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Fiction. Literature. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) HTML: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Café by the Sea�??whose novels are "an evocative, sweet treat" (JOJO MOYES)�??comes this heartwarming holiday novel set on a charming Scottish island. On the remote Scottish island of Mure, the Christmas season is stark, windy, and icy�??yet incredibly festive and beautiful... It's a time for getting cozy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram and a treacle pudding with the people you love�??unless, of course, you've accidentally gotten pregnant by your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In the season for peace and good cheer, will Flora find the nerve to reveal the truth to her nearest and dearest? Will her erstwhile co-parent Joel think she's the bearer of glad tidings�??or is this Christmas going to be as bleak as the Highlands in midwinter? Meanwhile Saif, a doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons on this remote island where he's been granted asylum. His wife, however, is still missing, and her absence hangs over what should be a joyful celebration. Can the family possibly find comfort and joy without her? Travel to the beautiful northern edge of the world and join the welcoming community of Mure for a Highland Christmas you'll n… (more)
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Flora left her paralegal job to open a little cafe, Seaside Kitchen. She enjoys her shop,
But Joel and Flora's relationship hits a bump whe Flora ends up accidentally pregnant, and Joel doesn't react the way she had hoped. Joel had a very difficult childhood, and he doesn't know if he can be a good father.
Flora's brother Fintan found love with Joel's biggest client, Colton Rogers, an American multi-millionaire, who came to Mure and built a huge mansion. At first the town hated Colton and all he stood for, but he has since become a valued, beloved member of the community.
Colton and Fintan's love is interrupted by a severe health issue, and an unwelcome and unexpected visit from Colton's brother from Texas. Colton has had nothing to do with his family for years, so he is suspect about the timing of his brother's visit.
The newest member of the community is Dr. Saif Hassan, a Syrian refugee who has been relocated to Mure. Saif has two young sons who are trying to adjust to a new life in a very different place. Saif is also looking for his wife, who never made it out of Syria.
Saif has become friends with Lorna, his sons' teacher and Flora's best friend. Lorna is attracted to Saif, but his missing wife casts a pall over their burgeoning relationship.
Once again, we get mouthwatering descriptions of some of the treats made in the Seaside Kitchen, including recipes at the end for Lanark Blue Scones, Black Bun and Shortbread. I also enjoyed learning about the Christmas traditions of this tiny Scottish island.
Reading Christmas on the Island is like catching up with old friends. Jenny Colgan makes you feel as though you hopped on the ferry yourself and landed there to spend the holidays. While there is joy, as with life, there are also sorrows. The way that Mure welcomed and accepted Saif and his sons is uplifting, but Colton and Fintan's story is very sad.
I loved Christmas on the Island and hope that we get to meet up again with the residents of Mure.
I highly recommend it.
Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed in this book. Two of the main storylines had elements that I really dislike—adultery in one and negative stereotypes of Texans in the other. The third storyline was ok, but had that “the characters only need to have one conversation” trope going on. Most of the characters seemed immature to me, particularly the woman in the adultery-related storyline. I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere of the island quite a lot, though I do think the hardships of that lifestyle are underplayed. And yes, I recognize it’s a romance novel and not meant to be an accurate portrayal of life. However, it clearly is trying to be a “complex” romance novel as it does touch on a lot of serious issues—refugees and how hard it is for them to adjust to a new life, cancer, death, miscarriages, etc. So it seems like it is trying to have its cake and eat it too. Yet, none of the elements are excellent.
When I first started this, I was really enjoying it and I thought I might read the first two books in the latter part of 2019 and then reread this next Christmas, but by the end I had no desire to do that. There is also clearly going to be a sequel, but I won’t be picking it up.
On an editing level, there were multiple typos and errors in this, which I hope were not included in the real book when it was released in October 2018.
The small, remote, northern Scottish island of Mure is getting cold as Christmas is getting nearer. Flora was born and raised on Mure and returned to the island after a year away. She owns the Seaside Kitchen, a bakery on the main street of the town and is an integral part of the fabric of Mure. It just so happens that she is unexpectedly pregnant and is struggling with how to break the news to her boyfriend Joel, knowing that, because of his past history, this will be a really big deal but not knowing exactly how he'll react. She is not the only one on the island facing big life changes either. Saif is a doctor working on Mure. He is a Syrian refugee and has recently been reunited with his young sons but doesn't know the fate of his much loved wife, not even if she's still alive. He and the boys are having to adjust to a very different climate, culture, and life amidst people who can't have any idea of the horrors they saw or of the threats to their way of life, their religion, and their past that they still feel, even on this welcoming island. It doesn't help that Saif is fighting growing feelings for Lorna, the boys' teacher in the tiny lower school. As Saif and his boys try to establish a new life, another life is coming to a close. Colton Roger is a reclusive billionaire from Silicon Valley who arrived on Mure with grand development plans but fell in love with the island as it was and with his eventual husband, Fintan, Flora's brother. Now he's dying of cancer and his long estranged brother turns up to claim the family's share of the pie.
