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A review by imaginaryalchemist
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I felt like the characters' romances progressed too quickly, which is possibly due to not having as much time to focus on their respective romances.
I also felt like a lot of the side characters were flat and didn't add much to the story. Greta's story in particular suffered from this. She's introduced to several of Carys' friends and they barely had any relevance to the plot.
I wasn't really a fan of Carys as a love interest, her character kind of rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed needlessly harsh towards Greta. Her reactions seemed a bit overblown a few times. Carys was easily my least favorite of the characters and lessened my enjoyment of Greta's story, which I otherwise enjoyed. I liked seeing her learn to set boundaries with her overbearing family.
For example, Carys' reaction to Greta getting her ice cream and cleaning up after the party made no sense. It felt manipulative and petty.
I preferred Truman and Ash's romance overall. Truman was a little too pushy with his offers to help, but ultimately I felt their romance was really sweet. I felt like the plotline with Ash's mother was resolved a little too easily, as was the mystery with Truman's favorite author.
Minor nitpick, but I did notice some typos towards the end. There were also some sentences I thought were awkwardly worded. It felt like it could have used a bit more revision.
Overall, it was a quick, cute holiday read with plenty of queer representation.
I also felt like a lot of the side characters were flat and didn't add much to the story. Greta's story in particular suffered from this. She's introduced to several of Carys' friends and they barely had any relevance to the plot.
I wasn't really a fan of Carys as a love interest, her character kind of rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed needlessly harsh towards Greta. Her reactions seemed a bit overblown a few times. Carys was easily my least favorite of the characters and lessened my enjoyment of Greta's story, which I otherwise enjoyed. I liked seeing her learn to set boundaries with her overbearing family.
I preferred Truman and Ash's romance overall. Truman was a little too pushy with his offers to help, but ultimately I felt their romance was really sweet. I felt like the plotline with Ash's mother was resolved a little too easily, as was the mystery with Truman's favorite author.
Minor nitpick, but I did notice some typos towards the end. There were also some sentences I thought were awkwardly worded. It felt like it could have used a bit more revision.
Overall, it was a quick, cute holiday read with plenty of queer representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia
The sex scenes do get pretty detailed and might make some people uncomfortable. There are brief mentions of the homophobia, lesbophobia, and transphobia the characters have faced throughout their lives. The beginning of Greta's story in particular deals with a lot of the lesbophobia she faces.