Cover Image: Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop

Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Flora loves Christmas, thanks to her nonna who taught her the love for Christmas. She is working in a shop with Christmas gifts, but got fired. Then her boyfriend is dumping her and, ‘all trouble comes in three’, her best friend and owner of the house she is living in, is leaving for America.

Then Flora has to make a choice: What to do with her live. When she finds out there is a possibility to buy a van and start van-life, she is leaving for Lapland with her van full off Christmas things.

A great start of a great novel. I love Flora, she’s real and funny, says what’s on her hart and that is exactly what gets her in trouble over and over. And there is Conner, kind of a god like Thor. He is the opposite of Flora, but there is a chemistry between them that sparkles. One thing: Connor thinks that the hole Christmas is a fraud, a manipulation for people for buying things they don’t need and a bad thing for the earth and the environment. For Flora a challenge to make Connor believe in Christmas.

A very funny story with great characters and a lot of fun. And also a message for keeping the earth save, and above all: finding happiness at unusual places. It’s all possible, or is it the gift of Christmas?

Flora’s Travelling Christmas shop is a great Christmas novel, with a lot of love and laughter!

Was this review helpful?

I always enjoy Rebecca Raisin’s books and this on didn’t disappoint at all. It was funny and very, very Christmassy.. it was a lovely, sweet read and I was sorry to finish it. This is the perfect book to read on Christmas Eve and I highly recommend it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Flora lives in London, rent free with her best friend, has a boyfriend and a job she loves working in a Christmas shop. That is until her boyfriend dumps her, she gets fired from her job for being kind and her best friend is offered a job in USA.
Does Flora get down, no she stays true to herself and follows her obsession of Christmas to Lapland. She takes the plunge and buys a van to sell her Christmas ware in a Lappish Christmas market.
There she meets Conner, adonis of a man who rescues Flora from her hapless disasters. I unfortunately, Conner leads a nomadic life, doesn’t believe in Christmas or falling in love. Can Flora change that and will he love her for just the way she is?
An easy Christmas read that leaves a warm feeling despite the chilly temperatures of where it is set.
The book did seem to have a somewhat abrupt ending. There was at least an extra chapter in it maybe two returning to the Christmas market until it finished and then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Flora’s mistake with the male reindeer having antlers was also not picked up on. #Flora’sTravellingChristmasShop #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

Another delightful Christmas romance. He is .against Christmas, as an Eco warrior is horrified by all the waste it generates. . She on the other hand devotes her life to Christmas and everything about it is special. Is this a match made in Heaven? Travel to Lapland to find out.

Was this review helpful?

I couldn't contain my excitement when Rebecca announced that there was going to be a third travelling book, after having loved Rosie's and Aria's stories so much. This was a gorgeous Christmas read, that really kicked off from the 40% mark - Flora was the embodiment of Christmas spirit, which is exactly what the brooding Connor needed, whether he knew it or not. She threw himself in to so many different scenarios, in which the magic of Christmas lit him up gradually more and more. Whilst Flora was a little too chaotic and unlikeable for me in the beginning, she really redeemed herself by the end and I was thrilled that she finally got her Hallmark movie-esque happy ending.

Was this review helpful?

I struggled with the first part of this book, I found it slow paced and I just couldn’t get into it. I finally became interested in the story about half way through. I found the main character Flora very irritating, which I think influenced my interest in the book. I also found the character of Connor slightly incongruous., and not a good fit in the story. The best part for me was the reindeer ride and the cabin.. It was sensitive and romantic and Flora’s character became a little more likeable. I just wish this warmth and emotion had been present throughout the rest of the book. There were some interesting descriptions of Lapland and I could almost feel the freezing temperatures. It’s worth sticking with the book to enjoy the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

Being a big fan of Rebecca Raisin I was so excited to be able to read and review this new book, and it didn't dissapoint.  I ended up reading most of last night so I'm a bit tired today 😂
When Flora loses her dream job in a Christmas Emporium, her best friend says she is moving away, and she has recently broken up with her boyfriend, Flora decides to by a campervan and become a Van lifer, setting up her own mobile Christmas Shop. Where would a die hard Christmas fanatic go? Lapland of course.

