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The Holiday Switch
Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York, is plentiful, the mood is as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she's earning extra cash working at the local inn—AKA the setting of the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake—while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.
But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?
But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2021
333 people are currently reading
26895 people want to read
About the author
Tif Marcelo
33 books758 followersTif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more! Her website, which includes a link to her newsletter, is www.TifMarcelo.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,073 reviews
December 22, 2023
2.75⭐️ very cute, little to nothing happened
the holiday vibes were felt though 🥰🥰 could have lived without reading it. it read like a typical ya and the characters were bordering on boring but there were a lot of cozy activities and I did like the plot and details 🎄❤️
find the holiday switch on amazon/kindle 💕
the holiday vibes were felt though 🥰🥰 could have lived without reading it. it read like a typical ya and the characters were bordering on boring but there were a lot of cozy activities and I did like the plot and details 🎄❤️
find the holiday switch on amazon/kindle 💕
November 28, 2023
Such a cute and fluffy holiday read!! Perfect way to start the holiday season. There was character development, every fun holiday activity you could think of and the cutest romance. Definitely recommend!
December 23, 2024
start on: 12.19.24
end on: 12.21.24
‧₊˚✧final review✧˚₊‧
❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
‧₊˚🖇️✩₊housekeeping˚🎧⊹♡
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ possible minor spoilers
🫧𓇼𓏲rest of review✩‧₊˚🎐
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ genre: YA Romance
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ what to expect
➳ 1st person present tense
➳ single pov
➳ holiday romance
➳ coworkers
➳ secret keeping
➳ students
➳ hate-to-love
➳ bookworm FMC
➳ athletic MMC
➳ small-town romance
➳ strict parents
➳ anonymous blogging
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳★★★.5 rounded down to 3.
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 0.5/5 (spice rating)
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ❀❀❀/5 (fluff rating)
「 ✦The Holiday Switch✦ 」
(noun) a hallmark movie
Only A Lifetime
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47
❝Don’t waste the time you have waiting for time to pass.❞
☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ overall thoughts
╰┈➤ ❝Because books. Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.❞
As this quote would suggest, there is good in this book, and there is bad. It was cute, it was cozy, it was warm, and it was what I needed. The ending was cheesy, as most romance books seem to be, and it didn’t hit very hard overall. However, it was nice to read and exactly what I’ve been in the mood for.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆ writing style
╰┈➤ ❝Finally, New Year’s Eve at the Lake is here!❞
I personally think that this writing was…not the best. And that isn’t to say that it was awful, it just felt amateur, like something I might expect from a debut author (which Tif Marcelo is not). As a romance novel, the writing is also cheesy, and reads like I imagine the script for a Hallmark movie does. However (and yes there’s another however), sometimes it was too cheesy, too peppy.
♡₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧ plot
╰┈➤ ❝Okay, that's a little extra. Not a criminal, but a sneak, an undercover.❞
First, let me introduce my synopsis policy to you. This policy is super important for me because it helps me stabilize my rating when I’m unsure about it. This policy has two parts:
Part 1: If an important part of the synopsis doesn’t come into play by 30% through the book, I remove .25 stars from what my rating would be otherwise. After that, for every 10% we reach without that plot point, I remove .10 stars. This part of the policy was developed after I realized that I wasn’t enjoying books when I was waiting for part of the plot as stated in the synopsis to occur.
Part 2: When I feel like the synopsis doesn’t do a book justice, I remove .5 stars from what my rating would be otherwise. Then, I discuss what I would change about the synopsis.!! This part of the policy was adopted for this book, actually.
Original Synopsis: ‘Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York, is plentiful, the mood is as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she's earning extra cash working at the local inn—AKA the setting of the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake—while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.
But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?’
I wish the synopsis had put more emphasis on the fact that Teddy and Lila become coworkers and put less emphasis on their phone swap, because that barely lasted half a day and was like 7 pages of the book.
Obviously this book has the plot of a Hallmark movie: girl meets boy, they’re both keeping secrets, it’s around christmas time, and there’s celebrities. Now let’s be totally clear: was the plot cute? Yes. Was it anything special? No.
✧˖*°࿐ world building
╰┈➤ ❝Here’s the thing about the snow up north. What others might think is a snow storm is, simply, heavy snow.❞
All I will say is that Tif Marcelo needs to do her research on what it’s like to live in the USA north - I was very put out by some of the ways she described the weather.
˖◛⁺⑅♡main romance♡⑅⁺◛˖
╰┈➤ ❝A headache creeps into my skull, and his name is Teddy Rivera.❞
These two are simply adorable. They have great banter, and the way Lila was falling for Teddy? ADORABLE OMG. I just wish we had seen Teddy fall for Lila, too.
୭ 🧷 ✧ ˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀 friendships/other relationships
╰┈➤ ❝Why haven’t we hung out before?
“Because high school,❞
➳Lila and Carm: Their friendship is absolutely beautiful. Carm is the push that Lila needs at pretty much any given moment, and I love it.
➳Teddy and his Parents: I wish that we had gotten more resolution on how Teddy’s parents reacted to the whole rock-climbing thing.
➶-͙˚ ༘✶ characters
╰┈➤ ❝His smile is polite, but he's clearly unenthused.❞
Main Character 「 ✦ Lila Santos ✦ 」
╰┈➤ ❝But of all the romance tropes, the enemies-to-lovers arrangement is the hardest for me to get on board with.❞
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛relatability?
[■■■■■■□□□] 70%
Lila truly is one of the most relatable main characters I’ve read about in a while. If you’ve read any of my more recent reviews, you know that I have rated the last few MCs a 20-30% of the relatability scale, and I have found that very disappointing. Then, of course, we get a book with a FMC who’s a bookworm, and OF COURSE that relatability scale goes up. The only problems I have with her: she rates EVERY BOOK 4 or 5 stars, which is absolutely wild (this is a bit ironic coming from me, but you all get the point. Even I have books I’ve rated 3, 2, 1 stars). Also, she doesn't like enemies-to-lovers, which is DEFINITELY not me.
