This was a delightful read that I really enjoyed. At first, I was confused about the romances but soon realized it's about a house swap with two different love stories. Bee and Clover, swapping lives for Christmas, find unexpected friendships and romance in new places. The characters and their relationships develop well, weaving together personal challenges with budding romances. It's a charming and diverse holiday tale that's easy to recommend.

I read this is on day! This was such a cozy sweet book and I love reading black sapphic romance that feels modern yet classic. If you love The Holiday, you'll love this!

This was good and fluffy I really enjoyed it. At first, I was confused at the first 30 % because I didn't read the synopsis and thought that the romance was between the two main characters on the cover. Once I understood that this was a house swap with two different romances I was with it. This book follows the two fmc's Bee who's from an affluent part of the city and Clover who lives in a small town with her family farm. Bee feels overwhelmed because of the business she runs with her twin sister and Clover is dealing with grief and a breakup. They both decide to swap houses to take a break and get away from their lives for the Christmas season and that leads to them both finding friends, found family, and romance.

This is a short book and i feel like the characters and the romance developed well. Clover becomes friends with Bees' twin sister after not initially getting along and they get attracted to each other. Bee meets Clover's ex-fiance on her first day in the small town and as they get to know each other they also like each other and eventually get together. Both romances were slow burns and really intertwined with the personal issues the fmc's were going through. Overall this is a cute holiday read, it's diverse and short and I would recommend it.

Read for:
- Two romance plots
- Queer romance
- Small town/ City fmc's
- Black characters
- Holiday-themed

I read an eARC on NetGalley on 6/25/2024 in exchange for an honest review, because I finally have a little bit of clout! 4/5 stars. Some spoilers.

The short version (no spoilers):
Oh I love this concept of taking an average Christmas romance and turning it on its head. Bee is the more classic Hallmark protagonist in that she's from The Big City going to the Small Town to find herself where she meets Local Man and they fall in love. Clover is the opposite – she is from the Small Town and she goes to The Big City to find herself where she meets Local (City) Woman and they fall in love. I liked Clover more than Bee at the beginning but I grew to like Bee more throughout the book. It's a great concept and it's delightfully sweet, though it definitely feels rushed at times and especially at the ending. With maybe 1-2 more edits though it can easily become a favorite romance.

The long version (spoilers):
The setup and character motivations behind the setup is something this book does quite well. It is very clear why Clover would want to leave her small town and go somewhere else for the holidays: not wanting to confront the complicated feelings of her mother's passing, or navigate the awkward minefield of having dumped her (guy) fiancee/best friend after finally admitting she's a lesbian, feeling weirdly trapped by the town and concerned about her father's health after a heart attack. We also get more insight about why Bee needs the escape from her life in San Francisco: I mean yes she is feeling burnout and is sad about committing mistakes at work, but REALLY it seems to be about her concerns about not being good enough for her family and addressing concerns about self-worth and externally-imposed-perfectionism.

Let's talk characters. I'm not gonna lie, I did like Clover more than Bee at the beginning because I think it was just a bit more obvious where Clover was coming from and what the issues she needed to work out were. It's not that I couldn't see where Bee was coming from, but we actually see Clover interact with Knox (her ex-fiancee/best friend/Bee's love interest) and Jimmy (her dad) at the beginning a lot more than we see Bee interact with Bree (her twin sister/Clover's love interest) or the rest of her family. Bee also interacts with Knox and Jimmy a lot in her story, whereas Clover only interacts with Bree, and not as much in the beginning part of her story as she focuses a bit more around her own self-discovery. As soon as Bree and Clover have their first heart-to-heart we learn more about the sisters' parents and it becomes stunningly clear just what the dynamic is in that family and what the relationship between Bee and Bree is like. But that doesn't happen until after the halfway point, which is when I start to like Bee just as much as Clover.

Speaking of – the romance does feel a little rushed for both Clover + Bree and Bee + Knox. Part of that I think can't be avoided simply because the premise of this book necessitates the book utilize the space usually reserved for one romantic couple to instead develop TWO couples. However, I personally wouldn't mind the book being longer if it means we get better development, and I don't think other readers would complain about getting more space to flesh these characters out. The characters are entwined enough that it wouldn't need to double in size from what's written now, but maybe an extra 50 pages spread throughout would help.

