I love the movie The Holiday, so I really wanted to love The Holiday Trap. This book was okay but slow moving and wasn’t really holiday-related at all.

Greta lives on Owl Island in Maine with her entire family because she thought it was what she was expected to do. Truman lives in New Orleans but only because one of his exes told him they could have fun there together. After some less than stellar experiences in both of their lives, they decide to do a house swap thanks to their mutual friend Ramona.

While in New Orleans, Greta meets Carys and starts to learn a lot about herself, her happiness and the unfair expectations her family has of her. And Truman finds himself trying to find out more about his favorite author while on Owl Island, meeting Ash and helping with his business and exploring his creative side outside of accounting.

There were a lot of parts in this book that felt like they dragged on. I almost quit reading a few times, but Truman and Ash’s storyline kept me going. I felt like Greta and Carys got way more time on the page and more development and I found myself rushing through their parts to get to Truman’s chapters. I would have loved more about Truman and Ash and less about Truman’s attempts to find his favorite author (felt like an unnecessary storyline to me). Also I’m not sure why this needed to be a holiday-related story - the book took place in December and mentioned Hanukkah and Christmas a handful of times, but the title made it seem like this would be a holiday read. Other than the time of year, the holidays played no part.

Overall, this book was just okay for me and a bit disappointing if you’re expecting something in the same vein as The Holiday.

This was a super cute holiday read that was a queer take on The Holiday. I loved that both Truman and Greta were pushed to make a change and find what they were looking for. It was to see both living in the small town island and the big city. All the characters were unique, having interesting jobs, hobbies, and personalities. I really enjoyed reading this book.

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Greta needs to Get Away. After she - an entire lesbian who also takes issue with the auction concept in general - was signed up behind her back and against her will by her mom and eldest sister for guys to bid on her, she’s left wanting to murder them all. This isn’t even the close to the first time she’s felt steamrolled and she is Done.

Truman needs to Get Away. After he - nearly a year into a relationship boyfriend Guy - decides to surprise him at home with an incredibly nice Christmas gift he sees him kissing another man. And then a girl comes in calling him dad. Guy had a secret family the entire time, making him the unkowning ‘Other Man’

Romana - super helpful mutual friend - figures out a solution for them both to get a last minute escape. A month long swap of Greta’s Maine home and care of her many finicky plants for Truman’s New Orleans home and care of his very large dog appropriately named Horse.

After weeks worth of changing POVs (and some communication between), Greta and Truman learn a lot about themselves and what they actually want out of their lives. They both also find the hope of new loves in their new homes.

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I enjoyed both POVs, but of the two I felt more drawn to what was happening in Maine.

Maybe because it felt more like a traditional romcom to me, the budding (haha!) relationship with semi-reclusive florist Ash? Or maybe it’s just that I also would like live hidden away on an island where almost no one goes for half the year. And I was really into Truman’s author search, especially seeing him find things from his favorite books in the area.

At the same time, I feel Greta was falling as much in love with New Orleans, the possibility of a life independent from her family, and all the connections she made with new people, as she was falling in love with Carys. Don’t get me wrong, they are def hot for each other and at the start of something! It’s just that, even if they didn’t work out, I think they could end as friends and Greta would still be happy with the move.

Which, I have to admit, honestly *is* probably the healthier scenario of the two.

Thanks to NetGalley and sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!

THANK YOU to the publisher!! The holiday is one of my favorite holiday movies and this book gives me that! It’s such a cute romance with layers underneath. I don’t know if the dual POV with the couples worked as well as the movies but still cute!

Take The Holiday and make it queer, and you've got The Holiday Trap. I think a two couple romance is tough to pull off, but I was so invested in both Greta and Truman's story lines that I never minded when the POV switched, and I loved all the side characters. The holiday elements are a little more subtle than a lot of the more Hallmark inspired romances, with mentions of Chanukah and Christmas shopping dispersed occasionally throughout the book, but I still thought it was a wonderfully cozy holiday romance.

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

I am unabashedly a fan of both queer romances and the 2006 Kate Winslet/Cameron Diaz film The Holiday, so this book was right up my alley.