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛how much i liked them
8/10
It’s been a LONG time since I have rated a main character a 10/10 on my ‘i like you’ scale. I’m very picky when it comes to main characters. When I read the synopsis for this book, I had hoped that Lila would be the 10/10. Unfortunately, she was not.
⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭 quotes
╰┈➤ ➸❝Because books. Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.❞
➸❝Remember that with struggle, there’s opportunity.❞
➸❝She loves books - and book people are really the best people.❞
➸❝Choices are never easy to make; there usually seems to be an easy, safe route and a riskier choice. One that involves stretching yourself. Probably reaching for areas unknown. The payoff? It could be great. But it’s not without its bumps and bruises.❞
➸❝Risk is real. It’s scary, uncomfortable, and has consequences.❞
➸❝I’ve always thought that work makes a person. That working solves it all.
But does it?❞
➸❝First of all, while I’m all about crushes and book boyfriends, real ones have to room in my schedule.❞
➸❝I peer at him. “Is this motivation I detect? What have you done with the Teddy Rivera we know and don’t love?❞
➸❝From here, it doesn’t look that bad. And yet, it’s not the going up that scares me, but the coming down. It’s the mis-step, the feeling of not being able to catch myself.❞
➸❝But while it’s so easy to change your mind with Legos if you don’t like the structure, what happens if you simply want to change your mind about the future? At what point cna I switch things up? Is there even such a thing?❞
➸❝Family is all we have.❞
➸❝And despite my best efforts not to inflate his ego, I say, “You called it. You were right.❞
➸❝It’s like finding out someone likes the same book you do - it creates an instant bond.❞
➸❝Knew what?”
“That, if anything, being with you had changed me, for the better.❞
➸❝It makes me wonder what I’m willing to risk for a secret. And, here’s the thing, since secrets come out anyway,❞
➸❝I dunno, maybe it’s to show yourself that you can do something scary. ANd maybe taking one small step toward something scary can lead to other things?❞
➸❝Yeah, sometimes you do get hurt. Sometimes it means falling. But sometimes it’s grabbing that extra bit of air and then catching yourself.❞
➸❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭 other bits
╰┈➤ ❝It makes me wonder what I’m willing to risk for a secret. And, here’s the thing, since secrets come out anyway,❞
(🎁 who was your favorite character? Why?) I'm almost certain it's Teddy, although I'm not sure. None of the characters really spoke to me, even Lila, who, as our MC, I wish I connected with. Unfortunately, while she is a total book worm, she only reads holiday books, which I do not relate to AT ALL. this is only my 3rd holiday book, and the 2nd one which I have rated under 4 stars. Anyways, Teddy or Carm are probably my favorites.
(🎁 who was your least favorite character? Why?) This is another hard question. I didn't find myself particularly hating anyone in this book. No one is really dislikeable, honestly, and though I find books often more fun when there's someone I dislike, the fact that there wasn't any character to hate was honestly kind of a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed while in the midst of reading many books with MANY hateable characters.
(🎁 if you had to choose a holiday song to base a short story around, what would it be? Why?) So honestly, obviously this book is just one big holiday book in and of itself. BUT I think I'd choose 'It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.' The book is set in a town that is REALLY big on the holidays, and of course it snows quite a bit. So of course it would be looking like Christmas, and I think it would be fun to write a story where Lila returns from Syracuse with Teddy and enjoys the holidays in Holly.
(🎁 if you could choose any winter holiday for a novella to be centered around, what would it be? Why?) Due to this book being a romance already centered around Christmas, I'm going to have to say Valentine's Day. While I think this is a pretty self-explanatory answer, here's my reasoning: Teddy and Lila are VERY cute together. I can already picture in my mind Teddy announcing that he read 1-2 holiday romances for Lila for Valentine's Day and Lila agreeing to go rock climbing. It would be adorable.
(🎁 what was your favorite quote from the book? Why?) 'You are not a burden. Your dreams aren't burdens either.' This quote feels like it was spoken directly to me. At a time where I feel like I can't/wont be able to do what I want to do the most (be an author) or that that dream might hurt someone I love, this quote came into my life and spoke directly into my soul. If you are feeling the same way, this quote is for you.
(🎁 what character would you most like to build a snowman with? Why?) Honestly, I think Irene. We could just chill and complain about being cold together, but at the same time I think we'd actually enjoy each other's company while doing smth fun. I rlly did love her character and building a snowman with her would also be a great way to get to know her more.
(🎁 what character would you most like to shop for for the holiday season? Why?) Absolutely Teddy. I will do anything I can to get people into reading, and if I could shop for Teddy and buy him the right books to get into reading, I would be ECSTATIC. Don't mind that this would totally be for personal gain so that I can discuss said books with him, it’s the thought that counts, right?
(🎁 what character would you most like to spend a snowy day inside with? Why?) Lila. We could just chill and watch cheesy holiday movies together, then go read quietly. Then we would write reviews about the books and discuss with each other. As Lila stated in the book, 'bookworms really are the best people'. And Lila is one of the best bookworms. She would be so fun to do smth like this with.
(🎁 what would you change about the book? Why?) I really wish we had gotten more of a resolution. I understand why Tif Marcelo chose to end the book where she did, however I also believe that we didn't get enough fleshing out and I would love to know more about the following: Lila's interviews; Teddy's parents' reactions to the rock climbing; the Syracuse financial aid; Lila's blog. There is so much more that could be explored and honestly I was let down.
(🎁 would you gift this book to a friend for the holidays? Why or why not?) Maybe, if they said they wanted it or were in the mood for something like it. It wouldn't be my first choice of book to give someone, but if it was the right person and I was given the right incentive, I might just agree to it. I just don't know if there would ever be a circumstance where a friend of mine would say they wanted to read this - honestly, I probably never would have read it if it hadn't been for my obligation to my book club lol.
