Talia Samuels’ The Christmas Swap Book Review

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If you love Christmas stories with humor, heart, and holiday hijinx then you will definitely want to check out The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels. I was skeptical when I first started reading. I had no idea how Ben and Margot were going to keep their secret away from his family. Especially since they barely know each other. But I fell in love with the characters right away and I think you will too. Keep reading for my full The Christmas Swap book review.

The Christmas Swap is so much fun and had me laughing and rooting for true love. This is a delightful Christmas tale you won’t want to miss this holiday season.

And if you enjoyed today’s post, you can read more Christmas reviews here.

What is The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels about?

Perfect for fans of Alison Cochrun and Helena Greer, Talia Samuels’ debut sapphic romcom is about one woman who fake dates her friend…only to fall for his sister.

Margot Murray is a newly single, successful businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance after her breakup with her long-term girlfriend. Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart in need of a woman to bring home for the holidays. Together, they make a pact: Margot gets two blissful weeks away from London in a picture-perfect manor, and Ben gets a fake girlfriend for his holiday at home with his family.

Upon arriving to the manor, Margot meets Ben’s sister, Ellie, who is suspicious of the supposed relationship right from the start. Ellie intends to get to the bottom of their relationship, not being able to see how the two of them work as a couple. As Ellie and Margot grow closer, will Ben and Margot be able to keep the charade up, or will Margot and Ellie risk the chance at something real? (from Amazon.com)

Who is Talia Samuels?

Talia Samuels is the author of The Christmas Swap. This is her debut novel.

My Initial Thoughts

As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog post, I wasn’t sure how this book was going to work. I thought that Ben and Margot were friends before Christmas. It made sense to me that two friends would try to help each other out at the holidays. But they didn’t even know each other! It turns out that they just knew each other from work.

Ben made a very risky decision when he invited her home to spend Christmas with his family. But that’s just who he is. He’s a really sweetheart of a guy and if it weren’t for the fact that Margot was gay, I would have hoped for the two of them to end up together!

Margot and Ellie

I found both of the main characters in this festive lesbian rom-com to be delightful. First, let’s talk about Margot. She’s so sweet and I loved that Ben was able to give her a fun Christmas when she might not have celebrated otherwise. That’s really what Christmas is all about isn’t it?

Ellie is a trip. From the moment Margo and Ben arrive at the house, things are awkward. Ellie believes it is because Margot is a gold digger out to steal her brother’s money. When in reality, Margot feel nervous around Ellie because she thinks she’s cute, but has to remember to keep up her ruse as Ben’s girlfriend.

The Supporting Characters

I mentioned this previously, but I loved Ben. He’s so sweet, with his babbling and his openness. He has a tremendous warmth to him and is a really good friend to Margot. Both of them were lucky to have each other over the holidays.

The family dynamic in this story felt so real life! I felt awful when Ellie was trying to talk to her family at the dinner table and no one was listening. As soon as she got a word in, she’d be interrupted. I related to Ellie so much because that’s generally how I feel with my family, especially during holiday meals. But sometimes the best way to get through to people is to keep trying. It made me happy when she was finally able to communicate effectively with her parents.

There were so many great Christmas activities in this Christmas romance. I loved when the whole family went ice skating together in their Christmas jumpers.

Things that I Loved about this Christmas book:

  • The descriptions of the english countryside and the hotel
  • Margot and Ellie’s adventures at the Christmas market (and their wine lover tendencies. Who doesn’t love wine and cheese?)
  • Ellie’s special relationship with her grandfather
  • A cute dog character
  • The strong friendship that Ben and Margot develop over the course of the story.
  • Ellie and Margot’s dates on cold winter evenings
  • The fake dating storyline (I love a fake dating trope tbh)
  • All of the festive touches in this story, like when Ellie and Margot attempt to bake a pie together
  • The fact that it snowed on Christmas. Who doesn’t love a white Christmas?

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed today’s The Christmas Swap book review! It’s a story that filled me with Christmas cheer, and I hope it gives you some yuletide spirit as well. If you’re in the mood for a love story that takes place during Christmas, I would highly recommend this book. This is my first time reading this author (it is her first book, after all) but I hope she publishes more stories in the future.

This holiday romance made me really happy and it is one you should add to your Christmas reading list.. Everyone had a happy ending and is was just as satisfying as a Christmas hallmark movie. I smiled through the whole book.

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