One thing I love about Isabelle Broom's books is that you know you are going to be swept away to a wonderful location and swept up by the story. In One Winter Morning that location is New Zealand and given that this book is set mostly in December, it's maybe not quite as wintry a story as you might expect! Having said that, part of the story takes place in the UK so it is a bit colder here.

It is the story of Evangeline, known as Genie. Grieving for her mother and convinced her death was her fault, she has found it very difficult to move on at all in the year since Anna passed away, becoming rather reclusive. She has always known that she was adopted but is shocked when her father, David, tells her that he knows who and where her birth mother is and that he and her adoptive mother always did know. David encourages Genie to go to New Zealand hoping that meeting her birth mother will help her find some answers and begin to come to terms with her mother's death.

Genie has felt so guilty since her adoptive mother died and it was lovely to see her allow herself to begin to live again and find moments of happiness. She does not find what she expects when she gets to New Zealand, I won't say any more, you'll need to read it to find out for yourself what I mean. But she does begin to develop friendships with handsome Kit and endearing Tui. Tui was a character who was so easy to like with her irrepressible cheerfulness and openness. She was a character who had lots of challenges to face in the world but also lots of people determined she would enjoy life to the full. I wasn't surprised that it was through her connection with Tui that Genie began to put the past behind her and start doing the things she most enjoyed.

One Winter Morning is a moving portrayal of one woman's journey through grief to find herself again. It has a beautiful setting, memorable characters and a lovely romance which develops along the way. It is a story to warm your heart, so snuggle up with a hot drink and a cosy blanket and prepare to be taken on a wonderfully uplifting journey.

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

This book resonated with me because my Dad died early this year.

Genie was grieving after the death of her adoptive mother Anna in a horse riding accident last Christmas Eve. Twelve months later Genie was crippled with guilt because she had argued with her mum the night before the accident. Genie had said some hurtful comments during the argument and was worried that Anna died upset with her.

Genie `s dad David was worried about her and explained that her biological mother was called Bonnie. Bonnie had moved back to her native New Zealand after giving birth to Genie. In desperation David encouraged Genie to go to New Zealand to meet Bonnie.

The story is told from the POV of Genie and Bonnie. I enjoyed reading about Bonnie and how she met Genie s biological father.

I enjoyed reading about the sights of New Zealand. Genie`s trip to see the penguins and seals sounded enjoyed lovely. The author described it perfectly and felt I was there on the beach watching the penguins.

I liked Genie and Bonnie, they were both brave to travel alone to the other side of the world. I was pleased that genie managed to let go her of her bitterness over being adopted. For me the star of the shoe was Genie`s half sister Tui, although she had learning difficulties she had a real zest for life.

Although this book was about grief, Genie`s journey to forgiveness gave me a warm glow. I highly recommend this story.

As always a beautiful book, you really wouldn’t expect anything less from Isabelle.
I loved this one just like I loved all her others :)
10/10

This is my first Isabelle Broom book and it will not be the last.

I adored Broom’s writing style and the way she had me captivated from the first chapter. This book takes you a remarkable journey which makes it impossible for you to put down. Told in the perspective of Evangeline, or Genie, and her birth mother Bonnie you learn about the difficulties both these women have endured in their lives.

This story has also just confirmed how much I need to go to New Zealand. Broom’s way of researching and showcasing this beautiful country just makes me crave the beauty she described. I felt myself transported to the sunny hilltops of New Zealand and far away from the dark and dreary days of London.

I found myself loving the characters that Broom has created and how she perfectly handled writing a character with learning difficulties. I always worry when a character with different needs is introduced into a book but I ended up finding Tui my favourite with her positive nature. She really was a breath of fresh air.

One Winter Morning will take you on an emotional journey with ups and downs. It deals with not only grief and mourning but friendship, family and truly finding yourself in those dark times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

One Winter Morning is the sixth novel from Isabelle Broom and, like all of those that came before it, its setting takes the reader on a journey, this time to New Zealand. When the main character, Evangeline (Genie) loses her adoptive mother her life becomes dark and despairing that is until she finds out the identity of her biological mother which sends her on a journey to the other side of the world.

“One winter morning she was there, alive and glowy-cheeked in my bedroom doorway, then, just a few hours later, she was gone.”

The novel begins with a heart-wrenching revelation and as the novel progresses, you’ll be gripped to its pages as the hidden secrets are finally uncovered and the characters reveal more and more of themselves. The pace of the novel then culminates in the dramatic climax before finishing with an ending which leaves the reader feeling heart-warmed and content.

