Together by Christmas is not your typical Christmas story, and anyone going into it should be aware of this and manage their expectations. This is certainly not a criticism, as I loved this book from picking it up.

The story follows Lee, a former war photographer who has settled in Amsterdam with her son, Jasper. Having witnessed plenty of horrific scenes, Lee is understandably cautious about who she spends time with, where she goes and what relationships she has. There are a cast of characters and two different timelines but the book and different aspects of the mystery and story are easy to follow and cleverly interlinked. I loved seeing Lee’s relationship with her son and also how her acquaintance with Sam developed.

It’s difficult to write a detailed review without giving much away, so I will just say that I really enjoyed this and will certainly read more of Karen Swan’s novels (having read The Hidden Beach in the summer). Although it isn’t overtly Christmassy, the book is definitely festive whilst still covering difficult and uncomfortable topics. I loved learning more about Sinterklaas and Dutch traditions, as well as Elfstedentocht which can only run on certain years when the ice is thick enough!

Many thanks to Tandem Collective and Pan Macmillan for including me in the readalong and for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so wonderfully written. I look forward to adding the latest Karen Swan book to my Christmas shelf. The covers are always so enticing and the stories draw you in, never wanting to put the book down.
Lee is living in Amsterdam after life as a photographer in War zones. She has a little boy and is now making a living taking photos of celebrities.
I loved the mix of the christmas traditions for her son weaving into her working life alongside her troubled memories from her times in very dangerous situations.
I really wanted to be able to keep reading this one forever!

This is not your average Karen Swan book...not that there's anything wrong with that, in fact I love it but this is next level!
Lee is a photographer living in Amsterdam with her 5 year old son. She was previously a war photographer and her time in Syria has scarred and traumatised her.
There are some light parts to the story around a new relationship between Lee and author, Sam but even that has some unexpected moments.
I thought I knew what to expect from a Karen Swan book but she has proven me wrong!
I did a complete 360 with this book - at first it made me feel uncomfortable and `I avoided picking it up and then it sucked me in and I couldn't put it down!
Definitely not a light-hearted festive read but I loved it!

Another beautifully written story by the fantastic Karen Swan. I can honestly say I have loved every single one of this authors books and this was no exception. It was a little different maybes but has such a touching yet also quite sad storyline. The colourful characters and intriguing settings always have me looking out for more from Karen Swan.

Another good Christmas story by Karen Swan. We are in Amsterdam where Lee lives with her son Jasper. He is her whole world and they are surrounded by a nice bunch of friends who are like family to them.. Lee was a war photographer and this part of her life continues to have a strong impact on her. A series of events changes the fragile balance of Lee’s life and Christmas ends up looking very different than expected. Karen Swan brings together the serious topic of post traumatic stress, a bunch of interesting characters, beautiful and atmospheric Amsterdam, the famous elfstedentocht race in Friesland, the Dutch celebration of Sinterklaas, plenty of Christmas spirit and a nice Christmas day. A nice book with a positive end. Perfect for a cosy session on the sofa in these strange times of pandemic.
Thank you to NetGalley, PanMcMillan and the author for the opportunity to read this book on an advance readers copy.
#TogetherByChristmas #NetGalley

Together by Christmas by Karen Swan, has a gorgeous wintery cover image, and I picked it up thinking that it was going to be a lovely, cosy, Christmassy love story. But I was only partially right. Because this is a book that has so many layers, so many different strands of storyline, some of which are very gritty and some deeply moving. It’s 3 or 4 love stories really, and so so much more. I genuinely Could. Not. Put. It. Down! It’s absolutely brilliant.

Set largely in Amsterdam, we meet well-known photographer Lee and her 5 year old son Jasper. Lee is likeable, successful and independent, the intense love she has for her son driving everything she does. She doesn’t really do relationships and she’s happy with her life just as it is.

When she meets Sam, everything feels a little bit different and for the first time Lee seems to have met her match. But her past is full of secrets and her present is full of Jasper, friends and photography. She isn’t at all sure that she wants to get involved. As we hop back and forth between 2 timelines we discover more and more about Lee’s fascinating history, the true nature of her relationship with best friend Harry and the significance of her previous career. And it’s not at all what I expected in the most wonderful, absorbing way!

I could wax lyrical all day about how much I loved this book but I don’t want to give too much away. What I can say is that the wintery Amsterdam setting is fabulous, the characters are all wonderful, and the way that the many different strands of plot are woven together is so clever. I loved the little snippets of Dutch culture that were thrown in, and I’m now desperate to plan a Netherlands trip. The other main location setting did not seem so appealing, but was no less vividly drawn (I’m saying no more!).

