Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a Karen Swan novel! The story follows three sisters, Ottie, Pip and Willow, with three very different lives. Their father is Declan Lorne, the last knight in Ireland and who owns Lorne Castle. If you’re looking for a twee Christmas novel full of tinsel and mince pies then this isn’t it. But what you do get is a book jam packed with secrets, accidents and good old fashioned falling in love. If you’re lucky enough to wake up with this in your stocking on Christmas morning I don’t think you’d be disappointed. Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to review this book.

Karen Swan never disappoints. This time I had difficulty engaging with the characters, even though they were really well written! I struggled to the end. Unfortunately, this book is just not for me but I can see others finding it exactly what they love!

I have read most of Karen Swans book and have enjoyed them, unusual stories with great locations. The Christmas Lights is one of my favourites.
Sadly this one disappointed me, it was ok but felt like a typical chick lit Irish novel. That’s not a bad thing but I usually expect more from this author.

This is one of those stories that you don’t want to end! I’ve been so caught up in the lives of the Lorne family that I couldn’t resist reading at every opportunity.

I loved how all three sisters are so different with their distinct personalities and characteristics. Ottie, trying to live up to all that comes with being the firstborn, hiding her own secret that has kept her pinned in place (when she should be spreading those wings); Pip, headstrong with a big secret dream and whose actions have a devastating effect on her; Willow, the baby of the family with knowledge of a secret that shuts down her emotions and keeps everyone at a distance. Despite their underlying secrets, the bonds that have grown since childhood are still very much in evidence. Unusually for me I didn’t have a favourite, finding myself getting so emotionally attached to all three as the story unfolds.

I enjoyed the community on the Lorne estate. Taigh has his work cut out for him for sure! The landscape is rugged and windswept, perfect for Bertie to use as part of his Ultra race and a great way to bring Ben into the story. Connor – the anti-hero whose role is more than the buyer of the castle …

The pop-up Christmas Party is the perfect setting for those secrets to come into the light of day. A few tense scenes that made me feel anxious! Loved the conflict and the truths.

I thought there were a few important messages – about relationships, manipulation, perceptions and judgements.

I loved the ending. Sometimes those ends need tying up and this was one of them. Perfection.

The Christmas Party explores the very emotional life event of how the death of a loved one turns everything on its head and the reluctance of having to let go and move into a different future. Another outstanding read from one of my favourite authors. Highly recommended.

I really struggled to get into The Christmas Party. I was quickly disinterested and felt I could not get into this so I gave up. Sorry not for me.

As a long time fan of Karen Swan I was very much looking forward to her latest book The Christmas Party but I'm sorry to say this didn't wholly work for me. It's not bad and I suspect there may be an element of it being me rather than the story but I struggled to get into it and just never seemed to connect.

Swan's writing is as wonderful as always and it's an intriguing premise, a family at war over an inheritance, the uncovering of secrets and long term resentments. Unfortunately however I couldn't quite find a character I was invested in and with the exception of youngest sister Willow, who I did have some sympathy for, I'm not sure I liked them.

With characters I found it hard to like I was probably always going to have problems really enjoying this story and I certainly found it difficult to get into in the first half. I also found myself becoming frustrated with the whole family secret thing. I'm afraid the constant references to it and hints about what it could be were more annoying rather than intriguing and I just wanted it to be revealed so we could get on with the other elements of the book. I was itching for a big confrontation between the characters but instead there's lots of silences and avoiding each other. 

Once the characters started speaking their minds and the secrets were revealed the story became so much more engaging. I very much enjoyed the way the different threads came together and I came to like many of the characters. I just wish it hadn't taken quite so long to get to that stage.

One thing I did love about this story was the setting on the rugged South West Coast of Ireland and I thought the author did a wonderful job of making you feel like you were there. I also really loved the idea of this grand old castle that's fallen into disrepair. There's also a little bit of romance in there which was definitely a highlight. I probably would have preferred it if the author had put more focus on that side of the story and less on the family secrets.

