this is my second Karen Swan, The first one was Ok for me, when i see this one on Netgalley, I thought, ok, I will give her a second try.
OMG, this book is phenomenal. I really should get into it sooner. Duffy and Nats met days before Nats' wedding. everything is too late. Nat's find out what is really between them, Duffy is dying on the mountain, it is too late. !!??
this book is not just a destination vacation love story. it's full life and hope.
the little girl is so cute. those letters (postcards) are so sweet, and the mountain clime is atmosphere. i have to say this book starts slow, it start to pick up about 50%, my motions rise with Duffy's clime. it reach to the peak at the end. I cried through the last 2 chapters.
5 starts
I add Karen Swan's other works to my backlist.

This GAVE exactly what I wanted it to give!! I love Karen Swan's books specifically for the settings, and the English countryside was lovely in this, but the real standout was the parts about the Himalayas. I felt really transported and even tabbed some poignant quotes.

Plot-wise, it was incredibly obvious where this was going, but that is exactly what I want and expect from a book like this LOL. I also didn't guess some of the side parts that brought us to the ultimate ending. This is definitely one of the slowest-burn romances I've ever read.

Overall, another winner!!!!

Well, Karen has done it again. Another winner. Wow. A story full of love and hope and wow, the truths that come out….

I would consider it a happy story with a hard middle. I love all the flashbacks to different times, as is the case in a lot of her books, and to have the dual storyline from a female and male perspective was refreshing.

I honestly don’t now how else to describe my love for this story without spoiling anything. Travel along with Moola, Natasha, Duffy and their friends. Learn a bit about painting, mountaineering, and love that stands the test of time ❤️

Thank you to Karen Swan, MacMillan, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Finally finished it...never has a book taken me so long to read
The story started out ok but by chapter 5 it really dragged I didn't want to finish it. I was ready to quit! I put it aside and read 3 books in between this one. Not until around 70% read did the book start to get better and I finished it.

The whole concept of the story was about a missing child's toy and a marriage that needs a lot of work. Natasha, her husband, Rob and their daughter are back from a vacation in the Maldives. Not so much a vacation as it was trying to get their marriage back on track. On a layover in Amsterdam where they are in an Airbnb and in a rush to leave the next morning their daughter's favourite toy is left behind. Back home, Mabel who is 4 years old and truly misses her stuffed cow Moolah, won't stop crying and won't sleep without Moolah. What to do her husband is away for work and her daughter won't go to sleep. She talks to friends one night at a party who suggests Natasha uses social media to try and find Moolah...so that is what Natasha does.

A man who is heading to a remote part of Asia finds Moolah in Amsterdam and decides it is going to be his good luck charm. After some weeks have passed and Duffy is in the Himalayan mountains he gets a call from his ex wife, whom he talked to while at the Airbnb (when he found the cow toy) saying that it is all over social media that he has a distraught childs toy. Natasha, hearing from Duffy's ex-wife, emails Duffy to confirm that he has Moolah. When it is established that Duffy has the toy but is not willing to give it up...he decides to communicate with Natasha and Mabel through emails that Moolah is on an adventure. He takes pictures of Moolah in different scenarios while he is climbing the mountain.

The last third of the book is when the story takes an unexpected turn and becomes really interesting. If you are like me and find the first part of the book tedious and boring I highly recommend that you stick with it. It does get better and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy for an honest review. These are my words and my words only.

I am usually a fan of Karen Swan’s Christmas books, but this one fell flat for me. The premise of the book is unique, but just did not hold my interest.

Natasha and Rob are back from a holiday that was supposed to make or break their marriage, and everything was going great until their 4-year old daughter loses her favorite toy. Out of options, Natasha turns to social media for help, and gets in touch with Duffy, who found the toy. They fast turn into pen pals, and their relationship soon becomes more meaningful to both of them, as Duffy seems to understand Natasha better than her own husband.
As with most of Karen Swan's books, this was another hefty one. I usually love her books, but this story somehow did not grab me. I skimmed most of Dusty's side of the story, and was more interested in the 2018 timeline than in the 2022 one. I was curious to see how Natasha and Dusty's stories would come together, but I saw the half-point twist coming fairly early. It also didn't feel as Christmas-y as I was expecting (maybe this is why I never really could sink my teeth into it). Also, most of the story felt too easy/convenient, but I did love Moolah's story, it was very sweet.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book.

Oh Karen Swan, how I love thee! I am a huge fan of this author and this newest novel does not disappoint. It follows the story of Nats whose child loses their favorite toy on a stopover in Vienna. It then follows Duffy who finds the toy. This story has everything. Mystery, suspense, love, hope and despair. I could not put this down. When I had to put it down, I was thinking about it and couldn't wait to get back to it. I am still thinking about it now and its tugging at my heart.

I strongly recommend this novel and if you haven't picked up a Karen Swan novel yet, do so NOW. I have read all her books and recommend them all.

Hey diddle-diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the ….

You finished the line, right? This book is about a cow, a precious stuffed animal named Moolah, who jumped over the moon. Well, not literally. But close. Moolah gets lost at an AirBnB and the next person to stay a night there takes the stuffed animal as a mascot on his journeys. Moolah sends postcards back to the family, ultimately bringing joy to three heartbroken souls.

A learning experience for those of us without children as much a sweet reminder for those who do, Moolah’s travels are Swan’s way to take us on the journey of the parenting ‘rite of passage’ no mother wants to go through ~ the lost toy! Swan knows how to tap into readers’ emotions and feel the anguish both the mother and child feel. The quest to be reunited with Moolah propels the story as much as the side plot of two people also trying to recapture what they’d lost.

The Queen of Destination Fiction sweeps readers away on an armchair travel via postcards from a stranger! Her Christmas read about reuniting lost souls is the book you didn’t know you needed.

I was gifted this advance copy by Pan Macmilian and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I’ve only read one other “Swan” book but I knew going into this that it would be a quick read. And it was. Easy to read, easy to put down, I would say it was a good one after reading a couple harder topic books. If you enjoy books that give you a handful of hours of entertainment but you know that you won’t feel dragged down after, then this is for you. My mom and aunts love her books so I will 💯 be adding to their library with this one. 3.5 stars