The Holiday Mix-Up

August 1, 2023

Christmas is coming, but waitress Katie Smith has no one with whom to celebrate, so she's overjoyed when handsome diner patron Juan Martinez, also her crush, asks her to pose as his girlfriend for the holiday. But before they can confirm the details, Juan is injured and put into an induced coma. At the hospital, his large and boisterous family, believing Katie to be his serious girlfriend, bring her under their wing. Katie could tell them the truth, but that would mean betraying Juan's secret. As the days pass, Katie becomes close to his family, especially his gorgeous, sensitive, intelligent brother Mateo. The plot of this chaste, heartwarming romance features Latino characters and a plot that parallels that of the film While You Were Sleeping. Secondary characters are fully realized and form a delightful ring of love and chaos around the lonely Katie, and readers will easily understand her discomfort with keeping her relationship with Juan--or lack thereof--a secret. VERDICT Fans of Hallmark movies and authors Sophie Cousens and Lia Louis will appreciate this wholesome holiday offering from Baird (Right Girl, Wrong Side).--Heather Miller Cover

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August 28, 2023
Baird (Right Girl, Wrong Side) puts an unexpected twist on the fake dating trope in this playful holiday rom-com. Diner waitress Katie Smith is caught off guard when her regular customer and crush, Juan Martinez, asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend over Christmas at his family’s winery. She agrees, secretly hoping that this ruse will lead to something real—but her dream is dashed when, almost immediately after introducing her to his family, Juan is hit by a car and winds up in the hospital in a medically induced coma—leaving Katie to keep up the act with his large, quirky Puerto Rican family alone. The only Martinez who doesn’t welcome Katie with open arms is Juan’s brother, Matteo, who is wary of her in part because of his instant attraction to her. Katie is surprised to feel a strong spark with Mateo, too, and as the pair are consistently thrown together throughout the week leading up to Christmas, their feelings only grow. There’s just one problem: Matteo believes that Katie’s with Juan, and Katie doesn’t know how to come clean. Baird excels at capturing the Martinez family’s warmhearted and somewhat kooky dynamic, adding to the cozy, homey atmosphere. This is a delight. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary.

September 15, 2023
Katie Smith is thrilled to pretend to be Juan Martinez's girlfriend for his family's upcoming Christmas dinner until Juan winds up in a coma and Katie has to explain to his family, including his sexy brother Mateo, exactly what kind of a relationship she and Juan really have. Baird neatly blends together a colorful California wine-country setting, Puerto Rican holiday traditions, and a dash of While You Were Sleeping plotting to create a sweet love story.

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