Overall therefore this was an okay read for me. I may have struggled to get into it but it certainly picked up towards the end and while it did frustrate me in places there were things to love about it, it certainly hasn't put me off picking up the author's next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy. This in no way influenced my review.

On the 26th November at Lorne Castle Serena and Declan Lorne - Declan the last knight of Ireland - celebrate their 30th anniversary with a great party. Quickly after, tragedy strikes - Declan dies. Willow, the youngest sister, is summoned to come home from Dublin where she now lives, estranged from the family, however she's not able to arrive on time, before her father's death. Then another shock follows - Declan's will. The three sisters: Willow, Pip and Ottie, and their mother, must now face up to new challenges, trying to come to terms with the new situation, their past and hidden secrets that are going to rise to the surface during the Christmas Party - a send off to their castle.

As usual, the characters were perfectly drawn and the three sisters were brilliantly different. all of them strong in their own way but with flaws and weaknesses and making mistakes as well. I think Pip was closest to my heart, simply because she's crazy about horses and would do anything for her animals, but what I also loved in her was that she was feisty and stubborn, sometimes too much. Ottie seemed to be the calmer out of the three sisters but it turned out that probably she was the one with the biggest secret that could have devastating consequences. I enjoyed her journey throughout the story, loved seeing her changing and eventually see the light, realising herself and for herself that she's worth much more, because I hated to see her like a shadow of herself, living in lie and in wait. But I also had a feeling, the more I got to know her, that she really knew that what she was doing was wrong and this is what made her so withdrawn. The youngest Willow also struggles with a secret, and even though I was suspecting something, the truth hit me unexpectedly around the head. She was fierce and fiery and we know that something wrong happened and pushed her to leave her home three years ago, to cut family ties. The guilt of coming too late to tell the last goodbye to her father was present throughout the whole story and she needed the closure so much. All three, back home after their father's death, were forced to work out their differences and learn how to trust each other again, which brings us to three very different storylines, told in distinctive and strong voices.

Again, the setting was incredibly beautiful. I loved the Irish castle, the descriptions of its surroundings, the wild nature in winter so atmospherically captured and vividly brought to us by the author. It's a perfect backdrop to this story, a character on its own. I liked how the author highlighted the problems and troubles of having such a financial burden in the family, the guilt of not being able to keep the castle as intact and perfect as it deserved. The writing style is beautiful, evocative and well turned. The banter was quick, sharp and entertaining, and written in a way that I could hear the Irish lilt in characters' voices. The dialogues were rich and eloquent and flew smoothly, making the interactions dynamic and the reading even more captivating.

So what can say, other than I simply totally enjoyed this story? Yes, it was a slow - burner and the things cumulated throughout the whole story to resolve quickly - almost exploding - at the end. It is then that all the various and different threads neatly weave themselves together and everything becomes clear. But it was well worth waiting for this end, it left me surprised and also shocked, to be honest, but this is what I was expecting from this book and from this author, so all's well that ends well.

There is actually a lot going on in this book and there is everything to keep you glued to the pages: betrayal and hope, love and hate, fun and sadness, grief, uncertainty and tension. It was a captivating and engrossing story about family, with a mystery at the heart of the plot, romance, heartbreak, tension and living and breathing characters that feel vulnerable, strong and very genuine. The Christmas theme was lacking for me, and the highly anticipated Christmas Party took place at the end, and even though it was explosive it felt too undermined. Nevertheless, the book was full of warmth and sentiments, felt a little bit nostalgic as well, and for me it was a brilliant and engaging read. Another winner from Karen swan that I highly recommend!

Took me a while to get into this as there are several plot lines but once I did I really enjoyed it. Characters were great and the setting of the castle was beautiful. A great Christmas read.

Yet another great book by Karen Swan. Must for Christmas lovers. I always pick a book from her at this time of the year.

Full of dark secrets, family heartbreak and hard decisions to make for the future. Adored this book and characters.

