I had planned a busy day today and instead read this book. A fabulous story of chocolate, cakes, cheese, snow all set around a Swiss chalet. A story that starts with a romance that goes badly wrong, causing our heroine to flee to her godmother in Switzerland. On her way there, she meets a lovely man who becomes a friend. As this tale progresses, she makes lots of friends, pursues her interests and of course, has the inevitable romance. A well written book which makes me want to visit Switzerland. NetGalley has now given me access to the audio book so that will be my accompaniment to dog walking for the next few days. I recommend this book as being one you will enjoy.

Well, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to go to Switzerland now! The Little Swiss Ski Chalet by Julie Caplin was a great little story of finding what makes you happy. After Mina gloriously blows up her relationship in grand fashion, she decides a two-week holiday to visit her godmother in the Swiss Alps is the best solution. On her way there she runs into Luke.....physically runs into him and the chemistry is instant. What follows is a great tale of finding what makes you happy while enjoying each day to the fullest. While reading this book, I kept looking up things to do in Switzerland and the best times to visit. This wasn’t a travel guide book but it definitely made me want to go to Switzerland! If nothing else to try all the cheese and chocolate!!! I’m pretty sure it’s serendipity....😉. As I received this through NetGalley from the publisher, I can tell you this was a great read. It is the 7th book in Julie’s Romantic Escapes series and I plan to read each and every one of them!

This book truly lives up to its title ( The Little Swiss Ski Chalet ) and its series (Romantic Escapes) as the cozy ski chalet in Switzerland serves as the ideal backdrop and setting for the story while you as the reader feel like you’re on holiday/vacation as you read through this sugary sweet romantic tale. As a side note, even though this is the seventh novel in the series, it can serve as a standalone novel. It was fantastic to discover that this author (Julie Caplin) also writes under the name Jules Wake as I recently read The Spark , which I greatly enjoyed. It was interesting as even though the two are written by the same person, the styles were distinct yet familiar.

We open with our main character, Mina’s life in Manchester, UK. She works in as a food chemist and recipe developer for a packaged food brand, but her creativity gets stifled by the company’s desire to not branch out from the classics too far. She lives the seemingly ideal home life as she is the “hostess with the mostest” as the theme party queen among her group of friends as she hosts them in her small apartment. Simon is also the perfect guy in her life as they’ve previously discussed moving in together, marriage, and kids. Not only is he a great boyfriend, but he also has been Mina’s most successful relationship, and longest lasting, to date. During Mina’s latest theme party, a Mexican theme night, her proposal to Simon goes awry and maybe this isn’t the right path for her anymore due to Simon not being exactly who she thought he was.

Given the events in Manchester, Mina uses her time off to finally visit her godmother in Reckington, Switzerland at her newer ski chalet. She goes into this trip not expecting much, but you never know what can happen when you take a chance and have a new adventure. This small alpine village located in the Swiss Alps (perfect skiing and hiking country) serves as Mina’s temporary new home as she tries to put her life back together and decide where she wants to go from here. Through her journey, she meets a great cast of characters that were all well-written and each have their own backstory and play their parts in the story. Each character was great and there wasn’t one that I didn’t dislike. There isn’t a huge amount of depth for most of the characters, but you don’t expect them to in this type of story. Our main newer love interest does get his own backstory and character growth along with our main girl Mina getting her own character growth too which gave this story just enough complexity while still being a light-hearted escape read.

Switzerland is truly a standout location for this novel as it is written as a fairy tale type landscape. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited twice and I can never get over how magical it seems and it just makes you content as you stare out into the landscape. I found the love story with chocolate to be extremely relatable as it is true that it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like chocolate (unfortunately I’m one of them – I don’t dislike it, but I just prefer fruit type products more and I know I’m a rarity). Luke played an excellent guide when it came to teaching Mina about outdoor sports and it made me want to go immediately to the mountains as I wanted to try cross-country skiing! I also need to get back over to this country apparently as I never knew there was a chocolate and cheese train that I am now anxious to try!

Overall, this novel fed the foodie in me and gave fuel to my wanderlust tendencies. It served its purpose as a sweet romantic novel and also gave a nice easy read. As long as you go into it fully expecting some improbable (not impossible though) events and some cheesy moments, then it’s hard to find faults. There’s always more that I wish every novel could have done, but with this one I found it to be a heart-warming escape read that gave the “adopted” family away from blood-related family vibes, community feelings, learning about yourself no matter your age, and living your dreams to do what makes you happy and not what others always expect of you while having a nice support system. I fully plan to go back and read the first six in the series and will now anxiously wait for the eighth, where we visit Mina’s sister Hannah in Ireland to be released!

**Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, OneMore Chapter for my ARC to read. I enjoyed the opportunity to read this novel and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

And I’m back folks, with another ARC review for ya! This time it’s all about Julie Caplin’s new book, The Little Swiss Ski Chalet! It’s the newest book in her romance series that I was really, really looking forward to reading. I have read a few of the other books in the series, and I had yet again, high hopes for this one. Unfortunately though, my high hopes fell a bit flat honestly. I found myself bored because it was basically the same exact premise as her other books, just new character names and a new slightly exotic, romantic location. Reasons I was disappointed: Well, to start with, it began like almost all of the others, no spoilers but I don’t think this really is much of one, it started with a bad breakup. So bad breakup leads to big, new exciting life change for main character. Sounds great, right? I guess for some it might be but when you review enough romance books and recognize very, very familiar themes each time, it kinda kills the mood. This one, I felt could’ve been much more original. Was it good? I guess. But was it what I was looking forward to? No. I would rate this book a solid 3/5 stars on the Goodreads scale. And although that’s not terrible, let’s just say it could’ve been better. Well, that’s all I got for now. Until next time, happy reading. -Caroline

I have been known to get the travel bug more often than not and with COVID 19 putting a halt on travel this book is exactly what I needed! Caplin describes here setting of Switzerland with so much detail that I truly felt like I was right there with Mina. Add on a lovely heartwarming story into this beautiful story and you have the perfect winters night read.

Julie Caplin does it again, she always manages to capture the essence of a country and makes me want to visit it. This book centres around Mina who after a disappointment leaves the UK to visit her Godmother in Switzerland and although there is romance in the book, which was fun and enjoyable I find learning about the cultures, the atmosphere and food of the country makes this such a wonderful experience to read. I felt I was there on the ski slopes with Mina when she took a slope that was too advanced for her and was holding my breath hoping she would make it down it in one piece. I was in the ski chalet waiting to see what delectable cake would be cooked for 4 o clock cafe and cake time. The book also has a lovely recipe at the end which in the New Year I will be attempting to make. A real page turner (I finished it over 2 evenings) that I would very highly recommend (along with the other 6 books in the series).

I absolutely loved this book. It has such a great story line which is more than ‘just a romance’. It’s a wonderfully described journey of self discovery with rich back stories and perfectly balanced side elements. The perfect book to escape into.

What a cute and festive holiday read! The Little Swiss Ski Chalet was exactly the book I needed right now. I've always wanted to go to Switzerland, so visiting the snowy Swiss Alps via Julie Caplin will have to do for now! Between the cozy chalet, skiing, chocolate treats, and romance, this novel has it all. It's my first time reading anything by this author, and now I want to go on all of the adventures in her Romantic Escapes series. Highly recommended for a great atmosphere and a fun winter escape in the comfort of your own home.

This is a really sweet and heartwarming novel. I really enjoyed reading about Mina and her relationship disasters! The location sounded absolutely idyllic and after I finished this book I felt really festive.

One of the sweetest stories I have read this year! This story was wonderfully descriptive and I fell in love with Mina immediately. Highly recommend as a fun holiday read.

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet is the kind of book that you want to curl up in front of a fire with a hot chocolate and lose yourself in. A fun, sweet, and charming contemporary romance, the story focuses on Mina as she travels to the Swiss Alps and finds herself along the way.

Mina is at a crossroads in her life. Newly single after a bitter break-up and encouraged to take much needed time off by her boss, Mina travels to a small village in the Swiss Alps to visit her godmother Amelie. Mina intends to use the two weeks to enjoy herself, reevaluate her life goals, and try to be less impulsive. However, when the man she had a delightful (and steamy) encounter with on the train winds up staying at the same chalet, Mina might find more than she ever expected.

Mina is an impulsive, light-hearted woman who embraces life. However, she feels stifled at her job, she is single, and she is not entirely certain what she wants out of life. Vivacious and outgoing, Mina’s self-discovery throughout the novel is the highlight of the book. I love her zest for life and that she doesn’t let the toxicity get the best of her. Mina is not a woman who intimidates easily, and her enthusiasm for new experiences and relationships is refreshing, as is her acceptance of herself.

"Life is for the living. You need to wring every last bit of pleasure out of it."

Mina’s budding relationship with Luke is another highlight of the story. Luke is such a gregarious and amicable man who shares Mina’s ‘seize the day’ attitude. They are very similar in temperament and attitude, and they complement each other well. Luke believes in serendipity, and by the end of the book, I did too!

