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The Christmas Swap
It's the perfect Christmas love story.Margot Murray is a newly single, high-flying businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance.Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart in need of a woman to bring home for the holidays. Together, they make a Margot gets two blissful weeks away from London in a picture-perfect manor, in exchange for posing as Ben's girlfriend. The story can only go one way. Margot is sure to fall in love for real. And she does. With Ben's sister, Ellie.
336 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2023
610 people are currently reading
13353 people want to read
About the author
Talia Samuels
1 book98 followersTalia is an ex-chef, now-student, and future-librarian. (In past, present, and careers yet-to-come, writing remains a constant). Talia loves eating vegan food, laughing at her own jokes, and giving queer characters happy endings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,480 reviews
March 12, 2025
This made me feel bad for a straight white man, and I never want to feel that so one star.
October 16, 2023
2 stars. I wanted a cozy feel good sapphic romance and while it was that at parts, the characters felt very underdeveloped and the plot contrite with unsuccessful attempts to add depth. I was excited to read a book about 30-somethings as the majority of romance has younger main characters, but these characters read as much younger and severely immature for their ages. The book would have been more enjoyable if they had clearly stated they were 19 or 20, to be honest. Also, there's something of a problem that my favorite character in a sapphic romance was a cishet man who I spent most of the book feeling sorry for.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC; I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
*Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC; I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
October 2, 2023
It's a classic setup: Ben needs a date for the holidays, and Margot needs a place to go. In public, they'll be together; behind closed doors, it's strictly platonic. But there's a twist...in the form of Ben's sister, Ellie. Who is a lesbian. As is Margot. And when sparks inevitably fly, it's not between the "happy couple".
On the whole this is cute and fluffy, poised to be a fun winter read. There's a fair amount going on—Margot is still reeling from the fallout of her previous (toxic) relationship, Ellie is trying to prove to her parents that she's moved on from her partying days to string lights and picnics, and Ben is sufficiently ashamed of being chronically single that, well, Margot is there for Christmas. I'm on record many times saying that I don't love Evil Villains Who Are Evil, but I do appreciate that the other characters understand, often better than Margot does, why it might be hard to fully disentangle from her ex. And I love the occasional silly plays with language: I'm feeling very strange about the strange thing with the strange stranger. (loc. 187)
Where I get stuck, though, is with this: When Margot and Ellie get together, it's with a thoughtlessness so extreme that it borders on cruelty. They absolutely don't mean any cruelty—they're both nice women with a side of pumpkin spice. But there's never a point at which they consider that sneaking around to date each other, when Margot is there to play-act as Ben's girlfriend, might hurt anyone. Nobody suggests that they hold off on their attraction for a couple of weeks, or discusses how it's going to feel to Ben to have to either 1) come clean to his family about hiring a girlfriend for a week or 2) not come clean but instead pretend, a month or two down the line, that it's totally fine that his ex-girlfriend is now dating his sister. Margot is looking forward to telling Ben everything, but only so that she has someone to giggle and gossip with, because she's now viewing Ben as her best friend. (There's actually something quite intriguing in Margot's decision to view a relative stranger-come-fake-boyfriend as her best friend—it might be reflective of the shakiness of her other friendships and perhaps the damage that's been done to her sense of what a relationship should be, thanks to the toxic ex. Or it might be something else! In any case, it would have been interesting to see that explored in more detail.)
So I wanted to cheer Margot and Ellie on, but in the end I was mostly just sad for Ben. It works out, of course (not a spoiler! It's a romance novel, so of course it works out—and you can see the shape of things working out coming from quite some distance), but I spent most of the second half of the book trying to figure out what would have made the whole thing sit better with me. Telling Ben earlier, perhaps, or postponing the real dating until the fake dating was over, or at the very least Margot and Ellie acknowledging that the whole thing had the potential to get very messy very quickly...or Ben not so quickly and unreservedly getting over his hurt and humiliation, or them trying to tell Ben, or even the characters all being ten years younger and just a bit more...understandably thoughtless. Again: as characters, they aren't written as bad people, but...with a lesbian romance novel, I don't want my overarching takeaway to be sympathy for the straight, cisgender, "best friend" of a man.
