A Gift in December

The perfect, cosy read for a cold winter evening. Ideal for curling up with a mug of cocoa by the fire. An easy, heartwarming read to get you in the mood for Christmas. Set in London and Norway and combining threads of heartbreak, bravery and romance set against the background of WW2.

This was an excellent read. It was very well written and the characters felt very real. The setting in Norway sounded beautiful. This book had me gripped to the end. Excellent.

Thoroughly enjoyed this heart warming book. So much of it is spent with a will they, won't they thought process but which team are you backing....

Absolutely loved it!

A lovely story. Jane is an award winning journalist, but her boyfriend Simon, a journalist with the same magazine, felt neglected while she was working so hard on her major story, and left her. She is terribly upset and unable to settle at work, so her editor gives her an assignment to give her a break In routine, she has to go to Norway with a group of journalist from other publications, to join in with the selection of the Queen if the Forest, the giant Christmas tree that Norway sends to England each year in grateful thanks for all their help during the war, when England provided a haven for King Haakon and his government when Germany overran the country and demanded the puppet leader Quisling was put in place to run the country. Jane is horrified at the assignment, but she is made to go, along with Ben, a photographer who works for the same magazine. They don’t know each other well, Ben’s assignments take him out of the country for weeks at a time.

The journalists receive first class treatment throughout and Jane is starting to enjoy herself. They are accompanied by a very charming, very old man, Thomas Erikson, a famous war hero.. Jane notices that he seems troubled about something, and one evening they start chatting. He tells her a story, and asks her to do something for him. He wants her to go to a place in the forest a few hours away, and find something g for him., she will be in trouble with the tour organiser for missing the day’s activities, but she wants to help, so she agrees to go. Another journalist and television personality, recently embroiled in a huge scandal, Philip, meets her as she is sneaking out of the hotel and agrees to take her. They find what Thomas is looking for but Philip is a very unreliable bloke, and they run out of petrol on the way back, and have to be rescued. This is not the only time that he lets Jane down! Thomas shares the find with Jane, and Ben as he is Norwegian and can translate. It appears to be a very romantic and one-sided love affair, and Thomas is eager for Jane to find Marit and tell her story.

Lots of things go awry on the rest of this trip, there are moments of high drama, and some very funny moments as well. Everything goes badly wrong for Jane, but luckily some of the others help her sort everything out. She manages to please her editor with a very special story for the Christmas edition of the magazine, which is, of course Marit’s story; and we end with a very happy ever after which definitely has the aah! factor. A delight to read.

Brilliant. I didn’t quite know what to expect. An interesting story line with brilliant, believable characters. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Norway in November, partly London, The descriptions given are great and you can picture where you would be, this has been so well written. from the first page I was hooked. This is a Christmas tale at its best, Read this and then buy it for a friend, it really is well worth it. I highly recommend owning this novel.

A romantic Christmas story that is so much more than the usual cosy offerings . The story about why Norway gifts a tree to the United Kingdom each year and how it is chosen plus the Christmas customs means Norway, particulary a forest, is now on my bucket list .
Jane ,an ambitious journalist who has just broken the story of the year and subsequently been dumped by her fellow journalist boyfriend,is sent to Norway by her editor to cover the cutting down ceremony of the tree for London . The trip is a luxury all expenses paid jaunt for journalists , Instagram bloggers and a couple of celebrities. Jane is not happy at being sent on what she regards as a non story about Christmas which she hates . However, she soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery dating back to World War 2 , when she strikes up a conversation with Thomas Erikson,listed as a VIP guest . Meanwhile Philip Donnelly ,a washed up reality tv star who considers himself to be a VIP is also causing a stir ,good looking but arrogant he sets hearts fluttering .
I found the story of Thomas and events fifty years ago a nice counterbalance to the almost chick lit story of the trip . A lovely book to read informative and entertaining ,I loved it

I loved this book, telling of the Norwegian king who escaped in the war, by a modern day story through the eyes of the soldier who helped him escape. The end of the story is unique and totally unexpected but coupled with a romance that I couldn’t wait to happen.
The end bought a tear to my eye and I couldn’t put the book down until I was able to finish it. First class

Just what is required near Christmas. A book about snow, love and a Christmas tree, oh, and a spy story thrown in for good measure..
I loved the mixture of old and new, Christmas trees and Instagram, 1940s and current times.
A beautifully crafted story, with believable characters.

