The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson is a sweet novella of romance, misunderstandings and fun that will prepare your heart for the Christmas season. A little early, but we could all use some Christmas cheer right about now, don't you think?

I was instantly transported from the heat of summer to the cool fresh-packed ski slopes of Colorado with vivid and detailed descriptions. I was so engrossed with this story that when I heard my husband open the door to go outside, I almost yelled out, "Don't forget to wear a coat!" It's currently in the '90s here. Thank you, Melody, for making me totally forget this pandemic and the heat!

The story had an intriguing concept - strangers swap their houses for Christmas. One family goes to Arizona and the other to Colorado. The Landers family is in Colorado and unbeknownst to them, the owner of the house never left. Let the hi-jinks begin!

The owner, West Prescott, is a famous songwriter and tells everyone that he is the home's caretaker. Emma Daley, invited to spend Christmas with the Landers family, has no idea who he is, and West prefers it that way. He wants someone to like him for who he is, not because of his fame or money. Unfortunately, his deception is found by Emma's friend Gillian, a devious, selfish, spoiled little brat. I'll let you guess what happens.

While definitely a clean read with lots of humour, my reason for giving this book four stars was its ambiguous ending and lack of faith element. However, if you don't mind that and just want a Christmas book to read, you will enjoy it!

Cute little story. It was a quick read. I enjoyed it. I was able to read it in just a few hours. The scenery was very nice.

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson 3.5 stars

This is a very quick read for me since I finished it in four hours. It’s a short Christmas story of a family swapping their houses during Christmas time. The idea sounds interesting and Emma is really nice. Gillian is pushy and spoiled and I wish Emma will stand up more for herself. But oh my Gillian and her mom are infuriating and selfish. I think they ruin the whole book for me even if I know that they give spice to the story. Their complaints just go on and on, again and again.

I like the scenes with West and Emma which are not many. I want more of them. Their love story is short and sweet. I’d love to see West’s house. It sounds amazing and a great view of the mountains. It must be nice to have a white Christmas for a change for Emma. West’s mom is supportive and caring. I hope there is more to the plot but it was an easy read.

Thank you #netgalley and @Revellbooks for the free arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

During the holiday season (and okay, throughout the year too), there is nothing I enjoy more than wrapping up with a warm blanket and a cozy Christmas story. And anytime I see a new holiday novel by Melody Carlson, I know that is exactly what I'm going to get. While I enjoy anything she writes, her holiday books are most certainly my favorite. When I saw her newest release The Christmas Swap, I couldn't wait to get my hands of it.

In The Christmas Swap we meet Emma, who is spending the holidays with her friend Gillian's family in Colarado, thanks to a house swap with West, a well know songwriter. When plans go awry and West finds himself at home when the family arrives, he pretends to be the home's caretaker. What follows is a fun and lighthearted holiday romance with all the makings of a good Hallmark Christmas movie... and with my love of these movies, I mean that as a compliment. Is it perhaps a little predictable? Sure. I might even say it's not one of my favorites from the author. But it was a quick and fun holiday read that I personally enjoyed nonetheless.

If you're looking for a quick holiday romance to enjoy this Christmas season, this is certainly one worth checking out!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

Emma spends Christmas normally with her best friend Gillian's family. Emma's parents are in Africa now. Emma wants to try having Christmas at home-alone. I love Christmas books but I couldn't get hooked

I've read quite a few books by Melody Carlson and I've enjoyed them all, so I had very high expectations going into this book. And it definitely lived up to my expectations. It was interesting and heartwarming and cozy. I loved every page of it.

I found this book to be a bit unbelievable. It takes place over the course of 3-4 days, and in those few days, 2 people fall in love, another 2 fall out of love (with the same person), and another person does an abrupt about-face. I've read other books by Melody Carlson and enjoyed them, but this one missed the mark for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free review copy.

The Christmas Swap is this year’s seasonal offering from prolific author and outstanding teller of heartwarming Christmas stories, Melody Carlson. Emma Daley is a struggling substitute teacher/singer-musician from Tempe, Arizona. Her parents have a mission school in Africa, so Emma is on her own for the holidays. Her college best friend, wealthy Gillian Landers, has invited Emma to join her family for Christmas as they travel to Breckinridge for a holiday house swap. Although Emma is drawn to the prospect of a white Christmas and her first snow encounter, she dreads the battle dynamics of the Landers family. The group will consist of Gillian’s parents, Gillian, her brother Grant and his best friend Harris, as well as Emma.

TW Prescott, a wealthy country songwriter, is not happy with swapping his beautiful Breckinridge home to spend a sultry poolside Christmas in Phoenix, but does so at his mother’s insistence. Dragging his feet and getting a late start, West is still at the house when the rather obnoxious tenants take up residence. Hiding in the laundry room, he hears the mother’s rude complaints, the whining daughter, but also the sweet and grateful voice of someone the others call Emma. West escapes to his studio, and ends up unable to make the drive to Denver in the ensuing snowstorm. When he inadvertently encounters Emma, he feels an immediate connection and delays his travel even more, promising Emma a ski lesson the following day.

