Viskas, ko noriu Kalėdoms

by Karen Swan, Almantė Rimavičienė (Translator)

Po skaudaus išsiskyrimo su vaikinu Darsė Kotrel nutaria pamiršti romantiką ir susitelkti į doktorantūros studijas Kopenhagoje. Tačiau visus planus sugriauna registracija aukštuomenės pažinčių programėlėje ir netikėtas pasiūlymas prisidėti prie įdomaus projekto: atrastas nežinomas Johano Tryro, garsiausio Danijos dailininko, paveikslas, ir Darsei patikima užduotis atskleisti jame vaizduojamos moters tapatybę.

„Viskas, ko noriu Kalėdoms“ panardina skaitytoją į meno pasaulį, kur partneriai bet kada gali virsti priešais, o riba tarp darbo ir asmeninio gyvenimo pavojingai slidi. Darsės tyrimas ir susidūrimas su galingu Madsenų fondu, uoliai kaupiančiu Tryro paveikslų kolekciją ir šaltinių archyvą, iškels šimtmečio senumo paslaptis ir kartu įneš sumaišties į jos asmeninį gyvenimą. Pamažu aiškėjant paveikslo istorijai ir nenumaldomai artėjant Kalėdoms, Darsė turės apsispręsti, ką pasirinkti – aistrą ar jaukius pašnekesius, tiesą ar besimezgančius santykius. Kai kurios paslaptys – kaip uraganas, po kurio nelieka akmens ant akmens...

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Book Club, Audiobook, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

472 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2024

About the author

Karen Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and a puppy, and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest in Sussex, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs. Her books include Christmas at Tiffany's, Summer at Tiffany's, The Perfect Present, Christmas in the Snow, The Summer Without You, The Paris Secret, and Christmas Under the Stars.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a heavy read. I liked the art history part of the story, but not he part with the vet, did we have to know how and why the poor dog died.

[Jennifer (Jaye) Happy New Year Everyone 🎉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Sinister Secrets*

**4.5 Stars**

This is a great book for all those who love art history, there is a mystery that has to solved. This book is told mainly in the present with a few snippets into the past. The story is based in Copenhagen.

The main character Darcy Cotterell is coming close to finishing her art history PHD. She is working towards becoming a professor, when her work is halted with the promise of a longer timeframe to finish her studies.

The company wants her to do some research regarding a particular painting. She is in Copenhagen because due to her parentage she speaks fluent danish.

She is promptly called into a meeting and she has to look at painting. All eyes are on her as she recognises the work instantly by one of Denmark’s most famous artists called Johan Trier. This particular piece has a anomaly.

She has to research and find the identity of a faint image of a woman in the background that appears to have been painted over with one of the artist’s most famous pieces. This is time sensitive as a lot is at stake, reasons will come clear as the book progresses.

Her best friend is Freja who is a scientist and they clicked straight away and Darcy is now staying with her. As Darcy is single and all work, Freja is the opposite and wants that to change.

Freja and her current beau set her up on a dating site and one face grabs her. But he claims he does not date. Whilst going on a date she bumps into him. Max Lorensen. The chemistry is there but her date is frantically waving and calling her name lol 😂

We see Darcy at work and not realising that Max works for the company. He is a lawyer but he is so much more than Darcy even realises.

There are little snippets of revelations about him throughout the book as they continually butt heads.

Well as the time ticks on we see Darcy coming ever closer to discovering the truth about the painting. Little does she know there is a sinister history behind the painting and what she discovers is hard to take and hiding in plain sight are many, secrets that some want to stay that way.

I did not realise that this book could be so engaging and hard to put down. The fact that some of the chapters are long added to the story as I continued to want more. Despite how this may sound there are some light and comical moments, I also loved the sound of Copenhagen and the descriptions and the different plot twists

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

She can do no wrong! This is our book club pick over on my YouTube channel shortly. And I can’t wait to talk about it in detail. She had me right up until the last page when I was getting seriously antsy!

[Molly Farrow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why does this book have such high reviews 😭 I thought I was reading a cutesy christmassy romance and it’s really not christmassy at all?! Very boring reading about an art piece constantly and really not much else going on … yawn 💔

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
A gorgeously evocative and unputdownable page turner, Karen Swan’s newest release weaves the mystery of a rediscovered painting (hidden in the backing of a nationally significant masterpiece) with a deliciously intense romance between two layered and richly detailed characters whose lives (and chemistry!) kept me completely in thrall.

I confess this is actually the first Karen Swan novel I’ve ever read, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick up her books sooner!

