The Holiday Swap

by Maggie Knox

  “What’s the surprise gift?” Cass asked.

  “I have no idea.” Charlie glanced up the stairs after Jake.

  While they waited for Jake’s return, Charlie caught Cass up on Austin Nash’s recent demise—his memoir had been outed by the New York Times as partly plagiarized, including stolen recipes, and Bake My Day had been canceled as a result. “That’s karma for you,” Cass said, chuckling. Then she watched as Jake headed back to the tree to add a small package to the pile of gifts. She raised an eyebrow at Charlie.

  “I told you, I didn’t snoop!” Charlie exclaimed. “This past year has taught me to let go of the things I can’t control. Whatever is in that box will be a complete surprise.”

  Cass smiled. “Speaking of surprises . . .” She retrieved a slender, wrapped package from her bag and handed it to her sister.

  Charlie ripped off the paper. “A cookbook! And . . . Oh, Cass.” Her breath caught. “These are our recipes.”

  “I collated all the recipes from Woodburn’s, plus the ones from the Sweet and Salty baking marathon. It was a tough time we went through, but so much good came from it. I never want us to forget that.”

  Charlie happily flipped the pages. “This is so great, Cass. The German Chocolate Switcheroo is my absolute favorite.” She looked up at her twin. “Thank you.”

  “Are you crying?” Cass reached out and wiped away a tear streaming down Charlie’s cheek. “What’s going on?”

  Charlie shook her head. “Nothing. I was just thinking about our crazy swap last year and how it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Being you made me realize what I really wanted my life to look like.”

  “And being you did the same for me,” Cass said, her voice full of emotion, too. “And I’m so happy we’ve found a way to be together more often now, with the show.”

  Charlie glanced over at Jake. “Hey, I need to do something before everything begins. You okay?”

  “I am,” Cass said. “Just have to change.”

  “I left the garment bag for you on our bed,” Charlie said, and Cass murmured her thanks before heading upstairs.

  “Everything alright with you two?” Jake asked when Charlie joined him.

  “All good. Just twin stuff,” Charlie said. “I wanted to give you something, before all the holiday chaos starts.” They were alone now, everyone else having moved to the kitchen or having joined the snowman-making outside. She reached under the tree and pulled out a rectangular box, tied with a green silky ribbon. “Merry Christmas, Jake.”

  He untied the ribbon and took off the box’s lid, staring for a long moment at what was inside. A baked dog bone cookie with Big Sister written in white icing.

  “Sharon made it, but I decorated it,” Charlie said. “It’s for you. Well, it’s for Bonnie, but the message is for you, obviously.”

  Jake finally looked at Charlie and she saw . . . disappointment. Her heart sank.

  “Who told you?” he asked, heaving a frustrated sigh. “I swore everyone to secrecy! Was it Miguel? Gran?”

  “Told me what?”

  He reached under the tree and handed Charlie his gift-wrapped box without a word. She opened it and inside rested a small golden dog tag. “What’s this?” she asked.

  Before Jake could explain Faye walked back into the room, followed by the rest of the holiday guests, some who still had rosy cheeks from being outside. Suddenly the large living room was crammed with people. Charlie felt like she couldn’t get quite enough air.

  “Gran, did you tell Charlie about the puppy?” Jake asked Faye.

  “I most certainly did not,” Faye retorted.

  “Puppy?” Charlie asked. She glanced at the dog tag again. “You got me a puppy?”

  “She’s upstairs. A Havanese mix. I, uh, named her Marshmallow, but we can change it. I wanted it to be a surprise . . . she’s from the same rescue place as Bonnie. I dropped by with our Christmas donations, and when I met her, it was kind of like when I met you: love at first sight. She’s adorable and tiny and, well, she’s already destroyed our carpet and maybe one of your slippers.” Jake grimaced, then raised his hands and smiled. “Merry Christmas?”

  “Oh my goodness . . . a puppy . . .” Charlie stared wide-eyed at Jake. “No one told me. I . . . I love the idea of a puppy, and can’t wait to meet her, but . . . That’s not what this message is about, Jake.”

  The room went quiet as Jake read the biscuit’s message out loud. “ ‘Big Sister’?”

  Charlie nodded, tears coming to her eyes again.

  “Oh goodness me,” Faye exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “She’s pregnant!”

  “We’re having a baby?” Jake’s expression was shocked—but delighted.

  Charlie started to laugh through her tears. “Merry Christmas?” she said, her voice wobbly. Jake whooped and then everyone gasped and cheered as he picked her up and spun her around.

  “This is the best present ever,” Jake murmured, setting her back down as he kissed her.

  “You’re sure?” Charlie asked.

  “I’m sure,” Jake replied.

  Cass peeked her head around the landing, looking just as overjoyed as everyone else. “Oh, Charlie.”

  Charlie glanced up the stairs at her sister. “I’m sorry. I wanted to surprise you with the news later. I didn’t want to take anything away from you and Miguel today, so—”

  “Take what away from Cass and Miguel?” Essie asked, just as Miguel walked into the room, impossibly handsome in a black tuxedo, a white rose secured on his lapel. He looked dapper but nervous, his fingers fiddling with his bow tie. But then he stilled, seeing Cass, and his breath caught. Absolutely mesmerized, all he could get out was, “Wow.”

  All eyes now turned to Cass, who was descending the staircase in a silky white long-sleeved sheath with an open back. Her wavy hair hung loose around her shoulders, with sparkling crystal barrettes holding tendrils back from her face. She clasped a small white posy of flowers in her hands, tied with a brilliant red satin bow. She was glowing, and she smiled as she caught Miguel’s eye.

  “We wanted this to be a surprise, and, well, we wanted to do this our way,” Cass said, joining Miguel in front of the tree. “With little fuss but with everyone we love in the same room.” Miguel took both of Cass’s hands and gave her a soft kiss, while Faye softly chided, “Not yet, young man. That’s for after the vows.”

  Helen turned to Charlie, eyes wide and filled with unshed tears of joy and surprise. “Did you know about this?”

  “I did—I made the cake, actually,” Charlie said. “Three tiers, because I wanted to give these two a touch of tradition.” She smiled at Cass and Miguel. “Starlight fruitcake, Dad’s gingerbread, and German chocolate for the top tier . . . all of which we will enjoy after we let these lovebirds say their vows.”

  “A baby and a wedding,” Thomas exclaimed, beyond thrilled. “Our girls, both so happy. This is the best Christmas we’ve ever had!”

  “I think it might just be one of the best Christmases we’ve all had,” said Faye. Then she cleared her throat and stood tall. “An especially fun one for me, since I finally figured out how the Internet works, and learned you can do almost anything on it—including becoming an ordained wedding officiant. Are we all here?” There were murmurs around the room as this was confirmed. “Well, then! Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate Christmas—and to witness the wedding of Cassandra Goodwin and Miguel Rodriguez.”

  Cass squeezed Miguel’s hands gently, then reached up to adjust his bow tie. He cleared his throat and looked down at Cass, his eyes full of emotion.

  The couple’s friends and family pulled closer, and there was just enough room for all of them to surround Cass and Miguel in front of the glittering tree. Jake encircled his hands around Charlie’s waist and rested them there, an expression of perfect joy on his
face. Outside, the snow continued to fall, blanketing the town in peaceful silence, while inside the house voices, laughter, and spirits rose, and love was all around.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  We are grateful to:

  The Agents—Carolyn Forde and Samantha Haywood, and the rest of the team at Transatlantic Agency.

  The Editors—Tara Singh-Carlson, Deborah Sun de la Cruz, and Kimberley Atkins. (And Margo Lipschultz, too.)

