A good read,.This was more than a Christmas story, it's a story about friends who reunite nearly 10 years after they finished at university and where lots of secrets and some misunderstandings come to light. Its very emotional at times but also has some serious situations that are woven into the story. A great setting, some lovely friendships and relationships that shine throughout the story

I only recently discovered Karen Swan’s books but I have to say, I absolutely love them! There’s always a bit of romance with just that right measure of drama to and this one has the cosy winter vibe in it as well - we go sledging in the hills, a massive aga cooking away and of course lots of candles!

This is a dual time frame book with the present day and then looking back 9 years ago but as it’s the same group of characters it’s not confusing and I found it easy enough to follow both timelines.

I had my suspicions from the first few chapters but these were to be unfounded! I was pretty close with one guess but way off with the main reveal and the reason why things had happened. There are some quite sensitive subjects in the book but Swan deals with them really well and your heart goes out to all of the characters. The ending is just so special to 🥰

Talking of characters I think my favourites were Libby, Charlie and Rollo although all of them grabbed you at one point or another. The only one I didn’t feel too warm on was Max, I kept thinking that he was going to stray off somewhere but tbh I think that was precisely what the author wanted us to feel!

Overall this was a really lovely, dynamic and heartfelt read that really captures close friendship and the things that bond them. Karen has captured me again and I absolutely devoured this book in about 2 days…. More now please!!!!

This author is one of my favourites and I was really looking forward to reading this one

This had an engaging storyline and characters. I enjoyed getting to know the 8 characters and how they developed from the past through to the present and how their stories unfolded whilst being snowed in for Christmas.

This was a story of romance and friendships with a festive feel but at the same time also covered some deeper issues in a very sensitive way.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Karen swan book and this one certainly won’t disappoint.

Amazing, fantastic, joyful, heart-breaking and brilliant. I simply adored this book. Once started I couldn’t put it down. Fans of Karen Swan will not be disappointed, as usual.

The story is written with true insight into Christmas, love, family, mystery and intrigue. The novel has been written with alternate chapters dating 2014 and then 2023. Friends in 2014, sharing a house, while at University, didn’t ’t realise just how much of their past will come back to haunt them.

Libby, always managed to get out of any reunions, however everyone else stayed in touch. Archie broke many hearts at University. It was at his family estate that the reunion was held. Lobby attended with her new boyfriend, Max. It is three days until Christmas and the snow begins to fall. Libby and Max were leaving after the meal, unlike the others who were staying over. Nobody could possibly imagine how their lives may change. O98

The characters come to life and you can feel that you are part of the group, as you read it. All the characters were so adorable and believable. As I was reading it, I wanted to curl up in front of my fire and just read and read. It has really made me in the mood for Christmas.

Thank you Karen Swan and NetGalley allowing me to read and review this beautifully written book.

My first ever romance book was holiday themed and by Karen Swan. It made me fall in love with reading and this book brought back that feeling again.

This story is centered around Libby attending a reunion with her university friends however ends up staying due to the snow covered roads. It is set between 2 timelines so we understand why Libby has distanced herself from the rest of the group.

What I love about Karen Swan is that her books are full of mystery and plot twists, not just a straight forward romance which makes it hard to put the book down. The overall story is heartwarming and is the perfect winter book.

Thank you Netgallery for the ARC

I adored this Christmas tale - our heroine Libby and her University friends are snowed in and the location is as much of a character as any other - a lovely Christmas story to lose yourself to for an afternoon.

I loved the concept of this book with a group of university friends’ reunion turning out to be rather longer than expected when the weather closes in and snow covered roads makes leaving impossible. I was so intrigued as to why Libby was the only one from the group of 8 former house-mates who had never attended any meet-ups before. The group had obviously been close friends while attending university and I was so keen to find out what had happened to change this.

I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. In alternate chapters we follow the group as they gather at Archie’s country estate in the present day and then back in 2014 when they are in their final months at Durham University. It became obvious that something significant had happened back then which had changed the dynamic of the group and gradually it is revealed.

Being snowed in at a big country house may sound like an idyllic way to spend Christmas but it was far from ideal. The house is draughty and cold with few modern comforts. Most of the group have a reason to want to leave with perhaps the most pressing being Ems and Prock whose baby is due in a couple of weeks. When the power goes off and the huge house gets even colder, it’s most certainly not a cosy place.

There is a real closed room feel to this book although thankfully, no serial killers around. It’s not without danger though but I won’t say any more about that. With everyone stuck there together, old tensions simmer up and it’s inevitable that the past comes to the fore. I thought the way that the author linked the chapters in the past to the present was exceptionally well done.

I really enjoyed getting to know the eight house-mates both in the past and the present and learning finding out more about them. Although Libby is the main focus, we do get to know the others too and not everyone is as you first might think. Some want what they don’t have, while others don’t want what they do have and some are putting on a front to protect themselves and their feelings.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. It isn’t perhaps the cosy read you might expect from the title and cover. Nevertheless, with some serious issues included, a terrific cast of characters, plenty of emotion and a healthy dose of romance, this is most definitely a book to curl up with in front of the fire and enjoy over the festive season.