I was very much looking forward to this—it wasn't the book for me, but I hope I'm the outlier here and that it'll work better for other readers.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
On the whole this is cute and fluffy, poised to be a fun winter read. There's a fair amount going on—Margot is still reeling from the fallout of her previous (toxic) relationship, Ellie is trying to prove to her parents that she's moved on from her partying days to string lights and picnics, and Ben is sufficiently ashamed of being chronically single that, well, Margot is there for Christmas. I'm on record many times saying that I don't love Evil Villains Who Are Evil, but I do appreciate that the other characters understand, often better than Margot does, why it might be hard to fully disentangle from her ex. And I love the occasional silly plays with language: I'm feeling very strange about the strange thing with the strange stranger. (loc. 187)
Where I get stuck, though, is with this: When Margot and Ellie get together, it's with a thoughtlessness so extreme that it borders on cruelty. They absolutely don't mean any cruelty—they're both nice women with a side of pumpkin spice. But there's never a point at which they consider that sneaking around to date each other, when Margot is there to play-act as Ben's girlfriend, might hurt anyone. Nobody suggests that they hold off on their attraction for a couple of weeks, or discusses how it's going to feel to Ben to have to either 1) come clean to his family about hiring a girlfriend for a week or 2) not come clean but instead pretend, a month or two down the line, that it's totally fine that his ex-girlfriend is now dating his sister. Margot is looking forward to telling Ben everything, but only so that she has someone to giggle and gossip with, because she's now viewing Ben as her best friend. (There's actually something quite intriguing in Margot's decision to view a relative stranger-come-fake-boyfriend as her best friend—it might be reflective of the shakiness of her other friendships and perhaps the damage that's been done to her sense of what a relationship should be, thanks to the toxic ex. Or it might be something else! In any case, it would have been interesting to see that explored in more detail.)
So I wanted to cheer Margot and Ellie on, but in the end I was mostly just sad for Ben. It works out, of course (not a spoiler! It's a romance novel, so of course it works out—and you can see the shape of things working out coming from quite some distance), but I spent most of the second half of the book trying to figure out what would have made the whole thing sit better with me. Telling Ben earlier, perhaps, or postponing the real dating until the fake dating was over, or at the very least Margot and Ellie acknowledging that the whole thing had the potential to get very messy very quickly...or Ben not so quickly and unreservedly getting over his hurt and humiliation, or them trying to tell Ben, or even the characters all being ten years younger and just a bit more...understandably thoughtless. Again: as characters, they aren't written as bad people, but...with a lesbian romance novel, I don't want my overarching takeaway to be sympathy for the straight, cisgender, "best friend" of a man.
I was very much looking forward to this—it wasn't the book for me, but I hope I'm the outlier here and that it'll work better for other readers.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
December 8, 2023
this could’ve been an email.
December 13, 2024
2⭐
Genre ~ holiday lesbian romance
Setting ~ UK
Publication date ~ October 10, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 319 (37 chapters + 1 year later)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 49 minutes
Narrators ~ Kim Bretton, Emma Fenney
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ fake relationship for FMC & MMC, secret relationship for FMC & FMC, some dumb choices towards the end, no steamage
Poor Ben is tired of going to his family's house over and over again single, so he has Margot pretend they're in a relationship. So, Margo joins Ben's family for the holiday as his girlfriend, but leaves as his sister, Ellie's, girlfriend. Sounds like it'll be a mess and it is at times.
Margot (30) & Ellie (30) don't necessarily get off on the right foot. Assumptions are made, but then investigated so I suppose it wasn't too bad. They were cute when they were together. I absolutely adored Ellie's relationship with her grandpa.
Margot on the other hand, oof. Did not care for all the past relationship talk, and something done towards the end.
