Claire Swatman is a hit-or-miss author for me I enjoyed The World Outside My Window and A Love to Last a Lifetime but I found The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright lacking. I picked this one up as a Christmas in July read but I got so behind it ended up as a Christmas and August book but that's okay because this really isn't a Christmas book. Each chapter takes place in December of every year from 2002 to 2010 but that's it as far as Yuletide goes. The book is about Bea and whether she goes to live in New York or not also which man does she end up with Dom or AJ? The chapters alternate between Stay and Go...it's very reminiscent of the Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Doors.

The book was okay I just wish I liked it more because the premise was wonderful and Clare Swatman managed to keep each chapter fresh, a lot of times books like this can feel redundant. The problem I had with the story was our female lead, Bea, why couldn't she just be on her own? She left England because of sexual harassment and not feeling fulfilled in her relationship, she should have just worked on herself. Secondly in both scenarios, she keeps flip-flopping back and forth between two men. Love triangles make me feel so frustrated and reading about these two men suffering at this woman's hands just made me angry.

What I really did like and loved was Bea's relationship with her best friends, that was the best part of the whole book, the relationship she had with these people and how they were always there for each other gave me all the feels. The ending was a little too neat and tidy for my liking in both scenarios. I like a happily ever after as much as the next person but these were just too perfect. I would have preferred one of them not working out quite so well. I'm assuming the author was trying to make a point about the fact that no matter what we do destiny will always decide our fate.

Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the authors others it was still a good book in my opinion and I would read another by Ms. Swatman. If you haven't read anything by her I suggest you start with The World Outside My Window or A Love to Last a Lifetime

Will she or wont she? When Bea decides to leave ebverything she knows and move to New York she could not know the outcome. In this story we find out two different versions. One if she did and one if she decided not to get on the plane. I enjoyed the book but did find it confusiong at first as we tracked back and forth. I am sure though others will love this format and will not be able to put it down.

Both lives pan out and Bea gets her future and we get two stories.

Bea is at a crossroads in her life and must decide to stay in an unhappy relationship in London with her boyfriend or make a new start for herself in New York.
The story is told with two different outcomes one in which she gets on the plane to New York and the other where she stays at home.
There were some likeable characters in this book and some interesting developments.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
A few days before Christmas 2002 Bea is in Heathrow Airport about to fly to N.Y.C. to see if she could make a life there. She has left her fiance Dom behind and both he and her mom try to get her to change her mind. The book tells two stories of how Bea's live will develop if she gets on the plane or turns around. We get two summaries each Christmas about the developments of the past year until Christmas 2010.
In each version Bea goes to New York (eventually) and meets A.J. who could be the love of her live but somehow she keeps going back to London and to Dom. It seems like Bea just can't decide and thus will never be truly happy.
I found the book entertaining and the idea of how one decision can change the course of a life appealed to me. However I had problems relating to Bea, her behaviour completely annoyed me at some points. Also I felt the story dragged on a bit too long and had too many plot twists. All in all it was a pleasant book but not a must-read for me.

Wow this is two stories in one. Gripped you. Bea had decisions to make and you follow both choices over the years. Covers depression and dementia and letting go of someone but no spoilers. A beautiful love story too. Hard to review but another Saturday afternoon escapism read. Enjoyed it

If you loved sliding doors then this is the Christmas book for you. I
Struggled to get into it but this book has kept me company through a nasty bout of norovirus and I will forever be great full for it. I loved reading about New York in the festive series and this was a really sweet great read. I loved the friendships, the fun, the nightlife and the relationships and the drama. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Such a cute and unique read that made me feel all the feels. I didn’t want to put it down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This is a lovely book but I wouldn't say its a Christmas novel more a novel that begins at Christmas. I enjoyed the characters and the 'what if' element. Although I felt a little like you never discovered which path was the one Bea really took. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Having read previous books by this author I was looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed. It had great characters and the way the story was told was really good, I would definitely recommend it.

The book starts with the main character Bea at the airport about to fly to America. When her phone rings and her boyfriend begs her to stay she faces a dilemma of whether to stay or go. The subsequent chapters alternate between each decision in a "Sliding Doors" type storyline.
I really thought I would love this book as Sliding Doors is one of my favourite films and I love storylines like this. However I found the dual storylines to be very confusing and I often lost track of what story I was reading. Nevertheless it was still quite an enjoyable read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.It tackles some serious issues surrounding depression and dementia.It is a story about love, heartbreak, friendships, and family.

