Come back, one day. Come back to me, just once.Burnt out by a failed romance, journalist Jane Brook is sent to Norway to cover the story of the Queen of the Forest - a Christmas tree given to the people of London every winter. A week of luxury hotels and festive celebrations awaits, all in the company of dashing adventurer Philip Donnelly. Perhaps this is what Jane needs to mend her aching heart?
But in the snowy forest, Jane makes a surprising discovery: long-hidden wartime letters between a young soldier and a mysterious girl. The last letter ends with a passionate plea that was never answered. Now, only Jane can give this story of love and courage a perfect ending - and in doing so, she might just change her own life forever.
Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of A Gift in December via NetGalley and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
A Gift in December by Jenny Gladwell has certainly felt the most festive of my Christmas reads so far this year. That's partly down to the fact that the vast majority of the book was set in the winter wonderland of Norway which was covered in snow and exuded all things Christmas. It was such a relief to see that a book that was meant to be Winter/Christmas themed actually lived up to my expectations and I don't find myself saying 'it had the briefest allusion to Christmas'. Too often recently I have been left disappointed that books that claim to be feature the most magical time of year fail to do so except in small snippets towards the end but this gorgeous read from Jenny Gladwell lived up to all my expectations in terms of Christmas featuring and this is definitely a story that should not be forgotten about this year but instead should be firmly placed on everyone's Christmas reading lists for 2019.
The opening was not what I would have expected but it posed many questions and made me ponder how could a historical introduction to what was presumably a romance story ever connect up but with this author you are in safe hands and she knew exactly what direction she wished to take the story in. The merging of the past with the present was seamless but yet this book didn't stray into the historical fiction genre instead it retained all the magic of a Christmas romance with lots of little surprises thrown in along the way. As Jane, our main character, attempts to get over recent heartbreak and instead of continuously drifting she needs to decide for herself just where her life should take her. In the small area of Nybergsund in Norway in 1940, a soldier is accompanying the King as he attempts to leave the country. The King is resisting the Nazi regime and hopes to form a government from afar. Thomas, the solider, along with the group is led through the forest by a local Marit and the one night they share together in a hut will be forever etched in his memory and will have long lasting affects for many years to come.
Fast forward to the present day and journalist Jane who works in London for the Courier newspaper is coming down off the high of breaking the biggest news story of the year. It has done wonders for her career but she can't say the same for her personal life as boyfriend Simon has dumped her because she gave him no time whilst she was working. I knew instantly she was better off without him, I mean who dumps someone because they have not been getting the attention they wanted and feel they are neglected and all because Jane was working flat out and missed a few dates here and there.
Simon was a sleaze bag and matters were made even worse as he works on the same paper as her. Of course, Jane is heartbroken. She is a calm and ordered person who wants everything perfect in her life and she believes her career is going from strength to strength and she thought her love life was the same. Instead she is back to square one and just aimlessly wondering what does she do now? She had opened up to Simon and she had started to understand how sharing her life with someone could be a positive thing and now all that has been stripped from her. What can she do? A distraction is needed but what? So when a work assignment to Norway reporting on the cutting down of the Christmas tree for Trafalgar square presents itself, will this be the answer to her problems? Jane doesn't jump at the chance, more her editor pushes her forward to get away for a week. Little does Jane realise this trip will transform her in many ways and the story that unfolds was just so lovely for the reader to engage with.
Jenny Gladwell certainly nailed her descriptions of Norway. It was like one big advertisement for the country but in no way was it rammed down your throat. It opened my eyes to a country with plenty of history and connections to Britain, i.e. the tradition of presenting the tree each year but the author also showcased what else Norway has to offer. Jane arrives with an open mind and takes her time relaxing into the trip. The trip is led by PR extraordinare Natasha and along for the ride are bloggers, critics, Instagram stars and patronising Philip, a TV presenter, who thinks he can also write.
Ben, a photographer on Jane's paper is also there and I loved his character. He was so understated but always there lingering in the shadows ready to step in when needed. So kind, caring and considerate, a man who could see the bigger picture. He understood certain things needed to happen, life experiences needed to occur and lessons needed to be learnt before the darkness would turn into light and the wool would be pulled from certain eyes. There is also another older guest on the tour and as his name is revealed and over the course of the story as Jane gets to know him and begins a secret quest of her own the overall themes and plot of the book became even clearer and I loved how little connections and secrets were beginning to fall into place.
Right from the moment the group touched down in you are instantly transported from wherever you are reading right to where the group are. Everything just oozes winter and Christmas and showcases Norway to perfection. From the stunning landscapes and forests where the tree cutting ceremony took place, to the unique hotels the group stayed in everything just seemed so magical and other worldly and Jane and the group were certainly being given the experience of a lifetime. But what really started to annoy me was the fact that Philip became very much a leech attaching himself to Jane and drawing her away from the group.
It was like he was casting a spell on her and she forget all about his reputation of being a womaniser. He was full of self confidence but along with it came such an obnoxious side that I couldn't fathom how Jane couldn't see that he wasn't the best of people to be hanging around with. It was almost as if sensible, well rounded Jane was left behind in London and she was going to let loose. But at the first sign of attention she was gone and taken in. It was as if she craved love and security and if anyone gave it to her she would jump at the chance without strongly considering the bigger picture and without looking deep down to what her heart was actually telling her.
As Jane gets to know Philip more you wish she really didn't and Natasha even gets frustrated with her for missing so many of the events that have been organised because Philip is dragging her away. But balanced nicely with the storyline of Jane and the personal side of the trip for her was that of the story of the old man who is with them. I won't say any more because it would give too much away. But suffice to say it was so touching, heart-warming and endearing and without this character I don't think Jane would have undergone the transformation that slowly begins to happen for her. It helped teach her some life lessons and perhaps steer her in a more welcoming direction. Life is too short to be safe and when the right and true love presents itself maybe we should go for it and grab it with both hands and not let go.
All in all, this is a wonderful book, a charming read with a fantastic setting and a good storyline to back it up. You'll be rooting for Jane but also glad that she works to solve a decades long problem and in doing so she does some good for herself. Nearing the end I questioned would the beginning ever connect up with the overall story line, it was like it had been forgotten about but I was pleasantly surprised with the twist that was in store for the reader. A Gift in December was a really good début from Jenny Gladwell and I will certainly look out for more books from her in the future.
Sounds like a magical read doesn't it? As it's Christmastime and Emma was already reviewing this one, I have decided to run an additional festive giveaway for this finished paperback copy that I received from the publisher as I also have a proof copy which I'm going to read in the next couple of days.
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