Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Christmas Lights” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Christmas Lights

Karen Swan (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 1,975 ratings · 325 reviews

Indulge in the perfect winter's day treat and escape to the snow-fringed fjords of Norway with The Christmas Lights, a delicious tale full of drama and mystery, heartache and hope by Sunday Times bestseller Karen Swan.

Bo lives a life most people can only dream of. She and her boyfriend Zac are paid to travel the globe, sharing their adventures with their online followe

...more

Get A Copy

Kindle Edition, 480 pages

Published November 1st 2018 by Pan

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Christmas Lights, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.02 ·

Rating details

· 1,975 ratings · 325 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Christmas Lights

Oct 25, 2018 Paromjit rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, women-s-fiction, contemporary-fiction, netgalley

This is the 1st book I have read by Karen Swan, and this is a rather dark festive read set in the beautiful wintry location of Norway, with its stunning icy fjords, frozen waterfalls and brooding dangerous mountains. It is an ideal, remote and off the beaten track place for social media stars, beautiful Amy 'Bo' Loxley and Kiwi Zac Austen with their 9+ million followers. They are the Wanderlusters, who make a profitable living by updating their blog and Instagram accounts on a daily basis, with This is the 1st book I have read by Karen Swan, and this is a rather dark festive read set in the beautiful wintry location of Norway, with its stunning icy fjords, frozen waterfalls and brooding dangerous mountains. It is an ideal, remote and off the beaten track place for social media stars, beautiful Amy 'Bo' Loxley and Kiwi Zac Austen with their 9+ million followers. They are the Wanderlusters, who make a profitable living by updating their blog and Instagram accounts on a daily basis, with photographs of themselves constantly throughout the day, of their personal lives and adventures in exotic locations. They rely on sponsorship to live the dream life, they are ostensibly the perfect couple, a threesome with Lenny, their organiser, planner and photographer. After a trip to Samoa in the South Pacific, they have chosen to spend Christmas on a remote shelf farm with breathtaking views that stun people into silence.

Bo is having niggles about her and Zac's lifestyle, specifically about the lack of privacy in their personal lives, but she is struggling to be heard by Zac and Lenny who are looking to increase their following. Bo finds herself getting closer to 96 year old Signy, the owner of the shelf farm, a mischievous woman who was part of a group of women and girls working away from their families as milkmaids in the summer pastures in 1936, looking after the herds so that their farms will survive the winter months. With a narrative that goes back and forth in time, there are frighteningly common threads of threat and danger in the past and the present. As Bo's life begin to spiral out of control, she is left to confide in Anders, Signy's taciturn grandson. Not knowing who she can trust, Bo is beginning to think the unthinkable, is it possible the life she has been living is no longer a perfect fit for her?

Karen Swan writes a festive read of intrigue, personal relationships, in a modern contemporary setting of the problems of living through social media and the issues that this raises. The characters of Bo and Zac come across as shallow and unlikeable, driven by the number of followers and likes they get and the agenda of their corporate sponsors. That this is no way to live an authentic life slowly dawns on Bo, and she begins to acquire the depths in character that make her a more interesting person. Swan does an excellent job in capturing the lives and thinking behind the phenomenon of reality stars and the inherent threats of social media, a world that is not as benign as it might appear. If you are looking for more demanding festive reading fare, then this might just be for you. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC. ...more

flag 92 likes · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2018 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-release, reviewing-by-request, sent-by-publisher, historical-mystery, arc, own-read, 5000-books, christmas

From the sunshine of the South Pacific to the ice and snow of winter in Norway, Bo Loxley, her partner Zac and photographer Lenny kept the Instagram fans delighted. The hundreds of thousands of followers were growing daily – even hourly – and the companies with the brand names that Bo and Zac wore were even happier. Money was flowing; adrenalin was as well – but where was Bo and Zac’s privacy? For some reason, Bo was feeling a little disgruntled and overwhelmed. When their guide, Anders, took th ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jan 19, 2019 Veronica ⭐️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...

The Christmas Lights is narrated in dual time lines and moves from present day, with Instagram influencers Bo, Zac and their photographer come manager, Lenny, back to 1936 with Signy, a 14 year old milk maid, in the highlands of Norway.

Signy’s story is told over one summer, a coming of age story, and the lead up to the events that would shape the rest of Signy’s life.
Bo and Zac move from the heat of the South Pacific to their next adventure, a month on a *https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...

The Christmas Lights is narrated in dual time lines and moves from present day, with Instagram influencers Bo, Zac and their photographer come manager, Lenny, back to 1936 with Signy, a 14 year old milk maid, in the highlands of Norway.

Signy’s story is told over one summer, a coming of age story, and the lead up to the events that would shape the rest of Signy’s life.
Bo and Zac move from the heat of the South Pacific to their next adventure, a month on a cliff farm in Norway. The farm is owned by an elderly Signy and her Grandson Anders.

