Happy Monday all!
Last month my mom read her very first Jenny Colgan book and was instantly charmed by her writing. The quirky characters, the delightful settings, all the whimsy and wonder. Four books later and Jenny Colligan has a new super fan!💕
My Mom’s Thoughts
Comfort food for the body. Comfort books for the mind. Discovering Jenny Colgan was an early comfort Christmas gift—four books so far: CHRISTMAS AT THE ISLAND HOTEL, 500 MILES FROM YOU, WEST END GIRLS, WHERE HAVE ALL THE BOYS GONE.
While one was set in London and two partly there, especially delightful were the wee Scottish towns. Even more than the captivating towns were the fascinating, quirky characters what made the books appealing. They were typically young women whose lives were at a crossroad. Nothing was going smoothly for them especially in their Love lives, small setbacks occurred, awkward situations developed.
Each book left me with a smile on my face! Love the British sense of humor! Time to check on the dinner pot roast!😊
Christmas at the Island Hotel
Another heartfelt and delightful Christmas tale from the beloved New York Times best-selling author of The Bookshopon the Corner and Christmas on the Island.
New York Times best-selling author Jenny Colgan returns to the setting of Christmas on the Island and Endless Beach for a heartwarming new novel celebrating the season and Scotland.
On the tiny, beautiful, and remote island of Mure, halfway between Scotland and Norway, a new hotel opening is a big event. New mother Flora MacKenzie and her brother, Fintan, are working themselves half to death to get it ready in time for Christmas.
The new hotel’s impressive kitchens throw together two unlikely new friends: Isla Gregor is the hardworking young girl who has been a waitress in the island’s cafe, dreaming of a bigger, better life now that she’s at a proper fancy hotel. Konstantin Pederson is working his way up in the hotel’s kitchens, too…but he is also, secretly, the only son of the duke of Utsire. Konstantin has been sent to learn what it is to work hard for a living before receiving his inheritance. Although he’s initially resentful, the place grows on him; he has never met anyone quite like Isla and her fellow Murians before.
As the island’s residents and special VIP guests gather for the hotel’s grand opening gala, Christmas is in the air. But so are more than a few small-town secrets….
Where Have All the Boys Gone?
From New York Times best-selling author Jenny Colgan comes this hilarious romance about a woman who trades in the comforts of city life in hopes of finding love in a small Scottish town in the middle of nowhere.
Faced with the harsh reality that there are 25,000 more women than men in London, Katie’s dating prospects are at an all-time low. While she’s glad it’s not a man’s world anymore, it wouldn’t hurt if there were more eligible bachelors.
More likely to get murdered than married, according to gleeful media reports, Katie resigns herself to the fact that there’s no sex in the city for her and decides to head for the hills – or the Scottish Highlands to be exact. Despite the fact she’s never been one for muddy rain boats – and Fairlish is in the middle of nowhere – the tiny town does have one major draw: men. Lots of them!
But while Katie relishes the chance to do battle with armies of admirers, she’s not excited about going head to head with her shady new boss, Harry. At least there’s the local eye-candy to distract her, including gorgeous newshound Iain. But he is at loggerheads with Harry, and she can’t afford to get on Harry’s bad side any more than she already has.
Life in the country might not be one big roll in the hay, but now that Katie has taken the plunge, can she ever turn her back on the delights of Fairlish and return to city life…?
Westend Girls
New York Times best-selling author of 500 Miles from You tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of twin sisters who set out to London in hopes of leaving their mark on the world, in this “gorgeous, glorious, uplifting” novel (Marian Keyes).
They may be twins, but Lizzie and Penny Berry are complete opposites. Penny is the life of the party – loud and outrageous, while quiet and thoughtful Lizzy is often left out of the crowd. The one trait they do share is a longing to do something spectacular with their lives, and as far as these two are concerned, there’s no better place to make their dreams come true than London.
Presented with a once-in-a-lifetime house-sit at their grandmother’s home in a very desirable London neighborhood, it finally seems like Lizzie and Penny are a step closer to the exciting cosmopolitan life they’ve always wanted. But the more time they spend in the big city, they quickly discover it’s nothing like they expected. They may have to dream new dreams…but are they up to the challenge?
500 Miles From You
best-selling author Jenny Colgan returns to the beloved Scottish Highland town of Kirrinfief, which listeners first met in The Bookshop on the Shore, and adds a dash of London’s bustling urban landscape.
Lissie is a nurse in a gritty, hectic London neighborhood. Always terribly competent and good at keeping it all together, she’s been suffering quietly with PTSD after helping to save the victim of a shocking crime. Her supervisor quietly arranges for Lissie to spend a few months doing a much less demanding job in the little town of Kirrinfeif in Scottish Highlands, hoping that the change of scenery will help her heal. Lissie will be swapping places with Cormack, an Army veteran who’s Kirrinfeif’s easygoing nurse/paramedic/all-purpose medical man. Lissie’s never experienced small-town life, and Cormack’s never spent more than a day in a big city, but it seems like a swap that would do them both some good.
In London, the gentle Cormack is a fish out of the water; in Kirrinfief, the dynamic Lissie finds it hard to adjust to the quiet. But these two strangers are now in constant contact, taking over each other’s patients, endlessly emailing about anything and everything. Lissie and Cormack discover a new depth of feeling…for their profession and for each other.
But what will happen when Lissie and Cormack finally meet?
Have a lovely day! XOXO Berit💛
The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn
Berit Talks Books 