"Big in Sweden" by Sally Franson is a witty and insightful novel that blends humor, self-discovery, and the quirks of life in a foreign land. Franson’s sharp writing and keen observations make this story a delightful exploration of what it means to find yourself in an unfamiliar place, both geographically and emotionally.

The novel follows a protagonist who, for various reasons, finds themselves relocating to Sweden, where they must navigate the challenges of a new culture, language barriers, and the often amusing differences in social norms. As they adjust to their new surroundings, they also embark on a journey of personal growth, questioning what it truly means to be "big" or successful, and whether the definitions they’ve been living by still hold true.

Franson’s characters are relatable and full of depth, each bringing their own insecurities and ambitions to the story. The narrative is infused with humor and heart, capturing the awkwardness and triumphs of starting over in a new place. The novel also subtly critiques the concept of fame and success, exploring how these ideas shift when viewed through the lens of a different culture.

"Big in Sweden" is a refreshing and entertaining read, perfect for anyone who has ever felt like a fish out of water or has wondered how much of their identity is tied to where they live and what they do. Sally Franson has crafted a novel that is both light-hearted and thought-provoking, making it an enjoyable and meaningful read for fans of contemporary fiction with a twist of cultural exploration.

I was unable to finish the book because the content was not to my taste.
The lead protagonist is not likeable in the least and there seemed to be too many more pages left once I was at the fifty percent mark.
I think people who are less finicky about liking the characters in the story will be able to better appreciate this book.

I absolutely loved learning about Sweden through this book, there is so much more to the country than you may first think, and I devoured every piece of info as Paulie discovers the country for herself, through a Swedish Reality show that she drunkenly applied for.

It's a show that is a mix of genealogy and showing Sweden off to a group of Americans that have roots here, and that have never met the Swedish parts of their families.

And I loved the concept of the show, and there really was a great mix of contestants.

However I struggled to really like a lot of the characters, which was a bit of a shame, and that included Paulie. Dont' get me wrong I didn't particularly hate them, just didn't overly connect, and found some of Paulie's decisions a bit baffling.

Although perhaps the fact that I've never read Pippi Longstocking and Paulie kept comparing elements of the experience to Pippi and her tales, that caused the disconnect for me, as I just didn't know the references.

That being said, other than that this was a truly enjoyable read, it's fun, it includes reality tv and armchair travel both of which I always love and it found were the bits that worked the best for me!

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Big in Sweden by Sally Franson is a fresh, fun, heartwarming and funny read about the need for belonging.

As much as I wanted to love this, I had a hard time figuring out what this novel wanted to be. Is it a romance, woman's fiction, general fiction? In the end it just fell flat as non of my expectations were met, but weren't replaced by anything good either.

i feel like the setting really made this for me - the descriptions of the setting really stood out to me.

i also loved this interpretation of reality tv, the concept really drew me in and i thought the execution was great as well.

i also loved the characters and the humour. this was such a fun summer read!

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

1.5 stars rounded down. I love Sweden, and this sounded an interesting book premise. But sweet baby Jesus, Paulie just spends all her time navel gazing or crying and it was just waffling about feelings. I should have DNFed, but pushed and speed read the rest to be done.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I loved the premise of this book but the main character Paulie didn't land well for me. She was a little self centred and immature for a woman of her age. They story line was good though and there were some laugh out loud moments. Give it a go!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This appealed to me in on so many levels. I really liked the sound of the concept and loved the executing. I've grown up with a show similar to the one in the novel and reading about it was just so fun. The characters were enjoyable and the romance sweet, The humor was top notch and everything was just my taste. A perfect summer novel.

The novel is about a group of Americans with Swedish heritage who have ‘won’ places to take part in a reality show filmed in Sweden with the prize being to meet their Swedish family. It’s a new take on a popular subject of stories based on reality TV and I was interested in reading it based on the premise and setting. I particularly enjoyed the mention of a hotel that I have stayed in myself in Stockholm!

The pace is good and I was interested in the descriptions of Sweden. The only reason I awarded this book four stars, rather than five, is because I found it difficult to relate to the protagonist (almost certainly a very personal thing, which should not deter other readers from giving the book a try).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of Big in Sweden in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Sally Franson, Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

As someone who’s recently hit 1200 days straight learning Swedish on Duolingo, and my love of trashy reality TV - this book seemed right up my alley! It centres around an American woman who’s invited on a trip to find her family in Sweden, in an Amazing Race x Find my Family-esque show.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. While it had moments of real wisdom - critiquing things like both American and Swedish society, the reaction to emotion depending on gender, and the way reality tv is created - it just didn’t land for me. And it does lean on stereotypes quite a bit. The main character Paulie seemed to be quite immature for a woman in her early/mid thirties, and she came across very judgmental and having a bit of a victim complex. And I just don’t think I can forgive her behaviour with Lars…

But the prose is well written and you can tell that the author has taken the time and care to research a lot of the locations she described. So if you’re planning a trip to Sweden soon, this book could be the perfect taste test!

Grab this one or any of the author’s books at curl up and enjoy the wild ride. You won’t be disappointed.
It makes a change to read a book that makes you feel good and is entertaining ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fun, sweet book - perfect for summer reading. I was captivated by the Scandinavian setting and I really liked the premise, as Paulie one night spontaneously signs up to compete on a Swedish reality TV show with a prize for the winner to meet their Swedish family. I really liked her slightly chaotic personality and enjoyed her character arc of self discovery and wider exploration of human connection and what it means to be family. A heartwarming story - perfect choice for an escapist beach read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.