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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Picked this up at a used bookstore a while ago; the cover and description are what intrigued me. It's a fat book, and filled with colorful characters, great food, romance, drama, countries I want to travel to someday... and even a little bit of sadness. (Oh, Claude.) I really enjoyed my "trip" from Scotland to New York, Paris, and London... and now I want to go back! A great, great book, and I'm going to read the next one! :)
Read my review on my blog at http://palmerspageturners.blogspot.com/2015/01/review-christmas-at-tiffanys.html
I have mixed feelings about this book, but definitely more positive than negative. I loved the concept of the story, the three great cities as settings, and the theme of reinventing oneself. The story was charming, the characters likeable,and the book was entertaining. The main thing I didn't like about it was how long it was. I'll admit I almost stopped reading after the New York City section because I felt like it was dragging. However, all the great reviews of the book encouraged me to keep going, and I was super glad I did. Though predictable, I loved the ending.
Despite the cover and title implying it was a holiday read, it can certainly be read at times of the year other than Christmas. It takes place over the course of a year through the different seasons. I was fun to read during my holiday break but I would've enjoyed it any time of the year.
With the story spanning three cities, I could see this book working really well as a trilogy, which may have made the book not seem like it was dragging as much, but due to the genre, it was readable in a reasonable amount of time. Just be prepared to be reading it for awhile!
I have mixed feelings about this book, but definitely more positive than negative. I loved the concept of the story, the three great cities as settings, and the theme of reinventing oneself. The story was charming, the characters likeable,and the book was entertaining. The main thing I didn't like about it was how long it was. I'll admit I almost stopped reading after the New York City section because I felt like it was dragging. However, all the great reviews of the book encouraged me to keep going, and I was super glad I did. Though predictable, I loved the ending.
Despite the cover and title implying it was a holiday read, it can certainly be read at times of the year other than Christmas. It takes place over the course of a year through the different seasons. I was fun to read during my holiday break but I would've enjoyed it any time of the year.
With the story spanning three cities, I could see this book working really well as a trilogy, which may have made the book not seem like it was dragging as much, but due to the genre, it was readable in a reasonable amount of time. Just be prepared to be reading it for awhile!
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
First off, I think the title is completely wrong for this book. I get where it came from but it definitely should’ve been called something else.
The whole book dragged around, in my opinion, and then the end rushed through, which I hated. There’s also an epilogue (I love books with epilogues) but it didn’t really answer or bring forth any answers I would’ve loved to have gotten.
I know some people really liked this book so maybe it’s just me, but meh, wasn’t a big fan.
The whole book dragged around, in my opinion, and then the end rushed through, which I hated. There’s also an epilogue (I love books with epilogues) but it didn’t really answer or bring forth any answers I would’ve loved to have gotten.
I know some people really liked this book so maybe it’s just me, but meh, wasn’t a big fan.
I wasn't expecting too much when I picked this up from my bookshelf, it's been sitting there a while as I got the book in a book stall over the summer. I felt it was seasonally appropriate to start a book titled Christmas at Tiffany's.
However, there was very little to do with the actual season of Christmas which I'm not complaining about. The story was instead centered around a great bond between four women, and how that bond remains strong even among the ups and downs life throws at you. I mean it's always kinda obvious how these books will end up, and who the main protagonist will end up with but that's why I like them. There's always, more or less, a happy ending!
This is a great book for someone looking to read about a tale in some amazing cities, a total recreation of ones self and a predictable but heartwarming love among friends and partners.
However, there was very little to do with the actual season of Christmas which I'm not complaining about. The story was instead centered around a great bond between four women, and how that bond remains strong even among the ups and downs life throws at you. I mean it's always kinda obvious how these books will end up, and who the main protagonist will end up with but that's why I like them. There's always, more or less, a happy ending!
This is a great book for someone looking to read about a tale in some amazing cities, a total recreation of ones self and a predictable but heartwarming love among friends and partners.
A bit of escapism fun for the festive season. Took a while to work out all the characters but enjoyable romp! following the highs and lows of Cassie's adventures after leaving her husband suddenly, after discovering he is the father of her best friend's son.
Just finished this book, the story was great the whole way through but the ending was a bit of a let down as it seemed rushed...
A quick light hearted read. Set in New York, Paris and London, standard issue chick litt but quite good fun.
This book was an good contemporary read for me. I will probably read another one of her books again next christmas.
