Just a Fika
From publisher Aegir Haven:
Family. They're always meddling in your love life. Even after they're dead.
Brooklynite-and genealogist-Ingrid Ekstrom accepts a surprise request from her typically estranged family: to become the live-in caretaker of their shared historic house in the sleepy Jersey Shore town of Aegir Haven. A fun-loving cousin is quick to introduce Ingrid to the local handyman and bluegrass musician. As he fixes up the place, Ingrid digs into the house's past and learns about the family she barely knows.
And then Mormor-her long-dead grandmother-shows up, acting as though not being in the spirit realm is perfectly normal.
Ingrid's always yearned for stronger family connections, and it's nice having Mormor around. Mormor tries to set her up with a young real estate attorney who's closer to her more thunderous, god-like personal standards than the musician with keen senses Ingrid is falling for. As lore and legends mingle with real life, she's torn. Mormor's fantastical family sagas can't actually be true, right?
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My review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great premise! I love a meddling, spirit grandmother. But not everything panned out for me in this book. Grandma was intent on getting Ingrid paired up but she was kind of annoying for a ghost. I'd have liked more background on Ingrid's childhood and what made their closeness. There was also much train of throughly narration and it got confusing for me.
Most of the characters were very interesting. I liked Kurt and Yale was fun too. I was fine with the ending and how things worked out for Ingrid. It just meandered a bit too much to get there.
I adore this premise but the writing just didn't do it for me.

The premise of this book was a 5, but unfortunately, the writing was not.

I requested this as I work in the US for a Swedish company, where we have frequent fikas. It is a term I never hear outside of work, so when I saw the title and read the description I was immediately drawn in. I love the idea of someone who has sort of moved on, moving back to a family community and getting to know that family. Family saga is not my favorite literary genre, but I am always interested when there is a culture different than mine involved as it's a way for us to learn more about others.

I loved the setting - a made up Swedish-populated coastal town in NJ (where I am a native). I did like the cousins, especially Svea, who didn't have much reasoning behind most of her actions beyond this is how it is because we are family. I liked the fact that the two main love interests were brothers, though was hoping for a little more drama added because of this. I also liked the grandmother ghost, who was sassy.

The main character was who I had the most trouble with, and I think this is where the writing didn't vibe for me. Her feelings and opinions seemed all over the place for me and it was hard to pinpoint where she ever was, emotionally. For instance, she talks constantly about not having the current capacity for a relationship, but then will also think how badly she wants someone to be in a relationship with. Her dialogue was also very disjointed.

I think with another rewrite this could be a great novel. I would just have loved to see more solid characters with clearer intentions which could definitely be solved with another round of rewrites. I think it may also need another round of editing as there were some errors - this is a first person POV from the point of Ingrid, but in one scene she is with Svea but refers to her as Ingrid.

Ok, I waffled back and forth between not giving feedback and being honest. I really didn't enjoy this book. And bless, I *wanted* to! So badly! It had vibes for days. The concept was so adorable. I feel like the muses bestowed the concept and then our author wrote a draft (which as far as I'm concerned is a heroic feat in itself) but then just decided it was done?

I feel like so much here was incomplete, so many threads left unwoven. The dialogue was so stilted at times I would read a passaged multiple times and still have no idea what anyone was talking about. The characters didn't make any sense and I couldn't picture who anyone was or why they were actually that way.

But the VIBES. Like, I'm giving it two stars just for the sweet, cozy, delicious vibes. Because boy, this baby had potential. It needed like 3 more re-writes. But it could have been a thing!

Thank you to Aegir Haven and Netgalley for the ARC and gosh I'm sorry, I hate giving this review. I really wanted to love it.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!

Unfortunatly this book didnt work for me. I could not connect with the characters or understand their way of acting/thinking.

While reading Just a Fika, I enjoyed the small town atmosphere and the little tidbits of lore like the origins of the town. However, the writing is choppy and disjointed at times, and many components of the story are not fully developed. There is a lot of potential in the premise of the novel, but unfortunately, this was not an enjoyable read for me.