As always, Isabelle Broom truly showcases how in-depth her travel research for the novel was with her descriptions of the location, her facts about the area and, in this novel, the Mouri sayings which she has woven within the narrative which bring a strangely nostalgic feeling to this story that reflects a very human experience of pain.

As another wanderlust style novel, Isabelle Broom’s stunning depictions of the New Zealand landscape, from its deep blue lakes to hilltop views, are so vivid you’ll almost feel the sun beating down on your own skin. The warmth of New Zealand, however, is juxtaposed with the cold in the title, that fateful morning of Anna’s death and the grief living within Genie’s own heart in this perfect metaphor for learning to live with loss.

One Winter Morning is an emotional tale of grief, mourning, and loss which will bring you to and over the brink of tears before bringing you back with an uplifting laugh or a touching moment of friendship or family in this beautifully tear-inducing tale of finding who you are when a piece of you is missing.

As the Mouri saying goes; “Hurihia to aroaro ki te ra tukuna to atarangi kia taka ki muri i a koe – turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you.”

Genie isn’t coping. As Christmas approaches, so does the first anniversary of her adoptive mothers death, and she is still struggling with how to live her life without her. So when her adoptive father drops a bombshell about the identity of her birth mother, she finds herself skipping the holiday season altogether, and instead heads to New Zealand to find her. But is she really ready to confront her past? And what will this trip mean for her future?

I’ve never read any Isabelle Broom, but I do have a few of hers on my ‘want to read’ section on GoodReads, so when this one popped up on NetGalley it felt like the perfect time to give her a go. After all, I love Christmas novels, and Isabelle Broom is claimed to be pretty good at a seasonal read.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get into. I’m not sure why, I just struggled a bit with connecting with Genie. But once I did get into it, I found it to be a very touching novel with a very sweet bunch of characters - Kit and Tui were personal favourites.

The settings was gorgeously described - I’ve never been to New Zealand, but it’s definitely on my list now! The plot was ok, entertaining enough but I have to admit there were times where I struggled a bit to maintain my focus. Especially at the start, as it all felt a bit convenient and daft. But as it went on, things definitely improved, and the ending was lovely, if a tad predictable.

I should also point out that there is a character with a learning difference in this book, and as someone who has relatives with different needs, I wanted to praise how well Broom handled writing this character. I had my worries at first but I was please to see there was not a hint of caricature to the writing, and the character was treated with the same respect as any other.

All in all, I found it to be a very nice book, perfect for the holiday season. Did it make me want to race off and buy her backlist? If I’m honest, not really - if I was given one for free I might have a look, but I wasn’t gripped enough to say I would purchase it myself. However, I did find this one entertaining enough, so worth the good rating!

This story is set in New Zealand. Genie has reached a low point in her life. She is still recovering over the loss of the woman she called mum. David and Ann had adopted Genie. Nearly a year has passed since Ann's tragic accident and David tells Genie that her mum, Bonnie lives in New Zealand. Genie decides to try and find her so that she can answer the questions Genie yearns to know.

This story is told from Genie and Bonnie's point of view giving us an in-depth narrative. The descriptions of New Zealand make you feel that you've actually visited the places. I liked the way Genies character evolved on her journey to discover who she really was. The characters are well rounded. A story of mixed emotions ranging from heartwarming to tear jerking. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Isabelle Broom for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One Winter Morning has truly left my heart full to the brim of love and warmth.

Yes, Isabelle Broom is back with another novel that will have you once again wanting to dig out your passport and jet off to another stunning location – this time: New Zealand.

One Winter Morning follows the story of Evangeline (or Genie as she goes by). She’s always known she was adopted but it’s only after a tragic accident that leads to the death of her adoptive mother, Anna, almost a year ago, that she’s encouraged by her adoptive dad to meet her birth mum, Bonnie, in the hope that it will help her reconnect with the world. The past year she’s barely left the house, given up a job she adores and is consumed by guilt.

What follows is a story that gives you all the feels. A story about family, adoption, love, loss, guilt, happiness and new beginnings. It isn’t just Genie’s story but also Bonnie’s story of why she came to give up her baby. I thought it was told beautifully; throughout Bonnie’s parts she reveals a lot of her past to the reader but with it quickly flicking back to present times, leaving a little bit of mystery at the end of her chapters and you longing to know more. Eventually, the two stories merge into one, and what was already a wonderful reading journey, becomes even more wonderful and beautiful – a journey I really didn’t want to get off!

I adore the way Broom writes (she has fast become one of my treasured storytellers alongside the wonderful Dani Atkins). You don’t just get a story, you get to intimately know her characters, who are so full of warmth and kindness. You don’t just read about their journeys, you take every step of it alongside them. AND you also get a free passport to a new destination – of which she does so well, getting just the right mix of story and place, without turning it into a travel brochure.

