her life. She had moved back to the small and remote Island of Mure. Her whole life changed when she met her now boyfriend Joel. Throught the last books we have seen their relationship grow and the struggles Joel has had due to his past, and in this book it seems they are both thrown another curveball.

We also are reunited with other favourite characters such as Saif and Lorna, as well as the heartbreaking story featuring Flora's brother Fintan and the love of his life Colton. I feel invested in the characters that live on Mure and it was so good to see where they were all at, even though it was heartbreaking reading about Fintan's situation.

I won't re-hash the storyline as the synopsis gives the reader all they need to know, but what I will say is that these books stay with me. I don't need 'reminders' of the characters and all I want to do is see what happens next for all of them. I sincerely hope we can revisit Mure in the future as I would happily read another installment.

Love Jennys books. She has a lovely way with words and well worth reading. A book to relax and also to be stimulated with.

I adore Jenny Colgan books and this was no exception to her other books it was a brilliant read full of amazing characters and a great plot.

I didnt know this book was part of a series before I read it but I still enjoyed it none the less, it makes me want to go and read the other books in the series and then reread this one to make sure I get everything in the right order.

I enjoyed the story and had a few tears in my eyes towards the end. I did find it hard to keep up with jumping from one character to the other at first but once I settled in to the style the book was written in it did become easier. I hope there will be more to come in this series as it definitely doesnt feel finished and would have loved to have carried on reading further.

I didn't realise this was part of a series and it didn't make any difference to my enjoyment, easy to read if you haven't read any of the others. I would certainly read more by this author.
A lovely book to snuggle up with, an easy but engaging read. Lovely characterisation and description of setting.

Lovely book that’s perfect for this time of year. As always Jenny Colgan’s latest read is heartfelt and beautifully written. I love to fully immerse myself into the world this talented author creates, and always feel better for having done so.

Fabulous and warm, with a great cast of characters, this is a book I highly recommend. 4 stars.

Back in Mure for Christmas in this new book, we rejoin Flora and Joel after they settled into Island life away from London before where they had worked and life is now very different with Flora expecting a baby!


The only hitch is that Joel with his history doesn't react the way Flora hopes and instead their relationship might be on the brink of collapse..


Colton and Fintain are still together battling the palliative cancer care together. Until a sudden guest courtesy of Colton's distant American family reappears in his life...


Saif and his boys still hope to hear of their missing mother/wife while Lorna still is caught up on Saif and the attraction between the pair still exists very, very strongly.


A sensational and deeply moving book, a great addition to the series despite the obvious sadness we see the futures of the characters play out well and effectively where they would end up in real life, sadly and greatly at the same time depending on the characters. I love Jenny Colgan and her work just flows so well, reading beautifully and the future I hope brings us more great books from her once again.

Perfect escapism! Jenny Colgan can do no wrong and this carries on the same winning formula! A great easy read.

It is the highlight of the year getting the latest from Jenny Colgan andmy goodness did this live up too expectations. I absolutely adored An Island Christmas. It made me feel all happy and Christmasy! Really loved these characters.

I normally love a Jenny Colgan however this one left me a bit flat. It seemed to flick between characters which wasn't easy to follow. Typical Jenny Colgan there is always a baby in an xmas book!

"An Island Christmas" means we get to return to the remote, yet unspoiled and beautiful Scottish island of Mure, and catch up with characters such as Joel and Flora and get to know some characters from the previous book a little better.

The book is based a year after the events of the first book in the series "The Summer Seaside Kitchen". As with many books such as this, it's not obligatory to have read the first books (no complicated plots), as there's a handy, brief synopsis at the start, which gives background information to the characters lives so far. It also helps refresh the memory of readers who may have read the other books awhile ago. I've read the first book, but not the second or third in the series and had no issues catching up with everyone, thanks to Bramble's early morning walk.

This time around its winter on Mure. Dark mornings, bitterly cold winds, a grey bleak landscape, but with a cosy welcoming atmosphere. The book is set around Christmas time, but it's not just a fluffy, light hearted read, some serious issues are touched upon and there's parts of the book that are quite emotional and sad. I understand that around Christmas time some people prefer to keep the mood light, so bear this in mind before you pick this book up. There are some upsetting sections, although they are handled sensitively. Just keep some tissues handy!!

