In this festive read, you follow three different friends who all swap their usual Christmases and travel thousands of miles to do so. This gives you three gorgeous settings and in effect, three storylines to follow. Because of the contrasting settings, the storylines stay distinct and it is easy to pick up each one. With three narratives running concurrently, you are sometimes left on a cliffhanger but in all, it makes for a really enjoyable read.

The three girls, Chloe, Lucy and Jules are quite different in personality and so are the men who they get to meet. Stepping out of their comfort zones results insome surprisingevents and they get to test themselves and reconsider what they actually want to do. I enjoyed the three contrasting Christmases, with their different customs and family traditions. Friends and family are centre stage in this book and this results in a great feelgood, festive read.

In short: Oxfordshire, Colorado, Melbourne- Christmases to remember.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

I read the synopsis for ‘The Christmas Swap’ and it sounded like just the kind of read I needed at this moment in time. I needed something to take my mind off things for a while and ‘The Christmas Swap’ was certainly the distraction that I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of ‘The Christmas Swap’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the three main characters in this book- Jules, Chloe and Lucy. The three ladies initially met as children whilst they were on holiday at the same resort with their respective parents. The three lasses became firm friends and they have kept in touch ever since that holiday. You couldn’t get a tighter group of friends. One Christmas the three friends decide to swap their respective Christmases. Jules, who is American, ends up going to Australia to spend Christmas with Chloe’s friends. Chloe, who is Australian, travels over to the United Kingdom to spend Christmas with Lucy’s family and friends. That leaves Lucy, who is British, and she ends up travelling over to Colorado, where Jules is from, to spend the festive season with Jules’ friends and family and to experience the White Christmas that she has always craved. All three young ladies get up to all sorts of shenanigans and there are surprises along the way. How does life turn out for Jules, Chloe and Lucy? Well for the answer to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It took me no time at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that I would not be able to put the book to one side for any length of time. I made the fatal mistake of picking the book up to just read a few pages and I was still sat there over two hours and a lot of pages later. For the length of time I was reading the book, I was transported away from a wet and dismal North East of England and taken away to some idyllic sounding places. I found myself becoming rather jealous of all three ladies for the fun and frolics that they were having. I became desperate to know how their respective stories panned out and at times I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. I got the end of ‘The Christmas Swap’ and the story left me feeling all fuzzy and warm inside. I was gripped by the story from start to finish.
‘The Christmas Swap’ is extremely well written. Sandy has one of those writing styles that is easy to get along with and easy to get used to. She creates characters who end up feeling more like friends than characters in a book. Sandy writes in such a way that makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves. The text reads more like a chat between friends than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. ‘The Christmas Swap’ is a fun and festive read, which is guaranteed to get you in the festive mood. Well it made this Scrooge (me) feel all festive at any rate.
In short, ‘The Christmas Swap’ was a fabulous, fun and festive read. I loved it and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sandy’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The Holiday, but even crazier.

Three long-time friends are discussing their Christmas plans. Chloe is a Christmas orphan this year in Melbourne, but wants to experience a true English Christmas, so Lucy invites her to celebrate the holiday with her parents in the English countryside. But Lucy wants a white Christmas, so Jules invites her to celebrate with her family in Colorado. But Jules wants a sunny Christmas, so Chloe invites her to join the orphans Christmas with her friends in Melbourne. As they all swap, they also meet some very interesting men...

This is a cute story with lots of loveable characters. Obviously, there's a level of suspension of disbelief with this kind of crazy story, but you can't help but love each of the May Ladies as they find love and figure out what they want in life!

