I love the concept of hygge, which is a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture). I was first introduced to it by a creator I used to follow on YouTube and loved the idea. I incorporate touches of it into my life wherever I can.
In The Hygge Holiday by Rosie Blake, we meet Clara, a young Danish woman who has just arrived in the small village of Yulethorpe. She is intrigued by the town and arranges to house and pet sit for Louisa, who has decided to close her toy shop and jaunt off to warmer climes. As Clara wields her hygge magic on Louisa’s flat and shop, she slowly becomes a part of the local community.
Not everyone is happy she is there, however. Louisa’s son Joe is suspicious of her motives and starts coming down from the big city to check on her. And Roz, a local who is contemptuous of both Louisa and Clara, makes her objections known very loudly.
I found this book charming. I liked the dual POV with Clara and Joe, which is interspersed with the emails Louisa is sending to Gavin, the owner of the local pub. I also appreciated how relatable all of the characters were (well, maybe except for Roz, who is completely unlikable). There is some humor (can you say unfiltered parrot), some romance, and a lot of the promised hygge.
This is the first novel I have read by Rosie Blake, but it certainly won’t be the last!
In So Many Words 