Member Reviews

Such a fun and festive read that is perfect for the Christmas season, or when I need some festive feelings in the middle of summer!

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Nothing like a festive story to get you in the mood for the season!

The perfect comp for this story would be The Holiday x Parent Trap.
It was a really fun read that had me laughing and warming my heart. I love a story which explores the relationship between sisters, and this story did it really well. Plus we had a double love story to follow through on, which was an even better treat!

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Twins Charlie and Cass are both bakers but they couldn't live more different lives. While Charlie is the co-host of a popular TV baking competition, Cass looks after the family bakery in their hometown. When Charlie hits her head, causing concussion and losing her senses of smell and taste, she can't effectively judge the contestants' bakes. So, she proposes a swap with her twin. Cass will take Charlie's place in LA and Charlie will go back home to take Cass' place at Woodburn Breads Bakery. What could possibly go wrong?

I love a cute, clean Christmas romance and that's exactly what The Holiday Swap was. There is no spice here, so if that's what you're into, you'll probably be disappointed. I adored the cuteness of the small town setting and the blossoming romances. I think I'd have liked a bit more tension or friction between at least one of the couples when the truth of the swap was revealed but I understand that this is supposed to be an ultimate cosy fest!

The ending was thoroughly over the top and unrealistic but sometimes that's what you need from an easy, sweet romance, even if the final chapter was perhaps a bit too sickly!

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This was fun and a book that really had me hooked from the start me loved to see how all the characters interacted with each other

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I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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I went into this expecting it to be like the Christmas movie "The Holiday" and it lived up to it's Hallmark-esque reputation.

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3.5 stars
I´m waaaay late on posting my review, I´m really sorry.
But I had a great time with this twin-swap-rom-com. It´s perfect for a cold day - sit down with a hot chocolate and just enjoy the banter and holdiay feels.

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This is such a lovely feel-good romance, it has great characters and has a story pace that was soeasy to slip into. I loved reading about Charlie and Cass and how they did in each others surroundings, coping and learning fro it. A wonderful festive read

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Sounded amazing, was actually terrible. Christmas books are always a little trashy but this was just daft

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A Netflix holiday romance, with sisters swap trope. The story is fun, warm, fully fluffy. A must read for romance lovers.

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A very fun holiday romance! Very much gives The Holiday vibes, so if your a fan of the film I feel like you would really enjoy this cute holiday read.

If you enjoy your cute holiday romances this is a perfect read for you!

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Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

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If you’re a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies I can tell you that The Holiday Swap is the perfect book for you. Once you start this story it’s clear to see where it’s headed, but that’s what I need in books like this one. I’m definitely glad I picked up this book during the holiday season.

Our main characters are Cass and Charlie (twin sisters). Charlie is in LA on a baking reality show and Cass is in the hometown running the family bakery. Things get turned upside down when Charlie loses her sense of taste after getting hit in the head. She thinks she can save her job by asking her sister to take her place. What could go wrong? They used to do it all the time as a child? Well of course things go really wrong, haha. It was so much fun reading about them trying to cover that they weren’t who they said they were. From lying about being able to do certain things (like surf) or hiding a tattoo it can definitely be hard to keep everything straight. This definitely gave us some laugh out loud moments.

Cass and Charlie are both really interesting characters. I love that they’re twins and have their similarities, but also their differences. Switching places really made them change the way they looked at things and their own lives. Even with all the hiccups it definitely made them both better people who really went after what they wanted.

Seeing how a lot of the book takes place on the set of a baking reality show and at a bakery (and sometimes even a restaurant) I have to warn you that The Holiday Swap will make you hungry. A lot of amazing dishes and desserts that make you wish you were there while they were being made. It definitely had me wanting to bake after I read parts of this book.

And we can’t forget the romance. Jake and Miguel are definitely interesting love interests and I love how things developed during the story. For the readers who like more spice in their books you won’t find that here, but there is a really wholesome love story and it’s so much fun to read. Both characters are totally different, but that makes it even more fun. The only thing that bugged me was how intense Miguel was a times. It was a bit too much for me here and there.

All in all, this was such a cozy read that’s perfect for the holidays. It was everything I love in a holiday read.

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I received this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Holiday Swap is your classic easy ready Christmas book. Reading this, I could see if playing out like a film in my head.

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Actual rating: 4.5/5

The Holiday Swap is the story of two twins who one day decide to swap their life just before Christmas. One becomes a reality cooking show host and the other one comes back to the family bakery.
First, the setting is stunning. While reading I could really feel the Christmas spirit especially the parts in the small town that just made me want to watch a Christmas movie!
Second, the plot was great and I loved the happy ending which was just perfect. As well as that, it was really addictive and I almost read it in one setting.
Last but not least, the characters felt real and I was so invested in their stories. I also enjoyed reading about all of the side characters.
Overall, a great and cute Christmas book, perfect to read near the fireplace on a rainy day!

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The Holiday Swap is the first novel by Maggie Knox, which is the pen name of writing due Marissa Stapely and Karma Brown. I didn’t know until I’d finished the book that it was co-written! Some of our favourite romances are from author duos like Christina Lauren!

This Christmassy read features twin sisters Cass and Charlie. After a mishap at work, Charlie begs Cass to switch places with her. Charlie moves home to her family’s bakery while Cass takes her place as a celebrity TV chef. Cue various baking mishaps, challenging men and new love interests!

I am a keen baker myself so I loved that aspect in both Cass and Charlie’s narratives and the tie to their family bakery. This is a festive read with twin switch fun - sort of Princess Switch-y - and throughout you just know it’s going to all come crashing down at some point! I really enjoyed the writing throughout and took to the storyline straight away. If you’re looking for similar Christmas recommendations check out any of Sarah Morgan’s Christmas releases.

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I thought the concept of this was lovely but overall found it a little bit disappointing. I can’t put my finger on why, I liked the characters and loved the setting though.

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This morning I woke up and had a cup of tea in bed while finishing this book and it really did feel like the perfect Christmas read!
It's like a mix of gilmore girls with bake off and I really loved it. It's not my normal read but I really fancied something warm and cosy to finish the year off with and this gave me everything I wanted.
The ending was everything

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Such a fun Christmas rom-com book!

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the set of her reality baking show, she loses her ability to taste and smell-- which doesn't help as a judge! Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is busy running their family's bakery in their quaint mountain hometown and dealing with her ex. Suddenly doing something they haven't done since they were children, they switch places and get more than they realised when they both find love interests. However, it's complicated by pretending to be each other! I really enjoyed the main characters of Cass & Charlie, and as a homebaker I enjoyed that aspect too.

The chapters alternate the tale, which was a fun way to keep track of the stories. The perfect Christmas rom-com read, like a Hallmark movie in a book! Light-hearted and feel good, perfect for this time of year.

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I've seen this book all over social media a lnd now I can see why. A cosy, festive read that I throughly enjoyed.
The story of Cass and Charlie was captivating with a very satisfying ending. Perfect for this time of year!

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