As Emma and West spend time together, the attraction grows. Gillian makes snide comments about Emma and the hired help, as West had said he was the caretaker when discovered. That is until the gold digging Gillian gets wind of his true identity, when she tries to muscle in on Emma.

This is a lovely holiday story of mistaken identity, misplaced friendship, and serendipitous meeting that will warm the reader’s heart as they share in the beautiful Breckinridge Christmas. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it.

3.5 A nice, quick, read-in-one-sitting book, perfect for a lighter read between weightier tomes. Although it could easily have become a predictable, formula write, it was saved by credible characters - & some of them were even likeable! (What is it about Christmas that so often brings out the worst in families?) There were no unnecessary characters, which made for a more straightforward story. A ‘clean’ read – something which is becoming rarer these days – I can recommend this book to leave you feeling happier than when you began it...

Simple, sweet, even a little predictable, but it was definitely a quick enjoyable read. Hallmark movie material, for sure.I love Melody Carlson’s book and this one measures up. I’m so ready for the holidays!

A great cosy winter love story. A perfect winter evening read. I really enjoyed it. Loved all the descriptions of the snow and the skiing . Also how some had only had hot christmases. A nice love story .

It's early for Christmas, but never too early to read a fun Christmas story. I may have missed a few, but I try to read all that this author writes. Her stories are always clean, wholesome and fun to read. The Christmas Swap is no exception. Living in Arizona myself, I can see why all Emma Daley wanted for Christmas was a white Christmas. But I am a lot like Tyler “West” Prescott, the other protagonist in this story. I am not too sure about this swapping houses, especially to someone you do not know. It's rarely that you meet two people so suited for each other. I read this book in one day and loved it. I would recommend it if you like a fun lite read.
I received a copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
This is the first book I have read by this author, not knowing it was a Christian romance. Admittedly, there is only one mention of God, but the way the characters interacted made it obvious after a while.
Emma is probably the best character, and then Grant. We didn't really get to know West properly, so it made the romance harder to believe. Maybe it was the fact that it was quite short, but it felt like the plot and characters only skimmed the surface of the story.
2.5 stars

This book is a quick, cute holiday read. I thought it would be reminiscent of The Holiday, but it really wasn't. West forgets something at his house that he goes back for, but isn't able to get away before the Landers family arrives for their stay. I had a hard time liking Mrs. Landers. She pretty much complained about everything from the start. Gillian is a spoiled product of a wealthy family, so she's used to getting what she wants. Emma is an awesome character with her head on her shoulders, but it's hard to understand why she's close enough to spend multiple Christmases with Gillian since they're complete opposites. The book does address this, but you still don't quite get it.

I think the main issue I had with the book lies with Gillian. From early on in the book, you understand she's a pampered, privileged woman. Later in the book, she adds manipulator and liar simply to get what she wants. And she does this with her friend. I wasn't expecting her to be as conniving as she was and with who she was.

Overall, this was a cute read. I wouldn't add it to my favorite holiday reads list, but it was a nice little read. I would recommend getting it from the library over buying it. I don't think it was worth the $17 price tag because I don't see myself ever rereading this book.

A sweet, lovely Christmas romance. Super enjoyable to read by the fire.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Melody Carlson has been writing Christian Romance for a number of years. Her style of writing is captivating and engaging and generally leaves the reader with a totally satisfied feeling when the final pages have been read.

The Christmas Swap makes me believe that Melody has been reading reddit entries about entitled parents and entitled children. Emma has often been the guest of the Landers family for Christmas since she met Gillian in college. The Landers family is well-to-do and has decided that they would participate in a house-swap with a family in Colorado, who will come to Arizona to spend the holidays in their house. Mr. Landers has paid for Emma to come along with them to Breckenridge, Colorado. Emma is excited for the trip because she's never seen snow.

Mrs. Landers can find nothing worthwhile about the swap: the house is too rustic, the master suite is on the third floor, the blankets are not good enough, the pillows are too hard, there are no complimentary toiletries, and the Christmas decor leaves much to be desired for her. Gillian is made in her mother's image but has a devious side to her, to boot.

The home the Landers family and guests have landed in belongs to TW Prescott, a well-known song-writer. He was supposed to go to the Landers' home in Arizona, but he forgot a folder of music and had to turn back. He couldn't get out of Colorado, so he decided to stay in his studio and "act" as care-taker of the property. When he meets Emma, he feels an instant attraction that is reciprocated. Teaching her how to ski and spending more time with her outside of skiing cements the feelings even more.

I am not enamored of this novel. It is a quick read, which makes it not quite as bad. The attitudes of the Landers family were hard to swallow, especially Gillian's and her mother's. This is a three star book at best.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I have read a lot of Melody Carlson's books over the years, and I've come to look forward to reading her sweet holiday stories that always leave me with a smile on my face.