I loved this (although I always find it out reading these in summer) a great entertaining story which you can snuggle up with on a nice winters night, set in the glorious Norway made it feel even more seasonal. A wonderful holiday read, charming romance, wonderful writing and characters, what a beautiful ending. One to keep you warm on a miserable night, a great read.

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

A lovely read. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a Christmas book.....it is. But it is so much more!
It is the intertwining stories of those who love, and of the stories behind that love.
A journalist, having been recently dumped goes on a magical journey and meets a man with a story to tell.
The scenes are set beautifully and it is easy to imagine you are there.
The ending is beautiful.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

🌲A holiday visit to Norway brings unexpected challenges and delights😊
4.5🌟stars 😍😊😪
This ended up as a real feel-good story, but there were quite a few tearful moments as well. Heroine journalist Jane seems never to learn that heavy drinking leads to excruciating hangovers, but otherwise I really liked her. Her romantic life is in upheaval, but she still gets stuck into her research and uncovers a bittersweet love story dating back to Germany's occupation of Norway in World War Two. While her romantic radar is off target through most of the story, her reporter's instinct proves true and solves the mystery of Marit, the Norwegian villager who Thomas left behind when the Norwegian king and his cabinet fled in exile to defy the invading Germans. The fact that, having done the research and found the answer, Thomas, her main source, then hands her the confirmation was a bit of a let-down for me. Why make her investigate what you already know, Thomas? 🤔

🎄The pre-Christmas festivities in Norway are just a backdrop to the romance, but the author does a great job of bringing the ❄ snow-covered Norwegian countryside to life. And the London climax in Trafalgar Square is tinged with sadness but nevertheless lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed the story beginning to end (though I would not have minded the epilogue taking them a bit further). Well done!🌝

Thanks to publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy; this is my voluntary and honest review.

What a delightful book! I was expecting it to be the usual chick lit Christmas romance, syrupy with predictable 2D characters. Instead I found a very well written story, with beautiful descriptions invoking the spirit and magic of Christmas, with added depth of the origin of the Norwegian Christmas tree gift to Britain. Although some aspects were the usual fare of the Christmas novel, it was all tremendously well done, and some parts were very funny. I can not reccomend this highly enough!

Jane a hardcore journalist who only writes about serious things is heartbroken after a colleague who she spent almost a year with dumps her and goes back to his ex and only a few weeks away from Christmas
Her editor hands her her next assignment to go on an all expenses spared luxury trip to Norway to watch the tree be cut that the Norwegians always gift to the UK every year
She is not happy but goes anyway whilst she is travelling out there she reads why Norway gifts a tree and realises it's all to do with the 2nd world war, when the then King refuses to capitulate to Hitlers demands and has to be secretly rushed out of the country with his cabinet to form a temporary base in UK and so in a show of gratitude every year Norway chooses its best tree to stand triumphant in Trafalgar Square
Upon arriving in Norway and finding out a member of her group was A Norwegian gentleman who it turns out tells her how he helped smuggle the King out and he tells her his own love story
Or does he?
In the end Jane finds out it wasn't a love story but something way more important.

A Gift in December is an enjoyable and feel good story which will be sure to get you into the festive mood. The story focuses on journalist Jane Brook who has just had an incredible breakthrough story exposing a political scandal, but it has cost her relationship. Heartbroken and feeling a little lost, her boss sends Jane to cover a story about the Queen of the Forest tree ceremony in beautiful and scenic Norway. Along the way she meets a whole host of interesting characters, Ben a famous photographer from her office, Lucy, Lena and Freddie who are influencers and Philip Donnelly, a charming but disgraced TV star who is trying to make a comeback.

I read this book in a matter of hours, it was so cute and easy to follow. I love stories like this and on top of the rom com element, there was also a historical mystery / romance thrown in for good measure. On the trip, Jane becomes friends with an elderly man called Thomas who has deep ties with Norways history. After a little time, Thomas confides his greatest secret to Jane hoping she may be able to help him in finding his long lost love, Marit.

I absolutely loved the historical aspect of this book and I learnt so much about Norways part in World War II. It’s always cool when a book is both enjoyable and informative. I had no idea that the King at the time, Haakon VII refused to abdicate his throne to Nazi rule and fled to England until the war was over. Reading the way fact and fiction merges here is so fascinating as I have such a deep interest in history. Even if historical fiction isn’t your cup of tea, the way it’s written here is engaging and I think it will appeal to a variety of readers.

