The Holiday Swap was a fun story about twins switching places.

I thought this was a super cute read. A sweet story, very Hallmarky in feel and a little cheezy. Sometimes that’s just what we want to read - especially at Christmas. ❤️

Review originally posted on my blog: https://rebekahreads.ca/the-holiday-swap-by-maggie-knox/
And bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYJoib5r1_G/

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me the electronic ARC of The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox, published on October 5, 2021, in exchange for an honest review.

I hate starting off a review by saying that I’m disappointed in a book, but unfortunately that’s how I feel about The Holiday Swap. I REALLY, REALLY wanted to love this book. It sounded SO cute (check out the synopsis below!) and I loved the idea of twin sisters swapping their lives because it gave me alllll The Parent Trap feels (I loved that movie *so much*), but unfortunately, there was just too much about this book that did not work for me:

The Holiday Swap was not believable whatsoever. I’m all for happy-go-lucky books, but please, make them believable. The characters and the plot both fell short and felt really fake to me.
The twin sisters, Charlie and Cass, were extremely immature and did not at all act like they were 28 years old. I also had a very hard time keeping track of who was who because their names were so similar and in each chaper they were called the other sister’s name. It was very difficult to stay on top of. I also really don’t understand why both women couldn’t be honest and up front with their potential love interests from the very beginning? They were each given several opportunities to do so, and they chose not to.
Now, speaking of the main love interests. JAKE turned into JACK for one section of the book and I seriously have no idea how that was missed in editing. There were also tons of other silly writing errors and spelling mistakes.
What I enjoyed were all of the baking references and many of the scenes set in the family bakery. These scenes were really cute and I loved reading the ‘behind the scenes’ of making enough bread for an entire town in time for Christmas. It also made me reaaaaallllyyy want to bake some holiday goodies!

Overall, The Holiday Swap was a quick and easy read, but it really did not deliver for me plot- or character-wise. There were so many times that I wished something else would happen or where I wanted something more to come from the story.

The Holiday Swap was a fun, light-hearted festive romance. The story focuses on twin sisters who swap lives in the week leading up to Christmas. Both sisters are bakers and this gives a very cozy feeling to the book along with the festive setting.

This was a cute book that read like a Hallmark Christmas movie. There was romance, career conflict, and small town/big city feelings. It was fun and enjoyable, although a little predictable as most of those holiday movies are.

I didn’t realize this book was written by two authors, it read so seamlessly. I couldn’t tell who wrote which parts and was genuinely surprised when I read the acknowledgments page. Overall it was a lot of fun to read leading up to Christmas!

Thank you to Penguin Randomhouse Canada for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just what the doctor ordered for another COVID Christmas! A holiday rom-com that was light and fun!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a huge romance fan year round, but tend to enjoy Christmas reads this time of year. Well this book knocked it out of the park! I absolutely loved the characters and premise of The Holiday Swap. There were ups and downs, and even a few happy tears shed.

Add this to your TBR stat, it is a must read!

This was a cute family book. The love of sisters and growing up and being responsible. I really enjoyed reading it. It was a little more love then Christmas and I was really looking for a Christmas novel. I enjoyed it and would read this author again.

Two sisters, a dilemma, two really cute guys and a whole lot of baking

The Holiday Swap is a hallmark movie written in pages, wrapped with a bow on top. Chef and T.V show host extraordinaire, Charlie Goodwin, is so close from being promoted to being the host of her own show without her annoying arrogant co-host that is trying to get the same job. Only problem is she suffers a fall and gets a concussion that takes her taste and sense of smell temporarily away. Charlie can't be a host on a baking competition show without being able to taste the treats or smell if somethings burning, so she comes up with what she thinks is the perfect plan to solve all of this; Have her identical twin sister Cass pretend to be her until Christmas Eve when she can find out if she got the job or not. Twins switch, small mistakes are made and baking gets done…..and a little bit of love.

