Long time, no #ReadItAndEat post! I didn’t read the synopsis (or at least didn’t remember it from last year when I added it to my Book of the Month box) before picking this one up last month in prep for the holidays! But boy was I pleasantly surprised (and inspired to bake) after reading The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox! Enjoy 2022’s final Read It and Eat post!
Genre: Holiday Romance | Pages: 330
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | My Reviews: Goodreads, Instagram
Synopsis
Twelve days to Christmas. Charlie is busy trying to snag the role of host on the next big TV baking show in LA. Cass, her identical twin sister, has her own mile-long to-do list fulfilling orders for her family’s quaint hometown bakery ahead of the holidays. But after an unfortunate head injury causes Charlie to lose her sense of taste and smell, Charlie convinces Cass to swap lives, temporarily and with minimum consequences, of course… not. Add in nosy acquaintances, two hunky men, and a heaping tablespoon of pride and ego, Cass and Charlie find themselves on unexpected journeys to personal and professional fulfillment along the way!
Review
The perfect blend: a Hallmark Christmas movie meets The Great British Baking Show (and sprinkle in some classic Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movies) in this cozy holiday romance. And I loved it! I could binge watch those all day so The Holiday Swap was just what I needed to get out of my fall reading funk.
The chapter lengths were just right to keep you reading more, and I loved that the authors followed the tried and true recipe of alternating chapters by sister and giving us two chapters each day leading up to Christmas! The book immediately jumps into Charlie’s life on set as host of a TV Christmas bake-off show, and starts off with a curious head injury that puts her future career plans at risk. Cue the twin switcheroo!
As with most Hallmark Christmas movies, I could see from the first two chapters exactly how the switch would play out, but there’s a reason we watch these movies over and over and it’s the same reason I liked The Holiday Swap - comfort food, if you will! I liked to see the twins scramble uncomfortably as they stepped into someone else’s shoes. And of course I liked the romance aspect of the book. And this is one holiday book that is wrapped up in a big happily ever after.
In relation to food, I loved the way Charlie and Cass brought out so many feelings associated with baking. Charlie brought out the warm and fuzzy feelings associated with being back home in her family’s bakery, while Cass made baking inventive and exhilarating as she tried to solve her sister’s bake-off problems.
“Time heals all things. But if time fails, try cake.”
I also loved all of the Christmas pastries and sweet treats Cass and Charlie make throughout - I’m just bummed that there weren’t any recipes included in the text!
Looking for more book recommendations?
Did you know Maggie Knox is a pen name for the writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley?
All I Want for Christmas is the duo’s second book - another holiday romance, this time focused on the well-loved enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes!
Karma Brown is also author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife, which has been on my list for a while. Another foodie based book, perhaps a bit deeper in nature.
Need more holiday books in your life?
I’d recommend In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (another great writing duo!) - this time mixing your Hallmark Christmas movie with a looping Groundhog Day!
We Met in December by Rosie Curtis strikes me as another holiday romance that could be good!
Want to learn more?
Connect with Maggie Knox by following them on Instagram. Purchase The Holiday Swap here, or wherever you buy books!
My First Sourdough Loaf
Among so many heavenly sounding pastries, the twins’ family bakery in Starlight Peak is known for their sourdough loaves. Their signature Starlight Bread is a sourdough loaf that contains rum-soaked raisins, candied citrus peel, orange zest, and sliced almonds. Sounds amazing, right?
But of course, having never made sourdough myself, I wanted to start with just a simple sourdough loaf. The starter seem simple - just flour, water, and a little salt - but Charlie compares it to a little daily miracle that replenishes itself.
“Don’t you think that’s magic in and of itself? That something so simple can yield something so great?”
But don’t let that fool you - lots of time and effort (and a lot of patience) into shaping and folding the dough to get it just right!
While I wish I could link a specific recipe for this loaf, I don’t have one. And not because I’m some secretive sourdough gatekeeper. It’s because my husband taught me how! He recently started to bake loaves after he was given some starter and has been trying to perfect his sourdough ever since. He has always liked cooking, but I love that he is getting into baking more and that it’s something we can do together. It’s like we could be in a holiday romance novel or something And I’ll always have to remember what Cass said in her first chapter, always reminding us that baking with love comes first.
“Making sourdough while upset never worked.”
I also have to mention the incredible flavor combos mentioned elsewhere in the book, which have me itching to try more adventurous and inventive bakes! Think aperol spritz cupcakes, gingerbread cake and poached pears, and plum cardamom Linzer cookies!
Hungry yet?
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