What a fun book! This is not your typical rom-com. Yes, there are meet-cutes, and yea there are the standard features of a best-friend, a misunderstanding between the main characters, exes who get in the way … BUT Clare Swatman gives it a fresh spin with a Sliding Doors-esq tale.

Main character Bea is fleeing London for New York. In one version, she goes and in the other she stays. The book alternates storylines with each chapter. As we moved through and the two lives were crossing over, I had a little bit of a hard time keeping track of which version I was in. However that was easily solved by me just writing it down!

Swatman is a great writer, and while the concept is not a new idea, she absolutely made it her own. I was never bored and stayed engaged throughout, especially with the supporting cast of characters. Really she could pick any of Bea’s friends and write a whole book about them!

I hate to say it but I didn’t love Bea. Without giving any spoilers I wished she was a stronger woman, more independent, and absolutely more aware of her actions. That being said, I admired her dedication to her family.

I adored Bea’s BFF Mia, and friends Michael and Henry. I’d lean on the strength of friendships and family as a major theme of this book; another being the importance of staying true to yourself.

My major takeaway is that perhaps dreams are what we make them, and not the other way around.

I’m not big into romance books and first gravitated toward this because I love Christmas. Unfortunately, other than the timelines each taking place in December, it’s not really a Christmas book. But I’m glad I read it and definitely want to read more from the author.

*I received a free, digital copy of Last Christmas as part of a readalong from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the gifted e-book. I joined the #lastchristmasreadalong.

This book is an absolute gem that pulls you in from the very first page. It masterfully navigates the complex idea of dual alternate universes through alternating chapters labeled “stay” and “go.” Set over eight years in December, we follow the intertwined lives of Bea, Dom, and AJ, exploring the profound what-ifs of Bea’s choice between staying in London or venturing to New York. The characters are refreshingly diverse, and the author excels at portraying Dom’s mental health struggles with sensitivity and depth. Bea’s supportive friend group adds an uplifting layer to the narrative. Experiencing the charm of Christmas in both London and New York was a delightful touch.

This novel skillfully delves into themes of love, loss, mental health, and the critical choices that shape our lives. If you enjoy compelling stories about alternate paths, this book is a must-read!

Bea lives in London with her boyfriend and makes the decision to move to New York because of an incident that happens and a bit of a mental breakdown. The story then splits into what two realities would be if she had stayed in London or went to New York.

I love the concept behind this book. The idea of exploring what a life could look like based on one decision you make has the potential to be so good. Where it fell apart for me was it was basically the same story twice and the characters were just switched. Like the same story twice to the point that you’re literally reading the same words in both versions of the story.

Starting around the halfway mark, I just didn’t care what happened to the characters anymore. It’s a messy love triangle and in real life none of what happened would’ve played out so smoothly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the copy of this book.

This book was a WILD ride. The concept of the book was very neat and I loved it...but the story was just too much.
If the Hallmark movie people took a love triangle episode from Jerry Springer and made a script for the Hallmark Channel, you would have this book. This book wasn't for me but maybe it will be for you.

The prologue tells you about Bea who lives in London with her boyfriend but she is going thru a little mental breakdown and she wants to just pack her stuff and runaway. It's always been her dream to live in New York and work for a famous magazine and just live her best life. She throws caution to the wind and packs her bags and heads to the airport.
Chapter 1 gives you a run down of what happens immediately after if she decides to go.
Chapter 2 lets you know what happens if she decided to turn back and stay.
And then the chapters keep alternating and flowing with the original decision. (odd chapter numbers are all 1 story if she decided to go and the even chapter numbers are a different story if she decided to stay)

Where it went off the rails for me was what was happening with the characters in the second half of the book. There was so much "ok now this is just getting ridiculous". I can't say too much without spoiling it so if you want a spoiler version just message me. This wasn't the holiday romance I was expecting or looking for.

In this novel, we follow Bea as her life branches into two parallel timelines, each spanning eight Christmases. In one timeline, she chooses to leave her long-term boyfriend, Dom, behind and move to New York in pursuit of a fresh start . In the other, she decides to stay with him in London. Both narratives alternate between London and New York, presenting the same set of characters who play different roles in her life depending on the path she takes.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline structure. Initially, I was convinced that one timeline was the 'right' decision for Bea, but as the story unfolded and more layers of her relationships and choices were revealed, I found myself gravitating toward the second storyline instead. The mental health representation was well done, both Bea's boyfriend's depression and the dementia of one of the secondary characters.

The representation of mental health in the book was another aspect I appreciated. The challenges of living with a loved one who has depression were well portrayed. Similarly, the portrayal of dementia in one of the secondary characters was touching and nuanced.

Overall, this novel skillfully explores themes of love, loss, mental health, and the intricate 'what-ifs' of life's pivotal decisions, all against a backdrop of two iconic cities during the holiday season.