I always look forward to Karen Swans new books and especially the Christmas one.
Christmas by Candlelight is about a group of uni friends who are all meeting up for a pre Christmas meal at Archie’s stately home. Libby hasn’t been with the group since something happened 9 years ago at Archie’s 21st.
When a freak accident cuts them off from the outside world they are all forced to face some ghosts from the past.
A fantastic page turner that keeps you wondering until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

4.5 STARS

Libby has distanced herself from her university housemates until she can't get out of a reunion some 9 years after they graduated. From only intending to stay for dinner she ends up getting snowed in and has to face old memories being resurrected. The story splits between that last year in university and their reunion so we can see why she hasn't stayed in touch with them. When I need a pick up Karen Swan is the author that I turn to as her books never fail to brighten my mood and this book is no exception. She has the ability to write characters that you care about and want to root for. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

It starts to snow as Libby and her boyfriend Max are on the way to a university reunion in North Yorkshire following attendance at a wedding. The host is playboy Archie Templeton who inherited his family’s estate which is a stately heap. Libby is enjoying the reunion and catching up with her friends from the past. However, when her and Max decide it’s time to leave and make their way back home the snow becomes so heavy the road out of the estate and nearby village becomes impassable and they find themselves snowed in with no idea when they will be able to get back on the road. Along with being unable to get out of the estate the power then goes out.

4.5 stars
Christmas by Candlelight is a brilliant read from Karen Swan. Tense and full of drama, this is another page turner from one of my favourite authors.
I loved the tension that built as the group are trapped, first with the weather keeping them holed up and then the power going- that whole sense of being cut off just adding to the drama. The locked room elements worked really well as secrets and history between the group of friends festered and grew to an uncomfortable finale as the flashbacks to 2014 slowly revealed the ties between them all.

Another Christmas winner!
University friends meet up a few years after graduation for Christmas. There are plenty of twists and romantic moments and there is also some skulduggery.
Will Archie get the girl.....

This is a charming tale of uni friends and their story at that moment in time and then some years later.

At Durham university the gang live together and although very different they are a close knit bunch. When one of them is assaulted by a lecturer they bond together to protect her and vow to be friends for life.

Sadly life does not happen that way and for many reasons they have somewhat drifted apart. A Christmas gathering to celebrate a birth soon in the group sees them all together and then due to the force of Mother Nature they are unable to leave. First the snow arrives then the WiFi fails and finally the electricity is cut out by falling pylons. All this makes them face many issues from their collective pasts.

A great read and some really diverse and interesting characters with some real life problems whether they come from a wealthy or poor background. Lots of twists and turns in the way but dealt with in true style by the author and wound into a great Christmas story.

Highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher w the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This concerns a group of friends in their last year at Durham university in 2014. The story then catches up with them at a reunion in the present day. The main character is Libby, she often feels like he doesn’t belong with the others as she comes from a working class family whereas the others all have a monied background. Libby is a workaholic as far as her studies are concerned as she intends to get a very good job and help out her family. At the reunion a number of secrets and past hurts are slowly revealed. I really enjoyed this book and the characters are still with me even though I finished it a while ago. I loved the way the characters still connect even though some hadn’t seen each other for some years. There are some serious issues involved but it does have a happy ending and confirms that some friendships can last for a very long time. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was a fairly enjoyable read, but I did find it quite slow at times and I found my attention wandering.

Wow, what an amazing read. Well done Karen Swan, you’ve got another amazing story under your belt. I love this author’s writing and this is probably the best Christmas book I’ve read so far this year. So many twists and turns that I never saw coming, haha, I laughed and I cried. It’s a huge recommendation from me- I’d give it 6 stars if I could

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of friendships, secrets and trust. Set between 2 timelines it’s not your normal cozy Christmas romantic read but it keeps you turning the pages and i could not put it down. It’s my first book by Karen Swan and it definitely won’t be my last, I highly recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy.

A heart-warming and cosy seasonal read. Very engrossing and was hard to put down. There is something magical about festive books and this one is no exception.

Every year I look forward to a new festive novel from Karen Swan. So thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillian for providing me with an early review copy.

This year's festivities take place at a country estate in Yorkshire where Libby joins her old university friends for a reunion dinner just before Christmas. When heavy snow begins to fall the road quickly becomes impassable and the group are unable to leave and are snowed in for Christmas.

What I love about Karen Swan's novel is although this is a romance, it is also so much more. There is an element of mystery, plot twists and flashbacks to the groups uni days. The characters in this one are fantastic and I loved the dynamics between them all.

Overall I think this is up there with my favourite Christmas reads. I really don't know how Karen Swan manages to write great book after great book, but she does.

A great Christmas read.... with all the normal bits... love, intrigue, rivalry, snow and even a powercut!