We follow protagonist Darcy, an art history student currently finishing off her PhD in Copenhagen. Having just broke up with her cheating boyfriend and facing the Christmas period on her own, her loved up housemate, Freja, signs her up to an exclusive dating app and gets Darcy to agree to three dates.

The first of which is smoulderingly arrogant lawyer, Max, and their attraction is instantaneous m. But when the discovery of a new painting attached to the renowned Johan Trier’s most famous work, Darcy is hired to help identify the subject. Which complicates things as Max works for the organisation whose archives she must access.

Realising they’ll be working closely in hopes of solving this mystery, they mutually agree to give up on dating. But feelings aren’t soo easy to repress, especially for Darcy —until she discovers Max may just have ulterior motives…

With such well fleshed out characters and an intriguing, art based mystery to solve— I was thoroughly hooked!

The depth and emotion that Swan infuses in both Darcy and Max was phenomenal, I was utterly immersed in their story and the scorching chemistry they shared. So much so, I was literally cheering them on the very moment they first made eye contact!

But it wasn’t just Darcy and Max’s complicated feelings for one another that won me over. As a huge art lover (who also loves a good mystery) I was soo intrigued by the painting and the information that Darcy slowly managed to dig up. The drama and plot twists were actually almost Agatha Christie-esque in scope, though the emotional and rather heartbreaking story that takes shape really highlighted the human lives involved and did kinda have me sobbing quite a bit.

I know if I say any more I’ll probably spoil the whole plot, so I’ll just say if you love an emotionally evocative narrative and multifaceted characters with complicated love lives— then you definitely have to consider picking this cosy read up, it’s absolutely BRILLIANT!

Also, a huge thank you to Chloe Davies and Pan Macmillan for the finished copy (and my stop on the blog tour.)

[Leanne Lovegrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book, Karen is a master storyteller and the best at Christmas stories

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I Want For Christmas was my longer, festive, romance selection for December. This was surprisingly emotional and well-written, with an intelligent and likeable main character - Darcy Cotterell. The part that made me rate it 3.5 Stars, instead of 4, was the animal death part (specifically a dog) so if you are sensitive to such things proceed with caution. 🥺😭

Darcy will not be returning home for Christmas from Denmark, as she has a PHD to finish, and has also been tasked with finding the identity of a woman in an unknown painting - by Denmark’s greatest painter.
Outside of her professional life, she is single and open to finding somebody new. Her best friend, Freja, convinces her to sign up for an upmarket dating app (yes, basically Raya). Not wanting Darcy to be alone for Christmas, they manage to match her with three potential dates.
Whilst researching the piece of artwork she has been tasked with, Darcy meets Max Lorensen - one of her dating app matches! She is instantly drawn to him, but he is clearly a player-type, he seems like not really one to settle down. They have to work together, but the chemistry between them is building up. Could Max the Lawyer be her perfect match, just in time for Christmas?

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...

3.5 stars

🎄All I Want for Christmas is a 2024 annual festive inspired read by The Sunday Times Bestseller Karen Swan. This book was the perfect choice to kick off the Christmas reading season.

🎄All I Want for Christmas proved to be a gentle and heartwarming story that took me on a magical journey to beautiful Copenhagen, a place I would dearly love to visit one day. Swan places the reader in her chosen location well and I was reminded why I loved her travel style fiction. I definitely felt so far away from the hot sweltering summer days we are currently experiencing in Western Australia. In terms of the cast, I took an instant liking to the charming main character, Darcy as well as her male counterpart, Max. I really enjoyed following Darcy’s disasters in love and modern dating. However, what really stood out to me in this novel was the wonderful blend of historical art history with flashbacks to the past. I particularly liked solving the identity of the mystery painting that underscored much of the narrative and the main character’s movements. The final reveal about the mystery painting was great!

🎄Having read nine of Karen Swan's books, I can confidently say this one was just as enjoyable as the rest. If you're looking for a festive read that combines romance, history, and a dash of signature Karen Swan Christmas magic, this one's for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas reading tradition of a Karen Swan book complete! And she hits every time! In this one we follow Darcy, an art history PHD student in Copenhagen as she is studying the history of a mysterious painting. Through a dating app, and later the museum she works in, she meets Max, a corporate lawyer who ‘doesn’t do dating’ but their chemistry is off the charts. I really enjoyed the sexual yearning between the two and love Karen Swan’s glorious pairing of professional, successful woman and a pretty rich love interest that treats her like the queen she is. I did find the back and forth, on/off dynamic between Darcy and Max a bit tiring this time but still enjoyed this a lot (and great on audiobook)

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this on the whole but was disappointed it wasn’t more Christmassy when it’s billed as a Christmas read & has such a lovely cover. The only Christmassy parts were a Christmas market, the snow and the ending. Some of the arty parts were a little too detailed to be interesting but I did appreciate the research the author must have put in. Loved Max’s mercurial character.

[Mackenzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't watch the Hallmark channel for a reason.

[Sandra Kazlauskė | laisvalaikio skaitiniai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dar viena istorija į kurią tiesiog įkritau, ir teko gaudyt laisvas minutes vis skaityt toliau. Tokiu pat Karen stiliumi kaip ir jos visos knygos - romantinė istorija, kur pradžioje pagrindiniai veikėjai neapkenčia vienas kito nors viduje viskas kitaip, ir kuo toliau tuo sunkiau vienas kitam atsispirkti. Lengva, įtraukianti, įdomi, nuspėjama siužetu, žiemos laikotarpiu vykstanti istorija, kurios kulminacija tampa Kalėdos. Pabaiga kiek skubota, norėjosi daugiau ir plačiau, bet čia jau autorės braižas, nes jau ne pirma knyga užsibaigia panašiu stiliumi - kur norėtusi daugiau jausmų, paaiškinimų, jie tiesiog praleidžiami ir taip skubotai baigiama knyga.

[Sandru Tis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Palyginus su kita “Kaledine” skaityta siais metais, si buvo super

[Gloria Kimera]

Upon finishing this book I felt moved to create new metric Christmas Corn which rates the level of holiday hallmarkness
🌽 🌽🌽 🌽 out of 5 corns

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I look forward to Karen Swan's Christmas book and All I Want for Christmas was another 5 star read for me!

Set in the beautiful city of Copenhagen All I Want for Christmas is destination fiction at its finest.
Once I had finished I felt the urge to read it all over again and instead of frantically turning pages invested in the mystery I could lose myself in the stunning location.

Darcy is an art history student currently working on her PhD when she is asked by the University to help find the identity of a woman in a portrait recently discovered hidden behind a famous painting.

Darcy is sworn off dating and is happy to spend Christmas alone, however her best friend, Freja, has other ideas and convinces Darcy to sign up to a dating app.
As Darcy goes on one disastrous date after another she can't help being attracted to lawyer Max Lorensen. He is handsome and arrogant and everything Darcy needs to stay away from.

The story is set during the lead up to Christmas but All I Want for Christmas is no sweet Christmasy romance. This is a story with a compelling mystery at its core and immersed in the high stakes world of collectible art.

[Hannah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, first up I do have to point out that Karen’s Christmas books aren’t full on festive fun and are normally just set at or around Christmas time - however the story could be set at any point in the year and it would still work. I found that this one did have a slightly more festive feel to it however, there was Christmas market and the chilliness that comes with Copenhagen…

What this is though is a historical art discovery, it grabs you in and leaves you wanting to know more about the woman in the painting, I did have a few guesses but I was surprised with how it turned out. All along we have the somewhat will they won’t they relationship with Max and Darcy, you can see the sparks flying every time they meet but for professional sake they decide to keep things platonic… for as long as they can anyway!

At first I didn’t want Darcy to end up with Max and was hoping that she’d fall for the Vet instead but that very swiftly changed, IYKYK! Max also seemed to change as we went through the book, he started to open up a little and I felt like Darcy was helping to unravel his layers in more ways than one!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, like I say, not really a Christmas book in my eyes but still a really good book, storyline and characters and one that I would recommend!

[Eva ✧ ࣪ ⋆ ⁺₊ ⋆ evathedreamer ₊˚.⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊ ✩ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy this author’s Christmas stories, but this one just wasn’t for me. It didn’t catch my attention, and I ended up giving up by chapter 7 🫠

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isn’t that cover just stunning? The book is set in Copenhagen and honestly, I now just want to get on a plane and head there to experience the Christmas markets, wander by the canals and experience the Danish Christmas traditions.

This is not your typical Christmas romance, although romance does play a part. Darcy is working on her PhD in art history in Copenhagen and her relationship has recently broken up. Her loved up friend Freja is determined that she won’t be on her own at Christmas and sets her up on a dating app, where Darcy has matched with three men. There’s a bit of a conflict of interest though when one of the three, Max, turns out to be a lawyer she will be in close contact with through her research project. Close contact of a different kind may be on both their minds but they agree to keep things strictly professional.

