Final Rating: 4.5/5

I really loved this story! Roan Parrish creates an intricate narrative following Truman and Greta. They both experience heartbreak and hardship and impulsively decide to house-swap with each other and move thousands of miles away. The narrators did a wonderful job conveying the story.

I loved how both Truman's and Greta's stories were handled differently. Truman's arc is more of a slow-burn relationship focusing on his communication style and how he tends to follow his partners instead of talking about his needs. Greta's arc is more of an instant attraction and allows Greta to find a supportive and queer found family for the first time in her life. I liked both of their romances because they both focused on prioritizing yourself and your values to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

I recommend this for anyone looking for a heartfelt romance that highlights emotional growth, introspection, and advocating for yourself.

Thank you to Dreamscape Audio and Netgalley for a copy of the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: Cheating, lying, cursing, toxic parenting, sex, masturbation, sex toys, alcohol, Alzheimer’s, antisemitism

Representation: Twins, Lesbian, Gay, Jewish, Black, Trans

The Holiday Trap is a contemporary romance about two queer people who swap houses during the holidays because their respective lives aren’t going as well as they’d like. Greta loves her family and small town in Maine but wants to be able to explore who she is and what she wants in life. In New Orleans, Truman has just discovered that his boyfriend of one year has been hiding a secret family. Desperate to escape, his friend Ramona has the brilliant idea of connecting the two for a house swap for a month. Greta and Truman grow accustomed to their new environments and finally flourish but not everything is as perfect as they hoped.

This is the perfect book to get you in the winter holiday season! And such a great twist on the movie The Holiday which is one of my absolute favorites! This queer house swap story was amazing! I loved all of the characters and there was so much growth in our main two! The author handled these flawed characters in such a realistic way and truly illustrated the growth we can have as human beings. I loved the strength that Karis provided for Greta and I loved even more the strength she was able to find in herself. That kind of self love and worth is so important. I felt like she was messy and relatable, providing inspiration for the rest of us messy lesbians out here. Truman was also a messy gay and had incredible growth as well!

As a sucker for every and any HEA, especially queer ones, I loved that the romance in this was so sweet but also real couples overcoming obstacles in their journeys together. Couples growing together and successful queer adults in general are not seen enough in literature so this book was such an awesome representation of that. Overall, this book was amazing and is perfect for us thirty something’s who need to see ourselves in our books!

Cute story of two people, Greta who lives in Maine and her family just cannot understand her lifestyle and when they signed her up for the dating auction that was the last straw and Truman who lives in New Orleans who found out his boyfriend is actually married to another man and has a child. When they are brought together by a friend who has the perfect idea of house swapping they jump at it, after all Greta cannot leave all her plants and Truman just needs someone to take care of his dog. What happens is the both fall in love with their new locations and find the loves of their lives. I really enjoyed this story and how even though life really does look bleak sometimes, you just need to get out of your own way and learn to live and love.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this wonderful, queer, life-swap double-romance.
There’s sometimes a rivalry between ‘small town’ books and ‘big city’ books, so I loved how this one showed how both tropes are at their heart about finding belonging and community. Truman is reeling after finding out his boyfriend of a year is married with kid and needs to get out of New Orleans for the holidays; Greta is suffocating on the small island off Maine where she was raised and needs to get away from her meddling family. Their mutual friend Ramona suggests a house swap for a month, and both of their lives change for ever, with romance and friendship, and life lessons abounding for everyone.

I find the success of a romance novel is often about the 'plus' stuff, and the 'plus' stuff in this one -- Truman needing to understand that he doesn't need to settle for other people's scraps, and Greta needing to learn that acting from your own needs and desires is not automatically selfish -- really hit well for me.

A highly favorable review will be posted on my blog (link below) on Saturday, September 3, 2022.

I found this book charming for a long time, but I was fairly sick of the character by the time it was wrapping up. It isn’t a typical romance in that I’d say it’s much more about finding yourself and figuring out what you want than finding love (though that definitely happens, too) but then there are a few very open door sex scenes that didn’t really match with this other aesthetic. This was charming as a queer romance of sorts, and I appreciated the found family themes that permeated the storylines, but I guess I just feel hugely compelled by the characters. Very middle-of-the-road for me.

Loved this cute queer holiday read! We get gay and lesbian love, Christmas, and small town vibes. It’s honestly everything I wanted and needed. Get your hands on this for the holiday season!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!
Minor spoilers but most are very small details that aren’t too crucial/happen very early.