Ben gets his happily ever after too, so yay for him. And there are two dogs that fall in love, which I was the most happiest about. Overall, not my cup of nog.
Narration notes:
Halleluiah for 2, especially since they're both FMC's.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Genre ~ holiday lesbian romance
Setting ~ UK
Publication date ~ October 10, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 319 (37 chapters + 1 year later)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 49 minutes
Narrators ~ Kim Bretton, Emma Fenney
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ fake relationship for FMC & MMC, secret relationship for FMC & FMC, some dumb choices towards the end, no steamage
Poor Ben is tired of going to his family's house over and over again single, so he has Margot pretend they're in a relationship. So, Margo joins Ben's family for the holiday as his girlfriend, but leaves as his sister, Ellie's, girlfriend. Sounds like it'll be a mess and it is at times.
Margot (30) & Ellie (30) don't necessarily get off on the right foot. Assumptions are made, but then investigated so I suppose it wasn't too bad. They were cute when they were together. I absolutely adored Ellie's relationship with her grandpa.
Margot on the other hand, oof. Did not care for all the past relationship talk, and something done towards the end.
Ben gets his happily ever after too, so yay for him. And there are two dogs that fall in love, which I was the most happiest about. Overall, not my cup of nog.
Narration notes:
Halleluiah for 2, especially since they're both FMC's.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
October 19, 2023
At first I thought THE CHRISTMAS SWAP was destined to disappoint me like so many other holiday stories, but it managed to redeem itself. Sweet, nerdy Ben Gibson hasn't had much luck in serious relationships, much to the consternation of his family, which encourages perfection. So he asks Margot Murray, who recently designed his company's website, if she'd mind accompanying him to his family's beautiful country house (which doubles as a B&B) and posing as his fake girlfriend. Dealing with her own relationship drama, Margot happily say yes as she's eager to get away from the city. Ben and Margot make great friends, but Margot quickly realizes she has major romantic feelings for a different Gibson: Ben's sister, Ellie.
Told in a back and forth POV from Margot and Ellie, SWAP is a bit repetitive at first as we see events through both Margot and Ellie's eyes. At first, this looks like it's going to be a story filled with characters who do not communicate and lack common sense (ok, this may be a theme throughout). Ellie immediately makes a (wrong) snap judgement about Margot and then vacillates in her feelings about her in a very annoying and unhinged way. What follows is a series of bad decisions and miscommunications that made me cringe.
Luckily, around halfway through, the book picks up, as Ellie wises up a bit and we gain more insight into Margot's history. The book deals well with some serious topics, such as emotional abuse and anxiety about expectations, which I really appreciated. It's very festive; I wouldn't read it hungry, as it describes delicious food quite well! By now, things are predictable and silly, but in a good way. Margot and Ellie have a cute chemistry, and as we get to know them, it's easier to realize that they are not making their bad decisions maliciously.
There's no deep character development here, perhaps with the exception of the little exploration into Margot's past relationship, but I grew to care for everyone, including some fun side characters, like Ben's grandpa and other sister. And, of course, it's always fun to see a lesbian holiday romance. Oh, and there are cute dogs! Overall, a fun holiday read, especially if you like that sort of thing. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Alcove Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Told in a back and forth POV from Margot and Ellie, SWAP is a bit repetitive at first as we see events through both Margot and Ellie's eyes. At first, this looks like it's going to be a story filled with characters who do not communicate and lack common sense (ok, this may be a theme throughout). Ellie immediately makes a (wrong) snap judgement about Margot and then vacillates in her feelings about her in a very annoying and unhinged way. What follows is a series of bad decisions and miscommunications that made me cringe.
Luckily, around halfway through, the book picks up, as Ellie wises up a bit and we gain more insight into Margot's history. The book deals well with some serious topics, such as emotional abuse and anxiety about expectations, which I really appreciated. It's very festive; I wouldn't read it hungry, as it describes delicious food quite well! By now, things are predictable and silly, but in a good way. Margot and Ellie have a cute chemistry, and as we get to know them, it's easier to realize that they are not making their bad decisions maliciously.