Thomas explains his role in aiding the king of Norway to escape Nazi persecution and shares all about Marit, who he had to regrettably leave behind. Marit wrote him a series of letters which eventually stopped, Thomas tasks Jane with finding these letters and in turn Marit. I really liked this element of the story and the wistful tone of his recollections, it was sad but realistic at the same time. I feel like there are probably so many people out there who have had experiences like this but have been unable to be with the person they love and it was quite moving.

On top of the historical elements and the long lost romance, I enjoyed the writing so much. Jenny Gladwell takes the reader on a luxury tour of Norway from the wild forests to the extravagant hotels and delicious sounding food. The descriptions of Norway were so lush and gorgeous and it has definitely made me want to visit in the future. Much like Jane, a reader will be truly captivated by it all.

Alongside the glitz and glamour of the trip, as well as Janes search for Marit, she is also finding herself and what she wants in life. The trip proves to be a transformative one for Jane and it was so satisfying seeing her get over her no good ex boyfriend and overcome her heartbreak. Not only does she realise her worth but finds some great friends along the way, I love fluffy stories like this and they’re so necessary. Life can be so heavy at times and novels like this offer a small escape from it all.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading A Gift in December and would gladly read anything else by this author. This was a story full of hope and a reminder to take chances and pursue what you really want in life and it totally lifted my mood. Although I don’t celebrate Christmas, it was still a pleasant read and it would make a great holiday movie!

A beautiful story set against the snowy wonderland of Norway. Journalist Jane is sent on assignment to Norway to recover from a broken relationship. There she discovers the story behind the tradition and history of choosing the “Queen of the Forest” for Trafalgar Square in London; she also uncovers some long forgotten secrets from WW2 and helps a brave soldier from that era fulfil his final wishes.
I enjoyed the weaving together of the two stories, one present and one from the Second World War. This is a combined history lesson and romance, with sparkly snowflakes and sweet smelling pine needles I found myself in the Christmas Spirit and also remembering the true meaning of this festival.

This is a delightful Christmas romcom. It’s a light, easy read with likeable characters. It draws you in right from the start and has you riveted throughout the book. The story of Thomas and Marit is poignant and endearing and is a great addition to the book. The description of Norway is done so beautifully that you can easily imagine the scenery as the story unfolds. I’m looking forward to reading more by Jenny Gladwell.

A great read from this author. Although it takes you to a scene many will never experience it also described Christmas from the viewpoint many have which is they hate it and boy the main character Jane really does. However what offsets this is the story line and a WW2 scenario which kept me riveted in the book. An easy to read book even with a few flashbacks and definitely worth 5 stars. Thank you Jenny Gladwell and NetGallery.

Reading this Christmas tale on a sunny beach on Jersey was always going to be an effort, however Jenny used such magical language to transport you to Norway itself that I hardly noticed the sun shining, instead I was either in London or Norway with the main character Jane and her quest to get over her ex!
This book was a real feel good Christmas story, a little obvious in places but an excellent story that I'll be recommending to my friends for a Christmas pick me up!

This was a lovely read, the main characters were identifiable and I really hoped they would get a happy ever after. The ending was a little sad in part, but felt uplifting and I was left feeling cosy inside! Would have loved to read this at Christmas.

A Gift in December has us following Jane, a journalist at the the top of her professional game. Unfortunately she is at the bottom of her personal game as her boyfriend has dumped her via email because of her hard earned achievements. Jane would like nothing more than to stay in her flat and eat ice cream until she feels better,but her boss has other plans for her. She decides to send Jane to Norway with a spot on a press tour for the cutting ceremony of the Trafalgar Christmas tree. Jane is joined by quite an eclectic mix of people and one in particular catches her journalistic eye.

Thomas was just a boy of 19 when he was tasked with saving the king of Norway. On a top secret mission he meets a woman that he never seems to be able to forget. Thomas enlists Jane’s help to track down missing letters from this woman as well as the person in question if at all possible. But nothing goes as planned for Jane. Whilst trying to do her Christmas story she gets sidetracked by the group’s resident lothario, gets a professional stabbing in the back, suffers personal humiliation and almost misses out on true love.

This story was a very cute read that will fill you with warm fuzzies throughout. It will be an amazing Christmas read as it transports you to a truly magical place. The descriptions were amazing and I really felt like I could see Norway. The characters were a mixed bag and they all had their sweet and redeeming qualities. After reading this book I now want to go to the country and gobble up even more of their history and culture! A very pleasant surprise.