I really loved both of the protagonists, and never felt bored or cheated when the perspectives shifted between the two, which can sometimes happen. The side characters in this novel also shined, and I would love to see a book about Helen and Veronica’s lives, or Maggie!

Overall, this was a very fun, cute little romp that also delved into complex family structures and toxic relationships in a very honest way.

Absolutely adored this book and this beautiful cast of characters!

If you are a fan of the 2000's movie "The Holiday", you will be a fan of this book! It takes the same house swap in the middle of a crisis premise but makes it queer and puts together two amazing couples that actually have chemistry!

The Holiday Trap is a cute book, but the name felt a little misleading. Nothing about the plot would have changed if it had taken place any other time of the year, and so a reader who picks up the book expecting something with the holidays more heavily involved might be disappointed. And by the end of the book, I still had no idea what the "trap" was.

The premise is basic but fun. Greta and Truman both need an escape from their lives, and they agree to swap homes for a month. It's basically The Holiday updated for 2022 - significantly less straight and white, significantly more inclusive and expansive. It's a fun, sweet read, with some unexpectedly sexy moments, but with all dual storyline novels, I'm always drawn more to one than the other.

Truman's time in Maine, trying to track down the reclusive author of his favorite fantasy series and helping serious, sweet Ash save his florist shop, captured me in a way Greta's time in NOLA did not. Truman's storyline was more of a slow burn, which is totally my jam, and it felt like he had more going on than just a budding romance. I could have read a whole book about Truman, Ash, and the Owl Island community and been totally happy.

I didn't have the same reaction with Greta's story. Greta herself was great, and I understood her struggles to break away from her family. And there were some fabulous supporting characters in Veronica, Helen, and Muriel. But her romance with Carys had little build up, and while I appreciated a woman just going for what she wanted and the sex positivity, it felt a little like they went 0 to 60 in 5 seconds.

And my other main issue was with Carys herself. She's self-assured, and she knows exactly what she wants. And she expects Greta to Get Her Immediately, which is impossible in any relationship. More than once she gets angry at Greta for doing something other than exactly what Carys has said she wants, but as a reader, I completely understood why Greta misinterpreted things. Carys is rigid and she has every right to set boundaries, but it felt like she was expecting Greta to change, and she might not be willing to change for Greta in return. The lack of give and take bothered me.

Loved the queer take on the traditional holiday romance book. I’m so glad someone finally did it. Honestly could have been longer to explore the love interests more but really well done and I’ll be recommending!!

"From a cozy New England haven to the heart of New Orleans comes one holiday swap that'll change their lives forever."

Greta lives in Owl Island, Maine and Truman lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Both are in need of a break from their current situations, so Ramona (a mutual friend of theirs) suggests they house swap for the Christmas/Chanukah holiday.

This was a cute, heart-warming, sometimes spicy, LGBTQ+ Rom-Com. The Holiday Trap gives me all the feels of the movie The Holiday. I enjoyed Greta's storyline just a little bit more, but both Truman and Greta have an important self-discovery journey. I have to say it...Sadie, Greta's oldest sister, is a jealous, bitter, bitch. Sorry. Not sorry. I loved the idea of Intergenerational housing.  

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me a copy of this digital book in exchange for a honest review.

TW: Dementia/Alzheimer's.

The movie “The Holiday”, with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, is one of my favorite movies of all time. With that said, when I saw that The Holiday Trap was a spin off of that movie, I was sold. The story follows Greta and Truman, who both need to escape their lives for the holiday season. Truman and Greta are both relatable, lovable characters. Truman loves fantasy books and Greta has a bunch of plant babies! I found myself enjoying Truman’s storyline a bit more, but really liked the dual point of view and the story having two romances. This was a sweet holiday romance with beautiful scenery and a cast of lovable characters.

This was SO good!! The Holiday Trap hooked me with the premise (The Holiday but make it queer? sign me up!) and kept me with the lovely romances (heartwarming AND steamy) and the exploration of complicated family issues. This was fantastic and I was equally invested in both relationships.

Greta is a Jewish lesbian from small-town Maine with a close-knit family that is closer to co-dependent and driving her up the wall. Truman is a gay accountant from New Orleans with a passion for bullet-journaling and a tendency to not advocate for his needs in relationships. Greta's family signed her up for a dating auction right before Hanukkah, even though she's queer and also hates the concept. Truman just found out that his boyfriend of a year is secretly married with a kid. They both need to escape for the holidays and a mutual friend convinces them to swap houses! They do and both end up finding love.