This wasn't my favourite book of Jenny Colgan's, just as I felt the Summer Seaside Kitchen wasn't up to her usual standards. I can't put my finger onto exactly why, it just seemed to be missing something. Plus there were a few inconsistencies between the first book and this one. The big one concerns Mark and Marsha. In the first book they had children, in this book they couldn't have them. Mure also seems to be a rogue wandering island, that changes location. Although at least Flora doesn't seem to do as much blinking in this book, the over blinking in the first one was irritating. It's a pity, I had really hoped to enjoy this book; maybe the Mure series just isn't for me - although I do love the descriptions of the island and the recipes at the back.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Sphere for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Jenny Colgan invented the whole cosy-cafe-by-the-sea phenomenon and nobody does it better than her. Even though I hadn't read the previous Isle of Mure books I was instantly swept into the story by the first chapter - which is told entirely from the point of view of dogs! She captures the feel of this quirky but strong community of people perfectly and it made me long for a windy clifftop walk.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book even though I had not read the previous books about the Island, it did not seem to matter.

Jenny Colgan is the queen of escapist novels! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the surroundings, the characters and their stories. This is the 3rd book featuring Flora, a pretty ex-lawyer who left London to return home to the remote Scottish island of Mure and opened her Seaside Cafe. Along with Flora is her big family, her American boyfriend Joel, her friend Lorna and island doctor Saif.

Colgan’s books have a formula: bright young woman leaves a big city to persue her dreams in the country and finds an loveable if not slightly awkward or difficult man and falls in love. Books two and three usually have the added turmoil of communication between the couple going askew and causing trouble. Even knowing this though doesn’t lessen the enjoyment I get reading these novels. Jenny always nails the atmosphere and setting of the books and from reading the series Mure sounds beautiful! The book is very bittersweet too, there’s a lot of heavy and sad issues dealt with, probably making it darkest Jenny Colgan book I’ve ever read (which still isn’t that dark because come on, it’s Jenny Colgan!). It brought a tear to my eye! If you’re looking for a light fluffy Christmas read, this isn’t it. But if you’d like your Christmas read with a bit more depth, this could be for you. I would recommend reading the first two books first!

How I wish that Jenny Colgan would never stop writing this simply brilliant, heart-warming and wonderful series set on the remote Scottish island of Mure. Every time I finish one of these stories I am gutted to leave the setting, the characters and their lives behind until the next time. You do so hope there will be a next time and thankfully Jenny this festive season has brought us An Island Christmas, with such a stunning cover to match another exciting and emotive read between its cover.

Usually I would say a book within a series can be read as a standalone and the author does help with this as she normally provides one or two pages of back-story at the beginning of each new book. But honestly to really understand the true essence of Mure and its residents, and why myself and so many others simply adore everything about it, I suggest you begin with the first book, A Very Distant Shore, and work your way up to this the most recent story. So many threads and strands flow from book one and nothing is resolved and tied up all nicely by the end of each story. That's what makes it natural, it's not forced at all with the author rushing to bring everything to a neat and tidy conclusion. Instead sometimes we are left with a cliffhanger with regard to certain things and most certainly I am always left wanting more, more and more.

Once again right from the very first page the tiny island of Mure and all the very varied characters welcome you back as if you have never been away. This really is the ideal Christmas read, for Mure is isolated and windswept and at this time of year the darkness falls quickly and it is like everyone battens down the hatches to prepare for the onslaught of the winter season. The weather and Christmas of course but also for all the personal events which arise and some of which are ongoing.

I can't say the story centres around any particular one character but if I had to choose, Flora Mackenzie would be the backbone of the series and in her own unique way a main stalwart of the community too. She runs the Seaside Kitchen on the main street. Well Mure really consists of one street but the café has been a focus and meeting point for so many and Flora and her employees will always provide you with a warm welcome, a hot and drink and a delicious treat. Flora has matured so much since she first arrived back on the island. She had to grow up a lot when tasked with keeping the family home going after the death of her mother. Her father and brothers are farmers and household work is not their forte. Coming back to the island was the best decision Flora could have made both for her personal and professional life but still she treads rocky waters when it comes to romantic entanglements.

Flora has been through so much and I feel like I have been with her every step of the way but now perhaps her biggest challenge is just around the corner and how she deals with it will set the tone for many years to come. Flora for the most part is happy in her relationship with Joel Binder, her former boss, but he still works away from the island for long periods helping with Colton's overseas project. Colton is a multi millionaire who has set up home on the island with the hopes of opening a mega impressive hotel but in the process he fell for Flora's brother Fintan.