  The Publishers—Putnam, Penguin Random House Canada, Hodder, and their outstanding teams.

  The Coven, who were there from the beginning when we first cooked up this idea over afternoon tea and pastries.

  The Writers, who kindly read early drafts, offered generous words, and cheered us on with their friendship.

  The Readers, who enthusiastically supported this new endeavor.

  The Pets, Fred and Oscar, for being our furry muses and foot warmers during writing sessions.

  The Families—Like our characters Cass and Charlie, we’re both lucky to have excellent ones.

  Each other.

  Love,

  Marissa and Karma

  a.k.a Maggie Knox

  The Holiday Swap

  MAGGIE KNOX

  A Conversation with Maggie Knox

  Discussion Guide

  A Conversation with Maggie Knox

  Readers might be surprised to learn that Maggie Knox is the pseudonym for writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley. How did you both come to co-write The Holiday Swap?

  Late fall 2019 we were at different stages of the book process—Karma was gearing up for promoting her soon-to-be released novel, and Marissa was editing her latest—and were bemoaning how isolating author life can be, and how much fun it would be if we could instead collaborate on our projects. Instead of shrugging away that thought, we continued our conversation . . . “If we did collaborate, what would we write?” Because it was nearly Christmas, and Hallmark Christmas movies were streaming, we said, “What about a holiday romance? Something sweet and hopeful. Now that would be fun to write!” Neither of us had written a romance, nor had we co-authored anything, but we forged ahead regardless. And the idea that started mostly as a musing between friends turned into The Holiday Swap.

  You both have separately published multiple books in a few different genres. How has crafting The Holiday Swap differed from your previous experiences writing fiction, other than the fact that it was with another person as opposed to alone?

  There were times during our brainstorming sessions where we’d veer into more serious territory—themes like the devastating loss of loved ones, for example—and then we’d catch ourselves and remind each other this book was a holiday romance, full of happiness and joy and fun and baked goods! Not that we couldn’t address deeper themes—which we did for both Cass and Charlie—but that the darkness we might give our other fictional characters was neither needed nor appropriate for this novel.

  Who do you relate to more—Cass or Charlie—and are either of these characters based on real people?

  Karma: I stay away from creating characters based on people I know and prefer to write entirely fictional protagonists. Having said that, both Cass and Charlie have characteristics that resonated with me, either through the decisions they make or the challenges they face. I enjoyed spending time with both of them while writing this book!

  Marissa: I agree! At various intervals in the book I found myself wishing I could be friends with both Cass and Charlie and related to them both. I grew up in a small town and can identify with the fishbowl feel of it. My work ambitions are a huge part of my life, so writing about Charlie and her ambitions made me reflect on that. I learned a lot from both the twins—and wish they really did exist so we could continue the conversation.

  There are so many delicious recipes mentioned in The Holiday Swap. Where did you get inspiration for these mouth-watering treats? Do you have a personal favorite?

  Marissa: A few years ago, a friend gave me some sourdough starter, and I became slightly obsessed with it while writing this book—and that definitely shows up on the page! Karma was often amused and mystified by the things I had to do to keep the starter alive, so we decided we obviously needed to work some sourdough drama into the plot of a book with a bakery in it. As for the sweet recipes, we found inspiration in baking shows and our own preferences. We both love lemon squares, for example, and I can’t imagine reading this book and not craving one immediately. (In fact, I’m craving one right now.)

  Karma: I’m a baker, and a reality baking show fan, so some of the inspiration for the recipes came from my own life. For example, the Starlight Bread, full of candied fruits, is reminiscent of the Christmas Cake recipe passed down through generations in my family. We still make it every Christmas, and it’s one of my favorite holiday traditions.

  What was your favorite scene in the novel to write and why?