What Flora wasn't expecting was to meet the very handsome Connor, only for him to turn out to be a Christmas Grinch. Can Flora turn things around to recreate a Hallmark Movie worthy happy ending like one of her favourite films?

This has a wonderful combination of the van lifers and a Christmas story, and I highly recommend it - but only if you don't need sleep!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4282537111

Was this review helpful?

A sweet festive read about enjoying the feels of the Christmas season. Flora was a great character - fun and feisty and not afraid of being different. The Christmas market in Lapland sounded amazing with all of the different vans offering all things Christmas, and a glimpse of the Northern lights would add that little bit of magic.

Was this review helpful?

The MC in this book is just plain unlikeable. I gave it a good go, but it as a DNF at around the 40% mark.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Give me allllll the Christmas books! I'm ready for the holiday season. This cover is so cute and so is the book!

Was this review helpful?

I'm a fan of Rebecca Raisin's books, although I felt that this was one was not up there with her best.
Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop is a feel-good Christmas tale set in Lapland, so the first box is ticked. I found Flora a little irritating though. Can someone really be that quirky, vague and ditsy, yet manage to travel to another country alone to set up a business? Sometimes I wanted to shake Flora!
On the plus side we have a heroine who wants to live in a Hallmark movie, a grumpy but drop dead gorgeous man, lots of snow, Christmas carols and beautifully evocative Christmassy settings.
Relax and read this when you want some lightweight escapism.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Christmas-obsessed Flora is having a bad time - dumped by her boyfriend, fired from her dream job and still looking for her own place. Motivated by her best friend, she is inspired to make a change and become her own boss. So she decides to buy a van and travel to Lapland to do just that.

I thought this book was a bit slow in the beginning, but the pace picked up when Flora leaves London and starts her travels. I really like some of the warm characters that she meets on her van life journey - from the people who help her buy her van, to the people who sell her the stock she plans on selling and the other vendors she meets and makes quick connections with.

She also meets "Nordic demigod" Connor, manager of the market and a stickler for rules. He's not sold on Christmas one bit, convinced that it's a mass consumerism ploy and that's where Flora comes in. She wants to make him believe in Christmas and understand it's about feelings and not just things.

I found Flora a little annoying at times and think there was quite a lot to cover in the book - how the decision to turn her life around came about, the travelling to get there, the van living itself, working in the market and then the romance as well - and so I thought the love story seemed a little rushed and things moved quite quickly. But I enjoyed the ending and would be interested to know what Flora & Connor decided to do next.

3.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Who doesn't love a warm and cosy Christmas read. This is the 2nd book I've read from this author and it didn't disappoint. Loved the main characters and the snowy Lapland setting was beautifully described. Curl up with a hot chocolate and enjoy

Was this review helpful?

Flora isn’t having much luck at life. She just got dumped and fired from her job and doesn’t really know what to do with herself. With the help of her best friend she jets off to Finland to buy a van and join a Christmas market!

I absolutely loved just how Christmas filled this book was. It wasn’t your average Christmas romance but there was so much more to it than that right from the very first page. Main character Flora is pretty much obsessed with Christmas; so much so that she worked in a Christmas shop and she asks boyfriends if they know all of the reindeer’s names on a first date!

This book is laugh out loud funny. I read a lot of it during a train journey and I must have had a huge smirk on my face under my mask for most of the time. The situations that Flora found herself in, or pretty much made for herself, were hilarious and I couldn’t wait to see what she got up to next.

Connor was a fun and interesting love interest. He was the absolute right person for Flora to meet at that time and even though they were so different, it made their time together so much more fun to read about.

As festive books go, this has definitely been one of my favourites this year.

Was this review helpful?

Flora absolutely loves Christmas and all things christmassy. So when she meets Connor, who hates everything about Christmas, she sets out to show him that it’s not just about want and waste but about the happiness of giving and being with the people you love.

