I adored this book. Greta and Truman both need to getaway from their current lives and swap houses for the holiday. Greta goes to New Orleans and Truman head to a sleepy town in main. There is where they run into romances and discover themselves and where they belong. This book is cute, funny, and oh man does its have some hot scenes. Really enjoyed this one a lot.

Take that Kate Winslet & Cameron Diez movie The Holiday, but make it queer with explicit scenes.
Fabulous!
The characters are charismatic and the story is wonderful.
It was just what I needed after a few shitty days at work.
Always nice to get lost in fictional character's woes, instead of your own.
Big thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my audio DRC.

I really enjoyed this book! I found both romances in this book to be adorable even when things weren't going well they were still adorable.
I will say this book had a bit to much going on. I was really just wanting a cute holiday romance and for the most part but there was other more serious subjects going on. I felt as if some of the drama just went on to long. This book was simply to long for what it was. I felt like Parrish was trying to push these subjects into a book they didn't really belong in.
If you are looking for a holiday romance that's just fun and flirty this isn't the book for you but if you want a romance with some real meat you will probably enjoy this.

I cried while listening to this book, I laughed while listening to this book, and I cried laughed.

I loved this book! I’m a sucker for holiday romances, hallmark Christmas movies are my jam. But the switching houses/lives for a bit storyline is one of my favorites.

Greta and Truman are both needing to escape their current lives for various reasons and they share a good friend, Ramona, whom they have bother told that they are needing a break. Obviously Ramona suggests the swap as a way to help them both.

They way the narrator sucked me right into the story was fantastic! I have been thinking about this story for days since I finished it.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance listening copy of this book. This is my honest voluntary review.

So, this wasn’t for me, but I appreciate the concept and some cozy sweet moments. Overall, I just couldn’t care about Greta, and though Truman is utterly lovely, I found myself zoning out while listening to this audiobook and simply not caring to go back. I didn’t feel any great chemistry or depth as far as romance development. Mostly just family drama?! I needed more holiday romance Hallmark channel-ness. 2.5 ⭐️

Audiobook was excellent quality and voice work :) 4 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for my review!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and author Roan Parrish for the advanced listening copy of The Holiday Trap, receipt of which did not impact my review.

The Holiday Trap is a lovely holiday-themed story following two queer adults in their 20s who need an escape - and find one, due to a mutual friend who proposes a house swap: Greta Russakoff will get a break from her overbearing family to visit New Orleans, while Truman nurses a broken heart in Owl Island, Maine.

Roan Parrish gave both Greta and Truman equal time in the story, and both of their stories followed very personal journeys of growth and love during a single month. I adored their unique, distinct stories. The narrators (Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber) were well-matched to their characters and added depth to the story.

I recommend The Holiday Trap to readers who enjoy books by Alison Cochrun and Casey McQuiston and a good holiday romance that isn't afraid to be spicy!

What an absolutely delightful holiday book. This gave the same comfort of a Hallmark Holiday movie - while also being extremely queer and surprisingly spicy!

Two strangers with a mutual friend decide to swap houses for one month over the holidays and in turn, they each find new love, new friends, new family, and a new life. You find yourself immediately rooting for both Greta (from a tiny island in Maine) and Truman (from New Orleans) in their growth and journey. I love a book that features a solid blend of swoony romance and seriously hot scenes - and this book delivered!

The representation in this book is strong. Not just for MM, WW relationships, but also Queer found family, trans characters, multi-generational friendships…. And an element I didn’t expect to find myself reflected in - a caregiver of a disabled parent. It’s not a category I often find represented in sweet light contemporary romance - and it gave me such a deep connection to Ash’s story.

The narration on this book is fantastic and brought the story to life. I’ll certainly be grabbing a physical copy for my shelves - this will be a annual holiday read to revisit Truman and Ash on Owl Island & Greta and Karis (sp?) in New Orleans.

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview of this book and to Roan Parrish for creating such a delightful story.

Hello!

Thank you so much for allowing me to listen to an ARC of the audiobook of The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish!

I have reviewed it on TikTok and Goodreads, and will add my review to Amazon once it is published.

My review is below. Thanks again!

Take the movie The Holiday, make it queer, add some spice, and you get The Holiday Trap!

This book is full of interesting characters, great found families, non-toxic relationships, and some spicy scenes. I’m new to spice, so I’m not sure how this book compares to other books in regards to spiciness, but it was quite spicy to me!

The audiobook was very well done as well.