Bo and Anders are the main characters although you would think it would be Bo and Zac’s story as they are the Instagram couple. We do get Bo and Zac’s story from Bo’s point of view. Bo is running from a past tragedy believing this wandering life is exactly what she wants, although it is starting to wear thin. The fame means they never have a ‘real’ moment to themselves, everything is staged. Their whole life is out there for everyone to see. With Lenny always behind the camera, sometimes Bo feels like the third wheel.

Anders is enigmatic and detached. Is it their lifestyle he hates or has he hidden demons he wants kept locked away?

The story is fast paced and energetic but the underlying details are slow to surface, dispatched sparingly to keep the reader eager for more.

Swan knows how to create atmosphere. The cold was chilling. I felt it like it was real even though it is summer as I read and an astounding 38℃ . Swan has the knack of throwing her readers out into the chill air over and over so there is no way you can forget how bitterly cold it is.

I really enjoyed this Christmas themed romance with added mystery and suspense. I liked the insight into the world of Instagram influencers and the price of all that fame. With mentions of online trolls and people being jealous and mean spirited with cruel remarks and jibes.
The beautiful setting of the cliff farms of Norway with views of waterfalls and the spellbinding Northern Lights is all brought to life on the page.

Highly Recommended.
...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jan 10, 2019 Rebecca Carter rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2019-reads, chick-lit, contemporary-romance, romance, cultural-sweden-norway-denmark, netgalley

4.5*
The cover of this book was yelling out at me to read it next, it's just so gorgeous and Christmassy! Yet although it's set - as a whole - in Norway during winter, it's not really your normal Christmas book. Don't start reading it expecting a light book that makes you feel all warm and cosy. Christmas isn't really mentioned until about 70% of the way in, and it's only an incidental part of the story.

It's a lot darker than I imagined and has quite a bit of tension with a menacing atmosphere a 4.5*
The cover of this book was yelling out at me to read it next, it's just so gorgeous and Christmassy! Yet although it's set - as a whole - in Norway during winter, it's not really your normal Christmas book. Don't start reading it expecting a light book that makes you feel all warm and cosy. Christmas isn't really mentioned until about 70% of the way in, and it's only an incidental part of the story.

It's a lot darker than I imagined and has quite a bit of tension with a menacing atmosphere at times; with the isolation, and not being too sure of people's intentions. Although i wouldn't class it as a thriller, it has a vein of suspense and mystery running through it, and I'm so glad it wasn't what I was expecting. It's really well written, and with no intended disrespect as I adore my fluffy books, far exceeded the writing I was expecting to find inside the pages. I loved soaking up the descriptions of the places and Norway has been added to my travel list. Although probably not staying at a shelf farm in the winter!

The author cleverly uses a dual time line that flips between Bo (the main protagonist) in the present, and Signy back in 1936. Initially I wasn't entirely sure why there was a dual time, or really what the point of it was aside from giving background and a sense of place of the evocative Norwegian scenery, until much further into the book. Then it made sense. Usually with dual time lines I prefer one over the other, not with this book, both were as equally enticing.

What made the book feel darker and more eerie at a certain point, was exacerbated with its (very) slight parallels with a tv series I'm currently watching. Anyone whose seen the new season of Luther with the creepy stalker man in the mask, and in particular the night bus scene, will know what I mean by tension!! I was towards the end of the book, which is definitely a lot darker with its unraveling twists, and reading my kindle in bed. After watching the first episode of Luther before bed, which had me hiding behind the largest cushion in the house, I had to stop reading this book in the dark! I doubt it would have been so creepy, apart from certain similarities with Luther...which are extremely slim similarities!!!

The premise is about a pair of bloggers/instagrammers (Bo and Zac) and their photographer Lenny - the wanderlusters - who travel the world for a living/lifestyle and post every snippet of their adventures for their millions of followers to see. After a few weeks in tropical Upolu (an Island in Samoa), they head off to the winter fjordwonderland of Norway to live on a shelf farm for a month owned by an old lady called Signy and her serious Grandson Anders. They hope to see the Northern Lights as well as lots of climbing, skiing, kayaking, hikes and off the beaten adventures their followers expect. They are insta-famous and appear to lead an inspirational and perfect life to the outside world who follow their every move, yet behind the camera and once in Norway, it's clear it's not as perfect or as fairytale like as their followers are lead to believe.

This book got my reading in 2019 off to a cracking start, it's an amazing read. It isn't just a Christmas book and is full of intrigue, suspense, enchanting scenery, secrets, insights into Norwegian customs, love and heartbreak complete with a nice little twist at the end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review. ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2018 Louise Wilson rated it liked it

Set in the scenic Fjords of Norway. It's December 2018 and Bo Loxley and her partner Zac are living the life of the wanderlust, traveling the globe and sharing their adventures with their millions of fans. They are a travel Instagram brand who have over 9 million followers. They travel with their cameraman and they are known as the wanderlusts. They spend Christmas in a remote farm owned by an enigmatic mountain guide Anders, and his grandmother Signy. We are also told off Signy when she was 14 ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2018 Pauline rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley

The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan is the story of Bo and Zac who travel the world funded by advertisers for their Instagram blog.
They are pampered, spoilt and unlikeable. They are accompanied by their photographer wherever they go and he does not like them doing anything without him.
I was invited to read this book by the publishers but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2019 Mary S. R. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, adult, historical-fiction, mystery, mental-health, romance

3.75 STARS! review to come.

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Oct 05, 2018 Zoe rated it really liked it

Alluring, mysterious, and delightfully festive!

The Christmas Lights is an atmospheric, compelling tale set in Norway during 1936, as well as the present day, and is told from two different perspectives. Bo, a young reality star unnerved by an obsessed, online stalker and struggling to enjoy a life that lacks privacy, and Signy a sweet, country girl who learns at a young age the dangers that hide on the hills she loves and amongst the animals that grace them.

The writing is smooth, crisp, and vivi ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2019 Hannah rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-books, great-girl, idon-twanttobefamous, travelling, hot-n-cold, photography, famous

Bo and Zac are famous on Instagram and travel around getting likes and comments for there many adventures, they are a marketing dream couple. I think I'd be like Bo when people are asking for selfie's like she's Taylor Swift. It's a topic that is very current with the use of social media wanting to share things over experiencing them, it's quite clever to pick on. They have a photographer called Lenny who really is the third person in the relationship.

At the start of the book Zac and Bo are very Bo and Zac are famous on Instagram and travel around getting likes and comments for there many adventures, they are a marketing dream couple. I think I'd be like Bo when people are asking for selfie's like she's Taylor Swift. It's a topic that is very current with the use of social media wanting to share things over experiencing them, it's quite clever to pick on. They have a photographer called Lenny who really is the third person in the relationship.

At the start of the book Zac and Bo are very much in love with each other but as the story progresses it starts to become clear the relationship is becoming more for likes than the love between them. It's also thought Bo was on the run from something that happened to her and her brother. Bo I instantly like, i'm not so sure about Zac, he's not a horrible person but not really one I'd like to be around either and Lenny I didn't like but didn't guess to the full extent what he was capable of. I didn't like all the characters enough to give more than three stars, this is no reflection on Bo.

The back story is about Siggie who is now very old and the grandmother to Anders another main part. I didn't connect to the back story quite as much as in some other of Karen Swan's books. Siggie thinks her and Bo are alike but I'm sure more of a Bo fan, I find Siggie a little weird and don't really invest in the character much.

Anders is another character I didn't really trust and it is explained why he is acting a little odd. It involves a girl on a photograph and I guessed she's died but not how. However he becomes a very good friend (even more than friends) to Bo and she finds him very easy to talk to about the problems she's having with being famous. For all the positive comments, Bo will always remember the negative ones such as being called slut. (It's even more disgusting when you find out who's sending the messages and writing the comments)

Another character is Anna who becomes involved with the group in more than one way, she recognises Anders but can't quite picture were from. Anders past has been in the papers and it's one that could be taken from a view angles to what people think about him.

I feel Bo carried this storyline (I could have given up without her) and wasn't sure if she made the right decision in the end maybe she should have just gone to London and forgot the lot of them, I feel she was a little too good for the rest of them. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2018 Aoife rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, adult-contemporary, christmas

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bo Huxley and her boyfriend Zac are living what many would deem the dream life - travelling the world whilst in love, and getting paid by big brands to do it due to their massive social media following. When the couple, and their photographer/manager Lenny decide to stay in a remote farm in Norway for Christmas, Bo suddenly begins to doubt the life she’s leading, and the people a I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bo Huxley and her boyfriend Zac are living what many would deem the dream life - travelling the world whilst in love, and getting paid by big brands to do it due to their massive social media following. When the couple, and their photographer/manager Lenny decide to stay in a remote farm in Norway for Christmas, Bo suddenly begins to doubt the life she’s leading, and the people and traumas she’s been trying to leave behind. Suddenly the feeling of ‘home’ begins to mean brand new things to Bo.

This was a really interesting read, and I really enjoyed seeing how Karen Swan played around with the relatively new phenomenon of social media influencers on a massive scale. There’s been many books in the past focusing on bloggers but I feel like the topic of influencers is still something that’s only starting to creep into novels (another example would be Holly Bourne’s How Do You Like Me Now?), and Karen Swan did it in a great way.

Bo is a rather complex character - she seems to have her head screwed on straight, and isn’t conceited or self-important in any way despite clearly being slightly famous, and extremely good-looking. She’s actually on the shy side, and it’s this that makes her more relatable to the reading my opinion. She knows how to pose for the camera but that doesn’t mean she’s happy posing for a million selfies when cornered at a Christmas market.