The “May Ladies Club” also known as Chloe, Lucy and Jules have been friends since they met at a kid’s camp in Hawaii when they were eleven. Through thick and thin they’ve maintained the friendship, as each nurtured their own versions of a “Perfect Christmas Holiday”. And, with everyone feeling in a bit of a rut, this is the year that they changed things. One always dreamed of a white Christmas with all the ‘winter fun’, one wanted a traditional English Christmas with crackers and goose and plum pudding, and the last wanted merely to escape the cold and celebrate her holiday on a beach with a barbeque and sunshine. So – we swap. From Melbourne to a small English village and the mountains of Breckenridge Colorado: each lady is hosted by their friend’s friends and family – with a few wonderful exceptions.

Along the way, the ladies meet the prototypical romantic heroes: a snowboarder, a film star and a winemaker, and their stories not only bring them the ‘hoped for’ special Christmas to break them out of their ruts, but a chance at romance that fills both their own and reader’s hearts with joy and possibility. Told in three perspectives with scenery, activities and voices eminently clear, Barker continues to be the ‘go to’ getaway holiday romance writer.

Light and fun, with plenty of heart, self-reflection, fun and moments to bring the holidays to life, this is a solid and quite entertaining story about changing your views and gaining new perspective on your life and just how that will affect you from that point forward. Light and easy to read with plenty of room for imagination and fantasy with the inclusion of the romance elements, this is a perfect “getaway” story, sure to please many.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aP5 /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This book was fab and exactly what is needed right now, an easy and fun read. I loved the fact that it was a modern twist on The Holiday film and was totally not ashamed to admit it was related.

The May Ladies are brave women who decide to put their lives on hold and swap Christmases with some wonderful results... I don't think it is even fair to go much deeper into the book than that as it spoils it all... but all I can say is that I want a hot chocolate made by Will's dad and snuggle up watching the snow fall in the States so that I can read this again (or watch the movie and travel with each of the women - to Melbourne, or the Cotwolds, or the snow in the States!)....

If you're a fan of holiday romcoms, then this is the book for you. Chloe, Lucy, & Jules have been friends since they met on vacation when they were 11. Chloe lives in Australia, Jules is in Colorado, & Lucy is in England. They are all kind of in a rut & are talking on FaceTime about the holidays coming up. Chloe wants a more traditional Christmas because her parents are going on a cruise instead of being in town. Jules wants Christmas at the beach. Lucy wants a white Christmas. As they are talking, it strikes them that they could all swap places & get what they want. Chloe heads to England to have Christmas with Lucy's parents. Lucy heads to Colorado to have Christmas with Jules' family. Jules heads to Australia to have Christmas with Chloe's friends. What they find when they get to their respective holiday destinations is well worth the reading of this book!

In The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker, we get to see three best friends – Chloe, Jules and Lucy swap hometowns for a change in their Christmas Holidays. It was a fun, light-hearted book, and had the perfect touch of cozy-ness. The storyline made me fall in love with the characters from the very beginning, and that feeling stayed with me throughout the book.

I have always been a fan of destination-based books as well. Nothing gets better than travelling to different places through books while staying inside your homes for me! Sandy Barker’s writing style is simple yet so captivating – she described the characters’ lives in Colorado, England and Melbourne in such a vivid manner. I felt as if I was jumping through Chloe, Jules and Lucy’s lives and celebrating the holidays with them!

Books with strong female friendships have always been a favorite trope of mine in books, and I was really glad to see such a lovely relationship between the three women in The Christmas Swap. Despite of being very different from each other, Chloe, Jules and Lucy had a very powerful bond, and it was clearly evident from their conversations in the book. Each of the characters added their own charms to the story, and made reading The Christmas Swap a joyous ride through and through.

I loved seeing the best friends’ adapt into their different lives. The side characters – mainly people from Chloe, Jules and Lucy’s family were so sweet! I adored reading about them. Christmas is all about being with your loved ones, and this book stayed true to that aspect in every possible way.

The Christmas Swap comes out in 4 days, on the 16th of October. If you haven’t pre-ordered it yet, please do!

his is the 1st Book that I have read by the author , I enjoyed this book.