The small ski town is charming, and the welcoming residents bring so much holiday warmth and cheer. The chalet guests are unique and interesting, and I loved learning about all of them. I also loved how vividly the author described the setting. Everything from the chalet to the slopes to the mountains sounds so beautiful and majestic, and I appreciated how the author brought the setting to life.

A story about new beginnings, staying true to yourself, and living life to the fullest, The Little Swiss Ski Chalet is an absolute delight. Plus, the chocolates, cakes, and other delicious concoctions sound deliciously mouth-watering. Thanks so much to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Julie Caplin for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book! It was so Christmassy but also perfect for January as it’s all about new beginnings and changing your life! The main characters are really likeable and I was gutted when I finally finished the book. I’ve recommended it to my mum already and bought her the first few in the series to read.

It made me want to visit Switzerland ! I learnt so much about it - I feel naive that I didn’t realise how different the way of life was over there. I’m not sure if I’d be able to embrace the trains as much as Mina does but I definitely relate to the love of chocolate and cheese. I found myself googling all of the places she visited and looking at images and thinking ‘why have I never visited?!’.

It was a really feel-good heart warming book. 5/5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! One of the best ones I’ve ever received.

Don’t you just live the romance of a chalet on the snow, if you do them this is one to read. The relationship between Luke and Mina is sweet too. All the characters make this one good too.

I just read The little Swiss Chalet and loved it as much as her other books! Excellent story line and keeps reader going to the end

This is gorgeous.. with such mouthwatering descriptions of food and culinary delights. It is typical of what you get from a Julie Caplin romantic escape - it is a soul soothing and heart warming read. A great escape, as always we are transported to this snow filled destination miles from home but with characters that provide a warm, family like community within a book. I always feel like I am in the middle of everything whilst reading these books, with characters I adore and others I would steer well clear of. This is no exception, a real mix of fun, quirky and annoying characters - Mina is like a bull in a china shop but adorable, this adventure to visit her Godmother Amelie (who is wonderful) is just what she needs to take stock.

Although full of romance, it is about so much more - Mina's self discovery and finding someone who can give her a true run for her money. As an ardent fan of this series, this was another hit. I love that you can immerse yourself in these books, forget the world outside and just cosy up and enjoy.

Mina is a food critic analysis in England. When an unexpected scandal happens, with her soon to be ex-boyfriend, she feels compelled to go on a vacation. Heading to Switzerland, she goes to stay with her godmother in her small chalet. Learning to view life and new friends in a different view, it was a wonderful ride. It started a little off, and at first I was curious where it was heading, but so glad I stuck with it. Hard to put down! I also like her approach and final disgust with a self-help book. Made me laugh. Highly recommend this book and author. Makes me want to travel and be more adventurous now.

Oh I loved this so much. . A great read. The description of Swizterland and its food were perfect. You wanted to be on the cheese and chocolate train. I loved all the main characters . Well writen. Can't wait for the next one.Julie Caplin at her best

This is another lovely escape from Julie Caplin, this time featuring Mina who takes a last minute escape to her Godmothers chalet in a remote ski village in Switzerland having been advised by work to take some leave following an incident with her ex. The descriptions of Switzerland and especially the cheese and chocolate sounded gorgeous, the chalet location sounds idyllic and I love her Godmothers approach to accepting guests! The characters are lovely, each very different but well written. This definitely has me yearning for a Swiss escape and I look forward to hearing about Mina’s sister in the next escape.

You better have a hot chocolate in hand when snuggling up on the couch with this cozy winter romance, because WOW the author's writing won't only appeal to your heart, but also your love and craving for chocolate. It's the author's descriptive writing that really shines in this book – in a year defined by being confined to your home, I actually felt as if I had travelled along with Mina to a cute European ski town (if only I actually had!)

This is not typically the kind of romance I read, but I was feeling something lighter and fluffier since it's the holidays and it's been a rough year. The Little Swiss Ski Chalet was exactly what I was looking for – the perfect blend of adventure, romance, and the holidays, not to mention the FOOD! There is likely something about Mina that everyone will be able to relate to, whether it comes to her work life, love life, or family life! When it comes to her romance with Luke, it was exactly the sweet and heartwarming romance I was looking for.

If you're looking for some holiday escapist fun this winter, I highly suggest transporting yourself to this European ski town with Mina, Luke, and the gang!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet, wholesome romance set in a scenic Swiss small town. Fans of the Hallmark movies will enjoy this snowy romance.