cleg11's review
4.0
Thanks to netgalley for a chance to read this book.
Genie isn’t feeling very festive even though Xmas is a few weeks away. Nearly a year ago her adoptive mother dies and she blames herself for her death. She decides to travel to New Zealand to find her birth mother. However, her birth mother travels to England to find her. Genie doesn’t tell anyone she is related to Bonnie and gets to know her half sister Tui who she falls in love with.
The book tells how Bonnie came to give up her daughter and how they are reunited. Ends with love and happiness.
Genie isn’t feeling very festive even though Xmas is a few weeks away. Nearly a year ago her adoptive mother dies and she blames herself for her death. She decides to travel to New Zealand to find her birth mother. However, her birth mother travels to England to find her. Genie doesn’t tell anyone she is related to Bonnie and gets to know her half sister Tui who she falls in love with.
The book tells how Bonnie came to give up her daughter and how they are reunited. Ends with love and happiness.
thebooktrail88's review
5.0
Visit the wonderful setting of New Zealand's Queenstown and Lakes!
I realise this is a really early review but sometimes when you read a book and read it at just the right time and it gives you all the feels and the emotions, you have to write a short review!
It's a wonderful heartwarming yet heartbreaking story. That poor woman who goes in search of her mother! The mother who we learn about via her diaries and her thoughts as we follow her journey too.
Then there's the setting of a fantastic horse riding school/farm in NZ where there's a rather fit guy called Kit and a cheeky horse named Keith! You get to play golf frisbee and learn some cheeky sounding NZ slang!
All the stars and then some. This book made me happy and warm inside so keep this on your list people for when it comes out!
Full review here Full review of One Winter Morning
oncemorewithreading's review
5.0
This is my first Isabelle Broom book and it will not be the last.
I adored Broom’s writing style and the way she had me captivated from the first chapter. This book takes you a remarkable journey which makes it impossible for you to put down. Told in the perspective of Evangeline, or Genie, and her birth mother Bonnie you learn about the difficulties both these women have endured in their lives.
This story has also just confirmed how much I need to go to New Zealand. Broom’s way of researching and showcasing this beautiful country just makes me crave the beauty she described. I felt myself transported to the sunny hilltops of New Zealand and far away from the dark and dreary days of London.
I found myself loving the characters that Broom has created and how she perfectly handled writing a character with learning difficulties. I always worry when a character with different needs is introduced into a book but I ended up finding Tui my favourite with her positive nature. She really was a breath of fresh air.
One Winter Morning will take you on an emotional journey with ups and downs. It deals with not only grief and mourning but friendship, family and truly finding yourself in those dark times.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I adored Broom’s writing style and the way she had me captivated from the first chapter. This book takes you a remarkable journey which makes it impossible for you to put down. Told in the perspective of Evangeline, or Genie, and her birth mother Bonnie you learn about the difficulties both these women have endured in their lives.
This story has also just confirmed how much I need to go to New Zealand. Broom’s way of researching and showcasing this beautiful country just makes me crave the beauty she described. I felt myself transported to the sunny hilltops of New Zealand and far away from the dark and dreary days of London.
I found myself loving the characters that Broom has created and how she perfectly handled writing a character with learning difficulties. I always worry when a character with different needs is introduced into a book but I ended up finding Tui my favourite with her positive nature. She really was a breath of fresh air.
One Winter Morning will take you on an emotional journey with ups and downs. It deals with not only grief and mourning but friendship, family and truly finding yourself in those dark times.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
worldroamer's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
Such a beautiful and moving story, the author takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved how well Isabelle made you feel like you could be in New Zealand yourself, even though I’ve never been. A really enjoyable and touching read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
rhealambe's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
milliebywater's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
shelleyann01's review
3.0
This was an okay read, not bad but nothing special either. It is the usual "I am adopted but find my birth mother after my adoptive mother dies" trope.
michelovestoread's review
3.0
Firstly I would say that the title of the book & the cover of the book has little to do with the setting & story of the book! This puzzled me for most of it! The book is set in New Zealand in the summer.
I enjoyed the story, it was nice & feel good if not a bit predictable but these types of stories usually are. The story is told from the perspective of Genie and Bonnie. I found Genie quite hard to warm too but the character of Bonnie was the one who I really liked reading about as I found her story much more interesting.
All in all, if you are looking for a nice feel good book, not set at Christmas or in the snow which doesn't require much thought process to digest I would recommend.
I enjoyed the story, it was nice & feel good if not a bit predictable but these types of stories usually are. The story is told from the perspective of Genie and Bonnie. I found Genie quite hard to warm too but the character of Bonnie was the one who I really liked reading about as I found her story much more interesting.
All in all, if you are looking for a nice feel good book, not set at Christmas or in the snow which doesn't require much thought process to digest I would recommend.
bookmadjo's review
5.0
There was such a beautiful simplicity to this book that I adored it from start to finish. The story is told from two perspectives, Genie’s experiences when she sets out to find her birth mother Bonnie, and Bonnie’s recollections of what lead to her giving up her daughter.
Although Genie was struggling to cope following a bereavement, there was a grace to her growth as she found her way through her grief, and that grief was mirrored in the feelings that Bonnie had about parting with her baby.
Most of the book was set in New Zealand, and the descriptions certainly made me feel like I was there. In spite of the title of the book, it did not feel so much like a festive read, because obviously the seasons are different in New Zealand, but the story began with Genie losing her adoptive mother one winter morning, the catalyst for the progression of the story.
I found the characters were very well-written. I loved Genie, she was brittle at the beginning, but as her grief eased, the brittleness left her, and revealed a strong, sensitive and caring character. The side characters were adorable, particularly Kit and Keith, but my favourite character in the entire book was Tui. Tui, Genie’s half sister, has special needs, and is such a pure character that it was impossible to not love her. I loved that her character was written from a point of purity, and not simply as a caricature, as has been seen in other books by other writers. Her character sparkled from the page, and I finished the book believing that everyone needs a Tui in their lives.
This wonderful book will stay with me for a long time, not just because it made me want to hop on a plane to New Zealand, but because it was so beautifully written.
Although Genie was struggling to cope following a bereavement, there was a grace to her growth as she found her way through her grief, and that grief was mirrored in the feelings that Bonnie had about parting with her baby.
Most of the book was set in New Zealand, and the descriptions certainly made me feel like I was there. In spite of the title of the book, it did not feel so much like a festive read, because obviously the seasons are different in New Zealand, but the story began with Genie losing her adoptive mother one winter morning, the catalyst for the progression of the story.
I found the characters were very well-written. I loved Genie, she was brittle at the beginning, but as her grief eased, the brittleness left her, and revealed a strong, sensitive and caring character. The side characters were adorable, particularly Kit and Keith, but my favourite character in the entire book was Tui. Tui, Genie’s half sister, has special needs, and is such a pure character that it was impossible to not love her. I loved that her character was written from a point of purity, and not simply as a caricature, as has been seen in other books by other writers. Her character sparkled from the page, and I finished the book believing that everyone needs a Tui in their lives.
This wonderful book will stay with me for a long time, not just because it made me want to hop on a plane to New Zealand, but because it was so beautifully written.