Reminded me of while you were sleeping. I had a hard time relating to the characters. Overall wholesome holiday story. Three stars.

the wedding date is one of my all time favorite romcoms absolutely beautiful showstopping

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith has nowhere to go for Christmas, and a huge crush on her gorgeous diner patron Juan Martinez. So when Juan asks Katie to pose as his girlfriend for holiday festivities at his family's winery, Katie leaps at the chance…that is, until an accident lands Juan in a coma right after giving his folks the "news." Katie knows she should tell the Martinezes the truth, but when they immediately embrace her, Katie is reluctant to let her fantasy of a family holiday go. And then there's Juan's brother, Mateo, whose smile tugs at her heartstrings just right—and who tells her perfect Juan might not be everything he seems.

Second son Mateo Martinez loves his brother, but Juan's plan to "rebrand and expand" Los Cielos Cellars has cost their family too much and put its entire tradition in jeopardy. Katie seems to understand, but she's still committed to Juan…even when Mateo starts to wish her gentle heart and beautiful smile were committed to him instead. With the winery at stake, secrets on all sides, and Juan due to wake up any day, can Katie and Mateo follow their hearts to a Christmas miracle, or will this mix-up ruin their chances?

(3.5 Stars) Wholesome holiday revision of While You Were Sleeping. Waitress Katie Smith has no place to go for Christmas. When her frequent patron Juan Martinez asks her to pose as his girlfriend for his family festivities she say yes. After letting his family know he is bringing someone home an accident has him in a coma. Katie loves how welcoming the Martinezes are to her but know she should fess up the situation. Juan has made some decisions that put the family winery in period. And Juan’s brother Mateo is an extra complication.

This is about family complications versus heritage and traditions. Of course everything has to be a little be instant feelings as the book takes place in about a weeks time. The story is enjoyable, feel good read. It starts the week before Christmas but really could take place anytime of year. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing this advanced digital copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.**

This presented an enjoyable variation on the "While You Were Sleeping" theme, set against the backdrop of a quaint Californian town. The winery setting added a delightful dimension to the story, almost like an additional character itself. It embodied the ideal small-town Christmas romance, perfect for enthusiasts of Hallmark holiday films.

The concept of pretending to be in a relationship reached new heights as Juan unexpectedly fell into a coma shortly after inviting Katie to pose as his girlfriend for a Christmas gathering with his relatives. During Juan's comatose state, Katie crossed paths with Mateo, and their emotions for each other blossomed genuinely.

No significant events unfolded while Juan remained in a coma, but I must say that I found Juan's attempts to justify his actions regarding the family winery somewhat immature. I found the book a bit sluggish and redundant at times. It seemed that on almost every other page, there was a mention of either Matteo or Katie contemplating, "I can't or shouldn't have feelings for him/her."

Overall, this Christmas romance was quite charming. Those who are fans of the movie will certainly appreciate this reinterpretation of it.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet, wholesome and heartwarming holiday read!! The Holiday Mix-Up is a touch of "While You Were Sleeping" with a fake dating trope and filled with pining, chemistry, humor, love, loneliness, secrets, forgiveness and charming Latino holiday traditions! The story is about the importance of a close, caring and supportive family, family heritage and traditions, and doing the right thing despite what unexpected twists life throws at you. I absolutely loved this book so much!! ❤️🎄🎁☃️❄️🩵

Katie is a waitress at a diner where Juan is a regular customer. When Juan asks her to be his fake girlfriend for his family Christmas Katie agrees because she has been harboring a secret crush on him for months. Could fake turn into real girlfriend? Katie sure hopes so! Subsequently, Juan makes her promise not to tell anyone about their arrangement. However, a twist of fate happens and Juan ends up in a coma right after sharing the news with his family about his girlfriend. Katie knows she should tell the family the truth but remembers she made a promise to Juan. I mean what harm could it cause to play along as his girlfriend for a few days?

Overall, I was completely immersed from start to finish! If you are looking for delightful, cozy holiday read then this is the book for you!✨✨✨✨

The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird is a heartwarming Christmas romance that breathes new life into the classic film While You Were Sleeping. Lonely waitress Katie Smith finds herself in an unexpected arrangement with her diner crush, Juan Martinez, as they pretend to be a couple for the holiday season. But when a twist of fate lands Juan in a coma, Katie is entangled in a web of lies within his close-knit Latino family, and her growing feelings for Juan's brother, Mateo, further complicate matters. Despite some emotional manipulation and third-act conflicts, the book's festive atmosphere, vibrant family dynamics, and the relatable dilemma of choosing between loyalty and love make it a delightful addition to your holiday reading list.

This is such a fun and fantastic read. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book by Ginny Baird - now I need to do a binge read more of her books. So heartwarming, funny and sweet story.

Katie makes Juan a promise she didn’t realize would be so hard to keep. So many events happen that challenge her, make her question her decisions, and make her ask herself if she needs to be truthful.

Juan’s brother and family members make Katie’s decision making very challenging. But they are a wonderful family that is full of love, opinions and tradition.

This was a cute holiday based story! The fake dating trope was taken to a new level when Juan ends up in a coma after just asking Katie to be his fake date for Christmas with his family. While Juan is in a coma, Katie meets Mateo and they have actual real feelings for each other. Nothing happens while Juan is in a coma, but I found Juan to be really immature in trying to defend his actions when it comes to the family winery. Overall, it was cute!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this!
This is "While You Were Sleeping" set at a vineyard and with a waitress. So if you didn't love that movie turn around now: its got the same warm rom-com vibes, with fate bringing Katie (our Sandra Bullock) and Mateo (our Bill Pullman) to life.
This story is very sweet and enjoyable. Following Katie and Mateo's love story was fun and believable, the family was as kooky as needed to be, and the resolution of the holiday mix-up (it does mention it throughout the story a few times, great punny tie to the title) was smooth and quick.
This is not the story if you're looking for something deep: it is just a warm dollop of christmas cheer, nothing more, nothing less.

I love holiday romcoms and this one did not disappoint. I read it in one sitting….the perfect holiday read that I enjoyed in the heat of summer. I look forward to reading more from this author. I loved the Latino vibe. Swoon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARc!

Thanks Ginny Baird and her publisher for an ARC! I think this might be the best holiday romance novel I’ve read all year. I thought the characters were great to connect to and the plot had great pacing. Once I started it, I couldn’t stop reading until I was done, in love with the “fake dating” trope mixed with the “coma and getting to know someone close to that person” trope and how it was handled. The family that welcomed her in felt so alive and warm and I was sad to read the final page, saying goodbye to them. The Holiday Mix Up should definitely been a top holiday book this year and a must read!!

The description of this book gave me high hopes that this would be the perfect holiday book for me. I love While You were Sleeping! And I really really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me. The storyline was cute, but the characters were so childish and DID NOT listen to each other. It was overly cutesy which is fine in a Holiday Romcom, but it just felt forced in the book. If you love hallmark movies, I have a feeling this is the holiday book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an eARC of this book.

I love a good romance, and this one was wonderful! It had witty banter, and lovable characters. I was rooting for them the whole way through!

Lonely-hearted waitress Katie Smith plans to spend Christmas alone until one of the patrons at her diner job asks her to be his fake girlfriend for his family festivities. Of course, there's an accident, and Juan ends up in a coma right after he tells his family about Katie. Things get awkward when Juan's brother Mateo starts to want her, too. While You Were Sleeping, Feliz Navidad style. ❤️😂

I loved Katie and her conundrum and her awkwardness. This was fun and lighthearted. Loved the Latin vibe to this one! Definitely a fun Christmas read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Katie Smith has walled off her heart since she lost her parents. If you don't let love in, you can't be hurt. Juan Martinez is the family's golden child. He has skated through life and now his Abuela and Titi Mon are all about finding him the perfect woman to settle down with. The perfect solution, bring Katie who works at the dinner that he goes into every day. What could possibly go wrong. Juan ends up in a coma, Abuela is having visions, Titi Mon is making rum drinks and Mateo is falling in love with Katie. By the time the truth comes out, everything is shattered. A lady at the soup kitchen has a rosary just like Abuela telling Katie its Christmas, its never to late. Love at Christmas conquers all.

I think I just finished reading one of the most adorable Christmas stories, ever! My Christmas-loving heart is so full right now.

Katie is a sweet, kind and compassionate heroine who agrees to pretend to be her frequent customer, Juan's, girlfriend at Christmas dinner. Unbeknownst to Juan, she's got a little crush on him. Unfortunately, before that dinner materializes, Juan is in a car accident, and almost immediately falls into a coma.

When Katie meets Juan's family, they believe his lie about her being his girlfriend. This leaves Katie with no option but to pretend to be his girlfriend until he wakes up. Not too bad, right? Just a harmless ruse to keep their spirits up?

It's all good and fine until she meets his brother, Matteo. Matteo is the polar opposite of Juan. Hardworking and honest, he would never even think about doing anything to hurt his family... Until he meets Katie.

Their chemistry is absolutely incredible. I smiled when reading every single one of their interactions. Neither of them understands the pull towards the other. How can Katie's heart beat faster whenever she's around the brother of the guy that she's supposed to be crushing on? How can Matteo have such strong feelings for his brother's girlfriend? It doesn't help that they're two of the most selfless people ever, so neither of them is going to make a move that could hurt the Martinez family.

I absolutely loved how the family welcomes Katie and takes to her like she's one of their own. Despite their brewing attraction, Matteo is touched by how well she fits in with his family. Their relationships are what rom-com dreams are made of!

Unfortunately, I found Juan to be incredibly selfish, especially after learning about what he did to the winery, moreso after he explains his reasoning for it. He's the older brother, he should've known better.

The reason that this story doesn't get 5 ⭐️ is because of how abrupt the ending is. I get that there's an epilogue with a future-take, but we barely get to see Matteo and Katie together. It's almost as if the build-up just combusts in the last few pages.

3.5 ⭐️

Mateo, the gentleman that you are, I love you! I loved that we saw Mateo slowly fall in live with Katie even though he believed that she was his brothers girlfriend. He was always careful to not cross any boundaries. Katie, Miss Girl, if I had a crush on someone and we had conversations that solely revolved about themselves, then they ain’t my crush anymore. I was so happy how the Martinez family and Titi Mon all welcomed Katie into the family. I knew from the beginning when Abuela mentioned seeing Katie in her wedding dress that it wouldn’t be with Juan though. I’m glad that Juan recovered but if the accident hadn’t happened we wouldn’t have gotten Mateo and Katie who are the ones that ultimately belong together. It made me laugh how the whole Martinez family was trying to set-up Katie with Mateo after finding out about Juan’s betrayal.

The Holiday Mixup was a fun read and will be even better around Christmas! The premise of this book drew me in — I love a fake dating story, but it’s even more interesting when the main character falls for someone other than the person she’s fake dating. This book was easy to read, though I still would’ve liked a little bit of a longer time period than a week for all of the events to happen. But it’s Christmas themed, so it’s okay to suspend disbelief a little!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Katie is asked by a crush to spend the holidays with his family. The more time she spends with his family, the greater her love grows for them. This was a quick read.