Read This Book…

Margot Murray has just broken up with her longtime girlfriend and isn’t feeling very festive this holiday season. In fact, the only thing she wants is to get away from her apartment and life and not think about her. So she agrees to do something mad: Pose as her new friend Ben’s girlfriend and go home with him for the holidays. His family owns a boutique hotel in the countryside, so it’s the perfect escape — and she’s a lesbian, so it’s not like she needs to worry about playing with Ben’s heart. Ben’s sister Ellie is home from abroad, itching to put down roots, and she wants to make a life for herself in the family business. The only problem? Her family thinks she’s flighty and rash, and she’s determined to prove them wrong this holiday season. Except, when her brother Ben brings home a girl who is clearly a gold digger who wants him for his money, she has to go about breaking them up.

This is a bonkers setup, but I was totally on board with the intriguing falling-for-your-fake-date’s-real-sister premise, and Samuels does a great job of creating a dreamy countryside getaway setting that I would definitely pack my bags to visit if it were real. This book leans heavily on mixed signals, misunderstandings, and other hijinks, and it’s a dual POV so it’s definitely funny (and occasionally cringe!) to read about how Margot selling her role as Ben’s boyfriend is just making Ellie even more suspicious and determined to expose her. I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, which include Ellie’s grandpa, her parents, a sister and nephews, and one very pregnant dog. This book does pack a bit of an emotional punch that I wasn’t expecting — partway through, it’s revealed that Margot’s ex, whom she loved very much, is actually emotionally abusive and manipulative, which Margot is in denial about. Ben and Ellie’s response to supporting Margot through this revelation, and giving her the tools she needs to process and space when she needs it felt very sweet and supportive, and serves as a nice way for Margot to discover what love is supposed to look like, especially as Margot tells Ellie the truth about the fake dating scheme and the women start meeting up secretly. Overall, this is a rather tame romance, but certainly sweet, and perfect if you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies with a fabulous setting — but with a sapphic twist!