Thank you to Beck Erixson, Aegir Haven, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

*I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I'm sorry to say that this book was not for me and annoyed me immensely. Not all of it is bad per se, but I disliked so many things that I had to force myself to finish it.

Let me start with what I actually enjoyed: the Swedish connection, matchmaking ancestors, ghosts, reconnecting with the past and one's heritage. Even the small town stuff was nice, relatives meddling everywhere, etc. Good premise, I'd say.

Sadly I disliked the protagonist immensely, not because of her flaws but because of her blandness and generic romcom protagonist vibe: oops, I'm so clumsy, oh no, I don't have any plans, oh no, I kissed him, oh I have no agency and I'm just pushed around by events. Annoying.

I also Hate TM love triangles. Especially if it's brothers. Like honestly wtf? And while the ghost ancestors idea was so cool, their only plan was to push our protagonist into a relationship? And of course all the dudes are so hot and there's miscommunication and a happy end because it needs to end in a heterosexual relationship in the place where the ancestors want her to be. Wow. What??? None of the relationships felt real, the characters felt like stick figures and the plot was uninteresting and annoyed me.

Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for this, but I was so annoyed, I was glad I did not buy the book...

2 stars

I wanted to love this cozy romcom, but unfortunately I did not have a good time with it.

The main character Indie moves back to her mother's home town to care for an old family home and is immediately haunted by her grandmother who wants to set her up with someone even though she's not interested in a relationship. There are two potential love interests and not much chemistry with either.

The fantasy element feels incomplete - Loki gets mentioned a couple of times but it's not explained. Neither is the ghostly element. I loved the idea of Indie reconnecting with her family, but it got bogged down with the ghosts and the house and the love interests.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

So, you've got a ghost grandma who's intent on fixing you up with one of two brothers, except she won't tell you which one she prefers, and she and her ghost buddies spy on you at all times. Who you gonna call? Yeah, this effort at a rom com didn't work for me. On top of annoying grandma, there's the guy who gets drunk and licks the protagonist, is stalker-y, and is otherwise inappropriate--and the protagonist thinks it's ok? No. Just no. And the title is a non-starter. Introduce the term "fika" in the book, not on the cover.

I enjoyed this light story about family and family history and of course I like the visiting ghost and romance too. I found all the characters including the ghost charming and loving and just trying to have a good time. I found the house Ingrid is living in charming and full of wonder and a refuge for many. I love the coffee house with it fun atmosphere and the warm embrace it has for all who visit. I love the brothers Yale and Kurt who both want Ingrid's attention but might have done it in a odd way. There are a lot of this story just makes my heart happy and wish everyone had ancestors like Ingrid's.
Very nice read that makes me feel just wonderful inside.

I want to thank Aegir Haven and NetGalley for this enchanting story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

The title caught my attention. Having Fika is a Swedish tradition that is near and dear to my heart. The Swedish culture and history, including the Scandinavian
names of the characters appealed to me.

When Ingrid goes to the small seaside town to take care of the family home while investigating her family history, she has no clue that she will encounter family ghosts from her own family history. The other things that she is not expecting are to find romance and to survive a hurricane.

The story is sweet and would make a perfect summer beach read.
I expect to be sharing this book with others in my family that I know would enjoy it.

This book has such a wonderful and cozy concept behind it. Ingrid's returned to her small town to research her history and help out with the family home. She quickly learns that she's not the home's only resident - her grandmother's ghost, among others, still reside there, and her Mormor wants to play matchmaker.

The town itself has a great presence, as do its various residents. The writing fell a little flat for me and that made this a bit of a difficult read, but with how strong the concept and characters were, I can't wait to see how this author continues to grow.

This had potential and I wanted to love it but it fell very flat.

There was a lot of telling and not enough showing and it made it difficult to conenct with characters and their choices, A lot of dialogue felt fake and forced, especially between Indie and Svea, and Indie (and everyone around her) thought she was sassier than she really was.

I appreciate the vibe the author was going for but I feel they got caught up in the descriptions of things to set the scene instead of delving into the characters to set a emotional stage.

I'm a Swedophile and I think Aegir Haven has potential just needs a solid direction.