I love Clare Swatman's style of writing and this was a great sliding doors type of story of which I am a huge fan. Despite each chapter having stay or leave depending on the choice, at times I felt confused at which storyline I was following. All in all a good read, packed with emotion, for all those people who often wonder, what if?

Last Christmas was unputtdownable! This story diverges over two timelines and shows both paths pf a huge life decision for several years over Christmas! It was so fun to see parallel plots unfolding!

I enjoyed this sliding doors type story. It became a little confusing at times but I was eager to find out what happened in the end. I enjoyed this Author’s previous book immensely and was pleased to read another. Bea is the main character. She is unhappy in her long term relationship and decides she would like to follow her dreams of going to New York. At the airport she has doubts. Should she go home or get on the plane. You must read it to find out what did happen and what might have been her life if she didn’t.

Bea needs to choose her future — stay in London with her fiancee or go to New York — we then get sent into Parnell universes where we see what happens with choices.

The idea was cool of parallel universes— but I honestly was confused for a while at the beginning — but I slowly go used to it. For me this book was fine — the characters were likeable but difficult to get invested in for me. Maybe cause I am just not a what-if kind of person.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I did not expect to enjoy the dual-parallel time line style of this book, but grew to love it. My favorite thing about this Christmas novel was that it was different than the cookie cutter cutesy Christmas read.

I am not a fan of this book for multiple reasons – there were several times in the reading that I was tempted to label it “DNF” and move on.

Two days before Christmas, Bea abandons her life in London to fulfill her dream of living in New York City. The airport is the pivotal decision point – will she depart on the plane or return home to her boyfriend? This is the beginning of Bea’s two parallel lives, each based on her choices. It is an interesting premise; unfortunately, it is not well executed. For the next eight years at Christmas time, the reader is given a glimpse of the events of the past year. There really is no Christmas theme per se, which was a disappointment.

I am not a fan of love triangles, and this book illuminated the worst aspects of this trope. Bea was alternately annoying and obnoxious in her indecisiveness and manipulation of her relationships with two trustworthy men. Additionally, the unfoldment of her alternate lives became repetitive and tedious. The timelines are not clearly delineated and, in some instances, so similar it would take a few paragraphs to realize which version I was reading.

Overall, this book might appeal to some readers, but I found it lacking and cannot recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. This story focuses on Bea and her life in two parallel timelines. One where Bea goes back home to spend Christmas with her family and boyfriend, Dom. Another where she fulfills her life long dream of going to NYC right around Christmas. Although time of year is Christmas/winter, I wouldn’t classify this as a Christmas story. It was sometimes confusing to keep these alternate timelines straight as I was reading.

I'm going to admit I'm not a huge romance reader, I probably read 2-3 throughout most of the year. When it comes to Christmas thought I find myself reaching for those clichéd christmassy romance books to curl up with. Yes, I know it's only July, but this book has the same title as my favourite festive song by Wham, so I was over the moon when I got the chance to read this.

Bea is the FMC of this story, stuck in her mundane life with her boyfriend Dom. Wishing there was more to her life, she made the drastic decision to run away to the airport and find that fairytale life in New York she'd always dream of. This is where she literally bumps into Paddy, a gorgeous Irish man. Stood there at the airport, torn between staying with Dom or following her dream to NYC. From this moment on, Last Christmas turns into a sliding doors story where we follow Bea down both paths, the one in London and the one in NYC.

The story is set over many different years all around Christmas. I will tell you that this is not really a Xmas story. There's no decorating biscuits, buying of Christmas trees, last-minute shopping for presents, and the rest of the palaver i associate with a good festive romance. It's just set in that period of the year. That left me a little disappointed, I wanted all the clichés, the traditions, and the will they won't they romance.

What I did like is the concept of following both decisions Bea made, and I liked how both sides panned out. Although, I did lose track of which Bea I was reading about and had to re-check a few times. It lulled a little in the middle, too, I just found it all a bit samey. For the most part, it was easy to follow.
Character wise, I didn't like Bea. Her indecisiveness was annoying, and I felt like she just used both Paddy and Dom because it was easy and convenient. She was intolerable. I did love Paddy. He was a really good guy who was totally in love with Bea. I didn't really like the ending. It was too happily ever after for me.

This was a good read overall, but not what I expected. It's no fault of the book, though. It made a nice change to all the thriller/crime I have been reading. It also tackles some serious issues surrounding depression and dementia. Ultimately, it is a story about love, heartbreak, friendships, and family. The what ifs in life and fate. Are we destined to end up at the same destination no matter what path we choose?

Thank you for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bea decides to run away before Christmas to New York from her boyfriend Dom. It got a bit confusing as to whether she was staying in New York or at home and difficult to know which