At the very beginning of Ours Is The Winter, we can see the itinerary for the trip that forms the basis of the novel. I'll be honest and say that it didn't look like the kind of expedition I'd want to try myself, but as soon as the characters landed in the Arctic, I was transported there. I could see the snow and feel the cold and became immersed in the challenge.

Ours Is The Winter focuses mostly on three characters: Erica, Molly and Noah. The chapters were written from their perspective and this really helped me to get to know them. There were aspects of all of them with which I could empathise and I appreciated the way that Ellingham explored a large number of issues through them. I became really invested in their stories and really wanted them to find the answers they were looking for.

The ending of Ours Is The Winter, in particular, is very emotional and definitely tugged on my cold heartstrings! This novel was quite different to what I expected, but I still took a great deal from it.

Set across the frozen tundra of the Arctic this is a story of friendship, love, loss and tragedy and a team huskies!
A perfect read whilst tucked up under the duvet with a hot water bottle and a big mug of hot chocolate ❄️
Atmospheric and wonderfully uplifting you can almost see the northern lights for yourselves.

"Journeying across the Arctic, their pasts are about to catch up with them.

Erica, Molly and Noah are embarking on the challenge of a lifetime, driving Siberian huskies across the frozen wilderness of the Arctic. Cut off from the world and their loved ones and thrown together under gruelling conditions, it isn’t long before the cracks start to show.

Erica has it all. A loving husband, a successful career and the most adorable baby daughter. But Erica has been living a double life, and as she nears her fortieth birthday her lies threaten to come crashing down.

Molly was on her way to stardom. But when her brother died, so did her dreams of becoming an Olympic champion. Consumed by rage and grief, she has shut out everyone around her, but now she’s about to learn that comfort can come from the most unexpected places.

Noah has a darkness inside him and is hounded by nightmares from his past. Tortured, trapped and struggling to save his fractured relationship, he knows this journey is not going to help, but try telling his girlfriend that.

As their lives and lies become ever more entwined, it becomes clear that in the frozen wilds there is nowhere to hide."

Yeah, I'm a little arctic obsessed of late...

I somehow managed to not get this book downloaded before it was archived and am just sending this in so it won’t show up asking for a review. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to get it and review it in the future. Thanks so much for the opportunity and I’m sorry I missed it.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when reading this book , but not what I got!
An emotional roller-coaster on a dog-sledding trip in Norway, fast paced and written with style.
A book that has moments that keep popping back to me months later - I am so sorry for my late review!
I really enjoyed it!

As a reader, I am constantly looking for books that challenge and surprise me. Ours is the Winter did both. A fantastically written adventure for the heart and soul.

We meet a varied bunch of characters all who have come to participate in an Arctic challenge for charity. However, it’s not only travel baggage that each participant is carrying with them.

With each key character having their own personal issues. It was fascinating to find out their story and the repercussions that it has had on their life. The book was a personal affirmation to me that we really don’t know what each person is going through privately, in the real world. Behind the smiles or the snappy retort that hurts our feelings. There could be a personal battle going. It made me much more aware of people and I really try to stick by my mantra to be kind and have courage. It was Cinderella’s mantra too and it worked out quite well for her.

At the heart of Ours is the Winter it’s all about loss in its varying forms. I loved how unpredictable a book it was. Which was very refreshing and it had me hooked from chapter one.

The book is extremely atmospheric, I feel like I was in the Arctic with the Huskies. I needed to grab a cosy blanket because I was so cold from the fictitious snow. It’s so well written, you can feel and smell everything.

I was on a bus when I finished the book and I was in floods of unexpected tears. With a dear old man next to me giving me a tissue.

Ours is the Winter for me was an unexpected delight and I thoroughly recommend you dive in

What a lovely winter read! I read this in November when the weather was really starting to get cold here in the UK which I felt was a perfect time to be reading it. Having said that I could have read it at any time of the year and still really enjoyed it.

I love dogs...soo very much so that when I realised that the book was set in the Arctic and was about a group of people driving Siberian huskies I was thrilled!! OMG! I adored the description of the dogs and the relationships between the people and the dogs. OK there was also the main story which was about the forming and re-forming of human relationships which was also very heart warming.

