Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super cute read if you're looking for a hallmark type romance book. It was pretty surface level (no spice, fall in love quick, predictable) and that's not my favorite, but it was still enjoyable. This was a sweet Christmas romance that had lots of different family characters with a lot of personalities. I felt like each character had their own charm about them. The plot was cute enough and kept me entertained. Overall it was a cute read, but not something I would go back to and read again.

Katie is a waitress in a restaurant where Juan comes in almost every day. She's had a crush on him for a while. When he asks her to be his pretend girlfriend at his family's Christmas dinner, she agrees. He says that she can't tell anyone that it's fake. He forgets his wallet so she chases after him. He's about to get run over since he's texting and walking. She pushes him out of the way but he hits his head. They both end up in the hospital but he's put into a medical coma. When his family comes, they find out that she's the Katie that Juan had texted that he's started dating. They take her in as a member of their family. She wants to correct their misunderstanding but she remembers that Juan wants it kept a secret. When she meets Juan's brother, Matteo, she has an instant attraction to him and he does to her but they resist because of Juan. More problems arise the longer the misunderstanding goes on but Katie can't correct it until Juan is better. The family's winery is in trouble because of things that Juan did without telling the family. Will the family lose their winery? What will Katie and Matteo do about their attraction? I really liked this story and all the feelings it brought out for me. I received an early copy from Netgalley. I'm leaving my honest review.

"The Holiday Mix-Up" by Ginny Baird is undeniably one of the best romance novels I've ever read. Its heartfelt narrative and well-crafted characters resonated deeply with me. I'm excited to wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone I know, as it's a perfect blend of heartwarming romance and holiday magic. Ginny Baird's storytelling prowess shines through, creating an unforgettable reading experience that I'll cherish. "The Holiday Mix-Up" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a charming and emotionally satisfying romance.

A very funny and heart-warming holiday tale! Even the side characters get you invested! A great cozy read with a lot of humor

Clean romance - not a problem, just not my usual. Very cute story. Very similar to While you were sleeping.

Katie and Mateo were a fun couple to follow.

A most worthwhile holiday read for all who believe in happily ever afters!

》The Leads《

Katie was so sweet— such a kind, innocent, generous soul who suffered much in her life, but whose smiles never ceased to brighten the lives of those around her. She’s completely smitten with diner regular Juan, but when the universe throws her for loop, and in near proximity to his brother Mateo, Katie starts to recognize the fluttering feelings of a idealized crush don't quite hit the depths of falling in love that rings real. I loved how hard she tried please everyone yet selfishly decided to take something for herself: the feeling of being with a family during what is usually a very lonely holiday season. It’s a selfishness I most supported for her. As she got to know Juan’s family, she also got to know his younger brother Mateo— and the sparks were immediate, with all the potential for lasting. It was so easy to root for Katie.

Mateo was a fantastic co-lead. Trying hard to balance his effort to save his family’s winery, whilst also secretly wishing to uphold his own dreams. Dreams Katie encourages him to never lose. Her presence is radiant sunshine and he can’t help but soak it in, especially after so long in being in his brother’s shadows. Mateo is pragmatic on the outside but a total romantic on the inside, and that made him so much fun to watch as he couldn’t help but fall in love with Katie.

》The Romance《

Needless to say, the romance was so sweet and lovely! It is closed doors, so it’s all very chaste. As someone who almost exclusively reads romances with all the different levels of spice, I have to say I quite liked the change in pace. I didn’t miss the smut scenes. The romance doesn’t span the beginning, middle, and ending, rather it focuses on the falling-in-love part. In that beginning stage and its potential to make the distance. You will absolutely want it to make that distance too!

》The Cast《

The supporting cast fill this story out gorgeously! I adored getting to know Mateo’s family alongside Katie. Their lively, individual personalities brought so much color and life to the page.

》The Inspiration《

If I have any nitpick, and it’s quite minor, it’s ironically the very thing that drew me to this book: it’s inspiration from the movie While We Were Sleeping. One of my all-time favorite films, I watch it every single holiday season. It’s just it for me! So when I read it’s inspired by the film, I was all in. What I didn’t think would happen was seeing how much it inspiration was drawn from the film. Names, setting, occupations may change but the heart of many of the characters is very similar to those in the movie. It’s so familiar to the film that if you also know the movie you can predict how the story will unfold, from main to subplots. And yet…and yet, I ended up being okay with this after an initial pause.

