Member Reviews

A perfectly enjoyable holiday read. I listened to this audiobook during the Christmas season and felt it was the perfect escape. The author whisks you away on Sylvie’s supposed-to-be honeymoon where she runs into her still gorgeous Finnish ex-boyfriend. The story is uplifting and heartwarming. Definitely recommend! Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

I received this audiobook as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and exchange for an honest review. If you’re looking for a light fun holiday read this is a good fit. It was easy to listen to while driving in the narration and character so well done. Recommend this holiday treat.

Was this review helpful?

Sylvie was meant to be spending an amazing Christmas abroad on her honeymoon - that is, until her fiancé suddenly leaves her high and dry. Faced with the prospect of a Christmas alone instead, her best friend Nari convinces her to have a girls trip to see the northern lights in Finland. Shortly before they leave, Sylvie realised that her uni boyfriend, Stellan, works at the resort they are going to. Will this be too awkward, or is this a second chance at love for Sylvie?

This was a very cute Christmas romance - exactly what I needed in the lead up to Christmas (yes, that’s how far behind I am on this review!!). The audio was done really well and I have fond memories of listening to this as I was walking whilst rehabbing after surgery. If you are after hallmark Christmas books, I definitely recommend this one! This is a 3.5 stars from me!

Thanks to @netgalley and @sagaegmont for the review audio.

Was this review helpful?

This is more wintery romance rather than a christmas romance read, Sylvie wants to get away and start a fresh after her fiancé ends things. So she and her best made go away at christmas to lapland where Sylvie meets the man that got away.

This is a very PG slow building romance. So if you wanting passion or smut this isn't a book for you to read, but if you want a slow does he doesn't he like me, romance then this is possibly for you. But as mentioned above this isn't really a christmas theme which again let this down abit, as there was very little christmas magic in the book.


I think i would have enjoyed this book more if i had read it rather than listened to the audiobook. The narrator was really off putting with the ever changing and annoying character acsents.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I actually don't have a lot to say about this book. Looking for an easy, cute holiday romance not set in the US? This one's for you. It's a pretty basic romance, with second chances, beautiful backdrop and friendships. Not a bad read, but not very memorable, either.

/ Denise

Was this review helpful?

Firstly, Thank you NetGalley, author Kiley Dunbar, and also Hera publishing for giving me a audio arc copy of this book in exchange for a review. I can say that I have never read a romance novel set in Finland until now. I really enjoyed this sweet and entertaining romance, perfect for any time of year but especially wonderful in the run up to Christmas. The location made for a beautiful, charming Christmas setting and plus there were huskies. It is a heartwarming story of taking a second chance on love.

Was this review helpful?

This book gets top marks from me for the locale and the interesting research the author did on the history and customs of the area, but the story fell flat for me. There was little to no chemistry between Sylvie and Stellan and when she finds out the reason he left her and broke her heart back in college, I was quite annoyed.

Additionally, the secondary romance between Nari and Niilo, though cute and charming, had no place here and would have been better as its own story. The back and forth between the two couples got to be very distracting. The narrator’s accents for Stellan and Niilo didn’t work for me either. Stellan’s dialogue sounded stilted and forced and it pulled me out of the story numerous times. In hindsight, I would recommend the printed version over the audio version.

My Final Verdict: Readers who enjoy a story with a beautifully detailed and researched locale will enjoy this trip to Lapland, but readers looking for a magical Christmas romance may want to look elsewhere.

Was this review helpful?

Sylvie and her best friend Nari plan a trip to Lapland at Christmas after Sylvie is brutally dumped by her partner of 10 years, just a week before their wedding. Sylvie and Nari run into a familiar face and a new friend, and of course, romance abounds!

As I have traveled to Lapland at Christmastime, I found this book to be a super fun read! It really reminded me of my time there, and I found the book entirely accurate as far as a Christmas visit to Lapland goes. Husky sledding, beautiful sky colors and tons of snow! This book will transport you right to Lapland during the holidays.

This book is such a fun holiday read for anyone who likes to cozy up with a hot cup of tea and be transported to somewhere fun during Christmas. I listened to this book on audio, and the narrator did a great job! Her voice is very soothing and she is easy to listen to.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar and narrated by Helen Duff just wasn't for me.

I felt the story was a little repetitive and the characters seemed young for their age, maybe I am just too old for this one and I am more the problem than the book itself.

I know there will be many people that will really enjoy this one but it just wasn't for me and I ended up DNFing at 70% even though I was so close to the end I just wasn't able to truly connect with the characters.

Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my review I am just sorry I wasn't the right audience for this book.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute and quick audiobook to listen to during the holiday season. It was short and sweet, but kept my attention with great plot lines throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for my copy of Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar, Narrated by Helen Duff in exchange for an honest review, it published October 31, 2021.
Well, because of this book, I need to go to Finland now! What a great description of the setting, I feel like I learned a lot! I just loved it all.
I enjoyed the premise, and the alternating points of view, and I really liked the blog parts.
This is a slightly open-door romance, although I was easily able to skip over those parts and not miss out on the story itself.

Was this review helpful?

Starts out real sad which I was not prepared for. It was also a pretty slow first half but once I got about half way through it was super cute. I love Stellan and frozen falls. Perfect Christmas read

Was this review helpful?