Though similar to the Netflix movie “The Princess Switch” featuring Vanessa Hudgens, this book felt completely different. Cass and Charlie grew up together baking at their parents owned bakery which is beloved in their small town. Charlie went on to becoming a pastry chef and Cass took over for her parents. They’ve known each other their whole lives which I think makes the character dynamic of this book flow really well.

In my own opinion, this is a much more logical and heartfelt version of the movie.

I was rooting for Cass from the moment she took over for her sister, she was in unfamiliar territory and her sister wasn't being of much help but she went about this all like a Queen even though she had a lot of her own problems. With a longtime boyfriend who hasn't seemed to realize the words “I'm breaking up with you” means she’s breaking up with him and being buried in a lot of work. But she handles this like a queen!

The romance in this book is sweet. Charlie falls for a sweet firefighter who comes around her sister's bakery often. Cass falls for the charming physician's assistant Miquel who looked over Charlie’s concussion before the sisters swapped. The love in this book doesn't feel forced, and is sooo cute.

I had a fun time reading this book, it was a great way to get in the holiday mood. It was really cute. I wasn't finished thinking this is the best thing I've ever read, but I also wasn't thinking I was going to be. It’s just a merry good time!

Cass and Charlie are identical twins, both with a love for baking. However, they grew up to use their talents in very different ways - Cass staying in Starlight Peak to work in their parents’ bakery, and Charlie moving to LA to be a chef and judge on a reality baking show. When Charlie suffers a concussion and loses her ability to taste and smell, she asks her sister to do something they haven’t done since they were kids - switch places. Now Cass and Charlie must channel their twin’s persona and help fix the problem their sister was facing, but swapping places is not going to be as seamless as it once was… when it’s time to revert back, the sisters must face the consequences they are left with.

When I first started this book, I just could not get into it! I can’t even put my finger on what turned me off of it, but I kept seeing these raving reviews and I had to give it one more try - and I am so glad that I did!

This was such a feel-good book that I could 100% see being turned into a Hallmark movie. The last couple chapters (especially), had the biggest smile on my face as I read! I loved how every character’s story came together with some sort of happy ending.

Also, I was very surprised to find out that Maggie Knox is a pen-name for an author duo! @karmakbrown and @marissastapley
This book was written so seamlessly; I was very pleasantly surprised!

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for providing me with an electronic copy of this novel!

This book was sweet! A little hallmark-movie-esque, but not to the point where it felt overly cheesy. A great holiday read.

Bleh, this was just mediocre. I appreciated the small-town vibes Starlight Peak gave us but to me this wasn’t anything special. And it certainly was not a holiday romance. The two “romances” in this story were such a major letdown. I was so excited about this book but it makes me so sad that this is what we got. I wouldn’t recommend it but if you go into it without expecting a romance, then maybe you’ll actually enjoy it.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

This was a delightful read! Twins switching lives, falling in love while pretending to be each other, a competition baking show with a terrible cohost, medical drama, and a very happy ending - this had everything that I wanted in a holiday read and so much more!

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was such a cute Christmas read, perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies. Twins Charlie and Cass agree to switch places for a week following a work accident that leaves Charlie unable to work as co-host of a baking competition. But of course, things aren't as simple as the twins had hoped, and new love interests only make things even more complicated!

The Holiday Swap was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. There were some bits around the middle where I was finding myself frustrated by the lack of communication between the characters, but the authors managed to clear the air and wrap things up in an adorable, very satisfying way.

Just a darn cute holiday read!

This fun twin-swap holiday rom-com had a lot of fun moments and some great characters. That definitely left me craving some baked goods

Twins Charlie and Cass Goodwin used to swap places all the time when they were kids. When Charlie gets a concussion during the filming of her holiday baking special and loses her sense of taste and smell, she calls in her sister for help. They'll switch places for a couple weeks, Cass filling in judging the show and Charlie running their family bakery in their hometown of Starlight Peak.

This was an adorable story, I loved it so much! There were adorable romances, realistic villains and main characters you love to cheer for. The crazy plot line really worked for me - it reminded me of old Mary-Kate and Ashley movies and Maybe in Another Life by TJR, both huge compliments.