What a lovely Christmas-sy read! Complex characters and an unusual plot twist or three make this novel very more-ish. And, I cried through most of the final chapter. Very well written, it's a yes please to second helpings from me please Karen Swan.

Such a well written book, packed full of emotion from laughter to tears. This is a must read but be prepared to be totally sucked into the story

Well I now know why The Sunday Times called Karen Swan a best seller because she is an amazing author. I loved this book from start to finish. Although totally fictional this book also delivers on accurate story telling about life in Ireland and a family dealing with living in a castle and all the practical realities that it brings. Characters are fun and believable and the different sisters being different qualities and characteristics. Thanks Karen Swan and NetGalley.

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Who doesn't love a Karen Swan novel? They're always so readable and even more so as now we are being treated to two books a year, one published in the Summer and one set in or around the festive period. All Karen's books have such fabulous covers and I particularly love this new one as I think it really sums up the themes in the book, and it also gets you excited as to who the girl is and what exactly may or may not go down at the Christmas party mentioned in the title? This latest festive offering – The Christmas Party- is set in Ireland and I was keen to see in what direction Karen would take the story.

I hoped the characters wouldn't be too clichéd like the way Irish people are often portrayed on TV but no thank god Karen has once again written another great read that has lots of emotion and depth as one family battles to reconcile with the fact that their beloved father has gone. But also that the last knight of the Lorne estate Declan has left the place in disarray given that the youngest sister has inherited the majority share when really she had become the rogue and the exile of the family. Things are very uncertain for the Lorne family and as each of the three sisters grapple with their own personal secrets combined with what is going on with the family as a whole this makes for an interesting and entertaining read.

It's mentioned at the beginning that the author writes deep complicated love stories within twisty plots and The Christmas Party is certainly no exception. The story opens as a letter slips from a book, being described as a threat she cannot see, there is weight tucked away in the words and now a game has been set in motion and this woman must run. On the 26th November at Lorne Castle in Kilmally, a party is being thrown to celebrate Declan and Serena's 30th anniversary. But tragedy strikes as Declan falls ill. Willow, the estranged sister last seen three years ago, is called back from Dublin. She is fiery and unpredictable but something significant caused her to leave the estate and her family behind vowing never to return. She reaches Cork too late to say sorry to her father for what occurred in the past and this guilt will eat at her but when all is revealed that in fact it is Willow who has now been left the castle and the vast majority of the estate this sets in motion a surprising chain of events.

Willow was known in the family as the pariah, the one who left on bad terms. No reconciliation occurred, no kind words were uttered so why has she seemed to be selected as the chosen one? Sisters Ottie and Pip can't understand and maybe underneath it all they are hiding resentment that they weren't the chosen or preferred daughter. After all weren't they the ones who stood by their parents especially as times had been getting tough in terms of running the estate. Yes they had been left what their father deemed suitable for the needs, wants and aspirations but still it hurts a little to know the person who ran and the youngest seems to be the daughter of choice.

Willow herself is soon faced with a tough decision, as the family is broke the castle can't be kept and soon she may be forced to sell. Why was she the one given the home that she rejected and abandoned that has now caused such a burden. It's like a punishment of sorts for her. I thought her overall storyline was interesting and it showed the many conundrums she faced and looked at them from all sides of the coin. It's difficult for Willow to reconcile the past with the present when such an important figure is gone from her life and the last time they spoke it resulted in the estrangement. When someone provides a get out clause for Willow will it give her the escape route she has longed for or will love and family have a greater role to play?

The three sisters all have three distinct storylines and to be honest they keep an awful lot hidden from each other. The entire situation combined with their own individual issues and problems pushes them to breaking point. Clearly, they weren't a family who were used to getting everything out in the open. Ottie in particular, if her secret had been revealed it would have had devastating consequences for all involved. Yet she was the one above the other two whom I felt was struggling the most. She was totally enraptured by something in her life but yet that something really wasn't good for her as it led to her being a shadow of her former self and having to lie about what she was doing or where she was going. I felt like she retreated into her shell given the burden of keeping things secret.