New Zealand isn’t really a place that I cared much for before reading One Winter Morning, but the magic within Broom’s novels is that you fast come to care for her places, become interested, feel like you’re witnessing special moments – visiting the seals and penguins was for sure one of them (then find yourself on google wanting to know even more!). I loved the part of Queenstown the main part of the story was set – the peace and tranquility to it all, a wonderment to how she captured the landscape and scenery, making it an incredibly stunning backdrop to the riding school of which I could clearly envisage in my head, even hear those clacking of hooves and chatter about the place. Quite frankly, nobody takes you away to a place as well as Isabelle Broom does!

Romance is always to be found in Broom’s books and this one is no exception to that. One of the best kinds (I personally think) is a subtle romance. You know the kind – when those little moments happen between characters but are worth so much – a slight touch, unspoken words that are so clearly on the tip of tongues, a slight glance, eye contact – that gives YOU little flutters in your tummy, never mind the characters! Expect to find plenty of this! Have I mentioned Kit yet? Dark, arms decorated in tattoos, and as Broom writes “healthy spread of dark stubble” Yes, I was in a puddle of my own saliva… and that was before we got to know the heart of this man!!

One Winter Morning will take you on an enchanting and emotional adventure that’s breathtakingly gorgeous and utterly romantic. It’s THE curl-up-with wintry read that will leave you smiling and warm both on the inside and out!

Isabelle Broom is going from strength to strength with her novels and I for one am extremely eager and excited for the next adventure!

I’m not sure how she does it but Isabelle Broom has, once again, written a cracker of a story that doesn’t just make you fall in love with her characters but also the setting, in this case New Zealand.
Whenever I read one of her books I always get a serious case of wanderlust and One Winter Morning is no exception - she should really get a fee from the various tourist boards.
This book is another beautiful, uplifting tale, written from both Genie and her birth mother’s point of view, which keeps things moving along but also means there is never a good time to put it down.
It is a tender story about love and loss, which I felt was written with a delicate touch.
I loved that Genie’s adoptive dad wrote about her in a series of children’s books and her complicated feelings towards them. The excerpt we got of one was brilliant and I wanted to read more (maybe a sideline for Isabelle there).
Two other characters also stood out for me, Kit and Tui felt like they were written in full colour to the point where I could almost see a photograph of them in my head.
All in all, this is another fabulous book to add to Isabelle’s collection.

Such a beautiful and moving story, the author takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved how well Isabelle made you feel like you could be in New Zealand yourself, even though I’ve never been. A really enjoyable and touching read.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Genie is dreading this Christmas. The gloomy days and frosty nights just serve to remind her that it is almost a year since she lost Anna her adoptive mother in a tragic accident. David is really worried about her. Genie has spent most of the year barely able to leave the house. She has given up her job, her hobbies and life has been on hold.

It is time to share a secret that he has been in possession of for over twenty years – the true identity of Genie’s birth mother. Hoping that it will help her to reconnect with the world David shares her name and her whereabouts and soon Genie finds herself setting off on her own for the south island of New Zealand. On a quest to find out where she came from and how her real mother could have given her away.

The thing that I love most about an Isabelle Broom book is the way that she always manages to transport you to another part of the world and makes you feel like you are right there with the characters. Reading One Winter Morning is like an advertisement for the New Zealand tourist industry. It makes you want to jump on a plane along with Genie and join her in her antipodean adventure. In equal parts heartbreaking and life affirming this is a beautiful story that will melt the hardest of hearts.

Supplied by Net Galley and Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

A very moving story, full of highs and many lows. I was in tears during the final part of the story, I felt as though I knew all the characters personally. The descriptions of New Zealand brought back happy memories of a holiday there, especially cruising Milford Sound, and the various local sayings and tattoos

Genie has always known she was adopted, but following the death of her adopted mum, Anna, her adopted dad urges her to fly to New Zealand to meet her biological mother. Little does she know that as she lands in NZ, her mum, Bonnie, is flying to England to put the past to rest and meet her daughter. A beautiful and emotional read.

After Genie's adoptive mum dies in a riding accident she blames herself and becomes practically a recluse. It is only when her adoptive dad suggests that she find her birth mother in New Zealand that Genie comes alive again.

Beautiful descriptive about New Zealand, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Last year I read One Thousand Stars and You by Isabelle Broom that took place in the exotic setting of Sri Lanka and it blew me away. This time we're headed across the globe to New Zealand and I was hoping to be swept away, not only by the story itself, but also by the beauty of the country, which I have experienced first hand myself.

