I was expecting to love this one - I love cheesy Christmas romances, so make it queer and it should be everything I love. But it wasn't.

The premise of this story is a fun twist on the whole fake dating trope. But I felt that we got more depth and screen time with the fake straight couple than the real queer couple. I found myself completely uninvested in Margot and Ellie's romance. Partly I found Ellie to be quite annoying and one dimensional. Ellie made such rash judgement of Margot and it felt very mean girl ish. And then for Ellie to suddenly be all over Margot just felt very strange.

I like that there's a fun collection of side characters, although half the people in Ellie's family kind of suck so having them pop up frequently got annoying. I will say there's a lot of cheesy Christmas rom-com situations in this book with all the characters so if that's something you love, you'd enjoy this.

I will say that the author's attempt to address abusive relationships was written in a way I felt was realistic, although a bit shallow. It's always tough in Hallmark-esque stories to address sensitive topics.

I can't say I loved this book, but I would be open to try another book by this author.

the book was overwhelmingly “fine”. i’ve read worse books, i’ve read better. it was fine.

except the main character and the love interest are just so insufferable and immature that it takes away from the book. the love interest/fake bf’s sister literally just needs to learn how to communicate.

it’s a cheesy, christmassy romance. it’s predictable. i might recommend to the right person

This was such a fun read and a great way to beat the summer heat by dreaming about a chaotic but still magical Christmas. I loved all the callbacks at the end and while a couple of characters had a moment of acting, well, out of character, I’m happy with where everyone ended up. A great holiday read!

Books with fake dating, where the main character falls for their fake partner’s sibling, are my weakness. Sure I love the tension and drama of fake dating as a whole, but when you’re having to keep up the fake dating facade while sneaking around with their sibling?! *chefs kiss*

So our main character Margot just got out of a really abusive relationship (she just doesn’t know that it was abusive yet) and has nowhere to go for Christmas. Her friend (boss?) Ben, asks if she wants to come home with him for the holidays, of course if she just pretends to be his girlfriend. Margot says yes and thinks that things will go smoothly… that is until they arrive at the manor and she meets Ben’s sister Ellie. Sparks fly instantly but Margot has to ignore those feelings because of the whole fake dating her brother thing.

Even though this is a really cozy holiday romance, the author is still able to touch on tougher topics like emotional abuse. Margot is still kind of heartbroken over her last girlfriend but in the process of talking things through with Ben, he brings up his concerns that the relationship might have been abusive. He gives her the space to read articles herself, offers her a safe place to talk things out, and eventually Ellie does the same (once she gets over the whole “Margot’s a gold digger” thing). There are also positive talks of therapy that I really loved.

There are a ton of lovable characters, although I wish some of them were a little better developed (poor Kate had no personality) but overall I enjoyed this read.

Thank you, as always, to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and the author for this gifted eARC.

Who doesn’t love a Christmas romance? This novel was great! I love the fake dating trope with a side of holiday. Ben and Margot’s friendship is so great to watch grow and develop. Margot and Ellie’s relationship is supportive and at times hilarious. The discussion of emotional abuse and support of someone who was involved in that scenario is so well written and handled wonderfully by the author. I was so enthralled by the fake dating then secret relationships ship that I finished this in one sitting. I will be rereading this and enjoying all the cuteness and mild angst in between.

cute christmas romcom but i thought there were too many things going

thank u netgalley for the e-ARC!

Calling the Hallmark Network to option this book for a movie! Talia Samuels’ “The Christmas Swap” is a very cute meet cute story of Margot and Ellie. The only problem is Margot and Ellie meet because Margot is with Ellie’s brother. Intrigued? Then this might just be the Christmas in July story you’re looking for. There’s romance, there’s comedy, there’s everything you’re looking for in a fun beach read.

This was a super cute and fluffy Christmas romance! Basically if Hallmark wrote a christmas book, you would have this.

Margot just got out of a relationship and is asked by a client (Ben) to join him in the countryside with his family for christmas. He makes a deal with Margot because he is sick of being asked when he will have a girlfriend. She girlfriend to be his girlfriend for the occasion, and she has some place to go for Christmas. Everything is in order. That is, until Margot meets Ben's more youthful sister, Ellie.

I REALLY liked Ben. He was adorable and sweet and a perfect character for this book. The romance wasn't my favorite part and the pacing was a little off throughout but, I grew to love these characters and this adroable book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!!

Thank you for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was super cute! I'll definitely be checking out more books by this author. I really loved the characters and story, it was a perfect read!

Review: A quick easy read that was well written. The characters were not my favorite, they could annoy me some, but the story moved along well. Some parts were fresh and entertaining, but other parts felt old and like they have been read before.
Recommended For: Those who want a sweet and simple romance novel.

