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wynnie_reads's review
3.0
The Christmas swap is a lighthearted RomCom following three friends on different continents.
I enjoyed the overall plot and found it a good escape from life, it was cheesy and predictable and often down right unbelievable but sometimes that’s just what you need from a book.
Thanks to Netgalley and OMC for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
I enjoyed the overall plot and found it a good escape from life, it was cheesy and predictable and often down right unbelievable but sometimes that’s just what you need from a book.
Thanks to Netgalley and OMC for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
emmascr's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to One more Chapter for my copy of this book via Netgalley and to Rachel for letting me be part of this tour. I love a good Christmas love story so I was excited to jump into this one.
The Holiday Swap follows 3 women who have been best friends for 22 years. Each one lives in a different part of the world. Chloe lives in Melbourne, Lucy lives in London and Jules in Colorado. The girls decide to switch places for Christmas. Chloe goes to London, Lucy goes to Colorado and Jules goes to Melbourne. The girls have such a close relationship for 3 that live so far apart.
I loved all three girls. They each have their own little quirks but I was so rooting for all of them. They are good genuine people who deserve to be happy.
Each chapter is about one of the three girls’ stories. I really liked that each chapter switched stories. I really got into each story and I was sad to switch stories but eager to carry on with each one too. It really kept me stuck in the book.
I whizzed through this book in under 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down. I loved each of the girls Christmas’ but I think I liked Lucy’s the most. I would probably detest the cold but the big family with all the hot chocolate sounds right up my street. I’d love to spend time in a cabin with a real snowy Christmas. Snuggled up inside with my book and a hot cholate sounds perfect.
The joys of having 3 female leads in this story is that we got 3 gorgeous men for them to fall in love with. I’ll be honest I loved all of them. They were all so damn romantic that Sandy made it easy for me to fall in love with all 3 of them.
I so enjoyed my first book by Sandy and I will be looking up more of them. Sandy’s writing is full of heartwarming romance that we all definitely need in our lives.
The Holiday Swap follows 3 women who have been best friends for 22 years. Each one lives in a different part of the world. Chloe lives in Melbourne, Lucy lives in London and Jules in Colorado. The girls decide to switch places for Christmas. Chloe goes to London, Lucy goes to Colorado and Jules goes to Melbourne. The girls have such a close relationship for 3 that live so far apart.
I loved all three girls. They each have their own little quirks but I was so rooting for all of them. They are good genuine people who deserve to be happy.
Each chapter is about one of the three girls’ stories. I really liked that each chapter switched stories. I really got into each story and I was sad to switch stories but eager to carry on with each one too. It really kept me stuck in the book.
I whizzed through this book in under 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down. I loved each of the girls Christmas’ but I think I liked Lucy’s the most. I would probably detest the cold but the big family with all the hot chocolate sounds right up my street. I’d love to spend time in a cabin with a real snowy Christmas. Snuggled up inside with my book and a hot cholate sounds perfect.
The joys of having 3 female leads in this story is that we got 3 gorgeous men for them to fall in love with. I’ll be honest I loved all of them. They were all so damn romantic that Sandy made it easy for me to fall in love with all 3 of them.
I so enjoyed my first book by Sandy and I will be looking up more of them. Sandy’s writing is full of heartwarming romance that we all definitely need in our lives.
julie_hastings's review
4.0
This was such a cute and festive story to read around the holidays. 3 best friends get tired of being in their home towns. Each in a different part of the world, they decide to swap houses and families for Christmas. This book was filled with charm, friendships, heartache, and new relationships. Perfect for the Christmas season
stew32s's review
4.0
Holiday fun!
Three best friends enjoy swapping homes, families and friends for Christmas. I enjoyed each adventure and how the author tied the stories together. Very enjoyable read-I genuinely hope Ms. Barker follows up with a series of books that continue the stories where this one left off. I want to know more!
Three best friends enjoy swapping homes, families and friends for Christmas. I enjoyed each adventure and how the author tied the stories together. Very enjoyable read-I genuinely hope Ms. Barker follows up with a series of books that continue the stories where this one left off. I want to know more!
readtowander's review
3.0
A fun, feel good "The Holiday" inspired Christmas read!
Three long distance best friends, who call themselves The May Ladies, decide that they are going to swap Christmases this year. Chloe will go stay with Lucy's parents in England, Lucy will jet off to Colorado with Jules' family, & Jules will spend a sunny and warm Christmas down in Australia with Chloe's friends. They all end up with more than just their dream Christmases when it just so happens that they all meet some devilishly, handsome men along the way!
If you're looking for a warm, cozy, romantic holiday book then look no further as this one brings all the Christmas charm and joy. I loved the different, stunning settings of each location along with the storyline of each girl. I will say the cynic in me was thinking some moments were too lovey-dovey and unrealistic that each girl fell in love so quickly with perfect men, but that's just me!
