What an emotional ride this one was! Freya, Joanne and Meg are on a mission to see the Northern Lights for their late friend's 40th birthday, however that wasn't the only life-changing experience these three ladies were about to endure. On a quest to find the Northern Lights, the three ladies find themselves trapped in a remote village with another seeker, Frankie. The ladies are welcomed in by a charming and handsome Icelandic jeweller/fish smoker, Petur who becomes their host for the forseeable.

Freya was the main focus of the story, a chef who is dreaming to one day own her very own Michelin star restaurant, instead of catering to those who don't appreciate her or her delicious and creative dishes. During her time trapped in the small village, Freya embarks on a journey of rediscovering her love and passion for creating her own dishes. With the help of Petur, Freya is welcomed into a new world filled with new friends that she isn't willing to let go of. I really enjoyed Freya, she was a hands on, hard working woman who wasn't intimidated by new challenges and threw herself into supporting the community. Unlike her friends, she adapted to the unfortunate circumstances and made the most of her time making friends and exploring with Petur. Petur was a delightful male lead to have on this journey, he was an admirable man who was definitely holding the small remote community together, he had previously put off dreams of his own, remaining loyal to his home and stopping business vultures from destroying the town and everything they had built.

Overall, this was a very heart-felt, cosy Christmas read that shines a light on those we have lost and how we keep moving forward not only for them, but for ourselves.

What can I say? This was the fun, cosy and festive read I wanted. The perfect book to snuggle up with on a cold winter's night. The struggles of the characters and the big decisions they had to make were perfectly written plus the backdrop of Iceland made it feel all the more festive!

Freya, Jo and Meg are in Iceland trying to see the Northern Lights for Laura's 40th birthday. Laura died of cancer 2 years earlier and made her friends promise to see the lights and to carry on. On Laura's birthday, the snow is too heavy to see the Lights but they go out anyway. The Icelandic Trolls and Elves (and Laura?) work their magic and the group find themselves trapped in a remote village along with Frankie (a woman looking for answers after the death of her partner) and Petur (the handsome Icelandic jeweller/fish smoker, whose house they end up in).

The story centres on Freya - a chef who is pushing for her own restaurant and a Michelin star. She goes on a journey helping others, reclaiming her passion for cooking and realising she didn't grieve for Laura, just pushing ahead with work and ignoring it.

The writing gets you fully immersed in the lake, hot springs and volcanos of Iceland, as well as the food. There are some repetitive bits (Freya tells nearly every character about why she started cooking and how she cooked for Laura)

The romance was sweet, until Freya runs away. She has all these life changing revelations and then leaves Iceland to do what she doing before. She gets there in the end, but what was the point of running away when Jo had already declared that she was staying? There are hints right from the first chapter of how the book would end, bringing the book full circle.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Jo Thomas for giving your readers one more lovely, poignant story of friendship, love, loss, new hopes and new beginnings.
The setting is amazing (now I want to go to Iceland even if it stinks of sufur). The friendship - like a puzzle, when piece (a person) is missing, life needs to come up with creative solutions.
Overall, an amazingly heartwarming read. Enjoy

A really poignant and relatable scenario for three friends fulfilling a bucket list promise to a lost friend. A joyful tale, tinged with a bittersweet sadness. What could go wrong on an expedition to see the Northern Lights? And more importantly, what could go right?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I won't repeat the blurb on this book, suffice to say it provides for a back-to-basics setting where the group of friends can think about what is really important to them. The snowy setting in the stark landscape is conveyed very well with some lovely descriptions of the beautiful natural scenes created by pools, waterfalls and the sea. I found the use of American spellings highly irritating as this is a group of English women and the book is written by a British author. Sections of the book are repetitive (I lost count of how many times we were told Freya explained how she cooked for her mum and Laura, trying to tempt their appetite by recreating flavours) and it is somewhat predictable and stretches the inability of a remote community to cope in poor winter weather that is a frequent event for them beyond realism. That said, I found it a lovely story about friendship and community, and with the setting it is a lovely, gentle Christmas read.

This is a heart warming holiday tale that captures the spirit of the season. Set against the backdrop of a charming village, we find ourselves on a quest to fulfil a late friend's final wish. Thomas weaves a cosy narrative filled with friendships, unexpected love, and the magic of Christmas. With vivid descriptions that transport readers to a winter wonderland, the novel is a delightful blend of emotions and festive cheer. "Keeping a Christmas Promise" is a touching reminder of the power of promises and the joy of coming together during the most magical time of the year.

I loved reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me. I love this author snd her writing style.
Thanks to netgally for this arc.

Very enjoyable book to read, hard to put down as you have to see if the friends get to see the northern lights just like they hoped they would.

Loved this one. I always enjoy Jo Thomas’s books but I think this must be the best one yet..

Freya and her two friends travel to Iceland to see the Northern Lights following the death of one of the friends and keeping a promise they made to themselves. They get snowed in for days over Christmas in a small community in Iceland, and unexpected love develops.

This author always writes great stories, with excellent (and realistic) plot lines, but the biggest strength is in the characters she writes. I fell in love with this book and the characters from the very first chapter. I always love the journey that Jo Thomas takes her characters on and this one was no different. Also loved the ending of this book.

