Christmas at the Island Hotel (Mure Book 4)

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But running a hotel is far from easy, especially with the staff consists of a temperamental perfectionist of a chef, a kitchen boy who doesn’t know how to pee a potato and a shy kitchen assistant who can’t stop herself from blushing whenever anyone tries to so much as talk to her.

First off I must admit, I am new to Jenny Colgan, and I have not read any of the other books in the Island series, so this is my first introduction to the Island of Mure and it's cast of off putting inhabitants. Suffice to say I am not the target audience, and I won't be reading any of the other books in the series. I have to assume that these inconsistencies were intentional, as no professional writer or editor would have missed all of them. I just can't imagine what the point of them was--all it served to do for me was completely distract me from enjoying the story. It made the story almost hard to read at times. Although this is book four in Jenny Colgan’s ‘Mure Series,’ it is my first from this talented author. Jenny has more than thirty published books, in what I like to call the, “happy, cozy read.” Yes, of course, there is a little romance in here, but it is not the ‘syrupy sweet’ stuff I have read in other books. Jenny writes with her heart and mind. This book piqued my interest because I was in immediate need of a happy read, (and I mean now), that could lift me from my reality, (pandemic cabin fever), and take me anywhere else to lift my mood. This book answered that need! Is it still enjoyable? Definitely yes as well, but you need to have read the first three books in the series for this one to be as meaningful as possible. There are a plethora of characters and relationships that have been developed over the past three books, and starting here would be like joining a family reunion where everyone knows each other except for you.We also get a few catch ups with Saif's story which again intrigued me, and I do wish we could spend more time with him

It did start off really slow and I was overwhelmed by the overload of characters and trying to keep them all straight, but each of their individual stories was heartwarming. Some of the romances seemed a little out of place and extremely rushed as well, but they were still sweet.

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Their romance has the depth of a dinnerplate, and they fall in love in the space of 5 weeks, knowing nothing about each. But they are white and he is rich and this is a romance so what does that matter?

Also Agot, the young girl who keeps popping up in people's plot lines, is one of the moist ghastly spoiled brats I have ever read. The fact that practically every one of her dialogue is in all caps just emphasizes the fact that she is so insufferable. Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration In ‘Het eilandhotel’ keer je terug naar Mure, het kleine eiland met zijn uitgestrekte strand, kleurrijke huisjes en inwoners, Flora’s café en het chique hotel op het noordelijkste puntje. Na alle gebeurtenissen in de vorige boeken was ik erg benieuwd naar de ontwikkelingen in de levens van alle geliefde personages en samen met een vriendin las ik dit boek in één dag uit. Jenny Colgan did it again en mijn eerste kerstboek van dit seizoen is uit! With that aside, if I was a less stubborn person, I would have set this book down and not finished it. Instead, I stubbornly pushed through with my eyes glazed over in boredom. I was hoping the setting would make up for such a dry plot but it did not. The story didn't give me any of the cozy feelings of a small town nor did it give me the warm feelings of Christmas or the holidays in which I was hoping for.Most importantly, you will not need to read the first three books of the series to enjoy this one. (I did not.) Jenny includes a simple summary in the Prologue that explains who the main characters are and what they have been doing. There is also a hand drawn map of Mure! Just like her writing, details and descriptions are kept to a minimum leaving the choicest words to tell the story. Hoewel de kersttijd in aantocht is, zit de kerstsfeer er nog niet bepaald in. Flora’s broer Fintan is diep in de rouw en boos op de hele wereld. Hij heeft veel moeite om het hotel dat hem is nagelaten klaar te krijgen voor de grote opening, er zijn geldproblemen en hij mist zijn grote liefde enorm. Op een gegeven moment kan Flora het niet meer aanzien en besluit ze haar zwangerschapsverlof af te breken om hem te gaan helpen - dat ouderschap ging haar man Joël toch al beter af dan haar. Er moet nog veel worden geregeld en terwijl medewerkster Iona het café draaiende houdt, zal Isla in de hotelkeuken gaan werken.

Another heartfelt and delightful Christmas tale from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas on the Island. Who is that new chap anyway?” said Mrs. Brodie suspiciously. “I’m just saying. He’s a bit of a ride and no mistake.”In what is probably the most jarring strand of storytelling in this novel is the part about Saif and Lorna. Lorna, the school teacher is in love with Saif, and vice versa. But Saif finds out that his wife, whom he must have lost upon fleeing the country, is alive and seemingly married to, can you believe it, a Daesh fighter. This is just so jarring in what should be a fluffy festive puff piece. What on earth moved Colgan to incorporate the highly sensitive topic of refugees and their relationships in a way that felt deeply insensitive and superficial? The nonsensical "will they wont they" was all the more insulting as was his "she was smiling in a picture of her wedding to the freedom fighter so maybe she's happy with this"? This was such a cosy and feel good read that was perfect to snuggle up with during this cold weather and bask in the warm, quirky characters and multiple romances that unfold. Je volgt niet alleen de vertrouwde personages, ook worden er nieuwe karakters geïntroduceerd die voor heel wat leven in de brouwerij zorgen. De schreeuwende Franse chef-kok Gaspard en de Noorse keukenhulp Konstantin, die nog nooit voor zichzelf hoefde te zorgen, worden goed uitgewerkt, hun verhaallijnen zorgen voor verbazing, humor en ontroering en ze groeien in het verhaal. Daarnaast leef je mee met juf Lorna en huisarts Saif, die nog steeds wacht op nieuws over zijn vrouw, erger je je aan een momzilla op het eiland, moet je lachen om de grote persoonlijkheid van Flora’s nichtje Agot en pakt een viral video niet helemaal uit zoals die bedoeld was. Er is dus genoeg te beleven, maar alle verhaallijnen zijn prima te onderscheiden en samen vormen ze een mooi geheel. You can imagine what must be done to open a hotel and restaurant several months before Christmas, no?! Just picture inviting thirty or so people to your house for Christmas dinner and they are all staying for the weekend. Ahh, that did it! Flora feels guilty leaving baby Douglas with Joel, his father, who is totally enamored with his baby son. Maybe she is a bit jealous, but she is also amazed that Joel went from a high-powered, international lawyer, to a Daddy! Joel is equally amazed but just cannot believe the gifts he has been given at this stage in his life. He does have some work left to do, but it seems so boring compared to watching his baby son.