Another great Christmas novella from this wonderful author. Full of beautiful descriptions and likeable characters. The perfect read for a cold winter evening x

With Christmas just days away, Emma finds herself in Colorado with her best friend's (rich and snobby) family participating in a house swap for the holidays. There, she meets West who is supposed to be flying to Arizona but is love-struck by Emma and keeps making excuses to his family as to why he can't meet up with them. But West is harboring a secret. Emma thinks he's the house's caretaker. Not the popular songwriter TW. Prescott.

After much meddling by Emma's best friend, Gillian, Emma and West question their budding romance and have to find a way to come together again.

Overall, the story was cute but it was short and I would have loved some more detail about the characters. Especially Gillian's family who seemed absolutely rotten and really never redeemed themselves.

This was such a cute little read! It isn't deep or heavy; what you see is what you get. But with the state of the world right now, that feels like a beautiful thing. This book is fluffy and enjoyable!

There were a few characters that I didn't like. Though I imagine that was the intent, it was almost too well done. I disliked one of the characters so much that I almost hated seeing her on the page. But I really liked Emma and West. I would have loved to have more time with them, to see their development and really let them build. I wanted more of them.

Overall, The Christmas Swap reads like a Hallmark movie, so if you're looking for a quick, cute read, this is the ticket.

I truly loved this book!. The storyline was engrossing, with unique characters all with their own unique quirks.
Throw into the mix a ton of festive feels and the perfect underlying romance, it is a definite festive must read!.

This is my first book from this author and I wasn't disappointed!
It was very easy to read, the main characters were likeable - literally my only complaint is that it was so short which I didn't realise when I started to read this book!
If you like romantic, Christmassy books then you will love this book :)

I am a fan of Melody Carlson and this book did not disappoint. Fast paced, great storyline and great characters. It takes place in Breckenridge, CO. I have personally been to Colorado, but never to Breckenridge. The descriptions of the scenery were on point and makes you want to visit this little snow skiing town soon!

All of the characters are fun and engaging. The background is relevant and takes the story to the next level. It makes you want to strap on some skies and hit the slopes. This is a quick read and a great Christmas story. Enjoy!

A short but sweet read that is perfect in time for Christmas.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this christmas romance. I could see where the story was going but I really liked the characters, the setting, the skiing and most of all the writing style. A great read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

This was a short, but sweet, story that is the perfect read to get you into the Christmas mood! The "Christmas house swap" idea is definitely an over written idea, but I still enjoyed this story, nonetheless. I enjoyed the ski setting in Colorado, and even though I've never been skiing a day in my life, this book made me want to go skiing! I ended up reading this in one sitting because I didn't want it to end. I did find the ending to be a little rushed for my liking, however. All in all, it was a great read!

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.

This is a cute story that takes place at Christmas. Tyler forgets his music when he leaves to go to Arizona for Christmas. When he goes back to his house he runs into the people he swapped with. He introduces himself as the caretaker because he doesn't want them to know who he is. He is instantly attracted to Emma and her to him. While Gillian thinks he's just the caretaker, she treats him like an underling. When she finds out he's famous, her entire attitude changes and she goes after him. It's a typical Hallmark type movie with the main characters having a misunderstanding toward the end and then a happy ending.

I recommend this book to all who like a feel good Christmas book.

I was given this book by Revell Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in anyway.

Love the “hidden identity” trope but wish the truth came out a little earlier in this book. That Gillian took advantage of her extra knowledge - and I didn’t like her at all! Awesome winter setting; loved the descriptions of the house and the mountains. And musician Tyler was written perfectly: humble, sincere, fun, and not smarmy at all. Terrific happily ever after topped it off.

What I liked: The main character Emma was fun to root for, the Breckenridge, CO setting, and the skiing and music.

What didn’t work for me: Emma’s looks being described as “exotic”, toxic friendship, and how the story wraps up abruptly.

If you’re looking for a cozy Christmas-themed, clean romance, I think it’s worth giving a try. Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.

