Last Christmas I gave you my heart...
Looking up at the departures board in Heathrow airport, her flight to New York boarding soon, Bea Preston knows that getting on that plane changes everything. Her life in London has grown stale, her relationship with boyfriend Dom has run its course, and New York has always been her dream. But it’s a risk – she’ll miss her parents, her friends, her job.
What if Bea could live both lives? In one she goes back home for Christmas, and in another she heads to the Big Apple. Would her fate remain the same, or can one decision really change everything? And will Bea get one happy ending - or two...
In a grand sliding-doors love story that spans oceans, years and lives, Clare Swatman’s unforgettable tale of fate and friendship is perfect for all fans of Jojo Moyes, Beth Moran and Ruth Jones.
.png)
Last Christmas by Clare Swatman was published by Boldwood Books on 27 August 2024. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review.
I have read and loved almost all of Clare Swatman's previous novels. She has become a go-to author for me and her novels have accompanied me on many holidays. I've had my copy of Last Christmas on the shelf since the summer, but have only just read it. I'm not a huge fan of the traditional Christmas book, I love a bit of Christmas themed crime, but Christmas is not my favourite time of year. I would usually have taken this book away with me to either Cyprus or Portugal earlier this year, but just couldn't bring myself to read a book plastered with a Christmas scene whilst laying in the sunshine.
Saying that, this really isn't a 'Christmas book'. It is set around the dates in December, but it is not themed around the festivities. I do wonder if the title may be a little off putting to some people, this would be a great beach read, but I'm not sure that people who choose it from the book shop when buying their holiday books. Maybe a change of title? Lots could work. I don't know though, I'm not a publisher, or a marketer, and I am sure that these things have been considered.
I have read and loved almost all of Clare Swatman's previous novels. She has become a go-to author for me and her novels have accompanied me on many holidays. I've had my copy of Last Christmas on the shelf since the summer, but have only just read it. I'm not a huge fan of the traditional Christmas book, I love a bit of Christmas themed crime, but Christmas is not my favourite time of year. I would usually have taken this book away with me to either Cyprus or Portugal earlier this year, but just couldn't bring myself to read a book plastered with a Christmas scene whilst laying in the sunshine.
Saying that, this really isn't a 'Christmas book'. It is set around the dates in December, but it is not themed around the festivities. I do wonder if the title may be a little off putting to some people, this would be a great beach read, but I'm not sure that people who choose it from the book shop when buying their holiday books. Maybe a change of title? Lots could work. I don't know though, I'm not a publisher, or a marketer, and I am sure that these things have been considered.
Last Christmas feels a little different to Swatman's other novels. It has been compared to the film 'Sliding Doors' (I've not seen the film, but know the plot). It's far more than a traditional romance, it's structured very cleverly, it's intriguing and springs surprises along the way.
We meet main character Bea in the prologue, at Heathrow Airport on 22 December 2022. Bea has a ticket to fly to New York. It's clear that she loves the thought of the city, having seen so many on-screen images over the years. However, it is also clear that Bea is a little unsure about her journey. She receives messages on her phone from her boyfriend Dom. She is then knocked over by another passenger, her belongings scattered all over the floor. This is when the story turns into 'Stay' or 'Go'.
Bea is a character who can be difficult to like. It's pretty obvious that she's had to deal with some emotional times in her life in London, but she doesn't make life easy for herself at all. She makes some odd decisions at times, appearing a little selfish and unsympathetic.
We meet main character Bea in the prologue, at Heathrow Airport on 22 December 2022. Bea has a ticket to fly to New York. It's clear that she loves the thought of the city, having seen so many on-screen images over the years. However, it is also clear that Bea is a little unsure about her journey. She receives messages on her phone from her boyfriend Dom. She is then knocked over by another passenger, her belongings scattered all over the floor. This is when the story turns into 'Stay' or 'Go'.
Bea is a character who can be difficult to like. It's pretty obvious that she's had to deal with some emotional times in her life in London, but she doesn't make life easy for herself at all. She makes some odd decisions at times, appearing a little selfish and unsympathetic.
So, in a nutshell, and that is incredibly hard to do without giving too much away. The reader joins Bea over many years, all during the same time of year and with different outcomes according to what choice she made. We are introduced to both of Bea's love interests, great guys but treated quite badly at times by Bea whose inability to make a firm decision becomes a theme throughout the book.
Excellent writing from Clare Swatman as always, with a plot that needs some good concentration but has been expertly paced. It's very intricate and a lot of work has gone into this one to ensure that it flows well.
.png)
Clare Swatman is the author of three women’s fiction novels, published by Macmillan, which have been translated into over 20 languages.
.jpg)
Excellent writing from Clare Swatman as always, with a plot that needs some good concentration but has been expertly paced. It's very intricate and a lot of work has gone into this one to ensure that it flows well.
.png)
She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines.
She lives in Hertfordshire
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment