I didn't love or hate The Holiday Mix-Up. It was a cute little Christmas novel. I liked how Katie meshed with Mateo and the family, but I feel like we let Juan off the hook really easily for all he'd done. It was cute! I don't like closed door/no spice romance novels, but it was a sweet book with fun tropes.

My only wish would be more spice, more flow, more accountability for Juan, and for Mateo and Katie to get together sooner!

This was a cute enough story. It wasn't particularly christmassy and could probably be read year round. The "other brother" trope is not my favorite but this was written in a way that it wasn't too bothersome. I did find some of the reactions over the time for the truth that had been revealed, but over all a nice little palate cleanser.

I recently had the pleasure of immersing myself in the delightful world created by Ginny Baird in her novel, "The Holiday Mix-Up," and I extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley for granting me access to an advance reader copy (ARC) of this charming book. Baird's storytelling prowess shines through in this heartwarming tale of mistaken identity, unexpected romance, and the magic of the holiday season.

"The Holiday Mix-Up" follows the endearing journey of its protagonists with a perfect blend of humor, warmth, and festive cheer. Baird's characters are wonderfully portrayed, each with their own quirks and vulnerabilities that add depth to the story. As the plot unfolds, we are swept away into a whirlwind of Christmas magic and romantic misadventures that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

Baird's writing is engaging and immersive, effortlessly capturing the spirit of the holidays and the joy of falling in love. With its enchanting storyline and lovable characters, "The Holiday Mix-Up" is a delightful read that leaves you with a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a heartwarming escape into a world filled with love, laughter, and holiday cheer. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the opportunity to experience this enchanting story before its official release.

Think While You Were Sleeping with a Latino family who owns a winery. Katie, who works as a waitress at a diner, agrees to pretend to date her long time crush, Juan for Christmas so he won't get set up again this year. Immediately after Katie agrees, Juan gets into an accident and remains in a coma in the days leading up to Christmas. Not wanting to break her promise to Juan, Katie continues with the charade that she is Juan's girlfriend. Meanwhile, Juan's family welcomes Katie with open arms and she keeps finding herself in the middle of family gatherings to keep up appearances. Katie wasn’t expecting Mateo, Juan’s younger brother, to have her questioning her feelings about which Martinez brother she really wants.

I really wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short. It was very instalove and borrowed a little too heavily from previous works. It is a cute and clean romance for Christmas, just not a book for me.

This one was a little far fetched, but also delightful!
Katie and Mateo were adorable and the chemistry between them was immediate. I think the best part for me was the relationships between the family. The temptation for Katie at first was the immediate connection to Mateo and Juan's family, something she was missing. I can totally related to that. I also loved the holiday aspect of it.

Very cute.

A fun romantic comedy of a fake dating mix up. I loved the Christmas theme and the fun antics of the main character. Great easy read. Thank you to NetGalley, Ginny Baird and Casablanca Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC! This was such a cute retelling/tribute to While You Were Sleeping! I absolutely loved it, what a heartwarming, perfect holiday read! I highly recommend this!

The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird is a contemporary romance. 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?

The Holiday Mix-Up is a solid read, with a set up that had me intrigued. I thought the set up, and the character ideas and backstories had some great aspects to them. I loved the Martinez family. I liked the interplay between generations, the combination of caring, humor, and irritation between them was realistic and engaging to read. Katie's sweetness did not generally make her a sucker, she stood up for herself when needed, and chose to be kind and do good where she could. I thought the connection between Mateo and Katie felt organic and grew nicely. I like that all characters were a little imperfect, human. Even when I sincerely wanted to kick a character, I ended up feeling a little bad for them as well. Although I still want to kick them a little. I will admit that it did feel a little to sweet and neat for my personal tastes. However, I think the romance here will appeal to many readers and hopefully will turn into a series, or have a follow up to answer any remaining questions about the winery and Juan's future romantic endeavors.

Such a cute, heartwarming holiday romance! I loved the characters and couldn't put the book down! This had a cozy, hallmark feel to it. I love fake dating stories, and this one was so cute! A waitress, Katie Smith, is asked by a diner customer, Juan Martinez, to be his fake girlfriend during his family's holiday festivities. YES!!! Imagine her surprise when it was at a winery! Not going to lie, made me want to have a glass and read by the fireplace! Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

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

FAKE DATING FOR THE FAMILY IS MY FAAAVE IN A HOLIDAY ROMANCE!

Mateo and Katie were seriously adorable and if you like While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock you will absolutely love this movie. I've been trying to incorporate more romances with BIPOC characters and the Martinez family won me over. Definitely include this in your holiday reads because it is worth every second!