Clover + Bree's relationship does feel especially rushed because although there is an initial attraction, Clover does get distracted by her side-quest of running into the first (and only) girl she ever kissed from her hometown, and having to confront the feelings she might still have for this girl and resolve their past and the way Clover's high school self had been so terrified of admitting her own lesbianism that she sprinted towards heterosexuality by dating her best friend Knox. Bree and Clover fall very quickly, and sure some of it can be waved away by them being lesbians (it's pride month, we can be honest about the fact that lesbians and bisexual women have the stereotype of moving quickly for a reason) but I dunno I would have loved to see them have more romantic tension in the space leading up to them dating.

Bee + Knox's relationship I think is generally well paced, but the problem there is that there's so much for them to mull over and prevent them from getting together BUT the prose doesn't actually utilize most of it until the most abrupt moment. It would be interesting to have Bee grapple with the idea of accidentally taking over Clover's life a bit more consistently, or to have her thoughts around the kind of (poor) treatment she has allowed herself to accept from prior romantic partners and whether she wants that to be replicated here. She does have those thoughts, but sporadically, which gives the romance a very strange rhythm. Also, the dialogue between Bee and Knox lends itself to monologues at some points in the latter chapters, which I'm hoping gets addressed in a final edit before the book goes to print.

The ending is also very rushed. I was wondering how the author was going to wrap up all of the plot lines in the last 30 pages but then we suddenly get Clover's dad (Jimmy) suffering some kind of medical emergency which forces Clover to fly home and then we finally have Clover, Knox, Bee, and Bree having some kind of conversation about how Clover fell in love with Bee's sister and Bee fell in love with Clover's bestie/ex-fiancee. Honestly, I wish that conversation had been a little bit more messy than it was, but maybe that's just my toxic trait.

Then there's not really a conversation about how these relationships are gonna work. Are the couples doing long distance? Is Bee and Clover's little switcharoo gonna become a permanent thing? How would that work if Bee is still in business with her sister in San Francisco? Are people gonna be flying back and forth? It was mentioned that Knox was planning to move anyways, so is everyone just gonna live in San Francisco? So many questions, and yet all we get is everyone hanging out in Clover's big house at the end, which is ambiguous. I'm hoping that this gets resolved in maybe one final edit before the book comes out in October.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book! Please keep approving me for titles – I am a simple lesbian who thinks way too much about books.

Needing a break from her demanding job and her family’s high expectations in San Francsico, Bee decides to try a house swap through an app called Vacate. Clover has suffered more than one heartbreak in the past year and isn’t up to facing the upcoming holidays, so she trades her farm in rural Ohio with Bee.

Both women find themselves immersed in a unique and fulfilling experience that proves to be exactly what the each needed. While Bee basks in the cozy small town, indulging her artistic side, and getting close to Knox, the handsome farm manager who also happens to be Clover’s ex-fiancee, Bee revels in the exciting life of a big city, exploring her sexual identity in a way she hasn’t been able to before. When she meets Beth, Bee’s twin sister, sparks fly.

Now these two sets of star-crossed lovers must find a way to get past the messiness of their meet-cutes and the temporary nature of their relationships.

With a dual setting, interconnected storylines, and endearing characters, this fast paced warm holiday romance has a wide-ranging appeal.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
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Hallmark Christmas movie mixed with house swapped and queer romance ! Not too long and not too short and gets straight to the point and delivery the holiday spirits you want and need in a book. That is the review. Highly recommend! Read this book. I will definitely be doing a re-read around Christmas time. This is my first book by this author and will not be my last.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•queer romance
•Christmas vibes
•black main leads
•swapping houses
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𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Oct.8
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Thank you, Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

I love a Christmas romance and this is just as hallmark as I expected. Also someone house swap with me for the holidays lol

I’d also like to add that I love the queer friend group that just materialized for Clover when she needed it.

*** I received an e-ARC of this book from Avon and Harper Voyager through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The main characters were both so relatable. Bee felt like she was not good enough in her professional and personal life. Clover was struggling with the loss of her mother, a broken proposal, and being true to herself. The women decided to switch houses shortly before Christmas to get away and gain a new perspective. They both wound up with a new outlook on love, family, and holiday spirit. This was a cute easy to read story with likable characters. It should definitely be added to your holiday reading list!

✨ Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

What a wonderful Christmas book. I love to read Christmas books. I loved the romance and the characters. If you haven't read this book yet, you should.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Sometimes a book just really resonates with you. I lost my mom eight days before Christmas and the magic just seemed to fly out the window for me. Had I not had to hold it together for my four kids, jumping on a plane and switching places with someone else for the holiday would have sounded like perfection. Thank you Georgia K. Boone for showing that there are all kinds of ways to grieve and approach the holidays when things are difficult! I’ll Be Gone for Christmas is a beautiful and light holiday tale that handles some difficult subjects in a graceful and relatable manner. Sometimes healing comes in the most surprising ways…A wonderful read that cannot wait to revisit at Christmas time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and the final review will be posted on instagram closer to the publication date!

