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A review by kelly_e
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Title: The Holiday Swap
Author: Maggie Know
Genre: Holiday Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: September 30, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Whimsical • Cringy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell--both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.
With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I wanted to read The Holiday Swap last holiday season, but just never got to it. This year I made it a priority, making sure to read it before picking up Maggie Knox's latest release All I Want for Christmas.
What I like:
• the premise. Twins swapping places for 12 days sounded like such a fun and creative idea.
• the dual setting/dual perspective. The small family run bakery and a TV baking show contrasted worlds nicely as did having identical twin perspectives.
• the cooking/baking. It's no surprise I love books that involve food, so that aspect was what kept me going.
What I didn't like:
• double the romance. Maybe one romance would have worked, but two just felt unrealistic. It was highly unlikely both twins would end up in a romance in the opposite place at the exact same time.
• the lying. It wasn't just the deception of swapping places. There were just so many lies, and eventually it felt redundant.
• lack of festiveness. This didn't feel like a holiday read to me, apart from it taking place during that time of the year, which was disappointing.
The Holiday Swap is filled with mishaps and witty dialogue where everything ends tied up with a bright shiny bow. I've read a handful of 'holiday romances' this month, and I'm starting to think they may just not be for me. But of course, I'm going to try another one...
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Hallmark movie devotees
• fans of Cake Wars
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"We don't always know how to ask for what we want."
Author: Maggie Know
Genre: Holiday Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: September 30, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Whimsical • Cringy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell--both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.
With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I wanted to read The Holiday Swap last holiday season, but just never got to it. This year I made it a priority, making sure to read it before picking up Maggie Knox's latest release All I Want for Christmas.
What I like:
• the premise. Twins swapping places for 12 days sounded like such a fun and creative idea.
• the dual setting/dual perspective. The small family run bakery and a TV baking show contrasted worlds nicely as did having identical twin perspectives.
• the cooking/baking. It's no surprise I love books that involve food, so that aspect was what kept me going.
What I didn't like:
• double the romance. Maybe one romance would have worked, but two just felt unrealistic. It was highly unlikely both twins would end up in a romance in the opposite place at the exact same time.
• the lying. It wasn't just the deception of swapping places. There were just so many lies, and eventually it felt redundant.
• lack of festiveness. This didn't feel like a holiday read to me, apart from it taking place during that time of the year, which was disappointing.
The Holiday Swap is filled with mishaps and witty dialogue where everything ends tied up with a bright shiny bow. I've read a handful of 'holiday romances' this month, and I'm starting to think they may just not be for me. But of course, I'm going to try another one...
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Hallmark movie devotees
• fans of Cake Wars
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"We don't always know how to ask for what we want."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Body shaming
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol