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Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM
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Allison’s Book Report – “The Holiday Swap” by Maggie Knox

Allison’s Book Report – “The Holiday Swap” by Maggie Knox
If you love “The Parent Trap,” are a fan of “The Great British Bake-Off” or “Holiday Baking Championship,” or wish you lived in an adorable Christmas town a la Hallmark, then “The Holiday Swap” is for you.

Author: Allison Diegel

I love a Hallmark Christmas movie. If you read my column regularly, that probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. I started forcing Countdown to Christmas upon my family at the beginning of November this year, and they are already growing weary of saccharine sweet stories about bakeries and Christmas tree farms in idyllic Christmas towns, where festivity-hating corporate types find love with a hunky guy in a flannel shirt. I, on the other hand, will never get tired of these stories. A love that naturally trickles into my book stack.

Throughout the year, I start gathering up a stash of new holiday-themed romance novels. Then, for December and sometimes part of November and/or even January, I read nothing but cute, sometimes a little spicy, Christmas goodness. ‘Tis the season to read all about romantic ice-skating dates and hot cocoa and cookies and first kisses in the snow and all of the other seasonal tropes I love. Gentle readers, prepare yourself. I am taking this column with me down the green and red glitter Christmas romance rabbit hole. You can thank me or curse me, but either way, hold on to your Santa hats.

My first offering is one of my favorites. It is so cute and fun that you might just devour it in one fell swoop like I did. Two years in a row. “The Holiday Swap,” by Maggie Knox, is adorable and cozy. Everything we are looking for in a December read. When television chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the set of her reality baking show, she loses her ability to taste and smell, making her job as the judge of a holiday baking show impossible. Meanwhile, back in their quaint mountain hometown, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who can’t take a hint. With only days until Christmas, the two trade lives, which proves more complicated than they imagined. Especially when a rugged firefighter and a gorgeous physician’s assistant enter the equation. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track? 

If you love “The Parent Trap,” are a fan of “The Great British Bake-Off” or “Holiday Baking Championship,” or wish you lived in an adorable Christmas town a la Hallmark, then “The Holiday Swap” is for you. It is an adorable quick read to get you in the holiday spirit. Stand by for a month of sweet, festive reading, both here and over on my Instagram @allison.the.reader.

 


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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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