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A review by lucyp747d4
The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan
4.0
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for approving me for an ARC of this book. I had an Audible credit and decided to use it on this book, especially once I learnt that Kristen Atherton was the narrator. I have listened to a few books narrated by Kristen and she always blows me away with her exemplary voices.
This book is told in a dual timeline, focusing on Natasha and Duffy. Our present-day story involves Natasha’s child, Mabel, and her lost toy. When a social media post, asking for help to find it, goes viral Natasha learns that it is in the hands of Duffy, who is on a hiking expedition. We then skip back a few years to Natasha and the night of her hen do where she meets handsome Tom and finds her world is turned upside down.
Initially, I was confused with the two storylines and wondered what relevance they had to each other. Let’s just say that it became clear very quickly where this story was heading and I was here for it! The romantic in me loved the idea that you can know someone by just meeting them and feeling that magnetic pull.
Natasha was an interesting protagonist. As a mother, I related to her and her inconsolable child, if I was in her shoes I would have done anything to find Moolah again too. Her bond with Mabel and natural mothering instinct was beautiful to read but I felt that she had lost her own identity. Her marriage and astonishing home didn’t seem to make her happy and I desperately wanted her to see the light and forge a new path for herself and Mabel.
When Duffy entered the scene, it was clear that there was more to his hiking expedition than he let on. He seemed to have a lot of emotional baggage and I often found myself wondering what the end result of his hike would be. I loved his touching responses to Mabel and his ability to engage with her even when he was miles and miles away.
What started as a slow burner soon ramped up to a tense and climactic ending for both Natasha and Duffy. Whilst the romance elements were a given I hadn’t expected a lot of the other twists and action that were packed in towards the end. Karen Swan had built a foundation that made you love the characters and care about their outcomes, in those last moments I was holding my breath and struggling to hold back the tears during that phone call. I shall now be devouring the rest of Karen Swan’s collection!
This book is told in a dual timeline, focusing on Natasha and Duffy. Our present-day story involves Natasha’s child, Mabel, and her lost toy. When a social media post, asking for help to find it, goes viral Natasha learns that it is in the hands of Duffy, who is on a hiking expedition. We then skip back a few years to Natasha and the night of her hen do where she meets handsome Tom and finds her world is turned upside down.
Initially, I was confused with the two storylines and wondered what relevance they had to each other. Let’s just say that it became clear very quickly where this story was heading and I was here for it! The romantic in me loved the idea that you can know someone by just meeting them and feeling that magnetic pull.
Natasha was an interesting protagonist. As a mother, I related to her and her inconsolable child, if I was in her shoes I would have done anything to find Moolah again too. Her bond with Mabel and natural mothering instinct was beautiful to read but I felt that she had lost her own identity. Her marriage and astonishing home didn’t seem to make her happy and I desperately wanted her to see the light and forge a new path for herself and Mabel.
When Duffy entered the scene, it was clear that there was more to his hiking expedition than he let on. He seemed to have a lot of emotional baggage and I often found myself wondering what the end result of his hike would be. I loved his touching responses to Mabel and his ability to engage with her even when he was miles and miles away.
What started as a slow burner soon ramped up to a tense and climactic ending for both Natasha and Duffy. Whilst the romance elements were a given I hadn’t expected a lot of the other twists and action that were packed in towards the end. Karen Swan had built a foundation that made you love the characters and care about their outcomes, in those last moments I was holding my breath and struggling to hold back the tears during that phone call. I shall now be devouring the rest of Karen Swan’s collection!