A Winter in Wonderland

by Isla Gordon

Myla might be the world’s least festive woman. Everything bad that’s ever happened to her has happened around Christmas, and she wants nothing to do with this time of year. So, of course she would lose a bet and find herself committed to a seasonal job in Lapland. Ten weeks, below-zero temperatures and a job requiring near-constant Christmas spirit. But Myla soon discovers that Lapland might have more to offer than Santa Claus. For starters, there’s one very good-looking elf…if she can just catch him off duty. Will a little love under the Northern lights convince Myla that her bad luck might finally have come to an end?

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

337 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2021

Reviews

[Nada A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was a cute winter read with phenomenal side characters but needed a bit more chemistry between the leads.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleigh bells ring, are you visiting?
In the place, Christmas is glittering
A beautiful tale
I'm happy to wail (well I can't sing in tune)
Reading a Winter in Wonderland!

Gone away are festive blues (at least that is what all of Myla's friends and family wish would happen)
Here to stay are new woos (there is one gorgeous elf that can't help but melt anyones heart)
He throws a snow ball
At one and all
Reading a Winter in Wonderland!

Away in Lapland new memories can grow
For this reader who really loves the snow
It's a fab book
Please go take a look!
For this story made me feel all aglow!

Then again, there's Myla
Who's festive memories may conspire
To wreck another job
And possibly sob
Reading a Winter in Wonderland!

Kudos Richard B Smith, who wrote Walking In a Winter Wonderland the song, which I am really not that great at re-wording - and also to Isla Gordon who has written one of my favourite festive books of this holiday season, A Winter In Wonderland.

Myla is not a fan of Christmas to the extent she leaves any temp job the second anything remotely festive crops up. But when she loses her temping agency and home in the same day, and then a bet with her sister, she ends up having to commit to working in Finnish Lapland over Christmas and hopefully facing up to the season and her old bad memories.

She's definitely not looking for love but it's an elf that happens to catch her eye as they grow closer and I loved the Elve's antics while he was on duty. I also loved all the descriptions of Myla's role at an adventure guide, with the snow shoes, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh rides and huskies! And the gorgeous vision from the cover may feature too!

I read this while I was recovering from booster jab side effects and it completely took my mind of the painful arm and splitting headache and by the time I was finished devouring the pages a few hours later, having read it in one go, I can say my head felt a lot better, and I was completely in love with the setting, the writing, Myla's new best friend and her attitude to life and saunas, and just about every single festive mention in the book.

I loved being transported to Lapland from the warmth of my living room, and even if Myla wasn't overly excited by all elements of the job, I was very excited for them, and can't help but wish I had tried to get a job being an Elf at a Santa's village when I was a bit younger and doing seasonal work.

It's another wonderful book from Isla Gordon, completely transported me and had me gripped. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this.

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

[holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay, i thought the book was good. kinda read it at the wrong time of year but oh well.

myla, i get it, you don’t like christmas and you’re mad at shay for making you do the job.

why didn’t the love interests name have to be josh roberts? i dont mind it being just josh…but josh roberts?! literally cried. had pure ptsd back to my science class with a lad with the same name-

to be honest, i enjoyed the book. i now want to do seasonal work in lapland. :)

[bookclubforme · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read which tried hard to be fun but the "I hate Christmas" trope got a little boring. The romance was a bit naff, I'd have liked to have seen more interaction between Myla and Josh but the setting was spot on, very festive and sounded so magical! 🌲🌠

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So actually it was a nice, albeit very simple plot that was only a background to the setting. The setting was, of course, exceptionally beautiful and original and I think it was actually the main focus of this story. Because the plot, well, you could fit it in every environment, actually, and it was Lapland that made it so exceptional. I loved the descriptions of the place, of Myla's role as an adventure guide, of the antics of the elves (especially a very significant one), of reindeer sleigh rides, of huskies and, of course, of Corona Borealis. I wanted to be one of the tourists in this book, to see it by myself, and now I want to go to Lapland, like, pronto.