There's no deep character development here, perhaps with the exception of the little exploration into Margot's past relationship, but I grew to care for everyone, including some fun side characters, like Ben's grandpa and other sister. And, of course, it's always fun to see a lesbian holiday romance. Oh, and there are cute dogs! Overall, a fun holiday read, especially if you like that sort of thing. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Alcove Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
November 15, 2024
first book in the quest for a lesbian xmas romance... it did not go well 💔 the first half had really cringe monologue and dialogue, and then the second half was so boring, centered a hetero relationship and an unlikable family with no depth. it felt so long with 20% of it being about the romance. i needed this to he more dramatic and magical idk 2.5/5
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November 27, 2024unfortunately, the writing in the contemps has not been hitting for me.
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December 18, 2023This book wanted what Kiss Her Once for Me had. I was very excited for it but unfortunately all the characters were very annoying and I think I was actually rooting against them. Merry Christmas?
December 25, 2023
This book is divided in all the days of the week leading up to Christmas 2023, which made it really really fun to read each day on the corresponding day. I really enjoyed this sapphic romance, and all the family dynamics!
December 25, 2023
It had potential! I liked the start but then got really bored around 60%.
December 15, 2024
2.5 stars. This was really cute! But also a little unfortunate. Halfway through the book, when I was having a really good time, I happened to look at the average rating, and I was so confused as to why it's so low. And then comically, maybe like ten minutes later, the book took a nosedive. It wasn't fatal, and I still did like this? But not as much as I thought I would. This is yet another sapphic holiday romance where a woman agrees to fake date a guy and go home with him for Christmas, and then ends up falling for his sister instead. (So far we've got Kiss Her Once For Me, Make You Mine This Christmas, The Wrong McElroy, and something else that I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting...)
This one sits more firmly in the rom-com genre, which I was a little worried about at first. I don't always do well with comedies, because you never know if the author's sense of humour gels with your own. It ended up being cute! In this, Margot has nowhere to go for Christmas, as her girlfriend recently broke up with her. She accepts an invitation from a friendly, talkative client to pretend to be his girlfriend when he goes home for Christmas, so he doesn't feel left out being the only single one. Ellie is his sister, known as the wild card of the family, but is looking to settle down and help out with the family business, which is running a manor house/hotel. When they meet, Margot is instantly drawn to Ellie, and Ellie is attracted right back, but she also thinks that Margot is a gold-digger, taking advantage of her brother. Hijinks ensue. I thought the first half of this was pretty funny and cute; not in a laugh out loud kind of way, but I did chuckle a lot. It's the kind of misunderstanding that's actually palatable, because Ellie honestly thinks she's protecting her brother by trying to find ways to "expose" Margot and get her kicked out. And then on the other hand, she keeps getting unexpectedly charmed by Margot, and all her sincerity. Meanwhile, Margot is just trying to be the best fake girlfriend she can be, trying not to expose herself as a raging lesbian, trying not to show how attracted she is to her fake boyfriend's sister. There's lot of cute Christmas activities (once again, I love a Christmas market) and I did enjoy the big, rambunctious family and all the tricky dynamics there were to work through. There's a cute pregnant dog, a forgetful grandpa, and a little mystery that's pretty easy to figure out, but it was still fun. I liked Margot and Ellie's chemistry, especially after they cleared up the misconceptions. The midnight dates were SO cute, SO charming. I especially liked them bonding over food. And there's a side-plot about intimate partner abuse with Margot's ex that was perhaps a bit clumsy, but very well-meaning.
Where did it start falling apart? Lol.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Kim Bretton and Emma Fenney, and I really liked both their voices, so there was that, at least. This definitely wasn't all bad, and it had its good moments, but didn't come together very well as a romance. It's one of those books where... what we've seen of their communication is not great, and I don't expect this relationship to last. A shame! I was excited for this book, and while it's not terrible, it did let me down.