The Christmas Swap is a wonderful and sweet read, but the romance was a bit too rushed for me. All in all though, I really enjoyed the book, and it was perfect for my Christmas in July reads!

I thought this book was sweet and it was an easy and fun read. It made me nostalgic for Christmas magic while reading during the summertime! I felt like the development of the love story between the two main characters was a bit rushed and underdeveloped. I would have enjoyed a little bit slower pace and time to see that blossom a bit further! Overall, it was a light and easy read, entertaining and sweet but lacking some depth.

Quirky, charming, and brimming with festive cheer, The Christmas Swap is everything I look for in a holiday romance!

The Christmas Swap is a very straightforward and easy-to-follow story, nothing too complex. A classic fake-dating-oh-no-I'm-into-your-sister plot taking place over Christmas. The writing is fine. Nothing in particular stood out but it was readable. There were a few instances of slang/acronyms I wasn't familiar with and had to look up, and sometimes the dialogue felt a bit therapy-speak but it's manageable. The author aimed to handle some serious topics delicately, but unfortunately, it came across as overly simplistic and lacking in depth. There's a clear scale of good vs. evil and there was never any real tension between anyone. The characters act a lot younger than they actually are and mostly come across as immature. On a personal note, I struggled to connect with any of the characters. The Margot POV was more enjoyable compared to the Ellie POV, personally, and a lot of the plot felt drawn out and unnecessary. The chemistry between anyone was lacking and since the plot was so obvious, it was hard to pay attention the entire time. Overall, it's a cheesy book, but I can recognize that it's meant to be. I can see how some readers might enjoy the simplicity and the escapism it offers if they can embrace the lighthearted and nearly ridiculous tone.

I was delighted the whole way through this fun book. Highly recommend reading during the holidays for an added atmosphere. The book is funny, feel-good and just all around fun to read. I did predict how almost every tangled sub-p[ot would turn out but it didn't detract from the enjoyment at all. I really liked that it tackled a heavier topic without bringing down the light-hearted feel or trivializing the seriousness.

Enjoyable, if rather predictable, 'The Christmas Swap' is a decently cozy read. The plot itself did not do much for me, but definitely could find mileage for someone who is in the mood for a low stakes holiday romance. Very Hallmark-esque in tone and humor, it was a nice way to spend the evening, although the more serious moments did bring down the mood. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, just that I felt the book itself did not really make the time to truly discuss and unpack what is a very serious topic. But, overall, it was a good enough time. My thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

The summary sounded interesting when I was first looking into this book. Who doesn't love a fake dating trope at christmas time, and it being sapphic was a plus. Unfortunetly some of the writing and formating choices made it a little difficult to read, and some of the plot points (mostly in regards to Ellie's grandpa) were a little too out there for me. It was a nice and quick read, but overall fell a little short. I mostly think this just was not for me.
However, if you like a good Hallmark movie, then this book is definitely for you!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a great unexpected Christmas themed book. I love the cover and the way the characters hide parts of themselves as they are becoming more self aware and comfortable with their identities. The author did a fantastic job with this. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars.

This was a quick, cozy read but it doesn’t really stand out from the other Christmas romances.

Ben Gibson is tired of being the only one in his family who is single during the holidays and all the questions that come with it. When he finds out that Margot Murray, a coworker of his, is going to be alone for the holiday after being dumped by her girlfriend he comes up with a plan to have her join him as his fake girlfriend. The only problem is Margot’s immediate attraction to Ben’s sister, Ellie, who’s convinced something is up with their relationship and is determined to prove it.

Ellie and Margot do not hit it off right away but instead are hot and cold. They have moments where they don’t get along and moments where they get along great. It was a bit disorienting to have this back and forth so early in the novel. This is the type of story that leaves you wishing the characters would just have a simple conversation with each other rather than jumping to conclusions so it can be frustrating at times. My favorite character was probably Ellie and Ben’s grandfather however the storyline around his memory ended up being a little too ridiculous to believe.

Ultimately this is a cozy Christmas romance that is a little different than other falling for the sibling romances but it’s pretty easy to forget right after reading it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book gave me Kiss Her Once For Me vibes and I loved that!

The whole fake dating trope in this book is chefs kiss! Margot doesn't want to deal with romance after getting out of a rocky relationship with Taylor. So she makes a pact with her client Ben since he was tired of being questioned about when he would finally be in a relationship and she needed a getaway for the holidays.

Then comes Ellie, his sister, whom knows something is off right away and wants to get to the bottom of their "relationship".

I honestly disliked Ellie's character a lot a the insults towards Margot where over the top.
Overall this is a cute holiday book and it's Igbtg which makes it even better.

Wish it was a little shorter though.