The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox (2021)Charlie is the judge on a reality TV baking show, and when an accident causes her to lose her sense of taste and smell, she convinces her twin sister Cass to fill in for her, while Charlie takes over at the family bakery. Things get complicated when they each start falling for a guy in the other's life. Being a twin myself, I always love stories about twins, although I tend to find it hard to believe that practically no one is able to tell that the two have switched places. Anyway, this was a cute double romance, although I didn't feel the Christmas vibes too much until the end. I liked that Cass and Charlie each got to experience what the other is going through in their life, after growing apart a little, and I think that they also got to learn a lot about themselves and even come to some realizations about what they really want. And the descriptions of all the baked goods were mouthwatering! 4 stars
Hate Me Under the Mistletoe by Kelly Jamieson (2021)
Amy and Ryder find themselves sharing the same cabin when they're accidentally offered it at the same time by their friends. Amy wants to spend Christmas alone, but Ryder is all about the Christmas spirit, planning to spend only a couple days at the cabin before joining his family for the big holiday. A sudden blizzard, however, may change their plans - and their feelings. This was a really fun - and steamy - Christmas romance. I liked that Amy and Ryder have a history together, knowing each other since they were teenagers. It made the warp speed of their relationship make a lot of sense. Even though this book was pretty short, more of a novella, Jamieson managed to pack a lot into it. There was not only the shared history, but Amy is also working through feelings of inadequacy about her career and life in general, and Ryder is worried that his workaholic tendencies are causing him to miss out on the good things in life. It all made for a really well-rounded story. Although I didn't really care for Amy's harsh attitude at the beginning, I soon found myself rooting for her and Ryder. Perfect for readers looking for all the Christmas feels mixed with some seriously steamy scenes! 4 stars
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"an accident causes her to lose her sense of taste and smell" I don't know about you but that sounds like covid 😅
ReplyDeleteLOL, it kinda does!
DeleteI am reading Holiday Swap right now and so far it's been a fun escape. I am glad to hear it gets more "Christmasy," because I'm not feeling the holiday vibes too much right now.
ReplyDeleteHope you continue to enjoy it, Christina!
DeleteA lot of readers were not pleased with Amy in the beginning of the story, but I forgave it. I sort of understood where it came from, you know?
ReplyDeleteI understood it, it was just kind of off-putting!
DeleteThese both sound really good! The Holiday Swap is one I would really like to read!
ReplyDeleteIt was a cute story!
DeleteI don't think I knew you were a twin? But yeah, I've known multiple sets of identical twins, and I definitely could tell them apart lol. I've also been doing lots of Xmas reads and reviews. Glad you liked these!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kit! Haha, I guess as a twin I don't really see other twins as identical as other people do!
DeleteThese sound fun, and the twin element in the first one does sound like a riot!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun!
DeleteI just finished The Holiday Swap yesterday and enjoyed it so much! I agree about the Christmas vibes being mostly at the end though. It probably would have been a 5 star read for me if it had felt more Christmassy throughout.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I was expecting more of that vibe.
DeleteI do own "The Holiday Swap" but haven't read it yet. It sounds like a SUPER fun read. :) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI hope you love it, Rissi!
DeleteThe Holiday Swap is ADORABLE!! And Twins!!!! I love stories like that too!
ReplyDeleteHaha, it's always a fun element!
DeleteBoth of these sound really fun!
ReplyDelete