(🎁 what character would you most like to vibe to holiday music with? Why?) Hm, that's hard. Maybe KC, he seems fun. He's a super minor character but he's definitely fun and chill and it seems like we could get into the vibe. Also, though, I will say Lila's family had that whole karaoke thing going on...but that's less of a vibing thing and more of a game thing. So, yeah, probably KC.
(🎁 what moment in the book would most likely happen to you? why?) Ummmm none of it? This book...idk. I live in the 'north' I suppose (its north relative to the rest of the US) BUTTTT I can't really see myself doing any of this stuff. I wish I had a better answer because this book is so fun and I would LOVE for it to happen to me, but like I just cant see it happening. ok, this isn't rlly a moment but more of a plot device: maybe Lila's blog? I suppose thats kind of what I do on here already, so yeah, probably that.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ favorites
ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite characters
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ i have no idea
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite scenes
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛i also have no idea
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite quotes
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ final thoughts
It was cute, and I liked it, I just wish I had enjoyed it more.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ please comment or pm me if I missed anything, especially tropes!
ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Love y’all. Let’s go light it up and rattle some stars! Mwah ♡
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
‧₊˚✧pre-review✧˚₊‧
VERY cute, VERY cozy. wish i could have enjoyed it more. rtc 😘
‧₊˚✧pre-read✧˚₊‧
reading for book club (it was the dec/jan pick). it looks SO cute, here’s hoping it’s amazing
end on: 12.21.24
‧₊˚✧final review✧˚₊‧
❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
‧₊˚🖇️✩₊housekeeping˚🎧⊹♡
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ possible minor spoilers
🫧𓇼𓏲rest of review✩‧₊˚🎐
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ genre: YA Romance
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ what to expect
➳ 1st person present tense
➳ single pov
➳ holiday romance
➳ coworkers
➳ secret keeping
➳ students
➳ hate-to-love
➳ bookworm FMC
➳ athletic MMC
➳ small-town romance
➳ strict parents
➳ anonymous blogging
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳★★★.5 rounded down to 3.
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 0.5/5 (spice rating)
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ❀❀❀/5 (fluff rating)
「 ✦The Holiday Switch✦ 」
(noun) a hallmark movie
Only A Lifetime
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47
❝Don’t waste the time you have waiting for time to pass.❞
☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ overall thoughts
╰┈➤ ❝Because books. Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.❞
As this quote would suggest, there is good in this book, and there is bad. It was cute, it was cozy, it was warm, and it was what I needed. The ending was cheesy, as most romance books seem to be, and it didn’t hit very hard overall. However, it was nice to read and exactly what I’ve been in the mood for.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆ writing style
╰┈➤ ❝Finally, New Year’s Eve at the Lake is here!❞
I personally think that this writing was…not the best. And that isn’t to say that it was awful, it just felt amateur, like something I might expect from a debut author (which Tif Marcelo is not). As a romance novel, the writing is also cheesy, and reads like I imagine the script for a Hallmark movie does. However (and yes there’s another however), sometimes it was too cheesy, too peppy.
♡₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧ plot
╰┈➤ ❝Okay, that's a little extra. Not a criminal, but a sneak, an undercover.❞
First, let me introduce my synopsis policy to you. This policy is super important for me because it helps me stabilize my rating when I’m unsure about it. This policy has two parts:
Part 1: If an important part of the synopsis doesn’t come into play by 30% through the book, I remove .25 stars from what my rating would be otherwise. After that, for every 10% we reach without that plot point, I remove .10 stars. This part of the policy was developed after I realized that I wasn’t enjoying books when I was waiting for part of the plot as stated in the synopsis to occur.
Part 2: When I feel like the synopsis doesn’t do a book justice, I remove .5 stars from what my rating would be otherwise. Then, I discuss what I would change about the synopsis.!! This part of the policy was adopted for this book, actually.
Original Synopsis: ‘Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York, is plentiful, the mood is as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she's earning extra cash working at the local inn—AKA the setting of the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake—while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.
But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?’
I wish the synopsis had put more emphasis on the fact that Teddy and Lila become coworkers and put less emphasis on their phone swap, because that barely lasted half a day and was like 7 pages of the book.
Obviously this book has the plot of a Hallmark movie: girl meets boy, they’re both keeping secrets, it’s around christmas time, and there’s celebrities. Now let’s be totally clear: was the plot cute? Yes. Was it anything special? No.
✧˖*°࿐ world building
╰┈➤ ❝Here’s the thing about the snow up north. What others might think is a snow storm is, simply, heavy snow.❞
All I will say is that Tif Marcelo needs to do her research on what it’s like to live in the USA north - I was very put out by some of the ways she described the weather.
˖◛⁺⑅♡main romance♡⑅⁺◛˖
╰┈➤ ❝A headache creeps into my skull, and his name is Teddy Rivera.❞
These two are simply adorable. They have great banter, and the way Lila was falling for Teddy? ADORABLE OMG. I just wish we had seen Teddy fall for Lila, too.
୭ 🧷 ✧ ˚. ᵎᵎ 🎀 friendships/other relationships
╰┈➤ ❝Why haven’t we hung out before?
“Because high school,❞
➳Lila and Carm: Their friendship is absolutely beautiful. Carm is the push that Lila needs at pretty much any given moment, and I love it.
➳Teddy and his Parents: I wish that we had gotten more resolution on how Teddy’s parents reacted to the whole rock-climbing thing.
➶-͙˚ ༘✶ characters
╰┈➤ ❝His smile is polite, but he's clearly unenthused.❞
Main Character 「 ✦ Lila Santos ✦ 」
╰┈➤ ❝But of all the romance tropes, the enemies-to-lovers arrangement is the hardest for me to get on board with.❞
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛relatability?
[■■■■■■□□□] 70%
Lila truly is one of the most relatable main characters I’ve read about in a while. If you’ve read any of my more recent reviews, you know that I have rated the last few MCs a 20-30% of the relatability scale, and I have found that very disappointing. Then, of course, we get a book with a FMC who’s a bookworm, and OF COURSE that relatability scale goes up. The only problems I have with her: she rates EVERY BOOK 4 or 5 stars, which is absolutely wild (this is a bit ironic coming from me, but you all get the point. Even I have books I’ve rated 3, 2, 1 stars). Also, she doesn't like enemies-to-lovers, which is DEFINITELY not me.
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛how much i liked them
8/10
It’s been a LONG time since I have rated a main character a 10/10 on my ‘i like you’ scale. I’m very picky when it comes to main characters. When I read the synopsis for this book, I had hoped that Lila would be the 10/10. Unfortunately, she was not.
⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭 quotes
╰┈➤ ➸❝Because books. Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.❞
➸❝Remember that with struggle, there’s opportunity.❞
➸❝She loves books - and book people are really the best people.❞
➸❝Choices are never easy to make; there usually seems to be an easy, safe route and a riskier choice. One that involves stretching yourself. Probably reaching for areas unknown. The payoff? It could be great. But it’s not without its bumps and bruises.❞
➸❝Risk is real. It’s scary, uncomfortable, and has consequences.❞
➸❝I’ve always thought that work makes a person. That working solves it all.
But does it?❞
➸❝First of all, while I’m all about crushes and book boyfriends, real ones have to room in my schedule.❞
➸❝I peer at him. “Is this motivation I detect? What have you done with the Teddy Rivera we know and don’t love?❞
➸❝From here, it doesn’t look that bad. And yet, it’s not the going up that scares me, but the coming down. It’s the mis-step, the feeling of not being able to catch myself.❞
➸❝But while it’s so easy to change your mind with Legos if you don’t like the structure, what happens if you simply want to change your mind about the future? At what point cna I switch things up? Is there even such a thing?❞
➸❝Family is all we have.❞
➸❝And despite my best efforts not to inflate his ego, I say, “You called it. You were right.❞
➸❝It’s like finding out someone likes the same book you do - it creates an instant bond.❞
➸❝Knew what?”
“That, if anything, being with you had changed me, for the better.❞
➸❝It makes me wonder what I’m willing to risk for a secret. And, here’s the thing, since secrets come out anyway,❞
➸❝I dunno, maybe it’s to show yourself that you can do something scary. ANd maybe taking one small step toward something scary can lead to other things?❞
➸❝Yeah, sometimes you do get hurt. Sometimes it means falling. But sometimes it’s grabbing that extra bit of air and then catching yourself.❞
➸❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭 other bits
╰┈➤ ❝It makes me wonder what I’m willing to risk for a secret. And, here’s the thing, since secrets come out anyway,❞
(🎁 who was your favorite character? Why?) I'm almost certain it's Teddy, although I'm not sure. None of the characters really spoke to me, even Lila, who, as our MC, I wish I connected with. Unfortunately, while she is a total book worm, she only reads holiday books, which I do not relate to AT ALL. this is only my 3rd holiday book, and the 2nd one which I have rated under 4 stars. Anyways, Teddy or Carm are probably my favorites.
(🎁 who was your least favorite character? Why?) This is another hard question. I didn't find myself particularly hating anyone in this book. No one is really dislikeable, honestly, and though I find books often more fun when there's someone I dislike, the fact that there wasn't any character to hate was honestly kind of a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed while in the midst of reading many books with MANY hateable characters.
(🎁 if you had to choose a holiday song to base a short story around, what would it be? Why?) So honestly, obviously this book is just one big holiday book in and of itself. BUT I think I'd choose 'It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.' The book is set in a town that is REALLY big on the holidays, and of course it snows quite a bit. So of course it would be looking like Christmas, and I think it would be fun to write a story where Lila returns from Syracuse with Teddy and enjoys the holidays in Holly.
(🎁 if you could choose any winter holiday for a novella to be centered around, what would it be? Why?) Due to this book being a romance already centered around Christmas, I'm going to have to say Valentine's Day. While I think this is a pretty self-explanatory answer, here's my reasoning: Teddy and Lila are VERY cute together. I can already picture in my mind Teddy announcing that he read 1-2 holiday romances for Lila for Valentine's Day and Lila agreeing to go rock climbing. It would be adorable.
(🎁 what was your favorite quote from the book? Why?) 'You are not a burden. Your dreams aren't burdens either.' This quote feels like it was spoken directly to me. At a time where I feel like I can't/wont be able to do what I want to do the most (be an author) or that that dream might hurt someone I love, this quote came into my life and spoke directly into my soul. If you are feeling the same way, this quote is for you.
(🎁 what character would you most like to build a snowman with? Why?) Honestly, I think Irene. We could just chill and complain about being cold together, but at the same time I think we'd actually enjoy each other's company while doing smth fun. I rlly did love her character and building a snowman with her would also be a great way to get to know her more.
(🎁 what character would you most like to shop for for the holiday season? Why?) Absolutely Teddy. I will do anything I can to get people into reading, and if I could shop for Teddy and buy him the right books to get into reading, I would be ECSTATIC. Don't mind that this would totally be for personal gain so that I can discuss said books with him, it’s the thought that counts, right?
(🎁 what character would you most like to spend a snowy day inside with? Why?) Lila. We could just chill and watch cheesy holiday movies together, then go read quietly. Then we would write reviews about the books and discuss with each other. As Lila stated in the book, 'bookworms really are the best people'. And Lila is one of the best bookworms. She would be so fun to do smth like this with.
(🎁 what would you change about the book? Why?) I really wish we had gotten more of a resolution. I understand why Tif Marcelo chose to end the book where she did, however I also believe that we didn't get enough fleshing out and I would love to know more about the following: Lila's interviews; Teddy's parents' reactions to the rock climbing; the Syracuse financial aid; Lila's blog. There is so much more that could be explored and honestly I was let down.