This book tells the story of 3 friends who met aged 11 in Hawaii, fast forward 20 years and the three of them realise they have never had the christmas experiences they wanted so the 3 friends swapped countries , without giving too many spoilers away this is good .

if you loved the film the holiday you love this book, I would give this book 3.5 stars out of 5, with thanks to Netgalley & One More Chapter for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As I’ve been reading and reviewing Christmassy books since the first week in September, I suspect you might have realised that they’re something I really enjoy – so you can only imagine my delight when I discovered that this book focuses on not one but three very different Christmases. Jules, Lucy and Chloe have been the closest of friends since childhood, despite the fact that they live on different continents: when they talk about Christmas, they’re all looking for something different, and the obvious answer is to swap their Christmas experiences.

Instead of her traditional family Christmas in an Oxfordshire village, Lucy heads off for Colorado, Jules’ extended family, and the white Christmas she’s always craved: Jules heads for Melbourne, for a beach and city break with Chloe’s friends, and where the heat will be more than just the warmth of the season. And Chloe? She finds herself in Lucy’s very pink childhood bedroom in Oxfordshire, roped in to helping organise the village fair.

I loved all the Christmas detail – the differing traditions, the food, the entertainment – but all three of them find romance, with Jules’ lovely little brother Will, with Matt the winemaker, and with Alan (now Archer) the rather unexpected international film star. Their stories alternate, clearly signposted, smooth and easy to follow – I’d planned to tell you which one I enjoyed the most, but just can’t because all three are quite lovely stories, beautifully told.

Well ok, if you push me a bit, I might particularly mention Chloe and Archer – as film stars go (and you don’t often find one in Oxfordshire, spending his Christmas with his mum), he’s very real and grounded, but fame has its downside when the press are watching your every move, and that’s without the additional complication of the ex from hell. But who couldn’t also love Lucy’s snowbound experience – the skiing, the snowboarding, the rum-infused hot chocolate, the cabin in the woods? But then there’s Jules’ Australian adventure – Melbourne itself, the beach, the winelands… I loved them all equally.

Underpinning it all is that amazing friendship between the three women – shaken up a bit at times, a little light conflict, but no-one writes female friendship quite like Sandy Barker. The supporting characters are quite wonderful too – the families, and each woman’s own friendship circle – and I really don’t think I’d have said no to any of their gorgeous love interests. I read this whole book in one glorious sitting – and when I finished, I really felt I’d been travelling, spending Christmas on three continents, and enjoying every single moment.

There’s such a tremendous warmth about the whole book – the settings, the festive touches, the way the characters develop and discover themselves, that strong friendship, the perfect romances – and I entirely loved it. You really must add it to your Christmas reading list – you’re going to love it too.

(Review will be copied to Amazon UK on publication day)

👣Walking in someone else's moccasins: lovely locations, good multiple plots🌏🌎🌍

4.5🌟stars
I really liked the three prong plot for this sweet holiday romance. The chances of all three women finding a perfect holiday and romance in their borrowed locations is not particularly realistic, but it's a feel good novel with a festive tone and emphasizing family and friendship. The Melbourne, Colorado and England locations add interest for armchair travelers in an age when intercontinental travel is difficult to forbidden.

Author Sandy Barker has hit the right balance between the romance and the holiday components. Neither overwhelms the other. Cozy present opening in front of a Christmas morning fire plays against exhilarating new love. A lovely read😌.

Thanks to publishers Harper Collins/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

The Christmas Swap is a fun story that will get you ready for all the best parts of the holiday season.

I loved the different types of Christmases portrayed – a large, boisterous family gathering, a small intimate family celebration, and a Christmas orphans' version. It made me reminisce about the different types of Christmases I've experienced at various points in my life and started preparing me for the holiday season.

I also loved the main characters – Chloe, Lucy, and Jules. I think I liked Chloe's spunky, kick-butt attitude the most, but each has qualities that are endearing and qualities that grate on your nerves a bit. I wish there were another book or books out there with stories of the three of them together. I enjoyed them enough to love to see more of them and, more importantly, see them interact.