If you’re looking for a fluffy, Christmassy romance novel then this is not it. But if you’re after a gripping, well-written, unputdownable seasonal read then you can do no better than to get yourself hold of a copy of Together by Christmas. With thanks to Pan Macmillan for gifting me a digital copy for review

Ever since I participated on the Tandem Collective readalong for the Hidden Beach, I knew I would be reading more books by Karen Swan. This is my third book so far, and I am still eager to read more from her. Her writing is so captivating! So when the team at Tandem Collective , together with the team at Pan Macmillan asked me to participate to the readalong for Together By Christmas, I immediately said yes!

Synopsis:

Together By Christmas is set in Amsterdam. When Lee first came here, she had a newborn baby and a secret. Five years later, Jasper is a big boy, and Lee’s photography career is a big success. They are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with their close friends, but something unexpected happens.

Lee finds a book in her bicycle basket. And inside the book – a cry for help. Who left it there for her, and why? Lee feels the need to help and tracks down the author of the book, Sam. What she doesn’t expect though, is an instant connection with him, and a possible future. Something she has actively been running away from.

And when everything appears to be going in the right direction, Lee’s old secret comes back to haunt her. And right in time for Christmas. Suddenly, her whole life she built in Amsterdam is on the verge of collapsing. Will Christmas be able to make it all better?

My Thoughts:

Together By Christmas is not your typical Christmas story. The Hidden Beach and the Greek Escape are both set in summer, so this is the first Christmas book I read by Karen Swan. And it was exactly what I hoped it would be. The writing was beautiful, and the plot twists kept coming. It kept me on the edge until the very end.

Lee is a very complicated character and it took me a while to warm up to her. I could immediately feel the consequences of her trauma, and could understand her fear of getting attached to people. Her passion for photography is explained so well, and her love towards her son is so strong and beautiful to witness.

“As a pack race, humans have to see in order to believe and that includes photographers with both a power and a responsibility to use their craft wisely. Photographs have the power to change the world – they can spark a protest, a riot, a revolution. It is the truth in photography that keeps us all connected, keeps us accountable -“

I love that the book is set in Amsterdam, during winter. I have been to Amsterdam and the Netherlands many times, but never during winter, so this was a wonderful experience for me. The descriptions are so vivid and I felt I was there. It was wonderful to find out about Sinterklaas, as well as The Elfstedentocht – the famous ice-skating race. I also enjoyed the Stroopwafels and smiled every time they were mentioned in the book.

I loved Jasper so much! He was my favourite character in the book! For his age, he behaved so maturely and was able to emotionally understand and support his mum, which really helped her during her struggles. His excitement was so contagious! Whenever he would get excited over little things, it would make me melt.

“If we’re going to make meaningful change in our society, then we can’t keep on turning the other cheek.”

Even though I have mixed opinions about certain scenes and actions, I really enjoyed this book. And considering that this is a book about second chances, I will let this slip. It’s the perfect book to set you into a Christmas mood. Perhaps because it’s moderately Christmassy, so it won’t be too much too soon. It had beautiful Christmas scenes, a wonderful mother-son relationship, trauma, mystery and a very heartwarming romance as well. I definitely recommend it.

Another wonderful romantic book by Karen Swan. Christmas, both Dutch and English traditions, interweave throughout this book bringing together romance, tragedy and complicated families. If you love Karen’s previous books you’ll enjoy this one too. Once or twice I just wanted to get to the end to discover the ending, would it be cheesy or not?. Thanks to Karen for keeping us guessing and to NetGalley in exchange for the review.

A captivating read by this author, karen is always a fvaourite for me to read but this book happens to be her best yet in my eyes, everytime i said one chapter i eneded up reading for another hour and i never got anything done.
I always love how she describes her charcaters in full, Lee was the main character who was a photographer, and a very caring woman whether she knew you or not she would always help you if you needed it.
Its a novel that brings all the emotions into thought, we have love, loss, friendship, family, war, guilt courage, everything was touched upon with great orthodox and amazing writing, I read this when my concentration wasnt great and it gripped me so much, i was loving it.
thank you to karen swann, the publishers and netgalley for this book for an honest review.

Karen Swan somehow manages to combine a Christmas book full of the usual festive touches, along with gritty and serious storylines. Her books are so well written and researched they are head and shoulders above the usual fluffy Christmas books. They have depth and multiple storylines to them - much more than just mince pies and hot chocolate under a twinkling Christmas tree.

