Another heartfelt and delightful Christmas tale from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas on the Island. New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan returns to the setting of Christmas on the Island and Endless Beach for a heartwarming new novel celebrating the season, and Scotland. On the tiny, beautiful, and remote island of Mure, … celebrating the season, and Scotland.
On the tiny, beautiful, and remote island of Mure, halfway between Scotland and Norway, a new hotel opening is a big event. New mother Flora MacKenzie and her brother Fintan are working themselves half to death to get it ready in time for Christmas.
The new hotel’s impressive kitchens throw together two unlikely new friends: Isla Gregor is the hardworking young girl who has been a waitress in the island’s cafe, dreaming of a bigger, better life now that she’s at a proper fancy hotel. Konstantin Pederson is working his way up in the hotel’s kitchens too…but he is also, secretly, the only son of the Duke of Utsire. Konstantin has been sent to learn what it is to work hard for a living, before receiving his inheritance. Although he’s initially resentful, the place grows on him; he has never met anyone quite like Isla and her fellow Murians before.
As the island’s residents and special VIP guests gather for the hotel’s grand opening gala, Christmas is in the air. But so are more than a few small-town secrets…
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Even though I loved this book, I had the hardest time writing this review.
When I finished the last sentence, I had the same warm, fuzzy feeling as when I’ve finished every other Jenny Colgan novel. Then I caught a glimpse of a review and second guessed myself.
There’s a review on here that details the changes to characters names that occurred from the first three books to this one. It dawned on me suddenly that they were right- Pam’s name was Jan, previously. The others were smaller alterations, but still noticeable to the keen reader. Which, it turns out, was not me! I read each Mure book as it’s released, typically a year to a year and a half after reading the last one. While I remember the main characters and their relationships, little details might slip through the cracks of my memory. And though Jan’s name changed to Pam, as soon as she opened her mouth and tried to get into a mommy competition with Flora, I absolutely recalled their history and felt like the character behaved consistently, even if her name changed.
After reflecting on the inaccuracies between this novel and the three prior Mure novels, I still feel like it’s a 5 star read. The dialogue is witty, the omniscient narrator often makes me laugh out loud with their own humorous observations and insights, and I finished the book with the precise warm glow I was looking for when I started it.
Jenny Colgan books consistently make me laugh while still encouraging deep thought on what makes people tick and their impact on the world. Her novels always have well developed characters whose actions may make you laugh on one page and cry on the next, all in breathtaking settings that allow me to travel in my mind, far beyond my reality’s budget.
If you’ve loved the previous Mure books, this one is a must read. If you’re too worried about name inconsistencies, just read half a dozen books between book 3 and this one. This feel good Christmas story is one you won’t want to miss.
I like Jenny Colgan but didn’t know this was part of a series. It was a fun book, different than other Christmas stories.
Always enjoy Jenny Colgan’s books. They transport me to another place.
Favorite Quotes:
“Bugglas Booker is awake,” she said with a sniff. “I think he’s a bad baby, Auntie Flora. He is very cross.” “Douglas,” said Flora for the nine hundredth time. “His name is Douglas.”
“Turkey is ’orrible! Is huge dry chicken! Huge dry unhappy chicken!! … Do not eat unhappy animals!! Is unhappy! That is why”— he paused for emphasis—“ so many fights at Christmas.”
“Who is that new chap anyway?” said Mrs. Brodie suspiciously. “I’m just saying. He’s a bit of a ride and no mistake.”
They hadn’t had quite such an entertaining evening since Wullie Stevenson had gotten his false teeth stuck bobbing for apples at Halloween and scared the living death out of all the children by taking them out, apple and all.
“She is being the brattiest brat in the history of terrible brats… Would you like another kid? You’ve already got one, it shouldn’t be too much trouble.” “Most people wait till after eight A.M. on Christmas morning to try to give their children away,” said Flora… “Seriously, you don’t even have to keep her, you can sell her to pirates,” said Eilidh…
“But you make me not want to be a jerk,” he said. “Well, I’m not sure it’s working.”
My Review:
It is still close enough to Christmas with a nip in the air, so I see no reason to stop reading Christmas stories, and this one was good fun and hit all the feels from the lows of grief and humiliation to the highs of a freshly acquired sense of purpose and pride as well as new and deepening love affairs. Plus, I adore Jenny Colgan and I will read her any chance I get, regardless of the season. The cleverly constructed storylines were engaging and relatable and packed with wry levity and amusing observations from a large cast of compellingly quirky and complex characters. I giggled-snorted and gleefully laughed aloud several times during perusal and cannot recall ever enjoying a nativity scene as entertaining as this one.
And as a bonus I have a new addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list with blowsy; which Mr. Google tells me is course, untidy, and sluttish. Score! I have plans for that word, big plans…
I picked this book up at the library in order to have plenty to read during our Thanksgiving Lock Down and I wanted to start on some Christmas books. I have to tell you I have not read a lot by Jenny but this story totally captured my heart. I started reading it yesterday and although I had to get a few hours of sleep and put the book down, I did not do our Sunday big breakfast today as I needed to finish it.
