The Norwegian Christmas Marriage Plot

by Austin Ryan

I’ve known Ragnhild since she was a blue-eyed preschooler with a halo of red hair and chubby fingers clutched in mine.

Eighteen years later she’s still my best friend and her ideas are as crazy as they were then.

When she stages a wedding to make her co-worker jealous, there isn’t enough coffee and smultringer in the world to convince me to help some random guy steal my best friend’s heart.

But there is a girl.

A girl with red hair that calls to my hands and a smile that makes my heart feel light and buoyant. A girl I can’t say no to—even as she asks me to play the pretend groom in her make-believe wedding.
But as gingersnap hearts are hung in the windows of the old farmhouse and Christmas Eve draws nearer, I’m not so sure I can do it.
Because while this upcoming wedding is fake, my feelings for Ragnhild are very, very real. And as long as the sizzling chemistry between us rivals the heat of the Jøtul stove in the house, I’m nowhere near ready to give up.

The Norwegian Christmas Marriage Plot is a sweet romantic comedy with all the chemistry, none of the spice, and a host of Norwegian Christmas food and traditions at the center. It rates a 3 or 4 on the RCRS scale.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

AUSTIN RYAN was born and raised in Norway, she has no previous experience hunting for magical cats in the English countryside, but after a childhood of desperately longing to be English, she accidentally wrote a novel about a wealthy heiress, a magical library, and the opportunistic dock-worker both author and heroine falls madly in love with. The Fairshaw Library is her second full-length novel.

Austin lives in Connecticut, surrounded by overflowing bookshelves, Christmas lights, and sparkly things.

When she is not editing words for other authors, getting lost in their stories, or writing her own, you can find her on adventures with her very favorite child, painting things that don’t need to be painted, and spending hours down by the ocean.

Connect with Austin at www.authoraustinryan.com
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Reviews

[Destiny Imperati · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review ✨
This book had everything you'd want in a romantic comedy! It's book 2 in the series but can be read by itself! Romance without the spice reminds me of Hallmark movies 😍 It reminds you of how cozy the feeling is of falling in love without all the spice 🥹 I'm a sucker for a good love story! Austin Ryan portrays just that!

[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is book 2 in the Norwegian Heritage Series and is a standalone, as it's an expanded version of book 1. The book's blurb gives you an idea of what to expect. The Norwegian Christmas Marriage Plot is told through Ragnhild and Thorleif's pov and is a sweet best friends to lovers romance.

Though Ragnhild's ideas typically don't end as well as she hopes, and Thorleif knows that, he is unable to resist helping her whenever she asks him to. Ragnhild is so sure that her plan to catch her co-worker's attention will work but, as she spends more time with Thorleif, she begins to question her feelings. Staging a wedding to make her work crush jealous is the last thing Thorleif wants to do but he also sees it as an opportunity for both him and Ragnhild to see if their relationship could be one of more than just friends.

Their romance was a slow burn but it was full of tension and chemistry. From the start, Thorleif knew his feelings so it was fun to read Ragnhild start to realize how she felt about him. And, although she was slow to admit them or act on her feelings, she was self aware so I think readers will like that about her. As for Thorleif, he was caring and considerate so it's impossible not to love him. Their friendship was sweet and, because of the years that they've known each other, it made the transition to their romantic relationship feel natural. The romance was a closed door one consisting of suggestive thoughts, descriptive kissing, and no severe cursing but biblical words such as hell and God are used a few times. Aside from the romance, I really enjoyed reading about the traditions that Thorleif, Ragnhild, and his family had. Also, it seems like some side characters have a story to be told and I would like to read it! This book will make you feel in the festive holiday mood and is worth a read.

[Carissa Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC.

This was such a cute romance novel. It was very fast-paced and the plot was adorable. I loved the characters and I love how this book enraptured some of the clichés of romance tropes. The plot was humorous and the characters were relatable. I liked the Norwegian culture that was included throughout. Overall, it was a light-hearted and fun read. I would recommend!

[Lauren Wyant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorleif is in love with his childhood best friend, Ragnhild, but he realizes that she doesn’t seem him the same way when she asks him to be her fake groom to convince another guy to ask her out. Will Ragnhild’s wishes come true, or will she realize what everyone around already knows?

If you are looking for a cinnamon roll romance, this book is for you!