An Island Christmas

Mure #3

by Jenny Colgan

Christmas on the remote Scottish island of Mure is bleak, stark - and incredibly beautiful.

It's a time for hunkering down, getting cosy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram with the people you love - unless, of course, you're accidentally pregnant to your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In what should be the season of peace and goodwill on earth, will Joel think Flora is a bearer of glad tidings?

Meanwhile Saif, the doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons - but without his missing wife. Can the little family possibly find comfort and joy?

Travel to the beautiful northern edge of the world and join the welcoming community of Mure for an unforgettable Christmas.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Holiday, Audiobook, Scotland

368 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2018

About the author

Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' and 'Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery', which are also published by Sphere.' Meet Me at the Cupcake Café' won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was 'Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams', which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013.

For more about Jenny, visit her website and her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.

Jenny Colgan has also been published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I thought of a cosy log fire with a cup of egg nog I actually found this series in my library which I do laps each week sometimes twice, but I digress I went in blind read no reviews & what a surprise this was this is the third in the mire series I adored it was set in Mure a tiny island 🏝 high up of the north of Scotland.


Flora runs the local Sea Side kitchen she came here 2 years ago after leaving London, to be a lawyer but her ex boyfriend Joel Binder who I despised, he was a cantankarus arse hole who treated Flora like a door stop.


But as things take a surprising turn we find Flora is pregnant with Joel’s child, this is something she can’t fathom, her best friend Lorna’s impending relationship with Saif is developing I loved their relationship as well as the banter between Flora & Lorna , it was heartbreaking to see what happened to Colton.


To wrap up this was the best Rom Com I have read so far the characters were well written the pacing was top notch and I loved how everyone helped each other in the community & best of all it was a dog 🐶 friendly island where everyone had one, I can’t wait to read more of this series this had warmth & charm galore

[Rebecca Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"An Island Christmas" or "Christmas on the Island" (the name seems to differ), means we get to return to the remote, yet unspoiled and beautiful Scottish island of Mure, and catch up with characters such as Joel and Flora and get to know some characters from the previous book a little better.

The book is based a year after the events of the first book in the series "The Summer Seaside Kitchen". As with many books such as this, it's not obligatory to have read the first books (no complicated plots), as there's a handy, brief synopsis at the start, which gives background information to the characters lives so far. It also helps refresh the memory of readers who may have read the other books awhile ago. I've read the first book, but not the second or third in the series and had no issues catching up with everyone, thanks to Bramble's early morning walk.

This time around its winter on Mure. Dark mornings, bitterly cold winds, a grey bleak landscape, but with a cosy welcoming atmosphere. The book is set around Christmas time, but it's not just a fluffy, light hearted read, some serious issues are touched upon and there's parts of the book that are quite emotional and sad. I understand that around Christmas time some people prefer to keep the mood light, so bear this in mind before you pick this book up. There are some upsetting sections, although they are handled sensitively. Just keep some tissues handy!!

This wasn't my favourite book of Jenny Colgan's, just as I felt the Summer Seaside Kitchen wasn't up to her usual standards. I can't put my finger onto exactly why, it just seemed to be missing something. Plus there were a few inconsistencies between the first book and this one. The big one concerns Mark and Marsha. In the first book they had children, in this book they couldn't have them. Mure also seems to be a rogue wandering island, that changes location. Although at least Flora doesn't seem to do as much blinking in this book, the over blinking in the first one was irritating. It's a pity, I had really hoped to enjoy this book; maybe the Mure series just isn't for me - although I do love the descriptions of the island and the recipes at the back.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Sphere for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the previous book in the series, this isn’t a light read. It touches upon death and trauma reactions, so if you read it be aware that it might stir up some emotions. As before however, the themes are treated with care and love. It’s a book about real life and the challenges it naturally entails. What made me give four stars this time was the story of Saif, the Syrian doctor. I loved how the community took care of him, and tried to understand his circumstances.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

…when you grow up somewhere with a population of about a thousand, secret internet shopping came as a boon on par with electricity…

I am definitely and absolutely in the process of considering getting around to telling Joel…

I just wanted to say, if you guys want to keep this secret, you have to stop ignoring everyone else to stare at each other like you want to eat each other up. I mean it, honestly, it’s gross. It’s putting people off their mince pies.


