Karen Swan

Not every door should be opened . . . With stunning locations and page-turning tension, The Paris Secret is an intense and gripping tale from bestselling author Karen Swan, the perfect escapism for fans of Santa Montefiore. Somewhere along the cobbled streets of Paris, an apartment lies thick with dust and secrets: full of priceless artworks hidden away for decades. High-flying fine art agent Flora from London, more comfortable with the tension of a million-pound auction than a cosy candlelit dinner for two, is called in to assess these suddenly discovered treasures. As an expert in her field, she must trace the history of each painting and discover who has concealed them for so long. Thrown in amongst the glamorous Vermeil family as they move between Paris and Antibes, Flora begins to discover that things aren't all that they seem, while back at home her own family is recoiling from a seismic shock. The terse and brooding Xavier Vermeil seems intent on forcing Flora out of his family's affairs – but just what is he hiding?

The Paris Secret

They say that behind every great man, there's a great woman, and behind London's most powerful leaders, there stands only one--Alex Hyde, business coach par excellence. She's the woman they turn to for advice and strategy when the pressure gets too much. So when Alex gets a call offering an unbelievable sum to discreetly manage a family member on the board of an esteemed Scottish whisky company, it's business as usual. She can do this in her sleep. Only, she's never met anyone like Lochlan Farqhuar before. CEO of Kentallen Distilleries, he's also the son and heir of the company's founder, and a man for whom there is no "no." He's a maverick, and Alex needs to get inside his head before he brings the company to its knees. But as she tasks herself with finding a way in, she finds that for once, she's not the one in control. And when she stumbles across a chance discovery that changes everything, she's suddenly not so sure she should be.

The Christmas Secret

The chemistry between the main characters could be felt through every interaction. Overall the book was beautifully written, but I do think the end could have been explored more, as it felt a bit rushed. 

Ksenija 

Simar Gautam 

original review : April 7 

(1) Only bought it cause it was on sale at costco lol 

Some parts were interesting but don’t waste ur time tbh... there are better books ... it was dry

Also TW there is some SA thrown in (not involving the MC directly) But like it was so unnecessary and idk I wasn’t feeling it ...

Pip and her two sisters inherit a beautiful but derelict castle in Killarney, on the West coast of Ireland. It has been in the family for hundreds of years but it will need a huge investment to return it to its former glory. With heavy hearts, the estate is carved up - a small piece for each daughter - and made ready for sale. The prospective new owner wants to experience the castle fully before committing to buy. The girls agree that he can throw a huge party in time for Christmas: his hello, their goodbye.

The Christmas Party

Pam Sartain

The last knight in Ireland dies suddenly, and leaves the castle to his youngest daughter (Willow), his eldest daughter (Ottie) gets a camp site and her cottage, and his middle daughter (Pip) gets the stables that she loves, and his wife (Serena) gets the dower house.

Willow has a hard decision to make as she can't afford to do the repairs that the castle so desperately needs, and so decides to sell the castle, which none of her sisters or mother likes, if only for the fact that they don't understand why Willow has inherited it, and not Serena, or Ottie.

Everyone has secrets in this book, and they are all going to come out at the Christmas party which is to be held at the castle.

I enjoyed the book, and found some of the secrets obvious, and others a surprise. It did set the scene well, with the castle feeling like another character in the book!

The Christmas Party was published on 31st October 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Karen Swan on Twitter.

If you're interested in family drama books, then here's some others I've reviewed:

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Confession by Jessie Burton 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Perfect Dress by Louisa Leaman 🌟🌟🌟

Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Christmas at Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

December 2018, and free-spirited influencers Bo Loxley and her partner Zac are living a life of wanderlust, travelling the globe and sharing their adventures with their millions of fans. Booked to spend Christmas in the Norwegian fjords, they set up home in a remote farm owned by enigmatic mountain guide Anders and his fierce grandmother Signy. Surrounded by snowy peaks and frozen falls, everything should be perfect. But the camera can lie and with every new post, the 'perfect' life Zac and Bo are portraying is diverging from the truth. Something Bo can't explain is wrong at the very heart of their lives and Anders is the only person who'll listen. June 1936, and fourteen-year old Signy is sent with her sister and village friends to the summer pastures to work as milkmaids, protecting the herd that will sustain the farm through the long, winter months. But miles from home and away from the safety of their families, threat begins to lurk in friendly faces... The mountains keep secrets - Signy knows this better than anyone - and as Bo's life begins to spiral she is forced, like the old woman before her, to question who is friend and who is foe.

The Christmas Lights

Amanda Furlan

I was getting worried about this book but finally at page 250 it picked up. This book could have been half the length and would have gotten a better rating. The beginning drag so much but finally from page 250 I couldn’t put it down. If your a Karen Swan fan I say give it a go but know it does get better

The Paris Secret

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