The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan

I love a good book and seem to read a lot more during the Winter months. I have just finished reading The Christmas Lights by bestselling-author Karen Swan, set on the scenic fjords of Norway, it’s a moving Christmas tale of love and heartbreak.

The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan

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.

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I was looking for something light-hearted to read and this fitted the bill perfectly. I was drawn to the story when I read that the main characters were ‘influencers’. I was intrigued to find out more. I liked the main character of Bo Loxley, although I wasn’t so keen on her partner Zac or their photographer friend. I really enjoyed the story, especially the way it moved between present day and the 1930s.

The ending was a little predictable but I still enjoyed reading it. It makes a great festive read and I would totally recommend it if you are looking for something festive to read. I admit to googling Norwegian shelf farms as they sound so intriguing. I’m not sure I’d want to stay in one but I was happy to read about them!

The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan was published on the 1st November by Pac Macmillan. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy to review.