The book opens with Natasha on her hen do with some friends at a Centre Parcs. She is only a week away from getting married to Rob, who adores her and her life seems blessed. But she meets Tom and he confronts her about whether her feelings are true.

Then we move forward 4 years Natasha did marry Rob and they have a daughter Mabel. They are returning from an exotic holiday and stop over for a night in Vienna. But unfortunately Mabel's toy cow gets left behind.

Duffy stays in the same Air B&B a night later and ends up taking the toy.

Then the story gets really interesting as Duffy is off for an adventure and far away from England and not able to return the much loved stuffed toy.

Everything is rather complicated and not straight forward. Most of all Natasha's picture perfect life in Somerset is not that at all.

Natasha and Rob's make or break holiday doesn't last long when their daughters loved toy goes missing. It's discovered by Duffy who's travelling in Nepal. He starts sending postcards

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot - you will just have to read it for yourself to appreciate it!

This is an enjoyable easy read - at times heartwarming, at times heartbreaking too, but ultimately optimistic and uplifting. I enjoyed the story, loved the inclusion of VIenna (my favourite city in Europe), and the tension later in the book. I was very pleased by the ending.

There are some very well observed characters - some likeable, some definitely not so! I particularly loved Duffy, Nat and Mabel.

The plot underlines my long-held belief that sometimes fate intervenes - paths can cross for only a short time, but can leave lasting footprints in one's life. Sieze the day!

I've read several books by Karen Swan now, and enjoyed them all. Looking forward to reading more!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

When Natasha has to track down her beloved daughter's lost toy. She tracks it down to where they holidayed but the toy is now making another journey to take it further away. They are kept updated via a series of postcards. A friendship develops and it shows us how connections can be made in the strangest of circumstances. A beautifully written emotional read. Karen Swan at her best.

4.5 stars

I think this is a return to some of Karen's earlier books. For me she went off the boil a bit in the last few years. We meet Nats when she's on her hen do with friends at Center Parcs. She's having second thoughts, has suffered a couple of panic attacks and the fact that she feels attraction to one of the employees there doesn't help. We next meet her a few years later, there are fissures in her marrige and they then loose Mabel's favourite toy. After going onto social media and a bit of name dropping...often happens I find in Karen's books... the toy is tracked down in Nepal.
I guessed a lot of the twists and I was pleased that Natasha and Mabel got their HEA. I enjoyed the book and finished it at 1am in the morning! I would recommend this story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#TheChristmasPostcards by #KarenSwan

⏩for synopsis

This was a great little read albeit not very much to do with Christmas 😆

I really enjoyed the jumping timeline; going back and forth of Nats story and following Duffys journey in the Himalayas. I did guess all of the twists being honest, but I must say on the whole I still enjoyed watching it all unfold. There was a little point around 3/4 of the way through where the plot needed to get a move on, but that it did leading to a dramatic ending.

I found the characters to be realistic and relatable and very much enjoyed getting to know them and their story. The locations - especially in the Himalayas were very interesting with the authors knowledge shining through and definitely added something more to the book.

With thanks to the author, #panbooks and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one early! This one is OUT now!

-EMILY

@a the_book_girls_1

A heartwarming story that I read in one sitting. Well developed characters and engaging storyline. Not much to do with Christmas but a great story nonetheless.

Natasha and Rob are on their way home, along with their daughter, Mabel, from a holiday in the Maldives. To break their journey they stop off in Vienna to wait for their connecting flight. Mabel leaves her beloved soft toy behind, a cow named Moolah. It is found by a man named Duffy who takes it with him on his travels as a mascot. Mabel is distraught so Natasha enlists the help of social media, culminating in Duffy sending them photographic updates of Moolah’s journey. Unknown to both of them, Natasha and Duffy have a past….

