Hygge and Kisses

by Clara Christensen

For readers everywhere who are embracing the Danish art of hygge – the first warm, wise and romantic hygge novel!

The perfect feel-good novel to curl up with - light some candles, wrap yourself in a blanket and relax ...

Bo, 26, has always been careful, cautious. However, she's just been made redundant and her life plan is beginning to unravel. Before she starts immediately applying for other jobs in a panic, her friend Kirsten persuades her to take a holiday, to visit Kirsten's mother's house in Aslbrog, North Jutland, a part of Denmark Bo is ashamed to admit she has never heard of.

'What's the weather going to be like?' she asks Kirsten hopefully, scrolling her cursor over the budget airlines webpage. 'Terrible,' Kirsten replies, 'London is positively Mediterranean by comparison, and of course it's November so it'll be dark seventeen hours a day. But no one goes to Denmark to get a tan. You need a change of scene and to blow away the cobwebs, and trust me, Skagen will do that. Besides, the summerhouse is cosy whatever the weather, and you never know who else will be around.'

A few clicks later and there is no going back. And Bo's life plan is about to be entirely rewritten.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Christmas, Contemporary, Travel, Holiday

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Christine Spoors · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I am giving this book 2 stars, it was a quick and easy read that I think fans of cute contemporary novels may enjoy. I am fascinated by Denmark which is what drew me to this book and kept me reading it, though I have a feeling it was written just to jump on the "hygge" trend.

Unfortunately I really disliked the main character Bo, who's POV we read from. She was an absolute hypocrite, very judgemental of others and ridiculously obsessed with the men in her life. Bo made some odd observations throughout about things like feminism, millennials, anyone who wasn't white and anyone overweight. It reminded me of when you speak to middle aged people who complain about how you "can't say anything these days." She definitely didn't read like a 26 year old to me.

I did love reading about Denmark, but I think I'd be pretty happy to read anything about Denmark. This book didn't really feel very hygge, the author simply threw the word hygge in a lot to describe almost everything in Denmark. It also seemed like the author used Danish stereotypes a lot (though I am no expert) so I doubt this would be an enjoyable read for anyone who actually is Danish.

Maybe I am too cynical, but the ending felt quite rushed and ridiculous to me. Everything fell into place very easily and I didn't feel happy for Bo in the slightest, haha. Considering this book is a "romantic hygge novel" most of it was spent with Bo on her own pining or complaining about things, very little time focusing on romance. Even the implied sex was hardly even implied, I feel cheated!

The "author" Clara Christensen is a mystery. There is no author page on Goodreads, the publisher website has no information about her and the book has no about the author section. All of this makes me think this book was written by an anonymous writer and then given a Danish sounding name to make the book seem more authentic and sell better. I'm sure a lot of publishers do that, and I may be wrong, but I find that a little iffy.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me this book to review... I wonder if I'll ever get another after this review, haha!

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading how Bo figured out herself. I loved how well I could understand her. I really enjoyed Clara Christensen's writing style. Kristen was also wonderfully characterized.

My favorite lines from the book are :

Hygge and Kisses. Spreading a little hygge-ness, one slice of cake at a time.

I reived a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t see where it said that this was just a preview when I downloaded this book from Netgalley and unfortunately the sample really didn’t tell me much. Had the story continued I would have kept reading but from what I read, it didn’t compel me enough to want to buy the book. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this sample.

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read but not an enjoyable one. Didn't like the main character, the love interest and didn't care for the romance. Didn't see the cozy vibes in this one

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect book for curling up on the sofa on a dull afternoon. Its a light, easy read about Bo who has been made redundant, has a boyfriend who's not dependable and travels to Denmark to gather her thoughts. I liked the story, not too taxing but not too frivolous.

[Love Fool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bo, 26, has always been careful, cautious. However, she's just been made redundant and her life plan is beginning to unravel. Before she starts immediately applying for other jobs in a panic, her friend Kirsten persuades her to take a holiday, to visit Kirsten's mother's house in Aslbrog, North Jutland, a part of Denmark Bo is ashamed to admit she has never heard of.

Bo's life plan is about to be entirely rewritten.

It was cute but it took me longer to read than it should have. It was a little boring at times and honestly, I kinda felt like Bo was a little annoying in the beginning with her "boyfriend". Maybe because I'm getting older or my heart is turning black but the whole romance towards the end didn't seem believable. SPOILERS: I feel like no one would wait months for a somewhat connection and a maybe romance.. call me crazy, bitchy, or unromantic.