It was written in this lovely, warm and inviting Isla Gordon way that I so much enjoy. It was funny, light - hearted and had brilliant one - liners and hilarious scenes that took you by surprise and made you laugh out loud, and it had some poignant scenes and serious moments. The author's writing is so powerful that it easily takes you to the setting, throws you into the heart of the book and you are sucked.

This book is a perfect companion for a wintery evening at the fire - place. It's relaxing, charming and sweet and the idea of the main character hating Christmas and then finding herself in Lapland, working for Santa Claus, was brilliant. It was uplifting, magical and already festive and the author also touches upon some important issues, such as alcoholism and mental health, and does it with tons of sensitivity.

[Lisa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up as feeling festive! I loved Isla's previous Christmas book (possibly her first novel...) and had to grab this when it was a 99p kindle bargain. Lovely Christmas-sy read, just what you expect from a title of A Winter in Wonderland. I always read these kind of novels and immediately want to go to Lapland! Cute story and characters.

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions in this make me wanna visit Lapland so bad 😫

[Kaylla Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel good book 😌

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Loved the location, the characters and the story. Perfect for Christmas 🎄

[Isobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and cosy winter read.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.25 :)
this was a winter read to get me by because I was in a slump and wanted a romance! I actually enjoyed this book and found the characters loveable :) Esteri is amazing and this was a fun christmas read!

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cosy Christmas read!

[Alanna Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here: https://theresnoenjoymentlikereading....

[Chloe Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a deliciously festive treat of a book! 🎅🏻🎄❄️

Myla considers herself to be possibly one of the least festive women in the world. She’s not had the best of luck with past Christmas’s - memories of hospital stays, her parents’ divorce, her sister’s spell in rehab, broken friendships, unrequited love, and redundancy all plague her Christmas memories, so is it any wonder she has fallen out of love with the festive season? But her dislike of all things festive is starting to affect her life - her friends aren’t inviting her out and she can’t hold down a job. So when a bet with her sister Shay ends up with Myla agreeing to take on a job as an adventure guide in Lapland from November through to January, is it a chance for Myla to make peace with her Christmas pasts? Or will this just be another tragic Christmas memory?

My dream job is now officially to work in Lapland - the author completely sold it to me and I now want to go and live there from now until further notice 🤣 it was just beautiful. From the snow to the Northern Lights to the reindeer and the huskies, Santa’s cabin in the forest…everything about it screamed magic and the author portrayed it beautifully, and in a way that left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

And then there was the addition of a fantastic cast of characters - obviously Myla herself was a queen, I loved her wit and sense of humour and also how she realised she needed to make some changes to the way she let her thoughts rule her mind. But also Esteri was GREAT. I want a friend like her! I was swooning over Elf Josh in the exact same way as Myla 😍 and Myla’s family too were just fab.

I feel like I can’t do this book justice with my words but please take my word for it that this is the PERFECT Christmas read. It’s cosy, heartwarming, festive, joyful, warm, uplifting, magical, feel-good…everything that Christmas is all about. I can’t recommend it enough, it’s left smiling from ear to ear and feeling like I want to put my Christmas tree up and starting singing Christmas songs 🎅🏻

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Winter in Wonderland by Isla Gordon

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Myla is the UK's least-festive woman. Starting the year she found out the truth about Santa Claus, everything bad that's ever happened to her occurs around Christmas. Nowadays, she wants nothing to do with this time of year, so of course she would lose the bet with her sister and be forced to put herself forward for a seasonal job in Lapland, welcoming tourists to Santa's winter wonderland for the holidays.

Ten weeks, temperatures well below freezing, days that are mostly dark, and the need to stay brimming with Christmas spirit doesn't fill Myla with joy as she heads off to the arctic circle for winter in Finland. But as she discovers that Lapland is more than Santa Claus's Village, the very last person she ever thought she'd fall for turns out to be a man who plays an Elf, and who is bound to stay in character at all times.

I read this book in two short sessions as it was a quick read. In places I struggled reading this book - Isla has written a book with a relatively simple plot but I personally felt that it was just missing a bit of depth. As the reader, I found myself getting frustrated with Myla.

It is a lovely, festive book and perfect to read over the festive season if you are wanting an easy book to read.