This is such a cuddly adorable book that I would highly recommend to anyone to read especially over Christmas/winter while sat in your fluffy pjs, watching the snow fall outside and drinking a hot chocolate rum...perfection!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Riveting, affecting, and atmospheric!

Ours is the Winter is an emotive, absorbing novel that takes us on a journey into the icy, cold, Arctic where friendships will be formed, love will be lost, past tragedies will haunt, and secrets will surface and bind people forever.

There are three main memorable characters in this novel. Erica, a career woman, struggling with the pressures of being a good mother, wife, and sister. Molly, a young woman, crippled with grief over the loss of her brother. And Noah, a man grappling with extreme guilt and a relationship in tatters.

The writing is eloquent and vivid. The plot is well crafted and uses a past/present style to create a little suspense and a lot of emotion as it unravels all the histories, personalities, and relationships within it. And the characterization is well done with a cast of characters that are troubled, scarred, and raw; a group of Huskies that are intelligent, athletic and lovable; and a setting, the arctic wilderness, that is a character itself with its harsh weather, isolation, and physical challenges.

Ours is the Winter is a clever, poignant novel that reminds us that survival of any form takes strength and courage and the greatest gift we can give ourselves and others is forgiveness.

A fabulous setting, you could almost feel the cold. A lovely story full of emotion with good characterisation, always a must for me. A very satisfying read that transports you into a harsh but magical world, I would love to do the challenge.

I am delighted to be able to review Ours is the Winter today. Laurie Ellingham has been a guest on my blog before and you can read her post about her journey to publication here.

I was initially drawn in to this book by that gorgeous cover and the setting of the story. The setting is Alaska and the author managed to draw me in with her evocative description of the landscape, of the cold and the snow. Of course as a massive dog lover, the huskies in this book were very welcome.

This books focuses on three main characters. Erica, Molly and Noah, who all have their differing reasons for embarking on the trip to drive Siberian Huskies in an Arctic Challenge. All three hope that the trip will change them and allow them to escape their problems, and I would say to move on with their lives. We are introduced to all three characters and are allowed a little insight into their lives.

Laurie Ellingham has created some very real and often flawed characters and she has seemingly done this effortlessly. The setting is the biggest draw of this book for me but the story comes together beautifully. I felt emotionally invested in the outcomes of the characters lives as each chapter went by.

I found Ours is the Winter to have a wonderful and evocative setting, excellently drawn characters and a plot that managed to engage me. It really was a beautiful and captivating read and I look forward to reading more by Laurie Ellingham in the future.

Secrets upon secrets upon more secrets...

I usually like books about cold, frozen climes. I've enjoyed books about Antarctica and the Alaskan Arctic but I believe this is the first book I've read about the Arctic regions in Norway, Sweden and Finland. This book just never grabbed my interest and it took me forever to finish it.

I wasn't fond of many of the characters until the last couple of chapters in the book. The storyline was interesting - sled dog challenges across the frozen Arctic and the details about the dogs and how the whole challenge was handled were fun to read about.

The story focuses on three characters - half-sisters Erica and Molly, and Noah, all from England. And it soon becomes apparent that all are hiding secrets and heartaches.

I wish I'd liked the story more. All the ingredients were there for a good book - they just didn't get mixed correctly.

I received this book from HQ Digital UK through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read the book and write an unbiased review. I feel that I've done that.

OURS IS THE WINTER by Laurie Ellingham is so much more than what I expected, delving into an emotional and heartbreaking story with the Arctic wilderness as a stunning backdrop and almost a character in itself, offering its solitude as a respite from the loudness of the character's troubles.

Erica and Molly are estranged half-sisters who are struggling with what has happened in their lives. Grief, lies, uncertainty, and guilt all play a huge part in their lives, and Erica desperately hopes that working together on this exploration will help them find the peace and the answers they both need, as well as a little escapism from reality.

Noah has been dragged along by his partner Rachel as she makes another attempt to 'fix' him. Why can't she understand that he will never be the same person he was before that night? Everything changed for him back then and as he constantly struggles with the darkness that wants to suck him down forever, he does what he has to do to survive, and he is sure that this expedition will do nothing for him.