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

IA Gift In December was a heart warming festive romance with an historical twist. After a failed romance acclaimed journalist Jane brook was sent to Norway to cover the ceremony to choose the Queen of the forest. Along with her photographer Ben, Jane was to write about the ceremony and it's journey to London to stand in Trafalgar Square. Norways gift to the British people for their help in the war.

On the press trip were fellow journalists Sandra and Nick, three bloggers and ex journalist now TV survival expert star Philip Donnelly. In charge of PR on the trip was Natasha who was bossy and wanted everything to run on time

Although Philip was a notorious womaniser, Jane felt herself flirting with him.. Before going away Jane`s pregnant best friend Margot urged her to left her hair down and have a one stand with someone on the trip.

Accompanying the press pack was Thomas, an elderly gentleman who helped the king escape Norway to London. Thomas explained as a young soldier he met a woman called Marit who had also helped in the escape. The night before the king left Norway Thomas and Marit spend the night together. Marit continued to write Thomas, after the war he returned to Norway to find Marit but she had disappeared.

Thomas hid Marit`s letter in the chimney of the disused house were they spend their illicit night together. Thomas went on to marry his childhood sweetheart and they had two children and grandchldren. Thomas asked Jane to go to the disused house to find Marit letters and bring them back.

Jane and Philip go on a hunt for Thomas and Merit`s love letters.

I have been reading this book in the August 🌞 but my imagination has been in Norway. I have always loved the run-up to Christmas and after reading A Christmas gift in December, I am counting how many sleeps to the big day.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the hotel in the forest and wished I was there. The Queen of the Forest ceremony sounded wonderfully magical and showed the true meaning of christmas.

Although I enjoyed Jane `s flirtation with Philip, the lovely story between Thomas and Marit was the best part. Marit was an amazing woman and the - twist at the end was perfect for her. I also liked Natasha the PR girl who was actually quite fun under her frosty exterior.

I highly recommend this light hearted romcom.

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A really good read When Jane a journalist goes to Norway to do a story about a Christmas tree and also to have a break she really doesn't think it is important but while she is there she meets Thomas and she uncovers a story which happened during the war The story starts out as a possible romance but it turns out to be so much more than that and its very much at the heart of the book Lovely story telling beautiful setting and a bit of Christmas magic make for a really nostalgic read loved it

A delightful tale - in the present, a career driven reporter gets over a messy break up with an assignment to experience Norway at its most festive. Through misadventure and romantic misdemeanor, we see her come to understand what she values most. We also meet Thomas - a hero seeking the woman he fell in love with during the war. Through their story we also see the importance of duty, sacrifice, and love in all its forms. A perfect winter warmer.

I love Christmas books! There is something so warmly evocative about them. This book takes us to Norway, the land of snow, reindeer, fjords, starlit skies and romance. It’s like a mug of cocoa on a snowy night.

I loved this book and even though I read it in August it still evoked the spirit of Christmas. It really is a lovely story , and whilst there were no great surprises, I was drawn right in there with the characters, When Christmas comes around if you’re looking for a charming feel good winter read look no further.

Light reads like this always fill me with an odd sort of warmth and not just because of the fact they are perfect cosy reading. The rawness and truth of how strange reality can be to pull us into moments we never saw coming but those that can truly transform our lives. Of how things come into our lives at the moments we least expect and give us a whole new outlook on life.

As soon as I read the opening letter, I was already hooked and since knowing the plot, a little emotional just from that alone. Anything wartime always does that to me given we all know how much these letters were worth to those lives back then. It really moved my heart from the first page from that short letter alone and it got better page by page as we weaved through these stories and letters merging as one tale.

Janes life starts with a bit of a sad knocking after her ex sends her a single email, calling off the relationship and she soon is welcoming this trip to Norway to get a break from some of the heartache. Each page flowed along so perfectly and never felt like too much of an info dump. The characters were all perfectly rounded too, bringing many great different perspectives on this unique tale as we went along further into the story.

All the relationships and moments that entailed really filled up your heart with a lovely warmth and I totally understand why this is the perfect Winter read. It has the perfect balance of sadness and good tidings. Nothing so heavy it could be hard to read or too light. The real perfect blend.

A beautiful, light heart-warming read. Ready to tug at every emotion with raw honesty and an all-round perfect Winter tale.

