"She had been wandering for a few months now with no real purpose; it seemed like fate to find herself in this village, knowing she might make a difference."

Clara Kristensen hails from Denmark ,the land famous for its happy people and its hygge. When she wanders into Yulethorpe one night, she cannot even conceive how much her life would change. Not having anything else to do, Clara offers to take care of everything.

Taking on the running of a toy shop and caring of an apartment, a potty-mouthed, movie-quoting parrot - Lady CaCa, and a lazy, sleepy cat - Roddy, Clara is on the road to changing this little sleepy town. The weather is dreadful and the future bleak as all the shops on high street have closed, save for the toy shop whose owner - Louisa, announces that she is closing the store and going to Spain. Soon, she begins building camaraderie with some other citizens like Gavin, the pub owner, Lauren who used to work at the store, back when there was business.

"Clara rested her head back on the soft leather of the sofa, the crackling logs and the smell of popcorn making her feel woozy."

Clara bring the hygge everywhere she goes, organizing Louisa messy flat into an oasis, making the toy shop look like a wonderland and regularly changing the displays that keep drawing people in. She is thriving, but it all comes with consequences.

Joe, Louisa's son works on M&A in London, is a very busy and very important guy. He cannot believe tat someone would take care of his mother's property out of the goodness of their heart and is convinced that Clara is a con artist. He goes to Yulethorpe to check out the situation, but soon Clara's natural peacefulness begins to impact him. He realizes how stressed he is, how much he hates his job, even though he tries to convince himself otherwise. 

Clara is very secretive about her life, though. We only get snatches of her past. She empathizes with Joe somewhat because she used to have a corporate job, stuck in the grind and trying to climb the ladder. She used to have anxiety and feel inadequate and she also learned to take a step back.

The whole village learns to take it slow, to appreciate the small moments, the sunsets, the candlelight, a warm cup of tea... And Clara finds home at last.

This is a quick read, a book to flick through as you're sitting in a chair, surrounded by candles and fairylights, sipping a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Definitely a book that will make you want to explore hygge and try to adopt it into your own life.