The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish

This is a cute rom-com that’s essentially a queer version of The Holiday: Greta in Maine and Truman in New Orleans are both in need of a change; when a mutual friend encourages them to swap houses around the holidays, they both find an opportunity for love and new adventures.

I finished this book with all the warm fuzzies I’d expect from a romantic comedy, mostly driven by Truman and Ash’s adorable storyline and their respective insecurities and challenges. I felt less connected to Greta and Carys’s story, possibly because the conflict and growth mostly happened on Greta’s end whereas Carys’s growth was part of her backstory rather than on the page. I also found the sheer number of side characters challenging — I was surprised and disappointed that some of them (including characters who had close relationships with the main characters as well as others who felt like fully fleshed-out personalities) appeared only once or twice, but I also can’t imagine weaving them into the story more fully while also juggling both storylines.

If you don’t mind some slightly heavier topics alongside the fluff (heads up that there is family conflict and past cheating), I’d recommend this as a fun escape from real-life stress for a quick weekend or holiday read.