(🎁 would you gift this book to a friend for the holidays? Why or why not?) Maybe, if they said they wanted it or were in the mood for something like it. It wouldn't be my first choice of book to give someone, but if it was the right person and I was given the right incentive, I might just agree to it. I just don't know if there would ever be a circumstance where a friend of mine would say they wanted to read this - honestly, I probably never would have read it if it hadn't been for my obligation to my book club lol.
(🎁 what character would you most like to vibe to holiday music with? Why?) Hm, that's hard. Maybe KC, he seems fun. He's a super minor character but he's definitely fun and chill and it seems like we could get into the vibe. Also, though, I will say Lila's family had that whole karaoke thing going on...but that's less of a vibing thing and more of a game thing. So, yeah, probably KC.
(🎁 what moment in the book would most likely happen to you? why?) Ummmm none of it? This book...idk. I live in the 'north' I suppose (its north relative to the rest of the US) BUTTTT I can't really see myself doing any of this stuff. I wish I had a better answer because this book is so fun and I would LOVE for it to happen to me, but like I just cant see it happening. ok, this isn't rlly a moment but more of a plot device: maybe Lila's blog? I suppose thats kind of what I do on here already, so yeah, probably that.
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ favorites
ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite characters
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ i have no idea
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite scenes
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛i also have no idea
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite quotes
·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛❝You are not a burden. Your dreams aren’t burdens either.❞
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ final thoughts
It was cute, and I liked it, I just wish I had enjoyed it more.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ please comment or pm me if I missed anything, especially tropes!
ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ Love y’all. Let’s go light it up and rattle some stars! Mwah ♡
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
‧₊˚✧pre-review✧˚₊‧
VERY cute, VERY cozy. wish i could have enjoyed it more. rtc 😘
‧₊˚✧pre-read✧˚₊‧
reading for book club (it was the dec/jan pick). it looks SO cute, here’s hoping it’s amazing
January 29, 2022
The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo
Contemporary holiday YA romance. Clean HFN. Teens.
Lila works at the local inn and hopes to work extra hours during her school break. Lila’s boss has hired her nephew for the holiday season. That throws a crimp in Lila’s plans.
Lila and Adam end up spending a lot of time together at work and during their off time getting to know each other. It’s a time of changes and decisions before the finish of her last year of high school and his climbing and college classes.
I enjoyed Lila’s reading past time and reviews that were part of the story. For a book lover, that was super cute.
A bit angsty and a bit young and innocent. Perfect for the teen crowd of readers looking for a non paranormal.
Contemporary holiday YA romance. Clean HFN. Teens.
Lila works at the local inn and hopes to work extra hours during her school break. Lila’s boss has hired her nephew for the holiday season. That throws a crimp in Lila’s plans.
Lila and Adam end up spending a lot of time together at work and during their off time getting to know each other. It’s a time of changes and decisions before the finish of her last year of high school and his climbing and college classes.
I enjoyed Lila’s reading past time and reviews that were part of the story. For a book lover, that was super cute.
A bit angsty and a bit young and innocent. Perfect for the teen crowd of readers looking for a non paranormal.
December 25, 2021
Cute Christmas read!
October 28, 2021
The Holiday Switch was an adorable festive YA romance! I would absolutely recommend this one to 14+ It was cute, clean, and a great storyline of following your dreams. Loved it!
December 19, 2024
I mean this in the nicest way possible, I was bored out of my mind while reading this. I feel like it had the potential to be really cute, and the setting did deliver the holiday vibes, but the entire story felt a bit pointless. I didn’t connect to these characters and the romance aspect of it was poorly developed. It wasn’t absolutely horrible, but it was nothing special. I’ll probably forget about it by tomorrow.
December 11, 2021
Somehow, this just wasn't for me. I know that it's YA, but the characters somehow seemed younger than they were supposed to be, and I just didn't really feel like there was much of a build-up to the relationship between them - they somehow went from disliking each other to being in love from one second to the next?
Also, the title is very misleading, as the switch of phones is actually a pretty minor plot point!
Also, the title is very misleading, as the switch of phones is actually a pretty minor plot point!
January 5, 2022
the holiday switch was such a cute, adorable read!! definitely a feel good, holiday romance that i enjoyed. from the bookstore, to the christmas of it all, to ice skating AH it was perfect!!
overall, i loved lila. she is so hard working, family oriented, and book obsessed! i related to her in so many ways. and teddy! the sarcastic but soft hero! he was adorable. i truly had such a fun time reading this book!
if anyone wants a cute, short holiday romance to get you into the feel of december, i definitely recommended this one🥰
overall, i loved lila. she is so hard working, family oriented, and book obsessed! i related to her in so many ways. and teddy! the sarcastic but soft hero! he was adorable. i truly had such a fun time reading this book!
if anyone wants a cute, short holiday romance to get you into the feel of december, i definitely recommended this one🥰
Read
February 9, 2022A wholesome, cozy YA rivals-to-lovers romance full of cute banter, a love for books, secrets, and healthy communication and family dynamics all set in a tiny town reminiscent of Forks, in terms of its sudden popularity.
What more could you ask for?
What more could you ask for?
January 11, 2022
3.5 ⭐
☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️
Here's my full review on NovelOnMyMind!
☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️❄🎄☃️
Here's my full review on NovelOnMyMind!
December 13, 2023
cute lil christmas story
January 6, 2022
3.5 stars!
The Holiday Switch was the cozy read I was looking for this holiday season. It’s both fun and festive!
The main characters Teddy and Lila are strong characters, but only on their own. Their interactions were cute, but the chemistry just wasn't there. One thing that made me uncomfy was that Teddy borderline threatened to spill Lila's secret if she spilled his. Without spoiling too much, the issue wasn't called out much. This also made me uncomfortable because Lila is in high school, and Teddy is not. Yes, she's eighteen, however this doesn't excuse the fact that she was practically threatened by a college student.
On a better note, I loved how family was represented in the book. Lila is the oldest sibling, and has a lot of pressure to do well in life. I think many teenagers will relate to her in that sense. Lila also has a book blog, which was so cool because if it wasn't obvious, I do too! 😆
“Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.”
― Tif Marcelo, The Holiday Switch
In addition, the dialogue didn't sound like something teens today would say. For example, phrases like 'har har' aren't sayings kids use often. Fortunately, there was some great talk about the importance of representation in the media. I really liked that aspect of the book.
Moreover, the writing was very clunky. I found myself frequently re-reading sentences. This unfortunately did decrease my enjoyment of the book. Luckily, the story was very cozy. From sledding to drinking hot cocoa, the warm-and-fuzzy vibes in The Holiday Switch
were amazing!
Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped. The Holiday Switch
was cozy though, so if that's your jam then I recommend this book!
Age Rating: 14 and up
Trigger Warnings: Threatening
Overall Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 out of 5 stars
More reviews like this on my blog, https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/ !
The Holiday Switch was the cozy read I was looking for this holiday season. It’s both fun and festive!
The main characters Teddy and Lila are strong characters, but only on their own. Their interactions were cute, but the chemistry just wasn't there. One thing that made me uncomfy was that Teddy borderline threatened to spill Lila's secret if she spilled his. Without spoiling too much, the issue wasn't called out much. This also made me uncomfortable because Lila is in high school, and Teddy is not. Yes, she's eighteen, however this doesn't excuse the fact that she was practically threatened by a college student.
On a better note, I loved how family was represented in the book. Lila is the oldest sibling, and has a lot of pressure to do well in life. I think many teenagers will relate to her in that sense. Lila also has a book blog, which was so cool because if it wasn't obvious, I do too! 😆
“Books are an escape. Books are a reminder that opposites can exist at the same time, both good and bad, positive and negative.”
― Tif Marcelo, The Holiday Switch
In addition, the dialogue didn't sound like something teens today would say. For example, phrases like 'har har' aren't sayings kids use often. Fortunately, there was some great talk about the importance of representation in the media. I really liked that aspect of the book.
Moreover, the writing was very clunky. I found myself frequently re-reading sentences. This unfortunately did decrease my enjoyment of the book. Luckily, the story was very cozy. From sledding to drinking hot cocoa, the warm-and-fuzzy vibes in The Holiday Switch
were amazing!
Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped. The Holiday Switch
was cozy though, so if that's your jam then I recommend this book!
Age Rating: 14 and up
Trigger Warnings: Threatening
Overall Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 out of 5 stars
More reviews like this on my blog, https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/ !
December 13, 2021
2.5 stars, rounded down
i wish i could say i loved this book, like c'mon! a romcom set in a holiday town and a bookworm main character? it genuinely seemed right up my alley, but unfortunately the premise is the only thing i found appealing about the book.
the plot falls flat. the entire premise of the book is that they switched phones–i was expecting a stuck in the suburbs esque romance, but in reality their phones are switched back within 5 pages. lila's weird one-sided hatred towards teddy is also SO odd, and i understand its resolved quickly but it all just felt off.
despite being a romance, their dynamic and relationship just felt so awkwardly written. there was just a sudden jump from "he's annoying" to "i like him" that i just wish was written a bit better, but its just so flat. and i KNOW holiday romances always are insta-lovey, but this one just missed the mark.
beyond that, i just honestly couldn't get behind lila's whole thing about the secret, nor could i get behind teddy's. his made a BIT more sense, but i just found lila's storyline with the internet and social media too silly and unrealistic to enjoy it. that, coupled with the fact that the conflict gets introduced and resolved within the last 6 pages of the book, just left so much to be desired.
i'm honestly so disappointed i'm writing a negative review i fully expected to love this book :( the plus was honestly the friendship dynamic & teddy & lila's very few cute moments that were fun!
i wish i could say i loved this book, like c'mon! a romcom set in a holiday town and a bookworm main character? it genuinely seemed right up my alley, but unfortunately the premise is the only thing i found appealing about the book.
the plot falls flat. the entire premise of the book is that they switched phones–i was expecting a stuck in the suburbs esque romance, but in reality their phones are switched back within 5 pages. lila's weird one-sided hatred towards teddy is also SO odd, and i understand its resolved quickly but it all just felt off.
despite being a romance, their dynamic and relationship just felt so awkwardly written. there was just a sudden jump from "he's annoying" to "i like him" that i just wish was written a bit better, but its just so flat. and i KNOW holiday romances always are insta-lovey, but this one just missed the mark.
beyond that, i just honestly couldn't get behind lila's whole thing about the secret, nor could i get behind teddy's. his made a BIT more sense, but i just found lila's storyline with the internet and social media too silly and unrealistic to enjoy it. that, coupled with the fact that the conflict gets introduced and resolved within the last 6 pages of the book, just left so much to be desired.
i'm honestly so disappointed i'm writing a negative review i fully expected to love this book :( the plus was honestly the friendship dynamic & teddy & lila's very few cute moments that were fun!
December 9, 2021
2.5
This was a cuteish YA holiday romance. Our main character was so unlikable though. I’m hoping teens will like this because this was a big no for me 😭 Am I getting too old for YA?
This was a cuteish YA holiday romance. Our main character was so unlikable though. I’m hoping teens will like this because this was a big no for me 😭 Am I getting too old for YA?
December 15, 2022
3.5✰
lila is a great main character. she’s determined and organized and had good character development! i loved her obsession with books and the fact that she had her own book blog was super cool!
the romance was cute, definitely not my favorite, but still enjoyable to read about. i liked how it wasn’t perfect.
there were only a couple things i didn’t like about the holiday switch, but otherwise it was a pretty cute romance!!
the holiday switch is perfect if you like small-town romances! plus, it’s less than 300 pages!! ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙
➪ my favorite quotes:
“books distracted me; they gave me hope.”
