Last Christmas by Clare Swatman had an intriguing premise, but it just didn’t work for me. The story follows Bea, who faces a big decision two days before Christmas: should she leave her life in London for her dream of living in New York, or stay with her boyfriend, Dom? The book splits into two parallel timelines, looking at the outcomes of each choice over the next eight years. While I was initially drawn to the “what if” concept, the execution fell flat.

The alternating timelines were repetitive and often so similar that it became hard to tell them apart. This took me out of the story repeatedly,…., which was frustrating, and annoying!
Bea herself was another issue—I found her indecisive and self-centered, and it was hard to root for her. The love triangle at the heart of the story felt messy and, at times, unrealistic, with some plot points that were downright absurd.

I also wouldn’t call this a Christmas book. Despite the timeline revolving around Christmases over the years, there was very little holiday spirit or festive charm. Instead, the book leaned into drama, infidelity, and family interference, which only grew more over-the-top as the story went on. By the second half, I found myself rolling my eyes at the implausible twists and was tempted to stop reading altogether.

While the idea of exploring alternate lives is intriguing, the lack of character growth and confusing structure ultimately made this book feel tedious. I wanted to like it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read it.

Looking up at the departures board in Heathrow airport, her flight to New York boarding soon, Bea knows that getting on that plane changes everything. Her life in London has grown stale, her relationship with boyfriend Dom has run its course, and New York has always been her dream. But it’s a risk – she’ll miss her parents, her friends, her job. What if Bea could live both lives? In one she goes back home for Christmas, and in another she heads to the Big Apple. Would her fate remain the same, or can one decision really change everything?

I chose this book as I enjoy a festive read and the premise sounded interesting. This book fell short for me, as although events occur around the festive period, it was only the background to the story. I also found it difficult at points to work out as to which version of the story I was in. The story alternates between the two different versions but there are a lot of parallels so it was easy to get confused as it follows the same trajectory. It was well written and the characters were fun but it just didn't work for me. I would have preferred the two stories to have different endings but maybe that was the point that no matter what happens the outcome will be the same. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

I don’t know if it was just me, but I didn't enjoy this. I'm a fan of a book with two POV but this had two time-streams, and maybe it was just at this busy time of year my mind was already at bursting point anyway, but I just found it too confusing to full appreciate.

There were too many similarities in each for me to keep them apart, as as both streams had the same characters doing much the same things (with only a few key differences) I had no chance!

Having said that, I really liked the idea behind it, and may well give it another go at a quieter time when I can give it the brain-space it deserves.

This is a very good holiday book with quite a deep plot and interesting characters.
It took me a while to grasp the dual storyline but once my brain wrapped around it, the story started the get real interesting. I had my own idea of what I wish would happen and I had some really strong feelings about the acts of the characters and the events of the book. I think I like the ending though, it’s very good and I’m happy how it ended.

*Copy received from publisher via NetGalley

I've been struggling on how to rate this one as there were some aspects that I really enjoyed, but there were others that frustrated me.
I loved the concept of being able to see Bea's life from two different decisions that she had made at the airport, especially the fact that in both worlds she still ended up with the man I was rooting for. With each chapter being a year later, I was definitely in for a ride as every time we revisited both situations, so much had changed for Bea and the people surrounding her. My biggest frustration was the fact that Bea was constantly going back and fourth between the two same men and I honestly believe she would've been better on her own to be able to realise there are more men out there in the world, that being said, in both timelines, I was really happy with the way Bea's story concluded and despite all of the terrible decisions over the years, everything worked out the exact way it should've in the end.

It took me a moment to decide what rating to give this one. 2.5 rounded up, i guess
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't extremely good either
This book kept going back and forth, and it was really confusing to follow
At one point, Bea is married, has a kid, and she's happy
Then another chapter is not either happy or has a kid
It's as if this book read backward

Bea is in love with Dom. But Dom is needy. Dom gets depressed and won't take his medicine, which makes Bea feel guilty and responsible for Doms' health
Bea meets AJ on a plane. Aj is married to a woman in a vegetarian state from getting hit in the head by debris in the 911 incident
This book is a constant battle of Bea loving Dom, then Bea loving Aj and then the story keeps changing every year at Christmas

December 20, 2002: Bea, recently single, with her boring job at the marketing department of a pharmaceutical company, is at Heathrow Airport with a ticket to New York City, a destination she just decided.
Her dream city is waiting for her but she has doubts whether to board the plane or continue with her boring life. What would she do in NYC? She envisioned her life like the characters on the movies and TV shows she loved, but living in the big apple is a different story.
For everyone who wonders what it could have been if we would have decided on a different course on life. We get to experience Bea’s life if she “Goes” or “Stays, the book is narrated in the two alternative scenarios, what happens if she goes to New York or if she stays in London.
It’s a unique approach to tell a tale that we don’t read too often.

