We sat down with the Queen of romance, Sophie Gravia, to ask her all about her latest holiday release, The Whole Package.

The Whole Package
By Sophie Gravia
Published by Zaffre

Congratulations on the release of The Whole Package! What’s on your Christmas wish list this year? 

I mean, a bit of time off would be lovely! I’m very good at telling myself I’m going to take a break, then finding something else to do. Some lazy days with my family, nice food and no deadlines sound like the perfect Christmas to me. Although I’m sure I could manage to find a few actual presents I’d like too!

The Whole Package is the return to Glasgow after New-York based Stars and Swipes. How did it feel to write a book set in Glasgow again? 

I loved it. I had so much fun with New York in Stars and Swipes, but there’s something lovely about writing somewhere you know so well. I can picture the places and hear exactly how people would say things. Glasgow has so much character, and the humour here is my favourite part of the city. Even when something’s gone disastrously wrong, someone will have a sarcastic comment that makes you laugh. I honestly believe the Scottish people are the best on earth.

There’s a strong theme of rediscovering yourself in The Whole Package. What do you hope readers take away from Harri’s journey? 

That you’re allowed to change your mind about what you want from your life. Sometimes you get so used to keeping everyone else happy that you forget to ask yourself if you’re happy. I hope readers find themselves rooting for Harri, and maybe recognise a bit of themselves in her too. You don’t need to have everything worked out before you make a change.

How has your writing process changed since your first novel? Are there things you do now that you wish you’d known when you started? 

When I wrote A Glasgow Kiss, I had no idea where it would lead. I was writing around nursing and being a mum, and learning as I went. Now I have deadlines and people waiting for a manuscript, so that’s quite a difference! I still get completely caught up in the story, though. I wish I’d known how much you can sort out in the edits. Getting stuck trying to make one bit perfect doesn’t help you finish a book.

Can you give us one spoiler-free reason why readers should pick up The Whole Package this Christmas? 

Because Christmas can be an absolute shambles, and I wanted to have some fun with that! We put so much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect, when there’s usually someone getting on your nerves and something going wrong. I wanted to write about the struggles of Christmas and how different families struggle, especially at this time of year, which I think is really important to remember. Hopefully this book gives you an excuse to leave everyone to it for a while, get comfy and have a good laugh. There’s of course a bit of romance in there for you too!

The Whole Package by Sophie Gravia is published by Zaffre and is available now, priced £14.99