Reviews

Christmas on the Island by Jenny Colgan

lisawreading's review against another edition

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4.0

This series is a delight, especially via audiobook. Such engaging characters, and a beautiful, quirky, unusual setting.

mrsshanfirst's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

2.5

Kind of boring with a bland ending

caseysilk's review against another edition

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A charming audiobook read by someone with Scottish accent. What more could you ask during this season!

juliemrlt's review against another edition

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5.0

J’ai eu du mal à accrocher au début, c’était différent de ce que je lisais habituellement mais au final j’ai adoré ! Une bonne romance durant la période de Noël mais un peu longue à certains moments.

jbarr5's review against another edition

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4.0

Christmas on the island by Jenny Colgan
Sounded like a good title and wanted to read this book as I've lived on an island during the holiday.
Narrater is from Scotland and has the accent to speak this book. Quite unique as I mostly listen to just English with no accents.
Story is set up about the location of the Scotland island and how life is during the cold dark winter days.
We find Flora has to tell her boss some serious news...There is a lot of talk about others as any island it's what keeps them going.
Highly sexually graphic. Enjoyed learning about others and their lives, the sex not so much.
Lots of twists and turns.
Recipes included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

artsygirlamy's review against another edition

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3.0

3.25

melsi94's review against another edition

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5.0

A Nice read

A cozy book filled with laughter and tears. Number three in the series. Would definitely recommend for a light read.

margrethek's review against another edition

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2.0

For some reason and I don’t know why, I’m not sure if I even care about the reason. The author has change things for the different characters and it just doesn’t makes sense from previous books.

And that’s why it gets 2 and not 3. To many discrepancies between the books!

Stick to the story woman!

blodeuedd's review against another edition

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3.0

This story certainly was bittersweet. It was a story about the people, this island, and their hopes and dreams.

But first, this is book 3 and at first I felt, well not lost, but I did feel like I if I had gone into a room filled with people who knew each other. And I dared not approach anyone cos they all seemed to enjoy each other's company so much. But I got to know them by watching them, it that makes sense.

The book is mostly about Flora, a former lawyer, who now runs the Seaside Kitchen. She loves this windswept island and its people. And her big farming family.

I do not know the story of her and Joel. But I guess they worked together, became a couple and now live on Mure. But not together. And she is preggers, and he has some horrible past that makes him scared of loving anyone. So she takes small steps and this could break him. Which is so sad, because she needs some support too. But he does seem really messed up.

There is her brother Fintan, and hos husband Coltan who is dying. I guess if I had seen them meet and fall in love then this would have been so sad.It still was sad, but yes it would have been so much more heartbreaking then.

Then there is Saif, a doctor from Syria who was reunited with his boys, but his wife is still missing (and yeah, after this book I doubt she is alive.) But he mourns and feels like maybe they still live somewhere where there are more like them.

Lorna, the teacher who is in love with Saif, but she also knows he still loves his wife. Poor Lorna. Poor Saif.

And then there Christmas approaching. A person in itself. And the light it brings this island. And I mean literally cos yes I know the darkness of December. You get up it is dark, you get home it is dark.

Some romance, friendship, heartache and longing. A sweet and sad Christmas tale. And the stories are not over.

Narration
Sarah was really good. I loved her accent and her kid voice was so fun. Perfect

amibunk's review against another edition

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3.0

I thought that this was the sequel to The Summer Seaside Kitchen, however it is the third book in the series. Despite that, it wasn't a hard jump to know what was happening as the same characters were at the core of the book.
I definitely enjoyed being immersed in the world of Mure island again. That fictional place and its characters are as comfortable as they were in the first book, but a bit of the charm was missing. The writing was rougher in spots, the relationships between the characters were a bit more trite. The ending was a bit too neat in some parts and a bit unfinished in others. Everything had the faint air of an older Harlequin Romance novel.
Still, I thought it was a good read, especially if you are looking for a gentle romance with a few tears along the way.