➪ spice rating: 0/5
➪ age rating: 12+
lila is a great main character. she’s determined and organized and had good character development! i loved her obsession with books and the fact that she had her own book blog was super cool!
the romance was cute, definitely not my favorite, but still enjoyable to read about. i liked how it wasn’t perfect.
there were only a couple things i didn’t like about the holiday switch, but otherwise it was a pretty cute romance!!
the holiday switch is perfect if you like small-town romances! plus, it’s less than 300 pages!! ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙
➪ my favorite quotes:
“books distracted me; they gave me hope.”
➪ spice rating: 0/5
➪ age rating: 12+
December 24, 2024
the holiday switch ⋆ post-read
↳ started on 12.24.24
꒰❤️꒱ this was a pretty cute read !! It wasn’t like the synopsis, and felt a little cringe or unrealistic at times, but still an overall good read !!
the holiday switch ⋆ pre-read
↳ started on 12.18.24
꒰❤️꒱ I haven’t enjoyed any Christmas romances so far, and I’m losing my patience but I have so many on my physical tbr, so I need to power through 😔 fingers crossed this one is good though 🤞🏼and at least this one is rlly short
↳ started on 12.24.24
꒰❤️꒱ this was a pretty cute read !! It wasn’t like the synopsis, and felt a little cringe or unrealistic at times, but still an overall good read !!
the holiday switch ⋆ pre-read
↳ started on 12.18.24
꒰❤️꒱ I haven’t enjoyed any Christmas romances so far, and I’m losing my patience but I have so many on my physical tbr, so I need to power through 😔 fingers crossed this one is good though 🤞🏼and at least this one is rlly short
November 30, 2021
2.5 stars
Cuteish YA Christmas rom-com.
Cuteish YA Christmas rom-com.
December 22, 2022
boring. yawning. lazy. sloppy.
the “switch” was underwhelming. the secrets were underwhelming. the buildup was underwhelming. this put me in a bad mood
the “switch” was underwhelming. the secrets were underwhelming. the buildup was underwhelming. this put me in a bad mood
January 13, 2022
'I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me, that I took you for granted.'
So its 12th January and I'm still reading cosy holiday books. Sue me. The Holiday Switch was an adorable small town romance and had SO MANY FUN TROPES. Like you could tell the author really enjoyed herself with this one. *heart eyes*
You've got nemesis-to-lovers, working in a bookshop, book & movie based on the town, Lila's secret book blog and accidental phone switch with the CAYOOTIE Teddy. Oh and it's actually a young adult romance. Like they kiss and hold hands and I forgot what young love is like (she says whilst wheezing of old age).
The quote above was said by Lila's mum and it was so tender. I loved the dynamic between her family and friends and co-workers. It felt like no one had a bad bone in their body. Is that what it's like to live in a small town? Am I living in the wrong place???
The drama instead unfolded around the responsibilities people like Lila carry as a daughter, sister, friend and employee and the lengths you go to protect your loved ones. I also loved loved that Lila's parents were portrayed as firm and sceptical without it being a larger commentary on how their filipino background moulds them to be this way. It was all light and serious in the right places.
Finally this was my first Filipino-American read and first Tif Marcello and safe to say it has warmed my freezing in London winter heart. Have you read this?
Age rating: 12+
So its 12th January and I'm still reading cosy holiday books. Sue me. The Holiday Switch was an adorable small town romance and had SO MANY FUN TROPES. Like you could tell the author really enjoyed herself with this one. *heart eyes*
You've got nemesis-to-lovers, working in a bookshop, book & movie based on the town, Lila's secret book blog and accidental phone switch with the CAYOOTIE Teddy. Oh and it's actually a young adult romance. Like they kiss and hold hands and I forgot what young love is like (she says whilst wheezing of old age).
The quote above was said by Lila's mum and it was so tender. I loved the dynamic between her family and friends and co-workers. It felt like no one had a bad bone in their body. Is that what it's like to live in a small town? Am I living in the wrong place???
The drama instead unfolded around the responsibilities people like Lila carry as a daughter, sister, friend and employee and the lengths you go to protect your loved ones. I also loved loved that Lila's parents were portrayed as firm and sceptical without it being a larger commentary on how their filipino background moulds them to be this way. It was all light and serious in the right places.
Finally this was my first Filipino-American read and first Tif Marcello and safe to say it has warmed my freezing in London winter heart. Have you read this?
Age rating: 12+
December 30, 2021
3.5🌟
No empezó mal pero para el final siento que le faltó ese algo que lo haga un poco más especial. La última parte es muy meh
No empezó mal pero para el final siento que le faltó ese algo que lo haga un poco más especial. La última parte es muy meh
November 26, 2021
3.5⭐️
This was a really cute YA holiday romance! The MC was a book lover and blogger so that made her super relatable. I appreciated the family and friendship aspects as well. This was a fun and quick read for the holiday season!
This was a really cute YA holiday romance! The MC was a book lover and blogger so that made her super relatable. I appreciated the family and friendship aspects as well. This was a fun and quick read for the holiday season!
November 30, 2021
Siento que los libros con personajes adolescentes ya no son muy mi tipo, pero no puedo evitar querer leer si veo una sinopsis interesante con una portada linda, pero esque luego si leo solo de adultos tambien me aburre, lol. Solo yo siendo un lio como siempre con lo que leo, si te gusta lo muy juvenil con vibras navideñas pues igual te puede interesar este libro.
December 4, 2021
This was so charming! I enjoyed the setting and the holiday vibes, and while the story was simple, it also felt relatable in a lot of ways. Certainly helped that I could identify with Lila in a couple of ways!
November 8, 2024
soo i did read this in less than a day which my reading goal definitely needed!
this was a super cute holiday romance and it was the perfect first holiday read of the year! the story was pretty light and it moved pretty fast so i wasnt bored! i really liked the setting and it made me feel so ready for christmas!
i will say there was a lot that could have been built on but i cant really complain because the whole point was for it to be a sweet little holiday read so overall it was pretty good!!
this was a super cute holiday romance and it was the perfect first holiday read of the year! the story was pretty light and it moved pretty fast so i wasnt bored! i really liked the setting and it made me feel so ready for christmas!
i will say there was a lot that could have been built on but i cant really complain because the whole point was for it to be a sweet little holiday read so overall it was pretty good!!