This book is about. Katie Smith, who faces spending the holidays alone after losing her last family member. Regular diner patron Juan presents her with an unexpected opportunity to spend Christmas with his family by posing as his fake date. Despite initial hesitation, Katie agrees, hoping their charade could lead to something more. However, a dramatic turn of events occurs when Katie saves Juan from an oncoming van but ends up injured herself. With Juan in a coma and his family believing they were dating, Katie is torn between her feelings for Juan's brother Matteo and her promise to Juan. As she navigates her deceptive act, Katie grapples with her growing feelings and moral dilemma. Set against the backdrop of a close-knit Latin family's holiday celebration, this heartwarming tale explores love, loyalty, and the complexities of relationships.

This book was adorable and the perfect holiday read. I don't believe I had read other books by Ginny Baird but this certainly will not be my last book of hers to read. I loved it. If you love Christmastime and Romance, I don't see why you wouldn't love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review!

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I was really excited to read this since it was described as "While You Were Sleeping meets The Wedding Date with a fun Puerto Rican holiday twist." I love both of those movies but sadly this was a miss for me. I thought Katie's inner dialogue was rather juvenile and I didn't feel the chemistry between she and Mateo at all. I did love the closeness of the Martinez family and thought Abuela was funny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a sweet twist on the classic holiday film "While You Were Sleeping". Set in California rather than Chicago adding the vineyard aspect made for a nice addition. It gave more depth to the Martinez family and the characters overall. It was a fun easy read for the holiday season.

Fake Dating - Check
Coma - Check
Hilarious Holiday Romance - Check

The Holiday Mix-Up is SO GOOD! Go read this right now!!!
5stars!

Such a sweet and funny and heartfelt story. I loved the complicated relationship between Katie and the family when the accident happens. Mateo and Katie’s spark burns bright from their first meet and it’s so well written. A cute, fun and fluffy holiday story. A good read.

A While You Were Sleeping coded romcom you say? Sign me UP

The Holiday Mix-Up was a really delightful, feel good romcom that I would pick up and read again next holiday season.

It made me laugh, tear up, get the warm and fuzzies and most importantly made me crave coquito something FIERCE!

🎄🎄🎄🎄
Thanks Netgalley for an arc!

Quick Summary: A simple and sweet misunderstanding of hearts

My Review: The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird is a feel good standalone about family, legacy, and love.

About the Book: Katie Smith was a kind-hearted waitress who longed for something. She thought she could find that something in Juan Martinez, but she was quite mistaken. The special something she always wanted was found in Juan’s brother, Mateo, and in the entire Martinez family.

Question to Consider: Can an accidental misunderstanding lead to a lasting love?

My Final Say: I absolutely adored this novel. It came across as a retelling of While You Were Sleeping, but it had its own personality. The presented circumstances and characters were similar to the aforementioned yet different, at the same time. Heritage and hearts would be the walk away themes of this story, if I were to sum it up. By the end of the book, several characters had grown or come to some realization of truth.

Other: The writing in this book was clean and effortless. It was uncluttered and I appreciated that. It was funny and wholesome and charming.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status: Clean
Level: 💕

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to this title in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure to read Katie and Mateo’s story.

I found The Holiday Mix-Up to have cute moments, and also a few cringe worthy ones too. It was an easy read over the holidays. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

THanks to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

The Holiday Mix-Up is a cute read about Katie, a waitress at a diner, that is asked to pretend to be the girlfriend of Juan (her crush and diner patron) for his family's Christmas dinner. He makes her promise not to tell them, and then as he's leaving the restaurant and she's chasing after him with his wallet, BAM - he almost gets hit by a van. Luckily, Katie is there and shoves him out of the way just in time. When she wakes up in the hospital, she goes to find him, and discovers he's in a medically induced coma - and his entire family thinks she's his girlfriend. She did promise to not tell them, so she keeps up the ruse over the next few days, not expecting to get completely attached to his family - and his brother.

Ummmm...so I think I would've liked this one a LOT more if I hadn't have seen While You Were Sleeping many moons ago. It's practically the same premise, except the guy never wanted to fake date the girl (Sandra Bullock's character) and she convinces his family (and him when he wakes up) that they're together...but then I think she falls for his brother. Anyway, it's very similar.

That being said, I loved the Martinez family so much. Juan and Mateo's parents are sweet, and his grandma is a hoot with her visions. Titi Mon was also a great character and it made me want a coquito. I think people that never saw that movie will like this one a lot more than I did, but I still enjoyed it well enough!