Colgan tackles some pretty tough issues in this novel but the only time anything is remotely preachy is when American politics are dragged into the plot via Colton's offensive and overly stereotypical, negative brother. All of the other issues are dealt with deftly, allowing the story not to be overwhelmed with the message. Mure might be wretchedly cold in the winter, but the tightly knit community is otherwise warm and wonderful. The novel is certainly not simply a happily ever after, especially given Colton's clear diagnosis, among other things, and this imparts a feeling of necessary bittersweetness to the tale. The setting is well drawn and that it makes the reader want to visit even during the cold, dark winter is impressive indeed. This is the third in a series and while a knowledge of the previous two novels might help give a little more depth to the characters, reading them isn't necessary to enjoy this one. (In fact, I own but haven't read the previous two yet either.) Readers who are looking for a heartwarming read about the importance of love, friendship, and acceptance, set during the season that is all about these things will find this novel fits the bill.
(Note: This series needs to be
This book continues with the love story between Flora and Joel, the sickness of Colton and the love between him and Fintan and the acclimation of Saif and his two sons from war torn Syria to this remote island. These are the main issues but there are lots of other characters and situations in this small town. Everyone knows everyone's business in this small town and Flora is trying to keep a secret - she has gotten pregnant and has no idea of how Joel will react to the news based on his issues with his family growing up. Colton is dying of cancer and his husband Fintan (also Flora's brother) is distraught when Colton's brother comes to visit. Saif is their well liked town doctor who still feels very different from everyone. He is trying to help his sons acclimate to their new lives. At the same time he is waiting to hear about whether his wife is dead or alive, he is also falling in love with the school teacher. So there is no lack of drama but along with it are laughs and tears.
I definitely enjoyed this book and hope that there is another book about these characters in Jenny Colgan's plans.
Thanks to librarything for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
The story was interesting. The rugged life on and description of this island were interesting, as I knew nothing about it before picking up the book. I did find all the names of various characters a bit disconcerting, though I realize that they are probably common to the area and fit the setting nicely. Also, I did not quite understand how Flora and Joel could have such difficulty coming to grips with the reality of Flora’s pregnancy, as both were obviously old enough and hopefully mature enough to have overcome what looked like feelings and actions of much younger, more immature characters. Still, their love story was fascinating to watch as it played out throughout the tale. I felt a great deal of angst for Saif and his young sons, all struggling with Western concepts and culture surrounding this holiday, though I did find some of their reactions a bit strange (especially around the nativity scene/play put on by the island’s children). They did not seem to have assimilated into the island, its people and culture all that well, though it was very obvious they had been totally embraced by the island and its inhabitants—as it the case with small, remote areas such as Mure. As I said, I found the book and interesting read, and one I could get through quite easily without having read anything else in the series, but I thinks more back story would have helped me understand and enjoy it more. Some reviewers criticized the inclusion of politics, but I did not find that too much to take, as I did not think this aspect was overblown, as it brought reality closer. This is a book that will definitely appeal to readers who have read and enjoy the series, though it is well enough written to appeal to any reader looking for a good Christmas tale, who enjoys romance, while learning about this remote island. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.
I have read other books by Jenny Colgan and always found her writing to be quite pleasant. When I saw the book on the Early Reviewers page I jumped at the chance to review her work again. If I had one thing to say that bothered me it would be that there are too many character stories to follow. If I had read other books in the series it may not have been as difficult but, it just seemed that there were too many characters to keep track of.
I was given a copy of this book for honest review from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This book is so sweet and original. I just loved it so much. It was jam
Flora is the owner of the Seaside Kitchen on the remote, beautiful Scottish island of Mure. Flora
Everyday life, love lost, love found, friendship, family rifts, family uniting and community are the driving forces behind Colgan's works.
This is the time of the year when I enjoy seasonal reading, cosying up with a feel-good read, a cup of tea and a warm blanket. Delightful, inviting and heartwarming, Christmas on the Island was the perfect read for me. (And I would be quite happy living on Mure!) I hope there's another Mure book in the works - there are a few storylines that haven't been resolved....
Overall, I'd say this Christmas story of a life on a small Scottish island isn't bad but it would certainly be helpful to read the earlier books in the series before tackling this one.
Thank you to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to review Christmas on the Island.
Sounded like a good title and wanted to read this book as I've lived on an island during the holiday.
Narrater is from Scotland and has the accent to speak this book. Quite unique as I mostly listen to just English with no accents.
Story is set up about the
We find Flora has to tell her boss some serious news...There is a lot of talk about others as any island it's what keeps them going.
Highly sexually graphic. Enjoyed learning about others and their lives, the sex not so much.
Lots of twists and turns.
Recipes included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
However, this book was not for me. It was extremely hard to follow and the writing was lacking. It felt like the story didn't go anywhere. None of the characters are particularly likeable either. The only redeeming part of this book is the location.