Connor, Livvie and the Lapland folks were wonderful. Unfortunately, Flora was so grating that halfway through the turkey incident I skipped to the end to see if it was even worth finishing. Thankfully, it got better after that. But taking a star off a decent book because I was forced to do that. I get unlikeable heroines. I just hated how much she would insist that she had things under control when it's apparent in the moment that they aren't, and refused help when it was offered. I get that's a common comedy trope but I've always hated it. ( )

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin is a story full of Christmas spirit. Flora loves everything about Christmas. She has Christmas clothing, purses, shoes, and pajamas (I want the jammies). When Flora is at her lowest, her best friend brainstorms with her to come up with the perfect job. It also solves Flora’s living situation. She suggests Flora have a travelling Christmas shop. Before you can say jingle bells, Flora is off to Sweden to buy a camper van. She then heads to Lapland to pick up her stock and join the Christmas market. Flora’s new life gets off to a bumpy start. The one person Flora hoped to never see again happens to be in charge of the Christmas market. Will Flora’s story have a happy ending like the holiday Hallmark movies that she loves? Flora has an over-the-top personality. She says what she thinks, dresses creatively, has a tendency to find herself in awkward situations, and she is very focused on Christmas. Flora is kind, compassionate, amusing, spirited, and totally unpredictable. There is humor all throughout the story. I am just amazed at the situations Flora gets herself into. The story is chockfull of all things Christmas related. Christmas trees, ornaments, hot cocoa, wreaths, snow, and so much more. Connor (aka the Viking God) is the exact opposite of Flora. He is a by the rules type of person. He is ecofriendly (a little over-the-top about it) and lacking in the humor department. Connor and Flora clash from the moment they meet (they have a humorous meet cute). I loved the descriptions of Lapland. I could understand why Flora was in awe the first time she witnesses the aurora borealis. It was interesting learning about the camper van shop community. I did feel that some of the repetition could have been eliminated along with the long phone calls between Flora and her bestie, Livvie (they went on for pages). There is mild foul language in the book. If you like to watch romantic comedies, then you will enjoy Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop. Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop is a charming Christmas tale with work woes, seasonal nightclothes, Reindeer name requests, a giant gingerbread house, a hot spot in the sauna, and a cheerful Christmas. ( )

Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin is a 2022 HQ Digital publication.

If it weren’t for bad luck, Flora would have no luck at all. After yet another break-up, another lost job, and with her best friend moving away, Flora is urged to start her own Christmas themed business, living ‘the van life’.

It’s a great idea! She could be her own boss- so she couldn’t get fired, right? So, she heads off to Lapland with big plans to follow the Hallmark Movie guidelines, hoping she’ll not only be a great businesswoman, but will find true love, too…

Flora’s love of all things Christmas could give Buddy the Elf a run for his money, but she runs into big trouble when she meets Connor. She’s more than a little attracted to the man, but there’s this one teeny, tiny hitch…

Connor despises Christmas!

I wasn’t sure, when I started reading this book, if I was going to be able to withstand Flora’s OTT obsession with Christmas, and her strong personality. She was a little annoying, to be honest, especially for a quiet introvert.

But then we meet Connor, and I knew right then we were going to have a fantastic ‘opposites attract’ romance, and that it was going to be worth sticking around for. Not only that, but I’ve also loved this author for years, and I couldn’t imagine not being charmed by one of her books- especially one with a Christmas theme!

As it turns out, there is no better setting for a holiday story than Lapland!! If your holiday spirit needs a boost, then this book will absolutely do the trick. This an adorable holiday romance, and Rebecca Raisin did a fabulous job of creating holiday magic powerful enough that even nonbelievers can't resist it.

Overall, I ended up loving this story, and the homage to Hallmark Christmas movies, was a nice touch, too!

This is my first official Christmas romance of 2022 and I’d say this was the perfect book to kick off the holiday reading season!

4 stars ( )

Flora is a doll! She is unapologetically HER in everything she does and that's FANTASTIC! She's a great person with a bad track record in work and love, but it's not for a lack of trying. The former...she helps too many people, much to her own detriment; the latter...she doesn't want to compromise herself for someone else. Neither was something I could fault her for, so when she embarked on this new stage in her life, I was right there rooting her on. I couldn't think of a better solution to her problems, and with the friends she has, as well as the ones she makes, she's definitely on the way to a brighter future, come what may. That come what may comes in the form of a "Norse god" type man that would give the Grinch a run for his money, and yet is connected with one of the biggest holiday events in their area. Go figure. The run-ins he has with her range from straight aggravation to heart flutter moments, with a few embarrassing ones in-between, but in the end...there's the hope for a reformed man, there's the chance of a wish granted, and a candy cane sweet ending that is fit for the season.

Start your holiday reading early and get to know the true meaning of Christmas from festive Flora...as she opens hearts one encounter at a time.


*ecopy received for review; opinions are my own ( )

Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop is my first Rebecca Raisin book. I'm now questioning why this is and why I didn't realise how much I would love her gorgeous writing.

Flora is a bit of a calamity and if I'm truthful I wasn't sure if I was going to take to her or if she was just going to annoy me (it's the former - I ended up loving her to bits). In the first chapters of the book she's working at Deck the Halls Christmas emporium but she's just too nice and keeps getting into trouble. Christmas, for Flora, is life and she wants everybody else to love it as much as she does. When she loses her job she decides to be a Van Lifer, to go to Lapland, get a van and fill it with Christmas goodies to sell. I love the concept of this and the idea of a Christmas fanatic going somewhere so very Christmassy!

There's such a lovely feeling amongst the Van Lifers (with a few notable exceptions). Flora meets Connor who is quite clearly somebody pretty special even if she doesn't realise it immediately. These two main characters were so perfectly drawn, opposites with a magnetic pull between them. In fact, Connor might just have found his way onto my favourite book boyfriend list. There's something so lovely about the way they are around each other, set against the most magical backdrop of a Christmas market and snowy reindeer rides.

I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did reading this book. The author has a very witty way about her writing which appealed to my sense of humour greatly. When I closed the book I did so with a contented smile on my face having read a really heart-warming and light festive read which was an absolute joy to spend time with. I totally recommend this one for this time of year. ( )