3.5 stars for this perfect holiday escape! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Three long distance best friends, who call themselves The May Ladies, decide that they are going to swap Christmases this year. Chloe will go stay with Lucy's parents in England, Lucy will jet off to Colorado with Jules' family, & Jules will spend a sunny and warm Christmas down in Australia with Chloe's friends. They all end up with more than just their dream Christmases when it just so happens that they all meet some devilishly, handsome men along the way!
If you're looking for a warm, cozy, romantic holiday book then look no further as this one brings all the Christmas charm and joy. I loved the different, stunning settings of each location along with the storyline of each girl. I will say the cynic in me was thinking some moments were too lovey-dovey and unrealistic that each girl fell in love so quickly with perfect men, but that's just me!
3.5 stars for this perfect holiday escape! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
juliannaofgreengables's review
4.0
really enjoyed this one and if you’re looking for a
fun romantic Christmas read then definitely give this one a try. The book has three point-of-views, Chloe from Australia, Lucy from England, and Jules from Colorado. We first meet the ladies when they’re on vacation and they decide to stay friends. I liked that because it gave more information about how they became friends even though they lived in different countries.
The book really takes off when the ladies all switch for Christmas, at that point I had to make a note on who was going where and where they were from. I think my favorite one to read about was Lucy who went to Colorado. From the moment she lands in Colorado I was hooked on her story and her love interest. I looked forward to reading her chapter every time it came up. After that it would have to be Chloe who went to England. Since she came from Australia it was hilarious seeing her reaction to the cold. Her love story/interest was lovely. Jules story took me a little bit to get into and I’m not sure why. It was good but the first couple of chapters I didn’t love them as much as the others.
Obviously since it’s one book and the romance is kinda fast but that’s okay because it was still enjoyable. The book definitely had major hallmark vibes. I found myself smiling throughout the book. Overall super enjoyable and if you’re looking for a Christmas read give this one a try.
fun romantic Christmas read then definitely give this one a try. The book has three point-of-views, Chloe from Australia, Lucy from England, and Jules from Colorado. We first meet the ladies when they’re on vacation and they decide to stay friends. I liked that because it gave more information about how they became friends even though they lived in different countries.
The book really takes off when the ladies all switch for Christmas, at that point I had to make a note on who was going where and where they were from. I think my favorite one to read about was Lucy who went to Colorado. From the moment she lands in Colorado I was hooked on her story and her love interest. I looked forward to reading her chapter every time it came up. After that it would have to be Chloe who went to England. Since she came from Australia it was hilarious seeing her reaction to the cold. Her love story/interest was lovely. Jules story took me a little bit to get into and I’m not sure why. It was good but the first couple of chapters I didn’t love them as much as the others.
Obviously since it’s one book and the romance is kinda fast but that’s okay because it was still enjoyable. The book definitely had major hallmark vibes. I found myself smiling throughout the book. Overall super enjoyable and if you’re looking for a Christmas read give this one a try.
nickymaund's review
4.0
This was another cosy festive read for me and I’m enjoying them. Barker does a great job of showing the varying experiences and traditions from her 3 main leads’ home countries and puts them in new situations resulting from their swap. I have to say I related most to Lucy’s story, probably as the Brit in this book. Whilst their antics ventured more into the realm of fairytale (I don’t want to spoil it) it was still an enjoyable read. I also really want to try Nate’s hot chocolate!
keysersuze's review
4.0
Three women who are lifelong best friends but live on different continents, collectively come to the same conclusion – they need a change for Christmas!
Lucy, who lives in Oxfordshire, UK, Chloe from Melbourne, Australia and Jules from Boulder, CO USA, decide to swap Christmases for one year and spend it with each other’s’ loved ones. On first read, that sounds like a far-fetched premise. Surely someone would kick up a fuss at not seeing their daughter over Christmas, especially if they usually spend it together? Barker handles it well though, and these niggles and issues are discussed and ironed out in a realistic and relatable way. They’ve all been friends for so long that their families know them, at least enough to invite them to stay.
Soon they are winging their way to their destinations, anticipating prawns for Christmas dinner or a snowstorm, or Christmas cake and sherry. This is something that is also handled really well – three different sets of traditions, both from a geographical culture and a personal one – each of the women have different experiences based on the country they live in. Chloe, for instance, sleeps in the UK but calls the duvet her doona in Oxford – totally normal inner monologue as that what she’s known it as.
That’s the other thing that is really genuine – a couple of nice communication failures or misses, based on the words used. Some of them are quite subtle, like the levels of swearing acceptable across the three countries is totally different. I thought that was really well observed, and clearly something the author has experienced herself.
Predictably, but actually quite cosily handled, all three women immediately meet hunky single guys who sweep them off their feet in seconds, as soon as they land. This is definitely not a contemporary fiction, warts and all, feet on the ground tale. It is cute, and the relationships were tackled differently enough that it wasn’t repetitive.
Just when I thought I had a complaint or a niggle, it would be addressed. For example, all of this cool stuff is happening and they’re not talking to each other about it? Boom – someone would think about calling the others, and ring them. Sometimes timezones got in the way, or just other plans, but the conversations they had were interesting and progressed the story too.