The locales are all so beautiful. I don't know which I think is more beautiful and the perfect Christmas spot. A white Christmas in the Colorado mountains, a festival-filled English Christmas in a quaint village, or a summer Christmas down under – how do you decide? Well, I didn't have to. I was able to experience all three in a day. All locations are beautifully described and incite the wanderlust inside.

I wish that all three characters did not instantly find the loves of their lives when they switched locales and holiday experiences. What are the chances of that happening? It would be rare for even one to have that experience, making it difficult to suspend disbelief. I would have loved to see some variety with this part of the plot, and that variety could have taken many, many different forms.

Lastly, I loved that, in the story, holiday romance movies were mentioned. That shout out to the type of tale that you would enjoy around the holidays on a particular network made me laugh out loud.

This is a beautiful holiday romance that will bring on all the feels for the festivities ahead.

I was drawn to this book by the cover image, which is very eyecatching, depicting different settings. I was also intrigued by the blurb, which made the book sound very reminiscent of “The Holiday” film, which is one of my favourite festive films.

The book tells the story about three friends, who swap homes for Christmas in the name of adventure, fun and shaking things up a bit. However, each gets a little bit more than they bargained for…

I found this a refreshing take on chick lit- for a number of reasons. Firstly, the stories were told from three different perspectives – those of the 3 main characters – Chloe, Jules & Lucy. Secondly, I got to enjoy three very different but equally beautiful settings at Christmas. Finally, I actually came across some words I’ve never heard before! I like to think of myself as well read and having a wide vocabulary, and I’ve not learnt words from a book in a very long time, so that was very refreshing.

I enjoyed following the girls’ journeys and the male characters gave men a good name, which isn’t always the case in books like these! Each of them were loyal, helpful, caring and charming!

This book has really helped me escape reality at a time when I’ve really needed to do so & I’ve found it a refreshing, fun, original read. I’ve read a few chick lit Christmas books for this blogging season, and this one currently sits at the top of my list!

I’d highly recommend this book to any fans of chick lit authors such as Mary Jayne Baker, Portia Macintosh, Holly Martin and Rosie Green.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The perfect Christmas love story! Reading it in October might have been a tiny bit too early, but it still was everything I could have hoped for. A bit predictable at times, but nonetheless amazing!

A wonderful story to get you in the festive spirit, I loved experiencing three very different Christmases with these wonderful ladies at three very different locations.

I was swept along from the first meeting of Jules, Chloe and Lucy and laughed throughout this story. A story that really set the scene at each location which added to the authenticity and helped to just sweep me along in the story.

I loved the references to the film The Holiday and whilst there were similarities there was also lots of adventures for the friends amongst the romance that is sprinkled on the pages.

A truly magical christmas read that I absolutely loved from beginning to end and would love to just curl up and read again!

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker

This was a lovely read! I love it when you get different perspectives in books, and here we follow Lucy, Chloe and Jules as they all swap christmases. As an English girl I would love to have had this opportunity, to spend Christmas in the snow with an American family, it sounds lovely! I’m not sure the Aussie Christmas would be for me, I like my Christmases cosy. But it was interesting to read about all the little traditions! A lovely Christmassy read! Available for preorder now, the ebook is available on the 16th of October!

4/5 ⭐️

Recommend ✅

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A truly enjoyable festive read with friends and fun!

Chloe, Jules and Lucy have been friends a long time and are spread across the globe; this year, each find themselves facing a very different kind of yuletide and agree to swap locations to experience Christmas in a new way. So Chloe heads off from the city of Melbourne, Australia to celebrate in a village in Oxfordshire, England. Lucy, in turn, heads off to a very wintry Colorado to experience a really snowy Christmas whilst Jules heads off to Melbourne, desperate for warmth and sunshine this holiday. Will they all find the kind of break they're hoping for?