The writing style was so accessible and easy to read quickly, which was exactly what I needed. The Christmas vibes were immaculate and made me want to visit the town of Starlight Peak.

4.5 stars!

Charlie Goodwin is a judge for a TV reality baking show, but when she gets hit on the head on set, she gets a concussion, along with losing her senses of taste and smell. She needs to keep this job because it could lead to another cooking show. Meanwhile, in their hometown, her twin sister Cass is struggling to run their family’s bakery while also dealing with a toxic ex-boyfriend who won’t go away. Charlie and Cass decide to trade places so that Cass can properly judge the baking show and Charlie can use her confidence to run the bakery and deal with Cass’s ex. Soon after they switch lives, Charlie falls for Jake, the new firefighter in town, and Cass likes the physicians assistant Miguel. Now they not only have to run each other’s lives, but also figure out how to start a relationship while living as their sister.

I’ve always loved stories about twins. The Mary-Kate and Ashley movies and TV shows, and The Parent Trap movies were my favourites as a kid. This situation made for the perfect switch. Cass and Charlie were both experienced bakers, but Charlie’s sense of taste and smell were so important for judging the TV show that she couldn’t keep her job if she stayed there. They were both able to make changes in each other’s lives, though not all of them were for the better.

This was a fun holiday read. There were lots of baked treats, so make sure you have some handy while reading. The Christmas scenes were brief, as it was mostly about the days leading up to Christmas. However it still had a festive feel!

The Holiday Swap is a fun holiday rom com!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ouf I don't even really want to publicly post this review. I was so excited for this book, even pre-ordered it when I already had an ARC of it. Needless to say, I was anticipating a wonderful Christmas read and unfortunately I was left wanting A LOT more from it.

There were quite a few cringe worthy moments throughout this kind of Hallmark wannabe book. There were so many things I could complain about in this book, from the awkward characters to the predictable and cheesy in a blue cheese way storyline. To be honest, I was going to abandon it at 50%, because I just couldn't roll my eyes one more time at the useless dialogue or cringy characters but I found the audio for it and managed to finish that way.

While you are reading this book you are definitely going to want baked goods so have those on standby!

The Holiday Swap is about twin girls Charlie and Cass. Both living different lives with Charlie in LA the host of reality baking show and Cass running the family bakery in their small town. When Charlie suffers an accident which causes her to lose her sight and smell she calls in Cass to help save her career. The twins swap lives and end up both finding things they didn't realize they were missing.

I really struggled with the first part of the book as I just couldn't get past some things about the twins swap and lack of communication. The second half was very heartwarming and I did like the journey each twin went on. This book also gets big points for using the name Walter for the young baking assistant! That is my son's name. ❤

I loved that this book was written by two female Canadian authors. Great to see that collaboration.

4.5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It included a lot of elements I love:
- Hallmark feel
- Dual POV
- Big city AND small town
- Baking show
- Switching twins
Even though it was a little predictable, I was very invested in both sister’s lives and couldn’t get enough. I found it to be such a great holiday read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, endearing read with such a heartwarming romance that I really enjoyed. It was a feel good story that put a smile on my face and definitely got me in the holiday spirit! So fun and my very first holiday read of the season. I really liked the baking show setting and the characters.

I received a digital review copy through NetGalley and also purchased myself a physical copy because I needed to add this one to my holiday reading shelf.

Yes please to twin swapping! Cass lives in her quaint hometown running the family bakery vs. Charlie the big shot L.A. tv chef. They must switch places when Charlie has a work accident and loses her most important senses, her sense of smell & taste. With her job on the line Charlie must trust Cass to keep things on track while she goes home to run the bakery during the high season.

With cute guys, lots of yummy baked goods and the perfect holiday backdrop, this is sure to be a popular holiday read. But I needed more action...if you know what I mean 🔥.
(⭐⭐⭐💫/5)