I found the storyline about Darcy’s research into the mysterious painting socompelling. I don’t know much about the art world really and it was so interesting to read about the techniques used when working with valuable paintings. I visited the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam earlier this year where the painting The Night Watch is currently undergoing a major restoration programme and the public can watch the process. Reading about the research and discovery of a hidden painting in this book put me in mind of that and was just fascinating.

All I Want for Christmas is a real page-turner of a book and Karen Swan had me glued to the pages throughout. I couldn’t wait to find out the story behind the hidden painting and I couldn’t wait to find out if Darcy would find her perfect match. Highly recommended for your Christmas reading list. Although actually, even though it’s set around Christmas time, I would say the main focus is on the mysterious artwork so if you can’t fit it in before Christmas, don’t be put off. You could easily enjoy this at any time of the year.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not expect to enjoy this book anywhere near as much as I did.
I genuinely believe the love story is secondary to the art plot that had me hooked. I'm not quite sure I'd have classed this as cosy Christmas, the genre that it was allocated to for our book club, but I think that's fairly irrelevant. It's a balance of discovery, intrigued and enough romance to keep it enjoyable and not overdone.

[Beth Ridlington · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ❣️ Chapter 25 Bookclub December read

Loved all the references to Danish culture and art! Think it needs a different title as it was so much more than Christmas!

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Pan for the gifted proof of this title in return for an honest review.

There's not much more exciting than a new Christmas book, especially one by Karen Swan.

This is going to be a generalisation but a positive one. Whenever I read festive books, they tend to be along the happily-ever-after line - snow, romance, uplifting, easy to read etc. And I love that, don't get me wrong, I'd read them any day of the week. But with a Karen Swan Christmas book, they've got that but they've also got so much depth, so many other interesting layers to them that whilst you assume it'll end in the same vein as the happily-ever-after types, there's no guarantee and it becomes really interesting to read.

As someone who was fascinated by, but not very good at, art, and oved history, I absolutely loved the plot regarding the mysterious painting of an unknown woman. I liked the romance plot and other subplots, but it was the art strand that I was so interested in.

What I will say - and this is possibly my expectations rather than a comment on the book itself - but with a title like All I Want For Christmas, I was expecting much more of a festival novel, but with life happening around it, but apart from the odd mention about people's plans for Christmas, there is no real festive feel to it. There are suggestions, such as buying a Christmas tree, but apart from that, there's no festivities. Whilst I really enjoyed it and will always recommend a Karen Swan book, but this is not the cosy festive story I was expecting from the cover.

I liked Darcy as a main character. She seemed to stumble through life, not certain of things and that endeared her to me. Her best friend is a fine accompaniment; she didn't impact the story enough for me to have a huge opinion on her but she was good to read and I loved her working off of Darcy. And then the main man Max, he is a bit...aloof maybe, confident, handsome, slightly awkward but in a way where he uses it to his advantage, sometimes cocky. My opinion on him flipped and flopped. He was charming but with a short fuse and at times I just wanted to bang his and Darcy's heads together. Then we have Aksel, the quiet, shy, handsome vet who is not necessarily all he appears to be. There are a lot of other characters, potentially a few too many although I didn't feel overwhelmed. Some are more prominent than others, obviously, but I didn't feel there were any surplus ones which is always good.

It didn't wow me quite as much as I expected. It was still really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm glad I've read it and will recommend it highly, but having read some of her other books, this one didn't really have the big wow moment.

Overall, I would say a very good story, I was fully invested and really thoroughly enjoyed, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to call it a Christmas novel.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I always look forward to a new Karen Swan read and this will look great amongst my collection of her books on the shelf. Thanks to Chloe
All I Want For Christmas has it all: a complicated chemistry, an intriguing mystery, beautiful Denmark at wintertime as the perfect setting and a gorgeous love story of course.
I found the mystery behind the painting so fascinating- the lives untold have such a great story. Seeing the mystery unravel through Darcy’s eyes as she started to realise what she’d discovered was captivating. Her tenacious approach despite the obvious and very attractive distraction was to be admired.

