The holiday trap

Parrish (The Lights on Knockbridge Lane) unabashedly embraces rom-com tropes in this charming if slightly overcrowded queer holiday romance. On tiny Owl Island, Maine, out lesbian Greta Russakoff falls out with her meddling Jewish family after they sign her up for a charity dating auction to be bid on by men. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Truman Belvedere is heartbroken to discover that his boyfriend of a year has a secret husband. Both need a getaway, but Truman can't travel with his Great Dane and Greta worries about her carnivorous plant collection. So, at the urging of a mutual friend, they swap houses for the holidays to recuperate. Greta adores New Orleans, finding a vibrant queer community and falling headfirst for grad student Carys. Meanwhile, Truman tentatively builds a slow-burning relationship with local florist Ash. As both Truman and Greta confront their pasts, they plan for unexpected futures. The lovable characters are sure to win fans, but myriad subplots, including tangents about Truman investigating the connection between Owl Island and his favorite author and Carys's housemates starting a business, make the story feel bloated. Still, the believable stakes and strong sense of place in both settings keep the romance grounded throughout. This is a fluffy wintertime treat. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Sept.)

Greta Russakoff loves her family, but she's tired of them interfering in her life. She's also tired of being the only lesbian on their tiny island in Maine. She needs some space, even if it means celebrating Hanukkah alone. Down in New Orleans, Truman Belvedere has just uncovered his boyfriend's lies and is devastated. The last thing he feels like doing is celebrating Christmas. What he needs is a change of scene. Greta and Truman's mutual friend, Ramona, has a brilliant idea: Greta and Truman should trade houses for a month. When both say yes, neither realizes what a monumental impact it will make on their futures. This steamy, LGBTQIA+ romance features dual story lines and points of view. Characters' hobbies that reflect contemporary culture (bullet journaling, beekeeping, plant collecting, etc.) ground the novel in its time period and give the characters depth. VERDICT Readers will be captivated by the atmospheric settings, the witty dialogue, and the well-developed, adorably quirky characters in this stand-alone novel from queer Jewish novelist Parrish (The Lights on Knockbridge Lane).--Heather Miller Cover