Karen Swan is the author of three novels, but Christmas At Tiffany’s is the only one I’ve read. Her first two novels – Players and Prima Donna – are perhaps a bit of a different genre to Christmas At Tiffany’s, and if you read the blurbs you will see why, and I was quite intrigued as to why Karen had seemingly switched to Chick Lit instead of the glamorous reads she first came out with, and I was also interested in just how close this novel is to Melissa Hill’s novel Something From Tiffany’s. I found it – and still find it actually – quite peculiar that for two novels in a row now (first with this one, and then with her next one The Perfect Present out soon) Karen Swan has seemingly released a very similar novel to Melissa Hill just a few months later. I think you can chalk the first one up to coincidence that they both wrote about Tiffany’s, but two novels about charm bracelets in the same year? Do they brain storm ideas and then both write out their version or something? I just find it peculiar and amusing that that has occurred.
Anyway, back to the book. The book is a bit farfetched. I mean you do have to suspend your beliefs a bit as Cassie, after finding out her marriage is a sham, finds herself on a round the world trip as she spends four months (one season, really) with each of her best friends, starting in New York with Kelly, then heading to Paris with Anouk and then London with Suzy, until Cassie can with a sound mind decide where it is that she would like to call home. On her travels, she meets some interesting people, and a blast from the past in the shape of Suzy’s brother Henry sees Cassie touring around each city with just a list to her name. Now, yes, the plot is farfetched, but I liked it. I like plots in Chick Lit that are a bit implausible sometimes. Who wouldn’t like to just jump on a plane somewhere? Well, not me right now as I’ve just had two 4-hour flights in two weeks and boy, were they enough to put me off for life, but generally I do like that idea. I’d never be brave enough to do it therefore I have to live vicariously through these brave fictional characters like Cassie.
Christmas At Tiffany’s is quite a large novel – over 500 pages – but the pace is kept quite well. There are bits where the novel lags, most particularly when Cassie is feeling downcast and especially toward the end of her Paris stint when something tragic occurs, but for the most part it’s well worth its lengthy-ness. The title’s a bit misleading as well, but since the book was launched at Christmastime and Tiffany’s is a big Christmas draw (I prefer Pandora personally, but I’ve never been in or near a Tiffany’s so who knows?) so I can see where it came from, but really all that matters is that the title relates to the book and as Cassie DOES spend Christmas in New York, and maybe Tiffany’s is involved… well, who am I to complain? I really liked Cassie as a character. She was prone to being a wet weekend sometimes, but when your husband does what her husband does it’s obviously gonna happen, and I liked the way she let her friends just take charge and gave her a plan to keep her going. As she tries on each city for size, it’s fun to see the cultural changes and the personal changes in Cassie, and it’s a really good story that way.
I was also very fond of Cassie’s friends. They’re the best friends a girl could ask for and I’d kill for just one of them. Probably Suzy, I think. Or Kelly. I’d love Kelly to take me to New York and make me a Manhattanite. But also Cassie’s new friends and re-discovered friends in the shape of Bas (new friend) and Henry (re-discovered friend). I loved Henry. Like seriously. Everytime there was a hint he was about to pop up, I was chuffed. I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas At Tiffany’s. It was the perfect read to snuggle up with away from the horribly cold British weather (which I do miss, since Tenerife is roasting, therefore it’s not too horrible) and even though I had a rush on to finish it (no space left in my case!) that wasn’t a hardship as I was thoroughly enjoying it. I very much recommend it and I am looking forward to her new novel The Perfect Present which is out really soon.
Anyway, back to the book. The book is a bit farfetched. I mean you do have to suspend your beliefs a bit as Cassie, after finding out her marriage is a sham, finds herself on a round the world trip as she spends four months (one season, really) with each of her best friends, starting in New York with Kelly, then heading to Paris with Anouk and then London with Suzy, until Cassie can with a sound mind decide where it is that she would like to call home. On her travels, she meets some interesting people, and a blast from the past in the shape of Suzy’s brother Henry sees Cassie touring around each city with just a list to her name. Now, yes, the plot is farfetched, but I liked it. I like plots in Chick Lit that are a bit implausible sometimes. Who wouldn’t like to just jump on a plane somewhere? Well, not me right now as I’ve just had two 4-hour flights in two weeks and boy, were they enough to put me off for life, but generally I do like that idea. I’d never be brave enough to do it therefore I have to live vicariously through these brave fictional characters like Cassie.
