A charming and engaging story. Lots of interesting characters. Small town antics. Family issues. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A slightly strange but good story.. Orla is a well known travel writer and you follow her to the wilds of France with her 16 year sister in tow. Lots of funny parts. The menopause bits were sad and funny - been there. The 16 year old sister Erin was a great character . A jolly good winter read

I enjoyed this book and the tale of the mysterious pregnant reindeer but all in all it wasn’t as strong as the previous books I’ve read from Mandy Baggot. Good evocative setting, but maybe the cold of the French alps is no match for the warmth of a Greek summer.

Relatable characters, once the barriers had been broken down. An easy read, with some amusement but overall a 3.5* rather than the usual 4+ standards of this author

Orla is a travel journalist sent to a remote village in the French Alps to report on a story of a reindeer about to give birth at Christmas. Due to family circumstances she has to take her teenage sister along too and while there she meets Jacques also known as wolf who is a bit of a recluse and lives on the outskirts of the village.
Orla and Jacques don’t seem to like each other very much and there is a fair bit of snapping at each other at first but then things seem to change and they realise there is chemistry there.
Orla’s sister Erin however is in a ‘situationship’ with a man from Albania and they have been messaging each other for months, something their Mum is concerned about.
As time progresses it becomes apparent that perhaps Delphine, who had orchestrated the visit may have not been as honest about things as she should have been.
Unfortunately I could not warm to Orla at all and some of the things were pretty far fetched (but that’s escapism so I don’t mind that) but the story had good characters and I liked the fact it did also focus on village traditions in a beautiful snowy setting perfect for Christmas.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for an advance copy of this book however all opinions are my own.

I am enjoyed this book, a village full of characters who are extremely quirky. A journalist who appears to be on a wild goose chase and has been joined by her sixteen year old sister who appears to be a lot of work but quite wise. An enjoyable read.

This is a lovely and easy to read story just right for curling up in front of a fire at Christmas. Orla is a journalist looking to tell true and relevant stories and hoping for a big break to showcase her talent. Usually she plans for telling gritty and well researched stories when at the last minute she is sent to France to film the birth of a reindeer in time for Christmas. Difficulties at home mean that Orla must bring her 16 year old sister along, who spends most of her time texting her “situationship” boyfriend .

Fast forward and all is not as it seems, despite the picturesque village there appears to be no reindeer and no hotel. There is however a reclusive handsome stranger with whom Orla just cannot seem to get on.

Well told and a good read. I did find the character of Orla difficult to like but very much enjoyed the festive atmosphere.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was totally transported to Saint-Chambery and the remote location that is Jacques' chalet, the two main locations for this fabulous story, showing once again that Mandy Baggot's ability to make you travel by armchair and really feel for a location is utterly fabulous.

It's a quirky little French Village, with some great Christmas traditions and travel writer Orla is sent to write an article about a pregnant reindeer and its' mute handler, literally at the last possible minute. And she ends up taking her 16 year old sister Erin with her.

Only thing is well she has been misled by Delphine who had been trying to get Orla to visit, but not necessarily for the reasons she thought, and well I'd say a far more interesting story develops.

I read this over a couple of days, and found myself dreaming of the remote location overnight, which was rather weird, but on the other hand shows how much this story had clearly got under my skin.

Orla has assorted family issues to juggle and the she meets Jacques and he doesn't initially want to have anything to do with her. But once you discover why he is rather reclusive, it does make sense, and I found he really did have a heart of gold under his gruff exterior.

I totally fell for Jacques myself, and I really enjoyed all the various sub plots of this story. It's Mandy Baggot at her finest, and this was a very entertaining and enjoyable book that I couldn't get enough of.

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

This book had lots of parts and I can appreciate all of them. There was some depth and not just all romance. I had a hard time connecting with the MFC and to be honest at first did not like the MMC at all. 😂 Erin was my favorite! I love the festive atmosphere, people, and little cozy town it was set in! I would recommend adding to a Christmas TBR list! :)

If you're looking for a festive, light hearted chick-lit for the holiday season, do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR. The drama and romance kept me interested the whole book.