I always enjoy the fact she sets her books in different parts of the world, so as Together by Christmas is set in Amsterdam, we get to learn all about Dutch Christmas/Winter traditions.

This book does touch upon some heavy subjects - such as the war in Syria, PTSD - so may not be the book for you if you just want a lighthearted read of pure escapism.

I loved it and would thoroughly recommend. It’s full of descriptions of Amsterdam in Winter; frosty snow covered cobbled streets, icy canals, warm inviting coffee shops, glowing lights, complex characters, multiple interconnecting storylines and twists and turns galore, Together by Christmas is a fascinating and engaging read.

With many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Pan for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I struggled to get into this book, I don't know why as it's wonderfully written, so it took me longer to read as I could only read short paragraphs at a time. Until I got to about half way through the book and something just clicked and from there I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

Lee lives in Amsterdam with her son Jasper she's now a sought after photographer but was once a war photographer, she has a small group of friends and doesn't need a man to complicate her life until she meets Sam.

Not just a romance there's a lot going on in this book and I like the glimpse into Dutch culture. The added mystery of the "please help" message brought another element to the story along with the flashbacks to her previous career. The way it was all interwoven was clever and holds your interest.

I'm glad I persevered with it as it turned out to be an entertaining read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

A great read with a few twists and turns. Not really that christmasy but I did enjoy the book and the characters

Wonderful. Lee is a successful photographer living in Amsterdam. she is haunted by her past as a war photographer in Syria. Despite her love for her 5 year old son and close friends, she is not happy. Is there any way she can put her past behind her and learn to love ? Compelling reading. Loved it.

Well this was not the Christmas story that I was expecting to read! The story seems to have a lot of themes running through at the beginning and I wasn’t sure how to they would tie up and relate together, if at all.
The story is told through the eyes of Lee, the single mother, a former Pulitzer winner for her war photography, now resides in Amsterdam with her son Jasper.
The characters that are mentioned and introduced all play their integral part.
This book will have you gasping, have you reaching for the tissues, leave you gobsmacked and you can’t help but be caught with the adrenaline filled scenes.
Drinking egg nog and singing carols, this is not, but it sure is a must read!

I really couldn’t get into this book I’m afraid. The first few chapters just didn’t match what I was expecting from the blurb and I felt I had no interest in the subject matter. It started with one thread then skipped to something different and was all a bit secretive, which I didn’t like. Sorry

Karen Swan does Christmas very well, and seeing a display of her books in the supermarket reminded me it was time for me to post my review of her latest. Set in Amsterdam in December, this follows the life of a photographer, and her search for a mysterious man. Highly enjoyable, the Dutch Christmas traditions are well described, and the feelgood factor is high with this one.

Not the 'Christmas' story I was expecting, and it had me hooked right from the start. It really could be read at any time of the year. Sadness, yet lots of happiness too. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend.

This Christmas novel is set in Amsterdam and I particularly enjoyed experiencing the Dutch festive traditions. The story is well researched and written with good honest characters that I couldnt help but become attached to.
Learning of Lees past as a photojournalist and what she endured with her fellow colleague and war correspondent friend Harry Cunningham is central to this story, as is Lees relationship with her beloved son Jasper. Lee is fortunate that she has a strong circle of friends who are a cherished support network as they are called on regularly.
A fabulous unique story that had me hooked from the start. My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC this is my own thoughts on Together By Christmas.

This is a very different Christmas romance book to the usual. It is a gripping tale with several sub plots besides being a roller coaster of a read. The characters are strong with a real depth with some very serious issues around them, particularly in the main character Lee with her colourful past as a war photographer. Set in Amsterdam in the weeks leading up to Christmas which is depicted well and very atmospheric.. A compassionate book with an huge amount of understanding and respect for others

What a very different Karen Swan book this is. I wasn't expecting the story line at all, but became completely involved quite quickly.
Lee is a photographer, used to coping in wartorn places, used to finding angles and views of the situations. Her time with her partner Cunningham in Turkey/Syria is so well described, raw, noisy , hot and dangerous. Going into a potentially dangerous situation with Cunningham, she is wounded . The sum of these wounds is not revealed till later in the book and is pretty horrific.
She settles back in Amsterdam, with her child, Jasper, where we feel Christmas in all the wonderful descriptions of markets, decorated streets, food etc.
The plot has many twists , and needs careful following. There are unexpected appearances.
Lee is an immensely strong character, likeable and feisty. Her relationships are , to say the least, interesting.
Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book, it was well worth reading.