Christmas at Claridge's

by Karen Swan

"This was where her dreams drifted to if she didn't blot her nights out with drink; this was where her thoughts settled if she didn't fill her days with chat. She remembered this tiny, remote foreign village on a molecular level and the sight of it soaked into her like water into sand, because this was where her old life had ended and her new one had begun." 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, and where a neglected villa has been bought by a handsome stranger. He wants Clem to restore it for him and it seems like the answer to all her problems - except that Clem has been there once before and vowed, for her own protection, never to return ...

• ISBN10: 1447232526
• ISBN13: 9781447232520
• Publish Date: 7 November 2013
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 February 2015
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Macmillan
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 544
• Language: English

Reviews

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews This is an absolutely amazing story but like Christmas at Tiffany's don't be fooled by the name and cover. Only a tiny bit of this book is actually at Christmas.

I found Clem to be a was a bit too irresponsible to begin with. She had floated through life messing up and always being bailed out by her family. After her latest mess her brother Tom finally looses it. This time she knows she had to fix this one her self.

When Clem eventually goes to Portofino you see a totally different side to her. She learns how to cook, drive and be generally responsible.

I thought Stella was an awesome best friend and I really loved Mercy too. Chira was amazing.

I don't want to say too much about Clem's time in Portofino because I don't want to ruin it but, the scene on the rocks by the wishing tree was gut wrenching.

I had guessed Clem's secret a little while before but I had a couple of other theories in my head throughout.

I thought the scene at Claridges was extremely sweet and the epilogue was the perfect ending.