The Christmas Swap

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson is a lighthearted Christmas romance novella. I look forward to reading Melody Carlson's Christmas novella each year. There have been some that are just magical (The Christmas Bus, Christmas at Harrington's, The Christmas Shoppe). The Christmas Swap is easy to read with steady pacing. I liked the premise of swapping houses for Christmas. Unfortunately, there are some terrible characters in the story. The griping, backbiting, and the manipulating did not make this an entertaining Christmas story. I liked Emma Daley and West Prescott. West's mother was a sweet woman who loves her family and is supportive of West. Mr. Landers was a nice man who has a terrible family. Gillian is pushy, annoying, and scheming. Mrs. Landers was irritating with her constant litany of complaints. I wanted Emma to stand up for herself. I can understand being grateful for being included in the families Christmas plans and wanting to be helpful. However, there comes a time when you need to quit being a doormat. If I were Emma, I would need a vacation to unwind from the trip with the Landers family. I enjoyed the descriptions of Breckenridge, West's home, the mountains, and the beauty of snow. I could imagine Emma staring in wonder when she sees the clean, fresh snow for the very first time. I missed the feeling of Christmas and humor that is normally present in Ms. Carlson's Christmas novellas. The romance was minimal. Just when I was starting to smile and enjoy what was occurring, the story was over. The Christmas Swap needed an epilogue. I hope that Melody Carlson gets her mojo back in time for next years Christmas tale.