Rating 3/5

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at the beginning of January, so it technically wasn’t the festive season any longer, but as you can see from my review of Mistletoe on 34th Street above, I’m a big fan of this author’s work, regardless of which name the book is under (she has three different names she writes under, and the only one I’ve not yet read a book from is the Lucy Dickens pseudonym). Its about a woman named Myla who really struggles with Christmas due to previous negative experiences in her life taking place during the holidays, as she loses a bet and travels to Lapland to work as an adventure guide, where she meets a very handsome surgical nurse who is constantly in character for his job as an elf. The Lapland setting was just unbelievably beautiful, and honestly kind of magical. I loved learning more about Santa Claus village and the types of holiday you can go on there, as well as just picking up some information about the place itself. Myla is a character I definitely felt sympathy for and really enjoyed reading about and Josh is a lovely hero; I don’t think I’ve ever seen grumpy/sunshine where the woman is grumpy and the man is sunshine, but I loved it and it definitely added to the cosy, fun vibes even though the book does tackle some darker themes. On that note, I don’t want to give anything away either, but I hope it’s alright to note that I very much appreciated the fact that Myla’s issues don’t magically disappear when she meets Josh; her experiences in this book do make her want to heal, but she acknowledges that she needs to put in the work in therapy for that to happen.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Festive Read, such a warm, hilarious and moving book.

Set in beautiful Finland the author takes you on authentic tours with huskies, magical reindeer rides and to find the main man himself Santa Claus in his hidden cabin in the woods. The only problem is Christmas is Myla’s least favourite time of year and usually avoids it at all costs.

I love the friendship that blooms with Myla’s room mate Esteri and her plan buddy Josh who just happens to be a very cute but annoying elf who is to be in character at all times.

Beautifully written the author takes you on a journey through Myla’s best and worst Christmas memories. The author approaches mental health and alcoholism with care and sensitivity whilst still keeping the book warm and comforting.

A fabulous read, I recommend curling up with a hot chocolate and an army of gingerbread men.

* I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been enjoying Isla Gordon’s books (including those written under other names) for many years now, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of A Winter in Wonderland.

I loved the setting of this story. I loved reading about the snowmobiles, reindeer, huskies, northern lights, snow, and everything else that makes this a wintery paradise.

The characters were great. I particularly loved Esteri, she was very up front about how she felt about things. The friendship between her and Myla was my favourite thing about this book. I also enjoyed Myla’s story, how she gradually realised not everything about Christmas is bad, and learned to put her past in its proper place.

Overall, this was a lovely, relaxing read, full of Christmas magic. Perfect to get you feeling festive.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

[Natasha (The Bookbasket) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grumpy girl and a sunshiny guy? Sign me up.
I really enjoyed the wittiness Gordan brought to the story, especially when I paged to the acknowledgements and the first line was "And then they all died...".
This book, although a romance, was more focused on how to overcome the past hurts you have gone through, especially how they affect you over the Christmas holidays. Although each person's journey is different, I loved how it all came together in the end, even if it took Myla countless pep talks just to get through this season.
The third-act break-up (if I can even call it that) was also so refreshing. No arguments, no fights, no miscommunication. A well-written book with funny, witty characters. I will definitely read more from this author.

[Loveromancebooks21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Winter In Wonderland is a friends to lovers romance set in Lapland. It’s told
In a first person POV. Myla is the least festive person in the uk. Every year around Christmas something bad happens to her. After she loses a bet with her sister shay she is forced to take a job in Lapland as an adventure guide welcoming tourists to Santas Village. Josh is a goofball who loves Christmas and Myla finds him really annoying at first but then she starts to fall for him.

Overall I’ve loved reading this story. It’s got plenty of funny moments and is the perfect festive romance to curl up on the sofa with. I loved the characters especially Esteri, she’s a strong character who tells it like it is, I think Myla needed a friend like her. It’s a wonderful slow burn romance full of Christmas magic. I loved the setting of the book, the snow, the huskies and the reindeer, the northern lights, the descriptions are wonderful and make you feel like you’re there.