What an adorable holiday read! I definitely recommend this book for anyone trying to get into the holiday spirit!

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This Story was absolutely cute. And made me want to up and leave all this Christmas chaos behind and retreat into nature.

Was this review helpful?

Good narration. The story had good bits, but felt somewhat repetitive. The main characters came off as younger than intended based on their behavior. Overall a decent listen.

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute Christmas read and super fun that it took place at a resort in Finland. The romances were cute and loved that it centred around both at different points. All of the characters were cute but lacked a little bit to them that could have really made this amazing. The plot was kind of predictable and nothing super special. Overall, a cute Christmas read

Was this review helpful?

I had high hopes for Christmas at Frozen Falls, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.
While the setting was lovely, and quite different from your average Hallmark-esque Christmas story, the plot was rather thin. In a light hearted romance a lack of plot can usually be salvaged by creating likeable, charming characters, and here is where it really fell apart far me. I didn't care. I didn't like any of the characters enough to care what happens to them. They just kind of bored me and in the end I wasn't interested in finishing the book.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very hard book to review because I loved it SO MUCH. Everything about Christmas at Frozen Falls was so unbelievably perfectly wonderful that I don’t even know where to begin! Rather than writing a few paragraphs explaining my love, I’m going to make a long list of reasons why you need to read it. Plain and simple.

1. Christmas. This book is sooooo Christmassy, yet not in the way that makes it wrong to read it in July. The festive feelings are there, but the Christmas decorations and typical Christmas story elements/tropes are very understated. You can read this anytime and get all the feelings.
2. Lapland. I’ve never read a book set here, but it’s magical. It’s isolated and empty, but so unbelievably alive. There’s frozen waterfalls and wide open snowy tundra and forests. It sounds beautiful.
3. Snow. There’s so much snow and ice, but it’s so warm and cozy!
4. The Frozen Falls Resort. It’s so dreamy. Can I visit? Sylvie and her friend Nari each have their own cabin! The bedroom has a glass ceiling so you can stay up all night and watch for the Northern Lights. There’s a big fireplace and a fully stocked kitchen. Each cabin also comes with a Christmas tree and a basket of decorations. Sylvie and Nari are right next door to each other, and then down the path is a place to eat and a spa and all that cool stuff. It sounds like a place worthy of being put on my Bucket List. If this place is inspired by a real place, I must know!
5. Reindeer live ON THE PROPERTY. Actual reindeer. And they take you on sleigh rides.
6. But also… the resort has HUSKY PUPPIES. This is not a drill. Sylvie falls in love with one of the puppies and goes to visit him when she needs to think. Puppies.
7. There are also adult Huskies that give sled dog rides. You guys! And Sylvie’s beloved puppy friend gets trained one day, and he’s so excited and I could just cry about how cute this scene in the book is.
8. Nari is a travel blogger, and every once in a while we get a chapter that’s comprised of her latest blog entry. I thought that was fun!
9. We get a double dose of romance, with Sylvie and Stellan getting reacquainted and Nari meets a special someone too.
10. I really loved Nari. What a great best friend!
11. And I loved Nillo, who is such a unique guy and a wonderful friend to Stellan. Nillo is very traditional and devoted to his ancestry, which I loved. He lives a simple, slow kind of life that was so refreshing to read about.
12. There’s a lot of self-discovery that happens in this book. All the characters grow and discover who they are and what they want.
13. The writing is gorgeous. The descriptions of the scenery and the feelings of the characters made the entire book come alive. Can this please be a movie? Although, that’s a scary idea because it’d never be as good as the book.
14. So many swoons.
15. The ending is sweeping, and so much better than I could have hoped it would be.
16. Helen Duff is a wonderful narrator! Her voices for the various characters were great (even the male voices, which female narrators can't always pull off without sounding silly). I loved listening to her.

I LOVE this book. I love it so much that I immediately went and ordered myself a paperback for my bookshelves. I think re-reading this at Christmastime might become a tradition of mine. It’s everything I want from a Christmas romance, but with so much more depth and beauty than I’ve found lately. Do yourself a favor and buy this for yourself and everyone you know. A little hot chocolate and a fuzzy blanket would make the perfect accompaniment.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first holiday read of the season! This charming book came out last month and I wanted to spread the word about it! 🌲

Christmas at Frozen Falls was a sweet, holiday read! It has fun characters, a nice plot, and a charming setting. This book tells the story of Sylvie who spends Christmas on holiday with her best friend, Nari, in the Finnish Laplands. After getting left by her fiancé, Sylvie spends the trip trying to find herself- when she runs into her ex from college who works at the resort. This was a sweet, romantic book full of Christmas festivities and lots of snow!

I received an audio copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

I devoured this book! It’s was a fun, fast listen and I found it surprisingly unique. I loved that we had two love stories in one, with Sylvie and her best friend both connecting with men in Lapland. It was great seeing both couples fall in love, especially because both pairs experienced some oh-so-relatable awkward moments. I really appreciated that it wasn’t all hallmark movie perfect. The bad date, the early night, all of that made it that much better. Overall this was a great story. I would have liked a been more steam, since this is a fade to black romance and I prefer open door. Other than that, it was a satisfying start to my December Christmas reads!

Was this review helpful?