November 7, 2021
This was an adorable YA holiday romance featuring Lila, a secret book blogger and Teddy, the new boy who wants to change everything at the inn where they both work. When they accidentally switch phones, secrets come to light and the two have to learn to trust each other. Lots of holiday fun and I was SO there for all the holiday book blogging. Highly recommended for fans of other YA bookish holiday romances like All I want for Christmas or Recommended for you. I also really enjoyed the diverse characters (Lila is a Filipino American and Teddy is of Chinese descent) and how well this was on audio narrated by Leiana Bertrand.
November 30, 2021
the holiday switch by Tif Marcelo.
es una historia sobre una chica, lila, y un chico, teddy, que se conocen en el trabajo. al principio ella no lo quiere a él debido a que por su culpa no le dieron horas extras pero del odio al amor hay un solo paso. Un par de secretos y la mejor epoca para enamorarse, no se ustedes pero a mi me suena como un libro que hay que leer.
contra: no terminas de encariñarte con ellos y es un libro olvidable.
a favor: es un libro corto con tematica navideña, por ende tiene mi amor.
estrellas: 3,5/5
(mi review es asi por que la chica tiene un blog y hace asi las review, ni se les ocurra pensar que voy a seguir haciendo otras como esta)
es una historia sobre una chica, lila, y un chico, teddy, que se conocen en el trabajo. al principio ella no lo quiere a él debido a que por su culpa no le dieron horas extras pero del odio al amor hay un solo paso. Un par de secretos y la mejor epoca para enamorarse, no se ustedes pero a mi me suena como un libro que hay que leer.
contra: no terminas de encariñarte con ellos y es un libro olvidable.
a favor: es un libro corto con tematica navideña, por ende tiene mi amor.
estrellas: 3,5/5
(mi review es asi por que la chica tiene un blog y hace asi las review, ni se les ocurra pensar que voy a seguir haciendo otras como esta)
November 23, 2023
im going to convince you to read this with two factors:
- he secretly reads the books she reccomends to him
- he has abs
- he secretly reads the books she reccomends to him
- he has abs
December 22, 2022
*3.5
So I guess 3.5 stars has become my new "mid" rating.
Hmm...
This book had a really interesting premise. We're following Lila, a Filipino-American girl who is excited to work at the Bookworm Inn this Christmas, until her boss's nephew Teddy arrives and is given all of her hours. Lila is one of those people who needs everything to go her way and doesn't like people changing things without her consent (LITERALLY ME HAHAHAHA) and Teddy is a guy who does whatever the heck he wants, so obviously they're going to clash. They have a bit of a rivalry until one day they accidentally switch phones (somehow) and realize they have both been keeping secrets for a long time. This causes them to come together in an attempt to protect their respective secrets from being exposed to their families.
I just think this book was a little underwhelming and somewhat anticlimactic. The "switch" that the book is named for only happened for one or two chapters, and then it was over and never really brought up again except for subtle references. While Lila's secret was actually interesting and fun to follow along, Teddy's was pretty lame if I'm being honest. The book definitely centered a lot on the romance and I know that isn't a bad thing because this IS a romance book, but even their romantic relationship was pretty basic. Like yes they had chemistry and yes they were a pretty cute couple, but I didn't find much development to their romance.
The one thing I did like was Lila's book blog. I enjoyed the blog entries scattered throughout the book. I do wish she would have talked about the other Hannukah Hijinks books though, haha! Or at least had some less positive reviews of books on there too to mix it up? I don't really know what I wanted from that to be honest.
I did enjoy Lila as a protagonist though. I found her very relatable in some aspects, including the one I mentioned above and also the fear of the unknown and not quite knowing what you want to do with your life after high school. She was pretty realistic in those ways, and I admired her for it.
Overall, this book wasn't bad by any means, I just found myself expecting a bit more. I recommend it as a quick holiday read that doesn't take much focus or brain power to comprehend, but definitely brings in the Christmassy elements and vibes.
So I guess 3.5 stars has become my new "mid" rating.
Hmm...
This book had a really interesting premise. We're following Lila, a Filipino-American girl who is excited to work at the Bookworm Inn this Christmas, until her boss's nephew Teddy arrives and is given all of her hours. Lila is one of those people who needs everything to go her way and doesn't like people changing things without her consent (LITERALLY ME HAHAHAHA) and Teddy is a guy who does whatever the heck he wants, so obviously they're going to clash. They have a bit of a rivalry until one day they accidentally switch phones (somehow) and realize they have both been keeping secrets for a long time. This causes them to come together in an attempt to protect their respective secrets from being exposed to their families.
I just think this book was a little underwhelming and somewhat anticlimactic. The "switch" that the book is named for only happened for one or two chapters, and then it was over and never really brought up again except for subtle references. While Lila's secret was actually interesting and fun to follow along, Teddy's was pretty lame if I'm being honest. The book definitely centered a lot on the romance and I know that isn't a bad thing because this IS a romance book, but even their romantic relationship was pretty basic. Like yes they had chemistry and yes they were a pretty cute couple, but I didn't find much development to their romance.
The one thing I did like was Lila's book blog. I enjoyed the blog entries scattered throughout the book. I do wish she would have talked about the other Hannukah Hijinks books though, haha! Or at least had some less positive reviews of books on there too to mix it up? I don't really know what I wanted from that to be honest.
I did enjoy Lila as a protagonist though. I found her very relatable in some aspects, including the one I mentioned above and also the fear of the unknown and not quite knowing what you want to do with your life after high school. She was pretty realistic in those ways, and I admired her for it.
Overall, this book wasn't bad by any means, I just found myself expecting a bit more. I recommend it as a quick holiday read that doesn't take much focus or brain power to comprehend, but definitely brings in the Christmassy elements and vibes.
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