Karen Swan delivers another charming Christmas tale with All I Want for Christmas. Set in the magical, festive streets of Copenhagen, the story follows Darcy Cotterell, who is newly single and determined to focus on her PhD. But her friend Freja has other plans, pushing her to join a dating app. Amidst three first dates and a captivating art mystery, Darcy finds herself entangled in love, self-discovery, and festive wonder.

The novel's setting is richly atmospheric, bringing Copenhagen to life with its snowy streets and warm holiday traditions. The art-history subplot adds an intriguing layer, particularly as Darcy uncovers the secrets of a mysterious painting. Swan's characters are relatable and well-developed, especially Darcy and her relationships with those around her.

While the story delivers plenty of heartwarming moments and twists, alt ough sometimes predictable. Swan’s signature ability to balance romance, mystery, and personal growth makes this an engaging and cosy seasonal read.

A brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. What a delight to be able to read this book. The characters become Alive.

🎧 Audiobook Review🎧

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I want to thank Netgalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Karen Swans transports us to beautiful Denmark where the picturesque descriptions are enough to make anyone want to visit.

The tenuous relationship between Darcy and Max was entertaining. The sarcasm and banter was in full force and the forced proximity was excruciating but fun.

The mystery surrounding the painting was my favourite part. Seeing how Darcy set about discovering its origins gave me a new appreciation for the level of research that has to be conducted.

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I love Karen Swan's books and this one did not fail to impress.

Darcy is a student in Denmark on secondment from university in London, studying her PhD. She is given the chance of a lifetime from her boss, to uncover the identity of a woman in a hidden portrait which is behind a picture owned by the state of Denmark,

At the same time, she is nearly single and has been challenged to find her new man on a dating app by her housemate, she has to pick 3 men and see what happens.

There are many challenges to her first two dates, but her third one, the lawyer, is non responsive. This now leads to her meeting him, and that lawyer is Max!

This is where work and her private life collides - Max is now part of both! She is having to be a detective to find the identity of her mystery lady but under certain parameters, she cannot study the archives anywhere other than the Foundation or Max's home... there are many consequences to this and you never know where the story will go!

The other men... well this is a romance, you know where that will go, but not the how, what, where..

The ending... oh my word, you never know what can happen when everything collides. The last chapter was beautiful! Will definitely recommend this to people...

Darcy meets Max at a party, not realizing that she had 'met' him on a dating app. Soon her work is forcing them to spend more time together but he is keeping secrets and has his own agenda so what will happen when she finds out?

If you’re looking for a cozy wintery read that is more Christmas adjacent than outright Christmassy then this one might be for you.

The story follows main character Darcy as she navigates a shocking mystery uncovered in the Dutch art world while she also juggles her ailing love life which she’s trying to reignite in time for Christmas.

The mystery in the storyline is quite similar to the story in another of Karen’s books - The Paris Secret. The unfolding of all of Darcy’s detective work kept me guessing right until the end although I did have my suspicions!

The romantic storyline is very much an angsty enemies to lovers romance. The angst is heightened by what’s at stake with the paintings and the battle for ownership.

I’m a big fan of Karen’s writing. Especially how she manages to bring the settings so vividly into the story. This one is set mostly in Copenhagen and you can just really imagine it through her writing. I thought the characters were really well written, believable and realistic as well which made this a quite enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this title.

This was honestly quite an interesting read and the art history element along with the historical storyline and the romance between the main characters made this an enjoyable Christmas read

A Karen Swan book in time for Xmas is always a treat. The Copenhagen setting and the friendship between Darcy and Freja made this one pop for me, however the romance with the avoidant/gaslighting/love bombing Max was just not working for me. He was so unlikeable and contrary, the character just repulsed me and I spent the whole book hoping they wouldn't end up together. The art history element was out of my usual area of interest but it was well done so it felt like learning as well as enjoying the mystery at the centre of the book.

