Cover Image: Christmas at Frozen Falls

Christmas at Frozen Falls

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Member Reviews

My Review: This cover absolutely drew me in, seeing the northern lights is a bucket list item for me so I thought I could live through the characters a bit with this story. I listened the audiobook version through Netgalley and it was really enjoyable. While I enjoyed the second chance romance between Sylvie and Stellan, I have to say the side characters, Nari and Nilo (and the pups), kind of stole the show for me. I really enjoyed the vivid snowy setting we get to enjoy and the bits of holiday that pop up here and there. It was a nice light holiday romance to carry you away while doing the baking or wrapping.

My Rating: I honestly got a little jealous of the characters while reading this one, I kind of want to be able to cozy up in a little cabin, watching the stars and decorating a tree with my handsome love! I give it a rating of Three Paws.

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I did enjoy this book, but I really didn’t love it. Honestly, I do find it harder to connect with audiobooks, but I have been trying to listen to them more often.

The setting of Christmas at Frozen Falls sounded absolutely stunning. I love a Christmas book set in Lapland and this has been one of my favourite settings so far. I think because this was an audiobook you could really picture the setting and just how beautiful it is.

I don’t know if it was just me, but a lot of the dialogue sounded really harsh. Now I do listen at a slightly faster speed, but not fast enough that the pitch of the voices changed. A lot of the interactions between characters were quite blunt, but this was potentially intentional with the style or how it was directed to be recorded? I really don’t know.

I am, however, the type of person that finds ‘voices’ in audiobooks cringey at times. It’s most likely down to me knowing that it’s just one person doing all of the characters so I know they’re being put on. One character's voice that I did like though was Sylvie’s. Her northern accent was very comforting and made me feel quite nostalgic for my hometown (I live in the south now so don’t hear northern accents very often).

So I really like the cover, but those people are not Sylvie and Stellan which is super confusing. Sylvie is definitely the main character of this book, so why is Nari (I’m guessing it’s her) on the cover?

Talking of Nari, I had no idea this was a dual point of view book. The second pov didn’t come into play for quite a while, so when it did it felt very out of place. With that being said I did enjoy Nari’s point of view, however she wasn’t who this book is about. It felt very much like filler content and because of this you don’t really get to know the characters that well.

Sometimes I enjoy a ‘will they won't they’ plot line, but I didn’t really like it here. Personally I didn’t think Sylvie and Stellan had any chemistry so I found it hard to root for them. The romance as a whole in this felt either very flat, or a little too cringey. Maybe I just listened to this at the wrong time so I wasn’t very invested in the plot.
With that being said, this is by no means a bad book. It was well written and narrated (for the most part) and it was packed with festive vibes, but it fell short for me personally. If you are interested in a festive romance which includes cute dogs - easily the best part of this, then you will enjoy Christmas at Frozen Falls.

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I thought this was a cute listen. I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped but it is still a solid 3 star read. Stellan is the one who got away for Sylvie. When she goes to his hometown the reignite their romance. I loved the side romance between Nari and Niilo! I would recommend this for a quick read.

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My review of the audio: My advice is, read this in print if you can. The narrator/team makes some choices that made this very difficult to get through. The prose is read in an RP accent, and the dialogue is read in regional accents. This makes it sound like the protagonist thinks in the Queen's English but then speaks in what is, I gather, to be a Mancunian accent. I found this quite jarring. The narrator uses a Finnish accent for some characters and a Mancunian one for the two main females. I can't comment on the Finnish accents, but the Mancunian ones do not sound right at all. They come off more South Yorkshire, but not a very good South Yorkshire. It doesn't sound like the narrator has ever been north of Peterborough.

My review of the book: We follow Sylvie, a fairly useless woman-child who has just been dumped by her fiancee of 10 years. Yes, 10 years. Apparently she didn't know something was up until she reflects on the relationship later. His mother is a bully, and her dog dies a week after the breakup after being taken by the mother. Oh, and the fiancee (Cole) had the mortgage in his name, took money for it, then boots her out with a solicitors letter while she's getting her wedding dress fitted. The mother demands the engagement ring back AND the fiancee knocks someone else up within a few months. My suspension of disbelief for this stuff only goes so far. Sylvie is so needy and insufferable throughout this novel that I hope Dunbar writes another book from Cole's perspective that makes him seem perfectly reasonable.

