Review: The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
This was one of my most anticipated holiday reads of the season! The Holiday is one of my favorite Christmas movies to rewatch every year and I was raised on The Parent Trap. My friends and I used to play it at recess! I liked this book but I don’t know if it will make it onto my yearly rereads list. Review below!
Synopsis:
“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. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track? “ —Goodreads
What I Liked:
The Concept — I love a good twin switcheroo story. I was raised on the Lindsay Lohan version of The Parent Trap after all. Though the idea of someone losing their senses of taste and smell can be triggering to read about during Covid-19 times, it was cozy and fun with all the baking elements.
The Setting—I loved Starlight Peak. Loved it. It reminded me a lot of Lake Placid and you know I love a good mountain town setting. I liked being at the stupid for Sweet & Salty while in LA as well, but Starlight Peak was where I wanted the whole book to be!
The Characters—I definitely was more invested in Charlie and Jake’s storyline but I loved all the characters.
Dual POV—Like I said, I was more invested in Charlie’s POV. I think I could relate to the journey she was going on more so I looked forward to her chapters. But it’s always nice to get another perspective and I think Cass’ journey was equally important.
What Didn’t Work:
Second Half Pacing—The second half of the book felt like it took a total pacing turn. Things wrapped up too easily, but things also seemed to slow down and the tone totally changed.
Hallmark-y Ending—The beginning of this book felt like a contemporary RomCom/women’s lit and then it became way too sugary sweet for my taste. Like I’ve said, Hallmark is not my vibe.
Content Warnings:
Injury and injury detail (concussion, blood)