Personally this wasn’t for me. I love the idea and the premise. 2 characters swap houses to get some space from their various issues. I loved seeing the different perspectives and how they each lived and changed in the others space.
The main issue I had was the two main characters, Greta and Truman, being way too similar. I am not sure if that was what the author intended but they felt like the same character with different names. Both where unable to deal with confrontations or boundaries, both where people pleasers who would give too much. Not only where their personalities so similar but their mannerisms where almost identical. Very nervous, shy, and unconfirmed. At one point they both make comments about the new introduced character possibly murdering them. It is all just too similar. There where very little differences in their key personality traits.
There where also parts that felt rushed and kinda random. Like Greta’s love interest has a mini horse and a table made of teeth. It is just a bit much how random and out there some of the points seem to be. At one point, the characters go from discussing very serious trauma to sex in one line that felt so forced and random. Entire mood changes in one line and it just doesn’t flow very.
I do think there where good and funny moments. I can honestly say I did laugh aloud at parts and enjoy sections. But the issues I have mentioned kept taking me out of the story. I loved the split perspective romance book and hope to see more like this but I really couldn’t get into it.

This was a very cute queer reimagining of the 2006 film, The Holiday. (Essentially two strangers switch homes around the holidays because they’re both having a bad time in their current lives, and then have some romance and fun.) I will say the actual holiday elements aren’t highlighted too much in here, one lead is Jewish and skips out on Hanukah with her family that year, and I’m not even sure if the other lead celebrates anything during the winter, and if he does, it’s not a big deal within his familial unit. The focus was on them needing a change of place and people for some reflection and space to think.

We have two leads, and two POVs throughout the story, Greta from Maine dealing with an overbearing family, and Truman from New Orleans dealing with the crushing realization that his boyfriend has another life (husband and child, presumably), and needs to get away.

I appreciated how each romance had very unique differences, and Parrish gave each character a personality throughout the book. The FF romance was very instant attraction, going off of vibes, and centers around Greta learning that a queer found family can be just as important as a biological family. The MM romance was focusing around Truman learning that he needs to have a backbone and communicate his needs in a relationship, instead of trying to pretzel himself into a box to meet the needs of his partners. His romance is slower, more tentative, and features two sad boys (I loved it.)

I ended up really enjoying both of these romances on their own, and thought the connection of G & T having a mutual friend in common was a good way to make a slightly realistic plot for these two adults to switch homes with a complete stranger. There is a big emphasis throughout both stories on self reflection, understanding your needs and values, and communicating your wants. I think both of the romances really focused on more self work than the romances, especially during a month-ish time period of switching places.

Overall I did really enjoy this book, I was rooting for Greta and Truman, and also Ash (Truman's love interest.) I didn't absolutely love Karis, but I appreciated how she set clear boundaries and didn't back down on them. Truman and Ash turned out to be my favorites, I loved the emotional and slower pace their romance worked out, and also really liked the small town feel.

There are lots of plant and botany infodumps, New Orleans haunted history and random facts, dogs, a miniature horse, beekeeping infodumps, found family and queer friendships, and a lot of ideas on how to save a flower shop small business.


CWs - there is a lot of casual drinking and weed usage in the New Orleans FF romance, nothing to excess but it's mentioned during almost all times the heroines are hanging out together. There is also a parent of one of the leads with early dementia, and he takes care of her on his own and talks about his struggles he faces dealing with losing pieces of his mother.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

**I reviewed the audiobook of this arc and don't know how to spell Ash or Karis's names besides phonetically in case I completely errored.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

If you had told me that there was a smutty, Hallmark-esque small town/big town story based loosely on the 2006 Nancy Meyers classic The Holiday, I would have assumed that this would be an instant 5-star book for me. The reality is much more complicated and disappointing.

I liked the Ash/Truman romance a lot. I thought like they were a more realistic and sweet couple and I wish the story was just about them to be honest. The Greta/Carys relationship was extremely trying for me. I found Greta very naïve and Carys to be very standoffish and prone to unnecessary drama. If she was someone I was friends with irl, I would encourage her to find a trauma therapist. I actually wish Greta's story was more about finding a life not based on her relationship alone. Let's focus on her friendship with Muriel and encourage her to define her life on her own terms and with independence. I would have enjoyed that story much more but what the hell do I know.

“Greta Russakoff loves her tight-knit family and tiny Maine hometown, even if they don’t always understand what it’s like to be a lesbian living in such a small world. She desperately needs space to figure out who she is.