[Chari · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the bad things in Mylas life happen around Christmas so she tries to avoid it at all cost. After losing a bet with her sister, however, Myla has to spend the festive season working in Lapland. Can she survive the Christmas festivities, Santa, music and elves that are always "on"? And can she get the attention of one particular elf when he gets off duty?

I really liked this book. It was fun, Christmassy, and a lovely cosy read (despite being set in the snow). Her relationship with her roommate is beautifully written and I would totally read a sequel about Esteri! I liked that the romance wasn't the main focus of the story and felt very natural.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2022: My sister recommended this to me and it was a lovely book. The description of Finland and such was great and it made me want to visit even more. But…
There was little or no interaction between Myla and most of the other people working for the company, at least not in the book. The story slowed down in the middle of the book and I had to push myself to continue reading.
My main issue however was with why Myla didn’t like Christmas. Yes on the ‘Mum leaving home’ and the ‘big sister is an alcoholic’. Even yes to ‘losing your dream job’, but it felt very forced to me.
All in all a nice book, with some flaws.
6/10

[Claralit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gros coup de cœur sur ce livre !!! Le livre se passe en Laponie et on suit Myla, qui a été envoyé la bas pour travailler alors qu'elle déteste Noël.

J'ai beaucoup aimé le fait que la romance ne prenne pas toute la place dans la roman. On sait dès les premières pages comment ça va se finir et pour autant, j'ai adoré découvrir Myla, Esteri et les autres personnes du roman, tous très attachants. Myla a un côté agaçant parfois mais ça ne m'a pas empêché de prendre bcp de plaisir à lire ce livre !

Je recommande à 100% si vous êtes à la recherche d'un livre qui vous embarque au pays du Père Noël 😍

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well now I obviously want to visit Lapland!
Myla hates Christmas, this is repeated a lot throughout the book (maybe slightly too much) and for pretty random reasons. She loses yet another job so is sent to Lapland by her sister on a short term job over Christmas. I mean what could go wrong?!
This is a story about growth, about letting your past not define you and the messages were strong. Unfortunately, I found Myla to be slightly annoying and I was less interested in her reasons by the latter stages.
I loved Esteri as a character and would love to see her get her own book, especially as that would mean more time in Finland/Lapland.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myla has had a string of horrible Christmases and jobs throughout her life. Now, in desperation, she travels to Lapland, Finland, to work as an Adventure Guide at a Luxury Santa Land Resort for the Christmas season.
Despite various mishaps, holiday happenings, and freezing cold, could this hard-hearted Grinch grow and maybe even find love with a cute elf?
A fun, 99% clean Winter/Christmas Romance;
The pacing, beautiful scenery, fun characters, Holiday moments, and adorable animals, make this a Meet-Cute Winter Wonderland.

[Janet Barratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family had planned a trip to Lapland so we chose this book to read while there - it was the perfect accompaniment - and gave us insights we may have otherwise missed. The book is romantic but not gushing. Myla had had some difficult life experiences but going somewhere so extreme and new helped her to process them and move forward to find love. Our Lapland visit had its issues and the book cushioned these and helped us process our own experience. Lapland is magical and this story captured this ❤️

[Trish Hills · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has been a little anti-Christmas the past couple of years, I got where Myla (I love that name!) was coming from. But after reading this book, I'm going to try and be more Esteri and Josh. No spoilers, I promise, but there is plenty of simple festive spirit in this wonderful story that I plan on enjoying. Loved it!

[Caroline O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Christmas story with emotional ups and downs for the main character Myla. At many points this was an anti-Christmas book but the power of Christmas always wins out!
I hope that there is a follow up to this book to see where the various characters could be taken further. I really enjoyed the descriptions of Lapland and it has made me even more excited for Christmas.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaves you feeling content

I loved this book.
I opted to read this while in the departure lounge awaiting to board a flight to Rovaniemi with my family for our dream trip to Lapland. It depicts all the Lapland magic with a heartwarming romance between two very likeable characters.

[Chantelle Hazelden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massive thank you to Little Brown and Netgalley for a copy of this entertaining story.

A wonderfully festive read.

Filled with love and laughter.

I read this with a permanent smile on my face.

The perfect book to inject you with some Christmas spirit.