This is a lovely heartwarming story. Although it’s set during the weeks preceding Christmas, it’s not a particularly festive tale. It’s a little deeper than that. It’s not all hearts and flowers as there is some sadness and heartbreak along the way. The characters felt very realistic and I was really immersed in their lives. Parts of the book are set on the Annapurna mountain range in Nepal - the author seems to have carried out her research extremely well. I have no knowledge about mountaineering but the weather conditions and the climbing activities are described superbly. It’s edge of your seat stuff! You wouldn’t catch me climbing that sort of mountain. 🥶. The other parts of this delightful book are set in Somerset and very picturesque it sounds, too. It’s a story of fate and misconceptions but ultimately it’s a story of love and what we do for that love. Loved it!

Absolutely loved this story which has so many questions for so long, impossible to put down and fantastically written!

I absolutely adored it. Full to the brim with Christmas, joy, spirit and wonder. A gorgeous love story with wonderful characters and a storyline guaranted to make you smile.

Another really great read from Karen Swan. I wouldn't say it had a particularly Christmassy feeling to it, although it is set around that time of year, it can really be read any time of the year.

The story flips between Natasha and Duffy, who have been linked because of a lost toy belonging to Natasha's daughter that Duffy finds and keeps as his lucky mascot on his journey, but who also unexpectedly find they know each other from a previous encounter a few years previously.

Both are struggling with their lives, Natasha with her marriage and Duffy with his life in general, trying to achieve something his mother and sister couldn't, but with not much regard for his life. But through his link with Natasha he starts having more of a will to live and it eventually completely changes his life.

The story is set in England, Vienna and The Himalayas, and whilst the main story is about Natasha and Duffy's interactions via email from England to the Himalayas, there is also the issue of Natasha's marriage, and a secret that comes out through a quirk of fate when Natasha is commissioned to paint a portrait of a horse for a new client. You just knew something odd was going on there! And yet another secret comes out later too, both of which I sort of guessed later in the book, but were really intriguing nonetheless.

Another thoroughly enjoyable read from Karen Swan with a really satisfying ending. Loved it!

Karen Swan is one of my favourite authors, I expected a good read and wasn’t disappointed. The story is about a toddler’s beloved toy going missing while on holiday. Natasha’s daughter Mabel can’t sleep without Moolah (her cherished toy), and Natasha is persuaded to use social media to desperately try and get Moolah back.
The story is told from two perspectives. Natasha, who is about to get married during her hen party suffers panic attacks while carrying out activities at Centre Parcs, she is helped by Tom. Later Duffy mysteriously finds Moolah and sends pictures while completing a challenging climbing expedition in Nepal.
Characters are well drawn and relatable, with difficult back stories which are explored as the story unfolds. I enjoyed the sharp, witty banter between Natasha and her friends, also the sense of intrigue and mystery regarding Duffy. Vivid descriptions of the foothills and mountains in Nepal as he treks through the dangerous, challenging terrain brought the area to life.
This is a powerfully written, entertaining story about friendships, support, and relationships, heartbreaking at times, but also heartwarming and humorous in places. Great for Christmas reading, but so much more. Highly recommended.

I've been frustrated with Karen Swan's Christmas books in the past as I've settled down on a cold night looking forward to escaping to a bit of Christmas spirit and cheer only to find that there is very little about Christmas in the book other than a mention that the action is in December and that Christmas is near. This book is no exception but I read it not expecting much about Christmas so enjoyed it more than her previous Christmas books,.

It's a sweet but heart-warming story of Natasha who is upset when her daughter's favourite soft toy goes missing. Her daughter won't settle without it so Natasha sets about finding it or replacing it. Meanwhile, a man who is heading to Annapurna in Nepal has found it and takes it with him as a mascot. The storyline moved between present day and four years previously when Natasha was on her hen weekend before her marriage to Rob.

The twists and turns of the plot were fun but I did guess the basic premise of what was going on about a third of the way as it seemed like there were a lot of signposts which seem obvious to the author but maybe not to the main characters in the book.

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a lot of Karen Swan’s books, but sadly this was not one of my them that I didn’t like. .