Christmas At Tiffany’s is quite a large novel – over 500 pages – but the pace is kept quite well. There are bits where the novel lags, most particularly when Cassie is feeling downcast and especially toward the end of her Paris stint when something tragic occurs, but for the most part it’s well worth its lengthy-ness. The title’s a bit misleading as well, but since the book was launched at Christmastime and Tiffany’s is a big Christmas draw (I prefer Pandora personally, but I’ve never been in or near a Tiffany’s so who knows?) so I can see where it came from, but really all that matters is that the title relates to the book and as Cassie DOES spend Christmas in New York, and maybe Tiffany’s is involved… well, who am I to complain? I really liked Cassie as a character. She was prone to being a wet weekend sometimes, but when your husband does what her husband does it’s obviously gonna happen, and I liked the way she let her friends just take charge and gave her a plan to keep her going. As she tries on each city for size, it’s fun to see the cultural changes and the personal changes in Cassie, and it’s a really good story that way.
I was also very fond of Cassie’s friends. They’re the best friends a girl could ask for and I’d kill for just one of them. Probably Suzy, I think. Or Kelly. I’d love Kelly to take me to New York and make me a Manhattanite. But also Cassie’s new friends and re-discovered friends in the shape of Bas (new friend) and Henry (re-discovered friend). I loved Henry. Like seriously. Everytime there was a hint he was about to pop up, I was chuffed. I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas At Tiffany’s. It was the perfect read to snuggle up with away from the horribly cold British weather (which I do miss, since Tenerife is roasting, therefore it’s not too horrible) and even though I had a rush on to finish it (no space left in my case!) that wasn’t a hardship as I was thoroughly enjoying it. I very much recommend it and I am looking forward to her new novel The Perfect Present which is out really soon.
This book should be about the heroine finding herself, but it isn't, not truly.
After her marriage literally falls apart, Cassie finds herself spending time with her best friends in three amazing cities: New York, Paris and London, trying to discover who she really is. Because of course, as she married young and spent ten years with her husband, she doesn't know who she is. She seemingly has no interest in anything, had no job through her entire ten-year marriage (and, mind you, had no kids) and has no experience what so ever in anything. In what world is that even possible? Additionally, the book is vague about what Cassie did in a mansion in freaking Scotland during that time. We know she cooked and threw some parties. But then what? Sat in her chair through the ten-years?
So, of course, her friends do everything for her.
The entire book isn't really about Cassie finding out who she really is. Her friends do it for her. They get her makeover, push her to do things, meanwhile Cassie comes up with two decisions by herself in the entire book. She would be literally dead if it wasn't for them.
They even find her a job because Cassie has no experience and her friends are so generous that they get her hired and Dior.
Yes, you read that correctly. A woman in her thirties with no experience, just good looks about which she is constantly reminded about, gets a job at Dior in Paris without any experience and after a significant fiasco in New York.
The characters in this book were an irritating aholes whose main problem was not talking to each other. The main pair spent two to three days with each other after being basically ten years apart and they were just exhausting. And they are all the descriptions of their jobs, which seem to be their entire life. They have no other interests and they're reduced to basic traits.
The book was so annoying that I might not have read another one written by Karen Swan. They're too pretentious, too caught up in themselves and weirdly all the characters are reduced to their jobs, it seems like a theme in Swan's work.
Thank you but no thank you.
After her marriage literally falls apart, Cassie finds herself spending time with her best friends in three amazing cities: New York, Paris and London, trying to discover who she really is. Because of course, as she married young and spent ten years with her husband, she doesn't know who she is. She seemingly has no interest in anything, had no job through her entire ten-year marriage (and, mind you, had no kids) and has no experience what so ever in anything. In what world is that even possible? Additionally, the book is vague about what Cassie did in a mansion in freaking Scotland during that time. We know she cooked and threw some parties. But then what? Sat in her chair through the ten-years?
So, of course, her friends do everything for her.
The entire book isn't really about Cassie finding out who she really is. Her friends do it for her. They get her makeover, push her to do things, meanwhile Cassie comes up with two decisions by herself in the entire book. She would be literally dead if it wasn't for them.
They even find her a job because Cassie has no experience and her friends are so generous that they get her hired and Dior.
Yes, you read that correctly. A woman in her thirties with no experience, just good looks about which she is constantly reminded about, gets a job at Dior in Paris without any experience and after a significant fiasco in New York.
The characters in this book were an irritating aholes whose main problem was not talking to each other. The main pair spent two to three days with each other after being basically ten years apart and they were just exhausting. And they are all the descriptions of their jobs, which seem to be their entire life. They have no other interests and they're reduced to basic traits.
The book was so annoying that I might not have read another one written by Karen Swan. They're too pretentious, too caught up in themselves and weirdly all the characters are reduced to their jobs, it seems like a theme in Swan's work.
Thank you but no thank you.