Truman Belvedere has just had his heart crushed into a million pieces when he learned that his boyfriend of almost a year has a secret life that includes a husband and a daughter. Reeling from this discovery, all he wants is a place to lick his wounds far, far away from New Orleans.”

If you’ve always loved Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, but thought, “It have been better if they were queer.” this book is for you.

The characters are adorable and kind and slightly disordered, and so diverse, you’d be hard-pressed to not find SOMEONE relatable.

Solid 6.5/10.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.

Greta and Truman decide to swap houses for a month during the winter holiday. Greta needs to get away from her small town and her family, and their mentality towards lesbians. Truman needs a change of scenery after discovering that is boyfriend has a wife and kids... Will they be able to move on?
This was a fluffy, okay read. It was a touch longer than it should've been. Let's face it, I was expecting a queer version of the movie The Holiday, but this is my favorite movie, and this book kind of fell flat, it didn't give me all the feelings. It's still an inspirational story about finding yourself. Truman's story was more fun. I listened to the audio book, and the narration was great.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The holiday, but make it very, very gay!
I really loved this!
Greta is living on a small, isolated and very cold island with her big chaotic family. Truman is living in sunny New Orleans with a gigantic dog (it’s a Roan Parrish book, ofc there are animals) in a happy relationship.
But when Gretas meddling mother and sister sign her up in a “dinner date auction”…with only straight people and Truman finds out his boyfriend is seeing someone else too, both decide to spend their holidays away from home.
Trough a mutual friend they decide to swap houses for a month and their adventures begin.

I really loved reading about both of them finding out who they are and what they want on their own. I loved them making new friends and finding new passions.
Greta and her queer friend group, her plant grandparents and her hot spooky tourguide girl.
Truman and his investigations on his favourite fantasy book series, his journaling and the hot flower shop guy.

This wasn’t really a holiday book with lot of holiday activities and decorating and traditions. For me this was more about their self discovery journey and then making healthy decisions for themselves and their lives.
I would have loved to read a bit more about Truman, because it was very focussed on Greta.
All in all I really liked this and had fun reading! I’ll definitely reread this in December!

This was an adorable queer version of the movie The Holiday! I loved this steamy two-for-one love story.

Just like the movie, we're treated to two separate storylines: one in a small island town in Maine, and one in New Orleans.

Truman was by far my favorite POV. His character was just so sweet and relatable, and I loved the small-town Maine location. His love for his favorite fantasy series was especially relatable to this book-lover, and this is the first time I've seen bullet journaling in a novel! I loved that Truman was so ready to help Ash with both his business and personal life.

My favorite parts of Greta's scenes were her love of plants and her found family in Louisiana. Her romance felt a little less like the light holiday romance I was expecting, but it was sweet and steamy nonetheless. Carys kind of rubbed me the wrong way in some scenes, in that she seemed a little dismissive of and disinterested in Greta. Especially the scene after their party--I didn't understand Carys's anger at all.

Roan Parrish is a new-to-me author, but I certainly hope she continues to write holiday rom-coms!

Audio Review: This book was narrated by Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber. I thought it came together beautifully! All their voices were distinct enough to keep the different scenes straight, and I thought they were all well-matched to their characters.

Strangers Greta and Truman are each stuck in a rut. A mutual friend suggests they swap houses for a month to shake things up. With Greta in New Orleans and Truman in a small Maine town, will they find what they’re looking for?

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It’s like two romance novels in one. It’s warm and endearing, insightful and whip-smart. I laughed out loud multiple times. The casting for the audiobook narration is perfect. Don’t miss it!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This queer retelling of The Holiday is an absolute delight. On Owl Island, Greta is frustrated with her family treating her poorly and desperate to get some space as the holidays approach. In New Orleans, Truman learns that the man he’s been dating is married and is questioning all his life’s choices. Romona, a mutual friend of Greta and Truman tells them to switch houses for the holidays and the do. In New Orleans Great meets and falls for the lovely Carys who helps her to vocalize her needs and set boundaries. On Owl Island Truman meets and falls for Ash who gives his life purpose. As the holidays come to an end, Greta and Truman must decide if they want to return home or stay long term.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had full MM and FF romances in the same book without one turning into a B plot. This book was very equally balanced between the two stories and both plot lines felt rich and complete. I love Roan’s writing style. She somehow is able to really capture the dynamics of a small town and make a larger city feel small, by creating beautiful communities of people. I will say that some things probably could have been trimmed down, but they extra details didn’t bother me too much.