Natasha and Rob have just returned from a lovely holiday with their daughter. They stayed over night in an apartment and on return to the UK they knew they had left Moolah, their daughters teddy behind.

Duffy was the next occupant of the apartment and found the teddy and took it with him on his journey to Nepal.

I found Natasha irritating, she always though she was right and I felt she undermined her friends. The book goes back and forth dates and did like Natasha pre baby better.

I liked the setting in Nepal and did enjoy reading about Duffy’s story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy of this book. This is another one of Karen Swan’s top notch books that is a wonderful and absorbing read that shows once again her ability to consistently provide all the feels that keep you reading. I really loved it.

At a Vienna stopover while Natasha is returning from a sun filled holiday that is meant to rekindle her marriage with her husband Rob, her young daughter loses her beloved stuffed toy. In her desperation to recover her daughter’s toy she posts a plea for help on social media. Through some good luck the post finds a global audience and eventually reveals that the toy has is now in the company of Duffy, a mountain climber trekking in Nepal. Natasha and Duffy connect and through a series of a sort of email picture postcards he shows his journey with the stuffed toy. Natasha’s connection to Duffy deepens in contrast to the growing estrangement from her husband as both she and Duffy realize the journey he is taking extends to both of them and goes beyond the physical, resulting in both startling and tragic discoveries about themselves and others in their lives.

Karen Swan handles the themes and plots with subtlety and real poignancy that comes across as effortless but shows a deft and experienced hand at creating a story that lingers in the reader’s mind and will stand the test of countless re-reads.

In Karen Swan's The Christmas Postcards, two characters' lives are linked by a series of coincidences. Natasha's daughter, Mabel loses her toy cow, Moolah, whilst on a family holiday. Natasha turns to social media for help and hopefully Moolah's return. The stuffed cow ends up in the clutches of Duffy, a climber who uses it as a mascot. A lovely winter story that isn't dottily Christmassy, fate, relationships, love, second chances and fortuity all play a part. Compelling and heartwarming.

A special thank you to Pan Macmillan, Karen Swan, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Natasha meets Tom on her hen weekend and realises that she shouldn't go ahead with her wedding but Tom doesn't show on the morning she is due to leave as something has happened but she doesn't know that and the wedding goes ahead
Fast forward and Natasha's daughter Mabel who is 3 has lost her favourite toy cow Moolah while staying overnight in an air b&b in Vienna
Duffy checks in the following day and finds the cow and decides to rake it as a good luck talisman on his trek to Nepal
Mabel is distraught but the power of a super star on social media spreads the story far and wide and eventually reaches Duffy who documents Moolahs adventure for Mabel until he can get her home
There are a couple of twists to the tale but I can't describe them without it being a huge spoiler so will just say you definitely need to read the book it was fab

This is not your normal Christmassy feel-good read - the romance is not your usual cosy white winter one either.
Through a variety of coincidences, Natasha and Tom/Duffy meet at certain points in their lives and their meetings have significant impact on their future lives. It definitely is about grabbing a second chance and living your life to the full, taking a chance on love and going with your gut instincts. Definitely a winning combination!
The mountaineering aspects of the book were very well researched and rang true in their level of detail. I particularly loved how the book mirrored the start with Natasha now talking Duffy 'down', as well as the closeness of the bond between Natasha and her daughter - midnight baths, why didn't I think of that?!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

My favourite Karen Swan book ever! I always look forward to Karen’s Christmas book and this year it has been outstanding.
It is a story where fate brings 2 people back together after many years. The lose of a child’s toy brings Duffy back in touch with nats after four years.
This is definitely one of Karen’s best books ever, after struggling with her last book I was delighted that she was back to her best with The Christmas Postcards.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A great read.... I'm not going to say too much about the book as I'm sure I would let something slip that would spoil readers joy in the book.

This book has everything, love, lust, betrayal, danger, adventure, hope, truth, honesty and Moolah the cow!
D