I really wanted to love this book. So much so that when this ALC expired before I could download it, I bought a copy.

But I just don't think this book works super well on audio. I also bought a paperback copy (again, I REALLY wanted to love it!) and as I was flipping through after finishing the audio, I realized there were characters I don't even remember, and whole scenes that I needed to go back and reread. The narrators weren't super engaging (particularly for Truman's parts, which is extra disappointing because I found myself more interested in his story than Greta's -- he just had more going on) and there were so many side characters, it was so hard to keep them straight.

I do, however, plan to keep my paperback copy. I am going to reread this next year in physical format, hopefully that helps me keep better track of the story. Overall, I just wish it was a more engaging audiobook, but I still have high hopes that I'll love this book!

I almost gave up on this one. It had multiple story lines going and was distracting. They both were underdeveloped and had me wanting more. There were several cute moments that kept me going though. It just fell flat for me.

I started my seasonal reading with The Holiday Trap by Roan Parish. I pretty much love everything Parish writes so I had to dive in to this one!

The Holiday Trap tells a traditional life/ house swap story, but where the storyline is predictable- the characters are endearing and their romances are swoony! Greta needs to get away from her loving but controlling family and her small town that doesn’t have the society she needs to be her true queer self. While Truman finds himself heartbroken at the holidays and in need of a fresh start and wholesome atmosphere. Enter the mutual friend that suggests a swap!

I loved the matches they made and the long distances friendship our swappers create as they live in each other’s lives.

I think this type of story rings a lot truer nowadays with the availability of remote work, making such big moves possible.

This story was relatively light on the holiday vibe. It features Greta’s family Hanukah celebrations and some small Christmas celebrations. I appreciated that the holiday vibe was there, but it didn’t take over the story, letting the romance and relationships take centre stage.

🎧I received this review copy as an audiobook and absolutely loved it. With 3 narrators (Natalie Duke; Pete Cross; Hillary Huber) the voices for all the characters were easily delineated and the audiobook read like a play. Also- the voice work fit the characters and was easy to listen to.

Overall, this was a fun, light start to my seasonal reading that I can easily recommend!

Thanks to Dreamscape for my review copy.

#TheHolidayTrap #RoanParrish

I have mixed thoughts about this book. I really enjoyed Ash and Trumans story and always looked forward to their part. I didn’t like Greta and Carys story as much.

I liked Greta quite a bit at the beginning but found her a little annoying by the end. I enjoyed the plotline surrounding her family and Muriel. I didn’t really like Carys as the story went on so I didn’t love their relationship. I really hated how she talked to to Greta when Greta overstepped. I think she blew that way out of proportion. I also found her to be cold and aloof and I just found her and Greta story kind of boring. I also hated the name Carys.

I really liked Trumans and Ash's story. I think if this book had just focused on them I would have enjoyed it more and given it a higher rating. I really liked both characters and their conflict felt more genuine.

If this story just focuses on Ash and Truman it probably would have been a 4.25 or 4.5 for me but since I didn’t love the other story as much this was so this is a 3.5 for me. The book I finished before this was also a queer holiday romance

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Greta and Truman need a change. In a one month house swap, each gets the chance to escape the mundane daily routine and encounter something new. In this LGBTQ+ version of The Holiday, Greta and Truman meet new people and are faced with the challenging decision that could change their lives forever.

This was overall a cute story. Listening to the audiobook, I genuinely appreciated the narrators as they told the story well but also it was easy to distinguish between the two storylines.

However, I found it overall challenging to connect with the characters and feel invested in their stories. While a lot of effort was definitely put forth to build the characters and distinguish them, dual romances was a lot to expect out of one book. I found it at times distracting and confusing trying to keep the details straight and got lost in them.

Truman and Ash were adorable, and I felt their banter and connection more so than Greta and Carys’. While I thought they were cute, I didn't get a sense for a deep connection with either of the romances as I don't feel there was enough time to do so. I think the romance that should really get the gold star though is Horse and the mini horse (IYKYK).

