‘The Holiday Swap’ by Maggie Knox

Genre: Adult Fiction – Chic Lit

Published: 2021

Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★

I really enjoyed this holiday read. Identical twins Charlie and Cass decide to swap places in the week before Christmas as Charlie is a television chef who, after an accident on set, loses her sense of taste and smell, not ideal! The pair switch lives, but new relationships soon complicate things for the pair, as well as existing relationships, Charlie with her co-host Austin, and Cass with her ex-boyfriend, Brett. Sparks fly!

It was fun and light to read, just what I wanted before starting a new job in the New Year. Mishaps and mayhem both in the family bakery which Charlies is trying to look after, and on the set of TV show Salty and Sweet, as bakes go wrong and misunderstandings between people as Charlie and Cass try to get to grips with each other’s lives. It’s just like an adorable Christmas romance movie full of falling snow, kisses on doorsteps and beautiful scenery.

Written by two different authors writing under a pseudonym, Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley, the narrative could feel clunky, but the pair seem to gel really well together, I assume with one writing Cass’s chapters and one writing Charlie’s. Dual narrative can be a little iffy in some books, but it works well here and it’s obvious at the beginning of each chapter who the chapter is written from the perspective of and where they are so you can keep it straight in your head.

I’ve had this book on my shelves for a while and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get around to reading it! I’ve now bought All I Want for Christmas to dig into – is it right to be reading a Christmas novel in January? Who cares! I loved The Holiday Swap and want to read more.