  Karma: I have two. The first was the opening chapter, because it’s fun to create a new world and the people who live in it—I love the challenge of setting the stage and starting to unravel the characters and their motivations. And the second one is when Jake rescues Cass’s cat, Gateau, from the backyard tree for Charlie. It’s romantic and charged with energy, and any scene that also features both Gateau and Bonnie, Jake’s overly enthusiastic rescue pup, is a winner for me.

  Marissa: I loved the cat rescue scene, too. I’m never more in love with my husband than when he’s snuggling our cat. I also loved any scene with Faye in it, because she reminded me of my own Grandma, who I love and miss—and because her life experience gave her a beautiful depth. The surfing scene with Cass and Miguel was a lot of fun to write, too. If I close my eyes, I can visualize the moment they reach for each other’s hands. It’s so perfectly romantic, which is exactly what we wanted this book to be.

  How did you come to craft Cass and Charlie’s authentic sisterly push-and-pull dynamic? Did you pull inspiration from your own sibling relationships?

  Karma: I have a sister who is only fifteen months younger than me, and we were incredibly close growing up. Due to our closeness in age, we ended up going through many of the same experiences at the same time. Yet despite our similarities, our career paths look quite different—she’s in the medical field and I gravitated to one in the arts. We are similar to Cass and Charlie, I guess, who forged their own paths as adults but remain each other’s touchstone.

  Marissa: I have three brothers, no sisters, and Karma and I would often discuss the difference in our sibling dynamic. With my brothers, it’s all pretty straightforward. I appreciate the simplicity, but sometimes long for the deep closeness you can have with a sister. For inspiration with Cass and Charlie, I often looked to my relationships with close friends—and thought a lot about the idea that with a sister, you don’t get to choose each other, but you can choose what kind of relationship you’re going to have.

  What is your signature dessert to make (or buy) during the holiday season?

  Marissa: We always bake gingerbread cookies and a gingerbread house—although nothing nearly as elaborate as the one on display at Woodburn Breads!

  Karma: My family’s Christmas Cake recipe is the one thing I make every holiday season!

  This might be a controversial question, but if you were a character in The Holiday Swap, who would you prefer as a romantic interest—Miguel or Jake—and why?

  Karma: It is impossible to choose. I adore both Miguel and Jake for different reasons and am smitten with each of them.

  Marissa: I feel the same. We fell in love with them both!

  Without giving anything away, did you always know how the story would end for Cass and Charlie?

  Well, we always knew our twins were getting a happy ending! But for the longest time, we didn’t know exactly what that was going to look like. We had a placeholder for the final chapter that was something along the lines of, “And they all lived happily ever after, smooch! Swoon!” We thin
k what we came up with for the real final chapter is so much better—and that’s all we can say about that.

  What’s next for you?

  Next up for Maggie Knox is our second holiday romance, All I Want for Christmas, which is set in Nashville, TN, and features a reality singing competition and two competing musicians, Sadie and Max, who dislike each other but are obligated to pretend to be a couple. They have fantastic chemistry on stage, but behind the scenes is another story. Until they find some common ground and things start to heat up! Karma is also working on her next standalone novel, What Wild Women Do, which is a dual narrative story set in the Adirondacks in the 1970s and present day. And Marissa is working on television development for her latest novel, Lucky.

  Discussion Guide

  What treat in The Holiday Swap did you immediately want to buy or bake at home, and did you end up doing either? If so, share your experience.

  What quality do you think lies at the heart of Cass and Charlie’s relationship? Do you have that same sentiment with a sibling or friend, and if so, who?

  Do you think Cass did the right thing for Charlie toward the end of filming the Christmas special for Sweet & Salty? If you were Cass, what would you have done?

  If you had the opportunity to live in the town of Starlight Peak, would you? Why or why not?

  If you could switch lives with your sibling or friend for twelve days, who would you switch with, and why?

  During the switch, Cass and Charlie realized what they truly wanted in order to live happy lives. Did you relate more to Cass’s journey, or Charlie’s?

  Who would you prefer more as a romantic interest—Miguel or Jake—and why?