Friday 2 September 2016

The Holiday Swap - Zara Stoneley


Two women, two very different lives – one perfect solution to escape festive heartbreak!
Tucked away in the idyllic English countryside, Daisy Fischer’s cosy little cottage has always been her safe haven. But when her completely dependable boyfriend issues her an ultimatum, Daisy realises there’s a whole world out there she’s missing out on.
Florence Cortes’s life couldn’t be better – gorgeous apartment right on the beach, fabulous job and dreamy boyfriend, or so she thought. Suddenly, Flo’s life isn’t so perfect after all.
When the girls house swap for the holidays, it’s not long before Daisy is being distracted by sun, sea and sexy Javier while Flo finds herself snowbound for Christmas with only handsome neighbour Hugo and a house full of animals to keep her company.
Love actually does seem to be all around this Christmas, but in the places Flo and Daisy least expect to find it…

What did I think?

I just knew from the cover of this book that it was going to be great fun and indeed it was.  I have never read a Zara Stoneley book before so this was my first visit to the fictional town of Tippermere in Cheshire.  It is actually a dual location book as it is part set in Barcelona so it was fun to flip back and forth between wintry Cheshire and sunny Spain.

Daisy, Flo and Anna are old friends.  Daisy is in a humdrum relationship with Jimmy and Flo thinks an important question is on the horizon when her boyfriend, Oli, whisks her to Paris for their anniversary.  Out of the blue Daisy gets a proposal she doesn't want whilst Flo wants a proposal that she doesn't get, leaving both girls considering their future.  Anna comes up with the idea of Daisy going to Flo's place in Barcelona for a long weekend and Flo coming back to England and staying in Daisy's cottage.  The girls jump at the chance so they pack their bags and arrange the swap.

Flo falls back into village life a lot quicker than she thought she would.  She has hilarious escapades with Daisy's dog, Mabel, and she is surprised to learn that Daisy's neighbour is an old acquaintance, Hugo.  As Flo tries to forget about Oli, she sees Hugo in a different light but is he just after another notch on his bedpost?  Meanwhile in Barcelona, Daisy meets Flo's friend, Javier.  Javier certainly makes Daisy's heart beat faster, which is something Jimmy has never done.  With Daisy only in Barcelona for a short time, how can she risk starting anything with Javier?  Hugo and Javier are such deep and mysterious Darcy-esque characters, they'll certainly warm you up on a cold winter's night.

The Holiday Swap is one of those books that you should read curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate.  It has just the right amount of festive feeling so as not to feel out of place as a summer read, but it would be perfect to read as the snow is falling outside and you can escape to the sunny city of Barcelona.  It's a funny light-hearted book filled to the brim with romance and hilarious escapades.  I look forward to visiting Tippermere again in the future.

I received this e-book from the publisher, HarperImpulse, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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