The movie is cherished treasure for me, and even if nothing surprised me in the book, I still was able to easily suspend my belief that two people can fall in love in under week. In fact, I readily believed it, I swooned through every interaction Katie and Mateo had. They were beautiful together.

》The Best Holiday Story《

When it comes to my reading of holiday books, it has been a very mixed-to-negative bag. More often than not I leave disappointed, this is the first time I read a holiday story and leave with a giant smile, and feeling like I just received the greatest, warmest hug. It’s absolutely the best one I’ve read so far, and I hope my lucky streak continues! So happy I had the opportunity to read this warm hug of a holiday romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBook Casablanca for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Holiday Mix Up is a cute holiday twist on While You Were Sleeping.

Waitress, Katie, hasn’t celebrated Christmas with family in years. When Juan, one of her regular customers who she has a secret crush on asks her to join his family for Christmas Eve dinner as his pretend date, she agrees. But Juan is involved in an accident and is hospitalized shortly after telling his family Katie will be joining them. The Martinezes are so excited Juan is bringing a woman home, that they invite her into all of their family holiday activities while Juan is in the hospital.

Katie is reluctant at first, knowing she should tell them the truth, but doesn’t want to lose out on the family she has longed for. And spending time with Juan’s brother, Mateo, has Katie wondering which brother she actually has a crush on.

The family also discovers that Juan secretly acted on plans to rebrand and expand the family winery, and his actions may actually put them out of business. Will they be able to save the family winery and will Katie and Mateo find Christmas love?

This was a cute and quick holiday read. It did feel a bit repetitive at times, and seemed like it covered a period of longer than a week. Mateo and Katie’s romance was cute, and really only built up to a few kisses. It was an enjoyable feel good read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC!

A heartwarming and sweet retelling of Bullock and Pullman’s “While You Were Sleeping” infused with Latino charm and festive Christmas vibes – this book is a brilliant choice for your holiday reading list!

Meet Katie Smith, a young woman who finds herself alone during the holidays after losing her last remaining family member. She works at a diner, preparing for a solitary Christmas until Juan, a regular patron she's been secretly crushing on, presents her with an unexpected opportunity. Juan not only invites her to spend Christmas with his family but also proposes that she pose as his fake date.

While Katie initially grapples with the idea of being merely a pretend companion to the man of her dreams, she contemplates the potential for their charade to blossom into something more intimate. Not wanting to let this chance slip away and keen to avoid spending the holiday alone, Katie agrees, taking up the cause of helping Juan fend off the persistent matchmaking attempts of his abuela.

Before parting ways, Juan makes Katie promise to keep their arrangement a secret from his family, and she obliges. However, fate takes a dramatic turn when Juan forgets his wallet and Katie follows him out of the diner. In a shocking twist, she witnesses a white van speeding towards him while he's engrossed in his phone. In an act of bravery, she rushes to his aid, pushing him out of harm's way but sustaining injuries herself in the process.

When Katie regains consciousness, she learns that Juan has suffered a severe head injury and is in a medically induced coma. To make matters more complicated, he had already informed his family that they were dating. Katie is now bound by the promise she made to Juan before the accident – a promise to keep their fake relationship under wraps. As she navigates the web of lies, she finds herself attending the Martinez family's holiday celebration, all the while deeply concerned about Juan's well-being. However, her worries don't end there; she also discovers herself developing feelings for Juan's younger brother, Matteo, who has aspirations beyond the family wine business Juan is set to inherit.

Amidst the backdrop of palpable attraction and intricate emotional entanglements, Katie carries the weight of her deceptive act. She grapples with her feelings for both brothers while wrestling with her moral dilemma – is she falling for the wrong sibling?

In summary, this book proved to be an immensely enjoyable and heartwarming holiday read. The author's skillful portrayal of a close-knit Latin family and their vibrant traditions adds depth to the story. If you're in the mood for a delightful, feel-good Christmas tale, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

When I heard that this was a retelling of <i>While You Were Sleeping</i>, let me tell you, I was beyond excited!

