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A review by mjhpjansen
The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker
4.0
Scrolling Netgalley for hidden gems I found The Christmas trip by Sandy Barker. I never read any books by her, but people kept telling me that if I like Julie Caplin's Romantic Escapes or the work of Sarah Morgan I will most definitely love her books as well. It did indeed look exactly like my cup of tea so I was very happy when HarperCollins UK / One more chapter accepted my request. Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy.
What is the book about?
A year has passed and it's Christmas time again. Best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all in a relationship and live in different parts of the world.
Chloe is living in Hollywood with her celebrity boyfriend Archer. She is very much in love but it's been a turbulent year and she is dying to get away and spend some quality time together.
Jules lives in Melbourne and loves it there. Her boyfriend Matt is a winemaker. She shares a flat and lately that's too crowded for her. She wants a place of her own.
Her brother Will has a relationship with Lucy, who feels it's pretty hard to maintain a long-distance relationship, flying between London and Colorado.
Archer was planning to take Chloe to Paris, but an Icelandic vulcano ruined that plan. Instead he surprises her by bringing her friends together for an epic Christmas they'll never forget.
The book starts with a prologue: Twelve years ago. The May Ladies - Mexico. In this prologue Jules, Chloe and Lucy just checked in for a vacation after Jules' breakup and the reader is informed about the origin of their friendship and why they call themselves the May Ladies. It's a modern scene of three young women with regular issues and talks but it confused me a bit. When I read what the book was about, I saw that Jules lives in Melbourne, but in this prologue Chloe was called the Aussie and there were some other things that confused me. The Christmas trip starts with a trip in the prologue but that's not the trip this book is about. Right after the prologue we switch to Chloe in Los Angeles and that confused me because she was the Aussie. Later on things get more clear and the origin is often enough explained, but still I felt like I was missing out on a lot of fun. Especially when they were all together in Hawaii, the place means something to them and you had to pay attention to who says or thinks what. It can feel a bit overwhelming and/or crowded. Nevertheless, you read about 3 couples with regular issues and the holiday look and feel is very uplifting and that made it a very pleasant to read story. The characters are recognizable and you can really relate to the women and their struggles in love, friendship and life in general.
I found out this book is the second in a series so I downloaded the first too, because I wanted to know more about how the relationships were formed and that is what you read about in book one: The Christmas swap.
Although the books are suitable to be read as stand alone, I would strongly recommend to read the books in the right order. That way you have all the information and will not get confused. You will have so much more fun on this trip! It makes a difference if you travel along with people you've just met or spend a vacation with people you know and love. If you are looking for a feel-good Christmas trip, this is definitely the one you need, but make sure you don't miss out on the Christmas swap!
I love how the story is built and how everything unfolded towards the end. The lovable characters and the very realistic issues they deal with, the absolutely fabulous setting and surroundings and the humor will make you read this book with a smile.
Sandy Barker is an Australian writer with a great sense of humour who travels a lot and is very hopeful about romance. Her adventures during traveling inspired her writing. Her debut novel is set in Greece, a contemporary romance that is inspired by her own lovestory. One summer in Santorini is therefor my next catch. I was pleased to find out this was book one (of five) in the holiday romance series.
What is the book about?
A year has passed and it's Christmas time again. Best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all in a relationship and live in different parts of the world.
Chloe is living in Hollywood with her celebrity boyfriend Archer. She is very much in love but it's been a turbulent year and she is dying to get away and spend some quality time together.
Jules lives in Melbourne and loves it there. Her boyfriend Matt is a winemaker. She shares a flat and lately that's too crowded for her. She wants a place of her own.
Her brother Will has a relationship with Lucy, who feels it's pretty hard to maintain a long-distance relationship, flying between London and Colorado.
Archer was planning to take Chloe to Paris, but an Icelandic vulcano ruined that plan. Instead he surprises her by bringing her friends together for an epic Christmas they'll never forget.
The book starts with a prologue: Twelve years ago. The May Ladies - Mexico. In this prologue Jules, Chloe and Lucy just checked in for a vacation after Jules' breakup and the reader is informed about the origin of their friendship and why they call themselves the May Ladies. It's a modern scene of three young women with regular issues and talks but it confused me a bit. When I read what the book was about, I saw that Jules lives in Melbourne, but in this prologue Chloe was called the Aussie and there were some other things that confused me. The Christmas trip starts with a trip in the prologue but that's not the trip this book is about. Right after the prologue we switch to Chloe in Los Angeles and that confused me because she was the Aussie. Later on things get more clear and the origin is often enough explained, but still I felt like I was missing out on a lot of fun. Especially when they were all together in Hawaii, the place means something to them and you had to pay attention to who says or thinks what. It can feel a bit overwhelming and/or crowded. Nevertheless, you read about 3 couples with regular issues and the holiday look and feel is very uplifting and that made it a very pleasant to read story. The characters are recognizable and you can really relate to the women and their struggles in love, friendship and life in general.
I found out this book is the second in a series so I downloaded the first too, because I wanted to know more about how the relationships were formed and that is what you read about in book one: The Christmas swap.
Although the books are suitable to be read as stand alone, I would strongly recommend to read the books in the right order. That way you have all the information and will not get confused. You will have so much more fun on this trip! It makes a difference if you travel along with people you've just met or spend a vacation with people you know and love. If you are looking for a feel-good Christmas trip, this is definitely the one you need, but make sure you don't miss out on the Christmas swap!
I love how the story is built and how everything unfolded towards the end. The lovable characters and the very realistic issues they deal with, the absolutely fabulous setting and surroundings and the humor will make you read this book with a smile.
Sandy Barker is an Australian writer with a great sense of humour who travels a lot and is very hopeful about romance. Her adventures during traveling inspired her writing. Her debut novel is set in Greece, a contemporary romance that is inspired by her own lovestory. One summer in Santorini is therefor my next catch. I was pleased to find out this was book one (of five) in the holiday romance series.