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Christmas at Claridge's

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Christmas at Claridge's

By: Karen Swan
Narrated by: Imogen Church
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About this listen

Taking you from Portobello to Portofino, Christmas at Claridge's is a glamorous contemporary romance by the bestselling Karen Swan, author of Christmas in the Snow.

Portobello – home to the world-famous street market, Notting Hill Carnival and Clem Alderton. She's the queen of the scene, the girl everyone wants to be or be with. But beneath the morning-after makeup, Clem is keeping a secret, and when she goes too far one reckless night she endangers everything – her home, her job and even her adored brother's love.

Portofino – a place of wild beauty and old-school glamour. Clem has been here once before and vowed never to return. But when a handsome stranger asks Clem to restore a neglected villa, it seems like the answer to her problems – if she can just face up to her past.

Claridge's – at Christmas. Clem is back in London working on a special commission for London's grandest hotel. But is this really where her heart lies?

 Contemporary Contemporary Romance Fiction Genre Fiction Holidays Romance Women's Fiction Winter Christmas Feel-Good Heartfelt
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Nice story, nice narration, but more of a summer beach read than a Christmas one!

Very misleading title, but a nice book

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Loved this from start to finish - particular being partly set in the part of Italy my mum came from. Beautifully narrated by the inimitable Imogen Church.

Wonderful Story

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Is there anything you would change about this book?

Oh, so much, from the title onwards. I'd have called it something like 'Why the Super Rich can never be happy' - though maybe that says more about my life, loves and family and I just don't get it. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that if diamond-studded leather is the epitome of aspirational chic for you, then you'll love this book. Otherwise, not so much. What is isn't about - except in a very minor way - is either Christmas or Claridges.

What could Karen Swan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

See comments about the title above, with maybe a few less coincidences ...though perhaps the overly melodramatic delivery made me more critical than I might otherwise have been...

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Imogen Church?

Someone like Phoebe James, Katie Scarfe or Jane Collingwood, none of whom feel the need to overemphasise quite so much.

Do you think Christmas at Claridge's needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No! Please, no more about such shallow people.

Any additional comments?

Another one where I'm left wondering if a different narrator wouldn't have made all the difference ...except for the title, of course, which I still maintain is all wrong!

What a misleading title!

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It took a little while for the story to get going but I was really invested in the characters by the middle, as always with Karen Swan’s brilliant books. I don’t think the ‘twist’ was revealed too early as others have commented. It is cheesey and cliched at points but a great easy listen. The narrator’s performance however of some characters were borderline ridiculous (Stella and Gabriel).

Very sweet

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Not one of the best Karen Swan books I’ve read. Found it a bit hard work.

Not really Christmassy

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