My Review:


This was the third book in the series but my first visit to the island of Mure, so I was unfamiliar with the daunting number of characters residing there, although I quickly grew to adore their individual oddities and the quirkiness of the small community and greedily covet all the previous books as well as all books written by this gifted scribbler. The writing flowed smoothly and easily drew clear visuals across my gray matter as effortlessly as a movie reel. I was transported and felt the chill of their winter and heard the howl of the wind. The storylines were insightfully written and eloquently hit all the feels, although considerable tragedy and real-world problems were front and center despite the season. My eyes may have been stinging and my throat may have closed up a few times, sigh. This author has to have mad skills to have squeezed my cold heart. Her word voodoo is strong.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this for a cosy Christmas read. I wasn’t expecting someone dying from terminal cancer, a horrible war refugee story and child abuse?! What the...? The tone of this book was all over the place. I only kept reading as it was a present but wish I had bailed.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read all 3 books in this series and this one is just badly written and frustrating. I'm sorry but I won't be reading anymore of these if there is a fourth book. The characters are all unlikable, selfish, unrealistic and boring. Flora and Joel are so awful and have been together for three books but he can't even call her his girlfriend?? What! She seems to be terrified to even call him after a row so weeks go by without them speaking, then he comes home and they have sex...then row again and the cycle continues. In 2018 surely they would be on social media, it's so easy to stay in touch via messages etc but these two don't seem to even talk. When they are together they don't talk or share anything personal or have fun. Yet they think that they are in love? That's not love..they are not even friends!

Regarding the writing...It's awful. The phrase "he had a nasty cancer" appears in chapter one and it's just a weird way to describe a main character who is dying of pancreatic cancer. The worst character is the four year old brat Agot who speaks like a baby and seems to just shout all the time and does whatever she wants. A four year old should be able to speak in complete sentences and chat to people but she says "YOU NOT COWBOY" or "ATTI FLOWA" instead of Auntie Flora. Two year olds speak like that, not a child due to start school soon. She is very irritating and unrealistic.

I also cannot forgive that some characters' back stories have been changed. It's like Jenny Colgan forgot what happened in her second book and what she'd written before. There were also so many spelling and grammar errors it was difficult to read...maybe her editor couldn't get through it either to even proof it. Very poor.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I thoroughly enjoy all of Jenny Colgan's books--lovely places, some humor, some struggles, some romance, some recipes! However, having just read this 3-book series, I have a few remarks. (SPOILER ALERT)

(1) In Book 3 I liked the development of the story line for Lorna and Dr. Saif, the Syrian refugee doctor. His challenges with assimilation and his 2 boys and his missing wife make for an interesting secondary story. However, there is a brutal scene when the refugee office shows him video of an abused woman found in the war zone, asking him if he can identify her. I'm sure this is based on reality but it felt jarring and out-of-place in this type of "cozy cafe" novel.

(2) The miscommunication and hurt feelings continue between Flora and Joel, with me reminding myself that they are 31 and 35 (36?) years old. They both seem younger emotionally. Favorite moment in this book... Joel is sitting with Flora, who is laying in bed with a concussion, stitches in her head, and the news that she is about to miscarry her baby, but Joel as usual is talking about himself. Finally:

'Joel...' Flora's voice was trembling. 'I'm in the middle of losing a baby. I'm in the middle of everything I thought might happen in my life falling apart. It's pitch-fucking-dark. So would you mind terribly if it's not all about you, just this once?'

[fistpump!]

(3) Must the UK and US versions have different titles? I read books 1 and 2 as "Cafe by the Sea," and then in book 3 suddenly the characters are referring to the cafe as the "Summer Seaside Kitchen." Wait, when did it get renamed? Oh, it's the UK-US publisher nonsense.

(4) The psychiatrist and his wife, Mark and Marsha. In book 2, Marsha says, "Of course, we couldn't have adopted Joel. Professionally, it's unconscionable. And our own children were too young at that time." Then, in book 3 (Christmas), they are a childless couple who always longed for children of their own. Huh? Did the author completely forget the backstory on these characters?

(5) My ebook had multiple grammatical/pronoun problems. Not very thorough editing--perhaps they were rushing this one out for year-end? I sort of expect to see this on a $1.99 book but not on a $10 book.

(6) Politics! Gak! I read books as an escape from politics so it took away from my fun to have Colton's brother characterized as a surly, insensitive Texan who watches Fox News and has never met a gay couple. Ugh--old, worn out stereotype. Sad face.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book series, and I will look forward to future books from Jenny Colgan. Just please leave American politics out of it, y'all!

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this series (I would def read in order)

Everyone is adorable but there is also heartbreak and heavy things. I want to live in Mure basically, and have all of these characters be my BFF. And maybe shove Lorna aside, so I can have Saif to myself?? ;)

I could also listen to Agot talk all day - which is huge since I normally don't love kids in books.

Just the best series <3 <3 <3

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another goodie from Jenny Colgan I have read most of her books and they are all wonderful. Warm, funny can be sad but, also they always end up happy. If you want a book that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and very satisfied then you should give Jenny’s books a go. This one was the third in the Isle of Mure series and it continued on from the last one so you do really need to read them in order. Lovely series.

[LauraBee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. As an unpublished author myself, I always read books in my basic genre in two ways. One, just as any reader, enjoying it or not, but also as a writer. Does this element work? Why or why not? Could it have been done better, or more to the point, could I do it better? That sort of thing.

It sounds like I’m super critical, but not really. I’m trying to learn, mostly.

So.

I found the first book in the series, gobbled it up with enjoyment, then rapidly moved on to the second and had to wait a couple of days, then pretty much inhaled the third.

So yes, I enjoyed the books, well . . . until the third.

And I admit, had there been the normal amount of time in between them, my noticing of some glaring plot point issues might not have been quite so intense.

But really, Jenny Colgan? Did you think people wouldn’t notice that a woman who does a home pregnancy test that tells her she’s three weeks or so pregnant early in December, is suddenly 12-13 weeks pregnant two weeks later?

Did you think that a major plot point in an earlier book, that the reason Mark and Marsha didn’t adopt Joel when he was young was because they too, had young children at the time . . . Has now vanished in book three? Now they are childless and regretted their decision. They regret their decision in the earlier book, too, but for a very plausible reason! Now to make them childless means they were just plain weak willed when it would have counted for Joel to have parents. There were better ways to handle THAT!

And then there’s the horrible stereotypes that the author indulges in. Texans are all types. I know to give Tripp a story arc you felt the need to paint him in the WORST possible way, but honestly it’s very, very lazy. I can handle the way the author paints Jan, because I expect she’ll have a moment in a later book where she finally, finally, is decent. But be careful, if she’s so horrid, then once again you are indulging in a stereotype to no end.

Additionally, the timing is pretty off in the book. Timelines are important in series, especially and in a few instances they are muddled or stretched out, again just pointing out a laziness.

The biggest glaring one is our heroine starts book one at age 26, then in way less than two years, she’s magically become 31. Really? How could you not think through these things when you began the book?

This book feels like it was rushed through editing with no sharp eyes on it. It’s published by a major house, but is riddled with typos, both spelling and grammar. I assume the author has a series bible, but it certainly wasn’t consulted as the issues above point out. There are a few others, too, along these lines.

The last issue I had with the book and the second in the series, too, is that it’s long on interior monologue and backstory and musings, but short on plot. Yes, you need to have some of the interior. . . But you have to be careful not to “head hop” or bog things down too much. Another reviewer noted this, too, that although things do happen, you get very little local color and not much of a Christmas-y feel. I think that when you jump into a character’s head and have them remember every little thing that leads up to what’s about to come out of their mouth, that’s a problem. Show, don’t tell (too much).

So I don’t think this book got the care it deserved, although there are still charming moments, and very touching ones, too. It gets two stars for a mostly satisfying conclusion.