All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan @panmacmillan a NetGalley review. I can’t remember the what time I read a book by this author and hopefully I won’t leave it so long next time. Darcy and Max are entangled and thrown together when Darcy is asked to research a mystery painting, a painting steeped in family secrets. Max and Darcy are equally stubborn and focused, perhaps destined to clash but equally destined to ignite passion in one another. For me the story the characters are tangled in, with the mystery painting, is the best part of this book and in all honesty the characters did get on my nerves a bit, especially with their dithering will they won’t they relationship. That part of the book was predictable. It’s a beautifully written book as you would expect with this author, however it did take a while for this story to grab me and in parts I found it boring until the story got into the thick of revealing the paintings secrets, they things completely changed and I couldn’t put it down and when it did end, I felt it ended far to abruptly, reading the story one minute and the next page was the end! I even double checked that it was actually the end! Once the books gets going it’s a strong, interesting and intriguing read. As you would expect with @swannywrites it’s a very descriptive book, painting a vivid picture, igniting the imagination. Definitely worth a read and a read for anytime of the year, I would recomend to friends and family and give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is 99p on kindle at Amazon currently so definitely worth a purchase.

Smart is the new sexy.
Who would have thought that romance mixes so well with art history?
I loved all the discussions about fine art, paintings and history, and found the Danish setting refreshing. The book didn't have a real festive feel (to me) but the story undoubtedly takes place before Christmas. Karen Swan's books are always a joy to read and this one was no exception.

Another brilliantly written book by Karen Swan i love her writting style so easy to read your pull into the plot i loved all the unexpected twists, which keeps you wanting to continue reading until the end i recommend to you all a great Xmas read

Let me get my biggest (and pretty much only) criticism out of the way. Doing a PhD does not make you a professor and writing a thesis does not get you a professorship. Having finished a PhD makes you a doctor, not a professor. I have a PhD and I am nowhere near a professor. Being a professor is the most senior staff grade, not a qualification, instead it involves publishing lots of academic papers and doing a post-doctoral programme as well as teaching and researching.

Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I love anything Scandi so was delighted to find myself in Copenhagen, one of my favourite cities ever. I even went for a run after reading the chapter with the 10k run (though I can only wish mine had been a 10k). I liked how the story, once again, revolved around art. I am not one to go to museums a lot, I find them rather boring, but I found myself googling certain pieces or painters while reading, just because I wanted to know what they looked like. I also loved the tension between Max and Darcy, even though I think this kind of story is one of the reasons why I, and many others, have a thing for men who are unapproachable and don't let anyone close, we believe we can be the exception, their Darcy...

I have read almost all of Karen Swan's books and while I think they somewhat fall into the chick-lit category, which isn't my favourite, they are always more complex and well-researched (apart from the PhD bit in this case, ha!), and include various timelines, which makes her books stand out. If a book makes me stay up past my bedtime because I just can't put it down, it's usually either a crime/thriller, or a Karen Swan!

It wouldn't be Christmas without a cracking new festive book from Karen Swan, and this year's is as brilliant as ever!

What an utterly absorbing story this was, I was engrossed in the mystery at the heart of it, and just how Darcy was going to work out who the subject of a hidden painting was, and then bringing them to life, all with a seemingly impossible time frame.

Set to a Copenhagen backdrop, this was a fascinating story, that offered moments of great levity with Darcy's dating exploits. She is on a new app, and her picks are not the best, although it does turn out she will be seeing a lot more of one of them, whether she intends to or not.

Also set in the art world and acedemia, this just combines all matter of worlds in a way that was compelling to read. I was never completely sure how things would turn out, and I was overall astounded by some of the revelations.

I also loved the descriptions of the Christmas markets and various Danish festive traditions that are also featured in the story.

It's a fabulous book, and was joy to read it.

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

I have not read many books by Karen Swan but I will be now as I could not stop reading this one. A very enjoyable theme,and the setting of Denmark, was so good and different from any setting I have read before. Great read for this time of year..

