Karen Swan books are romances for people who think they don’t like romance. I say this because I am one of those readers who shunned the romance genre but Swan’s books have won me over to the light side. I am just about the crotchetiest reader you can imagine; I don’t like romance, I don’t like Christmas, I don’t like anything sappy and sweet but I have enjoyed several of her books in the past so I was excited to get my hands on this one. It is true that her books feature burgeoning romantic relationships and always have happy endings but they are also about so much more. For the first few I was surprised by just how engaging and interesting the plots were and how they kept me absorbed to the end. Now I expect to be engaged and entertained. “The Christmas Party” did not disappoint and managed to charm my cranky pants off!

In this book there isn’t just one strong, feisty female protagonist but three sisters who each have their own love interest, which means triple the relationship drama. These romances begin as mutual hate or at least a strong dislike and gradually morph into love. There is a lot of conflict and angst but I don’t think I’m spoiling anything to say that everything works out in the end, no matter how unlikely. There are happy endings all around and everything is neatly wrapped up with a bow like an early Christmas present. Swan’s books are feel -good stories and this one fits the bill very nicely.

Initially I didn’t really like two of the sisters. They seemed frivolous and spoiled and made very poor decisions. I guess they did grow up in a castle so spoiled and entitled comes with the territory. I didn’t mind Willow although I did wonder what her secret was. I assumed it was something terrible that was done to her and that she wasn’t at fault. The answer was a bit of a surprise as I didn’t expect what she was hiding. I thought it was something completely different and I was actually glad it wasn’t what I had assumed.

Through all the misunderstandings and disagreements it was a given that the relationships would work out in the end. This was a touch predictable and the path to a happy ending for two of the sisters followed what I suspected was going to happen for them but I was never bored watching it all unfold. Willow’s path was a bit more complicated and shocking and I enjoyed her journey very much. What a surprise her story turned out to be!

The ending is a bit of a tearjerker as the family has a touching moment after being surprised with thoughtful gifts from an unexpected source. If you don’t tear up at that final letter then your heart must be made of stone! This story is all about the unconditional love of family and it will leave you appreciating what you have and holding your loved ones a little closer.

Thank you Pan Macmillan for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

If you like a book that deals with family secrets, you'll love this one! Dealing with the death of their beloved father, surprises, secrets and romance are in store for three Irish sisters. Karen Swan delivers another great Christmas read!

The Christmas Party by Karen Swan is another decadent treat from an author who consistently delivers the sweeping family chronicles that we have come to expect. This is a story of family, long buried secrets, and the redemptive and healing powers of forgiveness, all wrapped up in a cozy package.

The last knight of Ireland has died unexpectedly, leaving his ancestral home, Lorne Castle, to the stewardship of his three daughters. Having lived their entire lives believing that they have failed their father by not being born the male heirs required to continue the lineage of the knighthood, Ottie, Pip, and Willow have struggled to find their own identities, and to reconcile their feelings about the ancestral home. When the bulk of the estate is left to youngest daughter Willow, a trove of family secrets is revealed, and Willow, along with her sisters, must make some difficult decisions about the future, and find a way to honour their father's legacy.

As per usual, Ms Swan has delivered an emotive and involving story of love and family, although I do feel that the Christmas theme was somewhat lacking. The epilogue, however, did succeed in capturing all of the warmth and sentimentality of the holidays.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC.

The Christmas Party is set in a small village in Southwest Ireland. It is the story of the Lorne family. When Declan Lorne dies, it is the end of an era. He was the last living knight in Ireland. Having three daughters, and no son, the Knighthood dies with him. Not only that, but 700 year old Lorne Castle is falling apart. With bad investments over the years, the Lorne family does not have the money needed for the costly repairs to the castle. His will leaves the castle to his youngest daughter Willow. She will have to sell the castle to save the family. This is the story of Willow, her sisters Ottie and Pip and her mother Serena. How do they live after Declan's death. Will the problems that have broken this family be solved? Will the sisters follow their hearts and their dreams? Will Serena survive without her beloved Declan?

The Christmas Party is a story of family, heritage and the massive financial burden of keeping an aging castle intact. It also deals with the guilt of not being born a male to inherit the family legacy. This is a character driven novel told through the eyes of the three strong but very different women. Ottie loved Lorne Castle and spent her days helping her father run the estate. She had a secret that caused her to become a recluse as well as give up on her dreams. Pip is the stubborn one, wanting to raise her horses and develop a stable of well-bred horses. This goal almost costs her her life. She also holds a grudge against someone that could cost her her happiness. Willow, the youngest Lorne, fled to Dublin three years earlier upset about something, but we don't know what it is until the end of the story. All three of these woman need to do a self-examination of their lives and feelings to be able to move forward in their lives. I really enjoyed seeing their relationships build with one another as the story progressed. The castle is another major player in this story that affects each of the women in certain ways and has them making various decisions that will change the path their lives take. Overall, this was a great story. It is about facing your past, facing your mistakes, following your dreams, being strong and standing up for yourself and loving and forgiving your family no matter what. All this and Christmas too. I definitely recommend this one.

This was such a great read. It had unexpected depths and the characters had so many issues to resolve, but the author didn't overwhelm the reader while balancing the intricacies of the story as a whole and each individual sister's life. It was an easy title to get lost in and felt satisfyingly complete by the final chapter. A good immersive read with romance and heartbreak and lots of feelings.

My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy of this title.