[Agi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flora lives on Mure and she runs the Seaside Kitchen, the most beloved cafe that offers the most delicious things ever. Her boyfriend Joel, the one who's American, a high - flying lawyer with quite a few issues from his childhood finally start to open and feel happy. But then something happens - how are they going to cope with it?
Dr Seif and his two boys are still trying to settle into their new family life on the island, and even though the villagers are so welcoming, do they feel like at home? Maybe the school nativity play is going to help? Or not? Will the lovely doctor finally find peace and happiness on Mure?
And Fintan and Colton, who's terminally ill, and then a very unexpected guest arrive - how are they going to cope with all the things that fate and life thro at them?

The Summer Seaside Kitchen series by Jenny Costello must be one of my favourite series ever and I would love to see more and more of them - and after reading the newest book "An Island Christmas" I see a lot of place and potential for another story. Or two. This book could be read as a stand alone but only just, and I would really heartily recommend reading all the other previous stories - they're simply gorgeous, you'd miss beautiful stories and to get the characters and what make them tick it's just better to read them in order.

It was brilliant to be back on Mure, this beautiful and wild island and this being December it showed us also the other face of it - darkness, never ending winds but still there was such a beauty to it, but the author so lovely and lovingly brings it to life and the descriptions of it, and the weather, and how it was like living there were atmospheric, vivid and it was such a great thing to see that the island somehow adjust to the things and events that happen to the characters.

Next to the characters that I know are going to stay with me for ever, I think, they all truly have place in my heart and that I adored to see again, the author introduces us to some new ones. I love how Jenny Colgan creates her characters - they may seem horrible and unpleasant but she still lets them open and blossom and in the end you're going to love all of them, no matter what. I adored how they all seem rough and as if they don't give a damn but in fact they all have hearts in the right places, they're warm and quirky and genuine. I think I have already said it in my reviews of the previous books but the characters are exceptional - realistic, so different to each other, they represent different views and ideas, they have different life goals and this all makes the reading so much more interesting and deep.

Of course, I ended reading in tears. Jenny Colgan has such incredible way with words that they simply touch at your heartstrings and strike in all the right places.
As in the previous books in the series, here the author also touches upon heavier issues, and the way she writes about them, guys, it's indescribable. She mixes lightness and sadness and seriousness in such a way that you would never expect. It was a special book, in many ways, poignant and cleverly funny, heartbreaking and heart - warming and I literally couldn't put it down. Full of Christmas and festive mood, wonderful and full of heart characters, and not only the main ones but also the villagers of Mure have made me cry, as they're simply amazing. It was one great rollercoaster of emotions and it's really hard to do this book justice with a short review. Just treat yourself to it, you're going to love it!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking forward to the next one in this series as love Scotland and hearing about the island life. It didn't disappoint me at all was well written and heartwarming and heartbreaking as well and also full of romance or can people not see the romance and not be happy. Full of Christmas and comfort and joy and the characters are brilliant and a brilliant book from the first page.
Saif the dr is still settling into family life with his boys on the island and trying to give them the Christmas to remember but can he do this he's not happy with the school play the headmistress puts on and the next he gets a phone call to go to the mainland as they may have found his wife but when he goes he can't confirm it's her but suggests moving on with his job as he's falling in love without the headmistress but will he get the job or not and can he be happy on the island. Then you have flora who falls pregnant with her ex boss Joel but is this what he wants or not. When she starts to loose the baby as she thinks Joel soon changes his mind and iprealises he does want the baby but is it to late or not. A storm rocks the island atpnd can they all be happy and enjoy comfort and joy for Christmas or not.
A great read and recommend it very easy read to.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly didn't think I was going to read a better book this year than The Endless Beach, the previous book set on Mure, but I think his is just as amazing if not even better.

Annoyingly I can't say too much about any aspects of the plot, because this is book three in a series and I would wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend you read all three of these in order, to get the full emotional impact and to really care about the characters. Hence anything I say is likely to spoil your enjoyment of the first two.

That being said just wow, I was almost in tears towards the end, and throughout I was continually compelled to read on. Flora and her family, and the island's doctor Saif will forever have a piece of my heart.

There are some huge storylines going on, so in some respects its good that its set in December as it allowed some of the lightness of the festive season to shine through and there were some smiles to be had. Equally though the December setting on Mure was perfect as the darkness of the island at this time of year was so atmospheric, and really added to the mood especially with one particular plot line.

Tripp was a rather interesting new character, I hated him at first, he has horrible views on things but the more time he spent on Mure, the more his horizons started to open and towards the end I at least liked the guy, and felt a bit sorry for him. He is related to someone on the island but that is all I am saying.

Between The Endless Beach and An Island Christmas these are without a doubt Jenny Colgan's best ever books, and if she continues to write in this more slightly grittier way with some heavier subjects in amongst the lightness, then I am incredibly excited to see what her next books are.

I'm not sure I can find the words to express just how amazing this book truly is, but rest assured it is one rather special book, and definitely one worth reading whether you are a fan of the author or new to her.

I desperately hope this isn't the last book set on Mure, but have a weird feeling it may be in which case, it is a great way to tie up a series, but I love the setting and characters so much that I really hope for more in the future.

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Jenny Colgan so far. I did tear up at one point, but thought there were too many sad story lines all in one book...a Christmas book no less! I think I might have liked it better if I had read the other two Mure books first. I did read this one out of order. oops! It was set at Christmas, but didn't have the light, sweet, Christmas vibes I was really looking for. Oh well. On to the next one.

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎄Lovely 🌊 Thx to @tlcbooktours for this free review copy!

I own book one in this series and read book two from the library, and was ecstatic to get a copy of book three for review ❤️ Jenny Colgan is one of my very favorite happy cozy authors and her setting in this series on a remote Scottish island is absolutely delightful. This one has a hearty dose of hardship as well, but the Christmas spirit shines through brightly in spite of it all.

And before you ask, of course I’m going to say you have to read books one and two first ~ I could no more read books in a series out of order than wear leggings to work without my booty covered ~ it’s just not DONE in my world.

Start with The Cafe by the Sea, then devour Then Endless Beach, and THEN settle in with this one! And add all of her other series to your list as well if you haven’t read them yet.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Colgan books are good for when the world overwhelms and you need a sweet and engaging escape. As this is the third book set on the Scottish island and quirky community of Mure, it is like visiting and catching up with old friends. (That's also why you really should read the first two books before this one--so you can come into Christmas on the Island knowing and appreciating all of the characters and storylines.) In this book, winter and the holidays are ramping up which is keeping Flora and her team at the Seaside Kitchen very busy. Flora finds out she's pregnant (not a spoiler, it's in the publisher's blurb) and is nervous about Joel's reaction with good reason of course as Joel is still recovering from his challenges in the last book while traveling for Colton, and his and Flora's relationship still tenuous. The supporting cast is back with continuations of their stories (I won't go into those as I don't want to give away anything) and although this one does wrap up without any real cliffhanger, it feels open enough to come back for more stories about the community (perhaps a Saif-centered plot line?) which I like.

Jenny Colgan creates enjoyable, often quirky characters that you can't help but root for and fills her books with both humor and poignant moments. She also fills them with food and includes a few recipes at the end. If you are looking for something not too heavy and a holiday read that will tug at your heartstrings, this is a great book to snuggle up to with a cup of tea and a piece of shortbread or two.

You can see my review and a recipe inspired by the book here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

Note: A review copy of "Christmas on the Island" was provided to me by the author and the publisher Harper Collins via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

[Bookworman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read and listened to the three "Mure" books five times and I totally LOVE this series. In my opinion, this is the best series that Jenny Colgan has written full of love, angst, laugh-out-loud witty conversation, yummy food, and Bramble. "The Endless Beach" is the best one so far for me but I really love all of them.

I originally had rated this one at 4.5 stars because of two concerns I have but due to an elder moment that I had (Doh!), I deleted my first review so I've changed my rating to 5 stars.

