Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Book Review: The Little Swiss Ski Chalet


By Sara Steven

It’s time to pack your bags and head to the breathtaking, snow-covered peaks of the Swiss Alps for velvety hot chocolates, delicious cheeses and a gorgeous love story…

Food technician Mina has always believed that chocolate will solve everything – and it’s just what she needs when her latest relationship mishap goes viral!

So with her bags packed and a new determination to sort her life out, Minna decides to drown her sorrows with the best hot chocolate in the world at her godmother’s cosy Swiss chalet. Chocolate: yes. Romance: no. Until she has a run in on an Alpine train with a mysterious but oh-so-gorgeous stranger… 
(Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Mina’s story is a reminder that life shouldn’t be about trying to find a way to fit in; it’s about making life fit around who you are. After Mina travels out to the Swiss Alps in order to escape from a recent break up gone sour and to reconnect with her godmother Amelie, over time she starts to question the job she has as a food technician and the relationships she’s had with family members and friends. It seems that Mina has always attempted to try to be the type of person everyone expects her to be, and it’s been a difficult road for her. But it also seems that the person she’d like to be, the things that interest her, don’t fit in with her life in England. 

The gorgeous stranger mentioned in the synopsis is Luke, and it is serendipitous that he is also a guest at the bed and breakfast that Amelie runs out of her chalet. But with Mina continually attempting to live the type of life others want her to live, she wonders if Luke would be the type of guy she should be interested in, considering how much of a free spirit he is. He is too much like her, and the push and pull between them was riveting. 

There are other guests at the chalet, potential friendships for Mina, a gateway into new adventures and potentially a new way of living. She can begin to see other options out there, and just when she thinks it might be possible with Luke, there are obstacles from his own past that throw a wrench into things and make her question everything. 

I loved Mina’s story. She’s trying to find herself, while living in what I imagine to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I wish I could be one of the friends who stays at the chalet, enjoying hot chocolates and comfort foods that made me yearn for the snow-covered peaks of the Swiss Alps. The backdrop to The Little Swiss Ski Chalet felt like another important character, only adding to the ambiance. Much like I’d imagine a stay in the chalet would be, this was a definite five-star experience!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK * Amazon US

Julie Caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. 

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for her Romantic Escapes series which have been translated into fifteen different languages.

The first book in the seven strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Visit Julie online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Visit all the stops on Julie's blog tour:


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