Welcome to Day 12 of #12booksofchristmas. During December I am sharing 12 festive reads. The idea came from the wonderful Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod where a book is given on Christmas Eve and read together. My husband and I started this tradition a few years back with each other. #12booksof christmas will hopefully give you some ideas of books to pick. This is my 5th year doing this and you can check out a whole host of books on my books for Christmas page at the bottom of this post. In case you’ve missed any titles below is a list of #12books so far this year….

• Day One - Countdown to Christmas by Jo Thomas
• Day Two - Who KIlled Father Christmas Edited by Martin Edwards
• Day Three - This Christmas in Paris by Sophie Claire
• Day Four - Tied up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh
• Day Five - Winter in New York by Josie Silver
• Day Six - A Shirley Hughes Christmas by Shirley Hughes
• Day Seven - How To Survive Christmas by Jilly Cooper
• Day Eight - The Christmas Book Club by Sarah Morgan
• Day Nine - The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict
• Day Ten - Snug in Iceland by Victoria Walker
• Day Eleven - The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallet

Well folks we made it! This is my final #12booksofchristmas post for this year! I did get out of sync this week a bit, but only because there was a lot of lovely Christmas festivities going on and a rather big move. My Sister (who I am no longer allowed to recommend books to following an unfortunate incident with the Mitchell Markby books) has moved to North Yorkshire!!! She is living half an hour away and it is lovely to have her so near.

I have broken up for Christmas from work, we celebrated in the pub with Hattie and my lovely Chris, after an afternoon festive tea. Christmas will be here at home with my Sister. On Christmas Eve we will exchange our Jolabokoflod books. For the big day itself, we have a very chilled day, eating over the day, and I foresee a board game or two and the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special on the horizon. Of course I am hoping Santa brings a couple of books. On with today's choice, and I LOVED reading this again.

The Plot

Allegra’s pitching for the biggest deal of her career and can’t afford to fail. And when she meets an attractive stranger, Sam Kemp, on the plane to the meeting, she can’t afford to lose her focus either. She learned to shut off her emotions long ago, and only her sister - and best friend - Isobel knows why. But when Allegra finds herself up against Sam for the bid, their passion quickly turns sour.

In Zermatt, in the Swiss Alps, a long-lost mountain hut is discovered in the snow after sixty years. The last person who expects to become involved is Allegra - she hasn’t even heard of the woman who was found inside. But is soon becomes clear that the two women are linked, and as she and Iz travel out to make sense of the mystery, hearts thaw and dark secrets are uncovered, long buried by the snow.

My Thoughts

I’ve gone back in time here a bit with this choice but I can assure this is a brilliant novel to read at Christmas. Published in 2014, this is a typical Karen Swan which features a dual story, one from the past and one from the future, fantastic locations, and a glamorous lifestyle.

Hedge-fund manager Allegra seems to have everything. Top of her career, able to buy a house in London without ever visiting it, and jetting off to incredible locations to stay in top hotels for her career. She never stops working and has a blackberry permanently attached. Whilst negotiating a deal that could bring in her firm millions in income, she is joined by Sam Kemp from the New York Office, who has a personal link to her potential client. Romance soon turns to competition until her boss asks her to do the unforgivable and she leaves.

Running concurrently alongside this story is the discovery after 60 years of a body in a cabin in the mountains, victims of an avalanche and with a mysterious connection to Allegra and her sister Isobel. As Allegara and Iz head to Switzerland to find out more, her former client and Sam, happen to be staying in the same place enjoying the skiing. An accident on the slopes means Allegra and Iz end up staying with them in their luxurious lodge. Was Sam really as bad as all that?

I’ve had this book on my shelves from the first day it was published and there is a reason for that. It’s excellent and a 5 star read! I love all of the glamour. The meals out, the decadent hotels and am astounded at just how much money hedge-fund managers splash around. But I do not envy this lifestyle, I jest enjoy reading about it. The story is great, and I loved finding out about Allegra and Iz’s past as they learned more about the poor victim in the lodge on the side of a mountain.

Karen Swan books are great to curl up with and she has written some brilliant Christmas novels. Enjoy this when you need a bit of escapist fun, and imagine yourself being cooked meals by a private chef, after a day’s skiing on the slopes and a swim in your private pool. Heaven!

This is my last post before Christmas. I will be back during Twixmas with my review of the year. In the meantime, please may I say a massive thank you for reading my posts, and take the opportunity to wish you and your loved ones the merriest of Christmases.

Love Caroline, lovely Chris and Hattie xxx