Christmas at Tiffany's

by Karen Swan

[Leah]

Karen Swan is the author of three novels, but Christmas At Tiffany’s is the only one I’ve read. Her first two novels – Players and Prima Donna – are perhaps a bit of a different genre to Christmas At Tiffany’s, and if you read the blurbs you will see why, and I was quite intrigued as to why Karen had seemingly switched to Chick Lit instead of the glamorous reads she first came out with, and I was also interested in just how close this novel is to Melissa Hill’s novel Something From Tiffany’s. I found it – and still find it actually – quite peculiar that for two novels in a row now (first with this one, and then with her next one The Perfect Present out soon) Karen Swan has seemingly released a very similar novel to Melissa Hill just a few months later. I think you can chalk the first one up to coincidence that they both wrote about Tiffany’s, but two novels about charm bracelets in the same year? Do they brain storm ideas and then both write out their version or something? I just find it peculiar and amusing that that has occurred.

Anyway, back to the book. The book is a bit farfetched. I mean you do have to suspend your beliefs a bit as Cassie, after finding out her marriage is a sham, finds herself on a round the world trip as she spends four months (one season, really) with each of her best friends, starting in New York with Kelly, then heading to Paris with Anouk and then London with Suzy, until Cassie can with a sound mind decide where it is that she would like to call home. On her travels, she meets some interesting people, and a blast from the past in the shape of Suzy’s brother Henry sees Cassie touring around each city with just a list to her name. Now, yes, the plot is farfetched, but I liked it. I like plots in Chick Lit that are a bit implausible sometimes. Who wouldn’t like to just jump on a plane somewhere? Well, not me right now as I’ve just had two 4-hour flights in two weeks and boy, were they enough to put me off for life, but generally I do like that idea. I’d never be brave enough to do it therefore I have to live vicariously through these brave fictional characters like Cassie.

Christmas At Tiffany’s is quite a large novel – over 500 pages – but the pace is kept quite well. There are bits where the novel lags, most particularly when Cassie is feeling downcast and especially toward the end of her Paris stint when something tragic occurs, but for the most part it’s well worth its lengthy-ness. The title’s a bit misleading as well, but since the book was launched at Christmastime and Tiffany’s is a big Christmas draw (I prefer Pandora personally, but I’ve never been in or near a Tiffany’s so who knows?) so I can see where it came from, but really all that matters is that the title relates to the book and as Cassie DOES spend Christmas in New York, and maybe Tiffany’s is involved… well, who am I to complain? I really liked Cassie as a character. She was prone to being a wet weekend sometimes, but when your husband does what her husband does it’s obviously gonna happen, and I liked the way she let her friends just take charge and gave her a plan to keep her going. As she tries on each city for size, it’s fun to see the cultural changes and the personal changes in Cassie, and it’s a really good story that way.

I was also very fond of Cassie’s friends. They’re the best friends a girl could ask for and I’d kill for just one of them. Probably Suzy, I think. Or Kelly. I’d love Kelly to take me to New York and make me a Manhattanite. But also Cassie’s new friends and re-discovered friends in the shape of Bas (new friend) and Henry (re-discovered friend). I loved Henry. Like seriously. Everytime there was a hint he was about to pop up, I was chuffed. I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas At Tiffany’s. It was the perfect read to snuggle up with away from the horribly cold British weather (which I do miss, since Tenerife is roasting, therefore it’s not too horrible) and even though I had a rush on to finish it (no space left in my case!) that wasn’t a hardship as I was thoroughly enjoying it. I very much recommend it and I am looking forward to her new novel The Perfect Present which is out really soon.