The Christmas Lights threw up some interesting questions around social media - the intensity and addiction of it, as well as the safety issues becoming famous on it can bring up. I think it serves some lessons in terms of geolocation and tagging oneself in places easily found, though I’m not sure if the readership of this book might learn some lessons from it, the way younger readers, who often need the stark reality of social media dangers displayed to them, would.

I will say that I guessed a lot of what was going to happen in this book, and I did feel like it was a bit long for a contemporary novel. The flashbacks to 1936 with Signe were interesting for a background to the Norwegian farm area Bo was staying in, and Signe’s older character though I’m not sure how much it brought to the story, as sometimes switching timelines like that jarred me out of the tale.

This was mostly a fun, entertaining read though and I do enjoy Karen Swan’s writing and characters. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2018 Rachel Gilbey rated it it was amazing

What can you say about such a marvellous book, written by one of my favourite authors that hasn't already been said.

Am I allowed to just say Wow! ... and leave it like that - as I think wow is the best was to describe the setting of this book, the stories contained within the pages, and just my overall feeling towards it all.

I've read a couple of other Christmas books this year that have had a reference to the The Northern Lights in the title, and set somewhere in Scandinavia, so i was curious What can you say about such a marvellous book, written by one of my favourite authors that hasn't already been said.

Am I allowed to just say Wow! ... and leave it like that - as I think wow is the best was to describe the setting of this book, the stories contained within the pages, and just my overall feeling towards it all.

I've read a couple of other Christmas books this year that have had a reference to the The Northern Lights in the title, and set somewhere in Scandinavia, so i was curious to see what Karen Swans' take on the setting would be.

And if you are in the same position as me with Christmas reads then don't worry this was completely different, had a very different feel to it, and that is all due to the main characters and the setting.

For Bo and Zac are a travel Instagram brand, and have over 9 million followers, they travel with their cameraman and are what appear to be a close threesome. To the outside world they appear to have a perfect life and they are inspirational.

They are known as The Wanderlusters and they go to places off the beaten track and try to spend at least a month if not longer in their new destination, living like a local, not in hotels, and trying to experience authentic activities.

For this trip to Norway they have decided to spend Christmas in a shelf farm, in the Norwegian Fjords, an area that is incredibly hard to navigate to and around, even in the summer when its the season, and close to impossible in winter.

They are renting their accommodation from Signy, and interspersed with the 2018 chapters, we have those set in 1936, in Signy's childhood, highlighting key events from one summer when she was fourteen. At times I did wonder other then background colour what the point of the chapters were, but as the book progresses, well there are some similar themes being explored.

As someone who is keen to do a more mainstream Norwegian Fjord cruise at some point in the future, I was very curious as to the setting of this book, and I am now completely convinced the best way for me in real life to view the fjords is by boat. All this hiking and action man stuff isn't for me but its riveting to read about in this book.

There is plenty of action scenes, and you really get a great feeling for the location, a spattering of the language and food, and various customs in Norway in the run up to Christmas.

And that is before you take into account what appear to be cracks in the real version of Bo and Zac - and their stay in Norway is eye opening in so many ways that I will leave you to ponder and find out for yourself.

This is a perfect winter's day read, that will have you utterly absorbed and not really caring how cold it is outside. It is an enthralling story that had me completely hooked. Easily one of Karen Swans best books to date, if you are even halfway tempted, go and read this, you won't regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2018 Agi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-releases, 2018

"The Christmas Lights", set in the beautiful and raw Norway, introduces us to a bunch of different characters. Bo and Zac are living the dream life, being the Wanderlusters who share their adventures on Instagram with their 9 + million followers. There is also Lenny, their photographer and manager who organizes all the trips and schedules. After their recent trip to Samoa they are travelling to the remote shelf farm in Norway to spend Christmas there. The owner of the farm is Signy - an older wo
"The Christmas Lights", set in the beautiful and raw Norway, introduces us to a bunch of different characters. Bo and Zac are living the dream life, being the Wanderlusters who share their adventures on Instagram with their 9 + million followers. There is also Lenny, their photographer and manager who organizes all the trips and schedules. After their recent trip to Samoa they are travelling to the remote shelf farm in Norway to spend Christmas there. The owner of the farm is Signy - an older woman who's going to change the lives of the threesome.

As usual, this book also starts with a chapter set in the past that ends with a cliffhanger and the story slowly unfolds, brilliantly and cleverly intertwined with this of Bo and Zac's. This was the story of Signy, Anders's grandmother, the owner of the shelf farm where our trio is staying. Back in 1936, Signy has experienced unforgettable summer when she worked with other girls as milkmaids, away from their families, there where the pastures were the greenest. I loved how the author put us up to different kinds of danger with those two subplots, and I must say that both of them had me on my tenterhooks.

I've mentioned it thousand times already, and I'll repeat myself, that Karen Swan is my auto - buy author. What I absolutely adore in her books is the fact that her characters are so diverse, so different to each other, and their jobs are always unusual. This time Bo and Zac turned their lifestyles into job, they're already a brand with over 9 million followers on Instagram. They walk the earth together with their photographer and their lives look so colourful, inspirational and perfect on photos, as they visit places that you won't find on the tourist maps, spending at least a month or longer at their chosen place, to get the feeling of it, to turn into locals, as they don't want to be perceived as the usual tourists. No, they're Wanderlusters and they want to experience authenticity. But - are their lives really so perfect? Without cracks? The author has so gently hinted that Bo's life is getting out of her control, and yes, I immediately fell for Bo, I liked her and didn't want anything bad happen to her. The way she realises there is so much more to life than followers and sponsors makes her character so much more believable. And also, what made me like her even more is the fact that I have a feeling that at the end she's chosen the right things for her. It hurt to see that she can't trust anybody, how she tried to be heard by those closest to her and how she was left alone in all of this. That is, alone but for Anders, but it turns out that he also has a terrible secret - is there a single person that Bo can trust, who would understand her?

It was a read with a rather slow pace but there was not a single moment that it felt flat or uninteresting for me. On the other hand, I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting, the harsh nature of Norway, so raw and virginal and beautiful - yes, Karen Swan is the queen of choosing the most beautiful settings for her novels, and what I love is the fact that they're not fictional places. They're secluded, solitary but real and simply gorgeous. Another bonus is that she always adds truly interesting facts about those places and I couldn't help but googled shelf farms - they're brilliant. The setting is just fantastic and the author eloquently and vividly brings all the places she writes about to life. I've read some books set in Norway, and also some describing the Northern Lights but "The Christmas Lights" overdoes them all with its descriptions, the gorgeous, wild and austere nature of Norway.

I, however, immediately guess the "who". For me it was obvious and there was no other option, even if the author has tried a little to put wool over our eyes at the end, trying to complicate things a little, to point us in other directions, but this is the one thing that she didn't manage. Was it disappointment? To be honest, no. Not at all.

Of course we can't forget the big elephant in the room - Karen Swan writes about the problems and dangers of living through social media, and I liked the way she has tackled this issue. We have Zac and Lenny, who live only through the numbers of followers and nothing is impossible for them, no matter how dangerous it is. Then we have Bo, whose eyes start to open and she starts to notice the dangers and issues of being in the centre of attention. And we have Anders, whose idea of living is totally different. Yes, Zac and Lenny come across a little obsessed and shallow, at least for me, as I do realise that the grass is not always greener on the other side and there are limits for what you can do to increase the number of your followers and your sponsors.

"The Christmas Lights" was a story full of action, hiking, gorgeous settings and characters full of personality - characters that are annoying, that have their flaws and secrets which only makes them much more interesting and believable. The author has also brought closer the Norwegian history and its present, traditions, habits, the language, food and drink. There was intrigue, danger and it was festive enough to get in the spirit of Christmas, this all brought to life through Karen Swan's vivid, alluring and engaging writing style. A novel about relationships, loss, grief, love and adventures, living on the edge, full of heartbreak and hope. It's much more than about finding your own strength, it shows that everything is possible, and it had me totally and completely hooked. Highly recommended!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2020 LivaTheBookNerd rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, 2019-releases, 2020, own-pb, contemporary

A perfect book to catch winter vibes, but it is not a typical Christmas book because is packed with various serious topics.

It is a story about Bo and Zac who travel the world funded by advertisers for their Instagram blog. Their next destination is a remote farm in Norwegian fjords.
It is also a story about Signy. Now 96 years old farm owner, who was 14 years old when her world crashed and changed forever.

I liked how these two unrelated stories entwined in one message. This story is about relatio ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 18, 2018 Karen Whittard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Karen swan is another one of those authors that I simply have to read at Christmas. Because her books always bring the magic and sparkle of the Christmas count down even more magical. This book is set in Norway a place that I would love to go to. To go and see the magestic northern lights.

December 2018, and free-spirited influencers Bo Loxley and her partner Zac are living a life of wanderlust, travelling the globe and sharing their adventures with their millions of fans.

Booked to spend Christm ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2018 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, netgalley

Karen Swan is one of my auto-buy authors. If her name is on, it I’ll read it. This has never steered me wrong, except with her last book which just wasn’t for me. Thankfully, The Christmas Lights is the Karen Swan I know and love! The Norwegian setting was a huge draw for me, especially as that is where the historical portions of the story are set. I am fascinated by the history of the region and what it was like for my ancestors. My great-grandfather was Norwegian and I kind of feel a connectio Karen Swan is one of my auto-buy authors. If her name is on, it I’ll read it. This has never steered me wrong, except with her last book which just wasn’t for me. Thankfully, The Christmas Lights is the Karen Swan I know and love! The Norwegian setting was a huge draw for me, especially as that is where the historical portions of the story are set. I am fascinated by the history of the region and what it was like for my ancestors. My great-grandfather was Norwegian and I kind of feel a connection to the lifestyle and the landscape. I live in the Canadian Rockies so it’s not too far off! I had a good feeling that I was really going to enjoy this book and it ended up being my favourite of her books yet!