I also liked that the women were different personalities and had characters all of their own. There seemed to be a great deal of backstory and history with them which rang true, and that was balanced with being different enough to be able to tell them apart, but also it was easy to see why they had remained friends after nearly two decades. Sandy Barker thanks her own girl squad in the acknowledgements, and I think that’s why she’s able to write so well about that relationship set-up – because she knows all about it herself.
While this isn’t a book I’ll be rushing to re-read, I really enjoyed it and was surprised to find myself wondering what happened to the characters after they story had finished – I want to know where they go next! Maybe there’ll be a sequel…
Thanks as always to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the DRC.
Lucy, who lives in Oxfordshire, UK, Chloe from Melbourne, Australia and Jules from Boulder, CO USA, decide to swap Christmases for one year and spend it with each other’s’ loved ones. On first read, that sounds like a far-fetched premise. Surely someone would kick up a fuss at not seeing their daughter over Christmas, especially if they usually spend it together? Barker handles it well though, and these niggles and issues are discussed and ironed out in a realistic and relatable way. They’ve all been friends for so long that their families know them, at least enough to invite them to stay.
Soon they are winging their way to their destinations, anticipating prawns for Christmas dinner or a snowstorm, or Christmas cake and sherry. This is something that is also handled really well – three different sets of traditions, both from a geographical culture and a personal one – each of the women have different experiences based on the country they live in. Chloe, for instance, sleeps in the UK but calls the duvet her doona in Oxford – totally normal inner monologue as that what she’s known it as.
That’s the other thing that is really genuine – a couple of nice communication failures or misses, based on the words used. Some of them are quite subtle, like the levels of swearing acceptable across the three countries is totally different. I thought that was really well observed, and clearly something the author has experienced herself.
Predictably, but actually quite cosily handled, all three women immediately meet hunky single guys who sweep them off their feet in seconds, as soon as they land. This is definitely not a contemporary fiction, warts and all, feet on the ground tale. It is cute, and the relationships were tackled differently enough that it wasn’t repetitive.
Just when I thought I had a complaint or a niggle, it would be addressed. For example, all of this cool stuff is happening and they’re not talking to each other about it? Boom – someone would think about calling the others, and ring them. Sometimes timezones got in the way, or just other plans, but the conversations they had were interesting and progressed the story too.
I also liked that the women were different personalities and had characters all of their own. There seemed to be a great deal of backstory and history with them which rang true, and that was balanced with being different enough to be able to tell them apart, but also it was easy to see why they had remained friends after nearly two decades. Sandy Barker thanks her own girl squad in the acknowledgements, and I think that’s why she’s able to write so well about that relationship set-up – because she knows all about it herself.
While this isn’t a book I’ll be rushing to re-read, I really enjoyed it and was surprised to find myself wondering what happened to the characters after they story had finished – I want to know where they go next! Maybe there’ll be a sequel…
Thanks as always to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the DRC.
hinalovestoread's review
4.0
Originally published on Hina Loves To Read
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always dreamed of experiencing a White Christmas. yes, that is on my list and it does not matter that I am not a Christian.
So, back to the story.
The various perspectives giving me a window to kind of examine my own relationships with my myriad of friends. How when we are taking it out on each other, someone may be coming from a place where I may not know what they have experienced. Kind of makes you want to look at situations with much more focus.
The characters – not just the three best friends – are well rounded and even though not one person gets the spotlight for a longer period of time, especially the love interests, as a reader I felt I was getting to know the various aspects of their characters as if I had known them for ages.
The setting of the novel takes the cake though. In reading one book, with one timeline, I get to experience three Chistmases! And, one of them a dream that I want to live in real life as well!
FYI, I actually believed that London (or England in general maybe) will be the place where I may get my White Christmas but apparently that is not so!
Lastly, I loved Ms Barker’s writing style very much and I will be looking up more of her books.
So, if like me, you love reading Christmas stories, you’ll want to pick this one up, cozy with a hot chocolate and enjoy the goodness.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always dreamed of experiencing a White Christmas. yes, that is on my list and it does not matter that I am not a Christian.
So, back to the story.
The various perspectives giving me a window to kind of examine my own relationships with my myriad of friends. How when we are taking it out on each other, someone may be coming from a place where I may not know what they have experienced. Kind of makes you want to look at situations with much more focus.
The characters – not just the three best friends – are well rounded and even though not one person gets the spotlight for a longer period of time, especially the love interests, as a reader I felt I was getting to know the various aspects of their characters as if I had known them for ages.
The setting of the novel takes the cake though. In reading one book, with one timeline, I get to experience three Chistmases! And, one of them a dream that I want to live in real life as well!
FYI, I actually believed that London (or England in general maybe) will be the place where I may get my White Christmas but apparently that is not so!
Lastly, I loved Ms Barker’s writing style very much and I will be looking up more of her books.
So, if like me, you love reading Christmas stories, you’ll want to pick this one up, cozy with a hot chocolate and enjoy the goodness.