But as these strangers are forced to work together and share their personal space in extreme conditions, the Arctic will change each of their lives forever. And as they face up to reality it becomes clear that they will be connected forever by this experience, no matter how painful it may be.

OURS IS THE WINTER by Laurie Ellingham is a superbly written story with many ups and downs that will break your heart but it also excellently portrays the strength of the human spirit, and what we can achieve when we open ourselves up to the truth and face it head-on. The characters are flawed and emotional, and all so real to make them very easy to connect with and care about, and Noah found a special place in my heart as he struggled with his demons. The pace of the story is perfect and the Arctic setting simply breathtaking as you can picture it in your mind - and not to forget there are gorgeous dogs too!

OURS IS THE WINTER by Laurie Ellingham is a powerful tale of strength, grief, and finding light in the darkness, and it deserves to be read by fiction fans the world over. A truly excellent story.

Are you ready for the challenge of a lifetime? Drive your own team of elite Siberian huskies 260km across the frozen wilderness of the Arctic in an experience you'll never forget!

Three people come together as part of a larger group to undertake this Arctic challenge. Molly, fizzing with barely suppressed anger and grief after the untimely death of her beloved brother, her Olympic aspirations having died along with him. Erica, hoping to use the trip as an opportunity to rebuild her relationship with her young half-sister - while also concealing some awkward truths about her own life. And Noah, deeply traumatised after a terrible event, resorting to desperate measures just to function from day to day.

As the challenge progresses, along with testing their own limits these three people find unimagined connections between them and face up to difficult realities as relationships form and fracture, and secrets emerge.

I loved the fascinating, unusual setting, and Laurie Ellingham does a great job of building up the atmosphere. It was easy to picture the frozen landscape, and the exhausting, exhilarating experience of sledding was vividly drawn. I could almost feel the biting cold and see and hear (and smell!) the dogs. I loved the dogs!

The human (and canine) characters all emerge clearly... I liked all the characters, apart from the ones you're not meant to (looking at you, Rachel). I could relate to Erica's conflicts between home and work, having experienced similar, though not when my child was so young. And as a runner myself, albeit very far from Olympic standard, I enjoyed that strand of the story too. (Minor niggle: the "last few laps" of an 800m race? Usually there's only two!)

A special mention for the cover, which is just gorgeous and represents the story nicely.

This is the first book I have read by Laurie Ellingham. It was initially something of a slow burner for me (ironic given the setting!) but once I got into the story I enjoyed it very much and will definitely keep an eye out for this author.

Brrr! You'll want to snuggle down under a duvet or a fleecy blanket with a hot chocolate to read this. The setting for this emotional book is in the Arctic snows as we are taken on the journey of a lifetime, a challenging seven day trip sledding with huskies. Laurie has such a magical way of describing the surroundings that I could almost feel the snow stinging my nostrils with the cold.

It's a tale of endurance, as a group of people take on this challenge, taking themselves right out of their comfort zones. Three members of the group in particular find that they cannot escape the past, instead they have to confront it - in just about the coldest place on earth.

Noah's story made for uncomfortable reading. His girlfriend is one of the most annoying people I've ever met in a book - I'd have buried her in a snow drift.

Half sisters Erica and Molly haven't spoken since their brother died. Their relationship is more complex than that of most siblings. Molly resents older sister Erica for ignoring her, but Erica has had her own problems to deal with. Molly certainly behaves like a much younger sister as Erica tries to reconnect with her. I found it hard to warm to either sister particularly, as they both seem too wrapped up in themselves to consider anybody else.

For me the stars of the book are the huskies. I love the descriptions of them, even if they do have particularly smelly breath. I just want to bury my face in their fur. I love the relationship between Erica and her lead husky.

Ours is the Winter has great descriptions of the surroundings, but I would have preferred to be able to have connected more with the characters - they just weren't particularly likable.

I don't know about you but I have never read a book set in the Arctic before. I have never read a book that features an immense sledding challenge that will test everyone to their limits, I wasn't even aware such experiences existed. It was because these elements of the blurb jumped out at me that I have been desperate to read it from the moment I first heard about the book.

