Monday 13 November 2017

The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake


The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake
Published: 21st September 2017
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 336
Available in Paperback and on Kindle
Rating: 5/5

Blurb
It's autumn in Yulethorpe and everyone is gloomy. It's cold, drizzly and the skies are permagrey. The last shop on the high street - an adorable little toy shop - has just shut its doors. Everything is going wrong for Yulethorpe this autumn. Until Clara Kristensen arrives.
Clara is on holiday but she can see the potential in the pretty town, so she rolls up her sleeves and sets to work. Things are looking up until Joe comes to Yulethorpe to find out exactly what is going on with his mother's shop. Joe is Very Busy and Important in the City and very sure that Clara is up to no good. Surely no one would work this hard just for the fun of it?
Can a man who answers emails at 3 a. m. learn to appreciate the slower, happier, hygge things in life - naps, candles, good friends and maybe even falling in love?

Review
Rosie Blake and Christmas has been a winning combination for me in the past so I was really looking forward to reading this, especially as Hygge is something I’ve being wanting to know more about. With The Hygge Holiday Rosie Blake has created the perfect cosy romantic novel and one which I adored from start to finish.
Clara has arrived in Yulethorpe on holiday and immediately sees a chance to help out toyshop owner Louise. As Louise packs her bags and heads to Spain Clara agrees to look after the rundown toyshop and Louise’s pet’s comical parrot Lady CaCa and sleepy cat Roddy.
Implementing her love of the Danish way of life Clara transforms Louise’s chaotic flat making it more Hygge and somewhere I would definitely want to be on a cold winters evening. She then moves onto the toyshop and the descriptions of how Clara transformed the toyshop can only be described as magical and something I would love to have experienced, they must have brought so much joy to the residents of Yulethorpe.
Everything’s going well for Clara and she’s beginning to feel settled and at home in Yulethorpe something she hasn’t felt for so long, until Louise’s uptight workaholic son Joe arrives. Having experienced the hectic city life herself Clara decides to make it her mission to Hygge Joe and bring him a calmer way of life. But Joe has other ideas about what Clara should be doing which aren’t quite as friendly.
Despite Joe’s reluctance to embrace Clara’s ethos he wasn’t all bad as the children had him crafting along with them by the end of the story. Then there is a certain bath scene which had me in absolute stitches, after that you couldn’t really take him too seriously!
There are many wonderful characters in this novel but the one that gave me the most laughs was actually Lady CaCa, Louise’s pet parrot who repeats movie quotes at the most awkward moments which end up being hilarious as they seem to coincide perfectly with events which are happening between Joe and Clara.
The Hygge Holiday is the cosiest most uplifting novel I’ve read in a long time and one which I utterly adored. It’s the perfect read for cosy nights in and a book I think everyone should read.
Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me a copy to review.

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