Three Holidays and a Wedding

This book, with its cute cover, delivers what it promises - a feel-good Hallmark-like experience (with the bonus of multi-cultural and multi-faith storylines) that is set in an idyllic setting, has a cozy vibe and is a story that is predictable in the very best way.

Set in 2020 when Christmas, Ramadan and Hanukkah fell within days of each other, the story follows two women who unexpectedly meet on a flight to Toronto. Anna was raised with her Christian dad and Jewish stepmother and is heading to Toronto to meet her wealthy boyfriend's family for the first time. Maryam was raised in a large Muslim family who are all on their way to Toronto for her sister's wedding. Due to a snowstorm, their flight lands in a small airport far from their destination and now the passengers are stuck in Snow Falls, the quaint, quirky and oh-so-perfect it can only be a Hallmark locale. 

The story shows how a friendship grows between the two women and it has two meet cutes and two romances that use the forced proximity and second chances tropes, and it's all set in the picture-perfect small town filled with charming and wonderfully accepting townspeople. The romances are sweet (with very little heat), but my favourite parts were learning more about Ramadan and Hanukkah and Maryam's grandfather stole the show as he doled out his sage advice to all who needed it. My only issue with this book is that the second half, when we can see the satisfying ending in sight, the story got bogged down in dialogue.

This is a gentle story about friendship, family, faith and the power of acceptance. Romance readers will eagerly suspend reality as they sip a mug of hot chocolate, get cozy under a blanket and read this cute dual romance set in an idyllic wintery small town that follows the lives and loves of two women who are finding out who they want to be and what they want out of life when family (and their own) expectations are removed from the equation.

My Rating: 4 stars

Authors: Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

Genre: RomCom, Romance, Canadian

Type and Source: trade paperback, personal copy

Publisher: Viking Canada

First Published: September 23, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: A multi-faith holiday rom com about the delightful havoc that occurs when Christmas, Eid, and Hanukkah all fall at the same time, and two strangers-turned-friends are snowbound in the small, charming town of Snow Falls along with the cast and crew of a holiday romance movie, nosy family members, and their lifelong crushes.

Three times the holiday magic. Three times the chaos.

As strangers and seatmates Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson fly to Toronto over the holidays--Maryam to her sister's impromptu wedding, and Anna to meet her boyfriend's wealthy family for the first time--neither expect that severe turbulence will scare them into confessing their deepest hopes and fears to one another. At least they'll never see each other again. And the love of Maryam's life, Saif, wasn't sitting two rows behind them hearing it all. Oops.

When Anna, Maryam, Saif, and Maryam's sister's bridal party are snowbound at the quirky Snow Falls Inn--on the outskirts of a picture-perfect town where a holiday romance starring Anna's actor-crush is being filmed--chaos ensues. But as Maryam and Anna start to feel the magic of Snow Falls--and find love beyond their deepest hopes--they just might realize there's no place they'd rather be for the holidays.