Thank you @boldwoodbooks & @netgalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love holiday stories that give the reader (and usually the main character) a glimpse of what life could be like in an alternate reality. In this case, Bea has no idea that she has an alternative life going on.

The story opens with Bea making the bold decision to leave her family, friends, and boyfriend, Dom, in London to start anew in New York City. On her flight, she meets AJ, and soon finds herself swept up in an idealized life with him. In an alternate reality, however, Bea has a change of heart and opts not to board the plane, choosing instead to continue her life with Dom in London. The narrative alternates between Bea’s experiences in New York and her life in London, with each chapter titled “Stay” or “Go,” which helps the reader navigate her parallel stories.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I anticipated. The chapters are quite lengthy, diving deeply into the details of Bea’s alternate lives. While she is drawn to AJ, her compassion for devoted Dom complicates her feelings. The two lives share some similarities but also present significant differences. I found myself hoping for a moment of clarity that would connect the two narratives and guide Bea toward the life that was truly meant for her. Instead, her indecision became frustrating. Initially, I liked AJ, but my feelings for him changed as the story progressed in one reality. Ultimately, I wasn't completely satisfied with how the story wrapped up.

That said, romance isn’t typically my genre, so those who love romance might find this book more enjoyable.

📚 READALONG TOUR BOOK REVIEW 📚

Last Christmas By Clare Swatman
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Boldwood Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(4.5 ⭐ - Rounded Up To 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

I was so excited to be invited to be a part of the Last Christmas Readalong in early December with the Boldwood Book Club! First of all, titling this book with my favorite holiday song makes it an automatic 'yes!' for me. But then I read it and I absolutely fell in love with this book: its characters, its storyline, its title, its unique sliding-door style premise...all of it. And though this book seemed like it was going to be a holiday rom-com based on the title, it's actually a book that can be read year-round.

This story begins with a prologue involving our female main character Bea making her way through Heathrow Airport in December 2002 after completely up-ending her life to take a trip to New York City.... Indefinitely. She has left her steady job, ended her years-long relationship with her boyfriend Dom, and decided she needs a change. And she always dreamed of NYC, so why not? Her best friend Mia and Dom (and basically everyone who knows her) tries to convince her to stay in London. But Bea gets on the plane and begins chatting with a handsome stranger in the seat next to her...

From there, the book's chapters alternate two storylines, "Stay" and "Go," showing how Bea's life would have turned out depending on the decision she made that Christmas in 2002 - to stay in London or go to New York City.

This book reminded me of The Family Man, one of my all-time favorite movies (Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni), and was also reminiscent of Sliding Doors (Gwyneth Paltrow), and I was just enamored with this concept. To see how Bea's life played out with each huge decision she could have made that day, was SUCH a unique storyline in a rom-com! It was so entertaining and I was intrigued from beginning to end.

I have so many more thoughts about the way the two alternate pathways developed as the story continued over the years, but I can't say more without giving away too much. I'll just reiterate that I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who considers themselves a fan of rom-coms.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Clare Swatman herself for this advanced e-copy of the book and the invitation to join the Last Christmas Readalong this month, in exchange for my honest review!

#LastChristmas #ClareSwatman #BoldwoodBooks #boldwoodbookclub #BoldwoodVIPs #LastChristmasReadalong #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #romcomreads #romcoms #bookcommunity #booklover

A very light hearted Christmas romance, which was perfect to cosy up with and enjoy at this time of year.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
I really enjoyed this book. If you like Hallmark type story plots, this is perfect for you! I loved how this book goes over numerous different Christmases. The characters are enjoyable and could not put it down. Highly recommend for a rom com light hearted story plot.

This story develops over a decade, each episode set around Christmas.

Bea has some decisions to make. Does she stay with her safe, dependable but staid boyfriend or does she seize the chance to seek out a new life in NY.

A chance meeting turns into seat-mate situation, turns into potential romance. But each episode shows how Bea's life could have turned out, sliding doors style. There are more strands to her story than just her stalled love-live, Bea is hiding from a trauma, thinking that if she leaves her life and "it" behind, she can escape her feelings about it.