I was so excited for this story because it was pitched as a queer The Holiday, which is one of my favorite holiday romcoms. The synopsis sounded adorable so I definitely wanted to give this a try.

I did think this was very cute and fluffy. Did get me into the holiday spirit. I thought both romances were equally romantic and each given the same amount of time in the story.

I think were the story falls short is that we don't spend enough time with each character individually. I felt the reader hardly knows the main characters by the end.

Besides that, I did find this to be a fun holiday romcom that will give leaving you feeling warm & bright.

Adored this book!! It will definitely put you in the holiday spirit. To sum it up and quote Dee, “Super gay. Much Christmas.”

I’m almost sad that we didn’t get more time on each story, because both blossoming relationships were super cute. And I could use a book on all of Clover’s San Fran friend group.

Love the theme of “your best is good enough,” and that a parent figure can be proud of you just for trying. Wish that Bee and Beth had had some resolution with their parents, but glad they were able to connect over their commonalities.

Thankful to have received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!!

Good concept but I failed to make any real connection with the main characters. There was so much hope for Bee but the author didn’t reply take the time to develope her.

Just overall disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

this book is receieving a lot of mixed reviews but honestly it is exactly wht i needed after a hard fantasy worlds. a great pallete cleanser and a great storoy 4/5 stars

I have a soft spot for house-swap holiday rom-coms, especially when they're queer — so this scratched that itch, even though I read it in the almost summer! San Francisco tech gal Bee Tyler heads out to the Stars Hollow-y Salem, Ohio, a town straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie to holiday in the home of Clover Mills. And Clover is off to San Fran. Bee has a kind of frenemies relationship with her sister, but Clover starts falling for her immediately. While Bee gets a buzz in her bonnet over Knox, Clover's ex-fiancee. It goes exactly how you expect it to, but that doesn't make it any less sweet and satisfying. I can't wait to read this one again when the holidays roll around.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager / NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

This one was a bit of a let down for me.

I really enjoyed the idea of the book - being almost forced to get away after being burnt out and just run down from life. I think in a sense we can all relate to that story line. What didn’t work for me was the lack of depth to the characters. Everything felt extremely surface level and made it hard to connect which leads to a surface level read for me.

I felt like once i put the book down it was very lack luster and not very memorable. I enjoyed the idea of the book and was hoping for a bit more than what we got!

This was such a cute, fast paced holiday read. I loved seeing how throughout the storyline the characters were finding themselves and romance at the same time.

Only downfall in my opinion was that with two different couples it felt like the focus was on one more than the other. I would have liked to have had equal depth for both.

Overall really enjoyed and would definitely recommend for a cute holiday read.

This was a fun house swap story with loveable characters who are finding themselves. I think this book could have been a little longer honestly and had more romance, but it was still really cute and cozy.

One of the things I struggled with when it came to this book was connecting to the characters. Because of this, I couldn’t really enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

<b>The Good</b>
I love and relate to both of these main characters. Bee's story was so relatable to me. Not feeling like enough while also wholly burnt out. I liked her rediscovering her passion with her parents belittlement. I loved seeing her find herself and explore her sexuality and the lesbian community in San Francisco. Clover's story with her mother and Knox is so heartbreaking. Her mother didn't accept her and after her death she begins to understand her sexuality which leads to her breaking off her engagement with her lifelong best friend Knox. The two romances in this were sweet. I liked Clover and Beth's dynamic. Beth was hard to grasp as a character but she's Darcy-esque in the way she comes off as rude when she isn't trying to. Bee and Knox have good chemistry. They are so cute and they have fun together. Knox obviously is going through alot after his relationship with Clover so I understood his hesitation and the push and pull. Beth and Bee's relationship was also interesting. Beth view's Bee as free and not caring when Bee cares so much. Bee see's Beth as the perfect child while Beth is dealing with their parent's homophobia.

<b>The Bad</b>
At 90% I was so worried how these plot-lines were going to be wrapped up. It didn't feel rushed per-say but I was wishing for something more big and dramatic than what happened.

<b>Tropes:</b>
— Holiday Romance
— Small town vs Big City
— Grumpy x Sunshine

<b>Horn Level:</b> 1/5🌶️
<b>Format:</b> Ebook

<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>4/5🌟 rating.</b> This is such a sweet holiday romance with a lot of heart!

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