BAGGAGE CLAIM - JULIANA SMITH

A holiday romcom with darker (hidden) themes!

Finding a fake boyfriend on a plane? Nothing is impossible if you're desperate enough.
Olive has not gone back to her family for a while, and let me tell you, she had a real great reason to do so. So as a distraction tactic, she alludes to her mother that she recently started seeing someone. And that someone is coming with her too. Luckily for her, on her flight there's handsome Finn, who jumps on the fun-bandwagon of playing a little pretend.
The synopsis and first few chapters were pulling me in and I really enjoyed the set-up of the book, but as I went along, the story seemed sometimes a bit iffy, and maybe it was me, maybe I expected something different, but the third-act break up and different actions by either the main characters od the side characters were a bit 'funky' or irrational.
There should have been a bigger learning curve, a nicer solution for the WHY'S? of the storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley and Juliana Smith for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Must read if you like:
-Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine reverse
-Fake Dating
-Forced Proximity
-Holiday Romance
-Dual POV

This was a cozy and easy read!!

Baggage Claim is a holiday rom-com that was more in depth than I was expecting but still a fast read. Lets start with what I did love- the reverse grumpy sunshine where the girl is the grump, loved it especially since I identify with it. Fake dating trope, he falls first- some of my fave tropes. BUT there was stuff here that made me so angry. First was the major issues with body dysmorphia and disordered eating that was not the best addressed except for a throw away comment, and was almost reinforced the whole time by Finn talking about her beauty and body all the time. Second, Finn came off as a player and almost creepy in the beginning, i mean he has good intentions and its fine but it was definitely a concern. Third, omg the family drama was gross and infuriating with how it was handled by all parties. At the end though, it was a quick read, holiday story and was a decent story.

This book was SO cute! I absolutely adore fake dating and the beginning scenes on the airplane had me HOOKED.

This book was fun and quirky and I really enjoyed it. It was a refreshing holiday romance that I really enjoyed, especially when holiday romance is so saturated (but still remains my favorite trope for romance books!) I thought the book was paced well and the story was just right, I was kicking my feet and giggling all through it.

I will be adding this book to my yearly holiday rereads, and I can't wait to read it again!

I loved this book. And I love Juliana so much! Her books are absolutely amazing and she did not disappoint with this one. Another amazing book and wonderful read :)
Super recommend it

It’s very fast paced and at the same time there’s so much going on in only a day. I found myself gasping while reading and keeping myself awake just to know what Olivia and Finn would do. Is very light and amazing! Go read it

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect Christmas romance, and I loved their dynamic! It was very cute.

This was a super cute, adorable romance that is perfect for cold winter months. You will easily be able to curl up with your favorite cup of something hot and enjoy this lovely read! With fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and strangers to lovers, what more could you want?! I really enjoyed the airplane scene - something I have always loved in both movies and books! This book has very Hallmark-y vibes and was very enjoyable!

The fatal flaw of this book is the third act break up that I could see coming from a mile away. I wanted to love this because of the setting making it a perfect winter read. It did pull me in, but I just did not end up loving it.

I enjoyed the unique perspective of this book with the "grumpy" female main character and the "sunshiney" male main character. The setting was fabulously wintery and I really loved that. Ultimately, I felt like the ending was just a little bit too nicely wrapped up, but I still found this highly readable and passed the time just fine.

Olive Moore does not want to go home to her family, and I totally get why! The whole time the book alludes to what happened but the truth is so much worse! I would never step foot in my home if that happened and the family kept chugging along like it was okay. Classic rom-com, she needs a sudden fake boyfriend and Finn happens to be right there and available.

According to the synopsis, Finn Beckett has always had good luck and he sure knows it! He talks to women who don't want to be around him, he liquors them up, and he invites himself places. A bunch of walking red flags and someone I would keep my friends away from. Just like any rom-com, he has his sweet moments, but the good does not outweigh the bad. I know this is a work of fiction but we also don’t want people to think that is okay.

My immediate review was a 4-star rating but as I have sat with this book, I think it is being lowered to a 2. I didn't really understand how we were just supposed to accept Finn’s behavior in some moments and act as if him acknowledging his ego was a pass to then be more egotistical. He would make a rude comment, have a personal thought about it being rude, and then continue as if it was okay. That was a bit confusing to me. Also, the ending was just a big WTF moment. I don’t want this to be a spoiler review so I will not say what happened, but I will say that even in a work of fiction that is not forgivable. I would not want a reader to think that was okay and passion lets you get away with anything for the sake of love. There were a lot of things here and there that were red flags to me and made it harder to read.

I requested this on a whim because I had a wanted a Christmas romance to read and low and behold it’s almost February and i just now finished it. This just wasn’t for me. The characters were cringy and I couldn’t take the story serious

One of my favorite meet cutes I have ever seen. The setting made me feel warm and cozy, despite all the snow. I can defiantly see this becoming a can miss holiday read.

A perfect cute and cozy rom com perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey with the right ingredients that will sure keep you swooned.

This book was really cute, definitely one you will want to read if you love the reverse grumpy sunshine trope! I was really excited to get the opportunity to get the ARC for this book, thank you so much NetGalley, but unfortunately it wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the character development that happened with the main characters but im not a huge fan of the third act breakup that happens and I felt like I could see it coming.

Welp, I have another favorite book boyfriend! Finn was absolute perfection. I truly love a fake dating romance - they always get me and I think that the author did a great job executing this much-loved trope.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes- fake dating, reverse grumpy sunshine, he falls first, holiday romance

This book was adorable! I loved the banter and cute nicknames! Finn had me swooning nonstop. Olive has some trauma from a previous Christmas, Finn and their fake relationship encouraged her out of her protective shell, watching the chemistry and relationship build between between them was just perfect!
You guys have to go read this for a quick holiday read!

DNF at 20%

This book was definitely not for me. I just could not get behind either of the main characters and Finn gave me the big ick.

I think if I would have kept reading I would have felt a lot for Olive and her problems, but Finn really ruined the book for me.

The writing was cute and I really wanted to enjoy this but I just could not.

okay there were lots of little moments that i loved. the core of this was really cute but honestly it fell flat for me. the main things i didn't love were: insta love, and i wanted more of a proper wrap up of the fmc relationship with food.

The pros and cons for this felt oddly the same. Pro: cute, charming Hallmark Christmas romance that was a breeze to read. Con: followed the plot of every Hallmark Christmas romance you've ever seen, and so nothing felt fresh or new or remotely exciting.

I enjoyed the characters, loved the snowy setting, and felt like this read very quickly, but I do wish it has just a little something special to help it stand out from the crowded romance shelves. The cover is very cute!

So cute!!!! I loved every page! This was enjoyable from start to finish and I love supporting indie authors!