A recommended read for fans of Sliding Doors, One Day, and dual timelines.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Bold Book Club for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this book. I had a hard time sympathizing with Bea and I didn’t root for the relationship in either timeline—which could have been fine, given it’s not tagged as a romance, but I didn’t feel like I had enough of a feel of her life outside the romances to focus on that instead.

2.75 stars.
Sooo I have a bit of a love/hate feeling with this book.

I loved Clare Swatman's writing. There was a nice flow to her storytelling, and I enjoyed the easy, kind of whimsical feeling I got from reading her words. I was super intrigued with the dual timeline aspect! I learned a new term for this style of story - sliding-doors moment. And I thought that was a really fun concept. Does fate really play a hand, no matter your starting choices? Will things be completely different, or will you end up in the same place regardless of what choice you made?

I thought that whole idea was neat, and I liked how she executed it over the course of 2002 to 2010. Every December, we get a look into how her life has progressed in each timeline, "stay" and "go" and I like how that ties in the title. Bea reflects back on last year's Christmas in several sections, starting a kind of overview on what's happened since then.

Now for what I didn't like....boy, oh boy, do I have beef with these characters. Dom is just...a total no for me in both timelines. I found myself putting the book down and taking a moment when he said certain things to Bea. And then Bea? Girl, stop making dumb decisions, LOL. Even your friends all knew what your heart did and told you straight to your face and you still kept going the opposite way. I just couldn't stop shaking my head at her.
I don't know why these few characters things got under my skin so much when I was reading, but they did enough to hinder my time spent reading. I basically kept pulling myself out of the story zone because I got annoyed at character choices🤣. Definitely a me problem here.

While I love the dual timeline aspect, I did get a little frustrated that when entire paragraphs would be repeated in both of them when similar moments happened. I get the idea, that fate can make events be the same no matter what your choices were, but I think that the same things could have been said with different words, to make it feel less like I was reading the same chapter over again.

I think you could enjoy this if you're a fan of big life choices, time-spanned stories, easy-reading romance feelings, and general December holiday vibes. And maybe slightly love triangle vibes? That one is an iffy thing for me to declare, TBH, but it kind of goes with how the two timelines progress.

this book is good to read with a difference it tells of bea who lives through the eyes of her life with aj and dom and unfolds to happiness and saddness and each story tells of how her life could be with each one the story revolving round christmas once you start to read you cant put the book down as its such a good adventure for bea

A festive read, featuring a sliding doors split narrative, spread over years on the same day and set in New York - yes please! Last Christmas hit all of these and more. A great Christmas story featuring Bea and the decisions she made. A great read

My first time reading this author and absolutely loved it! This was a story where Bea has to make a big decision, and it alternates chapters to play out both scenarios over the years. It wasn’t about Christmas, but the different lives is really up my alley. It was a little confusing to keep straight, but so worth it. Couldn’t wait to see how it ended. It really makes you think about all the decisions we have to make and how different your life could be, and whether fate plays a role in that. Many thanks to NetGalley, Clare Swatman, and Boldwood Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

One Day meets Sliding doors in this book

We start with Bea heading to the airport to start a new life in New York.
Just days before Christmas and Bea is on her way to the airport ready to start a new life, she is leaving everything behind including her fiancé Dom, her family and her best friend Mia. Something has happened but at the moment we don’t know what that is that has made Bea reevaluate her life and she has decided to give up everything and move to NewYork, something which has always been a dream. Her family and friends don’t want her to go and as we start this book, she is heading to the airport but wondering if she’s doing the right thing.
The next chapters follow her on the same day every year but giving 2 versions Stay and Go

It was interesting to read how Bea’s life evolved in the 2 different versions. Each year unfolded in a chapter set on the same day each year following.

I really enjoyed this story and liked how it unfolded and all the characters developed over both scenarios


Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read this title

I didn't love this one. I really like holiday themed books for the most part so I had some high expectations for this one. Especially when it's dual timeline. However, I did not love Bea, or many of the decisions she made throughout the book. It was fine, just not one that I would ever read again.

Last Christmas by Clare Swatman was an enjoyable read. What would happen if life took a different turn? A sliding doors scenario from one life to another, will fate play a part in the characters life or can one decision decide what happens in the end.

This was a lovely festive read and I especially liked the New York setting. I felt completely transported to the Big Apple and loved how vividly Swatman creates the festive feeling whilst the protagonist seems lost at sea.

A chance encounter in chapter one sees Bea bump into a mysterious, handsome stranger at the airport as she is on the cusp of leaving her life behind for a new one in America. The chapters then follow Bea’s life of what would have happened if she had turned around and stayed in the UK, or whether she left for America. I loved the changing narratives of these stories and how Swatman cleverly echoes dialogue and events in both life paths, regardless of what Bea had chosen.

However, over time I did find that the two narrative paths started to blend into one another. There are eighteen chapters so, nine of each path, and I struggled to keep track of the events that were exclusive to the ‘stay’ or ‘go’ decision. I’m not sure if that was because I didn’t sit and keep reading this book, but dipped in and out of it, but it definitely did lessen my enjoyment of it. I don’t think this was helped by the way Bea kept bouncing between Dom and AJ, England and New York.