I'm very fond of books where two or three characters are followed in turn, so this one was right up my street! I appreciated that each chapter was headed up with the name of the person focused on - saved me from getting muddled up until I had each one in their correct setting! Getting to know each of these young women felt like a privilege; a sneak peek into their lives, hopes and dreams with a great big dollop of humour dropped into the mix. Three for the price of one, all with Sandy Barker's wonderful dialogue which made me grin all the way through, keeping me turning the pages long after I should have been in the land of nod. A sparkling Christmas novel which made such a good job of putting me in a festive mood that I just had to purchase a fabulous decoration today! Guaranteed to fill up your Christmas spirit and easily worth all five stars and a huge recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

What an amazing read, such strong, brave women.
This was first book by this author and I was intrigued by the swap. I was hooked from the moment Will suggested to Lucy to pee in the snow while stuck in traffic. I have to say I laughed a bit at that and fell a bit on love with those two characters.
I loved the triple plot line and them reaching seeing life from their friends point of view, but also how they each saw everything with fresh awe struck eyes. Jules and Wills family at the cabin were amazing and I loved all the descriptions of the streets, houses and decorations, seeing it from Lucy’s POV was as if I was actually seeing it.
I loved all the Aussie references and how the Aussie laid back almost carefree attitudes really came through with the characters. And I laughed at the British traditions, Christmas lunch, after the queens speech - not lunch time at all, but it’s just the way it’s done! Lol!
It was an easy, beautiful read that I honestly didn’t want to end, I wanted it to go on so I could see them all making the changes they were roasting the new year in with.

This was a very light hearted and enjoyable, entertaining ,festive read with all the feels. I was quickly drawn into the storyline and didn't want to put it down once I'd started it. It's very reminiscent of a few Rom com's that have become well known films , 'The Holiday is one of my favourite seasonal films end cos mentioned within the storyline a few times.
The storyline revolves around three very different women, who have been lifelong friends after meeting on vacation as children..
Chloe is Australian , Jules is American and Lucy is British. They decide to make Christmas different this year by swapping locations and spending the holiday season with their friends families instead. Chloe relocates from busy Melbourne to a sleepy village in rural England to spend Christmas with Lucy's parents. Jules normally spends her Christmas in snowy Colorado but relocates to Sunny Melbourne to spend the holidays with Chloes friends . Lucy normally has a quiet family Christmas but spends her holidays with Jules huge family at a lodge in the Colorado mountains.
Each friend finds unexpected romance during their stay and there are some humorous moments along the way.
The descriptive writing encapsulates the beauty of the very different locations and you feel like you've been transported somewhere wonderful as you follow each person on their voyage of discovery. Colorado sounded like a winter wonderland , you could picture the setting easily.
I was a little confused initially as to who was where , with whom and what nationality they were, but I did get past that after a few chapters.
This was a fun, easy going read with a happily ever after for each protagonist. I give 4.5 stars and recommend this book as a heartwarming festive read.

When Chloe’s Melbourne Christmas plans start to unravel, her two international besties have an idea - why don’t they swap Christmases? With Chloe heading to England to celebrate a traditional winter Christmas, Jules ends up in a Melbourne heatwave and Lucy experiences her first white Christmas in Colorado.

This was such a cute, squishy read. It was a great feel good novel in the lead up to Christmas, the only reason I didn’t rate it higher is that it wasn’t a stand out. It wasn’t all much different to many others of the same genre.

This was a lovely Christmas read. I loved the links between the three girls.
It was a bit predictable but enjoyable nether the less.

I particularly like Lucy and her sweet unassuming wats and her parents.

For those who love a festive romance book with snow, festive ness a plenty then this is your book.

Pine scented and fairy light lit up read ahoy!

This arc copy was provided for an honest review by netgalley. As usual Thankyou for the change to read before release.