I’ve finished these three (plus a few more that I forgot to photograph) since I started reading holiday books and I am hoping to squeeze in a few more before the end of the season. So far they’ve been really sweet – here’s a little mini review of each!

THE HOLIDAY SWAP by Maggie Knox – this sweet twin story made me wish I had a sister myself! I enjoyed the banter between the characters and their unique storylines. It’s a Christmas-y version of The Parent Trap! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Click the following links to purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

CHRISTMAS BY THE BOOK by Anne Marie Ryan – you know I love a book set in a bookstores, and this one brought a quaint little story about one to life! Read this one if you love character driven novels that feel like a hug in a book, this one is for you! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Click the following links to purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

THE MATZAH BALL by Jean Meltzer – I really enjoyed the look into the Jewish traditions both in day to day life and during the Hanukkah holiday. This romance had some great chronic illness representation – I learned a lot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫 Click the following links to purchase on Amazon or Bookshop.org.

Click the following links to read the book synopsis on Goodreads or The StoryGraph.

This book made me laugh, made me feel seen, and provided an escape into a story of a realistic, loving friendship.

4 things I loved about this book:
⭐️ Lauren – she’s a QUEEN and I adore her. A brilliant, rockstar single mom that also keeps it real? Here for it.
⭐️ The dual perspective helped me get to know the main characters and had very distinct voices – if I zoned out, I could pick up mid chapter and know who I was reading because the MCs are super unique.
⭐️The love interest was sweet, charming, and not too focused on. It was healthy and I love seeing that in books!
⭐️ The emotions that Martin was able to evoke from me 👏🏻 I am not a sensitive reader, but I FELT something when I read this book.

I recommend this book to any mom who needs an escape and wishes she could have a girlfriend there through everything.

To purchase this book, please consider using my Amazon or Bookshop.org links. These give me a small commission at no cost to you!

To read the book synopsis, click the following links to Goodreads or The StoryGraph.

It has been since May since I gave a book 5 stars, so please don’t take this review lightly. I thought I would never read another book that made me laugh, give me a punch in the gut, and warm my heart all at once. Alison Cochrun has done it with The Charm Offensive.

This is a review I knew I needed to write right after I finished the book (well, 10 hours later). I don’t want to risk forgetting the tenderness, the beauty, the overall..charm…of the story. These characters have been forever sorted in my brain with all of my old favorites (lookin’ at you, Lara Jean Covey, Peter Kavinsky and Monte Montague) and I am certain this book will float around in my brain for a LONG time.

Here are FIVE things I loved about this book:

• As someone who lives with mental illness, the depression representation in this book was perfection. I’ve never seen a character that felt like they were living my experience, but I got to see that in Dev. The, “I don’t know, sometimes I get into these moods, but I’m fine” bit? That’s me. And it was SO great to see it on a page. Reading a book about two men falling in love may not seem like something I can relate to, but I RELATED SO HARD to this aspect of the book (and it’s absolutely a good chunk of the story).
• The parallel to ABC’s The Bachelor tv show was what pulled me in in the first place. As an avid watcher of the show (that I definitely know is mindless trash television), it cracked me up to see it written out. The show is ridiculous, I know, but reading it? Even more ridiculous and I loved every second of it.
• Cochrun’s writing style was engaging from start to finish. While written in third person, we still can see into Dev and Charlie’s brains as the readers. We got a great picture of who they are as individuals.
• And while reading into Dev’s thoughts helped us get to know Dev (and Charlie’s thoughts helped us get to know Charlie), it also helped us learn about their love interest. Seeing Charlie through Dev’s eyes? Oh, my heart. Seeing Dev through Charlie’s eyes? Even better. Instead of only hearing someone think poorly of themself, we got to see their partners perspective, too. Cochrun nailed it.
• Romance often portrays love in unhealthy ways. This book did not. These characters were kind, compassionate, loving, and respectful. It was refreshing to see it portrayed this way.

I do want to urge readers that this book may not be a knock out of the park for everyone. The main reason this one touched me the way it did was the mental health portrayal, something that may not be as important to other readers. But ratings are subjective, and that’s why I gave this one five glowing stars.

Content warnings: vomit, biphobia, cracked door steam (not fully open, not fully closed, either), and descriptions of panic attack/depression. If these things are triggering for you, you may not want to read this book.

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Click the following links to Goodreads and The StoryGraph to read the synopsis of this book!

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews and I was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and characters. I really enjoyed the depth to the story and how it all came full circle at the end. The characters each had their own little side story, too, which kept me engaged in each conversation throughout the story.

I liked the main character, Ivy, and how she worked so hard to be strong, independent, but also a good friend to others. She is someone I would aspire to be like if I ever found myself in her situation (divorced and living on my own unexpectedly)! The town she moved to seemed charming and welcoming, and she didn’t hesitate to make social connections and to get involved with the community.

I also really liked Ezra. My biggest complaint about this book is that we didn’t get to hear anything from his end – I think the book would’ve benefited from a dual perspective. I would’ve liked more back story on him, too. He was intriguing and genuine and kind, something I love to see in male leads.

Overall this was a solid read and I would read another by her!

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One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the new books that come out with it! 2021 is no different, and I cannot wait to get my hands on some of the books that are ready to come out (or have already come out)! Here are 10 books that I am adding to my wishlist this year.

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