I was delighted to get a place on the tour to celebrate the publication of the latest festive novel, Keeping a Christmas Promise by Jo Thomas. It was published digitally on September 22nd by Transworld. The paperback version will be published on October 13th by Penguin.
A Christmas to remember for a friend they'll never forget…
Four friends
While on holiday twenty-five years ago, Freya and her three
best friends created a bucket list. As they talked about families, careers and
travelling, the future seemed bright, full of hope and most importantly
guaranteed...
One promise
Now, Freya and two friends are travelling to Iceland in
memory of the friend they've lost, determined to fulfil her dream of seeing the
Northern lights. Nothing - not even a snowstorm - is going to stop them.
A life-changing adventure
When an avalanche leaves them stranded, a handsome local,
Petur, comes to the rescue and shows them how the community come together to
survive. With Christmas fast approaching, the women throw themselves into
village life preparing for the festive celebrations.
As Freya's love for the village and feelings for Petur grow,
could this be her chance to find true happiness?
Keeping a Christmas Promise is an uplifting and
heart-warming story about friendship, adventure and learning to love again set
in a picturesque Icelandic village.
My Thoughts
If you want a gorgeous festive read this winter, this is the one! Set in beautiful Iceland in December, you taken to a quite magical place which you feel is is protected from the outside world by the elements. The community understand how vulnerable they are and come together to look after each other. Freya and her friends have come to Iceland to fulfil a promise to their friend, Laura. They bring with them their own particular issues and have been looking forward to seeing the Northern Lights, as tourists, staying in a luxury spa hotel. Circumstances lead then to Petur's farm and they discover some surprising things about themselves during their stay.
As the community works together, you see individual acts of kindness. There is a deliciously festive feel, with gorgeous descriptions of the local food and the natural phenomena. Freya in particular, re-assesses her life and comes to appreciate the values of the locals she meets. She sees the benefits of their sustainable lifestyle and the threats that can be found in the greed and self-centred interests of outsiders. The story swept me along. I found this character-driven story to be a perfect winter read.
In short:the story sparkles like the winter snow
About the Author
Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer,
including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.
Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway
bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance
Best eBook Award. Her recent book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1
bestselling eBook and in every one of her novels Jo loves to explore new
countries
and discover the food produced there, both of which she
thoroughly
enjoys researching.
Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three
children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely
important and fun part of their family life.
You can read my review of Jo's The Honey Farm on the Hill here
Coming Home to Winter Island here Escape to the French Farmhouse here and Finding Love at the Christmas Market here and Celebrations at the Chateau here.
Thanks to Jo Thomas, Transworld and Penguin and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Check out the rest of the tour!
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