Published October 26th, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Festive Fiction, Romance Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance
Welcome to my review for this charming Christmassy read and the first of our two Squadpod Book Club Books. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the copy of the book.
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SYNOPSIS:
‘There’s nothing quite like a Karen Swan novel to get you in the festive mood – Seasonal escapism at its best’ – Woman & Home
Snowed in for the holidays, old truths rise to the surface. Christmas by Candlelight is a cosy Christmas story from Karen Swan, bestselling author of The Stolen Hours.
It’s three days before Christmas and starting to snow when high-flier Libby and her new boyfriend reluctantly attend her university reunion.
Hosted by Archie Templeton – the heartbreaker of their group – at his grand family estate in Yorkshire, the night is a great success until they go to leave: the road is now blocked with snow.
At first, being snowed in together is fun. But as hours pass everyone grows restless.
Then the power goes out . . .
Hunkered down together by candlelight, they reminisce about old times – and tensions soon start to rise. Secrets from the past begin to unravel and Libby is confronted with a truth she has long tried to deny.
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MY REVIEW:
Three days before Christmas Libby and her new boyfriend, Max, reluctantly make their way to a reunion with Libby’s university friends. She hasn’t seen them since they left Durham University nine years ago and has made excuses for every annual reunion and meet up. She is wracked with nerves at seeing them again but reassures herself it’s only for a few hours. The snow is already falling when they arrive at the family estate of the group’s heartbreaker, Archie, just outside Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Despite her apprehension, the night is a success, but when Libby and Max go to leave they discover the snow has fallen much harder than anyone realised and they are snowed in. At first they try to make the best of things and enjoy their extended visit, but after the power goes out and they are stranded without any way of contacting help, tensions rise, old hostilities flare, and long-held secrets are slowly revealed, forcing Libby to confront things she’s been running from for almost decade.
Christmas By Candlelight is one of the Squadpod Book Club books this month. Fun, uplifting, immersive and addictive, this is festive fiction at its finest. I started reading this in November and didn’t think I was quite ready to start my festive reading, but this was exactly what I didn’t know I needed and helped me get into the festive spirit. It warmed my heart, broke it, and then warmed it again as I lost myself in the story. The vivid descriptions of the snowy landscape and old estate adorned with decorations conjured up images of a scenic Christmas while also providing a feeling of claustrophobia that adds to the suspense and foreboding. Somehow, this was my first Karen Swan book. I’ve no idea how I’ve never read any of her books until now but this certainly won’t be my last.
The story is narrated by Libby and told in dual timelines: the Christmas reunion in the present day and the group’s final term at Durham University in 2014. The friends are an eclectic cast of fascinating characters and there’s a feeling of nostalgia that comes from their reminiscing and the flashbacks to university. As the outlier of the group, Libby was a great choice for narrator and was likeable, flawed and relatable. It’s clear from the start that there are secrets, old conflicts, tension, and unresolved bad blood between the friends which boils over as they are forced to live in close quarters without heat or power after being stranded by the snow. Yes, there is some cheesiness and predictability to the story, including a will-they-won’t-they romance, but this is expertly merged with the more serious aspects of the story and all a part of the book’s charm.
So if you’re looking for a charming Christmassy read that will warm you from the inside, I’d highly recommend this book.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year – one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and for winter, Christmas at Tiffany’s, The Christmas Secret and Together by Christmas.
Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.
Her historical series called The Wild Isle, is based upon the dramatic evacuation of the Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930.
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx
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