Book Review - From Shetland, With Love at Christmas by Erin Green

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Title: From Shetland, With Love at Christmas

Author: Erin Green

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 30th September 2021

Rating: 4 Stars

Friendship can be the greatest gift you'll ever give...

Verity is embarking on a better-late-than-never gap year now that her sons have flown the nest, and dreams of turning a lifetime's hobby of knitting and crocheting into a profitable new enterprise at Lerwick Manor's gallery.

Nessie has returned to Shetland after two years spent retraining as a blacksmith on the Scottish mainland. She's determined to do whatever it takes to reignite the traditional craft and prove that gender is no obstacle to taking on her family's heritage.

Isla is fresh out of catering college, but she is desperate to prove she has what it takes to run Lerwick Manor's artisan café. Focused on perfecting her grandmother's traditional recipes, Isla has no time for anything else - especially not her pesky ex.

With the island's Yule Day celebration fast approaching, it's the ideal moment for their crafts to shine. But they can't do it alone - and their friendship might turn out to be their greatest creation yet...

What a lovely book this really was.  It was utterly charming, and I loved the cosy feel of all the various crafts in their own stables at Lerwick Manor. 

We are treated to 3 viewpoints, Verity who is taking a year out of her life of being needed by all family members, and escaped to Shetland to run the Yarn Barn.  Nessie who is trying to make it as a blacksmith, and is sharing her forge with Isaac the glassblower.   And finally 19 year old Isla who has been entrusted with The Orangery, the onsite cafe to try to make it a success, with the help of her granny's recipe book. 

Each character has their various ups and downs over the book, and I was really involved in each of the women's stories. 

What I somehow didn't quite realise until I was half way through is that this is a sequel to From Shetland, With Love which I hadn't read, but may explain why it took me a while to fully feel invested in this book, and why if felt like I was a tad confused near the start. Purely as there are lots of mentions of what is clearly back story woven in so you don't feel lost, specifically for Jemima and Ned who run Lerwick Manor, and just how everyone in Shetland seems to be related to each other. 

Once I twigged, and could accept that and to be fair the story did work perfectly well as a standalone, it probably just needed to be read in longer spurts that I could manage due to real world time issues, than I was doing. 

Not really the most festive of Christmassy books, this could easily be read at any time in the year, although that said it really does work as a nice warm and cosy read, curled up with a hot drink and a blanket on your favourite sofa, and devoting some time to reading the loveliness inside. 

I loved the various crafts, I really enjoyed Crispy Duck, and the various dramas that unfurled.  Plus the hints of romance that are present.  I can't help but wonder though with how the book has ended whether there will be another trip to Lerwick and Shetland in the future, as I would love to read more about all of these characters. 

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