This then evolved into a second reason why I did not find this the perfect read: I grew frustrated by Bea’s lack of commitment. Whether she is coming or going, she cannot make her mind up who to romantically commit to and I grew tired with how she strung Dom and AJ along. Within each chapter year, Bea swings between the two and I disliked how she kept making sacrifices in the belief it was ultimately going to lead to her happiness. Whilst this is part of Bea’s character, I think Swatman could have presented her as more decisive in her actions.

Despite this, I found this book a lovely Christmas read. We cover about ten years of Decembers and I enjoyed seeing how the different characters had altered over the twelve months. Swatman explores sensitive issues such as mental health and aging parents in this book, but I think it is portrayed as something we have had to accept is part of our daily life. In this sense, there were quite a few sad, touching scenes in the book, showing that Christmas is not always about love and happiness.

With George Michael belting out his festive song in my head every time I went to read this book, this novel will definitely get you in the festive mood. Bea’s supporting friends are really lovely and add to the warming nature of the story. However, the switching narrative meant I think I needed to have a little notebook with me to chart significant decisions in each chapter so I did not get confused. On the other hand, this is one I will definitely try and read next year for the festive vibes and another good read from this author.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This books open with Bea, our main character, feeling stuck in her life and needing more. She’s living in the UK with her boyfriend, Dom, but longs for a life in NYC. Sitting in the Heathrow airport awaiting her delayed flight to her new life, she is torn on what direction is the right one and from there we follow Bea down both of her potential life paths. One with Dom in Heathrow, called “stay” and another in NYC with a newly met man named Paddy, called “go”.

I love The Sliding Doors premise of this story and was so excited to see Bea’s two lives become wildly different based on which path she chose. Unfortunately around the mid point I could barely keep track of which path we were on due to her keeping Dom around in her “go” life and also meeting Paddy in her “stay” life. The two paths were just too jumbled for it to pack the punch I was Hoping for. Also the Christmas part of the books ends at the title, because there is nothing Christmasey about the book at all other than it taking place in multiple decembers over the course of a decade.

Overall the writing was good enough for me to read the author again, but this particular story lacked what I was hoping for. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I do adore a festive read, and Last Christmas certainly did not disappoint.
A wonderful, easy to read story that left you feeling immensely festive throughout.... this is one I shall be recommending to all my fellow Christmas lovers!

Just like the film ‘Sliding Doors’ you get to read two different endings, as the story followed two different paths.
The story begins in 2004 as Bea is at the airport, ready to fly to a new life. One thread follows Bea as she boards the aeroplane, and the other follows Bea as she gives in to her doubts and doesn’t get on it.
There’s a mixture of love and heartbreak as Bea figures out her own needs and what she wants from life. A warm story of family life and the challenges faced. Depression and dementia were two issues sensitively dealt with and the effects that are felt throughout the family. It shows how you can deal with things when you are stuck in a rut. Do you stay with what is familiar or take the risk and try something new?
I did feel frustrated by Bea at times as I felt that her choices were influenced by her own indecisiveness, whilst she blamed the men and family in her life. I enjoyed the relationships with her friends and family however and I did enjoy this book.
For those who don’t like reading ‘full on’ Christmas stories I feel that this is the perfect read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Clare Swatman for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a weird book as very back and forward and at times I was confused by what was happening as it was different every chapter and some of it was the same but parts regarding Bea, Dom and AJ were different and I just wanted to know who stayed with who. I did enjoy this book and had to read on as I couldn’t wait until I found out what happened for definite between all the characters.

I would recommend reading this book if you liked the film sliding doors.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sypnosis - As Christmas approaches, Bea Preston has a choice.

Looking up at the departures board in Heathrow airport, her flight to New York boarding soon, she 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?

In a grand sliding-doors love story that spans oceans, years and lives.’

As I have mentioned many times (sorry!) I have become a bit obsessed with Christmas books….

I absolutely loved this book. I’m a huge fan of ‘sliding doors’ type movies/books. I thought Bea was a fabulous character and very relatable and let’s not forget funny! Would love to read more about Bea!
Even with the parallel timeframes, it was very well written, so very easy to follow.

Thanks #netgalley #boldwoodbooks #clareswatman

https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz

https://www.facebook.com/Bookstagramshaz

The writing is just superb – although the reading is easy, the organisation of the content must have been an immense challenge. There are touchpoints between the two stories – sometimes repetitions of the same events with a slight shift of context or perspective, very cleverly done. And I never lost track of which of Bea’s lives I was reading for an instant – although the way the stories slowly converge could have made things difficult. The author’s confidence and the firm grip she has on the story is flawless – I was entirely involved throughout, engaged at every level, and hoping for a happy ending. And it’s a book that makes you think too – about fate and destiny, the possibility of change, the impact of decisions, and the different paths sometimes leading to the same conclusion.