[ZoZo W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Great way to spend a Sunday...even if I have sacrificed a little sleep to finish it! Could not put it down. Loved the concept, Clara’s writing easily lit up my imagination and wove the characters and story. A definite feel good, easy read.

[stepi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5* meh

[Galleane · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'est un roman sympathique même s'il n'est pas mémorable. Quelques passages sont avenants et j'ai plutôt bien aimé l'évolution de l'héroïne, de Bo, essentiellement le chemin qu'elle prend vers la fin. Un léger côté gourmand transparaît, il n'a pas été suffisamment rassasiant pour moi, mais il a eu le mérite d'être de la partie.

Mon avis complet : https://bloggalleane.blogspot.com/201...

[Iva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milá a pohodová knížka, nic světoborného, ale na předvánoční čas jak dělaná. 🎄🙂 Nutno ovšem podotknout, že určitě existují i lepší knihy s podobnou tématikou.

[Kate Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is a very easy read, with very little thinking required. It's escapism at its finest. I agree with other reviews I've read on here though, the author's Danish sounding name doesn't really wash with me, especially due to the lack of real hygge throughout the book. It is, on the surface, an aesthetic promise of hygge without any real substance. That being said, it's a fairly good introduction to the concept generally.
*Spoilers Ahead*


However, Bo's character is massively problematic and I found myself struggling to get on with her from the start. The whole business with Ben and then her cheating on him and not really feeling any sort of guilt towards what she'd done found me wanting to punch her. From that moment on, I felt no sympathy towards her character and didn't really care if she didn't get her dream horsebox cafe. The only characters I really cared about were Florence, Simon and Emil. They could've gotten on fine without Bo in the summer house.
The breakup with Ben was unsatisfactory, I didn't really realise it was a breakup due to the random kiss on the cheek the last time we saw him ??
The ending was also unsatisfactory. We didn't get to see the characters having fun at the end of the book. It also felt rushed. There were endless chapters at the start of the book all about Bo moping around her flat, but at the end it was as if the author just kind of went "and then she got a car.. and two weeks later she opened her cafe... and two weeks later she was super successful and the best cafe in London.... then the wedding and oh look it's Emil the end."
I would've appreciated it being a little bit longer to resolve some of those story lines because I did genuinely care.
Anyway, it's a 3/5 for me because it was an easy one to pile through. Would've liked to have had a less problematic main character. Look forward to more works by this author

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few fiction books in the last couple of years that feature Hygge and what I am coming to appreciate is just what a fabulous concept it is, and the section of this book set in Denmark really brought home that feeling to me.

Bo reckons she is heading for a quarter life crisis, she is working in a job she no longer enjoys and has a secret relationship with Ben. When she loses the job her flatmate and friend Kirsten convinces Bo, to go to Denmark and stay in her mothers summerhouse in Aalborg, Denmark.

Bo had never been to Denmark before, nor travelled alone, and is apprehensive at sharing the summerhouse with complete strangers, but what I loved is how her life changed for the better since she landed in Denmark.

I loved the descriptions of AAlborg and the summerhouse and found the book really picked up interest in part 2. The Danish food sounding delicious and the new friendships being formed were good to see too.

I found this to be a surprisingly easy book to read, in fact after an hour or so in the garden, I was well over half way through. The pages appeared to turn and although it was moderately paced I found the book fit in well with the concept of Hygge, it was compact and cosy, and there were plenty of small pleasures to be gained from the reading of the story.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a new author for me but was brilliant from the first page and I just wanted to keep reading such a warm romantic read and full of friendships and changing your life so you are happy and not following the plan you expected to for life.
Bo has what she thinks is perfect and it's following her life plan she has a good job and a boyfriend but before she knows it she is made redundant and throws her life plan and she also isn't sure about her boyfriend as she learns more about him. Her friend persuades Bo to take a holiday to her mother's house in Denmark but she has never heard of it but agrees. While she's there her life plan changes and it blows away the cobwebs and she finds someone out there who she is very happy with. She now has two men after her and she can't decide who is right for her. She comes home and she changes her work totally and is happy and will she find the right man or not.

[Hej__jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Puhh ganz ehrlich... es war langweilig. Die erste Hälfte des Buches bestand gefühlt nur aus Jammern und Trübsal blasen. Es war deprimierend und so gar nicht das was ich lesen wollte.

Als es dann interessant wurde, war es schon wieder viel zu schnell vorbei und das Gefühl von Wärme war wieder verschwunden.

Dazu kommt das die Charaktere einfach ständig komisch handeln, immer dann wenn sie miteinander anbandeln stoßen sie sich wieder von einander ab. Es ist ein einziges hin und her und ich hatte so gar kein hyggeliges Gefühl beim Lesen.

Schade, man hätte so viel mehr aus dieser Geschichte raus holen können.

[Michaela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nebyť krásnej obálky, po tejto vianočne ladenej knižke by som asi nesiahla... Hlavná hrdinka Bo má tajný pomer s kolegom a na jeho naliehanie, to nikomu nepovedia, maximálne sa stretávajú vo vychytených podnikoch a reštauraciách, ale ich vzťah sa nikam neposúva. A keď Bo príde o zamestnanie (a jeho povýšia), prijme ponuku kamarátky a odcestuje do Dánska na dovolenku. Tam spozná, čo je hygge, ako vytvoriť pohodu a hlavne spomaliť, vychutnať si príjemné chvíle s priateľmi pri leňošení, hrách, varení, dobrom jedle a bonusom je ak sa toto všetko odohráva v krásnom prostredí. Maličkosti, ktoré si užívame a na ktorých záleží asi najviac. Kontrast medzi vtedy a teraz je obrovský, nielen objavenie novej lásky, ale aj nápadov. Pre Bo je tento pobyt len prínosom, dokonca jej vnukne myšlienku zmeniť zamestnanie a robiť to, čo ju baví. A tiež pochopí, že neexistuje zlé počasie, len zlé oblečenie. (Spomínam si na na podobne chladný vetrisko na pobreží Baltického mora, tiež sme boli na obrovskej pláži, čo mi pripomenulo tu opísanú putujúcu dunu a bolo to úžasné prostredie, neuveriteľne som si to užila, akurát my sme mali vietor, čo šarkana úplne dolámal...)
Teraz, keď to takto pekne opisujem, už vlastne ani neviem, čo som tomu chcela vytknúť. 😂
Aha, jej vadila mi jej podpapučovitosť, ako sebou nechala zametať, kým sa kolegovi postavila a konfrontovala ho a tento ich nič nedávajúci vzťah ukončila.
Asi na mňa negatívne zapôsobilo viac to sťažovanie sa, lebo k náprave sa dostala hlavná hrdinka až v záverečnej štvrtine knihy. Ale tak aspoň s bytíkom sa mohla pohrať, vymaľovať a zladiť, ale asi chcem veľa. Je fajn, že dokázala zmeniť svoj život a možno našla aj niekoho, s kým ho strávi, no kým došlo k týmto pekným veciam, skončila aj kniha. A to ma sklamalo...

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5 stars. Just your perfect romantic comedy book with a dose of the Hygge hype sprinkled over it. Rather predictable. Perfect now though as I was ill. Why is it that the female protagonists in these kinds of novels always bake or do something foody/cafe-y for a job.

[Sabina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knihy s hygge tematikou mám ráda, navíc má-li to být zimní romantika, okamžitě po knize sahám. Ovšem u hygge a polibky bohužel příliš netleskám. Kniha má dokonalou obálku, která ale nesouhlasí s obsahem. Kniha je rozdělena na tři části, Londýn, Skagen a zase Londýn podle toho, kde se děj odehrával. Nejvíce se mi líbila část prostřední, která kdyby byla delší, rozhodně bych byla více nadšená. Prvních 100 stran se neslo v duchu anotace a bylo zbytečně zdlouhavých.

[Silvia Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Net Galley and was very disappointed to find out that it was just a preview, i.e. the first few chapters. I thought I was signing up for the whole book, but it was all a marketing ploy to make reviewers want to buy the whole book when it comes out if they want to read the rest of the story, which is not cool.

Despite these questionable marketing practices, I am hooked and sold and all that, and will be ordering my own copy because I just need to know what happens next.

I already empathize with the main character, Bo, especially with her disillusionment with the hook-up culture in the age of Tinder. On the other hand, I do want to shake her at times for her obtuse refusal to see her not-quite-boyfriend Ben for what he is, and her lack of self-esteem.

The fact that many millennial men only seek sex without any strings attached is undeniable, and yet no woman should ever be made to feel like she should comply with their wishes. We need more books telling women that if the person they're dating isn't giving them what they want, it is OK to break things off and enjoy themselves as single women for a while. However, like I said, this isn't a review of the whole book, so there is plenty of time for Bo to come to her senses - and I have reasons to believe that is the direction the story is going to take (especially in light of her argument with the good-for-nothing Ben at the end of the free sample).

I can't say anything about the hygge aspect of the novel as there wasn't a lot of it in the first few chapters other than the fact that Bo's flatmate is half-Danish.

There will be a full review (and possibly a revised star rating) after I've finished the whole book.