If you’re looking for a cute LGBTQ romance and light read, this would certainly qualify. If you’re seeking that holiday romance, though, I don’t think this is it. Other than taking place during the holidays, not much of the spirit of the season is felt in the book. Which is fine, as sometimes that gets to be a bit much this time of year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I had a hard time connecting because it was distracting the two stories. This one wasn’t for me, DNF.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this audio arc. Such a lovely listen. Following both stories was so fun and kept things so exciting and interesting. I love the juxtaposition between Main and New Orleans and what those locations mean for our two protagonists. If you're looking for a light delight to read, I highly recommend this gem.

I didn't realize how much I needed a queer version of The Holiday until I read The Holiday Trap. It was so much fun and I love that the two couples are m/m and f/f.

The multiple POVs works really well and I was never left confused as to which POV it was. Truman was very likeable and easy to relate to, especially with his love of a book series that impacted his life from from childhood to adulthood. Truman and Ash were undeniably adorable. I adored Carys' friend group. They were so welcoming and make a great found family for Carys and Greta. Greta is a plant master than has me jealous, you could feel her passion through the pages. I loved the side characters, everyone felt real and well thought out.

There was a bit of love at first sight, which isn't my favourite, but the cuteness overtook that for me and I really enjoyed it.

The narration was well done and both helped to bring the story to life.

This book was cute!

It took me a bit to get into this book but overall it was very cute and the relationships and stories were very realistic, something that often does not get portrayed in modern literature.

Quick summary: Greta and Truman switch places because they both need a big change in their current situations. Greta moves to the big city and Truman moves to a small town in Maine and they quickly become accustomed to their new lifestyles so drastically different from their previous. They make new friends, new relationships, and find that they very much needed a change in their previous lives.

Things I loved:
-The sweet connection Truman had to a book series and what a profound impact that had on his adult life (something we all can very much relate to, I believe!)
-The way Greta's new friend group quickly became her new chosen family and welcomed her with open arms
-Style: I loved the multiple POV and perspectives, flawlessly integrated between the chapters
-Steam!

Things I did not love as much:
-At times, I felt like the relationships could have been better developed and less "love at first sight" in both cases across the country

Overall, 4/5 stars, would recommend as a quick easy read!

I really enjoyed this book! The premise was an easy one but also pretty unique to what a lot of authors are doing. I liked that with the lesbian and gay romance we got different tropes and relationship troubles. This book is a holiday book but it doesn't feel too much like it

I loved the idea of this, as the Holiday is one of my favourite Christmas movies. I was excited for a new take on a house swap. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. Greta felt so immature and I felt like skipping past her chapters. Truman was more likeable, but I didn’t feel like we had enough of a chance to really dig deep into his story.
I listened to this on audio, and the narration was well done.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Roan Parrish has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and she really hit her stride with this one! Obviously, my soft spot lies with Truman. I typically am not a fan of infidelity in a story, but it really helps serve Truman and his story line. I was an Ash stan the second he gave Truman a rose and I cannot emphasize how head over heels I am for that man. The cave scene?! It to mention their first spicy scene was hot af. Greta is a beautifully written chart, and reading about New Orleans through her eyes was lovely and made me want to visit. Caris and her band of loveable queerdo’s were a delight. There isn’t a single character in this that isn’t well thought out, developed, and cared for, all the way down to Horse (who, let’s be real here, is the breakthrough star). Roan really struck gold with this story, what a delightful, festive read that will leave you all warm and fuzzy inside

I really wanted to like this book. Theme-wise it was great - heartbreak, need for change/escape, meet-cute, falling in love - all great themes. Right away I was reminded of the movie The Holiday - which was great because I enjoyed the movie but also bad because I had high expectations.

