The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox review: A cute Christmas romance

If you’re looking for a cute Christmas romance, look no further than The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. Here’s my honest review of the novel.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I’ll be straight with you. If you’re looking for a romance novel that steps over boundaries and gets rid of all the cliches, this isn’t going to be for you. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox is pretty standard for a romance novel, but don’t let that stop you from buying it. Sometimes you need a little romance cliche in your life.

This isn’t hot and steamy. It’s a relatively mild novel when it comes to the romance, bringing something cute for the season. Think of it a bit like a Hallmark movie in book form.

What is The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox about?

The story follows identical twin sisters. You can already see where this is going, right?

Charlie Goodwin is an accomplished TV chef and co-host of a show. Her show is being canceled and replaced with another show where there will only be one host, so she needs to prove that she deserves the job.

However, an accident in the pantry leads to her getting a concussion that causes her to lose her sense of smell and taste. She can’t do her job like this so she calls on twin sister Cass to take her place. Sure, Cass has a bakery to run, but it’s the family bakery that Charlie grew up with. She doesn’t need to taste those recipes.

Cass agrees, but she needs help with one thing. Cass is trying to break up with her fiance, a guy who just isn’t taking no for an answer.

Over the course of the next 12 days, Cass and Charlie live each other’s lives. They navigate the romances that they form, both knowing that they’re lying to their potential boyfriends.

Just how will the men take it when they learn the truth? Will Cass get Charlie her job? Will the two even want to switch back by the end of things? These are all questions you’ll have throughout the story.

Is The Holiday Swap good?

Is the book worth getting? Honestly, if you love Hallmark movies, it’s definitely for you. It’s just such a cute and adorable Christmas romance. I’m not the biggest fan of romances, but this was just too adorable to pass up and it took less than a day to read through.

I did prefer Charlie’s story more than Cass’s. I loved Charlie getting the chance to return home and experience things from her childhood and try to navigate the area again, all while being her sister. She couldn’t stop and ask for help if she needed it when she had to pretend like she’d never left the area.

I did enjoy seeing Cass learn more about herself and grow in confidence while in Charlie’s role. She certainly got a good amount of character development, but I wanted just that little bit more. I would have loved to read more of Cass figuring out her way around set and stepping into Charlie’s shoes on screen. Show us rather than tell us.

The guys in the women’s lives were okay. They didn’t feel all that fleshed out, but I do think that’s a flaw in the storytelling from just one character’s point of view. While it wasn’t first-person, we still didn’t get to know anything more than Cass or Charlie would know or learn. It left a lot to the imagination when it came to the other characters. It’s part of the reason why I love TV over books sometimes because I get to know the side characters better.

Overall: I give The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox 4 out of 5 stars.

What did you think of The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox? What are you looking for in a Christmas romance? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox is now available to buy on Amazon.