This is Hallmark vibes- but on steroids. I don't mean it in a bad way- I love the holiday feels but when so many POV's get added.. I feel lost while reading. For someone with ADHD it's hard to keep up when POV's change. I love the representation throughout the story, I feel that it's so important especially as someone who doesn't see their culture/religion represented enough. I went into this with such HIGH hopes and it fell sort of flat.

I enjoyed this very much! It was fun to read about all the Holidays coming together and the different celebrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This one started off pretty stressful. But I tend to be a stressed traveler and one of the characters was really having all the worst luck. Luckily my husband has taken over all the planning and our schedule on travel days so I don’t flip out and ruin everyone's day lol. But even though the weather was bad and they were diverted to a small Christmas town it was delightful.
Loved the family dynamics, found family and new romances. This was set when Christmas, Ramadan and Hanukkah were during the same week or at least very close together. Loved the detail and inclusion of all the holidays tradition and practices.
But also very lighthearted with a Hallmark type movie being shot nearby.

I thought it was a cute holiday book. I enjoyed learning about all three holidays the most. Snow Falls seemed a bit far-fetched but I loved how everybody stranded there became a family.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book was Nick and Saima’s attitudes. Saima made me really mad throughout the story.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to readers for the holidays!

Maryam and Anna are two women from Denver just trying to get to Toronto for the holidays. They meet as seatmates on the plane, which strands them in a small town near Ottowa after it makes an emergency landing due to a mega-blizzard. This is the blizzardiest blizzard that has ever blizzard as it strands them in this quaint, perfect, ethnically diverse town for almost a week. This down has a ton of diversity, but apparently zero snow plows. While the two women are seemingly vastly different with differing religions, ethnicities, races, and family structure, they share a great deal in common in that they are both super unhappy and unfulfilled in life and are both surrounded by inflexible, selfish adult toddlers who expect them to be able to fix the weather. Hot take- that is impossible.

The book takes place in 2000, when Ramadan, Christmas, and Hanukkah occur all at the same time. Maryam and her family are in the midst of Ramadan as they head to Toronto for her sister’s (who is a bit of an asshole) wedding. Anna is going to Toronto to spend Christmas with her boyfriend’s (who is a lot of an asshole) family. Both women use their time stranded in the little town to fix their shit and fall in love. Anna perhaps moves on from her shitty BF a little fast but he sucks so she’s forgiven.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved the two women’s stories and found friendship. I loved that Ramadan was the main holiday- I learned so much! It’s so nice to see diversity in romance books. The story itself dragged for me in the second half and there is zero smut. If you are looking for a low smut, nice holiday romance that focuses on other holidays- this is the book for you.

Smut- 0.5 stars
Romance- 4.1 stars
Story- 3.8 stars
Having a weather travel delay that lasts 6 days- neg 13 stars

Three Holidays and a Wedding
Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley, 2023
New Release! A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for the purpose of review.

I joke sometimes about how modern romance novels of a certain type are more movie pitches than books. This one definitely started out that way, but by the end, it was at least a corny movie I think I'd enjoy. I guess the authors know what they're doing there, both have had projects optioned for film or TV according to the bios in the back.

In the first chapter, we meet Anna. Anna is ready for her perfect Christmas with her boyfriend's perfect family, she has to be. Otherwise her perfect boyfriend's perfect family won't be happy if everything doesn't go perfectly.

If you guessed that Anna's boyfriend is like a parody of "the guy who is bad for our heroine," you'd be right. But after a whole scene of me wincing at everything he says, he leaves ahead of her because she has to complete a work project (to keep the job she hates in order to keep up the facade of her perfect life) before she can catch her flight to Toronto for Christmas.

Meanwhile, we meet our second main character. Maryam is shepherding her whole family toward her sister's 12/26 wedding in Toronto and she's stressed beyond belief.

Maryam and Anna end up sitting together on the plane and unexpectedly bond when some frightening turbulence shakes something loose in both women, causing them to reassess whether they're really happy with the way their lives are going. A major storm redirects the plane and everyone on board is stranded in a tiny Canadian town which is apparently a ridiculous multi-cultural melting pot because it's built around the Christmas film industry and film people be like that and Canadians are all nice and wonderful people. It's all very silly and sugary. We can move on.

