The Christmas Secret by Karen Swan: a review

The penultimate review of the year is for a book that’s been accompanying me on the lead up to Christmas. Admittedly, I thought I was getting hallmark movie cheese in novel form, but I’d like to think I was given a whole lot more. I should point out that I’m more than happy to chill out with some tropey romance novels; they’re good fun, if nothing else.

            The Christmas Secret by Karen Swan follows in demand business coach, Alex Hyde. She’s hired by an esteemed Scottish whisky company to pull their CEO, Lochlan Farquhar, into line. As professionalism and personal lives begin to blur, can Alex really get the job done?

            This was a real joy to read over the Christmas period. It was great fun, and the sweet moments weren’t overly saccharine. Yeah, sure, there were some tropes that made their way in, but it didn’t feel tiring to see them. I mean, tropes exist for a reason, and it’s often about how they’re used that makes all the difference, and when Swan uses them, she does so with great skill.

            That fire scene had me bawling. Swan knew exactly what she was doing when she had the dog whining and hiding while the blaze was roaring. Don’t worry, nothing happens to her. That’s not a spoiler, there’s no danger for the dog; she’s scared about one of her owners. That was the best way to make me worry and care about Lachlan. Have me nervous on a little dog’s behalf.

            I’m so glad I came across this on Borrow Box. If you use the service, then definitely try to borrow it. I’m sure I saw this when returning some other books to Burnley library, so there’s that too. I know Christmas is technically over now, but you can still enjoy it at any time of year. I’m certain to return to this in the future. It was so much fun, even when I was crying.