The Holiday Swap

A little bit of Christmas, a little bit of baking, a little bit of sister drama, and a lot of love make The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox an adorable and cozy winter read.

Charlie Goodwin’s star is on the rise — she’s co-hosting and judging a holiday baking show and poised to win her own solo hosting gig once it wraps. Until everything comes crashing down. Literally. An accident in the pantry leaves her with a concussion and without the ability to taste or smell. At first she panics, but then she hatches a plan. Her identical twin sister can hold her own in any kitchen, so Charlie convinces her to switch places. Cass goes from her small-town, family-owned bakery and fading engagement to the lights of Hollywood before she can even collect her thoughts. Charlie and Cass have to navigate each other’s lives and try to solve more conflicts than they create. How much could one week really change their lives, anyway?

This book was super charming. Baking is one of my favorite things so I loved the parts about both classic winter treats and Charlie and Cass’s twists on their treats. (I’ve wanted to make lemon bars for days now.) I also loved how we this book approached the love stories. We meet both of the twins’ love interests pretty early on and, although there are definite obstacles, we’re able to get comfy with them and not worry too much about the relationships falling apart. The conflict comes from knowing the twins have to reveal their true identities before the end of the week (and the end of the book).

In short, you know everything’s going to work out, and the fun is discovering just how Charlie and Cass are going to wriggle their way out the multitude of jams they crawl into.

A cute, low-stakes romance is exactly what I needed, it’s what this time of year calls for, and this book delivered.

You can get your own copy of The Holiday Swap here or borrow it from your local library.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you use my link to make a purchase.