So, my concerns: One of the "romantic" scenes was a bit more graphic than I prefer as one of the things I love about Jenny Colgan is that she can write a passion-filled love scene capturing the characters' feelings and thoughts without being gross. Not a big deal but I just hope this is not a trend. The other thing is that there's much more profanity in this book and I just hope that it doesn't get any worse. Granted, the worst language was expressed by Coltan who has a really foul mouth anyway and he is, of course, in horrible pain. However, I just hope it doesn't get any worse because it really takes away from the charm of the stories.

Anyway, I now am hoping and praying that Book #4 is in the works and that it will be published sometime in 2019.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third, charming novel about the people of Mure, the fictional island in northern Scotland.

The fourth book, pub date, October 20, 2020, is the best of all.

If you’ve read any of these books you won’t want to miss, ‘Christmas at the Island Hotel.’ Of course, Jenny’s prologue will introduce the main characters so you won’t be lost, and don’t have to read the three previous books.
I read them backwards: 4, 1,2,3; so sort of. 😳😬

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too much to say about this one. I just didn't enjoy it. It's not a bad book, but the whole series is just getting a bit samey. I am also not a fan of Joel at all at this point. I understand he had a hard childhood, but at this point it's just all about him at all times and not Flora. And I don't understand why she wants to be with him outside of the supposed hot sex they have all the time. He doesn't do a thing for her at all. She's the one who has to support him the entire time. I wish I felt sad about everything with Colton, but I just felt like eh. He was never my favorite character and I still find what he did in the last book to be really manipulative. The what is going on between Saif and Lorna is just exhausting too at this point. Also long time readers reminded me that in the first book in this series, Mark and Marsha had kids and now in this one they do not. I noticed that Colgan often has inconsistencies in her book series. I noted some of them in the "Little Beach Street Bakery" series and that's why I never did go back and finish the last book in that series. Why in the world did I give this 3 stars? Ah well. 

"Christmas on the Island" takes place a few months after the last book in the series. We have Flora and Joel still dealing with him flying back and forth to finish up Colton's business. Flora though realizes that she's going to have some pretty big news to tell Joel that may ruin things between them. Lorna is staying away rom Saif though she loves him and his children. And we have some of the usual goings on between longtime characters in this one as well.

As I said above, I don't like Joel and think the best thing for this series would have been for Flora to choose herself. Being with someone who you have to constantly worry about upsetting is not a relationship. I felt sad for Saif and Lorna, but thought the whole subplot with his kids in the Christmas play was so insensitive I had no words. Plus the island people bringing a Christmas tree and presents to his house had me going, arghh a few times. I just have no idea why that was even included. Also Colton's past comes to him (literally) in this one and I loathed the character who came to Mure. Sorry, not sorry, I felt appalled by the whole thing. 

The writing was fine, but the storylines all just get bogged down. I found myself not caring about any of these characters and could not believe how slow things were moving.

I thought Mure would be fun to read about during the holidays, but the whole book just felt curiously blank I thought. There was too much drama to even enjoy any of that. I don't really think this is what most readers would want in a romance Christmas book. There's not a lot of that going around.

The ending has me realizing that I doubt I will continue with this series. I just don't have enough interest in most of the characters anymore. 

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Jenny Colvan,
Just a teeny hint. If you are going to put a character in your book from Texas, do not pick the name of a Texas town at random and assume you know all about that town.
Coppell, Tx. is not a sleepy li'l one horse desert town, somewhere south of Austin, where it is always hot and everybody votes for Trump.
Coppell is a bedroom suburb in DFW (the Dallas/Fort Worth Me dropped), it is fairly cold in the winter. Sometimes it snows, but mostly we get ice storms. You're mostly right about Trump. Your character's family owns the biggest car dealership in town. That's not hard to do, as there are no car dealerships in Coppell. Oh, and they do know about gay people. Gay people live there.

Other than that, I liked your book. You are one of the small bouquet of people who can write a contemporary romantic novel that I enjoy reading. Your characters go through crap just like in real life, they are engaging, quirky, and at the end there isn't some pie-in-the-sky magical happy ending. There is a "Things are going to be OK" ending.
I like to read that. I have been through crap, and there will be no more magical happy endings for me. I have had my share of them. They were fantastic. Now I want to read about people who are content with real life blessings. Things are going to be OK.