Live all Mandy Baggot books and this is no ecrption Orla is a travel writer and her boss makes her go to France to get a story about a mute man and a pregnant reindeer. It's very unusual for a reindeer to be pregnant in winter. Orla ends up having to take her younger sister with her.

This book was a festive experience with romance, drama, mystery, and Christmas cheer. Light-hearted and just a chick-lit novel, it promises to plunge you into the very spirit of the holidays.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was so excited to jump in and read this wintry/Christmas themed book, but unfortunately it fell pretty flat for me. The beginning (honestly the first half) is all over the place, and was hard to get into. There were so many stories going on (parents marital issues, sisters love affair, his hidden life, the town's people's secrets, the reindeer, etc). I didn't find any of the characters particularly lovable, and the vibe wasn't as Hallmark as I was hoping. By the end I was invested, but it was so outlandish I just simply was happy to finish. Likely wouldn't recommend, much better X-mas books out there.

This novel is all over the place, but not in a bad way 😀

Come and meet Orla, Jacques, Erin, Tommy, Delphine, and the others characters of this holiday romance.

The beginning isn t easy to jump into, each character's story being unclear at first but it slowly builds into a sweet love story, and so much more.

It is also the story of a little village in the Alps, its traditions and inhabitants and how you can create a bond with strangers and make them belong to your community.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

La primera mitad estuvo regular, sin embargo, la segunda parte mejoró mucho.


Orla es periodista y para hacer un reportaje la manda a un pueblo francés y ahí conoce al ermitaño Jacques. Al principio no se llevan bien, pero tendrán que compartir casa, sus hermanos se volverán amigos y tendrán que pasar tiempo juntos, quieran o no.

Ese plot twist no me lo esperaba, pensé que la razón por la que no salía del pueblo era por lo de sus padres y por lo de la ex. Cuando le mostró esa habitación quede igual de sorprendía que Orla.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is a first by this author but will not be my last! I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down.

Twentysomething British journalist Orla is sent to France to cover the story of a pregnant reindeer and mute owner at Christmastime. She takes her spoiled, high-maintenance teenage sister along, and off they go to the mountain village. There they meet Jacques, a reclusive and super sexy man who lives outside the village.

From the start, Orla and Jacques bicker and have tremendous difficulty getting along, acting like young children rather than adults. I generally enjoy enemies to lovers and some verbal sparring, but Orla in particular was remarkably immature about everything and I had a hard time liking her. Overall, the story was cute and the setting was described beautifully. I could feel how cold it was and sense the beauty of the village at Christmas with all the snow. However, I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, and the plot was a bit odd and disjointed.

I loved Under a Greek Sun and Truly Madly Greekly by this author, so I was a bit disappointed in One Winter at the French Chalet.

I always love a good Christmassy chalet style book. It gives me Hallmark vibes. One Winter at the French Chalet follows Orla and her sister on a job to meet the mysterious loner. It was fun to read and I enjoyed all the characters.

Thank you netgalley for One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot

I’ve always been a fan of Mandy’s novels and this is no exception. We’re usually whisked away to sun drenched Corfu but on this occasion it’s winter in France. It was a bit of a slow start for me taking a while to set the scene and introduce the characters, but after a couple of chapters, I was completely invested. A heart warming novel with plenty of festive spirit. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

'One Winter at the French Chalet' is a fun, festive read. I enjoyed the escapism of the setting and lively characters. I think it would appeal to fans of Jo Thomas and Sarah Morgan.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This one had a rough start. For the first 10-15%, the characters and their background seemed poorly shared and not easy to follow. I'm glad I stuck with it though as it got better as it went along. I enjoyed the characters and the very little village with its crazy traditions. Would have enjoyed more with a better structured beginning but still good in the end.