Review: The Christmas Swap

 

The Christmas Swap

by Melody Carlson

 

About the Book

 

 All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade this year.

Tyler Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and, to get better acquainted, he poses as the house's caretaker. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things
get . . . messy.

Fan favorite Melody Carlson is back with another delightful Christmas tale to warm your heart on those cold winter evenings. 

 

My Thoughts

 

Veteran holiday author Melody Carlson returns with a tale of mistaken identity that ends in a Christmastime romance.

 

I’ve been a long-time fan of Melody Carlson and I always look forward to her Christmas novellas. It’s always such a treat to curl up with her sweet holiday stories. So, of course I was excited when I saw her latest Christmas tale. The premise was intriguing and that cover is so inviting.

 

I loved our heroine, Emma. She was a sweetheart and I can totally relate to her appreciation of the holiday season and her wonder at seeing the picturesque Breckenridge, Colorado. She’s what made the novella for me.

 

Now as for West… I have mixed feelings about this character. At first, I thought he was going to be a decent hero. While he was rich, he didn’t seem terribly materialistic and he seemed to really care for Emma. But it kind of fell apart quickly. His most obvious flaw was the fact that he lied. Even though it’s understandable that he wouldn’t want women to fall for him simply because he’s rich and famous, this doesn’t make his choice to keep his identity a secret justifiable. I also didn’t care for any of the supporting characters and found most of them to be catty and petty.

 

The setting of this novella was a delight. Breckenridge, Colorado sounds like the perfect place to spend Christmas and the cottage sounded like such a cozy place.

 

While The Christmas Swap may not be my all-time favorite Carlson holiday novella, I still found it to be a nice read. I think it would make a charming addition to anyone’s collection of Christmas stories.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.