Summer Island was a charming Norwegian holiday adventure. The quick-moving plot, wonderful characters, picturesque setting, and a feels-right love story added to the overall appeal. It was definitely a feel-good modern-day romance that might make you want to visit a sleepy summer island for yourself!

An accidental (literally!) meeting changes everything for Ninni when she returns to Summer Island off the coast of Norway. For Jack, it's a matter of a whole new culture and way of life. As a celebrated chef, life of the island seems foreign but which offers a whole different way of life. Can he make a new future for himself here?

A sweet and charming romance in a beautiful setting. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style which gave me a wonderful feel for the Norway, the culture and the characters. Jack and Ninni were good romantic leads and their development as individuals and together was lovely to watch. Well worth a read.

A fun summer romance that is a wonderful view into the Norwegian way of life. I really enjoyed this book - especially the insights into the traditions and culture of Norway. The story itself was sweet, funny and entertaining. Definitely a great beach read!

Note: I gratefully received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A lovely story which gave a wonderful insight into a small island in Norway. I enjoyed reading about the traditions, culture and food of Norway and the growing relationship between Ninni and Jack. I felt that the story had scope for more books in the series as there were lots of interesting characters who I warmed to immensely. I also felt that the relationship between Ninni (the main female character) and her dog Frikk was so real and could perfectly relate to their relationship, which was adorable.

I think it was great to have a setting that was not the norm of France or Spain for example, which made this book unusual and certainly a book I would recommend to read.

I’m struggling to write this review. The story was cutesy without much depth. Maybe it’s my fault that I didn’t read much about the book before starting it?? The story mainly takes place on a small island off the coast of Norway and yes some of the words are in Norwegian! After bought 30 pages I knew what was going to happen in the end. As an avid reader I wanted more, I liked the characters but they were not original. If I had to choose again I would probably skip this story.

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.

It is really refreshing to read a nice summery book, set not in France, Greece, Spain etc... but in Norway. It's not a setting I've come across much although it is a place I'd love to visit in real life.

So was delighted to be able to get to know Summer Island, a Norwegian island, and its inhabitants over the course of this book. In particular Ninni who's heart lays on Summer Island even if she doesn't live their full time, and Jack, the Englishman who has just discovered he has inherited a farm on the Island and is visiting for the first time.

Seeing the island through Jack's eyes is wonderful, we get to see various Norwegian traditions, and also the local customs, odd words of Norwegian and it was fascinating to see what Jack, a chef made of all the local food.

Then there is Ninni who is trying to recover from her latest heartbreak and really doesn't know what to make of her new neighbour, who really knows nothing about life on a Norwegian island. I enjoyed seeing them both get to know each other better.

This was an incredibly relaxing read, the pace of life on the island is rather slow, and it was an enjoyable but gentle story that I was able to really enjoy.

This may be the author's first book, but it certainly won't be the last one I read by her. Lovely writing style and I'd love to hopefully read more books set in Norway.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

This story is light and airy with easy-going, simple writing. It takes place in cozy, charming Norway, which I loved. While I adored the setting and learning about the Norwegian culture, I had a difficult time finding a connection with any of the characters or even between them. With the two characters who were supposed to be love interests, I felt a very minuscule spark between them. But it was overall a cute and lighthearted story! Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spend the summer on a small Norwegian island, where time seems to have stopped. Enjoy the sun, the brisk ocean breezes, and the picturesque views of small farms. Say “hie” to the general store owners Jens and Alma. Savor Britt’s homemade beer and savory meats from the local smokehouse. Search for mussels and crabs along the craggy coastline. You may even want to help the local “hippies” plant their potatoes.

Best of all, you will get to know Ninni and “her Englishman”. Ninni is a blend- she’s beautiful but has a personality that is cool and blunt and a heart that has been wounded by a lover’s betrayal. She comes to the Norwegian island every summer, a place that soothes with her its simple tranquility and childhood memories. But this year, things may be changing, when a young Englishman inherits the biggest landholding on the island.

The Englishman is Jack, a master chef from London. He has a passion for creating fine meals and his cuisine adds much flavor to the story. How did he come to be the heir of Agnar and now the owner of property on the island? This may be a small island, but there are many hidden stories that will be revealed in this fascinating Holiday Romance.