What a fabulous read - makes you want to go somewhere snowy. I loved this book and warmed to the characters immediately. I particularly like the back story and it adds a great dimension to a feel good novel.

I really enjoyed this story, quite light-hearted to start with, but with added depth just over a third in with the additional story developing of the wartime drama of the King of Norway's escape to London during the war, and the people who helped him.

Jane is a journalist who recently broke a big story and so is on a high career-wise at the moment, but it's heading towards Christmas and she has also recently split with her partner and so is very down. She is persuaded to go to Norway on an all-expenses paid trip to do a lighter piece on how the Norwegian people donate a Christmas tree to London every year for their help in the war. There are a variety of people on the 'jolly', younger bloggers and a bit of a Z-list (slimy!) lothario hoping to restart his journalistic career amongst them, along with Jane and Ben, the photographer from her paper.

One of the people on the trip is a quieter elderly gentleman, Thomas, who turns out to have been involved with helping the King escape during the war. He is looking for the girl (Marit) who helped them, and whom he corresponded with for a while but then lost touch. This is the interesting history bit of the book, which I really enjoyed, a bit of intrigue going on too and a few secrets.

The book definitely got better and better as it went on and I couldn't put it down towards the end, just wanting to know what happened. The story of Thomas and Marit was really interesting. In the end everything was solved and Jane got her story (albeit with a few mishaps along the way) and the guy - but which one?! Really lovely story, although slightly sad towards the end, but with a real Christmas feel in all the snow and cold. Just lovely.

A sparkling and heart warming Christmas gift of a read! Perfect for those winter months had ahead. A great story with lovely characters and a genuine heartfelt love at the centre of it all.

Bruised after the end of her latest relationship, Jane is sent to Norway to cover the story of the cutting down of the Christmas Tree. This is the tree given to us every year for the help we gave Norway in WW2.
One of the group is the soldier who helped the King of Norway escape. His story catches the imagination of Jane. Who was the young girl who helped him and what happened to her after the end of the war?
Jane finds herself attracted to adventurer Philip Donnelly but will he win her heart? Or will someone else help ease her heartache?
A book to curl up with in front of a roaring fire at Christmas.

This is a lovely story about the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. It’s a gift from Norway and we learn where it’s from and why. There is also the story of a Norwegian hero and a journalist who sorts out her life and finds love. It’s a book that makes one feel happy.

Jane who is a journalist who after being heartbroken is sent to Norway to write about the Xmas tree that is presented to London every year. She then discovers letters that were sent during the war and tries to find out about them.

Definitely a book to pack in your suitcase. An easy but enjoyable read. Jane, a journalist, is sent to Norway with a photographer to capture the choosing and cutting down of the Christmas tree sent to London each year. Although Jane is still hurting from a recent breakup and is 'off men' she befriends Thomas a veteran of WW2 and when he asks her to help him she doesn't hesitate. Alongside the beautiful setting of Norway we are transported back to the war years when Thomas knew a woman named Morit. While helping Thomas with the past Jane starts to look towards her future. I really enjoyed this book.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I haven’t read anything by the author before but the story follows Jane a journalist who is unlucky in love. When a recent break up leaves her going to Norway to see the gifted queen of the forest Christmas tree being picked to be sent to London a tradition from war times. Jane goes with the thought it gets her away from London and heartbreak. The way the author describes every part of the trip has left me wishing to visit somewhere so beautiful! Jane does enjoy it her party is partly journalists and bloggers and I won’t spoil the story but there’s definitely more male scheming involved but the true part of the story that had me in tears is the oldest in the party, a war time hero named Thomas who tells the story of love during the war with a lady named Marit, but a twist at the end lets you see what true war time heroes can achieve! Perfect story that had me wondering all the way through on who to trust!

My rating - 4.5 stars out of 5

This was a relaxing book set mostly in Norway, which sounded magical. I enjoyed how the story of Jane evolved and also how the story of the young Norwegian soldier and Marit from 1940 was brought into the present day storyline.

This story had a perfect mix of romance, mystery, a villain, friends and snow to transport the reader away from their own lives - a lovely Christmas read.

Such a gorgeous festive story. I really enjoyed all the different elements to this one it's far more than the average fluffy read and stays with you long after you have finished. My first major book hangover of the year and it's left me wanting more!

Also quickly need to add how absolutely gorgeous the cover is!