At the risk of sounding like a miserable Grinch, I don’t love Christmas, I don’t love romance and at first glance those two things seem to be the core of this book. I find there’s a lot more depth than just these superficial elements. This story, like all her other books, is actually is more about a woman finding her strength and learning to follow the path that leads to the life she wants, even if she doesn’t know it at first. Strong female characters are stock in trade for Swan’s books and while Bo starts out not entirely likable and a bit silly and weak-willed, she finds her voice and comes out the other side. Of course this is a romance so she doesn’t come out alone! I won’t give away any spoilers but I feel like she chose the right man and the right lifestyle.

Signy is the other main character and she features in both the historical sections and the present. She seems to be a totally different type of person from Bo but as the story progresses they find a lot in common. The historical storyline was absolutely beautiful and horrifically brutal at the same time. Seeing Signy as a young girl and the trials she faced fleshed out her character and helped me understand her as an old woman. If possible I loved her even more after learning her story! Weaving in the story of her grandson and his rocky journey towards happiness was very touching and eventually fulfilling. Overall, the ending is a real tear-jerker but a triumphant one. Just like a good romance should be, it’s ultimately a happy ending. Dang, does this mean I like romance now? My cold, dead heart must have grown two sizes today. Thank Karen Swan for taking the humbug and the grouchiness out of this Grinch. If she can warm my heart she can charm anyone!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 16, 2018 Bernadette Robinson rated it really liked it

Shelves: based-on-factual-events, secrets, romance, chick-lit-romance, kindle, e-book, netgalley, contemporary, set-on-foreign-soil, mf-scenes

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this snow filled romance a 4 stars or 8/10.

Bo and Zac appeared to have the perfect life. Social media stars, who live their lives in the public eye. Zac is a keen adventurer and loves living life on the edge to get that perfect online buzz for himself and all his followers. Bo, however is a little more reserved and whilst she appears to enjoy the online attention she does like a q ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 20, 2018 Shirley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

We follow the adventures of a social media couple,Zac and Bo and their companion Lenny. Lenny films and photographs their adrenaline filled activities and posts them online. We join them on their latest trip to Norway, where they are staying on a remote shelf farm, owned by Signy and her grandson Anders. The book has two stories within it, Signy tying both together. As their story unfolds,we see Bo start to learn that living your life in the spotlight can be wonderful and a curse in equal measur ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2018 Suzanne Waters rated it really liked it · review of another edition

What is there to say, but this book was a festive treat. Karen Swan really knows how to write about Christmas. I liked this book so much I bought the paperback.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2018 Lori Power rated it did not like it

Awful

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2018 Booksandchinooks (Laurie) rated it really liked it

Karen Swan always writes such beautiful atmospheric books. Speaking of beautiful - you could buy this book just for the amazing cover alone. This story is set in Norway and all the dazzling scenery that encompasses. The book is set in two time periods, 1936 and present day. Bo and Zac are reality stars that document their life traveling the world. Upon their arrival in Norway we meet another central character in the book, Signy. Bo starts to analyze her life as events begin to make her question ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2019 Michelle rated it really liked it

I did really enjoy this books but a few incidents with Zac & Bo got me a little irked!! Mostly, an enjoyable read though.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 25, 2019 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews added it

Shelves: 2019-books

*Review to come.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2018 Val Robson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Like many books with Christmas in the title 'The Christmas Lights' is only loosely about Christmas but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The story follows Bo, Zac and Lenny on their travels around the world and is centred on a stay in Norway in December 2018. Couple, Zac and Bo, are known online as the Wanderlusters and have no fixed base. They move from location to location while blogging and posting on Instagram.. They occasionally have sponsors and the revenue pays for their constantly transient and Like many books with Christmas in the title 'The Christmas Lights' is only loosely about Christmas but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The story follows Bo, Zac and Lenny on their travels around the world and is centred on a stay in Norway in December 2018. Couple, Zac and Bo, are known online as the Wanderlusters and have no fixed base. They move from location to location while blogging and posting on Instagram.. They occasionally have sponsors and the revenue pays for their constantly transient and extravagant lifestyle. They met Lenny in Sumatra and hired him to work for their ‘Wanderlusters brand’ when they discovered he was a photographer. So now the threesome travel, live and work together as they seek to get ten million Instagram followers. They are just two hundred thousand short of that figure as they move from the tropical Samoa to dark, cold, icy Norway in mid December. Lenny, who is also the organiser, has booked a shelf farm high up above Geiranger fjord in Norway. The owner, Signy, is in her 90s and lives in one of the basic cabins on the farm.