Like in the movie, the main character likes a guy from afar and is shocked when he asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend for Christmas dinner to fend off his family’s aggressive matchmaking. Also like the movie, the main character saves him after an accident but he ends up in a coma. She spends the week leading up to Christmas bonding with his family, including the cute brother of the guy in the coma.

I loved all the Christmassy elements of the story! Tree trimming, cookies, I was there for it all!

However, I found the book to be a little slow and repetitive in spots. It seemed like every other page there was a reference to either Matteo or Katie thinking “I can’t/shouldn’t like him/her.”

This was a cute Christmas romance though. Fans of the movie will enjoy this retelling of it.

This proved to be a delightful and spirited Christmas narrative. Katie, a diner waitress, finds herself in an enchanting predicament when Juan, a familiar patron she secretly fancies, proposes that she assume the role of his faux girlfriend for the family's yuletide celebration. Intrigued, she seizes the opportunity, intending to forge a deeper connection. However, a twist of fate intervenes when Juan is involved in an accident, plunging into a coma. Thus begins Katie's unexpected journey, acquainting her with Juan's kin, who firmly believe she's the genuine girlfriend, and fostering an unexpected bond with his brother, Mateo.

The dynamic shared between Katie and Mateo radiates a charming blend of endearing moments and awkward exchanges, both grappling with the magnetic pull between them, even as they stubbornly deny it. Their undeniable chemistry defies their self-imposed restraint, a palpable connection that persists in the face of their denial. It's only logical that they would continually affirm the impossibility of their mutual attraction, given Katie's supposed affections for Mateo's brother. Their reticence is rooted in their shared apprehension of causing pain to Juan and his family.

For the most part, I relished this book's narrative; however, there existed a minor aspect that gave me pause. The repeated exploitation of Juan's coma as a means to coax Katie into spending time with his family struck me as somewhat unjust. While I empathize with their loneliness and concern, this tactic seemed inequitable to Katie, already navigating a complex circumstance. Similarly, my appreciation was slightly dimmed by Mateo's initial reaction upon discovering the truth about Katie's relationship with Juan. A greater level of trust in Katie, given her sincere efforts to maintain honesty, would have been more fitting.

To summarize, this was a heartwarming and snug tale that flawlessly enveloped me in the holiday spirit.

The Holiday Mix-Up is a spin on the movie While You Were Sleeping. It takes place in California wine country in the week leading up to Christmas.

Katie is a waitress at the local diner with a crush on regular customer Juan. She's alone in the world, with no family and no resources for travel or education. When Juan proposes that she pretend to be his girlfriend at his family's Christmas dinner, she jumps at the chance to participate in a family celebration and to get to know him better. Juan wants to avoid matchmaking efforts by his godmother. Immediately after making the deal, Juan is hospitalized in a coma following an accident. When Katie shows up, the Martinez family believes that she is Juan's girlfriend and begins to include her in all the holiday traditions. Those events include Juan's brother, Matteo. Of course, Matteo and Katie develop immediate chemistry.

The comedy in this romcom focuses on the imaginary triangle between Katie, Juan and Matteo. As Katie and Matteo get to know each other better, both learn that they share similar values of work, family, and community.

Owners of Los Cielos Cellars, the Martinez family has a proud history based in Mexico and Puerto Rico. This story is differentiated and flavored with Latino culture and a multi-generation family at the heart of the action. (I loved Abuela and her visions!)

Challenges with the family winery are a key theme and it was interesting to learn more about the business of wine.

This is a very chaste romance with only a few kisses.

Even though the entire story takes place in only a week, at times the pacing felt slow.

Special thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley.com for sharing an advance copy. This is an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: The Holiday Mix-Up by @Romance Author Ginny Baird 🎄

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @Sourcebooks Fiction for the chance to read and review this book I LOVED IT such an adorable cute holiday romance!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

I’ll be honest, the idea of reading another holiday romance, especially on the heels of one which was a bit of a letdown, wasn’t exactly high on my to-do list. However, I picked up THE HOLIDAY MIX-UP anyway and I’m so glad I did.