This was incredibly charming, sweet, and sexy. I clearly need to read more from this author because I was such a fan! The audio narrators are excellent and I like that there is one for each of the two character perspectives. I received an audio copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Additional content warning for a parent with dementia and a narcissistic parent.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I haven’t read Roan Parrish before, despite owning several of her books and having long wanted to try them. However, The Holiday Trap really caught my attention, with the promise that it was sort of a queer spin on The Holiday, one of my favorite holiday movies.
I really like how it establishes the connection between the swappers, Truman and Greta, early on. While they don’t know each other at the start, they have a fairy-godmother of a mutual friend who I adored in the moments she appeared in the book (her text snippets with both are gold!). And while each goes on their own adventures in each other’s respective hometowns, I love how the connection between them is continually reinforced, especially when Greta takes it upon herself to provide some closure with Truman’s scumbag ex in his stead.
Both also go on great journeys of self-discovery as they find themselves outside their comfort zone. Greta especially finds some of the acceptance she has been seeking, as her family has never really understood her queerness and expected her to remain within the box they confined her in. Truman’s is more directly romance-centric, as he is dealing with the blow of his cheating ex and wanting to get away from it all.
The romances could have been a bit more developed…I didn’t feel like I got to know either love interest that well. Carys in particular was an odd fit for me. There’s palpable chemistry between Truman and Ash, so the big “third-act” crisis being about doubts in their relationship felt a little off, but was a great way to bring things full-circle, involving Greta in the story again (as she’s also friends with Ash).
For most of the book, it was pretty well-paced, and I was surprised ultimately when I found out how long it was. The book is so breezy and light, I didn’t notice most of the pages fly by. However, the pace really staggered toward the end, where things were resolved, but there were still scenes taking place “after” when everyone had settled in their new lives. Like, not even just an epilogue, but a few chapters worth. It killed the momentum that had been pretty steady up to that point.
This is a really cute story, and while as a romance, it’s a little uneven, I’d still recommend it to anyone looking for something fun and queer to read in the coming holiday season.

This was a really sweet queer take on "The Holiday" - I enjoyed getting lost in this and its great cast of queer characters.

I found myself more invested in the Truman storyline - I wonder if this is because things with Greta progressed more quickly? Either way, the two plot lines will work for people who want the slower burn and the people who like a romance to progress quickly! I kept eagerly awaiting Truman and Ash developments!

My major issue with this book is that it felt a little long and slow. I found myself wanting to skip to dialogue. This is probably a reflection on my own preferences, I like a faster paced novel!

If you're in the market for a lingering holiday read (with a little bit of steam) this book will have you sorted. This is one to curl up with with a hot chocolate and a blanket!

While I enjoyed parts of it, I didn’t love this book. I couldn’t connect with the stories or the characters, but I did love the settings.

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish is a queer holiday romance between two people who both need to escape their lives for the holiday season. A house swap that results in them finding where they truly belong.

Greta his from a small town in Maine and lives her life according to what with make her codependent family happy. When they take their meddling one step too far, she finally decides to take a much-needed break from them for her own mental health. Truman lives in New Orleans and when he finds out his boyfriend is actually married and has a child, he is devastated and needs to get out of the city. Cue their mutual friend, who tells them to house swap with each other to solve their problems. Both need to start doing things for themselves and not for those around them. Neither one expects that their temporary home will be where they come alive. Will they be able to take the leap and grab hold of what they really want for a change and make their moves permanent.

The story goes back and forth between Greta and Truman's point of views and follows them on their personal journeys. Greta and her love interest, Carys, have a fast paced relationship and get hot and heavy early on, while Truman and Ash were a slow burn. The F/F intimate scenes were hot as f*ck, but I found myself much more invested in Truman's relationship. Truman and Ash were so sweet and emotional that I just rooted for them to overcome their insecurities and fully hand over their hearts. I devoured every soft kiss and touch of affection between them.

