The Christmas Secret

Rekindle your Christmas Spirit in this Festive Romance full of Second Chances, Secrets and Scotland's Snow-capped Scenery

By: Karen Swan

Narrated by: Laura Main

Set on the beautiful Scottish island of Islay, The Christmas Secret is a gripping story filled with emotion from Karen Swan, bestselling author of Christmas Under the Stars.

'I devoured it like a tray of warm mince pies. A delicious winter tale' – Sarah Morgan, author of Moonlight Over Manhattan

Alex Hyde is the leaders’ leader. An executive coach par excellence, she’s the person the Great and the Good turn to when the pressure gets too much.

Her waiting list is months’ long, but even she can’t turn down the unorthodox but highly lucrative crisis call that comes her way a few weeks before Christmas, regarding the troublesome – and troubled – head of an esteemed whisky company in Scotland: Lochlan Farquhar is a maverick, an enigma and a renegade, and Alex needs to get inside his head before he brings the company to its knees.

It should be business as usual. She can do this in her sleep. Only, when she gets to the remote island of Islay, with the winter snows falling, Alex finds herself out of her comfort zone. For once, she’s not in control – Lochlan, though darkly charismatic, is unpredictable and destructive, her usual methods gaining no traction with him – and with Christmas and her deadline fast approaching, she must win his trust and find a way to close on this deal.

But as she pulls ever closer to him, boundaries become blurred, loyalties loosen and Alex finds herself faced with an impossible choice as she realizes nothing and no-one is as they first seemed.

'Fun and great escapism' –Tracy Rees, author of The Hourglass

‘If you’re anything like us, then a book by Karen Swan has become synonymous with Christmas, and her latest is arguably her best yet . . . smart plots, brilliant characters and juicy romance’ – Heat

Critic reviews

Another epic tale of love, loss, and secrets, this new book from the always-excellent Karen Swan . . . tuck yourself in under a blanket and get lost in the adventure

The most unlikely of romances is only part of a moving story of loss and the promise of second chancers

'I devoured it like a tray of warm mince pies. A delicious winter tale' (Sarah Morgan, bestselling author of Moonlight Over Manhattan)

Fun and great escapism (Tracy Rees, author of The Hourglass)

I’m shouting from the rooftops about what a lovely warm, intriguing romantic drama this is!

I highly recommend this book to you – Karen Swan at her best, and there really wouldn’t be Christmas without a new Karen Swan!

If you’re anything like us, then a book by Karen Swan has become synonymous with Christmas, and her latest is arguably her best yet … smart plots, brilliant characters and juicy romance

Laura Main - fabulous as always

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved it! Laura Main’s narration was what roped me in and it was even better than I anticipated! The story was entertaining, well thought out, and well described.

Entertaining

I really enjoyed the storyline. I think the main female character was smart but the feeling of a strong female character is diminished by her consistently jumping to the wrong conclusions. This behavior becomes a bit tiring after awhile.

Fabulous story from beginning to end

This book was wonderful. I loved every word from the first to the last. Some stories have lulls or are slow to start or get tidied up to quickly at the end. Not this one. Lovely, rich plots simultaneously pull you through twist after twist making you not want to stop listening. I stayed up late one to many nights!

The readers voice and accent only made the story more enjoyable.

Disappointing ending

I picked this is the next book by Karen Swan that I read. It left me underwhelmed. Here is a supposedly self assured woman who falls to pieces at the first challenge all for an angry arrogant ass. No thanks.

So Grateful for This Book!

I’m an American with nearly half Scottish ancestry, hailing from Islay. Until I can visit, I find myself scrounging for books, Facebook groups of current life or history, and the like, just for a sense of life there. There are books that are reference/informational that I’ve enjoyed, but it is rare to find a fictional book set on Islay. This book is wonderful and left me wanting to hear more about my ancestral home.

If you’re looking for a full-of-Christmas book, this isn’t it. Christmas is woven into the story, but is not the focal point. The characters and their stories are. That’s just the way I like it! I’m not one for Hallmark movie type books where there’s a Christmas event every day. I love Christmas, but I like it peppered into fictional tales.