Deep down Ottie knew what she was doing was wrong and really she felt like she couldn't share what she was experiencing with anyone. Running the camp site gave her an outlet and she got to meet many people especially when the Ultra Marathon took place on Lorne land. This marathon fuelled Ottie's storyline even further and I just knew at some stage she really was going to have to face the reality of her situation and make a decision. Something stark and shocking needed to occur to make her sit up and realise that life was short and that happiness in the right form should be grabbed with both hands that she should no longer hide it or bundle it up. No longer should her own ambitions and true happiness be suppressed. But if she takes the bull by the horns and admits the truth of what has being going on will it have even more of a devastating impact on the family than what has already come to the surface?

Pip, the sister who loved horses and had her own stables, had perhaps the weakest storyline out of the many running through the book. I just didn't warm to her that much. She wanted to get into developing thoroughbred race horses but didn't have the financial means to do so and to attempt to get what she needed she made the ultimate sacrifice but it didn't work out the way she had planned to. I felt a lot of the time she was a bit maudlin and that nothing really exciting happened with her. I connected with her the least out of all the characters and in my mind she wasn't the most memorable.

As we neared the conclusion the party of the title comes into play and we slowly start to see the various strands of the story weave themselves together. The opening pages play a very important role and things begin to make sense. I was surprised and shocked about what was revealed and all that had gone before really started to make sense and I thought yes Karen Swan has lived up to her reputation of writing twisty novels with plenty of romance thrown in too. It was all really quite cleverly done and that The Christmas Party does make for a very good read and one just that little bit different from the usual run of the mill romance Christmas stories of which there are so many on offer.

I couldn’t put this book down, the reader is drawn in from the beginning and I enjoyed every page. The story took the reader to Ireland, to the Lorne family, the last knight left in Ireland .. He has three daughters and the story covers their lives after his death.
All the characters are strong and well portrayed but also flawed. The story flows well, with many twists and turns to the story , many unexpected to the reader. There is lots of drama and intrigue- it’s a book you don’t want to end. I would highly recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan , and Karen Swan for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This may be an unpopular opinion but I didn't really like this book. I felt the characters were too clichéd and the ending too twee for me.
A nice idea bit just didn't do it for me

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I'd read this book at any other time of year, or the title was different, I'd give this book 5*s. I love Karen Swan's books. They're well written, easily readable and such page turners. But her recent Christmas books just haven't been Christmassy enough for me. I want a Christmas book to punch me in the face with all the festivities, and this book just doesn't do that. Apart from some caroling, the epilogue is the most Christmassy part of this novel.

I started this book after completing a previous Christmas themed book, where the story followed a very formulaic pattern and which I didn’t particularly enjoy. I was hoping to find something with a bit more plot and characterisation to it - and Karen Swan delivered.
This is my first encounter with a Karen Swan book, but I’d happily read more. It taps into the Christmas book market with the title, but shouldn’t be limited within that genre as Christmas is definitely not a major strand in the book.
Three sisters who have been privileged to grow up in an ancient, but sadly now crumbling castle, find themselves at the reading of their father’s will. The will is unexpected, and forces each of the women to make some life changing decisions. The female characters were well written, and though their story arcs were predictable, there were plenty of interesting and occasionally surprising twists between start and finish.
An easy read, with engaging characters. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of The Christmas Party in exchange for an honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Yes, the plot is predictable in parts but I forgive that because of the beautiful written story. The characters are believable and each likeable in their own way. I was transported to the Irish castle in all its glory and loved the way that all loose ends were tied up. Thoroughly recommended.

A brilliantly festive read about family, secrets, forgivness and love. Perfect for getting everyone in the festive spirit!

A tale of family secrets that slowly emerge following a family bereavement.The three sisters struggle with letting go of the past. A great location mixed with lots of Christmas cheer make this a great Christmas read.