While stranded, the two women each strike up new romances: Anna with a mysterious charming stranger who turns out to be a movie star and Maryam with her childhood crush who was attending her sister's wedding. Wait, you didn't think this was an LGBT book, did you? Nope, this is a Hallmark-ready story about two women who rediscover themselves with new boyfriends that also features a token lesbian couple as very minor characters.

Maryam's romance feels a lot more real, not just because she and Saif have known each other a long time, but because their characters feel more like real people than Anna and Josh. While both new beaus are fantasy-land perfect for our girls, Saif is perfect because he's patient and kind and understands Maryam's role in her family and her struggles, while Josh is perfect because he just wants to be with someone "real." So both Anna's love interests are ridiculous caricatures.

Anywho, why is the title "Three Holidays and a Wedding"? The book is set very specifically in the year 2000 (although establishing this fact seems to be relegated to a few jokes for the audience and otherwise ignored) because that was the year that Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan overlapped.

Maryam, Saif, and her whole family are fasting and preparing for Eid, which complicates the whole "being stranded" thing. They're also missing the lead up to her sister's wedding, which should be a big, Bollywood-style affair for this Pakistani family. Anna is struggling with the holidays because although she loves Christmas, she also used to celebrate Hannukah with her stepmom, and she's been feeling bereft since her father's passing a few years prior. Christmas is actually the least important holiday for any of the major characters, even as it's important for the setting and the other people in the town.

All ends well for all our leads of course, Maryam and Anna together even manage to save the sister's wedding and put on an event for the town on a ludicrously short timetable (montages to the rescue?)

By the end, I thought this book was nothing brilliant, but very sweet and silly with a few welcome moments of actual poignancy. Like I said at the start, not a bad choice for a movie.

This book was a caricature of cliches. I was really excited about the diverse representation, especially in a holiday romance. But everything felt so surface level or ridiculous it was hard to really get into it.

The writing wasn’t particularly good or captivating (it felt very 2000s fan fic and not in a good way) and the characters were lacking development. I really wanted to like it. And there were moments I thought I would, moments I connected with a character (really only Farrah and Dadu), but then something else shifted the tone back. Another reviewer said “it was set in the year 2000 but had absolutely no reason to be.” I couldn’t agree more. I read that this is the time when the three holidays actually coincided, but I feel like that’s a strange reality anchor when everything else was so unbelievable. Instead it felt like it was set in this timeline to capture millennials with nostalgia, but it didn’t work for me because it felt so disconnected from actually appreciating the era. Instead it threw in random 2000s tidbits and hoped they stirred some nostalgic feelings.

I really liked the friendship that develops between Maryam and Anna. But otherwise this book just tried too hard and created a setting that was too unbelievable (the most diverse small town in Canada during a snowstorm so bad no planes could fly, but a movie could be filmed and people could wander safely around town).

2.5 rounding down to a 2.

Thank you to Putnam/Penguin Group for the review copy of this title. This review contains some spoilers for the book.

I found many aspects of this novel to be very special. It is so important to incorporate different representations of cultural holidays in a holiday market that predominantly focuses on Christmas. I appreciated the nuanced discussions of the universal experience of feeling confined and pressured by family and friends' expectations for your life, and how those expectations are rooted in cultural norms and expectations. As a daughter of immigrant parents, I deeply related to that through line.

This being said, I did find some of the characters and plot points too be too caricature and contrived. For example, Anna's boyfriend Nick and his family were too stereotypically snooty, rich upperclass with completely unreasonable demands during this snowstorm. Anna's tension would have honestly been more impactful if they were actually a nice, "perfect" family but just not for her. Similarly, Marayam's sister prompting the wedding to be quickly *for* Marayam's "benefit" of getting her mind off her divorce would have been more impactful if her sister did not "see" the burdens she was placing.

Then on the other side of it, resolutions came too quickly. Intercultural understanding was easily achieved after a singular conversation, when many times these conversations take many trials and errors and navigating hurt feelings from mistakes. The Snow Falls community also existing in a remote location but surprisingly familiar and accepting of this blend of cultures and experiences. Both Anna and Marayam's storylines wrapping up too neatly takes away from the very real tensions that posed the plot motivation. I think many books can be successful if they live in the "ideal world" and provide a representation of what could be. I do not know this book benefits from that, as there were many great discussions of the nuances and difficulties. It almost tried to do both but would have served better to lean into one or the other.

Three holidays overlap and it leads to new directions for Maryam and Anna.

I feel like this should’ve been two separate books. I don’t feel like we really needed Maryam and Anna together or talking/friends to make their individual plots advance.

great for hallmark fans and those looking for a warm and fuzzy holiday read. i was interested in the premise of this one, but the writing didn't work for me. it went over great at book club, though, so it's found its audience!

While a bit predictable and unrealistic, I found the story very sweet and the town very charming. If you suspend reality for awhile and just enjoy escaping into a fantasy world, as we all should at times, this is a great choice. I enjoyed learning about the different three holidays and the traditions different from my own. Overall, a sweet multi-love story full of wholesome characters.

This was a sweet holiday romance and I absolutely loved the concept of incorporating three major religious holidays together. I particularly appreciated that one of the authors was Muslim and could represent that aspect of it. Unfortunately, the plot was not super engaging for me. I think it lacked stakes… it just didn’t move along very quickly because there was not enough happening.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Penguin Group Putnam for the gifted book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Multiple pov, snowed in, small town

I struggled with this one. It's okay that it was unbelievable because many sappy Christmas/holiday stories are. However, the main characters were unlikable. If they were less of doormats, it might have been better. The timeline was also random, and many things were inaccurate. It kept my attention. You may love it.

This is a cute story, Ramadan, Hannukah, and Christmas fall at the same time, people of all beliefs get stranded in a small town in Canada. It's cute, heart wrenching, and full of hope. Thank you for the opportunity to review this.

I like that it follows Christmas, Ramadan and Hanukkah and a wedding, I love that it has multi stories, that shows even though we are all on different paths we some how still cross path with others on their path with others. made for a good read, great holiday reads. feels like a Hallmark small town / road trip holiday romcom movie

Three Holidays and a Wedding has to be one of my new favorite holiday romances I have read. I loved the two main characters - Maryam and Anna - and the unlikely friendship they formed. The plot of this book felt like a Hallmark movie but it was executed in a way that I absolutely adored. I found the characters to be very relatable as they were grappling with feeling a bit lost in their lives. I think that is something a lot of people in their 20s can relate to! I enjoyed that this book explores family dynamics, grief, friendship, love and following your dreams. The exploration of different holidays in this book was also a unique aspect that you don’t see in many holiday books. I personally celebrate Christmas & I really enjoyed learning about holidays that weren’t my own. Overall, this book felt very magical and sweet and I loved it.

A solid 3.5 ⭐️. Surprisingly sweet and a refreshing take on the story. Strong Hallmark vibes. Ran longer than necessary IMO.

If you love the Hallmark Channel holiday movies, this book is definitely for you!

I have to say that even though it was a cute holiday book and I learned a lot from Hanukkah and Ramadan I was extremely confused at the beginning. And I think the reason of my confusion, started with me not being able to connect with the main characters at the beginning (I didn't do it until way into the book).

It was too “Hallmark” movie for me, which means you knew what was going to be the end of the book and therefore I wasn’t anticipating anything from it.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC project n exchange of my honest opinion.

This is a sweet holiday romance about a group of people trapped in a hotel after their plane had to land in a snowstorm. It’s a year where the holidays for Christians, Jews,and Muslims all occur at the same time.

Two of the stranded women become friends. Maryam and her family were on their way to Toronto for her sister’s Indian wedding. As the oldest, Maryam has taken care of her family’s needs but she’s exhausted. Coincidentally, the love of her life, Saif, was sitting behind her and heard her conversation/confession as the plane slammed into turbulence before landing.

Anna was going to meet her boyfriend’s family, they’ve got the holiday festivities planned down to the minute. Her fiancé is furious that she’s stranded, but Anna is excited to find that there’s a movie filming in town starring her favorite actor.

I liked the interplay of the different characters and the romances were well done. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

After reading a few thrillers in a row, I was in the mood for somewhat of a palette cleanser, something cute and light. This did the job! It was a cute Christmas rom-com, like being enveloped in cuteness. I really enjoyed the multi faith aspect of the book. I also loved the fact that it was based in Canada.
This novel is a perfect blend of heart, humor, and holiday cheer. It's a feel-good romance that will leave readers with a smile on their faces and a longing for their own magical Christmas love story.