Synopsis: Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey is a brand-new Christmas rom-com about Laurel, a woman who feels like her life is finally falling into place. She has landed a job she loves as a social media manager for an Ohio tourism magazine and website. However, there’s a catch – she got the job by pretending to be the owner of her twin sister Holly’s farm. And when her goofy and happy-go-lucky boss, Gilbert, is left heartbroken just before the holidays, he not-so-subtly invites himself to Laurel’s Christmas celebration, leading Laurel and Holly to switch places in an attempt to keep up with Laurel’s lie.
Laurel must pretend to be a devoted mother, farm owner, and skilled cook, even though she is none of the things. The situation gets even more complicated when she has to pretend to be married to Max, her brother-in-law’s handsome but grumpy best friend, who also happens to be Laurel’s enemy. When a winter storm keeps them stranded in Holly’s home for Christmas, Laurel is forced to uphold her charade all while pretending to be in love with the man she cannot stand!
My Thoughts: I was happy to discover a Christmas rom-com on my library’s shelf to kick off the holiday season, and Faking Christmas did not disappoint! This book delivers everything you’d hope for in a Christmas rom-com. With just 267 pages, it’s a quick read that you can easily finish in a day or even a single sitting.
As you can probably tell from the synopsis, this is a predictable Hallmark movie kind of read. It captures the essence of Christmas with a good dose of holiday vibes, and Laurel adds a humorous touch as the main character with her sarcastic and witty commentary. Her boss, Gilbert, is equally amusing. He is a caricature of a man with an exaggerated love for Adele and a strange way of trying to speak like a “hip” teenager. All the while, Laurel and her family help him through his frequent bouts of crying over his recent heartbreak.
The plot is just the right amount of ridiculous and I mean that in the best possible way. Like many Christmas rom-coms, you’ll need to suspend your disbelief a bit. The characters manage to keep Laurel’s secret remarkably well, with very few slip-ups. But of course, it works for this kind of lighthearted read! The only thing I didn’t love was the way Laurel’s secret is finally revealed at then end. The resolution happens kind of quickly, and after so much build up throughout the story, it’s not very satisfying.
Still, the book lives up to its cover, title, and synopsis – a cozy festive read for holiday cheer! I appreciate a romantic comedy that stays true to its genre, offering a light, corny, and surface-level story that doesn’t require much deep thought. It checks all the boxes for a classic Christmas rom-com: lots of snow, a charming and quirky main character, a cute setting, an enemies-to-lovers romance, a slightly unbelievable yet entertaining conflict, and a heartwarming ending. And the good ol’ twin switcharoo is a timeless plot twist that never gets old!
My Rating: 3.5/5
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