When Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Eid celebration ending Ramadan all align with a snowstorm, travel becomes much more difficult for Anna Gibson, Maryam Aziz, and Maryam's family, all of whom are flying from Denver to Toronto for the holidays. Anna intends to meet up with her boyfriend for a round of high society holiday events, while Maryam and her family are heading toward a quickly-planned wedding between Maryam's sister Saima and her fiance. The weather, however, has other plans and diverts their flight to the small town of Snow Falls, where a Hollywood crew is filming a family-friendly Christmas movie. When the continuing snow and impassable roads keep them locked into this holiday haven, new friends are made, life plans are reassessed, and love... finds a way.

I know it's super early in the year, but I think this will end up as my favorite holiday romance for 2023! The writing team of Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley brings a wonderfully diverse celebration of all the winter holidays. The plot gives Hallmark vibes, but the town of Snow Falls is a dream town where many religions and cultures live together in harmony and mutual support. (For example, the Aziz family can break their daily Ramadan fasting with takeout from one of three halal Hakka Chinese restaurants, with desserts from a Turkish coffeehouse.)

Anna initially comes across as a little clueless and weak-willed, but she quickly shows her kindness and openness (including being open to correction) as well as her strength in standing up for herself, and she becomes friends with Maryam and her family. Maryam has a history of putting her own needs behind those of her family, and her frustration and resentment bubble to the surface over this trip. But she, too, learns to identify what she wants and to stand up for herself with her family. And the two of them find romantic partners who support them and their dreams without pressuring the women into hasty relationships.

Granted, the book is set in 2000, when the three holidays last converged, and the 2023 zeitgeist of diversity and multicultural representation might be jarring to those who want to stick to the 2000 date. But this is fiction, and the beauty of a romance like this is that it shows us all how we can become our best possible selves -- not just as romantic partners who practice good and honest communication, but as friends, families, neighbors, and communities who can make space for each other and our individual differences. This is the holiday romance I want to see, where all religions have room to co-exist peacefully and supportively and joyfully.

Thank you, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

"Three Holidays and a Wedding"
by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

I've never read a book like this before. It was like a Hallmark movie on crack, but in the best way!

The co-authors did a fantastic job giving 3 different holidays equal time and making them understandable for those who aren't familiar. It made me appreciate Ramadan especially as that was the holiday I'm least familiar with. So many interesting traditions, explained well throughout the book, gave me a clearer understanding.

I think all the characters were well written and perfectly placed in their stories. Even the secondary characters held up and each had an impact you could feel.

This book would be so much fun to see as a movie. There's so much depth to the story and the characters that would be lovely to see with my eyes instead of only imagining in my head.

I would definitely recommend this book for holiday lovers and for those who can appreciate the little bits of basic you can find in unknown places.

This wonderfully festive holiday confection is such a delightful treat. I loved the idyllic small town of Snow Falls and all of its holiday hijinks. Heroines Maryam and Anna are lovable and charming, though I think Maryam's story is really the heart of the book. We've hesitated to choose a contemporary holiday rom-com for A Bookish Affair, but a few chapters into Three Holidays and A Wedding, I knew we had our December 2023 pick! I can't wait to share it with the rest of the club.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

We have an opening of "Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!" followed by an exposition overload about people I don't yet know or have reason to care about. Stopped at only 2%.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I adored this book! I loved that it had all of these holidays colliding.
I loved Anna and Maryam and their friendship that developed.
The town of Snow Falls is a place where I want to go live!
A fun holiday book, that has a little bit of everything for everyone.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

loved this so much! it was a very nice and cosy read and i basically have no complaints about it! i enjoyed reading both maryam's and anna's povs and seeing how their friendship developed. the atmosphere the writers was absolutely delightful and i just flew through the chapters. i definitely recommend it as the perfect holiday read if you are looking for something quick and relaxing.

arc provided by netgalley and penguin group putnam in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a cozy read! I enjoyed the multi faith aspect and it me excited for the holidays! I thought the characters and details were also well fleshed out.