And... what an epic story, it may only take place over a week but what an action packed and gripping week it was. Even when I wasn't reading Ours Is The Winter my head was with the characters in The Arctic, and I suspect I will be dreaming of huskies and sledding this evening, as the book has got under my skin that much.

I will admit at times I thought I had small inklings as to where the book was going, but even if on a few of those occasions I was right with the basics, the more important and relevant details were a complete shock to me.

Everyone on the challenge has their own reasons for being there, but the book features three main characters and the focus keeps switching between the three. They are all hiding various things, but the specifics are initially left for the reader to speculate on themselves.

Erica is hoping to reconnect with her half sister Molly on this trip. They haven't been close for a while since a tragic accident affected the whole family. Molly used to want to be an Olympic athlete but is now just lost. Then there is Noah who has his own demons to face.

The three of them form bonds in the most unlikely of ways over the course of the week. Their backstories were all well thought out and I loved discovering more about them.

Then there was the sledding itself, which was clearly incredibly well researched, I felt as though I was alongside the trio as they were sledding. I loved the various names of each team of huskies, as well as the descriptions of the landscape and cold.

This is just one of those books that edged under my skin very early on in the story and I suspect will stay wedged for a long while to come. This is the second Laurie Ellingham book I have read this year, and although I thought One Endless Summer was impressive and amazing, I think that Ours Is The Winter is significantly better still, which takes some doing.

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

I was really looking forward to reading this book. From the summary, it sounded like it would be suspenseful. Yet, if it did turn out that way, I had given up way before than. Right from the beginning, however, I was not fond of the characters. I did not know what Erica's issue was yet but the way she acted, she came off as annoyed at her husband. Molly and Noah did not improve the story for me either. I agree with another reader that these three came off as whiny. Therefore, I was turned off by their attitudes and did not feel sorrow for them.

Although, I liked the scenery that the author portrayed with this story. The wintery Arctic landscape was mystic. The sled dog race was nice. Again, it seemed to lack suspense. Plus, I would have liked to have gotten to know the dogs better. The story just moved slowly and kind of dragged like the long Arctic nights. This book held promise but for me it did not seem to deliver.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Wow. What a beautiful read. Against the desolate, white backdrop of the Arctic, Erica, Molly, and Noah embark on a perilous journey, driving Siberian huskies across the icy wilderness, I was actually there whilst I was reading the book. Brilliant

I had been so looking forward to this book. It had a lovely cover and the description sounded fantastic. Sadly for me I just couldnt get into the book. It just wasn't for me. I found it boring, and quite long winded. I kept waiting for it to kick start but just never did for me sorry

Another brilliant book by Laurie Ellingham. I was so excited to receive ebook copy of Ours is the winter on Netgalley as I absolutely loved One endless summer. And I wasn't disappointed. Not only I've read it in a day or so but it send me on emotional roller-coaster, I wasn't expecting. I don't know how author does it, but she can create this perfect picture of the place, I could feel the cold, hear the snow under their feet and see excitement of huskys pulling the sledge. I'm starting to get used to it when it comes to Laurie's books as again she managed to pull me right into the story and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Yes, I was sensing connection between Noah's story and Molly's grief but it didn't stop me from wanting to read it and discover the full story. I think it was cleverly written and as emotional as it made me, at least I didn't break down crying like when I was reading her last book and that is a good thing. It just made me feel content with the ending and just pleased it all worked out. I like this kind of endings when it comes to this genre. Heartwarming story about guilt, grief, lies and secrets but teaches you how important it is to forgive others and also yourself. Throw in beautiful dogs and outdoorsy experiences and travel and you get ultimately enjoyable story you just need to read.

After reading a glut of romances this was a refreshing adventure/intrigue book full of secrets and dramatic dynamics between the characters. Written with a lot of suspense and atmosphere you felt like it could turn in to a full blown horror thriller at any time . I found that style actually quite addictive and although I personally found the plot reveals predictable, there was an underlying emotional content that became the main focus for me rather than any dramatic twist; I wanted to see how the characters found peace, where their adventure took them and ultimately how they all could rebuild, that for me made it a very gripping and endearing 4-star read