The family dynamics in this story are so true to life and we watch as Fintan is trying to open the dream that Colton his husband had for the old hotel. We watch as Fintan struggles with his feelings of loss and tries to handle the hotel business but he is a cheese maker not a manager. On the other hand his sister Flora who is on maternity leave is. She loves being a mother but feels that her son would much rather she go away and leave him alone with his father. Then we have Fintan going off to find a chef for the business and bringing back a kookier character than anyone can imagine. Through switches between Flora restaurant and the hotel some characters are stretched beyond there comfort zone and made to move up the ladder even if they don’t want to. Add in a mysterious kitchen worker who has no idea how to was a pan, chop and onion or mop a floor. What has he been doing all his life.
We then mix in the towns crazy antics and personalities and have a rounding up of why you may want to live on this island in your future. Everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business is open to comments good or bad.
You will love getting to know the townspeople and all the adventures and mishaps along the way.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone that wants to laugh, cry and enjoy learning about the island and the mysteries that come with it.
What a great way to get into the holiday spirit. This is a very sweet and charming story. I LOVE that it takes place on an island and wish I was there now lol.
The characters are great and the writing well done. I had no idea this was part of a series and it certainly didn’t take anything away from it. I didn’t feel lost or confused at all so for those who just want a Christmas read this would work just fine. Definitely recommend!
I appreciate William Morrow publication for providing this ARC as a Goodreads giveaway. I am very happy to have won a copy as it definitely fueled my need for some cozy holiday fun.
Jenny Colgan is the BEST! I wish she lived next door to me!
A wonderful addition to this series. Jenny Colgan has a way with words that create not only wonderful full characters, but draw you in so that you care for all of them and find yourself rooting for them all. The cast is wonderfully diverse and representative of the world as it is. I loved that. You get to join each of them while they are traveling their own paths to finding themselves, changing their own lives and all of those they meet along the way and interact with.
It truly is a delightful sweet read that though a holiday book will warm your heart and soul all throughout the year. It brings about so many different feelings and emotions. I am so very glad I got read this lovely book, particularly during these trying times we living through. Hope, this book will bring forth hope. Who doesn’t need that?
This is such a sweet story. It has all the charm of a small town during any holiday. I thought the characters were written with surprisingly good chemistry for the limited amount of time they had been together. I was unaware this was part of a series when I read the book, but it didn’t impact my reading experience at all. I had no trouble keeping up. The only thing holding me back from giving it five stars was the fact that I felt like it skipped from character to character a bit too quickly. I would have also liked to know more about Saif and Lorna, but it’s possible that we have more background from the first three books. This is a great cozy read, and it has me in the mood for Christmas now!
This is a wonderful story of finding one’s self, perseverance and romance. There are a wide range of delightful characters including the location itself and an Angel. The complete turnaround for Candace Blunt the reporter was a little much but it was Christmas after all!
4.5 stars
Not realizing that this was book 4 in a series, I read it without having read the previous books so It took me a bit of time to sort out who the various characters were. The book wasn’t confusing, but I’m sure my enjoyment of it suffered by not knowing the various characters’ back stories. The main story was centered on shy, budding baker Isla, and a spoiled Norwegian duke’s son, Konstantin, who is banished to the island to work in the kitchen of a brand new boutique hotel by his father after one too many drunken, bratty episodes. It was fun to watch Konstantin slowly start to recognize how spoiled and entitled he’s been and make tentative steps toward growing up. As for the other characters, I didn’t really connect to any of them, but I”m sure they would have been more impactful if I’d read the previous books. I loved the setting, an isolated island off the Scottish coast and could easily imagine how it would feel to live there, especially in the winter. Even though the weather and the setting were bleak, the book was warm and cozy and the village had a true sense of community and the Christmas spirit. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins Publishers/William Morrow Paperbacks for a digital advance readers copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.
I’m of the belief that it’s always the right time of year to read a book set during Christmastime. Especially if it’s written by Jenny Colgan. I was excited to read this one, not even realizing it was book #4 in the series. And happily I discovered it can be read as a standalone, though now I want to go back and read the first three.
This is a sweet and heartwarming story of everyday people and an incognito Norwegian prince, a crazy French chef, a grieving widower, and a new mother, all living in a small Scottish village where everyone knows everything about everyone else. The story begins as the Island Hotel prepares to launch on Christmas Day. Be prepared for the mouthwatering food descriptions as the hotel’s restaurant makes delicious meals throughout the story. Of course there are misunderstandings, mishaps, an ill-behaved dog, and quirky traditions, but I loved the way various plot threads came together to provide a satisfying conclusion – I definitely recommend this “happily ever after” book.
#ChristmasattheIslandHotel #NetGalley