Besides their intimate relationships, the story was about getting back in touch with themselves. Going after what would make them happy and standing up for their wants and boundaries. There was a lot about family dynamic and personal boundaries and the importance of communication and listen to yourself and those you care about.

Overall, The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish was an enjoyable queer holiday romance with found family, relationship steam, Chanukah, friendships, 4 legged friends, plants galore, ghost tours, bullet journaling, learning to trust yourself.

This was such a cute rom com and I really enjoyed the premise with the swapped houses and that they found their place where they least expected it. This gave me The Holiday vibes just LGBTQ instead and I found it super cute. Greta lives in Maine getting smothered by her overbearing family and bereft of any kind of support from others like her and Truman lives in New Orleans with his great Dane Horse and just got his heart broken realizing that his boyfriend of a year was actually married with a kid and he was the sidepiece. They both need a change and decide to swap houses for the holidays and see if being away will help them find what they are looking for. They of course find exactly what they are looking for in the new places. Greta finds her community and support to be herself and Truman finds out who he is and that he is creative and can take stuff for himself. This was such a feel good romance and a fast read.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

It’s queer, it’s fun, and it made me cry, which are always amazing things to have in a book.
I have to admit having two storylines so loosely connected felt odd and that’s why it’s a 4 and not a 5

If you’ve seen The Holiday (2007), this book’s premise might sound familiar. I haven’t seen the movie but I think if you enjoyed that, or generally enjoy (somewhat spicy) holiday romantic comedies, you’ll enjoy Parrish’s queer take on it.

This is a double romance! Truman, as he recovers from a broken heart and falls in love with a big shy florist and tries to find his favorite author. And Greta, who needs space from her zero-boundaries family and falls in love with a new city and a plus-sized math graduate student who gives ghost tours and exploits insecure cis men and she has a pony called Teacup. Both Greta and Truman also learn to better love and appreciate themselves and learn to understand and start prioritizing their needs instead of everyone else’s all the time as well.

I loved the cast, Truman and Greta and the new friends they make. Everyone is queer and vibrant, especially the New Orleans crew. Truman was my favorite character, I loved him and felt for him. His storyline also felt like the better or more developed one compared to Greta. Ramona, the mutual friend who facilitates the house swap, is the only one who I didn’t really care for. We get messages from her between some sections and I found them disruptive. She spoke like an astrology app notification and I just wasn’t into it.

Two romances in one book is ambitious and while I did enjoy it, it didn’t quite work out for me the whole time. I was a lot more invested in one romance than the other, and it also had much higher stakes so it felt very unbalanced. One couple would hit beats that the other couple couldn’t match up to or with so switching storylines was frustrating at times. I like Greta, but I didn’t enjoy her romance all that much. It’s impossible not to compare her and Carys with Truman and Ash. Greta and Carys very much felt like a brief holiday fling; I’m still not convinced of their Capital-R-Romance, and especially of Carys’ feelings for Greta being at a similar level, which might be because of Carys’ personality. They were insta-lust compared to Ash and Truman’s more gradual falling in love and higher stakes. Greta’s storyline felt like it leant much more towards a sort of queer adult coming of age—not in figuring out her sexuality or anything like that but in finding a queer community she hasn’t had before—and learning to set and respect boundaries as she truly sees what’s outside of her very close-knit family and small town. Greta was very cute though and I did really enjoy her, and I liked her and Carys’ relationship and how Carys is clear headed and communicates clearly and how Greta learns from her, but their romance really felt incomplete and one-sided for me. There is also a scene/conflict I imagine some might feel was poorly resolved that I felt needed more development in its lead-up and in the aftermath, but that would have made the book way too long.

Oddly enough one of my favorite parts of both storylines was not the romances or romantic development, but the focus on building and fixing/saving small businesses. I really enjoyed the scenes where Truman and Greta would brainstorm and come up with ideas and plans, Truman for Ash’s failing flower shop and extending to the businesses on Main Street on the island, and Greta with the queer community in New Orleans and her two new friends in Veronica and Helen and older mentor-type friend/figure Muriel.

Truman will satisfy heartbroken city boy in a small town romance lovers, and Greta will satisfy those who love small town girl in a big city gravitating to a tightknit queer community she didn’t have before. I’m just going to be waiting for the book to movie adaptation, movie people who do that.