Christmas Island is a lovely contemporary romance that proves that, even in the middle of a cold and dark winter, romance is alive. Set on an island off the coast of Norway, the story is immersive and rich in Nordic traditions and culture. I enjoyed learning more about how they celebrate the holidays and appreciated all the vivid imagery. The author really brought the island, the culture, and the holiday spirit to life. The food, in particular, is described in mouth-watering and vivid detail. I felt like I could smell the delicious pastries and cookies that were prepared and eaten throughout the story, and you can imagine how delighted I was to see some of the recipes at the end of the book!

Another great aspect of the novel is the characters. Holly is a funny and quirky protagonist who is a bit out of her element on this isolated island. Tor, the hunky hermit and Holly’s love interest, is the strong, silent, and brooding type. The slow-building romance between Holly and Tor is also wonderful. They complement each other well, and they have great chemistry. I like that, though both seemed to be hiding from their realities back home, they found each other on the island. Other characters, like the local teacher and business owners, as well as Tor’s cat, have fantastic personalities and highlight the charm of the island.

Another aspect of the story that I really liked was the way in which the author told Holly and Tor’s backstories. We know that they are both on the island because they are trying to get away, but it is unclear what they are getting away from. An incident at work has out Holly’s career in jeopardy, and it appears that Tor is still healing from a romantic wound. Their stories slowly unfold as they get to know each other, which I enjoyed. Slowly revealing their lives created well-developed characters and an interesting story.

A great contemporary romance set on a secluded Norwegian island, Christmas Island is sure to get you in the holiday spirit! Thanks so much to One More Chapter and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful atmospheric Christmassy read. It was interesting reading about Norwegian traditions and with food and romance thrown in it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

2.5 stars

The idea of Christmas Island hit all the seasonal buttons for me and in November, I find I’m primed ready for a Christmas read. I’m also a Norwegian descendant, so that all added into my buzz for this read.

Christmas Island was a very low-key, low-drama tale, set on a wet and somewhat uninspiring island off the coast of Norway. This was the story of Holly, an English doctor escaping a work issue and coming for the season to her brother’s house. The hero of this piece was Tor, a hermit-come-introvert with a wild cat. All the potential was there for this couple but I felt zero connection or chemistry to them or betweeen them and that made me super disappointed.

The meet-cute in this book happened immediately in the book and it was the best thing about the story, so once that element was over, everything afterwards felt anti-climatic. The plot was very meandering and lacking in excitement.

I felt disappointed by the setting for the book. There was a fair bit of emphasis about the bleakness of the setting and it didn’t inspire that lovely Norwegian Christmassy feel I was seeking.

So overall, you can see how this book didn’t work for me. I wanted more plot, more couple-connection and a more of a sense of seasonal warmth. Hopefully it’ll work more for others than for me.

Thank you to One More Chapter for the early review copy.

A sweet Christmas theme story about two very different characters . Iwish i coul visit Norway this Christmas .
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

A very typical romantic novel set in Norway. Easy to read with a nice feel good factor. A good touch learning about Norwegian food at Christmastime.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

I received an advance copy of, Christmas Island by Natalie Normann. I really liked this book, I loved the interaction with Holly and Tor. I liked Froy a lot too. This is a great Christmas story, I loved the setting and the characters.

Another amazing Christmas read given to me by NetGalley!
From the first page, I felt that nostalgic Christmas buzz that had long since faded since my childhood-I appreciate greatly for gifting it back to me, even just for a short while.
The protagonist was as cute as a button and I wanted to hug her and be her friend, her love-interest was the perfect fit for her and I felt myself smiling ear to ear when they conversed like there was no one else in the room but them.
I would love to see this book adapted into a Holiday movie and know it would be a great hit.

There is something about this book that was just incredibly more-ish. I found it to be really quick to read, and whenever I wasn't reading, I was wondering what Holly and Tor were getting up to in my absence.

And it all starts with a rather dramatic and atmospheric opening sequence, as Holly arrives on the island and promptly gets lost, but is saved by the local hermit and his yellow-eyed beast.

Ok for beast, I mean cat that I swear sounded more like a dog at times, but is utterly amazing. Froy is easily one of the best characters in the book by far, and being a cat he doesn't even say anything!

And the local hermit is the rather ruggedly good looking Tor, who has kept himself to himself since renting a cottage on the island and no one really knows much about him, but somehow Holly may be the one to change things.

Set in a Nordic winter, it was fascinating to learn about Norwegian Christmas traditions, and all manner of Nordic foods which especially their sweet treats sounded really yummy. We learn a bit about trolls (not the internet variety), and also see just why is is both Holly and Tor are trying to hide from real life in the wilds of Norway!

The descriptions were so good, I could really picture the island, and also the various locations and ferry crossings, boat trips, and Christmas activities that were happening.

This is the authors second book in English, and it is connected to Summer Island in that Holly is Jack's sister and Jack and Ninni do put in an appearance during the second half of the book - but other than that it is definitely readable as a standalone.

I am really enjoying Natalie Normann's writing style and I'm already very eager to see what she writes next, as I have loved both Summer and Winter Island. I'd love to see more from this Island if possible, as it's such a different setting, it feels like you really have been on a vacation while reading.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily