If you love the movie The Holiday, this book is for you. The Holiday stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black in the 2006 movie about two women from different parts of the world (England and California) who swap houses for the holidays. The Enchanted Exchange by Canadian author Jennifer Erxleben follows a somewhat similar storyline. In fact, the author mentions in the book acknowledgments that The Holiday is her favourite Christmas movie and was the inspiration behind her romcom (romantic comedy) novel!
The Enchanted Exchange is a humorous story about travel, emotions, friendship, and yes, romantic entanglements!
Here’s the storyline according to the author: “The holidays are the busiest time of the year for Heather Schmidt at her German bakery, but when her ex just won’t leave her alone, she does the one thing she thought she’d never do: run away. But is it running away if it’s an adventure she’s looking forward to?”
Fast forward—Heather, who lives in a small town in Ontario, reaches out to Maria Rodriguez, a marketing executive from Florida, and the two women arrange to exchange houses for the holidays. Then the unexpected happens, and their lives are changed forever.
Author Jennifer Erxleben was born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario, and this story embraces her Colombian and German heritage and reflects her love for travel and adventure. And just like a movie features several scenes, this book has 43 chapters! The chapters are divided by date (from December 20 to December 31) as well as locations, including Munich, Toronto, and several places in Florida, including Boca Bonita, Key West, Miami, and South Beach. There’s also a Character List at the front of the book, which is necessary since there are several characters, including three families, plus their friends. I found that I often had to consult the Character List to figure out who was who. But that aside, The Enchanted Exchange will indeed enchant readers as Erxleben takes us on a heartwarming journey which explores family ties, friendship, adventure, and new beginnings. It’s an escape novel that makes it an ideal read for the Christmas holidays. A good read—7 out of 10. Available at Indigo Chapters and several sites, including Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble.
The Enchanged Exhange by Jennifer Erxleben, copyright © 2023. Published by Amazon Publishing Company.
About the Author: Jennifer Erxleben was born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario, and currently lives in Oakville. She is a proud second-generation Canadian who has leaned into her German and Colombian roots to weave a romantic and heartwarming story full of adventure and hope.
book review by Laurie Wallace-Lynch
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