Member Reviews

This was a nice read, although in August it still gave a nice Christmassy feel, i liked the way the character had to make choices and how it followed those choices, with the "go" and "stay" it sometime did get confusing but overall a nice read.

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Bea is on a plane to New York just before Christmas, contemplating whether to start a new life in the Big Apple or stay behind. She's leaving a strained relationship with her live-in boyfriend, who suffers from depression, and is unsure if she should move forward with her own life. On the flight, she meets a man she nicknames Paddy, who keeps his real name a secret, hinting that it's something people have laughed at in the past. The story alternates between two parallel timelines: Bea’s life at home and her life in New York, leaving the reader to wonder which is real and which will work out.

This novel is praised for its unique and clever premise, seamlessly blending two possible realities. It explores the idea that life’s path can be shaped by fate, with unexpected twists leading to different outcomes. The book is a life-affirming romance, reassuring readers that the right things happen for the right reasons, even if they don't align with initial expectations. The story is well-crafted, Christmas-themed, and emotionally gripping, making it a memorable read that’s difficult to put down.

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Last Christmas by Clare Swatman is a beautiful dual timeline novel that I really loved.
The novel takes place during the first decade of the twenty first century. The reader drops in on each Christmas as well as having a bitesize catch up for the previous year.
Last Christmas is a novel with a difference as we experience a sliding doors moment. When faced with a life changing decision would we choose path A? Or path B? Would the final outcome be the same? Or totally different? Both paths take similar but different routes. The novel alternates between ‘Go’ and ‘Stay’.
The choices run parallel. The leading players are the same but the choices provide some very different outcomes.
This is a novel about love and life, family and friendship, and the choices we make.
Dividing time between London and New York, the reader ‘experiences’ two very different Christmases. There is no doubt that snow, lights and Central Park definitely produce the more romantic of the two options to the reader. Weighed against that is the small family Christmases in London. Where would you choose to spend Christmas?
We witness the awful disease that is Alzheimer’s. We see how a family pull together.
Within the novel we ‘mourn’ a passing and we ‘celebrate’ a birth.
Last Christmas is a delightful read with an eclectic mix of characters. It is a festive read that will warm your heart and entertain you whatever ever time of year you read it.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

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Thank you so much for letting me read last christmas early.
I absolutely adored last christmas, how we get to follow bea (Beatrice) through out the years in the lives she decided to move her life to New York and the version where she changed her mind to stay home after all.

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Clare Swagman is a brilliant writer that bring her characters to life on the pages. Bea is a wonderful character and you can't help get immersed in her story, wanting her to live her best life. The story flits between London and New York, it encompasses love, friendship and family, it's emotional and romantic. A perfect winter read.

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Bea Preston stands at a crossroads in Heathrow airport, torn between two futures. As Christmas looms, Bea faces the ultimate decision: stay in London, where life feels predictable, or take a leap into the unknown by boarding a flight to New York. Perfect for anyone who has ever wondered how a single decision could shape their destiny, this book is a delightful holiday read filled with heart and thought-provoking twists.

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Claire Swatman is a hit-or-miss author for me I enjoyed The World Outside My Window and A Love to Last a Lifetime but I found The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright lacking. I picked this one up as a Christmas in July read but I got so behind it ended up as a Christmas and August book but that's okay because this really isn't a Christmas book. Each chapter takes place in December of every year from 2002 to 2010 but that's it as far as Yuletide goes. The book is about Bea and whether she goes to live in New York or not also which man does she end up with Dom or AJ? The chapters alternate between Stay and Go...it's very reminiscent of the Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Doors.

The book was okay I just wish I liked it more because the premise was wonderful and Clare Swatman managed to keep each chapter fresh, a lot of times books like this can feel redundant. The problem I had with the story was our female lead, Bea, why couldn't she just be on her own? She left England because of sexual harassment and not feeling fulfilled in her relationship, she should have just worked on herself. Secondly in both scenarios, she keeps flip-flopping back and forth between two men. Love triangles make me feel so frustrated and reading about these two men suffering at this woman's hands just made me angry.

