Cover Image: Coming Home to Winter Island

Coming Home to Winter Island

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Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was really good, a little different to your usual romantic storires so it made a nice change. I found the setting to be ideal, lots of small characters without huge involvements (which kept it interesting but meant there wasn’t loads to remember about each person) and the main characters were likeable. It’s definitely made me want to read more by Jo.

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Another brilliantly written book from this author.
This book is filled with beautiful relatable characters.
A brilliant atmospheric book

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Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of books in this genre, so I was very much looking forward to reading this one. I was not dissapointed and both the plot and characters gripped me from the start. I will definitley aim to read another by this author. Highly reccomended!

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I loved this book, Jo Thomas is one of my favourite authors as she always transports you somewhere different and delightful. Winter Island is no exception and the combination of the the wild landscape of the island and the warmth of the community makes the perfect backdrop for Ruby's story and discovery of herself and what's important, while hunting for the all important gin ingredients. I lost sleep racing through this one, but at the same time was sad to leave Winter Island behind. Highly recommended.

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Yep I'm reviewing a winterish story in summer. Although saying that Coming Home to Winter Island can be read at any time. You just might be wondering why you don't have several layers on and a blanket wrapped around you...

Okay so this was not my favourite book that I've read this year but it was still pretty enjoyable. And it was a book I read in one sitting. Which is always an excellent sign. 

For me I loved Ruby, and I could understand her decisions when it came to go to Winter Island and dealing with her Grandfather. She just wants to do what is best, however having never met this is a bit tricky to do. 

And for this reason I loathed her boyfriend. He did not seem understanding or sympathetic. Instead focusing on the sole fact that Ruby was not singing and not going to a vocal retreat. Rather than understanding the healing that was actually happening. And understanding that this change of plans may be more healing than any retreat.

Then there is Hector, her grandfather. Who is just an old man that wants to stay at home. And he also causes some of the best scenes in the book that are filled with plenty of laughs and awkward moments for the people involved. 

Then there is Lachlan. Who is staying as per the old man wishes but is there something more sinister happening?

For me Coming Home to Winter Island would have been perfect with a Hot Chocolate by my side and a blanket on my lap. It was beautiful, idyllic and gave me that warm, feel good feeling. With wonderful descriptions of the landscape and a place that would be amazing to visit. I enjoyed every moment and cannot wait to go back to Winter Island.

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This book was a brilliant read and one that is perfect to escape for a few hours and loose yourself.
Characters that fall out of the pages of the book and make you fell apart of the story, the setting is lovely and captured well with words.
A great read. that I would highly recommend.

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I only recently read Jo Thomas last year I think and was looking forward to reading the second. Having now finished this book I realise it is highly likely I will be ensuring I read all her other older books. This really was a wonderful book to read and I absolutely loved it. Having spent over a month reading one crime author on a specific reading binge, I needed a change of genre and this was the perfect book to choose.

As soon as I started reading about Ruby I instantly loathed her boyfriend who seems to be constantly pushing her in her singing career. However, when she loses her voice her boyfriend once again pushes her to take some time off at a voice retreat. Instead she receives a phone call from a solicitor requesting she visit Winter Island. Her paternal Grandfather Hector who she has never met is in need of some assistance.

Reluctantly Ruby makes the journey to the remote island and soon she becomes embroiled into the Island way of life. It seems the old Gin Distillery her Grandfather ran is now derelict and Hector is in desperate need of help. Lachlan is a character that is also part of Hectors life and Ruby doesn’t quite know what to make of him

This was such an enjoyable read and it’s clear that the author did her research as the descriptions of the island and everything it embodies was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

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Coming Home to Winter Island is told entirely from the perspective of the main character, in the present tense, which is a format I’m not fond of as it can be a bit limiting. Ruby is a singer who is trying to break into the music business. Just before an important gig she loses her voice, and all her carefully laid plans have to be put on indefinite hold. I found this book very hard to get into, could not warm to Ruby to begin with, and found the constant repetition of her thoughts about getting her voice back, and then everything would be hunky-dory, a bit annoying. She comes across as naïve and self-obsessed, especially regarding her relationship with Joe; it was obvious from the start what his true colours were.
Just as she is heading off to a retreat in Tenerife to rest her voice, she gets a call regarding her grandfather, Hector, who she has never met. Thinking she can make a quick detour to Winter Island (Geamhradh), then carry on to Tenerife, Ruby heads north. Gradually, the island works its spell on her and she gets caught up in the search for the gin recipe that will solve all their problems; with the current boom in small artisan gin distilleries, this is very topical and obviously well researched. The descriptions of the island are wonderful – the wildlife, the plants, the sense of community and the fresh sea breezes. Lachlan and Hector are much more likeable and believable. Hector’s dementia is treated sympathetically, and the theme of using music to unlock memories could have played a bigger part in the story. Overall, an enjoyable read but it could have been so much better. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I am a massive fan of Jo Thomas and have loved all of her books and this was no exception.
At first I struggled to take to Ruby, the main character but she quickly grew on me as did Lachlan, whom she meets when she travels to Winter Island to meet Hector, her grandfather she has never met.
The amazing description of the beautiful scenery is so good you feel you are there with Ruby and it gives the whole book a magical feeling.
I read this on a post-christmas afternoon in one setting and felt like I had watched a cosy feel good film! My only tiny criticism would be that it did feel a little predictable right from the start but it didn't spoil the story for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for this unbiased review.

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Sometimes you start to read a book and wonder where it is going. I felt this was going to be one of those but then it suddenly took off. Full of warmth and emotion. Glad I continued to the end.

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I enjoyed this book - a light easy entertaining read about family, relationships, friendship, community spirit and new beginnings. Beautiful location and a good cast of characters. This novel touches on the serious issue of dementia but it was also funny in places. The story flowed well.

A perfect read for a cosy afternoon on the sofa.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

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A wonderful uplifting seasonal read, great warm characters, well paced story. I wasn’t so keen on the last few chapters etc but it didn’t affect my love of the book too much. A book that stays with you after you finish it.


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

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I loved this book: it's fun to read, uplifting and poignant at the same time.
I loved the style of writing, the fleshed out cast of characters, the setting, and the general atmosphere.
I also appreciated the tenderness that you can feel when the author describes the dementia of one of the characters.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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I really enjoyed this book up until the last chapter and the epilogue. I won't give anything away but I was incredibly disappointed and it felt a very depressing end to what had, up until that point, been a fun, easy-to-read festive novel.

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As always I couldn't wait to delve straight into another Jo Thomas novel. Jo Thomas was one of the first authors I read when I first started reading Chick Lit books - and I haven't regretted it! Every book of hers I read is so refreshing and unputdownable that I remember them for a long time afterwards. This one in particular I really loved the cover, I love the light snow falling, the sea and the main character in the bottom right.

The synopsis sounded really interesting and completely different, as I said above, to what I've read before and I was really excited to read more about Ruby and her story. I enjoyed that the setting was in Scotland, it sounded so picturesque and idyllic. It was interesting to see what was going to happen and whether Ruby was was going to stick around on the island or whether she was going to flee back home.

Out of all the characters (there aren't actually too many in this novel), I really liked Hector and Lachlan the best. Hector because of what he was going through bless him, and Lachlan because he just seemed to be so caring and thoughtful. A few characters I didn't really take too (but maybe that's the point) was Isla and Joe. And too be fair, what I thought was going to happen didn't happen so there was quite a bit of surprise and a few twists along the way which kept me wanting to read on.

One thing I didn't enjoy was the ending with regards to Hector, I didn't think anything like that would happen and was disappointed that it did as it didn't seem necessary - bless him! It definitely made me teary-eyed and I was left quite emotional afterwards! Overall though, it was a great read with festive feels and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

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Well the title pretty much gives away the plot line however this is still a nicely written and very enjoyable story about vocalist Ruby who is struggling physically with a strained throat and emotionally when she is summoned to a remote Scottish island to assist in the affairs of the grandfather she has never met due to his estrangement with her late father. The characters are well written and her grandfather’s dementia sympathetically represented, the overall story is gentle and very enjoyable to read and I greatly loved the atmospheric island setting.

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I'm a big fan of Jo's books and this one is no exception, although a rather different setting to her others. If you love the idea of wintry landscapes on a remote Scottish island and a rambling ramshackle old house then this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the developing relationship between Ruby and Lachlan and the self-realisation that ensues. More poignant though is the beginning of a relationship between Ruby and the grandfather she has never known and his dementia is very sensitively portrayed. Did I mention that there's gin too? This is the perfect winter book if you fancy a change from everything Christmassy.

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Thanks to netgalley for a chance to read this book.

When Ruby loses her voice and plans to go to Tenerife for a retreat holiday, she gets a phone call from her estranged grandfather’s solicitor. He has dementia and as she is his only next of kin she has to decide what to do with his estate order to fund his Care home. She goes to Winter Island further north of Scotland to sign all the paperwork. However, when she gets there a lodger in the old house prevents her from just signing the papers and leaving for Tenerife. What will Ruby decide to do?

Brilliant read had me crying at the end, definitely recommend.

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Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Having read all of this author's work I just love her books total escapism and beautifully written.

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I absolutely loved this book, I could feel the Scottish chill in my bones,yet Jo's writing made it a cosy warm read. I did feel at the beginning there were a lot of mentions of "Breathing through her Buttocks" it popped up a few times in different ways. The main characters were great, and Lachlan someone everyone needs in their life. ( Is there anything he can't do?) The Island had a real community spirit and is somewhere I'd like to live ( in my dreams) one day.

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