I didn’t take to Flora at first but she grew on me. She was sharp witted and sassy and stood up for what she believed in. A great fun festive read which I enjoyed.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me hooked immediately. I thought I might find Flora a little annoying at first, but actually she was adorable and very quickly I loved her. With the constant references to Hallmark Christmas movies, you knew from early on how the story with her and Connor would end, but it was still a great read and journey. A very. Warm, sweet ending. And a great cozy Christmas read. Perfect!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk for a copy in return for a review

💕 Yet another lovely escapism story from Rebecca Raisin. After Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop and Aria's Travelling Book Shop, comes this sweet Christmassy tale, full of giggles and light hearted moments.
Flora is such a fabulous character, a bit loud, a bit flaky, you can't help but love her and this means dear reader, that you will be cheering her on throughout the book. With bold hints at those Hallmark movies tropes, this book is a charming Christmas treat

You can follow Rebecca Raisin on Twitter @Jaxandwillsmum

Was this review helpful?

I've been absolutely loving Rebecca Raisin's books featuring Van Lifers, so when I spotted this latest book, featuring a travelling Christmas shop, I knew I would fall in love with it fast.

And that would be the understatement of the year, it's the most wonderful time of the year, and the book epitomises that feeling.

I'm also a sucker for a Hallmark Christmas movie, so absolutely adored Flora's best friend Livvie, persuading Flora to live her life as though it was a real life Hallmark movie, and with every scenario that comes up in Lapland, they manage to liken it to various Hallmark tropes and plot points - which I thought was so clever and I found myself loving their conversations.

Plus it's a great philosophy to live your life by, and Flora is a wonderful leading lady. She has a tendency to speak before she thinks, which leaves her to struggle to hold down a job, but she loves all things Christmas and has always wanted to visit Lapland, so when it's suggested she becomes her own boss and perhaps create a pop up Christmas shop, she takes it one step further and finally gets to Lapland.

And I just loved everything about the massive Christmas spectacular market she becomes a part of, I could picture it so clearly and would have loved to jump on plane to join all of the characters there.

And our love interest in a rules loving, bit of a Grinch, who just happens to be the manager of the market, and has a funny and memorable meet cute with Flora.

I just loved the the interactions between Connor and Flora, they continually made me smile.

Well the whole book really made me smile, and feel rather festive. I'm starting to think I'd love to live in a van and sell things and travel continually (but I don't drive, and think I'd feel claustrophobic rather fast). I definitely need to add Lapland onto my bucket list, so many fabulous activities are mentioned that I would love to experience.

It's another fabulous book from one of my favourite authors, and definitely a top festive read for this year!

Thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank Netgalley, HQ Digital and Rebecca Raisin for the E Arc of this book.
Flora has a lovely personality and will do her best to help others, even if her boss doesn’t approve. She works in her ideal job at a Christmas Emporium but her boss fires her. Her best friend, with whom she is sharing a flat is heading to the USA and is letting out her flat. So, what is Flora to do? With encouragement from her friend Flora heads to Lapland buying a campervan on her way. She is going to put her love for all things Christmas to good use selling Christmas decorations at a Christmas market. Her journey to Lapland gives her experiences she would never have had staying in the UK. She meets new people at the market and maybe she just finds the place she is supposed to be.
A really lovely read with Flora being a good character. Her personality shone through and I loved her wanting to help others, not forgetting her love of Christmas. The descriptions of the Northern Lights were good and I liked the way the author described the area around the market. The other characters were well written and I felt were believable.
Would recommend this book. Snuggle yourself up in a cosy blanket, the fire on, a cup of hot cholate and Christmas cookie on hand, the Christmas tree lights twinkling and immerse yourself in this story.

Was this review helpful?

What a quick feel-good, fun, Christmas-time holiday read.

Festive Flora loves Christmas. She works at Deck the Halls, a Christmas shop, until her horrid boss sacks her for being too nice and so starts her adventure and becoming a van lifer. Though in true Flora fashion, actually getting the van isn’t straightforward. On her way to the Christmas market her van starts to fill with smoke due to a hose leak and when she tries to fix it she meets the Norse god lookalike, Connor. And on arrival to the Christmas market discovers that he’s the site manager. He’s an eco-warrior (who hates the plastic tat associated with Christmas) but they come together over many misadventures and scrapes.

I loved the Hallmark movie roadmap.

So why only ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️; I think it was missing an epilogue.

Was this review helpful?