[Lauren Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be able to read the preview for this book and I thoroughly enjoyed what I read. The first few chapters do not have much of the danish aspect which the book is marketed on but that did not put me off at all. I found Bo's character to be very relatable and her situation in the initial chapters is one that I have experience with as a 21 year old currently navigating the millennial dating scene. Christensen's writing flows easily and I am well and truly hooked, I definitely will have to pick up the finished book to follow more of Bo's story.

[Beth ♡ (bookish.beff)]

DNF'd after the first chapter ... after reading less than 20 pages I didn't feel compelled to read more of the story and I didn't find the mc particularly likeable.

After reading some 2⭐ reviews talking about mildly racist, fatphobic and generally outdated comments from the mc, as well as the lack of authenticity when it came to Danish culture and hygge, I decided it wasn't worth my time to finish this one. I never DNF books and I've been looking forward to reading this for ages now so I'm disappointed that I wasn't hooked from the beginning.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you would expect from the title this book is a warm, fun romantic read that celebrates the joy of sharing experiences with others, appreciating the little things that make your heart sing and just pure cosiness. It's a perfect read for when the weather is changing and there is starting to be a bite in the air. Enjoy with some hot chocolate, perhaps wearing snuggly pyjamas!

[Holka z Moravy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Těžký průměr, dokonce bych i řekla “horší”, nebýt té prostřední hygge části, která byla boží. A taky beru jako velké plus, že jsem měla při čtení i po dočtení mega chuť péct a mega chuť nacpávat se brownies a koblihama. 😁

[Karina Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aww this was lovely!!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, however this was only the first few chapters and therefore not very easy to review! I feel I was slightly mislead in the description of the book, as I was lead to believe it was the whole book, however I must admit that it is my fault for skimming over the first line of the description which clearly said it was the first few chapters.

With the chapters provided, there wasn't enough to read for the plot to get going, and therefore it is difficult to tell whether this would have panned out to be an enjoyable read or not. From what I did read, this seemed it would be the perfect chick-lit read, with just enough description of the characters without going over the top (I hate when books are padded out with far too many seemingly insignificant details), with prose that seemed easy to read without too much thought. I imagine this would be the perfect easy read for holiday - I always prefer to read things like this on holiday as the thought required is minimal, and therefore it is easy to escape and get submerged in the story.

I found no problems with the writing style and imagine that if I was to read the whole book, I'd actually really enjoy Christensen's style, but again, there wasn't enough content to get a good flavour.

I will however be looking out for the full version, as I imagine I will enjoy it. Unfortunately I could only offer two stars for this review, as I can hardly judge an entire book based on a few chapters alone.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a wonderful story which seems to mirror my own life a lot and really spoke to me. I feel the book overall could have been shorter while still being impactful. The first half of the book dragged on while describing an annoying relationship. I enjoyed the last half, mostly the last quarter of the book. I feel it deserves a four for the character development and lasting friendships formed. I truly think this book is what life is all about... Quitting your 9 to 5 day job and shedding the relationships that make you tired, depressed and anxious. Having enough faith in yourself to follow your dreams even if others think you're crazy. And making friends when you least expect it.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was nice. I loved the concept of hygge brought into it and the time in Denmark was probably my favourite part of the book.
However, what I didn't like was that the main character Bo, seemed to focus her life around the man she was seeing. You could clearly see it wasn't a good relationship and her being so naive to it kind of irritated me. I also felt the ending was quite rushed.
Overall, it was a cute, cosy read.

[KG · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a cute, cozy and a quick read. I’m glad I picked it up but I was disappointed with the way the romance ended. I wish it would have ended more finally instead of a “maybe kind of almost” romance vibe to it.
Loved the week they spent in Denmark, but I wish that was a bigger chunk of the book.
Also I know this was released in 2017, but there were some things in here that felt very outdated even for 2017? Like using Skype to video call, her iPod to use for music (?) and signing texts off with their own name. Felt a little too old and outdated for a 26 year old main character.
Overall, cute adorable read.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75*
I'm sad that this book baited me into thinking that this would be a fully-packed winter read with snow, coziness and also..yeah..snow. How could you put this cozy cabin situated in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by tons of snow on the cover, and then in the book, there is no single mention of snow? pfft disappointed lol. But in all seriousness, this was nice. I dived into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Now I just don't get the negative reviews because this wasn't bad AT ALL.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was warming. It was just the kind of book you needed to read in times of chaos. It was a nice easy read and was beautifully written.

[Dita Baarová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taková rychlovka do vlaku – nic moc příběh, klišé za klišé, chyby v překladu, ale vlastně proč ne takhle před Vánoci. Lepší než být na mobilu. Ale jako obálka je hezčí, než celá kniha ;)