This one sits more firmly in the rom-com genre, which I was a little worried about at first. I don't always do well with comedies, because you never know if the author's sense of humour gels with your own. It ended up being cute! In this, Margot has nowhere to go for Christmas, as her girlfriend recently broke up with her. She accepts an invitation from a friendly, talkative client to pretend to be his girlfriend when he goes home for Christmas, so he doesn't feel left out being the only single one. Ellie is his sister, known as the wild card of the family, but is looking to settle down and help out with the family business, which is running a manor house/hotel. When they meet, Margot is instantly drawn to Ellie, and Ellie is attracted right back, but she also thinks that Margot is a gold-digger, taking advantage of her brother. Hijinks ensue. I thought the first half of this was pretty funny and cute; not in a laugh out loud kind of way, but I did chuckle a lot. It's the kind of misunderstanding that's actually palatable, because Ellie honestly thinks she's protecting her brother by trying to find ways to "expose" Margot and get her kicked out. And then on the other hand, she keeps getting unexpectedly charmed by Margot, and all her sincerity. Meanwhile, Margot is just trying to be the best fake girlfriend she can be, trying not to expose herself as a raging lesbian, trying not to show how attracted she is to her fake boyfriend's sister. There's lot of cute Christmas activities (once again, I love a Christmas market) and I did enjoy the big, rambunctious family and all the tricky dynamics there were to work through. There's a cute pregnant dog, a forgetful grandpa, and a little mystery that's pretty easy to figure out, but it was still fun. I liked Margot and Ellie's chemistry, especially after they cleared up the misconceptions. The midnight dates were SO cute, SO charming. I especially liked them bonding over food. And there's a side-plot about intimate partner abuse with Margot's ex that was perhaps a bit clumsy, but very well-meaning.
Where did it start falling apart? Lol.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Kim Bretton and Emma Fenney, and I really liked both their voices, so there was that, at least. This definitely wasn't all bad, and it had its good moments, but didn't come together very well as a romance. It's one of those books where... what we've seen of their communication is not great, and I don't expect this relationship to last. A shame! I was excited for this book, and while it's not terrible, it did let me down.
December 14, 2023
This was a sweet holiday sapphic romance. This is a light-hearted hallmark-esk rom-com full of misunderstandings, revelations, sweet moments, and laughs. If you're looking for an easy, feel-good read- this is a great story for just that! It's a great read to for the season to bring levity and joy to your holiday season.
December 27, 2023
An adorable, festive, fake-dating sapphic romance. I apparently quite enjoy the "pretend to date a man but get with his sister" genre as I've read two this Christmas!
January 2, 2024
It's about time the lesbians have a bad Christmas romance book. We've truly made it as a society. And this sure was a bad Christmas romance. The set up was some guy hiring Margot, one of the aforementioned lesbians, to be his Christmas date. But when they arrived at his family's ancestoral home turned hotel, there was a meet cute between Margot and the some guy's gay sister Ellie involving Margot hitting a pregnant dog with a car door and accidentally motorboating Ellie's tits. Insert some Christmas themed bonding scenes and way too much miscommunication and misunderstandings because these two have exactly one brain cell to share and they both fail to use it ever, mix it all together, and you get your bad Christmas romance! And the moral of this Christmas romance is to spay and neuter your pets and don't assume a girl your brother brings home is a gold digger because your family is NOT that rich and you're all grown ups in your 30s.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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December 5, 2023My brother brought home his hot new girlfriend for Christmas and I think that's highly sus - Ellie
December 28, 2025
Con este libro me termine de quemar todas las neuronas que no había quemado en mis mesas de exámen, aburridisimo.
Tendría que haber hecho caso a todas las malas reseñas que tiene,pero pensé que iba a ser como cuando sos intolerante a la lactosa y te tomas un vaso de leche entera y por gracia divina no te cae mal.
La nena de 12 años que hace poco anuncio en Wattpad que no iba a actualizar porque sus papás le sacaron el teléfono sabe desarrollar la idea que tenía esta autora mejor que lo que ella lo hizo.