5/5 stars

Categories: LGBTQ+, Romance
Content Warning: Cheating, emotional abuse

I received a copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

Two introverts stuck in lives they're not enjoying get introduced by a mutual friend in a house swap that takes one away from her overbearing family and the other away from the horrible realization that he's the other man in a relationship.
It's great to see them both spread their wings and really explore who they are and who they want to be as they're also discovering new relationships. I admit to enjoying Truman's parts of the story a bit more because I found Greta to be a bit offputting at first, but the character growth is phenomenal in her part of the story and I ended up liking her character arc best.
Both characters' stories are full of fun, romance, inspiring revelations, and just the right amount of drama to make the inevitable HEA that much more satisfying.
The narration by Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber really helped beautifully set up the emotional and intimate moments between the characters. The story is written in such a way that I'm sure it's enjoyable however you consume it, but I highly recommend giving this one a listen because the narrators did such a great job that their voices are perfectly interwoven with the story.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the early listen!

If you are familiar with Roan Parrish, this will be a surprising departure from their broody queer romantic dramas but it was wonderful. A queer verion of one of my very favorite holiday rom-coms The Holiday. Greta and Truman swap lives around the holiday season when family pressure and relationships come to an end. Greta heads to New Orleans and Truman taking her place in her small town in Northern Maine. They both meet and find their perfect matches along the way. Very sweet, and the narration was top-notch

A very sweet romance! Two strangers swap homes when their lives are seeming unfulfilling. Both find a little something they didn't even know they were looking for!

This was an enjoyable, quick audiobook listen. The Holiday Trap is a riff on the film The Holiday where 2 strangers decide to swap houses to escape their current overwhelming circumstances, and in doing so discover love and the lives they each want to live.

Greta Russakoff is MC #1 living on a small island off Maine surrounded by her overbearing family. Her family decide to put her up for "the boyfriend auction" at the annual holiday fair without telling her. Greta is a lesbian. She is mortified and justifiably upset with her family for this attempt to "help her find someone." They diminish her feelings and her identity by insisting they were trying to help and insist that she is overreacting. Truman Belvedere, MC #2, is a gay man living in New Orleans who discovers that his boyfriend has been lying to him. Broken-hearted, he is desperate to get out of town. Thanks to a mutual best friend - Greta and Truman decide to swap houses for a month to escape their current circumstances. The book alternates between both stories with Greta and Truman's POV. The audiobook has 2 narrators for the MCs and a third for the very brief moments when Ramona (the mutual friend) appears in the book.

Greta almost immediately finds the community she has been craving in New Orleans - with supportive queer friends and instantly falls for Carys, a grad student and local tour guide. The physical distance from
her family helps her realize how harmful their behavior towards her has been and helps her crystallize what she wants and needs for her life. By contrast, Truman's story develops a bit more slowly as he seeks to uncover the whereabouts of the reclusive author of his favorite fantasy series and has a slow-burn relationship on the island with the shy local florist, Ash. I found myself enjoying and investing in Truman's story more than than Greta's. Greta's instant attraction for Carys and kaleidoscope of friends, animals, and activities she discovers in New Orleans are a bit overstuffed. There are moments of lengthy infodumps on bee keeping, botany, and NOLA history in Greta's chapters and my tolerance for this was stretched a bit. Truman's story is quieter as he and Ash develop their relationship tentatively and Truman becomes part of the local community.

Both characters have parallel journeys in which they find they have been letting other people determine how they live their lives - Greta trying to live up to her family's expectations and resenting them for wanting to do something different - Truman living a life based on other people's wishes because he doesn't think he is worthy of what he wants.

The book suffers a bit from pacing and the myriad subplots and loose ends are tied up very neatly. But overall I enjoyed the story and Roan Parrish's writing.

When I first started this book I thought I was literally reading an alternative version of "The Holiday". However, after the frost two chapters the book really came alive and became a totally different version of that romantic comedy. This book features a cast of LGBTQ+ characters and is a delightful romance book. It didn't have too much of a holiday vibe, which is fine! Maybe a better title would match up with the book more. It was a very cute book and made me dreamy for a vacation somewhere new!

Thanks to NetGalley and also Dreamscape Media for letting me listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook!

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

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

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

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

It’s the holiday season, and introverts Greta and Truman have encountered disappointments states apart. With the assistance and prodding of mutual friend, Ramona, the two strangers soon find themselves escaping their troubles in a house swap à la The Holiday. Greta wings her way to warm New Orleans to housesit and dog watch Truman’s dog, and Truman finds himself plant-sitting for Greta amidst the snow and cold on an island in Maine.

Perhaps this is more than just a break away, however. Maybe it’s kismet calling them to where they belong or a little push right where they need it.

I loved watching Greta and Truman come into their own; break out of their shells; become comfortable in their own skin; and find the place each really belongs and who they each want to be.

I adored the menagerie of animals included in the book—who doesn’t love dogs + house pet farm animals?