If you are into love triangles and dead grandma's meddling in your love life, then this is the book for you. Quirky story that although had its moments was overall a humorous, quick read. Thanks Netgalley.

Just a Fika is a warm, fun, beverage-filled hug of a book.

Ingrid (Indie) has sparse memories of her mother's Swedish-American side of the family. But her time on the Jersey Shore at the seaside town of Aegir Haven is about to immerse her in more family, alive and dead, than she expects.

Beck Erixson creates an unforgettable town in Aegir Haven, a close-knit community that knows how to come together to celebrate and support each other. I adored the historic, beachy feel of this town and how we explored it through Indie's history-loving eyes. Indie is lovably awkward, and her ghost grandmother, Mormor, is feisty but well-intentioned. Their interactions, along with Indie and Svea's, give this book a strong foundation of family connectedness.

It's odd to say my favorite part was during the hurricane, but you can't beat all of the shenanigans had during that storm!

At the core of this book, I felt like the message was about resilience - the resilience of the town, the house, the women of Indie's family. And all of these things teach Indie how she can be more resilient to life's ups and downs.

Just a Fika is filled with wonderful, surprise moments that made me laugh and raise my beverage-of-choice in a toast. I could happily return to this seaside town for more adventures if Beck Erixson writes them.

such a great idea that felt abandoned. i mean yes the ghost thing played a massive role and it was a thing but the book focused on her love life more.

** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance readers copy **

3 stars

Positive: I absolutely adored the setting of a beachside small town and felt like it was well implemented through the plot as well with the sea and past hurricanes being major elements of the story. I also felt like the idea was original and interesting, a genealogist who spends all day discovering secrets about other people's family getting to discover some of her own when she moves in the family home only to have her grandmothers ghost show up and not only speak to her about the family but also meddle in her love life.

Negatives: while I felt the story and characters were great it just often times felt like whole paragraphs of information was missing so pacing wise it felt like things were jumping around a bit. I think if it was fleshed out just a tiny bit more it would for sure be a 4-4.5 to me because I did genuinely really like the story and characters.

Overall: I think this story is great and if you can look past pacing issues and are in the mood for a funny wholesome beach read then I would recommend this.

A cozy, easygoing read for hygge vibes and a cute romance. Not the most incredible writing I've ever read, but still a fun book.

Finding your place in this world can be an overwhleming experience as aptly portrayed by Ingrid. The battle between the pull she has for her family and her need to run away and stay away is described quite well in this one. And if there's multiple meddling family members from beyond the grave, well, suffice it to say that she had to have found home right at home. With a sweet new beginning as well.

"Part of being adult is figuring out how to mend fences and who to keep close."

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy!

A story of connecting to family and culture. I loved reading about the different aspects of European culture in this book. The main character is a lost soul who is trying to reconnect with her family and find her place. The story has a peaceful flow and goes at a slow pace. I found some parts of the story dragged on too long for me and there were some confusing scenes and sentences.
This story has a love triangle and I have to admit it’s a trope I’m not keen on.
I would have liked some extra info about the folklore and mythology that the story hinted at, a note after the story would have enhanced the reading experience.
Worth a read if you like stories about strong matriarchal families.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just knew I had to request this book after reading the title. I mean, ”Just a fika”? It’s like it was written for me. As you guys know I’m swedish and I found it so much fun to read about a swedish-american family and see all the swedish traditions in a new light. Ingrid (Indie) our main character, is so easy to love and relate too. She is just so real and awkward, she’s all of us. The meddling family members (both alive and dead) where such a funny addition and made the book very light hearted and humourus. The book itself feels like a warm hug, a big cup of steaming hot tea on a cold fall day. We also get a cute love triangle (quadruple a one point 😂) and I could see Indie with either of them actually, they both had flaws but also really lovable features. ALSO, my name is in this book! I mean sure, I’m a bike, but still 😂🚲

So yeah, I definitely recommend this book. A very cute and warm feelgood novel. Also if you don’t like supernatural elements to your books, don’t get put off from reading this! The ghost aspects is done very realisticly and it’s very, VERY light on the supernatural aspect. It’s just like, normal and natural if you catch my drift 😅👻