While I am a sucker for fake dating stories. I cannot do the break up for no reason plot. For that reason this is a no for me. It was cute but after that I was done.

This book was a super cute romantic comedy and it gave me ice princess vibes for sure! I love to read holiday novels so this book was no exception! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

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“Olive Moore has been avoiding her hometown for three years now. But a phone call with her mom has her agreeing to spend the holidays back home with her family, she lets it slip she will be bringing a boyfriend with her. The only problem with that is she has no boyfriend. That is until she meets a handsome-albeit annoying-stranger on the plane who makes her an offer she can't refuse.”

Baggage Claim is a holiday centered rom-com story involving fake dating. It stars Olive and Finn. It also has reverse grumpy-sunshine, which can be a fun change!

This story ending up being a lot heavier than a light rom-com, and I had a difficult time connecting to this book unfortunately. It also discusses eating disorders and I think it could have been represented a bit better.

While this wasn’t the book for me, there were some cute moments and cool side characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

Great book! Baggage Claim is an adorable holiday read. The meet-cute was on point and I really enjoyed the setting. I loved that the book was about more than just love, and that the hero especially had a distinct internal conflict. I feel like that's often missing in romance books. Grumpy + Sunshine is also one of my favorite tropes, throw that in with forced proximity and it's a winner!

Olive has been avoiding her hometown for three years now, but when she agrees to spend the holidays back home with her family, she says her boyfriend is coming. The only problem with that is she has no boyfriend. When Finn is seated next to Olive on the plane, she confesses. He makes her an offer: he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend to keep her family off her back and make this the best Christmas ever.

I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. It’s definitely a Christmas book - even though the cover doesn’t scream “Christmas.” The audiobook was well done!

This was a fun, wintery/holiday, fake dating rom-com! I laughed out loud a few times, and really liked both Finn and Olive - individually and together! Finn was so sweet to Olive! 🥰

A few things I didn't love - there were really no stakes to their "fake dating". It actually was only fake for like one day, and then they were really dating, or close to it. Also, I HATEDDD the conflict. Even when it was "explained", it was not at all an adequate explanation, and I don't think Finn had any right to get mad at Olive about it...

I think I would read more from this author, but this was not a favorite. 3.5/5 for me.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the characters the setting and all the humor. I laughed at Finn and Olive so many times. I enjoyed everything about this book. The perfect romance! I love the writing style of the author. It was fun reading each person's view as the story unfolded. The characters are so well developed. I honestly hated for this book to end and immediately purchased the other 3 books the author has out! Thanks #NetGalley for an amazing read!

This was a great winter read, my first by this author and looking forward to more in the future. The characters were relatable and fun with quick banter and great one liners

LOVE LOVE LOVED. The preface for this book had me immediately. Olive is heading home for the holidays to see her family for the first time in three years after a brutal falling out with her sisters. On the flight there, she’s seated beside Finn (BIG SWOON) where eventually it comes out that she told her family that she was bringing someone home. Finn agrees to come home with her and the chemistry from there ensues. I loved this book. It was the perfect Winter book to satisfy all my rom com needs.

*4.25⭐️
I’m happy that I finally read this! This is the perfect book to read in an afternoon right before Christmas when you’re sick in bed like I was today! I’m a sucker for people who randomly meet and then decide to fake date because of family drama. It’s how almost all of my favorite movies begin, so this book’s premise was perfect for me!

I thought that Finn and Olive were really cute together, especially in the first half when they had a lot of chemistry that they (more specifically just Olive) were trying to deny. I also thought that he was super supportive of her, especially in her body image issues, which he seemed to sense. I also loved how he stood up to her family.

The only thing that I didn’t like about the book was how her family treated her. I get that her mom apologized at the end of the book for not handling things well, but I feel like the only people that had reactions that made sense were Olive and Finn. I actually loved Finn more for reacting to “the secret” (which I will say that I guessed five minutes into reading this book) the same way I did!

I’m so excited to read more of Juliana Smith’s books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Juliana Smith for providing me access to this book.

I read this a week ago and have not been able to stop thinking about it! I’m not typically a huge fan of romances where the characters have only known each other a couple weeks, but wow, I felt the connection between these characters so much! The reverse grumpy sunshine trope was so fun and it had all the cozy holiday vibes. Will definitely be picking up more from this author!

45% thoughts on this book.

I don't like the whole concept go "ugly duckling" in this book. I hate how weight and body image is talked about. I still don't know what the sister did but I can assume what it was. It's absolutely disgusting.

Also, the guy is so fucking full of himself and him thinking "I can make her ungrumpy/ungrinch" like I don't like the family dynamics because if the what I think happened between the sisters, then f them for taking their side over the wronged party.

From experience, I hate men that treat you like a girlfriend but don’t want to be in a relationship.” It’s gross childish behavior.

***

End of book review

NAH, the sister and her new husband were in the wrong. I get seeing someone and feeling an attraction but couldn’t you wish to BREAK UP WITH HER SISTER before putting your dick in her.

Fucking hell. I want to unhear this book.

Novel with Christmas and Hallmark rom-com vibes that is quite light and easy to read. I liked the first half more than the second because when the plot twist was "discovered" (and I quote it because I already knew what was going to happen from the beginning), I was not convinced at all by the reasons that the people involved gave to justify themselves nor by the the way Finn treats Olive the moment he finds out.

Even though I like the way reverse grumpy/sunshine was carried and the banter between them, Olive is the only one I liked and I understand her reactions and thoughts, but Finn... a bit annoying and such a red flag from the moment they meet.

"Baggage Claim" by Juliana Smith is a captivating romance that unfolds with heartwarming authenticity. Smith's storytelling expertise shines as she weaves a tale of second chances and personal growth. The book's relatable characters and genuine emotions create an engaging narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. Smith's skillful exploration of the complexities of love and relationships adds depth to the story, making it a delightful read for romance enthusiasts. "Baggage Claim" is a reminder that sometimes, the journey of healing and love can begin when we least expect it, leaving readers with a warm and satisfying feeling long after the final page is turned.

Thank you for my ARC. Unfortunately I needed to DNF this book. I wish eating disorders and body image issues were not addressed well. I will not be reviewing this book on my bookstagram.

I wanted to like this one so badly but sadly it just fell short for me. DNF'ed it & just wasn't a huge fan of all the talk of how beautiful the characters were from the first page. Willing to give another of her books a try but they might just not be for me.

This book is the perfect grumpy/sunshine set during the winter/Christmas season! I loved the chemistry between the characters even when they were just strangers on the plane! This is the perfect read during any season, but especially during the holiday season!

This book has it all
•meet cute
•grumpy/sunshine
•fake dating
•holiday setting
The perfect rom com for the holidays I loved this sweet book and I devoured it very quickly!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Olive and Finn. The meet on a plane from Florida to Colorado. There as an instant attraction. Olive is a podcast editor. Finn s a ski instructor. Olive tells Finn she needs a fake boyfriend for two weeks while she is in Colorado. He volunteers to be the fake boyfriend. He does a great job. Olive and Finn finally realize they are both falling in love.

Oliva is going home for the first time in years, and while on the plane, she meets the most stubborn man Finn. They both get a little drunk and Oliva shares some reasons for not wanting to return, especially because her made-up boyfriend won't be there.

This book was fun and took a turn I wasn't expecting. Finn was a breath of fresh air who knew we needed and the best counterpart for Oliva.

I would recommend this read for sure. However, I didn't love that they mentioned the real reason for Oliba leaving, but we didn't get confirmation until the end.

That is too long for confirmation - I wish it happened sooner, but everything else was great.