Well, one of my first Christmas romance stories, and I couldn’t have wished for better. I rarely read a Christmas themed book but saw this and couldn’t resist. The cover was enough for me and the synopsis just put a cherry on the top.
Sasha is a Christmas hater since her mum died, nothing is the same for her. She receives a call from her dad in Norway, who needs help with his Lapland Style Christmas village. He is on doctors orders to rest after a heart attack. With no more ado Sasha books a flight to Norway – which is a biggie on its own – she has never flown before!
Taavi Talveson, a beaut of a Norwegian man, meets Sash at the airport and takes her to the North Pole Forest on a husky led sleigh and she’s in awe when she sees the spectacular Northern Lights, a phenomenon she’s only ever dreamed of. On arrival, she’s amazed to see her dad has been running a struggling Christmas village, with him playing Santa, and when she uncovers sacks of unopened mail, written by children from all over the world, she decides to start replying to some of them, can she rediscover the magic of Christmas herself whilst sending some of that magic around the world?
What a joyous story! The setting is so perfect. A winter wonderland with Santa’s Grotto, elves and even reindeer, I defy anybody not to feel even a little bit Christmassy when reading this. I so adored the beginning of every chapter, they all began with a letter to Father Christmas and some brought a chuckle too. I understood Sasha and why she felt like Christmas had lost its magic. It is an adult thing but, can that magic be recaptured? Well, Sasha found out for herself. Taavi is such a hunk and quite a loveable character after Sasha manages to get past his cool standoffishness from her arrival. Jaimie Adman’s characters make you want to get to know them, she has made them so well drawn. The sense of place is just so present, I closed my eyes and could picture it all, like a film in my head.
I just adored everything about this uplifting and heartwarming read, from the Christmas village to the elves. Which adult doesn’t want to visit something like this and experience the magic of Christmas again along with some Christmas romance? I shall wait for the answer.
Fabulous book, a gorgeous cover and I loved it all! Thanks to the star that is Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources and HQ Stories for my copy of this book.
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