GRAN IDEA PERO HORRIBLE DESARROLLO,la química de las protagonistas es como la de un celíaco con el trigo,no pegan una.
ME DIJERON QUE ERA ENEMIES TO LOVERS Y NADA QUE VER,ES RE SECO TODO.
LO ÚNICO QUE ME ACUERDO AHORA ES QUE UNA DE LAS PROTAGONISTAS TENÍA UNA EX TÓXICA A LA QUE A LA PRIMERA DEBERÍA DE HABERLA BLOQUEADO.
Bua tengo un montón de cosas por decir pero no me quiero sarpar porque podré ser sincera pero no maleducada.
Felices fiestas ✨💜
Tendría que haber hecho caso a todas las malas reseñas que tiene,pero pensé que iba a ser como cuando sos intolerante a la lactosa y te tomas un vaso de leche entera y por gracia divina no te cae mal.
La nena de 12 años que hace poco anuncio en Wattpad que no iba a actualizar porque sus papás le sacaron el teléfono sabe desarrollar la idea que tenía esta autora mejor que lo que ella lo hizo.
GRAN IDEA PERO HORRIBLE DESARROLLO,la química de las protagonistas es como la de un celíaco con el trigo,no pegan una.
ME DIJERON QUE ERA ENEMIES TO LOVERS Y NADA QUE VER,ES RE SECO TODO.
LO ÚNICO QUE ME ACUERDO AHORA ES QUE UNA DE LAS PROTAGONISTAS TENÍA UNA EX TÓXICA A LA QUE A LA PRIMERA DEBERÍA DE HABERLA BLOQUEADO.
Bua tengo un montón de cosas por decir pero no me quiero sarpar porque podré ser sincera pero no maleducada.
Felices fiestas ✨💜
December 1, 2023
It turns out that the heteronormativity of holiday romance TV movies is not the reason why I don't like those stories. Who knew? The Christmas Swap isn't bad, per se; it's exactly what it claims to be. But, for that reason, it was bland, superficial, preposterous, and sappy. And it's not trying to be anything else. So if you want a feel-good, albeit ridiculous, sapphic holiday romance, this is yours to enjoy. And I didn't hate it. But I can't really recommend it either. Put this is in the Not For Me pile. 2.5 stars.
December 15, 2023
gay gay very gay me love
December 7, 2023
I really wanted to love this one, but it was just okay. One heroine is fake dating someone and goes home with him for Christmas. His sister is suspicious and thinks she's using her brother. But it turns out they end up falling for each other. I don't think the story or the characters had a lot of depth and this as just going trough the motions of a Christmas romance where the sister didn't feel seen by her family and falls for her brother's girlfriend, who ends up being a fake girlfriend. Nothing had me loving the story and it ended up being an audiobook I was just passively listening to.
May 31, 2024
Mmmm: enjoyed but surprising close to “Make you mine this Christmas” by Lizzie Huxley-Jones. (Fake date + Christmas + sister.) Both published by main stay publishing houses (Hodder & Stroughton & Penguin.) Not sure what this says but there you go.
April 30, 2024
This was okay.
The first half was really great and I highly enjoyed the new take on the fake dating trope.
It got a bit cheesy (in a bad way) once the two MC started "falling" for each other.
Too many sappy emotions and not enough of the fun the book started out with.
Still good, just wish it would have kept the giggles all the way through.
The first half was really great and I highly enjoyed the new take on the fake dating trope.
It got a bit cheesy (in a bad way) once the two MC started "falling" for each other.
Too many sappy emotions and not enough of the fun the book started out with.
Still good, just wish it would have kept the giggles all the way through.
