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hmatt's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very sweet queer holiday romance, and how novel that it's not even my favourite queer holiday romance that I've read this year. 🤯
The characters are fun and complex but the secondary characters are definitely a bit heavy-handed, and there's sort of a feeling of forced diversity sometimes. As tropey as you'd expect. Kind of hilarious how explicit the sapphic scenes are compared to the fade-to-black of the m/m scenes.
The characters are fun and complex but the secondary characters are definitely a bit heavy-handed, and there's sort of a feeling of forced diversity sometimes. As tropey as you'd expect. Kind of hilarious how explicit the sapphic scenes are compared to the fade-to-black of the m/m scenes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity
jashanac's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Well this was a delight!
There were just a couple of moments where I was particularly annoyed with Truman... just some "omg HOW are you misunderstanding this situation and WHY are you overreacting like this?!?!" moments. Nothing wild or drastically annoying and they were resolved fairly quickly, which I always appreciate. (I hate a long ass, drawn out, ridiculous 'third act breakup' type of situation.)
I love the movie The Holiday and could see the similarities with this story and I adored all of those little nods (going to the local grocery store/market on the first night to get wine & cheese & then completely hammered alone? haha love that scene -- and finding an older person to befriend and breathe new life into and gain immense wisdom and inspiration from? ADORE!)
All of the conversations of personal reflection, acknowledging how your maybe-kinda-toxic family/upbringing affected you, and working to grow from it... that was all really nice to see and I felt like it was executed well. Some of it frustrated me for the simple fact that it was so realistic and in real life it frustrates me to see people letting their dysfunctional families or other loved ones basically control them -- can't stand it! But again, it was realistic and I thought the exploration and growth from that was done well.
I also appreciated that budding love and romance was definitely a huge motivator for our two main characters... but that they wanted it to be very clear that they weren't making decisions solely because of that -- and I believed it. There's nothing wrong with a budding romance being PART of your reason for choosing a certain life path, as long as it isn't the ONLY reason and certainly as long as you aren't making a choice BECAUSE the other person is telling you to. I felt like both of our main characters made choices that they would have made regardless of potential romance, and I really liked that.
There were just a couple of moments where I was particularly annoyed with Truman... just some "omg HOW are you misunderstanding this situation and WHY are you overreacting like this?!?!" moments. Nothing wild or drastically annoying and they were resolved fairly quickly, which I always appreciate. (I hate a long ass, drawn out, ridiculous 'third act breakup' type of situation.)
I love the movie The Holiday and could see the similarities with this story and I adored all of those little nods (going to the local grocery store/market on the first night to get wine & cheese & then completely hammered alone? haha love that scene -- and finding an older person to befriend and breathe new life into and gain immense wisdom and inspiration from? ADORE!)
All of the conversations of personal reflection, acknowledging how your maybe-kinda-toxic family/upbringing affected you, and working to grow from it... that was all really nice to see and I felt like it was executed well. Some of it frustrated me for the simple fact that it was so realistic and in real life it frustrates me to see people letting their dysfunctional families or other loved ones basically control them -- can't stand it! But again, it was realistic and I thought the exploration and growth from that was done well.
I also appreciated that budding love and romance was definitely a huge motivator for our two main characters... but that they wanted it to be very clear that they weren't making decisions solely because of that -- and I believed it. There's nothing wrong with a budding romance being PART of your reason for choosing a certain life path, as long as it isn't the ONLY reason and certainly as long as you aren't making a choice BECAUSE the other person is telling you to. I felt like both of our main characters made choices that they would have made regardless of potential romance, and I really liked that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Dementia
Minor: Homophobia
I wanted to point out that the infidelity content warning is not something that is perpetrated by either main character. It's perpetrated by someone else in the story and is quickly over.evelynyle_88's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
OMG!! This is wholesome!!
Listening to this audiobook is so soothing. Knowing the story between Greta, Truman, Veronica and Ramona really what a new thing for me. Perfect for Christmas story. What a heartwarming story and really my new favourite!!
The Holiday Trap is one of a kind for me. The level of funny killing me. And to know there's astrology, Mardi Gras, King Cakes... once again... make me learn Mardi Gras culture; once again.
Listening to this audiobook is so soothing. Knowing the story between Greta, Truman, Veronica and Ramona really what a new thing for me. Perfect for Christmas story. What a heartwarming story and really my new favourite!!
The Holiday Trap is one of a kind for me. The level of funny killing me. And to know there's astrology, Mardi Gras, King Cakes... once again... make me learn Mardi Gras culture; once again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Dementia
Minor: Child abuse, Death, and Homophobia
maddireads13's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Gaslighting
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was not a great execution of what it set out to do, which was to be a Christmas/holiday romance. In terms of holidayness, the holidays of Christmas and Channukah barely feature in the story to the point where I think this would have been better off as a regular romance. However, the romance was also lacking. With Greta’s story, her relationship with Carys felt more like a formative one you have in your 20s that doesn’t have an HEA because you’re there to change each other not be each other’s forevers. I didn’t like this, and I didn’t like that Carys seemed not that into Greta. And I’m not talking about Carys’ direct communication, which I liked, but about the fact that she seemed so dispassionate about the whole relationship. Truman’s romance was definitely my favourite of the two as it conversely felt a lot more equal in terms of love, and even just life experience. However I think Ash, like Carys, didn’t really feel like a real person, like the character wasn’t fully realised.
The strongest part about this book and what saves its overall rating was the character development of Greta and Truman. It was so cathartic seeing them learn about boundaries, and self-love, and living a life you’re in love with, and changing their lives accordingly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Major: toxic family Moderate: sick parent, family estrangement Minor: adoptionkharlan3's review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity and Dementia
Minor: Drug use and Lesbophobia
penguinsquack's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Infidelity