The story is told in blunt, forthright and honest fashion. The summer island is a place of raw nature and the characters reflect this. They are practical and pragmatic, but also understanding and open to change. This is not a sweet or cozy story, but it’s honesty and openness are appealing. By the end of the book, readers will be satisfied with their escape to the pretty island, and the story’s resolution, with their hearts warmed by the lovely descriptions of life on the island.

I read the author’s biography and she is Norwegian, and she has published 56 books, mostly historical fiction. This is her first book written in English. I received and advance review copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers, One More Chapter. This is my honest review.

Summer Island by Natalie Normann is the escapist romance we all need right now. Set on an idyllic Norwegian island, we meet hot shot chef Jack Green who has inherited land. When he meets his neighbor Ninni Toft, she's tapped into a simpler way of life. What Jack has to decide is if his new life is worth leaving his old life behind.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Honest rating is a 2.5.
This was the equivalent of a Hallmark movie with one or two twists. A boy that has gone through a major bump on his life goes to a remote Island to sort some things and falls for a local girl that's "like no one he's ever met before".

I enjoyed the setting, hello, Norway? It was splendid and the lighthearted style (through most of the book) was Good but I could not relate to the characters. Both of them are so plain and spark no interest from me.

Initially I thought the beginning was lazy, because it basically told us a summary of what we could expect. Happy that it didn't go exactly like that, and instead we got a different problem to be addressed. Unfortunately, it was one that the character handled in a way I deem "stupid" but understandable from a fiction a story.

The end though, that felt lazy. I wish it had given a little more regarding the future of the main characters and their planes for the future. Specially when that was one of the main tópicos they were dealing with.

This was the perfect read during these uncertain Corona-times. I am not a typical romance reader, but I adored this book. It is a story of a chef from London who learns that he inherits a farm on a small island off of Norway. There he meets a Norwegian girl named Ninni who is recovering from a bad breakup. The setting was a great change of pace and I loved all the food references. Pick this up if you want an easy, sweet read.

Cute love story set in Norway. Interesting to see the different kinds of foods and traditions of a country I've never been to.
Thanks to netgally, Natalie Normann and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

A novel I really needed right now! A lovely island in Norway with plenty of Norwegian cultures and god to enjoy. We are introduced in the same way that jack discovers it all from Ninni. Aah these two! I want to live in Norway with them.

Jack unexpectedly inherits a farm on a Norwegian island, where he meets Ninni who has returned following a breakup with her boyfriend. Ninni, after her initial dislike of Jack finds herself warming to him.
Jack is a chef and the description and thought processes going into the food that he was cooking was interesting and certainly had my mouth watering. The description of life on the Isle sounded like somewhere that I would love to live, although the weather doesn't sound so enticing...
Overall a book that I enjoyed reading, with the setting adding to the atmosphere of the book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book, although this didn't influence my review.

I didn't really like this book. I found it a bit nothing-y and didn't connect with any of the characters at all. The ended was a bit predictable and needed something more, perhaps a chapter about life on the island.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

This book will be the perfect summer read. Both Ninni and Jack are dealing with failed relationships and broken hearts, and they are brought back to the same small magical island in Norway to rediscover who they are. The setting was absolutely lovely. It made me want to take a trip to Norway to explore the beauty and the culture. The food descriptions in this book were to die for. They brought a lot of richness to the story. Ninni and Jack’s romance was adorable.

I absolutely adored the setting and story of this book. I now yearn to travel to Norway to experience the people, food and culture.

From Jack and Ninni’s first encounter I was hooked. Ninni is a no nonsense kind of woman just out of a bad break-up and doesn’t take well to the new Englishman, Jack, in town. Jack is an out of place chef who has just inherited land on the island.

This is a perfect book to read when you are looking for something light, romantic and want to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of life.

I want to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Absolutely charming! A delightful romantic escape to a small island off the coast of Norway. Likable characters, strong sense of place, and a gentle romance makes this an enjoyable read.
Thanks to netgalley/author/publisher for an advance copy. Highly recommended.