Modeled after WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, the book follows Katie, a diner waitress with no family, who agrees to be the fake girlfriend of a handsome customer named Juan who hopes that bringing a girlfriend along to Christmas dinner will deter his family from setting him up with another eligible woman. If you‘ve seen the classic Sandra Bullock movie, you know what happens next—Juan is involved in an accident that puts him in a coma, leading his family to assume that Katie is an important person in his life and they, in turn, welcome a stranger into their lives. Meanwhile, Katie is thrown together often with Juan’s brother Mateo and soon has to figure out not only which brother she wants, but how to remain a part of the family she has fallen for.

Though at points THE HOLIDAY MIX-UP seemed a bit repetitive and therefore longer than it probably needed to be, there was a lot to love, like the dynamic between the family members and the blossoming romance between Katie and a certain Martinez brother. I also really enjoyed the winery setting and how even though the dreams of the characters ended up changing from what they were originally, it didn’t feel as if those characters were giving up anything in order to do the “right thing.” And while the novel is set at Christmas time, I think it could be enjoyed year-round.

3.75 ⭐️s

It was really cute and it reminded me too much of a mash up of While You Were Sleeping and A Very Merry Mix-up! Two of my favorite rom-coms!

This book is everything I want in a sweet holiday romance. Katie is a lonely waitress who agrees to be a fake girlfriend for one night… but when an accident leaves her “boyfriend” in a coma, things get complicated. In this story you get some family meddling, mutual pining, forbidden romance, and so much laughter. I loved all of the sweet holiday moments with this fun family. A light-hearted and fun read for the holiday season!

Oh my, I LOVED this book. While You Were Sleeping with a touch of fake dating thrown in makes for a great plot.

Our heroine Katie gets a proposition from her crush Juan: come to his family home for Christmas as his fake girlfriend. She accepts and then the bottom falls out when she and Juan are involved in an accident. Juan falls into a coma, and his family believe Katie is his girlfriend. His younger brother Mateo fits into the equation as the love interest of the novel, and I adored them together. The whole family was very fun to read about, and I couldn’t wait to read how everything would turn out.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute, lighthearted Christmas read. Katie is a waitress at a diner, and Juan, one of her regular customers, asks her to be his fake girlfriend for his family Christmas. Almost immediately after agreeing, Juan is involved in an accident and placed in a medically induced coma—prognosis good, but going to be out of it for a few days. In the meantime, Katie gets drawn into his family with them all believing she’s his girlfriend and finds herself getting closer to his brother, Mateo.

The scenes between Katie and Mateo were sweet and awkward in a cute way as they both tried to avoid their feelings toward each other. Their connection was obvious even when they didn’t want it to be. One of the rare times the “he/she doesn’t feel the same way about me, I need to move on” repetition makes sense because she’s supposed to let the family believe she’s dating his brother. The denial of feelings is easier than embracing the idea of betraying family.

I know this was meant to be lighthearted and I mostly allowed it be that, but there was still one element that managed to break through and bug me a little bit. It was the way Juan’s family constantly emotionally manipulated Katie using their comatose son/grandson to guilt her into coming around whenever she tried to stay away. I know it was for the sake of the story and to put her and Mateo into situations together, but it bothered me how often they did it. Also a bit annoyed by the third act conflict and Mateo’s reaction in the hospital because out of everyone, Katie had tried to be honest with him.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read to get into the holiday spirit.

It is truly like While You Were Sleeping meets The Wedding Date meets The Family Stone -- with more diversity. Yes, the diversity is a great way to modernize the story, it is still basically verbatim the same plotline. That being said, on its own it is still full of compelling language. I found the book, told in dual perspectives, could totally draw me in thanks to the writing style/language and the storylines.

When waitress Katie Smith gets asked to be her favorite patron's fake girlfriend for the holidays, she jumps at the opportunity to spend time with Juan. Things go a bit south when Juan falls into a coma, and instead of coming clean she continues the charade. Things get even further messed up when she starts falling for Juan's brother Mateo.

The Holiday Mix-Up is a fun twist on the movie While You Were Sleeping, and while a bet heavier than expected was really heartwarming!

This was such a well written book. It might be a bit heavy for a Christmas rom-com, but it is so heart warming with wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the chance to read an early copy. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~