A fun, feel good "The Holiday" inspired Christmas read!

Three long distance best friends, who call themselves The May Ladies, decide that they are going to swap Christmases this year. Chloe will go stay with Lucy's parents in England, Lucy will jet off to Colorado with Jules' family, & Jules will spend a sunny and warm Christmas down in Australia with Chloe's friends. They all end up with more than just their dream Christmases when it just so happens that they all meet some devilishly, handsome men along the way!

If you're looking for a warm, cozy, romantic holiday book then look no further as this one brings all the Christmas charm and joy. I loved the different, stunning settings of each location along with the storyline of each girl. I will say the cynic in me was thinking some moments were too lovey-dovey and unrealistic that each girl fell in love so quickly with perfect men, but that's just me!

3.5 stars for this perfect holiday escape! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review

The Christmas Swap follows three best friends who live in different parts of the world. Chloe is from Melbourne, Lucy from England, and Jules from Colorado. They met as children at a Maui resort kids' club and have remained best friends. However, they each have their own reasons of why they’re not too excited about their Christmas plans. As a result, they decide to swap places. Lucy heads to Colorado for a snowy Christmas with Jules’ family, Jules flies to Australia for a warm Christmas with Chloe’s friends, and Chloe takes the long journey to England for a traditional Christmas with Lucy’s parents. During their Christmas vacation, each woman discovers new things about themselves and starts to really prioritize what’s important. Of course, this wouldn’t be a romcom read without some romance. Each girl happens to meet a handsome man who makes her trip worth-while.
I enjoyed the way the book is divided into multiple POVs and a few chapters where all three talk together. Honestly, I thought it was a little unrealistic that, pretty much instantly, all three women meet a wonderful man. But this is fiction and as readers we sometimes love to just enjoy the fantasy. I enjoyed all three of their experiences, but Lucy was my favorite. Maybe it’s because I don’t ever get a snowy Christmas and I was envious of all her snowy activities and the huge Breckenridge cabin. Her love story was also my favorite because there was a little bit of conflict, despite the obvious attraction. This is a great Christmas romance to read before New Year’s Eve.

Memorable lines:
1. “Here’s to peeing in the snow.”
2. He picked up a tea towel and started drying. It was one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen.
3. “And yes, of course Die Hard is a Christmas movie.”

Thank you to @netgalley and @onemorechapterhc for a free digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely lovely Christmas story following three friends that swap their Christmases. I loved reading about each of the friends and their traditions and their romance that develops. Beautifully written

This was a great Christmas book! His is a story about 3 best friends that live in Colorado, London & Melbourne. They all decide they need a change for Christmas & end up swapping homes. They spend the holidays with new families and friends. They each find a little romance and learn some things about themselves. Loved this story!

This was another cosy festive read for me and I’m enjoying them. Barker does a great job of showing the varying experiences and traditions from her 3 main leads’ home countries and puts them in new situations resulting from their swap. I have to say I related most to Lucy’s story, probably as the Brit in this book. Whilst their antics ventured more into the realm of fairytale (I don’t want to spoil it) it was still an enjoyable read. I also really want to try Nate’s hot chocolate!

The Christmas swap
By sandy barker
Pub date 16 October 2020
I loved this book I was happy two do the read along with one more chapter two. You follow three women on this journey who have all different views about Christmas two. My favourite character was joules I connected with her allot. The stories of these three woman are beautiful written you enjoy learning about them. The cover of the book is stunning with the snow background as well.
This is a fun read and the writing style is easy two follow I enjoyed this book x

One More Chapter Readalong December 8-11 2020. Thanks to Sandy Barker and One More Chapter for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

3 lifelong friends and 3 very different vacation locations. Chloe Jules and Lucy met at a kid's club at a holiday resort in Maui and forged a bond they hoped would be lasting.

They got lucky because, 22 years later, they are still firm friends. Back in the day, they called themselves the JCL May Ladies, and the name stuck. The reasoning behind this name is fun and quirky so I won't spoil the suspense.

They traveled together on more than one occasion and I enjoyed hearing about their exploits.

In the present day, they miss each other because of the different courses their lives have taken and the physical distance between them.

"What if we swapped vacation experiences?" The question is a fun one and at first they aren't sure how this will work. But they want to make it work.

So, Lucy, who is used to sleepy Oxfordshire, ends up in Colorado, Jules leaves Colorado for Melbourne and Chloe travels to Lucy's home.

The excitement and suspense of the decision to travel is built in the first few chapters and we follow each character as they leave their respective families and comfort zones to arrive in places unknown to them.

I loved the movie The Holiday and this is a similar idea but with more varied locations and more people doing the "swap," so to speak.

Will Lucy have feelings for Jules' brother Will?

I laughed out loud at the Christmas cake scenes. I myself don't much like Christmas cake but it was a nice homely touch that her mum made some of the "boozy" cake. I was thinking "how would they let that on the flight if it was homecooked food?".

This remains a mystery. But the scenes featuring the cake were fun. And Jules' dad's rum-laced hot chocolate was a hit.

The Christmas Swap is fun, funny adventurous sweet and traditional as well as homely cosy surprising......

What can I say? I loved it! Realistic characters, amazing attention to detail and the ins and outs of what it takes to really keep good friends as the years go by.

The Christmas Swap is so magical and I also loved the fact that Oxfordshire was chosen as a location as it was where I grew up.

Watlington, the town mentioned in the book, was somewhere my dad would drive us through to visit family in Buckinghamshire so I know it well.

The novel is a beautiful Christmas hug of a book.

5 stars.

Pretty straightforward story of three best friends who decide to swap lives for Christmas. Naturally, boys are involved. Kind of a rip off of The Holiday, but not exactly b/c the movie is referenced in the novel. Note: Three countries are involved.

I adored everything about this book. It filled me with so much festive joy which is exactly what I needed right now.
I loved all of the main characters for different reasons, and I loved the fact that they had to make their friendship survive the long distances between them all. Their personalities were all so different and unique, and that somehow seemed to help their incredibly strong bond. When they all decided to swap christmases, they could never have imagined how life changing that one decision would be.
Then we meet Will, Archer and Matt - and they are all so endearing and lovable, but once again all so different, and following their romances develop throughout the story was so lovely.
A definite must read!.

Chloe, Lucy and Jules have been best friends forever, and they don't let a little issue like living on different continents keep them apart. They speak regularly and holiday together whenever they can.

During one of their many video calls, it becomes apparent that they are each seeking an escape from their daily lives, and that they each want to experience Christmas in a different way. After much discussion they finally agree to swap Christmases! Jules is keen to exchange the snowy backdrop of Colorado for the much sunnier Melbourne, Chloe is excited to head to England for a cosy family Christmas and Lucy can't wait to see snow on Christmas Day in Colorado! What they don't forsee is how one holiday apart could change each of them in such a significant way!

I really loved this novel! It is the perfect escapism from our current real life issues, and it provided me with the opportunity to travel the world without leaving my sofa (good job really, given that travelling the world is currently not an option!). Both Melbourne and Colorado feature on my own personal travel list, so getting to spend some time there with these characters was lovely! The descriptions of each of the locations were vibrant and detailed, which helps enormously when you want to imagine yourself there with these characters. Of course it also helps that each location came with its very own attractive love interest! It's a shame that doesn't always happen in real life!

Lucy, Chloe and Jules were all great characters to spend time with - they were all very different, but you could see why they worked as friends. Their friendship isn't perfect, but that's what made it more realistic - they have their problems, both individually and as a group, but they ultimately love and support one another. Swapping Christmases was their way of supporting each other, to give each of them the opportunity to escape their current lives and experience something new and different.

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you all - it is an easy-read, filled with friendship, travel and romance. Christmas is coming (even if we don't all want to admit it yet), so grab yourself a copy of The Christmas Swap, a glass of mulled wine and get yourself into the Christmas spirit!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the travel elements were quite enjoyable. However, I didn't enjoy the instalove element of the story.

The Christmas Swap was such a fun and cozy read. Giving off major The Holiday vibes, The Christmas Swap follows decades-long long-distance friends, Chloe, Lucy and Jules who all live on different continents. This Christmas, they decide to swap places with one another for a chance of view, and romance, excitement and fun ensues. I so enjoyed this cozy little book and all the different Christmas traditions each of the girls had. I also need to find a recipe for rummy hot chocolate! Thanks to Netgalley for the e-copy in exchange for review.

This book is a little different from my usual reads but entertaining all the same. Three girls met 22 years ago at a holiday camp. All 11 and all born on various dates in may. They quickly set up the May Ladies and their friendship spans 2 decades and 3 continents. This year Christmas is going to be a little different. The friends all decide to swap Christmas’s. Chloe from Melbourne Australia heads to a sleepy village in England to spend Christmas with Lucy’s parents. Lucy from England heads to snowy Colorado for her dream come true white Christmas with Jules’ family and Jules jets off to sunny Melbourne for the orphan Christmas with Chloe’s friends. What they don’t expect is to fall in love and their lives change forever for swapping Christmas’s. I highly recommend this book. A few good laughs and kept me very entertained.

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Baker.

Lucy, Jules and Chloe have known each other since childhood when they met at a kids club whilst on holiday and have been best friends ever since. Chloe lives in Australia, Jules in Colorado and Lucy in England. Chloe wants a quaint Christmas so goes to Oxfordshire in England, Jules wants sunshine so she goes to Australia and finally Lucy wants snow so goes to Colorado.

A fabulous fun book following the girls on their own ideal swap and their journey and people they make friends with while there.

Lovely winter ready on the sofa and you have 3 stories intertwined,

A warm and fuzzy, wholesome Christmas read.
If you’re a fan of ‘The Holiday’ Christmas film and you want those vibes but with 3 best friends from 3 different continents, then this book would be right up your street!
I would have liked it if one of the three main female characters wasn’t straight. Not only for diversity but for selfish reasons because at times in the beginning it was hard for me to keep the three of them separate in my mind.

💫 Book Review 💫
The Christmas Swap by @sandybarkerauthor

I read this as part of @onemorechapterhc readalong.

I really enjoyed this book, getting through it in a few hours. It was such a fun storyline and I loved that it had a mix of the love between friends and new romantic sessions.

My favourite couple was Chloe and Archer, I laughed so much at the sciences with his ex 😂.

This is the perfect winter warmer in the lead up to Christmas.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you too @onemorechapterhc and netgalley for this copy
#omcreadalong #arc #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #christmasreads

I really, really loved this Book! It’s so Fun and Romantic and the friendship that Lucy, Chloe and Jules share is absolutely beautiful. Slightly jealous I must admit!

My favourite character without a doubt is Will. I 100% developed a crush on him 😍 and was sad to say goodbye when I finished the book 🙈

It’s a great Christmas book, but it could be read anytime as ultimately it’s a great example of Friendship, Travel and finding love when it is least expected.

Awesome holiday story. Chloe, Lucy and Jules are three best friends who each participate in a swap that takes them to other parts of the world for the Christmas holiday.
If you love the movie The Holiday you will love this movie that is The Holiday times 3.
Thank you Sandy Barker, Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Three women who are lifelong best friends but live on different continents, collectively come to the same conclusion – they need a change for Christmas!

Lucy, who lives in Oxfordshire, UK, Chloe from Melbourne, Australia and Jules from Boulder, CO USA, decide to swap Christmases for one year and spend it with each other’s’ loved ones. On first read, that sounds like a far-fetched premise. Surely someone would kick up a fuss at not seeing their daughter over Christmas, especially if they usually spend it together? Barker handles it well though, and these niggles and issues are discussed and ironed out in a realistic and relatable way. They’ve all been friends for so long that their families know them, at least enough to invite them to stay.

Soon they are winging their way to their destinations, anticipating prawns for Christmas dinner or a snowstorm, or Christmas cake and sherry. This is something that is also handled really well – three different sets of traditions, both from a geographical culture and a personal one – each of the women have different experiences based on the country they live in. Chloe, for instance, sleeps in the UK but calls the duvet her doona in Oxford – totally normal inner monologue as that what she’s known it as.

That’s the other thing that is really genuine – a couple of nice communication failures or misses, based on the words used. Some of them are quite subtle, like the levels of swearing acceptable across the three countries is totally different. I thought that was really well observed, and clearly something the author has experienced herself.

Predictably, but actually quite cosily handled, all three women immediately meet hunky single guys who sweep them off their feet in seconds, as soon as they land. This is definitely not a contemporary fiction, warts and all, feet on the ground tale. It is cute, and the relationships were tackled differently enough that it wasn’t repetitive.

Just when I thought I had a complaint or a niggle, it would be addressed. For example, all of this cool stuff is happening and they’re not talking to each other about it? Boom – someone would think about calling the others, and ring them. Sometimes timezones got in the way, or just other plans, but the conversations they had were interesting and progressed the story too.

I also liked that the women were different personalities and had characters all of their own. There seemed to be a great deal of backstory and history with them which rang true, and that was balanced with being different enough to be able to tell them apart, but also it was easy to see why they had remained friends after nearly two decades. Sandy Barker thanks her own girl squad in the acknowledgements, and I think that’s why she’s able to write so well about that relationship set-up – because she knows all about it herself.

While this isn’t a book I’ll be rushing to re-read, I really enjoyed it and was surprised to find myself wondering what happened to the characters after they story had finished – I want to know where they go next! Maybe there’ll be a sequel…

Thanks as always to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the DRC.

An enjoyable Christmas holiday read that would be perfect for anyone that is fans of The Holiday.
I loved both the settings in this book and had a fun time while reading, I found it well paced and I enjoyed reading about the characters and kept interested throughout the book. The book was very well paced and kept you interested.
Would recommend to anyone looking for a fun holiday read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.