Ok, so I know that Christmas was over several weeks ago but I have only just managed to finish this book and therefore write the review!
As usual, I look for Christmas themed books to help get me in the mood over the festive period and I was a bit late in choosing this year, mainly because I couldn't find anything that wasn't a mushy love story or a tale of a broken heart. These books are very predictable and quite easy reading too. So I came across this book by Karen Swan and thought I would give it a go as it looked like it had more than just romance in it.
And I was right. It is a very sophisticated book with a good story line, that just happens to be set around Christmas. In fact, it could also work just as well set at any other time of the year really.
It is told from the point of view of Allegra Fisher, a high flying business women who always puts her career first. She has a sister, Isabelle and a mother with dementia who is in a home. One day, the news of a long lost relatives death is heard and Allegra and Isabelle have to go to Switzerland to identify the remains. They then get drawn into a complicated family history and start to uncover the truth whilst in Switzerland.
As well as all this happening, Allegra is having difficulties at work and is also drawn to an attractive man, Sam, who she feels she must stay away from but can't.
The story is very well told in great detail. The fact that there are essentially two stories here rolled into one makes very clever writing and they are both very succinct. It also helps to draw the reader in to the lives of the Fisher sisters.
I'm also pleased to say that although there was a budding romance on the cards, the book is not full of mushy love and romance and was definitely not predictable. Rather, it was a cosy story that is an excellent bedtime read. Although it didn't really help to get me into the Christmas spirit (the only real mention of Christmas was at the end which I read this morning - nearly 2 weeks into January!), it was a really nice heart warming story that also had a couple of life lessons too.
I would certainly recommend this book for next Christmas and I am also planning on reading some more of Karen Swan's books in the Christmas's to come.
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