July 6, 2023
The Christmas Swap is a very straightforward and easy-to-follow story, nothing too complex. A classic fake-dating-oh-no-I'm-into-your-sister plot taking place over Christmas. The writing is fine. Nothing in particular stood out but it was readable. There were a few instances of slang/acronyms I wasn't familiar with and had to look up, and sometimes the dialogue felt a bit therapy-speak but it's manageable. The author aimed to handle some serious topics delicately, but unfortunately, it came across as overly simplistic and lacking in depth. There's a clear scale of good vs. evil and there was never any real tension between anyone. The characters act a lot younger than they actually are and mostly come across as immature. On a personal note, I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The Margot POV was more enjoyable compared to the Ellie POV, personally, and a lot of the plot felt drawn out and unnecessary. The chemistry between anyone was lacking and since the plot was so obvious, it was hard to pay attention the entire time. Overall, it's a cheesy book, but I can recognize that it's meant to be. I can see how some readers might enjoy the simplicity and the escapism it offers if they can embrace the lighthearted and nearly ridiculous tone.
December 11, 2023
The Christmas Swap is a new, sapphic, holiday romance. This one ended up being okay for me, I’ve read better with this same setup. Basically this has Margot fake dating a guy and even goes back home with him for his family’s Christmas, but then she falls for his sister, Ellie!
This one moves quickly but I never really felt a connection with the characters or plot. It was just okay. The audio is on hoopla and Libby, so there is that. Nothing terrible about it but nothing that stood out either.
This one moves quickly but I never really felt a connection with the characters or plot. It was just okay. The audio is on hoopla and Libby, so there is that. Nothing terrible about it but nothing that stood out either.
December 18, 2023
This was so so cute! Very much a hallmark-esque book, with fake dating AND an enemies to lovers trope, but the characters were very well developed and seemed like real people. They had real struggles and it touched on a surprising amount of complicated issues while still staying light-hearted and seasonal. Very sweet happy ending where everything works out well for everyone. A 10/10 holiday weekend read!
December 26, 2024
I'm bored and there's not enough kissing to warrant this cover. I wanted a swoon worthy holiday romance and ended up in the slowest most complicated for no reason burn. I mean give me something other than a million side characters who don't matter. There's mistletoe for a reason: use it. I had to skim so sorry.
October 8, 2023
Not my favorite holiday read of the year but it wasn't terrible by any means. This fake dating, Sapphic Christmas romance sees Margot falling for her fake boyfriend's sister, Ellie as she spends the holidays with his family in an attempt to make them think he's not a total loser.
Perfect for fans of Alison Cochrun's Kiss her once for me (with a VERY similar/read 'same' plot). Okay on audio though despite there being two narrators I did have difficulty distinguishing between the dual POVs when it switched from Margot's to Ellie's perspectives). Overall just an okay read for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
CW: toxic controlling past relationship
Perfect for fans of Alison Cochrun's Kiss her once for me (with a VERY similar/read 'same' plot). Okay on audio though despite there being two narrators I did have difficulty distinguishing between the dual POVs when it switched from Margot's to Ellie's perspectives). Overall just an okay read for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
CW: toxic controlling past relationship
December 15, 2024
in this story, margot murray, a career-focused, newly single woman, and ben gibson, a hopeless romantic in need of a holiday plus-one, strike a deal that seems destined for festive clichés - a picturesque manor, a pretend relationship, and a family to fit into. but the magic lies in the twist: this isn't margot and ben's love story at all. the spark that catches is between margot and ben's sister, ellie. their connection is heartfelt thanks to the narrative, which subverts the usual tropes with charm, making the familiar storyline feel new. i adored this.
December 30, 2023
i wanted to like this more, but i just couldn't get into this as much as i wanted to. i think maybe reading this so soon after "kiss her once for me" was a mistake because they were just so similair, and this fell flat in comparision to kiss her once for me (for me personally). however, it was cute and sweet, and i loved the friendship between ben and margot.
ALSO not related to the book at all per se, but they talked about the show "feel good", which is so underrated and is one of my top 5 shows of all time so i'm using this review to plug that.
ALSO not related to the book at all per se, but they talked about the show "feel good", which is so underrated and is one of my top 5 shows of all time so i'm using this review to plug that.
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