It also didn't truly occur to me that I just read a book set in December and throughout Christmas, which I normally stay away from unless we're close to the holidays. I suppose with this story being set in New Zealand, where the seasons are reversed, it didn't give me that giddy, cozy holiday feeling like usual.
That's something I remember from one Christmas I spent in Australia - the heat melted away my holiday spirit. My holiday spirit was working overtime just to get me in some kind of jolly mood. But that's really not important here.
Instead, let's move on to the story.

We have two P.O.Vs in this book - Evangeline or Geenie as she's called mostly, and Bonnie. Bonnie's chapters tend to spend time in the past, which I found a little dull to be honest, whereas Geenie is sort of our MC who we follow across the globe in search of her birth mother, though it doesn't quite happen the way Geenie intended.

It was a different story in the way that romance took a backseat to family bonding and family love, which was nice and not often seen and something that really should be focused more on in books, but hey, we are people of habit.
It was kind of refreshing, but romance did lurk in the bushes (hah) in a subtle way that I enjoyed. But I did realise that I was expecting more romance because I've grown used to reading about it in every other book that I pick up.

The characters are easily liked and you'll be rooting for Geenie to not only find her birth mother, but perhaps even love, although you'll be flipping until the last pages to find out how it'll all end.

The story and plot itself was a good one and some things definitely makes you think of how you'd have handled such a delicate situation yourself.

Overall I quite enjoyed this book, though I had hoped to have been more swept away by the setting like in One Thousand Stars and You. Nevertheless, One Winter Morning is full of warmth, adventure and love and it is a great way to show just how far you can be willing to go for family.

Do I recommend this book?
Absolutely!

To whom?
To those who loves a good family story or a story with a travel aspect, where you get to explore a new country whilst finding yourself.

Thanks to netgalley for a chance to read this book.

Genie isn’t feeling very festive even though Xmas is a few weeks away. Nearly a year ago her adoptive mother dies and she blames herself for her death. She decides to travel to New Zealand to find her birth mother. However, her birth mother travels to England to find her. Genie doesn’t tell anyone she is related to Bonnie and gets to know her half sister Tui who she falls in love with.

The book tells how Bonnie came to give up her daughter and how they are reunited. Ends with love and happiness.

Genie had a very happy childhood with her adoptive parents. Following the traumatic death of her mother, she discovers her birth mother's identity and travels to New Zealand to find her. A really enjoyable,hard to put down read with the expected happy ending.

This was a lovely book set mostly in New Zealand, which starts off quite sad but gets happier and more uplifting as the book goes on.

Evangeline (Genie) was adopted as a baby and recently lost her Mum to an accident that she feels responsible for, even though it isn't her fault. She just can't seem to drag herself out of the depression she slides into, until she decides to try and find her birth Mother and find out why she was adopted. I did feel sorry for her poor old Dad at first as he had lost his wife too but kind of got shut out by Genie in her grief.

Once she realises where her birth Mother, Bonnie, is she sets off on a journey to New Zealand, with her Dad's encouragement, to find her - not realising by some quirk of fate that Bonnie is also on a journey to see Genie in the UK and so they initially miss one another. Once in New Zealand Genie decides to stay longer than at first anticipated because of this, but it works out well as she gets to know some of Bonnie's friends and family, but without saying exactly who she is. Whilst there she also visits places around New Zealand which was lovely to read about.
The story is told from both Genie and Bonnie's perspectives and we go back in time to the story of why Genie was adopted in the first place which made for very easy reading chapters.

A really lovely feeling book with some very likeable characters (Tui and Kit especially). I do enjoy Isabelle Broom's writing style, just a really enjoyable book.

Once again Isabelle Broom has written an absolute corker of a book.

One Winter Morning follows the story of Evangeline. It’s a few weeks before Christmas but Evangeline isn’t feeling very festive. It’s coming up to the anniversary of a tragedy, a year since the death of Anna, the woman who took her in as a baby.

She’s now discovered the identity of her birth mother and finds herself on a plane to New Zealand looking not only for her mother but also for answers.

This book is full of love, family, crazy dogs and little girl named Tui, along with the obligatory handsome hunk!! I can highly recommend this book and would rate it 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph’s and the author for the chance to review.

I loved this new Isabella Broom title. I couldn't stop thinking about it when I was forced to return to real life for a bit and it was so beautifully written, I was completely invested in the life stories of Genie and Bonnie. It did make me cry so have tissues at the ready, but the ultimate conclusion is so worth it. New Zealand is the most fabulous of backgrounds and certainly stole my heart along with the characters. One to be added to your TBR pile immediately.