I strongly recommend this book and other books by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

25 years ago, Freya and her 3 friends wrote their bucket lists and for one seeing the Northern Lights is the top of her list. They are young and have all the time in the world or so they think.
When they lose their friend, they make a promise to visit iceland in her memory and see the lights on what would have been her special birthday. They arrive at the hotel and everything is going well, but when heavy snow causes the guided trip to the lights viewing spot cancelled, the friends decide to make their own way in their hire car. The snow gets worse and visibility is none as they get shunted by another car. Lost and freezing Freya spots lights on in a home in the middle of nowhere, and she finds Pétur who helps them all to the safety of his home including the mystery woman who hit them in her car. Who is she and what is she hiding.

Stuck and going nowhere, its all hands on deck to help Peturs community, especially the vulnerable. The trip ends up being a time of reflection for the friends, taking stock of their lives and resulting in changes for the future.

Jo writes beautifully and the superb descriptions of the scenery, the way of life and the people, really make you feel you are there with them. I loved learning about the Icelandic traditions and how they live.

I enjoyed this book and the way it described the community spirit in the harsh surroundings. I really felt that I got a flavour of Iceland culture and it was great to go on the journey with the friends as they embark on the adventure.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Keeping a Christmas promise by Jo Thomas

We follow Freya and her two best friends on a trip to Iceland to honour the loss of their friend and the Bucket List that they once made, however their plans to see the Northern Lights at Christmas are put on pause due to an Avalanche leaving them stranded. This is the start of a wonderful adventure for the three of them. Along the way we meet a wonderful group of characters who just warm your heart including Pètur, who really shows them the true meaning of community.

I adored the slow burn relationship that formed between Freya and Pètur, and how the relationships between the three friends adjusted as the story unfolds. Food and scenery descriptions are a major part of this book and were done so well, as a reader I could just picture the whole world that I was immersed in.

Just lovely!

Thank you so much Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Penguin for the chance to read and review this book.

Festive romance from a favourite author. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be but in a good way. It was more than I bargained for and probably more emotional than I expect from Jo.
I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, and you could feel the deep friendship between them all. The story shows how the promised a sick friend they’d find the Northern Lights as she wouldn’t be around to do it. Not everything goes to plan, but I think this highlights the beauty of life not always following a set path.
It was a real sweet, sensitive story. Predictable? Maybe at times but it was a comforting read, with emotional moments. There are difficult issues within the story, loss and grief tied with the uncertainty of not knowing that is next but I think it is a warm read overall.
Gorgeous descriptions, great characters, brilliant read.

I initially thought this was a real chick lit, but I should’ve known better of Ms Thomas - it’s a great read.
A trip to see the Northern Lights, and to pay tribute to a friend, turns out to life changing for everyone…but not in a way they might’ve imagined.
This book is an absolute delight - serious and life affirming in turn. I loved it!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

What a lovely book. The descriptive writing made me want to get on a plane and visit Iceland. Enjoyed the characters and how the story unfolded. Would recommend this book

This book is such a feel-good piece of fiction that I can't truly explain how much I enjoyed it. I read this at a point in time where I was clouded in darkness and this brought a smile to my face. It really is one of those books that helps the reader stop and think about their own life too. This book had plenty of twists and turns, and I highly recommend for a Christmas read (next Christmas of course), or just anytime because it was that good!

Four friends make bucket lists when they are young. When they lose one of their friendship group, they vow to tick off the Northern Lights in her memory. This is an amazing book taking in the sights and tastes of Iceland, Taking you along with them, experiencing the whole journey with them, Jo Thomas's books are a real delight and a pleasure to pick up and lose yourself for a few hours,

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Jo Thomas takes us all the way to Iceland this festive season with an emotional, engrossing and wonderfully romantic new novel, Keeping a Christmas Promise.

Twenty-five years ago, Freya and her three friends had great plans and ambitions for the future. They were going to travel the world, see the sights and have wonderful adventures. Everything seemed so bright and rosy and the four friends thought they were unstoppable – until reality intervened. The four friends have now become three and they are heading to Iceland to honour the memory of one of their own and fulfill her final wish: to see the Northern Lights at Christmas.

It is a bittersweet journey for Freya and her friends, however, what they hadn’t anticipated was an avalanche that left them stranded! What on earth are the three of them going to do now? Luckily for them, handsome local Petur comes to the rescue and shows them how the local community survives the harsh winter. With nowhere to go, Freya and her friends throw themselves wholly into the village’s festivities and they are soon decorating and cooking for the community that has welcomed them with open arms using lip-smackingly delicious local ingredients.

Will they manage to see the Northern Lights this Christmas? And will Freya be able to make her most cherished dreams come true?

You can always count on Jo Thomas to deliver the goods and she has outdone herself with Keeping a Christmas Promise. A gorgeous Yuletide escape that touches the heart and tickles the funny bone, Keeping a Christmas Promise is a charming tale about friendship, soulmates and mouth-watering food that is hard to put down and even harder to resist!