The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)

 February 2018, HarperImpulse, 416 pages, Ebook, Review copy 

Summary from HarperCollins

Welcome to the little cafe in Copenhagen where the smell of cinnamon fills the air, the hot chocolate is as smooth as silk and romance is just around the corner…

Publicist Kate Sinclair’s life in London is everything she thought she wanted: success, glamour and a charming boyfriend. Until that boyfriend goes behind her back and snatches a much sought-after promotion from her.Heartbroken and questioning everything, Kate needs to escape.

From candles and cosy nights in to romantic late-night walks through the beautiful cobbled streets of Copenhagen, Kate discovers how to live life the Danish way’. Can the secrets of hygge and happiness lead her to her own happily-ever-after?

Nayu's thoughts

 Like Kate I had no clue what Hygge was, or how to spell it. She soon learns how deceptively simple the Danish concept is, it's not merely putting a candle out but choosing items that have a deep meaning for you, which obviously differs from person to person. Kate is given a unique opportunity that changes her life in previously unimagined way. I liked watching her own concept of hygge grow by living among the Danish (whose delicious pastries I believe originate from a different country) and getting to know the lovely Eva who becomes a very good friend, equal to the other friendships Kate has. 

Kate's personal transformation helps her grasp the unpleasant reality in a few sectors of her life, helping her make positive changes that were hard at first but become easier. There is the usual misunderstanding between her and her main love interest which was mega frustrating to read because I knew how wrong they had each judged a certain situation. People can be such idiots! I don't recall any books set in Copenhagen, so it was fun to explore it through Kate's adventure since I know nothing about the city where hygge is a key element. It sounds a pretty place that I'd consider visiting one day. There was a nice surprise at the end which isn't a spoiler-there's a book 2 which focuses on Sophie, a character who I warmed to quickly and look forward to learning more about. 

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Suggested read 

Another sweet romance can be found in the country (not a foreign country) in Vets at Green Hope by Sheila Norton (Romance, Contemporary, 10E/10E)