Holiday cheer comes early this year with Maggie Knox’s The Holiday Swap.
This delicious tinsel-clad romance serves up a warm plate of Christmas goodness. Under the pen name Maggie Knox, Canadian writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley nail the appeal of feel-good, twin-centric films like The Parent Trap and Twitches. The adorable premise whisks together light Hallmark romance, cozy baking, and twin shenanigans reminiscent of The Princess Switch’s goofy charms. The cheery demeanor of this ensemble is infectious, and the whimsical baking heists at the heart of this tale are delectable.
This festive read makes it easy to be whisked away and entertained when the weather turns bitter. Every chapter offers fiction-defying recipes to feast on and just the perfect amount of sweet and salty antics to balance this outrageous outing.
Readers will come away from this warm hug of a rom-com yearning for the lights to be strung and the Christmas tree to be decorated, regardless of what time of year this novel finds you.
The swap happens when Charlie, a holiday baking show host, enlists the help of her identical twin sister Cassie to save her career. The twins are the real miracle of the story’s success as they navigate the hardship of their drastically different career pursuits with a down-to-earth likeability and entertaining wit. The leading ladies are this book’s first priority, and that’s nice to see. Even the romance takes a backseat to their sisterly bond, and that’s a rarity in this genre, but it is sometimes necessary to create a better story and a more substantial romance.
Like most romances you stumble across during your seasonal binge-reading, this book is sickeningly sweet and squeaky-clean holiday fun. Even so, The Holiday Swap challenges expectations with a rich and soothing plot that mimics the creature comforts of a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold November night.
Indeed, Charlie and Cassie are well-developed romantic leads. Their sibling bond is tangible and grounded in an unspoken sisterly code. The book chooses to bounce between alternating perspectives effortlessly and without losing momentum. Both women project a strong and unique voice, with the premise establishing equal stakes for both sisters to elevate the ruse of their twin-swapping shenanigans. Plus, their selfish quirks help keep us entertained as this ambitious tale spirals into the chaos of burning buildings and fainting baking contestants.
Even the side characters are loveable in the elegance of their simplicity.
Miguel and Jake can be considered one-note love interests, but it is easy to move past this fact if you are here for more than one staple of the cozy genre. The romantic escapades and festive vibes enhance rather than overpower Cassie and Charlie’s journeys to their happily ever afters. The romance introduced is charming. Both male love interests are kind-hearted, good-looking, and well-equipped to save lives while staging the finest meet-cutes.
If you like your holiday reads spicey, these squeaky clean and overtly straight relationships may leave little to be desired. Thankfully, this captivating story of love and family is strong enough that you shouldn’t feel you’re losing out on the traditional rom-com experience.
The premise disregards the shopping montages, mistletoe parlays, and bickering family gatherings to make the settings of these dueling sister stories the heart of the holiday spirit. The people of Starlight Peak are their own story worth embracing if you are a sucker for small-town meet-cutes.
The Holiday Swap’s casual approach to the hectic holiday season makes it the perfect read to start your festive TBR list on the right note. Unwrap the present that is this beautifully chaotic and adorably sweet addition to the twin swap genre.
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Want to add this read to your TBR pile? You can find more information and purchase a copy of The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox here!
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