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.
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/
My Impressions:
After a long hot summer, I was definitely in the mood for a little snow, cheery fires, and romance — even if (or especially) they are found in the pages of a book! I look forward every year to a Christmas romance novella from Melody Carlson. The short form is perfect for busy holiday schedules, and she always delivers a fun book filled with heart. The Christmas Swap features Emma Daley, an Arizona girl looking to get away from the warm temps and find some snow. Little does she know that the lodge-style home her friends have chosen to swap with their own is full of Colorado-charm and a hunky caretaker. There are some obstacles in the way of the early romance of Emma and West, not least a very unlikable and conniving character who Emma calls friend. I liked the easy style, the very engaging main characters, the plot twists, and the fact that as the book ends the reader can come up with their own happily-ever-after for Emma and West.
If you are in need of a little Hallmark-style reading, I recommend The Christmas Swap. Get it to chase away the lingering summer haze or save it for snuggly reading in front of a fire. Either way, this book will satisfy.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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