And if you write it, Jenny, we can count on it.


I received this book free from William Morrow Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are not a regular reader of this series, keeping track of all the characters that are thrown at you may be a bit daunting at first. But it won’t take long to sort them out, being that they are so well-developed and described. It’s Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that happiness automatically flows to everyone. In fact, there is an element of tragedy to the story, but somehow, it doesn’t make it a sad book. Indeed, the strength and spirit of the inhabitants of the island shine through the darkness, both figuratively and literally, to aid others who need a helping hand. Flora finds herself in a fix, but her best friend Lorna is also in need of support in her unhappy situation. Together, they bolster each other, and the whole community is there for Fintan and Colton, especially when Colton’s brother Tripp shows unexpectedly. Tripp’s visit turns into a much needed learning experience for him. This delightful book is vastly entertaining, but is has depth and much meaning in its pages. Highly recommended.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed my third outing to Mure, and I'm very hopeful there will be a fourth because there are many loose ends that still need resolving.
The storyline with Colton was heartbreaking, I knew it was coming but it still hit me quite hard. I really loved the furthering of the relationships between Saif and Lorna, and the addition of Tripp.
Not a fan of Joel, really haven't been all through this series. I cannot relate to his reticence and find him to be quite selfish. I wonder what Flora sees in him honestly, the past two books he's been a very unsympathetic character, and in the last book it was understandable with all of the secrets he had been keeping. But those are out in the open now, I just wanted him to either decide to commit to and love Flora or step away completely.
Overall, I'm bonded with all of the people on the island and want only the best for them. I particularly adore Agot, she's so touchingly and accurately portrayed.

[Kristīne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so this was NOT the Hallmark Christmas novel, but an ACTUAL CHRISTMAS novel, as in A time for living, a time for believing
A time for trusting, not deceiving
Love and laughter and joy ever after. Christmas time, mistletoe and wine... Forgiveness, being a good person, doing whats right, starting a new life (sometimes literaly).

Reading this one was hard work, caring for people you have known for two books, expecting a happy Christmas intermission, read and forget. But it was the opposite - not exactly a feel good holiday romance. Characters are faced with some of the greatest challenges yet, and all before Christmas, Jenny Colgan, who does that???

But then again, that was the beauty of it - it was very much like life itself, never waiting for appropriate time to strike us, be it Christmas or Easter or whatever day on calendar.

Expect heavy crying, but expect a meaning of true Christmas aswell.

[Asheley T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Flora lives on the island Mure in the North Atlantic with her large family of brothers and her father. She runs the Seaside Kitchen and is very happy and in love with the American Joel, who has relocated to the island. Flora has just found out that she is pregnant but is very nervous about telling Joel her news as he has trauma from his childhood and she worries that he may not want to be a father. As the novel begins, Joel has been away in the US on a business trip, but he is due to return and Flora knows she can't keep the news from him.

Meanwhile Flora's best friend Lorna is the island's schoolteacher. She's in love with Saif, the island's doctor. Saif is Syrian refugee with two young sons. They're all settling nicely into life on the island-doing well in work and school, making friends, experiencing Christmas for the first time. But Saif's wife and the boys' mother has been missing in war-ravaged Syria for a long time and Saif has major feelings of guilt over moving on with life without his wife.

These characters and so many others pulled at my heartstrings. But honestly I expect nothing else from a Jenny Colgan book. She has this way of writing these accessible people that are quirky and vulnerable and funny, and I always fall in love with them.

Mure is very different from where I live here in Eastern NC, on the east coast of the US. The weather, for one, is so different from the weather as it is described there and the darkness throught the day makes for a difference too. But island life in general in Ms. Colgan's books is something that is so foreign to me-I absolutely love reading about all of it. I love the way the islanders live life together: I love the way they come together to face tragedy and heartache, because there is some of that in this story. I also love the way they help one another out when there are needs, and they encourage their own, and they lift one another up. It all has a very, very cozy feel to it.

