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Floating Solo by Shelley Wilson #Review

  Fancy taking a leisurely boat ride along a beautiful Warwickshire canal? Floating Solo by Shelley Wilson was published by Hillfield Publishing on November 5th. Are you single? Have you lost your confidence when it comes to travelling? Would you welcome a few weeks away to find that missing spark? Climb aboard the Creaky Cauldron for an adventure like no other! Budding entrepreneur Kat Sinclair wants to grow her quirky solo narrowboat holiday enterprise but faces rejection at every turn. Until a Hollywood film crew gets in touch with the potential to change her business, dreams, and love life forever. 'Enemies to lovers' 'Small town romance'   My Thoughts   You can't help but fall under the spell of life on the canals when you read this story. Kat has big dreams for her business but seems to lack confidence to put it into action. Her Floating Solo holidays are very successful for her clients and many use the experience to sort out their thoughts and plan their ...

Christmas Island by Natalie Normann #Review

 

Here is one of those ultimate Christmas reads! Christmas Island by Natalie Normann is published by One More Chapter.


Cosy up in front of a fire and discover Christmas the Norwegian way…full of romance, cosy traditions and hygge!

In the bleak midwinter…

A really frosty wind is making Holly’s life absolutely miserable

After all the years of hard work it took Londoner Holly Greene to become a doctor, now it could all be taken away and she only has herself to blame. She’s retreating to her brother’s rustic home on an island off the coast of Norway to lick her wounds. Only, it’s the middle of winter and icy slush plus endless darkness isn’t exactly the cheery, festive getaway she had imagined.

Nearly stumbling off the edge of a cliff in the dark, Holly is saved by Frøy, a yellow-eyed cat of fearsome but fluffy proportions, and his owner – grouchy, bearded recluse, Tor. Tor has his own problems to face but the inexplicable desire to leave a bag of freshly baked gingerbread men on Holly’s doorstep is seriously getting in the way of his hermit routine.

Call it kindness, call it Christmas, but Holly’s arrival means midwinter has never looked less bleak.

My Thoughts

 This story is crammed full of Nordic traditions. It is full of the atmosphere of dark Christmas nights (and I mean dark!), seasonal food, good company and old traditions. Set in the middle of all this are the two central characters, Holly and Tor. They both have their own reasons for wanting to escape to the Norwegian island. You can't help but like Holly. Family means a lot to her and her determination to help her brother shines through. Tor seems more complicated. You see glimpses of a softer side when he skypes his old friends and through his care of the redoubtable Froy. 

    The descriptions of the island are vividly written and you can visualise the community. Set off the mainland, it seems to offer warmth through the efforts of its inhabitants. This is a gentle, comforting read which charms the reader and leaves you rooting for Holly and Tor.

In short: Escape into a Nordic Christmas

 

About the Author


Natalie Normann grew up in a shipping town on the west-coast of Norway and always wanted to be a writer. Actually, she wanted to smoke cigars and drink whiskey like Hemingway but settled for chocolate and the occasional glass of Baileys.

Her writing journey started with short stories in women’s magazines until her first book was published in 1995.

You can follow Natalie here:  Twitter  |  Facebook

Book link:  Amazon UK

Thankjs to Natalie Normann, One More Chapter and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy f the book and a place on the tour.  

 

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