Bea is a complicated character - she is flaws, sometimes her own worst enemy and complete selfish, sometimes sympathetic and in need of a hug! Her London life deals with depression and family and friendship. NY gives her a clean slate but still it's not the dream escape she thinks it will be.

Seeing the two timelines occasionally overlap, but seeing the events from another perspective helps you to see her decision-making in action and the reasoning she uses for those decisions. I was happy with the outcome and thought she finally "grew into" her decisions and accepted her agency in her own life and no longer tries to shirk responsibility for causing some of her own problems.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. It was very hallmark Christmas which I absolutely loved.
I enjoyed how the story was told over many different Christmas. My major critique is im not a fan of love triangles.

This is the first book I've read by Clare Swatman and I’ll definitely be looking out for more by her. Truthfully though I found this book at bit confusing, trying to remember which bit was which, The storyline is a good one but the repetition in it made me sometimes forget which part it was. I don’t want to spoil it for people! The characters are written really well and are all likeable, it’s just the switching round and bits being repeated that makes it’s slightly harder to follow.
But I’ll definitely look out for her books again.

In the novel "Last Christmas" by Clare Swatman weaves a captivating tale of fate, friendship, and the power of decisions. If you're seeking a heartwarming read for the holiday season, look no further. This book is a gift.

Meet Bea Preston. As Christmas approaches, she stands at Heathrow Airport, her flight to New York boarding soon. The choice before her is monumental: board the plane and embrace her dream of living in the Big Apple, or stay in London with her stale life, fading relationship, and familiar comforts.

The narrative unfolds like sliding doors, splitting Bea's life into two parallel paths. In one, she heads home for Christmas, reconnecting with her parents, friends, and job. In the other, she embarks on her New York adventure. Swatman masterfully explores how a single decision can ripple across oceans, years, and lives.

The emotional authenticity of Bea's journey resonates deeply. We feel her losses, disappointments, and the bittersweet moments that shape her destiny. Swatman's prose is immersive, drawing us into Bea's world with acute insights and truths. The characters are each flawed, relatable, and endearing. They linger in our hearts long after the final page.

"Last Christmas" is a delightful blend of Jojo Moyes' emotional depth, Beth Moran's warmth, and Ruth Jones' relatability. Swatman's storytelling prowess shines, leaving us pondering our own sliding doors and the choices that define us. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the smallest decisions lead to the grandest adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely, warm uplifting festive novel..
Beautiful writing style from Clare
Easy to follow and hard to put down once you get sucked into the story!

I loved the initial concept of going through multiple Christmases, especially during the time frame (2002-2010), I was really hoping to get a sense of "back in time". Even though the story was cute, I have two issues with it: I didn't feel like you could really sense/tell the difference from one time period to another, and also the writing style was too slow for me.

Bea, living in London has been in a long term, complacent relationship with Dom. But she has always dreamed of living in New York. What follows are dual chapters of the same time of Bea’s life if she would ‘STAY’ in London or ‘GO’ to New York. Unfortunately, I can’t say for me this was an enthusiastic read. Although, the ending was what I had hoped for Bea. Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the early copy. This review is my honest opinion. #3.75 Stars

First of all I would like to thank boldwood books and Claire for having me along on this wonderful book .last Christmas.

I really enjoyed the book it was raw emotion and magical all at the same time .I loved the dual timeline to the story .with The charater Bea unhappy in her life life then on the filp side she off to live her best life Achieving her Dreams .it really did remind me at time of the 90s film Sliding doors and show Quantum leap .which I really enjoyed kept me wondering what next .

Claire Writing I thought was really beautiful I.Also think that it was very well paced.And there was nothing that I would find boring. Also, it was just perfect. I also thought she was very clever.How to write about such emotional situations like mental health and Dementia .

Every character I thought was so well written and I.Absolutely loved Beas close Friendships.

As much as this is a Christmas book and it had a wonderful festive.Feel it also had the real life that we all live day today?Which I thought was wonderful.I'm kept this book so Grounded.

With plenty of magical, realism and a little bit of love, all mixed in.I think this is truly a wonderful christmas story

I'm giving this book four point five stars

I’ve read about 30% of the book, and while I wish I could connect with it more, I’m struggling a bit. There's quite a bit of narration that I find myself skipping in hopes of reaching the parts that might catch my interest. I think I’ll set it aside for now and give it another go later. I won’t be leaving a rating or review outside this platform, but I appreciate the journey so far!