A Winter In Wonderland by Isla Gordon
My review
4/5 stars
I've discovered Isla Gordon recently, and enjoyed what little of hers I have read so far, so I needed no persuasion to borrow this Christmassy book from my library over the festive period.
The premise of the story was so fun: a woman who feels traumatised by Christmas and avoids the season at all costs ends up working at Lapland. I expected lots of comedy, and I got it, but I also got a depth that I wasn't anticipating.
Myla's journey through healing from her trauma was realistically paced, charmingly awkward and full of meaning and heart. The relationships she had with those that supported her were my favourite part of the book - her sister and her roommate were brilliantly written characters.
The book felt so cosy and Christmassy. The description of the Northern Lights was particularly on point for me, and was enhanced exponentially by the idea of sleigh rides, husky rides and trips to Santa's cottage.
My only hesitation, and the reason for the lost star, is that the relationship between Myla and Josh just didn't feel as well developed or focused on as I would have liked. He seemed like a fun character, but I didn't get enough of him for him to feel integral to the story.
Book blurb
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.
More...
You can buy the book here now. It was published by Sphere.
For more on the author, you can head over to her Goodreads page.