So much happened on this little tiny island as the book progressed-it was so entertaining! As I got toward the end, though, things started happening very quickly. With EVERYONE. It was fine; I'm not saying this is a bad thing. What I'm saying is that my heart was beating quickly because I felt lots of things for all of these characters, wondering how everyone would fare in the end. And in the end, I was sad to close the book. This is a familiar, comfortable feeling for me with Ms. Colgan's books. Her worlds are worlds that I just want to BE IN.

It's interesting (and very frustrating) that I had no idea that this is actually the third book in the Summer Seaside Kitchen series when I started reading. Certainly the book read just fine as a standalone, but there are places throughout the story where it is obvious that people that started with the first book and have kept up must be in the know about Joel's traumatic background, for example, or about Saif's arrival on Mure as a refugee. On the one hand, all this will do is make me pick up the first two books right away because I'm dying to know more about every single one of these characters from the very beginning. On the other hand, I was gritting my teeth that I didn't know everything already. That's silly, I know, but I LOVE Jenny Colgan's books. (Amazon and Audible do not have these books tied together as a series, as far as I can tell, so I thought I was reading a standalone. Doggone it.)

This book is an absolute delight, but there is certainly plenty of story that remains to be told. In any case, whatever Ms. Colgan decides to write, I'm here for it. While I'm waiting, I NEED to get my hands on the beginning of this series, and then I'm sure I'll be reading this one again.



I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!

Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d like to say the poor editing and character inconsistencies ex: Mark and Marsha are childless now even though Marsha referred to her children in the first book kept me from enjoying this but there was more to it than that. To avoid spoilers, I'll just leave it there. And I hope a certain character really did have an epiphany near the end and that things will be different. But I did not enjoy having American politics drug into what I had expected be a moving Christmas story set on a windswept Scottish island. This finished with so many loose ends there’s bound to be a fourth book. I’ll know to avoid it. 2 ½ stars.

Disclosure: I received this copy from LibraryThing early reviewers. I was thrilled since I’d enjoyed The Bookshop on the Corner so much. To do it justice, I started with the first book in the series, The Cafe by the Sea, planning to follow it with The Endless Beach. Well, the Cafe book was disappointing enough that I ended up skipping the second book. So it’s possible I missed some critical character development along the way that would have helped me see things differently.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jenny Colgan and have enjoyed this series so far. These are usually my 'go to' comfort blanket books. With that in mind, I was expecting a heartwarming Christmas story (and, in many ways, this is) but at the same time this dealt with some very difficult topics and triggering issues which made this book hard for me to read in places.

[Marjolein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely Christmas story, was so great to read about all the wonderful characters from this series again. It was romantic and funny and very sad and heartbreaking at the same time. Another great read by Jenny Colgan.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry Jenny Colgen - I somehow think that writing this review is like a slap in the face to Polly and all of her friends from the Little Beach Street Bakery series, but this book was a giant dumpster fire. How was there no joy in a Christmas book? How am I supposed to still be invested in Joel and Flora? After two full books of Joels issues with relationships - years in the lives of these characters - he still can't call her his girlfriend? They still fight and go weeks without communicating (even after he knows she's pregnant and they're both on a remote island together? What exactly does Flora get out of this stunted and underdeveloped relationship?
I was so confused by the end (lack of an ending). I kept flipping back and forth thinking that I had missed something. It didn't even set up a fourth book in the series, it sort of just stopped mid conflict for all of the characters. I spent hours power reading this book and felt cheated at the end.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set on the fictional Scottish Isle of Mure, Colgan's Christmas novel features multiple story lines. Flora discovers she will give birth to Joel's child. A Syrian immigrant doctor falls for the schoolteacher even though his wife may not be dead. Colton's estranged brother visits the island and is forced to deal with Colton's marriage to husband Fintan and Colton's impending death from cancer. Ultimately the novel tried to deal with too many things and handled all of them poorly. Setting is the novel's greatest asset and pushes the rating up a bit. I received a copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Perfect narration again and just adored meeting up with the people from the Island of Mure. More please!