Blog Tour: Coming Home to Winter Island by Jo Thomas

Released: 12th December 2019

Publisher: Headline

Genre: Women's fiction

Blurb:

Wrap up warm and explore the breath-taking beauty of a remote Scottish island and an old house waiting to unlock enchanting family secrets.

Fans of Jill Mansell and Milly Johnson will love this irresistible new winter novel from Jo Thomas.

Do you need to find out where you've come from before you can know what the future holds?

Ruby's singing career is on the verge of hitting the big time, when her voice breaks. Fearing her career is over, she signs up for a retreat in Tenerife to recover.

But an unexpected call from a stranger on a remote Scottish island takes her on a short trip to sort out some family business. It's time to go and see the grandfather she's never met.

City girl Ruby knows she will be happy to leave the windswept beaches behind as quickly as she can, especially as a years-old family rift means she knows she won't be welcome at Teach Mhor.

But as she arrives at the big house overlooking the bay, she finds things are not as straightforward as she might have thought.

There's an unexpected guest in the house and he's not planning on going anywhere any time soon …

Praise for Jo Thomas: 'Magically romantic...best read in front of a crackling log fire' Milly Johnson 'The characters went straight to my heart' Katie Fforde 'A sparkling, heartwarming hug of a story' Miranda Dickinson 'Like the best kind of holiday' Lucy Diamond

My Thoughts:

This is a delightful, warm hug of a novel - It's everything I look for in women's fiction: A woman making a fresh start, a remote island setting, a big old house … and some festive drinks.

I don't read as much women's fiction as I used to, but my favourite kind is when there is a food or culinary theme. This had that and so much more. Ruby loves the singing career that is about to take off that she's worked towards for years but as soon as she is injured (in the first chapter, and shown in the blurb) she ends up in a remote location that sounds incredible. I seem to have read quite a few books this year that are set in Scotland and make me want to go there, this was another. The descriptions of the landscape were rich and vivid and I felt like I could imagine myself there.

The characters were well written and there was a strong sense of family as well as community. It helped to build the warming picture of the whole story as Jo scooped me up and carried me along with the narrative.

This book is romantic but not saccharine, and perfect to read as the weather gets colder, just add a cosy chair / fire / cup of tea / hot chocolate / wine / gin (delete as needed, at your whim) For fans of Jenny Colgan, or for anyone who feels in need of a story to make you feel warm inside. I will definitely be hunting out more of Jo's books now.

Thanks so much to Anne Cater for inviting me to be part of this tour, and to Headline for sending me a copy for an honest review. There are lots of other awesome bloggers taking part - are you following them for their thoughts? Check them out above.

Happy reading :)