Sylvie takes a Christmas holiday to Finland with her friend Nari (who is actually pretty cool) to drop in on her ex-boyfriend who left her at university for a silly reason. All perfectly normal there. They then rekindle their romance, with no chemistry whatsoever, while Nari romances his friend, again with no chemistry whatsoever.

All of the characters are flat and dull. There was also no smut whatsoever to keep me engaged. Overall, not one I would recommend.

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2.5 stars - Sadly this book was just not for me. I wasn’t invested at all in the characters and their story. I thought the pace was too slow and the romantic connections weren’t really believable. While this one wasn’t for me personally, I think some readers would enjoy this one. The writing was good and the narration was great.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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The book is the perfect winter listen. The narrater really brought the story to life and made you want to continue listening, even past your bed time.

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Pluses and Minuses

Audiobook Review:
I enjoyed the story once it got to Finland. The English part felt a little tedious to me, like uninspired chick lit. The descriptions of Lapland sounded beautiful, especially the Frozen Falls. I could easily imagine myself there. This is a second-chance-at-love story for one couple. The years-past teenage romance had misunderstandings, of course, so when the couple meets again, everything is awkward… until it isn’t. The book has a second love story as well, for the friend the heroine came with… and the guy she was instantly attracted to when they arrive at the resort they will be staying. The story was at times touching, though I wasn’t wild about the American bashing in a few places. I’m not sure why some British authors sink to that level. This was a pleasant story to listen to. The narrator did well with the British accents that clearly showed where the characters came from. However, I thought she did a poor job with Stellan. While I am not sure what a Finnish accent sounds like, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t sound Italian, Russian, or Polish… which this character’s vocal styling sounded like at turns.

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This book is the Christmas combination of Bridget Jones's diary and "The Holiday". I previewed the audiobook and the accents and general story were great. Very cutesy and just what one needs in advance of some holiday festivities.

Although there wasn't anything groundbreaking about the plot lines, it was still super enjoyable and a cozy book to enjoy and not worry too hard about trying to follow. A staple combination of British chick lit, this book covers all the categories.

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Christmas at Frozen Falls was a fun and attention-keeping story that really got me in the winter and Christmas spirit! The characters are relatable and I loved the attention to detail that was given to the scenery and settings.

I typically prefer nonfiction for audio books (just a personal preference) but decided to give this a go and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it!

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, seasonal read. :)

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A fun book about a winter/christmas adventure in Finnish Lapland.
The setting was great and the story is heartwarming.
A story with two romances a new one and a second chance.

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I’ll be the very first to admit that it takes a LOT for me to be able to read/listen to a romance book…

BUT, Christmas at Frozen Falls had everything I needed and wanted: the perfect Christmas set in the perfect location, Lapland (‘home’ of our very own Santa Claus!).

Sylvie is dreading this Christmas, because she was supposed to be going on a sunny honeymoon vacation, hadn’t her fiancée dumped her a week before the wedding…

So now all she wants to do is just spend Christmas by herself, even though her best friend Nari insists she must take advantage of the already fully paid vacation trip… But in order to convince Sylvie to go away this Christmas, Nari arranges for a change in destination to beautiful Lapland.

Sylvie is hesitant at first… until she remembers that is where her long-lost ex-boyfriend Stellan is from and where his family owns a resort. And her mind is immediately made up to go on this Christmas getaway with Nari.

Stellan was the one that got away… but with all these years passed, can the 2 of them reconnect and fall back in love, amidst memories of the past and wonderful snowy landscapes, the northern lights and a lot of husky pups?


I absolutely ADORED this book, especially with all the in-depth descriptions of the scenery and snowy activities, and all the huskies and reindeer! Obviously, the romance was sweet as well and you’re left wondering if this is Sylvie’s chance at love again until the end of the book, because upon having to return to England, her heart’s conflicted…

It gave me cozy feelings, a bit of Christmas cheer that I was missing and just left me constantly imagining my dream destination, Lapland.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

#ChristmasatFrozenFalls #NetGalley #AudioBook #Romance #Lapland #ChristmasMood

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Thank you to. NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, I didn’t download it soon enough so I paid for the audiobook and I don't have any regrets.