I loved the found family aspects—especially in New Orleans—and the supportive small town in Maine.

The food descriptions made me salivate, and I would love to try any of the lemonade flavors described in the book. I want Muriel to adopt me and let me live in her garden while drinking her tea with pink sugar cubes. And the setting descriptions made me feel as if I were in the story walking alongside Greta and Truman. Bundle up; it’s cold where Truman goes.

The romantic relationships portrayed a healthy mix of sweetness, support, and steam. I favor Truman’s a bit more because both Truman and his love interest are truly cinnamon roll sweethearts. Greta’s love interest is filled with charisma and smarts and helps Greta to grow but—understandably—also has some pricklier edges and boundaries that Greta must learn to navigate.

At a glance:
- Holiday house swap
- Dual POV
- LGBTQIA+ rep
- MM romance
- FF romance
- Jewish rep
- Open door

I listened to the audiobook, and Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber brought the story to life. There were times that their portrayals stirred so much empathy in me that I wish I were able to reach through my headphones to give Greta and Truman hugs.

If you are looking for a holiday escape with a healthy dose of character growth, a supportive cast of characters, and some steamy steaminess, pick up The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

CW: cheating, Alzheimer's / dementia, boundary issues, codependency, narcissistic parent

"The Holiday Trap" is a charming romance about two people trying to find the place where they belong. The protagonists, Truman and Greta, are unhappy, and when their mutual friend Ramona suggests that they swap houses for a month they jump at the chance to get away and try out a new life. Greta leaves the tiny, cold island off the coast of Maine where she has lived for her entire life (very close to her large and clingy family) and heads to Truman's house and dog in New Orleans. Truman is desperate to get away after a bad breakup, and although he is shocked by the cold and snowy town where he ends up, he is charmed by it. The stories of Greta and Truman, their new friends and new loves, and how they struggle to not repeat old mistakes and to find their way in the world, is delightful. I liked the Truman-Ash romance better than the Greta-Carys romance, perhaps because Carys does not always come off as the most likable character. This romance was a bit more open-door than I expected (especially on audiobook)--but it was wonderfully entertaining. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

The Holiday Trap is centered around our main characters, Truman and Greta, as they try to escape their lives by doing a house swap. In follows self-discoveries, new friendships and unexpected love stories.

I loved how the importance of good communication in relationships was portrayed in this book. We have two characters that, for different reasons, have difficulties speaking up for themselves. Through their new relationships, they find their voices and uses it to be their true, best selves.

As much as I loved this aspect of the book, I unfortunately didn’t connect with the characters or the relationships all that much, which unfortunately only made this an okay read.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing me with an audio arc in exchange for a honest review.

• Two Main Characters
• New Location, New Love
• Switching Places

Truman becomes devastated when his boyfriend of a year turns out to be married. Greta is growing tired of her family not understanding of her sexuality and living in such a small town. That’s when a mutual friend, Ramona, introduces a crazy plan – that they switch places with each other for a month of the holidays. Obviously, Truman and Greta agree, and their true journeys begin.

While Greta’s story was interesting, I found that Truman’s narrative had more depth. I loved the book history and Ash’s background. I kind of wished that this was separated into two novels, just to flesh out more about Greta’s sisters and enjoy Truman’s tale even more. I did think all the narrators did a good job. Once again though, I think Pete Cross (voice of Truman), hit it out of the park.

<i>Thank you to Roan Parrish, Pete Cross, Natalie Duke, Hillary Huber, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

#TheHolidayTrap #RoanParrish #PeteCross #NatalieDuke #HillaryHuber #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley #ARC #AudioARC

This was a fun road trip book. My wife gave it a 4 and I said more like a 3...so it gets a 3.5 from us. There's a lot to like - it's kinda like the movie The Holiday, there's two queer stories for the price of one, it's got sweaters, and a quaint town, and plants. It's narrated by Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber and I'm honestly not quite sure why there are 3 narrators, but they all did a fine job. It kinda seems fun to have the best friend voice jump in between the two mains but it was so infrequent that I didn't really pick up on her voice until the book told me it was the friend speaking.

I fell for Truman and his story was my favorite. I had a harder time vibing with Gretta and as a CW there is drug use and drinking when they hang out (and 1 public sex scene). Truman's story was much closer to the cute, small town, story I was expecting. Though the holidays really didn't play a big part...I think you could have substituted any event and the book would probably play out the same. Also, there wasn't really a trap...Anyways, it was still a cute story and was sweet and entertaining enough to keep us company while on the road.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by the author. Ive tried to read more lbtq books it was jusg an okay read. I lived some of the characters and narrative but i think the plot was just mediocre at best