Greta
○ loved the detail about her loving plants
○ liked that she was running away more from her family than some breakup
○ the relationship with Truman's dog was cute (loved that the dog was his own character)
○ really didn't feel any of the side characters in her storyline
○ found Carys unappealing and therefore found their love story unappealing and just couldn't believe or fall for it - also, this may have been on how the narrator spoke as Carys, it was horrible

Truman
○ really enjoyed his character - i felt his pain, confusion, anxiousness, self-depricating, list-crazed attitude lovable and relatable
○ thought his meet-cute and relationship with Ash adorable and believable - I was all in and rooting for them
○ loved his love for his dog

I feel like this book should have focused on just one journey and relationship - Truman and Ash. That would have taken this from 1 star to 4. The jumping between both and having to introduce all the side characters took away from the story.

Although I doubt I would have chosen this as a straight 59 year old woman, I enjoyed the story of Truman and Greta as they exchanged homes and discovered the loves of their lives. The characters on Owl Island were welcoming to Truman as he discovered a close community that helped each other out. Greta discovered she loved the tropical weather of New Orleans and met so many interesting people. Both locales were enticing through the eyes of newcomers and the story explored many topics such as aging parents, spreading your wings and communicating clear expectations. The chapters alternated between Greta and Truman, both very different, but very likable.

If you love the movie The Holiday, The Holiday Trap is the heartwarming, and delightful queer update on that story. I was utterly enchanted the entire way through, and both couples are so lovable. Any time I paused this audiobook in the back of my mind I would be thinking when I could get back to this story. This is a book I will definitely be recommending to my friends.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was just adorable. I actually laughed out loud a few times while listening to it and I don't remember the last time I did that! Warm hearted romance. The narrators were great as well!

Let's see. How do I summarize this? Overall I enjoyed this book. I thought it was cute and sweet and I enjoyed the obvious inspiration from the movie The Holiday.

Things I loved: the Jewish rep, a MC who is a Bullet Journaller, the way food is weaved into the book, the settings (both Owl Island and New Orleans), some standout secondary characters. I strongly prefered one couple and their story over the other but they were all (mostly) likable. The narration was also well done.

Things I had mixed feelings about: There was a lot of wisdom/lessons and it sometimes felt a bit forced BUT ultimately, I appreciated all of it so while it was not exactly expertly executed, it resonated with me and/or got me thinking often. There were a lot of characters to keep up with. Since it was an audiobook that was trickier to follow along with so I made a few notes and was able to follow along BUT I kind of loved so many of the characters that I didn't mind too much.

Things I didn't love about this book: There is a lot of convenient coincidence and secondary characters as devices in this book. Sometimes it took me out of the book a little bit. Also, I think the book could have been tighter - some parts felt almost mundane and, that threw the pacing off for me in places. Finally, because there were two storylines happening, it felt like it was hard to get as much depth from the non-POV love interests.

But again, I did enjoy this book and thing it's a nice light read, perfect for reading during the winter holidays.

I absolutely loved this one. It was cute and fun and the characters were perfect and quirky. This book made me want to move to New Orleans more than I already want to move to New Orleans. I think this book is the perfect queer complement to the original "The Holiday" and I wanted to read more on the characters' lives after I was done with the book. I'd definitely recommend this one for those wanting a different kind of holiday season read.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I loved this book so much, that I wish I could start it all over again for the first time. Such great characters that you want to be friends with them, and a great storyline.

Admittedly I am NOT a fan of the classic holiday film aptly titled "The Holiday." I know, I know #unpopularopinion. However, after reading the description of Roan Parrish's "The Holiday Trap" l,"which sounded earily similar to "The Holiday" if only because of the strangers swapping houses aspect, I knew I has to give this story line another go. And wow am I so glad that I did. "The Holiday Trap" is such a great romance for two down on their luck individuals in need of a change of scenery and the learning of some boundaries. While the actual Holiday season had a minimal role in this read, the giving spirit was on full display.

Parrish crafts two likeable characters with lots to discover about themselves and invites the readers along for the ride. Playing on two very opposite locations, New Orleans and Maine, the differences are what draws each to love their swap. With so many great lessons and themes this LGBTQ+ read is perfect for any season.