What I really did like and loved was Bea's relationship with her best friends, that was the best part of the whole book, the relationship she had with these people and how they were always there for each other gave me all the feels. The ending was a little too neat and tidy for my liking in both scenarios. I like a happily ever after as much as the next person but these were just too perfect. I would have preferred one of them not working out quite so well. I'm assuming the author was trying to make a point about the fact that no matter what we do destiny will always decide our fate.

Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the authors others it was still a good book in my opinion and I would read another by Ms. Swatman. If you haven't read anything by her I suggest you start with The World Outside My Window or A Love to Last a Lifetime

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Will she or wont she? When Bea decides to leave ebverything she knows and move to New York she could not know the outcome. In this story we find out two different versions. One if she did and one if she decided not to get on the plane. I enjoyed the book but did find it confusiong at first as we tracked back and forth. I am sure though others will love this format and will not be able to put it down.

Both lives pan out and Bea gets her future and we get two stories.

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Bea is at a crossroads in her life and must decide to stay in an unhappy relationship in London with her boyfriend or make a new start for herself in New York.
The story is told with two different outcomes one in which she gets on the plane to New York and the other where she stays at home.
There were some likeable characters in this book and some interesting developments.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

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3.5 stars rounded up to 4
A few days before Christmas 2002 Bea is in Heathrow Airport about to fly to N.Y.C. to see if she could make a life there. She has left her fiance Dom behind and both he and her mom try to get her to change her mind. The book tells two stories of how Bea's live will develop if she gets on the plane or turns around. We get two summaries each Christmas about the developments of the past year until Christmas 2010.
In each version Bea goes to New York (eventually) and meets A.J. who could be the love of her live but somehow she keeps going back to London and to Dom. It seems like Bea just can't decide and thus will never be truly happy.
I found the book entertaining and the idea of how one decision can change the course of a life appealed to me. However I had problems relating to Bea, her behaviour completely annoyed me at some points. Also I felt the story dragged on a bit too long and had too many plot twists. All in all it was a pleasant book but not a must-read for me.

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Wow this is two stories in one. Gripped you. Bea had decisions to make and you follow both choices over the years. Covers depression and dementia and letting go of someone but no spoilers. A beautiful love story too. Hard to review but another Saturday afternoon escapism read. Enjoyed it

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If you loved sliding doors then this is the Christmas book for you. I
Struggled to get into it but this book has kept me company through a nasty bout of norovirus and I will forever be great full for it. I loved reading about New York in the festive series and this was a really sweet great read. I loved the friendships, the fun, the nightlife and the relationships and the drama. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed reading this book! It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Such a cute and unique read that made me feel all the feels. I didn’t want to put it down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

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This is a lovely book but I wouldn't say its a Christmas novel more a novel that begins at Christmas. I enjoyed the characters and the 'what if' element. Although I felt a little like you never discovered which path was the one Bea really took. I would recommend it.

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I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Having read previous books by this author I was looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed. It had great characters and the way the story was told was really good, I would definitely recommend it.

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The book starts with the main character Bea at the airport about to fly to America. When her phone rings and her boyfriend begs her to stay she faces a dilemma of whether to stay or go. The subsequent chapters alternate between each decision in a "Sliding Doors" type storyline.
I really thought I would love this book as Sliding Doors is one of my favourite films and I love storylines like this. However I found the dual storylines to be very confusing and I often lost track of what story I was reading. Nevertheless it was still quite an enjoyable read.

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Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.It tackles some serious issues surrounding depression and dementia.It is a story about love, heartbreak, friendships, and family.

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I love Clare Swatman's style of writing and this was a great sliding doors type of story of which I am a huge fan. Despite each chapter having stay or leave depending on the choice, at times I felt confused at which storyline I was following. All in all a good read, packed with emotion, for all those people who often wonder, what if?

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Last Christmas was unputtdownable! This story diverges over two timelines and shows both paths pf a huge life decision for several years over Christmas! It was so fun to see parallel plots unfolding!

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I enjoyed this sliding doors type story. It became a little confusing at times but I was eager to find out what happened in the end. I enjoyed this Author’s previous book immensely and was pleased to read another. Bea is the main character. She is unhappy in her long term relationship and decides she would like to follow her dreams of going to New York. At the airport she has doubts. Should she go home or get on the plane. You must read it to find out what did happen and what might have been her life if she didn’t.

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