Her newest Christmas story is a heartwarming romance that focuses around a Christmas house swap. Emma will be joining her affluent friend's family in Colorado, while Colorado based songwriter West will be heading to Arizona to spend the holidays with his family in warmer climates for a change.

Hi jinks and hilarity happen when West ends up missing his flight, falling for his new house guest, and getting caught in the clutches of Emma's friend Gillian. With a case of mistaken identity, a beautiful small town backdrop, and an eclectic cast of characters, The Christmas Swap is a cute, clean holiday themed romance that I really ended up enjoying. However, I did end up having a few issues with it that kept it from being a five star read for me.

Gillian and her mother, Lisa, were not the nicest of characters, and both ended up grating on my nerves to the point that I could barely stand reading the passages that included them. I had an extremely hard time understanding why Emma would have kept herself in such a toxic friendship in the first place. Also, while I did really enjoy both Emma and West as characters, and thought their romance was sweet and adorable in many ways, it really came across heavily as insta love, and I'm never a fan of that particular romance novel trope. It didn't seem believable that their feelings for each other could be as strong as they both claimed when they'd only actually known each other for a few days.

Overall, this one was sweet and a shorter length novel that is enjoyable if you're looking for a fluffier story to get you into the Christmas spirit. It's definitely not my favorite of Melody Carlson's Christmas stories, but I'm still glad I took the chance and read it.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to advance read this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book except it was t00 short. It starts out with Gillian telling her friend Emma that they will be going to Colorado for Christmas and swapping Gillian’s Family’s house in Arizona. Emma spends Christmas with Gillians family because her parents are in Africa doing ministry work. This is a sweet Christmas story with romance, mishaps and happy ending. Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for the E-ARC. This is my own opinion.

The Landerses, Mr & Mrs, along with their older children Grant and Gillian and their friends Harris and Emma participate in a house swap for the holidays. Emma was looking forward to learning to ski and seeing snow, Gil had other ideas. Beautiful setting in snowy Colorado before Christmas. We meet West, who is the homeowner, incognito as the caretaker. He teaches Emma, Gillian and Grant to ski. His house is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Gillian is more snooty, Emma more laid back. Harris is there for the slopes and Grant just wants to help keep the peace. I love the Christmas stories I’ve read from this author and this is another wonderful one, with great characters and a page turner as well.
A complimentary copy was provided by Revell. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I get started with my review, I would like to thank Revell Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

Alright...I don't even know where to start with this review because I had very mixed feelings over this book. I honestly don't know how I finished it because I was so aggravated for the majority of the time, it's definitely not one of Melody Carlson's best work. But before I get into the reasons why I wasn't particularly fond of The Christmas Swap, let me tell you a bit more about the book. 

The Christmas Swap follows Emma Daley who is convinced by her friend Gillian Landers to join her family on a houseswap in Breckenridge, Colorado. After much convincing, Emma decides to go along with her friend. While there she meets West, who happens to be a famous song-writer but he keeps that hidden from her, who is the owner of the house that they are staying in. However, West disguises himself as the caretaker at first, not wanting to be noticed for who he is. But he is immediately captivated by the down-to-earth Emma who sticks out amongst the pretentious and snobbish Landers family. West decides to stay in Breckenridge fora few more days so he can get to know her more, but when Gillian decides to set her sights on him, will any future between him and Emma be destroyed? 

Alright, I liked the concept of this story, and I really liked Emma and West. However, Emma is a doormat and should have stood up to Gillian a lot more. Which brings me to the biggest issue I have with this book, Gillian is the WORST!!!! There were multiple times I wanted to throw my kindle against a wall because of her. She is so sinister, conniving, manipulative, rude, spoiled, pretentious, etc. And I can't believe all she had to do was give an apology and everyone was friends again....I'm sorry no, she needs to suffer the cosnequences for everything she does to Emma! I am so mad because there really was no reason for her to be a big part of the story but she was...and it aggravated me to no end. There was absolutely nothing redeemable about her...and her mother is exactly the same. I mean, Harris was also bad but there wasn't as much of a spotlight on him as there was on Gillian. 

West was also a good character, but he should have been honest with Emma sooner, but it could be argued that he did try - but not hard enough. 

Also another thing I didn't like was that as a Christmas Christian Ficiton book there was almost no faith element present. There was one mention of God very briefly, but nothing else. I felt like there were several scenes where that could have been more prevalent, but I will admit that is more because that is just my preference. The ending was somewhat ambiguous because one thing is alluded to, but then something different completely different happens and I was honestly confused. 

Overall, if you are looking for a feel-good Christmas book, just skip this one. Melody Carlson has other Christmas fiction books that are a lot better than The Christmas Swap - which is a letdown from her other works. One I highly recommend is The Christmas Shoppe. 2.5/5 Stars.