I totally lived vicariously through Slyvie and Nari and their winter adventure to Finland. Cozied up next to the fireplace, I listened to this heartwarming story about both Slyvie and Nari finding love during the holidays. It truly is a uplifting holiday romance that sometimes our first love is our true love and at other times the love that is right for us isn't what we necessarily expected.

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I was immersed in this book, until the narrator started with an incredibly odd Finnish accent that was a bit grating every so often. The story was easy to follow and I was desperate to see how it ended that I had a couple of late nights. I love Christmas romances and I thought that this was one was good . Recommended.

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This was a cute holiday romance! Sylvie has been left by her fiance of 10 years and is now facing her first holiday season alone. She and her best friend decide to cancel what would have been her honeymoon and instead go to the Finish Lapland. After the decision has been made, Sylvie remembers that her college boyfriend Stellan was from Finland and actually runs a resort there. Could they be going to the same resort?

I loved the location of the book, the Finish countryside sounded amazing and the perfect place to celebrate the holidays. The book had the right amount of holiday cheer while still being grounded in reality. The second chance romance, while predictable, was lovely to read. This is a closed door romance, so personally I could have done with more steam, but I know there are lots of readers who will appreciate the lack.

The audiobook narration was good but not incredible. I usually love how much life a good narrator can bring to a story, but I thought this book in particular could have used more of that charm.

Overall a solid holiday read!

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Christmas at Frozen Falls follows Sylvie, the main character, who is brokenhearted after her fiancé dumps her right before their wedding. Six months later, and still heartbroken, her best friend, Nari, plans a trip to Lapland and to see the Northern Lights. There she discovers that "the one that got away", Stellan, is from Lapland in Frozen Falls. He shows her the sights and the two fall back into a romantic relationship. She returns back to London and realizes she may have left her heart in Frozen Falls.

This book was the perfect cozy winter read! It was a delightful feel good and heartwarming romantic comedy. I enjoyed the narration very much. Wonderful story about friendship, acceptance and the holidays. Very reminiscent of a Hallmark movie.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audio of this book in exchange for an honest. review.

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This book was fun and put me in the spirit of more Christmas reads! I felt terrible about our main character being dumped, i felt that she possibly should have investigated her feeling more. I felt like it was rushed and swept over rather than diving into that feeling of self doubt or remorse.

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I'm by no means a Christmas loving person but I wanted to try something a little different!
This book has made me want to go on a winter holiday to some Christmas wonderland. The romance side of things was a little predictable but heartwarming nonetheless.
The only thing that irked me a little bit was the accents on the audiobook. The Yorkshire accents were just too much for me personally and I feel like it detracted from the actual story being told.
If I was to recommend this I would suggest physically reading it as opposed to listening.

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I'm sorry that I wasn't able to listen to this before I got a new phone and don't seem to be able to get it again on my new one. It looks adorable though and have added it to my Christmas reads tbr. Based off of other reviews, I'm going to guess that mine would've been a solid 4. But just adding it because I have to in order to submit it.

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Unfortunately I was approved to read this on 10/28 and when I went to download the audiobook, it had been archived already. But good news! I was able to find a paperback and read it!

I have been searching for Christmas titles to start putting me in the holiday spirit and Christmas at Frozen Falls definitely delivered. Reading about Sylvie and Finlan’s romance felt like cuddling up with a warm blanket. I would definitely do a reread of this every Christmas!

While I enjoyed the focus on their relationship- I also loved the friendship between Sylvie and Nari. Now I need to find a travel blogger bestie! The way the scenery is depicted is also stunning.

I would definitely recommend Christmas at Frozen Falls to anyone who loves a sweet second chance romance, traveling, and all things holiday related!

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Everything you want wrapped up in a Christmas theme. No-one could ask for more this time of year to get them in the mood and take them away from the rap world for a few hours! delightful with an edge of christmassy romance goodness.

Loved all of it including the setting, its really got me in the festive spirit.

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