[Lauren Nadeau · Rating 2 out of 5]

actual rating: 2.75 stars!!

i have so many mixed feelings about this book… the plot was better than i thought it would be, but the character developments were not the best.

i wasn’t particularly enthralled by the characters themselves, although i was really rooting for max and darcy. I didn’t love that the author was trying to insinuate that max’s terrible behaviour was justified by the fact that he had trauma.

there were so. many. typos. also, at one point (p. 173), the author wrote the EXACT same line she had written about 75 pages earlier, which i thought was really peculiar. often, i found myself questioning how much time the editor spent editing, or whether they actually edited at all.

i don’t love modern romance novels for multiple reasons, but one factor that irritates me the most is the use of modern language. sentences like “her hair was hairing” and “do it for the plot” are not considered literature to me. never have, never will. also, the tiktok referencing was killing me.

p. 175 - the way i GASPED when she went, “so tell me about your dating history” FILLE YOUR FOOD ISN'T EVEN ON THE TABLE YET??!!?!?!! what????

i didn’t like the fact that alcohol was seemingly needed to be involved every time darcy was hanging out with aksel, but then we found he was an alcoholic.

“you’ve been disturbing my peace since we met, and you know it.” - this was sweet!!! as i said, i was voting for max and darcy, and i’m happy they ended up together.

there were many scenes that were a bit dramatic for me (including portions with freja, specifically, the dress mishap), but they were intended to strengthen the plot. overall, i’m not sure that i would recommend this story. i don’t think that the author took enough advantage of the setting and the christmas vibe the way i would have wanted her to.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Swan's books truly intoxicated me, and this Christmas love story weaved through another tale of discovery was pure magic.
Darcy has moved to Copenhagen to finish her PhD studies. It's a good thing because, given a breakup, she needs to remove herself from certain aspects of her life. Love and celebrating Christmas are the last things on her list, and a chance project to research a particularly juicy discovery gives her the opportunity to bury her mind in other directions.
However, her wonderful housemate, Freja, is in the throes of her own early love story and, not wanting to leave her friend behind, creates a profile for Darcy on a dating app for well-to-do folk.
Max is one of those suggestions on the app.
He's wealthy, intelligent, in a good job, broodingly handsome, and moody. Sparks of attraction fly, but his close connection to her research makes it challenging to explore that attraction.
She kisses a few frogs on her journey of discovery, both personal and professional, and unearths some well-hidden home truths along the way.
I love the details of the art world. The history behind various artworks is always fascinating, and how this is entwined in the writing gives the story another dimension.
Did I want to shake Darcy and a specific other character several times? Why, yes, I did! But then, the book would have been far too short, and Darcy wouldn't have been allowed to finish her essential research!
Fantastically written and a wonderful read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

[Booksandchinooks (Laurie)]

I always love this author’s Christmas books and while I enjoyed this one it wasn’t my favourite of hers. Darcy is tasked with uncovering the details about a previously unseen painting. Her job was quite fascinating albeit painstaking. I got a little bogged down in some of the details regarding the art world and that is quite a predominant aspect of the book. While I enjoyed the premise and did find it interesting it just came off as a little too detailed. I did learn more about art though which I appreciate. The mystery surrounding the painting and the artist was well done and intriguing. The romance was interesting and overall I enjoyed the book. I’m already looking forward to next year’s book!

[Maria Naydenova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Още една коледна история на Карън Суон, но тази ми беше една идея по-слаба от Коледно сияние. Не, че беше лоша история, просто имаше моменти, които сюжетът ми се стори муден и детайлите около мистериозната картина, както и допълнителната история с нея, не ми бяха толкова интересни. Може би феновете на Парижка тайна ще оценят подобаващо тази история с всички факти за изкуството, но на мен самата информация ми беше по-детайлна и недотам интересна. Освен това, цялата тази сага с лутането между двама мъже също не е точно мой тип.

Иначе приятна история, добре написана, с интересни за ценителите факти за изкуството, но вероятно ще ми се слее с многото други коледни, четени в това време. Прочитът на аудио беше добър и като цяло добави едно хубаво усещане от цялата история.

[Евелина Йосифова (Reader Wizard) · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Всичко, което искам за Коледа“ затвърди напълно мнението ми, че Карън Суон пише едни от най-добрите коледни романи. Книгата съчетава празнична атмосфера, романтика и неочаквана мистерия, развиваща се в снежен Копенхаген.

Не е типичната лека коледна история – сюжетът е добре изграден, героите имат дълбочина, а миналото и настоящето се преплитат по много увлекателен начин. За мен това е едно от най-силните коледни четива, които съм чела.

👉 Пълното ми ревю е в блога. https://shorturl.at/6Gg45

[Lisaluvs2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Bookworm Blogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 (RTC)

[Emma Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Copenhagen setting and the art history mystery more than the romance but a cute Christmassy rom com nonetheless.