This is when the book really got my attention as I was on that fjord just 5 months ago and saw the shelf farms from a ferry trip along the fjord. They are tiny bits of land that look completely uninhabitable hundreds of feet vertically about the fjord. Most have been abandoned as the practically of living there had become too difficult. One or two still exist mainly for tourists to hike to. Some were so small and steep that animals and small children had to be tethered to stop them falling over the edge.

So my attention was gripped by the location which Karen Swan has clearly researched well and writes about very evocatively. The plot was less gripping as it started off with much emphasis on the blogging and taking photos making the three main characters seem very shallow and quite irritating. It’s always hard to stick with a book when you cannot like at least one of the characters. I did stick with it because of the locations and actually the story did get more interesting for the second half and had a decent ending.

The current day plot is interwoven with one from 1936 when Signy was 14 and spent the summer on the high hills with other teenage girls from the community caring for the goats and sheep and making milk products.

I really enjoyed the whole book and especially the research that Karen Swann put into it. Without giving spoilers she includes real life places and events from both timeframes which I knew about from my visit and enjoyed being woven into the story. I loved Norway, especially the part around Geiranger fjord (the author calls it Gerainger for reasons unknown as all other locations are correctly named) which is especially beautiful.

I’ve just got back from the Canadian Rockies and see that Karen Swan has set another book based there (Christmas under the Stars) so no prizes for guessing my next read....

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2018 Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-books, chic-lit

With a breath taking cover, The Christmas Lights is the fifteenth novel by English author Karen Swan. Karen sets her novels in beautiful, swoon worthy locations from Greece to Italy and this time she takes the reader to Norway. A historical fiction novel with a split narrative it is set in June of 1936 and December 2018. With themes of love, family, friendship and traditional ways versus new ways, Karen has written a novel that is about more then just Christmas.

In the Summer of June 1936, 14 yea With a breath taking cover, The Christmas Lights is the fifteenth novel by English author Karen Swan. Karen sets her novels in beautiful, swoon worthy locations from Greece to Italy and this time she takes the reader to Norway. A historical fiction novel with a split narrative it is set in June of 1936 and December 2018. With themes of love, family, friendship and traditional ways versus new ways, Karen has written a novel that is about more then just Christmas.

In the Summer of June 1936, 14 year old Signy is the main protagonist. She and her sister, Margit, along with the Jemtegard siblings, live in the mountains to help the family prepare for the winter months. Starting out as a milkmaid, Signy later herds the animals as she has a natural connection with them. Karen has done her research her as she describes the interesting life of the young boys and girls that go into the mountains without their parents. It is a time of growth for Signy as she learns to deal with everyday problems, discovering her strengths and weaknesses along the way. The simple mountain life provides a sharp contrast with modern society.

Over 70 years later, Signy is an old woman still living in Norway when Bo Loxley enters her life. Bo and her finance, Zac, are a social media brand known as Wonderlust. Traveling the world with photographer and friend, Lenny, the trio post photos on Instagram of their authentic adventures for the millions of followers. Renting from Signy, they find themselves isolated from the world, cracks beginning to appear in a seemingly perfect partnership. Both have always been adventurous; however they are opposites in other ways. Zac is the extrovert who loves the social media life and is willing to do anything to up the numbers. He is always on the move and there where many moment I disliked Bo choices. Bo is the more introverted character, craving the home comforts that she left behind years ago. When Signy’s grandson, Anders, appears in their lives, it becomes crystal clear that the couple are no longer in sync. Shaking things up, Anders shows Bo the simpler life, making Bo question everything she holds dear.

With contemporary themes of social media representation and trolls, stalking, family and relationships, this is an eye opening account of life in the media today and the toll it takes on those who live it.

...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2018 Zuzzi rated it it was amazing

The book that started it all. First book I read by Karen Swan and I got hooked by her amazing writing.

It's not your typical Christmas story but so much more. Two stories alongside each other are uncovering secrets of past and present until they meet and everything suddenly makes sense.

I love how engaging and real characters were. So much of current 'social media' craze put in the limelight and makes you think, what is it really about? Is it all worth it to have your life invaded by strangers for ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2018 Jo Shaw rated it it was amazing

I have liked books written by Karen Swan previously so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book courtesy of Netgalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

The book is set in the picturesque fjords of Norway, and incredibly, I was travelling in Norway when I was reading the book! It is a dual timeline book, following the present day story of Bo Loxley (and her partner Zac) who are 'insta-famous', and travel the world looking for adventures for their Instagram follower I have liked books written by Karen Swan previously so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book courtesy of Netgalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

The book is set in the picturesque fjords of Norway, and incredibly, I was travelling in Norway when I was reading the book! It is a dual timeline book, following the present day story of Bo Loxley (and her partner Zac) who are 'insta-famous', and travel the world looking for adventures for their Instagram followers to see, together with their photographer Lenny, and a story set in 1936 in another part of Norway, following Signy, a teenage daughter of a farmer, working on a 'seter', the summer pastures high up in the mountains with her sister and the other girls from their village which is down by the fjord.

