The Holiday Switch

Two rival coworkers with two very big secrets . . . What could possibly go wrong? Cozy up with this charming holiday romance by USA Today bestselling author Tif Marcelo.

Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York, is plentiful, the mood is as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she's earning extra cash working at the local inn AKA the setting of the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.

But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type Anything but Lila s Way, and the two of them can t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets and an unexpected snowstorm bring these rivals together?

I swooned for the romance! Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal, on Tif Marcelo's The Key to Happily Ever After

"Balances realistic, culturally textured depictions of Filipino American family life with a fluffy, feel-good love story . . . This is a delightful, lighthearted rom-com about two young people discovering that it’s not too late to choose a different path. Charming and romantic."--Kirkus Reviews

Auteur
Tif Marcelo is a veteran army nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She is also the author of The Key to Happily Ever After and the Journey to the Heart series.

Texte du rabat

"Planning to enjoy her last snowy winter break of high school by working at a cozy local inn and moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger, Lily Santos' plans are upended when the boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her nemesis co-worker ... then the two accidentally switch phones, a snafu that may just reveal their secrets and bring the rivals together"--

Résumé
Two rival coworkers with two very big secrets . . . What could possibly go wrong? Cozy up with this charming holiday romance by USA Today bestselling author Tif Marcelo.

Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York, is plentiful, the mood is as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she's earning extra cash working at the local inn—AKA the setting of the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake—while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.

But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss's frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is type A; Teddy is type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they've both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?

“I swooned for the romance!”—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal, on Tif Marcelo's The Key to Happily Ever After

Échantillon de lecture

Chapter 1

Saturday, December 11

The sound of jingle bells rips me from my computer screen, where I’m reading through my latest blog entry. Heart rocketing to my throat, I click on the Post button, then slam my laptop shut. From where I’m standing next to the waist-­high bookshelf, I dive onto the floor and, in a move that would impress Simone Biles herself, land in a perfect cross-­legged position next to a stack of donated books on a vintage sled. For effect, I pick up a book and hold it up to my face just as my boss, Ms. Velasco, walks in.

Lou Velasco’s expression is like a beacon of light, as it is every morning. She has a genuine, captivating smile on her face; not a strand of her dark, chin-­length hair is out of place, and she’s wearing the perfect shade of berry lip gloss—­hard to nail, mind you, on medium tawny skin, and I should know—­that complements her Bookworm Inn polo. Palming a coffee cup that reads forget santa, watch out for me in bold red letters, she says, “Good morning, Lila. Early again?”

“I figured I should get started sorting through these books.” I steady my shaking voice and resist the temptation to glance at my laptop on the bookshelf. My best friend, Carm, reminds me time and again that my tells are my croaky voice and shifty eyes, so I focus hard on Ms. Velasco’s nose and not on my lingering, ever-­evolving thoughts on my blog content, which I have to step up for this holiday season.

Because if Ms. Velasco knew how many times I arrived early before my weekend morning shifts or stayed a few minutes after my closing shifts under the guise of voluntarily categorizing books in the gift shop’s free library, she would find out that she’s harboring a criminal.

Okay, that’s a little extra. Not a criminal, but a sneak, an under­cover.

“Well, your work shows.” She gestures at the shelves behind me—­all donated—­and the meticulously categorized books that fill them. The Bookworm Inn Free Library was a community service project I started when I was in the eighth grade with one little shelf and a dozen donated books. Five short years later, the library now lines an entire wall of the gift shop.

“Thank you.” My face warms, both from the compliment and the fact that my intentions have not been purely altruistic. Some might say I’m trying to cheat the system—­in this case, my parents’ rules about certain types of internet use—­but I attribute it to my entrepreneurial spirit.

Ms. Velasco twists the watch around her wrist. “Looks like ten minutes before we open. And I spy people in the parking lot.”

I scramble up and straighten my Bookworm Inn sweater. It’s a soothing forest green that’s supposed to embody the gorgeous foliage of the Finger Lakes region. That’s where fictional characters Leo Marks and Estelle Mendoza grew up and fell in love in the beloved 1996 film Holiday by the Lake, based on its namesake novel. The entire movie was filmed in our real town of Holly, New York, and most of its scenes were shot right here, on the Bookworm Inn property, owned and operated by the Velasco family for the last three decades. Holly has become a major tourist destination as a result, and fans of the movie flock here in droves every holiday season, camera-­ready, to relive their favorite scenes.

“I’m ready. I’ll put this away and open up.”

Ms. Velasco nods, and when she turns, I stuff my laptop into my bag. I really need to be more careful. In my two years stealthily blogging behind the adorable, anonymous avatar of a brown-­skinned, dark-­haired, Santa-­hat-­wearing girl, this is the first time I’ve been close to getting caught in the act.

Which is not on any of my to-­do lists. Primarily because Ms. Velasco and my mom are best friends, so anything that happens at the Inn will get back to her. Secondly, the Tinsel and Tropes blog, or TnT, is all mine, even if it’s a secret . . . and my plan is to keep it that way.

“Do you know what I think?” I glance at the different…