Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Pub date: November 26, 2022

After avoiding her family for three years, Olive is finally heading home for the holidays. In a desperate attempt to get them off her back, she mentions she will be bringing her boyfriend. The problem is, he doesn’t exist. Everything changes on her flight home when she meets Finn, a charming stranger who offers her something she can’t refuse. Will Olive’s secrets be discovered? Can Finn help her let go of her past or will she lose everything?

This book is a perfect holiday romance! I loved the setting in snowy Aspen, Colorado. It has all the cozy Christmas vibes and will definitely get you in the holiday spirit.

Fake dating isn’t always my favorite, but I think this was really well done. I liked the dual POV, but I do wish we got more of Finn’s background. The twist was very predictable, but it didn’t take away from the story for me. There are some deeper topics and major family drama mixed in with this adorable story.

The reverse grumpy sunshine trope was fairly new to me and I enjoyed seeing Olive’s character slowly open up throughout the book. Finn is in a league of his own and I appreciated how supportive and attentive he was.

I felt every emotion reading this book. I laughed and cried and I loved the journey this one took me on.

This is such a fun easy read! It is super festive and the perfect book to read this holiday season. I recommend picking it up this winter, you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This is such a cute Christmas book, especially for the grinches (like me 😭). Olive and I both had bad experiences in Christmas’ past that caused us to become grinches, which had me relating with her a lot. She struggles with family dynamics and eating/weight insecurities. I really liked seeing a character that hit a lot of what I am currently going through. She was a very likeable character.

Finn was so likeable as well. I loved his confidence and how much he was sure that he could make Olive fall in love with Christmas and with him at the same
time. He was such a genuine character and I loved him and Olive together. He got so protective over her and wanted to make her feel beautiful and it was so sweet.

I loved the Dual-POV and the characters were just so lovable, I hope to read many more books by her

I got an ARC of this book right at the perfect time. I was in dire need of a quick, sweet, and (surprisingly) drama filled story. This is a textbook definition holiday rom-com without being cheesy and cringe like a Hallmark movie. If you love fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, instalove, closed door romance, and lots of family drama I'd say this is the perfect book for you!

Okay listen, I loved grumpy gal Olive and I think she's amazing. I do not blame her at all for being a grinch during the holiday season, and I actually found her grumpiness to be quite funny paired with golden boy Finn. She is so traumatized by "the event" that happened 3 years prior that she literally changed her whole personality and body because she thinks she needs to be perfect to be loved. I was sad to see that she developed unhealthy eating and working out habits as a result. Not giving away any spoilers to "the event" that made her this way, but I will say that I'm happy she didn't give away her forgiveness in the end. Olive deserves the world and they don’t deserve her forgiveness.

I adored Finn and his love of all things Christmas. Give me a sunshine boy and i'll always fall hard.

✨Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

‼️TW for eating disorders and talk about weight, weight loss, and cheating.

What a way to ring in the holiday reads! 🤩 This book was everything I didn’t know I needed! If you don’t have this on your winter reading list, go add it now!

THINGS I LOVED:
Alllll the holiday references, the Grinch, It’s a Wonderful Life, Harry Potter, mentions of so many other classics…ugh just so fun and perfectly placed.
The…dun dun dun, betrayal! While I didn’t *love* the actual betrayal, I thought the way it was drawn out and brought up through the book was nicely done. It wasn’t ever annoying, but just enough to keep you wanting to know what it was that hurt Olive and her sisters relationship so badly.
The pace of the book was spot on. I was never bored and it was a book that I couldn’t wait to pick back up…I even stayed up late to finish it and that hasn’t happened in a long time! 👏🏻

ABOUT THE CHARACTERS:
Honeslty, I wasn’t sure if I would like either character from the start. One was a grumpy-don’t-look-at-me girl and one was a cocky-good-looking-and-I-know-it guy. But these characters…sigh. They turned so loveable that I know I’m going to think about them for a long time. Especially Finn 🫠 Finn is the best. So romantic and sweet! Following along on his twelve dates of Christmas was so.much.fun. I love that he gave Olive the slowness she needed to feel comfortable to open up. Their fake dating banter was hilarious and their inevitable falling in love was so wonderfully written throughout the book. I could feel the romantic tension between them and loved it so much!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
•Fake Dating
•Who hurt you
•Reverse GrumpyxSunshine
•Convincing you to like Christmas again
•One bed
•Dual POV

⭐️:5 🌶️:1

Thank you @netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

"I want someone who will look at me like I’m the only person in the room."

Olive moved to West Palm Beach after a falling out with her sister, leaving Aspen in a hurry three years ago. But she agreed to return home for the holidays to spend time with her family, adding that she would be bringing her boyfriend with her. The problem was that she didn't have a boyfriend. Apprehensive about facing her past, after a few too many drinks on the flight to Aspen, she shared a little too much with Finn, the handsome stranger sitting next to her on the plane. Intrigued by Olive, Finn offered to play the role of her fake boyfriend and to show her the best Christmas ever.

Olive seemed so confident and independent on that flight and I loved that but then her insecurities started to show through and I couldn't feel empathy towards her. Too much focus was placed on her appearance and eating disordered behavior, conflicting entirely with the way she was on the plane. She ran away from her problems instead of confronting them and dealing with them maturely. She let her past control her future and I was disappointed with how weak she seemed.

Finn was the type of guy who didn't take no for an answer and knew his looks could get him any woman he wanted. But Olive seemed immune to his charms, completely unimpressed by anything he could say. Although I initially enjoyed the banter between Olive and Finn, his ego became too much for me. His sweet gestures would have been endearing had he not been so full of himself.

Fake relationships are one of my favorite romance tropes, especially when lines become blurred between what's real and what's not. But I never felt the connection here and I doubted their love at first sight beyond a simple physical attraction. I liked how thoughtful Finn could be at times but I just couldn't become invested in their relationship.

The betrayal by Olive's sister was obvious from the beginning yet it was drawn out throughout the book like some hidden secret. Character development suffered as a result and I was unsatisfied with how the ending left the issue. I liked seeing Olive start to regain her confidence as well as her love for Christmas and I loved that Finn always viewed Olive as beautiful. But I'm not sure about Olive and Finn getting their HEA because I truly don't see them fitting together as a couple and I don't see a future destined for them either.

** Special thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Available November 26, 2022. **

Absolutely loved! I love a good grumpy/sunshine trope and this did not disappoint. Even when I kind of guessed at some points of the plot, like what had happened in the past, it didn't take away from the story! I was so invested in Olive!
Oh, and Finn! Such a gem! He kept me smiling so much!

Thank you @netgalley and @xpressotours for an early copy of Baggage Claim by Juliana Smith. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Baggage Claim tells the story of Olive as she goes back to her hometown after a few years of avoiding her family. She lets slip to her mother that she will be bringing her boyfriend with her - but such boyfriend is non-existent. Olive meets Finn, her seatmate during her flight, and who's more than willing to be her fake boyfriend to keep her family off her case. They spend the next few weeks with Olive's family doing Christmas activities, and both can't help falling for each other, but something is keeping Olive back from being her old self.

I would really love to love this book overall, the story is great in general! But there are some details that I would have loved to be tackled more, like Olive's insecurities, mostly brought about by comparing herself to her sister and a traumatic event. Her desire and effort to be pretty and sexy and desirable by eating too little weren't established as "not okay". While I doubt no one on this planet has zero insecurities, it was not pointed out at all by any one of the characters that the way she is handling this issue isn't healthy.

I also wasn't a fan of any of Olive's family - the way they handled the major conflict in the family - well, I don't think they handled it at all. I'll just leave it at that.

What I did love to some extent is Finn - I love how he's so smitten with Olive and is there for her to support her and be the distraction she needs. I love how attentive he is to her needs and made her appreciate Christmas again.

Rating this ⭐⭐⭐/5. Releases on November 26th, 2022.

This is a very cute "Hallmark" read for Christmas
I really liked Finn and how he works so hard to give Olive the best Christmas. He is definitely a charmer but he is really sweet with her family and to her which really made me like him.

A quick holiday read.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

“If you were mine, you would never wonder how perfect you are”.

Read if you like:
-Holiday Romance
-Fake Dating
-Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
-Guy falls first
-Dual POV

Possible Triggers
- unhealthy dieting and exercising

The story follows Olive, our beautiful FMC who obviously has experienced heartache from some of those she loved the most, as she heads home for the holidays for the first time in 3 years. On another note, in an effort to get her mom off her back, she may have told her she had a boyfriend…which she doesn't. As she attempts to calm herself before take off, a very handsome and slightly annoying man takes the seat next to her in 15B. Finn can’t help but thank his good luck for getting to sit by such a beautiful woman on his way home. After a few drinks, Finn decides he wants to help Olive by giving her a Christmas she’ll never forget and also offers to be her fake boyfriend for the next two weeks. After all, how much baggage can one person have?

If you’re looking for a fun and easy holiday read, look no further, Baggage Claim needs to be at the top of your TBR pile! Baggage Claim is chock full of quick wit, funny banter, and some of the best movie references which kept me constantly laughing. Even though I was consistently filled with Christmas cheer while reading, Smith wove in more serious issues such as low-self worth and unhealthy dieting and exercising, which are possible trigger warnings for some, so I felt the need to mention them specifically. I felt like Smith handled these situations realistically and provided a positive, albite rushed outcome in the end but they still caused my heart ache while reading.

Lastly, Baggage Claim (specifically Finn) constantly gave me that swoony feeling! Finn is our charismatic MMC, with such a fun-loving personality. On top of that, he has the amazing ability to reference “The Grinch” at all the right moments. And just when I thought I couldn’t love him more, he drops one of my favorite quotes from "It’s A Wonderful Life". He really is the perfect fake boyfriend to bring home to your family for the holidays.

Thank you NetGalley and Juliana Smith for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Baggage Claim is such a heartwarming and fun Christmas read! There's love, fake dating, dramaaaa! I loved every part of this book! I just want to hug olive!!! AMAZING.

4.74/5 stars!

Olive has not returned to her hometown of Aspen, CO in years due to a falling out with her sister. During the plane ride to Aspen three years later, she meets Finn, a ski instructor from Aspen. During their drunken plane ride, she lets it slip that she told her parents that she is bringing her boyfriend, except she doesn’t have one. So the next day, Finn shows up to their family dinner pretending to be her boyfriend. Olive agrees to “date” Finn until she returns to Florida after Christmas, but Finn is determined to change her mind.

What I liked:
Finn’s relationship with Olive’s family members
12 Days of Christmas Finn does for Olive
Location (Aspen, CO)
Olive & Finn’s banter (so many actual LOL moments)
Full circle moment at the end
Nicknames Olive & Finn have for each other
Fake dating (usually not my fave trope but this one was so well done)
Dual POV
Reversed grumpy x sunshine
SO many scenes that I just adored

What I didn’t care for:
The instalove (it seemed super rushed to me)
Olive’s eating disorder and how that is talked about
That’s it (winky face)

All likes/dislikes considered, this book received a solid 4.75 stars for me!! I will definitely be adding this to my list of books to buy this winter so I have a physical copy! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes:
Dual POV
Fake dating 👫🏼
Grumpy x Sunshine (except she’s the grump) 😠☀️
He falls first
Hallmark movies
Family drama 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Christmas reads 🎄
Winter sports ⛷

My rating: 4.75/5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.28 stars
Pub date: November 26th

4.5 ⭐️

Tropes:
- fake dating
- reverse grumpy x sunshine

Not having been home in over three years thanks to a blowout with her sister, Olive pregames her arrival a little too hard during her redeye flight back home, and finds herself fake dating Finn who promises to help her with her family and plans to make her fall in love with Christmas all over again. Of course she does, and along the way falls for the sweetheart Finn too!

Baggage Claim was fun and gave off major Hallmark Christmas movie vibes! Such a perfect read to get me in the holiday spirit!

5 stars isn't enough, I need more stars!

THIS BOOOOOOK!!

I received an ARC and I've never been so happy about getting one. This book was everything I needed. I devoured this book up in less than 24 hrs and it'll be a yearly Christmas read for me.

If you love fake-dating, girls the grump, guys the Christmas lover who wants to make his fake girlfriend fall in love with Christmas again, then you need to buy this book.

Finn and Olive were everything you wanted in a book couple. Olive returns to Aspen to visit her Family for Christmas. She hasn't been home in three years after a blow out with her sister. Finn is the attractive guy she meets on the red-eye. After one too many drinks on their flight, Finn offers to be her fake boyfriend during her two week stay. This commensed his 12 Days of Christmas where he would make her fall in love with Christmas again. Not only does she fall in love with Christmas but like any "Hallmark" movie, you know thats not all she falls in love with.

I can't begin to explain how much I loved this book. This was my first book from Julianne Smith and it won't be my last! Now I have to wait until the book is officially out to get the Bonus Epilogue and I am counting down the days!!

This was a very cute and cozy christmas read, fast-paced and easy to read. No spice, only hinting and some flirty remarks, but actually didn’t miss it. The story did not need explicit scenes, I think that would have taken away from the story. I did cry at several pages and laughed out loud at others. It will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling in your stomach and heart while reading. Highly recommend!

Now for some errors that I had in my e-arc, chapter 38 was an exact repeat of 37, only difference was that 38 had Olives name on top, so don’t know if I missed a chapter or not. It also had a couple of spelling mistakes throughout the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Alllllll the Christmas vibes! I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down! Olive returns home to Colorado after leaving abruptly three years ago. Her family was concerned about her happiness so she lied and said she had a fake boyfriend. Enter Finn. Her family falls hard for him and he falls hard for her. I loved the chemistry between Olive and Finn. I also loved that he tried to get through her tough exterior and show her life with love. We learned early on that there was a betrayal by her sister. The only thing that bothered me about this book, was her sisters “apology” of you even call it that. Overall this book was charming and definitely a great holiday read!


📘: Baggage Claim by Juliana Smith
🗓 Pub Date: November 26, 2022

Thank to NetGalley and Juliana Smith for this ARC!

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads. Will review on retail once published!

A swoon worthy location, an airplane meet cute, and she’s the grumpy one and he’s the sunshine??? I loved, loved, LOVED this gem of a book 🎄❤️

I don’t give out 5 star ratings that often but when I do you know that the book ticked all of my boxes. Olive Moore is on her way to her first Christmas at home in three years when she has a meet cute with our charming hero Finn Beckett on the plane to Aspen. Olive has been avoiding returning home to see her family since her falling out with her sister 3 Christmases ago. Olive and Finn have immediate chemistry and after letting it slip that she told her family she was bringing her nonexistent boyfriend with her, Finn offers to be her fake date for the holidays. The plot was so intriguing, it had romance and family drama intertwined as the reason for Olive’s estrangement with her family isn’t revealed until the end. This book also had one of my other favourite things in romance books: a very minor third act breakup. More couples communicating in a healthy fashion to get over any misunderstandings please and thank you!

If you love holiday romances, grumpy heroines, sunshine heroes, and tons of forced proximity, this is the book for you!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

TW for eating disorder and talk about weight and weight loss

I love a good fake dating romance, and at Christmastime!? I wanted to love this book so much, but there were a few too many things stopping it from being a new favorite. First, the heroine has a very bad relationship with her sister that made her leave home years ago and never return. Now she's back and things are super awkward when she's in the same room as her sister and her sister's husband. It is INCREDIBLY obvious from the start what the conflict was, but this awkward relationship is drawn out FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK. And it just kept on making me mad how her family just tells her to get over and be nice to her sister!? I just couldn't get over that part of the plot and it annoyed me the entire time it was kept "a secret."

The heroine also had a bad relationship with food and working out and looking "perfect." She told the hero she worked out for three hours to burn off what they had for a meal. She lost a lot of weight after she moved because she thought she had to be perfect to be loved. This unhealthy relationship with food and body image wasn't really addressed beyond her being okay with the hero seeing her without makeup. I didn't love her problems with self image and how they just didn't end up being addressed.

The fake dating and the romance was cute, but overall there was too much that I just didn't enjoy that took me away from the romance.

So Cute! Fake dating & Christmas?! Say less!

Olive & Finn were meant to be - I loved that he was a cinnamon roll & she was the grump. His nickname for her and all the little details throughout were so cute. His 12 dates was also pretty cute - I want a guy to do that much for me and put in that amount of effort!

I wish we could've seen more of Finn's background instead of just hearing how he was a "one night stand" kind of guy. But I did appreciate the dual POV.

Didn't love the third act breakup as it felt unnecessary, but the drama of the book and the "is it really what I think it is" that played out was interesting.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” ✨

Title: Baggage Claim
Author: Juliana Smith
Pub. Date: November 26, 2022

Y’all… this is going to be one of THE Christmas romcoms to read this year 😌🎄 it’s definitely a
new favorite holiday rom com for me!

I’m a sucker for cute and cheesy romcoms around the holidays, and this book checked off every box for me - & even had some depth to it as well!! It’s filled with all the Christmas vibes 🎄⛸️☕️🎁❄️⛄️

I adored Finn’s nicknames for Olive - little grinch, grinchy 🫠 & their chemistry was 🥵 yeah… this was definitely be a reread for me!!!

Read if you like:
- fake dating 👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻
- guy falls first 🙋🏻‍♂️
- reverse grumpy sunshine ⛅️
- forced proximity 🛏️
- christmas romance 🎄
- set in Colorado 🌲
- skiing ⛷️
- swoon worthy moments 🥰
- family drama 🙄
- dual POV 👥

Rating: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️/5

*thank you to NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was not good, unfortunately. I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review to my blog. I found the writing trite and overwrought. Thank you for the opportunity.