I really liked Greta and Carys as well as Truman and Ash as couples. I liked that the relationship dynamics between the two couples were so different as it helped keep the book from becoming repetitive. The book is written from the perspectives of Greta and Truman, so it is essentially two single POVs. Where there was two full storylines going on, I don’t feel like I missed much by not having Carys or Ash’s POVs.

I listened to most of the book as an audiobook and really enjoyed all three of the narrators. I finished the book by reading and found that I missed the narrations by Natalie Duke, Pete Cross, and Hillary Huber. All of the actors added a lot to the characters and their voices became the character’s voices in my head.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC and NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet romance and both narrators were excellent. The title is a bit misleading, because the holidays don’t really make much of an impact on the story, and there isn’t really a trap, so I’m not sure why that’s in the title! This may not be a memorable read, but it was enjoyable all the same.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! I liked that the holiday talked the most about in this book was Hanukkah, not Christmas. I also liked that the two main characters swapped houses on a recommendation from a friend and then their lives basically changed forever.

A queer reimagining of the movie The Holiday is a great set up. Greta Russakoff lives off the coast of Maine on Owl Island. She loves her family but is they aren’t always understanding of her and her differences. Truman Belvedere lives in New Orleans and learns that his boyfriend of a year is actually married making him the other man. A mutual friend suggests Greta and Truman swap houses for a month. And surprisingly they do it.

I love following Greta to New Orleans. While out walking Truman’s great dane named Horse she meets Carys. Carys shows her around the city and introduces her to new friends. Carys makes Greta think about her family dynamics and how she interacts with them. She helps her in figuring out new boundaries which isn’t easy. There is some instant attraction which moves things along quickly. Carys has a very strong personality. Her behavior isn’t always kind but Roan gives her background and justification. I love Greta’s growth and her making other friends through her gardening too. Veronica and Helen were great and embracing of Greta.

Truman meets Ash who runs a floral shop. Ash is overwhelmed running the shop and caring for his mother who is at the beginning states of dementia. I know Truman wallows for a few days but I’m not sure he really has time to process his break-up. In fact he escapes town without confronting his now ex. Truman is a fixer and idea person and is almost overwhelming to Ash but together they are very sweet.

I thought the book could use some trimming. The author loves lots of details and there is an excess of people and connections. Sometimes I love the extra information. But other times like the whole meeting a mysterious author or knowing background on almost everyone on Owl Island, I wondered what is the point.

On the whole the story is delightful. I wish I could know a little more of the fall out with Greta’s family after she finally speaks up for herself. But otherwise the author gives a lot of closure while wrapping everything up. This is wonderful queer representation. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story with both a f/f and m/m romance fully developing.

I enjoyed the three narrators who bring the many characters to life. Like the movie this is romance that begins during the holidays. But also like the movie it maybe come a book I return to again and again. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 STARS

I enjoyed this story and was so happy to receive a copy of the audiobook!

The Holiday Trap reminded me A LOT of the The Holiday (movie starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz) but this was the LGBTQ+ retelling and I was here for it!

We follow two different characters who swap houses for a month during the holiday season. Truman lives in New Orleans just found out that his boyfriend has a secret family and Greta lives in Maine and her family is not accepting/allowing her to live her life how she wants to. Through a mutual friend, they swap.

Truman meets Ash while living in a small town in Maine and they become instant friends. They were complete opposites, but I feel like that is exactly what they each needed. Ash had a complicated life and felt like he was going to be alone forever until he met Truman. There relationship was absolutely ADORABLE!!! I just loved their parts in the story so much.

Greta meets Carys shortly after arriving in Nola and they are instantly attracted to each other. Where Greta is shy and reserved, Carys is blunt and independent. I wasn't a huge fan of Carys's character especially after what happened at the party. I always felt like she was honest, sometimes to the point of it being mean. I just felt like she didn't treat Greta how she should be treated, especially because Greta was such a good heart with what she was doing.

Overall I enjoyed the story - I probably would have given it a higher rater if Carys wasn't involved in the story or if her and Greta went their separate ways.

OMG OMG OMG OMG..

If you know me in real life, you will probs know that one of my favorite movies of all time is 2006's The Holiday, and this book is kinda like it 2 people I different parts of the world....have some terrible event occur that makes each wish to escape. Through a common friend, they decide to trade houses for a month.
I love that the couple was queer.. Gays love Christmas <3

I am giving it 5 stars and recommending to all I love.