The magic of Karen Swans books is that there is always an intriguing storyline which draws you in.
A disillusioned Darcy goes to Copenhagen to do her PHD after finding her boyfriend is a cheat. Being pushed by her flatmate, half-heartedly she agrees to an online dating site.
Whilst studying, an unknown portrait is discovered underneath a famous painting. Darcy is given the task of researching it and identifying the woman in the portrait. A complication is when she finds that Max whom she met through the dating site has an invested interest in the portrait. Max always seems to be in the background and there is definitely an attraction between the two. Will they break through each other’s barriers? Will they be able to resist the attraction and focus on their work in hand. Will the mystery and secret of the portrait bring them together or tear them apart?
I really enjoyed this story and it did not disappoint. A fantastic Christmas read, particularly those that want a subtle amount of Christmas.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Karen Swan for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Karen Swan’s Christmas novels are always a treat and this one certainly is.

The story is very original and I really appreciated how it sets itself apart from the more classical Christmas stories. First, it is set in Copenhagen and we can enjoy the atmosphere there at Christmas, discover what people like to do and feel the contrast of cold and cosy, the perfect atmosphere for a Christmas novel.

Then, the plot develops around the research which the main character, Darcy, has to do to find out who is the mysterious woman painted at the back of a painting by a famous Danish painter. We follow her research and how she discovers not only who the woman is, but also a lot about her life.

The characters are well portrayed and their relationships develop in an interesting way all along the story. Darcy and Freya are lovely and friendly. Otto and Viggo are authoritative, slightly intimidating and protective. And for course, there are the boyfriends, with Max playing the central role, cold, calculating but full of surprises.

So, make yourself a nice cup of tea, put on your nice cosy woolly sweater and enjoy this book. A very original and enjoyable Christmas read.

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!

All I want for Christmas is een fijne roman om te lezen, met leuke personages en een goed verweven mysterie uit het verleden rondom een schilder en zijn werken.

British author Karen Swan writes contemporary feel-good novels at a fast pace. She publishes a new book every summer and winter. Another characteristic is that each novel is set in a different place in the world. Her latest novel is All I want for Christmas and is set in Denmark.

Darcy studies in Copenhagen, and for her graduation she goes to work at a museum that is planning an exhibition of the famous painter Trier. Discovering an unknown painting of a young woman gives Darcy a new assignment, in which she has to find out who that is in a relatively short time. The search for the unknown woman brings up an old secret.

The character Max has interests in the exhibition, but that only becomes clear later. There is an undeniable attraction between Darcy and Max, but there are too many factors at play, which means they keep circling each other for a long time.

The title All I want for Christmas suggests a Christmas story, but the Christmas element only plays a minor role. It is more like an indication of the time around which the story of Darcy and Max is interwoven.

The book is easy to read. Swan has a beautiful descriptive way of writing. Everything, characters and surroundings come to life while reading. The story has a good structure, but it goes slowly. As a reader you expect a bit more tension. But the interaction between Darcy and Max is well developed. The mystery from the past also has a good structure and keeps you captivated as a reader. In addition, the supporting character Freja is a sweet person and a perfect listener for Darcy's doubts. And the dates imposed by Freja on Darcy bring humor to the story.

All I want for Christmas is a nice novel to read, with nice characters and a well-woven mystery from the past surrounding a painter and his works.

Nothing kicks off the festive reading season quite like a new Karen Swan novel. I was utterly entralled with "All I Want For Christmas" and didn't want the story to end.

The backdrop for this festive treat is Copenhagen which I thought made the perfect Christmas destination. The main character, Darcy is currently finishing her art history PhD when best friend, Freja signs her up to an online dating app. Darcy reluctantly agrees to just three dates but looking for love is not her main focus when she is asked to research an unknown painting found hidden in the back of a well known masterpiece.

What I love about all of Karen Swan's novels is they are so much more than a romance story. There are layers of intrigue and mystery to unravel which makes for a satisfying read. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Darcy and Max. You could feel the sizzle of tension as they try to keep a professional relationship.

Overall this was great storytelling which kept me turning the pages. My thanks to Pan Macmillan for inviting me to read this book.

I love that Karen Swans Books are a great mix betweeen love story and solving a mysterious problem. I loved Darcy as she is just such a smart and sympathetic woman. The story with the mystery painting was very intriguing and took more than one unexpected turn. The location of Copenhagen at Christmas Time is wonderful. Definitely another great read!