Romance, clean, contemporary; novella
Emma and Tyler's story, with the snowy setting in Colorado, and the sweat HEA is a perfect quick holiday escape read. Emma and Tyler, two honest hearts, both wanting something more out of life. Tyler a successful music composer, although that is hidden for most of the story, and Emma, hard working, hopeful, but struggling, made for a cute meet and romantic fall as they bumped into each other at his home that was 'swapped' for the season. The side characters were kind of caricatures, but they made for great foils in the story line. Emma and Tyler's moments together were so sweet, honest, and satisfying as they discovered bits about themselves, and Tyler discovered what he was missing in his life. Lovely, sweet romance. More of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but a novella, so I'm willing to go up on the stars!
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.

I always love Melody Carlson's Christmas novellas and this was no exception. Such an adorable story with wonderful characters. Definitely recommend.

The Christmas Swap was a short clean Christmas romance. The characters were charming, and the storyline was fun. Two families swapping homes for Christmas in Colorado and in Arizona. Two extremely different states so their experiences for the holidays were interesting. The book was very short, but the main characters were sincere and perfect for each other.

Emma Daley has spent many holiday seasons with her friend and their family as her parents are doing volunteer work in Africa and put this work ahead of spending the holidays as a family. This holiday season they will escape the heat of Arizona and she will see her first snow as they house swap and head to Colorado.

Tyler Prescott is ready to house swap and see some sunshine during this holiday season. His family heads there as he is delayed, but maybe he will just spend this season under a guise and have a great holiday season with some strangers.

I always get nervous reading books, especially romance books that are light on the pages. I feel as though the romance can seem rushed and instalove, but that wasn't the case in this one, for me this book progressed so well and with ease that these fears were calmed quickly.

I love the innocence of Melody Carlson. As a Christian fiction author she keeps the sexy scenes out of her books and I think that allowed for this love story to bloom slowly but surely because they didn't have to jump into bed!

If you love the holiday Hallmark movies, then this will be a great one to curl up with during the holiday season.

This was my first Melody Carlson book and I will definitely be coming back for more!

While the page count is small, trust me that this author packs a punch with her characters! Emma and West are very real and their dialogue is spot on. I felt my blood boiling with Gillian and her mother. And sweet brother Grant deserves his own follow-up novella.

I loved Emma's appreciation for the opportunity to be somewhere special for Christmas and her awe at the world around her while in Colorado.

A fun, quick read that filled me with excitement for the holiday season!

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson – 4 Stars
Two families decide to switch houses for Christmas. One is in Arizona the other is in Colorado. Tyler decided to stop back at home before meeting his family in Arizona and meets one of the family members that will be doing Christmas at his home, Emma. He’s so struck by her that he decides to put off leaving for Arizona in order to get to know her better so he stays in the Guest House out back that had been turned into his studio for his singing career. Of course he never leaves! This is a wonderful little Christmas story, a novella, that speeds you along in the story. Just the right length for the busy days leading up to Christmas. Melody Carlson does Christmas and Romance very well and I gave this book 4 stars! Pick it up and read it. There are all of the great feels you are looking for in a Christmas story.

I received this book free through NetGalley.com in the kindle format. My opinion was freely given.

Description as found on NetGalley:
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.

This was a wonderful holiday story! Two families decide to switch homes for the holidays. One family is heading to a warmer state and the other one is heading to a colder state. But when Tyler stops back to his house to grab something, he meets Emma. Then he’s reluctant to leave to meet up with the rest of his family. He decides to stick around and get to know Emma.

Melody Carlson writes lovely Christmas stories, and I always look forward to reading them. The storyline involving the main character, Emma, is heart-touching. The winter setting in Colorado is lovely and is a perfect setting for a Christmas story. As couple. Emma and West had some difficulties to work through. Their romance is a sweet one that kept me hoping they would find their happily-ever-after.

This book is novella length, so the storyline moves along quickly. I would have liked to have more time to get to know Emma and West better, but there just wasn’t time to develop their characters further. However, this book is a good length to read during a busy holiday season. I’d like to see this one made into a fun Christmas movie.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.