Signy is now a 96 year old grandmother who lives up in the mountains and rents out her shelf farm to Bo, Zac and Lenny for a month over Christmas. Almost immediately, Bo, who feels that something is wrong in her life, finds herself drawn to their serious mountain guide, and grandson of Signy, Anders, who listens to her in a way that Zac is unable to do.

I found the parallels between the two timelines fascinating, and although the secrets from the past and the present were not revealed until late in the book, it kept me wanting to know more. It was interesting to see the conflict in Bo, who has lived a life of great adventure for a number of years, where increasingly her private life was public for all to see on Instagram. Her craving for normality, which she finds in the stunning Norwegian setting, contrasts with the shallowness of her life in the public domain, where everything must look perfect in order to gain followers.

The setting of the book is just glorious, a frozen winter wilderness complete with the northern lights, and if you haven't been to Norway, it will definitely make you want to visit. I loved reading it whilst travelling around the fjords further south in Norway than the setting of the book, but it honestly made me want to stay in my hotel room and read more instead of going out! I found myself thinking about the book one of the days whilst standing at the side of a fjord looking up at the mountain to the side of me! Although set in December and into the Christmas period, this is far more than just a Christmas book, it is crammed full of intrigue, secrets, heartbreak, love, and finding the strength to take a step into the future without being held back by the past. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2019 Andrea Hicks rated it really liked it

My thanks to Pan Macmillan, Karen Swan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
This latest novel from Karen Swan is a tale of love found in the most unusual places, and about being brave enough to grab it when it presents to us. The Christmas Lights is two novels in one, set in the same place with romance through love and loss at the heart of both.
In 1936, Signy goes to the summer pastures with her sisters and their friends, to tend the goats and make enough hay to feed th ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 03, 2018 Erika rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a first for me by this author... but not my last.

December 2018, and free-spirited influencers Bo Loxley and her partner Zac are living a life of wanderlust, travelling the globe and sharing their adventures with their millions of fans.
Booked to spend Christmas in the Norwegian fjords, they set up home in a remote farm owned by enigmatic mountain guide Anders and his fierce grandmother Signy. Surrounded by snowy peaks and frozen falls, everything should be perfect. But the camera can lie ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2018 Maggie rated it it was amazing

I loved the unexpected in this story, the little things you think you have guessed which turn out not to be quite right. I twists and turns which keep you glued to the pages and make it such a brilliant read.

Set in Norway in December, amongst the snow and ice, I felt I was right there watching the story unfold. By the time I had finished my heart was racing and I had shed a tear or two.

It did take me a little while to warm up to Zac, Bo and Lenny. They are free-spirited world travel bloggers, li ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2018 Nicki Southwell rated it liked it

Shelves: my-reviews, crime-thrillers

Bo Loxley and partner Zac are traveling the world and funded by advertising. They are writing an Instagram blog. They find themselves in the fjords of Norway over the Christmas period.

The remote house they are staying in belongs to mountain guide Anders and his grandmother Signy.

The descriptions of the area are stunning but the main characters are not at all likable. The story veers from the present back to 1930 when Signy was a teenager and milkmaid.

Even though they travel with their cameraman, ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Kobo plus lezers: Maandboek Dec. 2020: Een Noorse winternacht - Karen Swan	9	16	Dec 08, 2020 02:35AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Holiday > Christmas

41 users

Romance

26 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

16 users

Fiction

15 users

Contemporary

12 users

Historical > Historical Fiction

4 users

Travel

3 users

Romance > Contemporary Romance

3 users

Adult

3 users

Historical

3 users

See top shelves…

About Karen Swan

Karen Swan

1,137 followers

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 Secr ...more

Books by Karen Swan

More…

Kazuo Ishiguro: A Dystopian Book in Dystopian Times

Kazuo Ishiguro insists he’s an optimist about technology. “I'm not one of these people who thinks it's going to come and destroy us,” he...

Trivia About The Christmas Lights

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Christmas Lights

“Escaping, traveling...it was all one and the same to her, somehow, this freedom always came at a cost; she had to loose someone close first, someone vital.” — 0 likes

“Home is wherever you are, it may not be exciting or glamorous, but this (indicating the vast view) is the biggest life.” — 0 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan

The Christmas Lights

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Karen Swan

Books by Karen Swan

Related Articles

Trivia About The Christmas Lights

Quotes from The Christmas Lights

See a Problem?

Preview — The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan

The Christmas Lights

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Karen Swan

Books by Karen Swan

Related Articles

Trivia About The Christmas Lights

Quotes from The Christmas Lights

new topic
Discuss This Book