As for Joel, he still remains a character who I think we have never really gotten truly inside his head. We have been given glimpses into his past and supplied with some reasons as to why he acts the way he does when it comes to personal business and when things get a bit too heavy too quickly for him. But still I feel he takes Flora for granted and doesn't appreciate what a good thing he has with her. At times he is blind to the worry she may be feeling. They deeply love each other but on Joel's part I still think he is holding back and not willing to fully let go and embrace the happiness that he and Flora can experience on the island. Flora has a conundrum in this book and what is meant to be a happy occasion is fraught with worry and anxiety because she fears how Joel will react. It ate her up for most of the book and really I just wanted her to be brave and come out with it as keeping things close to ones chest instead of sharing the load would certainly do her no favours particularly in this situation.

The island of the Mure may provide peace, tranquillity and beauty but for the people that live there although they do appreciate this there is also so much more going on in their personal lives. I love how Jenny achieved the balance between this. She highlighted how exceptional and beautiful the island was but just because you may live in a special place does not mean you are immune to everyday problems. Issues and tensions will always come knocking at your door even in the run up to the most wonderful time of year. Yes there is lots of fun and laughter throughout this book and Flora's niece Agot certainly provides us with this. She is just so brilliant and I think I could easily read an entire book solely focused on her.

But contrasting this are more serious issues as Fintan nurses Colton through the cancer that he kept secret for so long but is now ravaging his body. This was just so heartbreaking to read about as Fintan is distressed, upset and angry that having found the love of his life he will be taken so cruelly and then a person from Colton's past makes a reappearance. It’s funny how people crawl out of the woodwork when they get wind of something monumental about to happen and from which they may gain something. But I loved how this strand of the story was dealt with with such sensitivity, tact and respect. It was fitting given how I think so many readers have come to admire Fintan and Colton and truly the last few chapters were just so beautifully written and a tribute from the island to a special person.

As for local school teacher Lorna McLeod, god when will this girl get the break she deserves. She is dedicated to her job and her pupils but on a personal level, I really think she has been pining and suppressing love for local doctor Saif for several books now and isn't it about time she gets the joyous moment of realisation, acceptance and love that she deserves. This is one relationship that I desperately want to work out but it seems things just continue to conspire against Lorna being allowed to embrace love. She is a character to be admired because she is putting the needs of Saif and his two young sons before hers but really I want to see something positive happen now, she does truly deserve it. Having said all that Jenny does provide us with the other side of the coin and the reader can see why things are so complicated but that doesn't stop me fervently hoping for a positive outcome.

Saif's situation is so relevant to the times we live in today and when picking up this book I don't think readers will realise that Jenny has dealt with the refugee crisis and the war in Syria. Some may say does this have a place in a women's fiction book that is on the more lighter end of the genre but the way this is written I feel it most definitely does. Saif's story will rip you in two, he is in limbo - not being able to move forward until confirmation of past events. This pause in his life has deeply affected him and although his two boys have settled into island life, the scars and memories of the past still remain deeply embedded in their hearts and minds. As I've previously mentioned we are more often than not left on a cliffhanger and with regard to Saif I think we definitely were which makes me think yes there will be more to come from Mure as I was left gutted that the book came to end and all that ran through my head was surely you can't leave things like that with so many unanswered questions and unresolved situations?

I find the further a series progress it can begin to run out of steam but with An Island Christmas Jenny Colgan just keeps building and building on the already solid foundations from book one. I fall more deeply in love with the island and Flora and co, the more times I am given the opportunity to revisit. This is another brilliant, engaging, riveting read that takes you by the hand and welcomes you into the lives of people who are willing to share so much with you.

Savour every moment because before you know it, it will be over and you will be left disappointed that you reached the conclusion. Although it was an ending that leaves you guessing, and with endless questions running through your mind, the answers you are so desperate to uncover. Will the damaged child inside Colton mend? Will Lorna be forever left a spinster? Will Saif find the answers he so desperately seeks and needs in order to take the next step in his life? Is Joel capable of loving anything even himself? Does he really deserve Flora? Will Agot continue to provide us with comedic golden moments? Will the island continue to work its magic on us should we be fortunate enough to return in the future. Read An Island Christmas to discover the answers, you'll be so glad you did so as it's a real Christmas treat.