{"id":18013,"date":"2021-01-23T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T22:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=18013"},"modified":"2023-06-14T14:20:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T12:20:19","slug":"and-then-they-were-four-holst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/and-then-they-were-four-holst\/","title":{"rendered":"And Then They Were Four by Elna Holst: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"And<\/a>And Then They Were Four by Elna Holst <\/b><\/span>is an intimate, sexy, heartfelt holiday romance.<\/p>\n

It is the fourth in the Tinsel and Spruce Needles series and the first book of the series that I\u2019ve read. Holst gives the perfect amount of backstory so that you don\u2019t have to have read the series from the start. I enjoyed it so much I\u2019m currently awaiting my copy of the first book so I can take it all in from beginning to end.<\/p>\n

And Then They Were Four is set in Sweden at Advent. The book weaves seamlessly through four intertwined lives.<\/p>\n

Padma and Rickie are waiting for the birth of their twins.<\/p>\n

Helena is considering a new partner or two.<\/p>\n

Sophie is contemplating whether to chase love across the ocean or stay put and hope the hurt heals.<\/p>\n

Gunilla has been waiting for years to find love again, and it\u2019s come in an unexpected way.<\/p>\n

And Then They Were Four is an evocative, erotic, and steamy glimpse into this season of their lives.<\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/h3>\n

Padma and Rickie read as one united force in Holst\u2019s story. Padma is lovely, resonating a quiet strength. Rickie is bold and fiercely protective. Their countdown to a major life change is filled with comfort and warmth.<\/p>\n

Helena is soft, sensitive, and smart. She\u2019s a great friend, always available for practical advice. Her journey this Advent will take her out of her comfort zone and into an amazingly impractical situation.<\/p>\n

Sofie is sweet and supportive. Amidst her own heartbreak, she\u2019s still the cheerleader for her sister and her friends. Sofie\u2019s journey is discernment. She\u2019s deciding whether to hop the ocean and find her love or wait and see if there\u2019s a future without them. The answer comes in a lovely way.<\/p>\n

Gunilla just may be my favorite. She\u2019s the pure Mother. Gunilla is an obstetric nurse who works to bring life into the world. Between that and her own two daughters, she\u2019s kept her life full since being widowed young. She\u2019s had short flings, but she\u2019s still waiting for love to find her. This season, it just might.<\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/h3>\n

And Then They Were Four is beautifully written. Each character has exactly the right amount of page time. The story weaves flawlessly between characters, tying them all together with the thread of time, at the perfect pace.<\/p>\n

The language created a tone of calm and serene. The story was tender. It was poignant. It was moving.<\/p>\n

My Favourite Parts<\/b><\/h3>\n

I adored the diversity and representation. There were multiple ethnicities, different body types, non-binary people, poly relationships, and a wheelchair-using woman. It\u2019s easy to find a festive story with one diverse character, but there was so much representation here that it no longer read as inclusion for the sake of ticking a box.<\/p>\n

The Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Samantha's<\/b><\/a>It\u2019s an amazing book. Although it\u2019s short, it\u2019s a short reprieve from the stress and chaos that can be looming in the world. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a heartfelt, transcendent, romance.<\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>And Then They Were Four by Elna Holst<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cI prefer Rolling Goddess, if it\u2019s all the same to you.\u201d Sandra pushed her magnifying specs up her forehead and smirked in greeting. She set aside the intricate piece of jewellery she\u2019d been working on and angled her wheelchair out towards Fi. \u201cScratch that. I smell coffee. You can call me anything your heart desires as long as one of those has got my name on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fiffi giggled. She could vividly recall how nervous she\u2019d been the first time she was introduced to her older sister\u2019s new (and first ever) girlfriend, but Sandra Ling had been instantly disarming, perfectly charming and with a wicked sense of humour. It was just the way she rolled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah? Let\u2019s see, I think it says \u2018My sister-in-law, the Shrew\u2019 on this one. Remember I\u2019m dyslexic, though, so I might be reading it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandra reddened around the temples. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 Oh, Fi, you knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofie grinned and slid the tray onto Sandra\u2019s workbench, handing her one of the steaming cups. \u201cI may have had one or ten dramatic freak-out phone convos with She Who Shall Not Be Named. I take it her suit was successful?\u201d<\/p>\n

Get It Online<\/b><\/h3>\n

When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra<\/i><\/p>\n

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Series<\/b><\/h3>\n

Tinsel and Spruce Needles Series<\/i><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Candlelight Kisses<\/p>\n

Little x<\/p>\n

Wild Bells<\/p>\n

And Then They Were Four<\/p>\n

Bits and Bobs<\/b><\/h3>\n