December 4, 2024 • 30 mins
In our latest podcast, hosts Simone, Tanya and Deb discuss The Holiday Honeymoon Switch from Julia McKay / Marissa Stapley. Trading places and vacations might just be the Christmas miracle these two best friends need. Holly Beech and Ivy Casey are bury-the-body besties.. When Holly’s fiancé jilts her, leaving her in shock and with a nonrefundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places. Ivy will go on the Hawaiian honeymoon her best friend can’t bear to take alone, while Holly escapes to Ivy’s rented Hudson Valley cabin to binge-watch holiday movies and heal.
Holly’s wallowing is interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be her high school academic rival who’s had a major glow-up. And, Ivy’s solo retreat is upended when Holly’s ex-fiancé checks into the honeymoon suite—with a new woman... Enter the hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds, this Christmas might prove the most magical yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Holly’s wallowing is interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be her high school academic rival who’s had a major glow-up. And, Ivy’s solo retreat is upended when Holly’s ex-fiancé checks into the honeymoon suite—with a new woman... Enter the hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds, this Christmas might prove the most magical yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Join us and unwine with a good book. Welcome to
relaxing reads.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Ah, I like your hoodie.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Oh thanks, it's a breeze, I know, I like it.
I like the color.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, this is I got this one like a few
years ago, and then they ordered more. The ones they
ordered are a little thinner than this one. Okay, this
is a nice, big cozy ready for whatever season's coming.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Ready for a cozy trip to a cabin. We're all, yeah,
So how are you both doing? What's new and exciting?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Oh my gosh, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's once you get into this holiday season, isn't it
like I don't know where my head is. Even if
you're ready and you're prepared and you start to do
whatever the things are that you need to do, I
feel really out there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, it seems like it's a long checklist of things.
You know, once you get there, it's nice and you
hope you can you can relax.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But the lead up to it and just the planning
an organization, if you have a lot to do, it
just kind of floats in your head. Yeah, even though
you have your day to day checklist, you have your work,
you have things just in your head and you're still like,
am I going to do some Black Friday shopping to
get ahead of this that you thought about?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
This person? Is there a dinner happening here? What about
that party? What are you wearing? It's like just floating
floating in there. That's what I feel.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
I feel like I have all the time in the
world to do Christmas stuff and like get together with people,
and then all of a sudden, I don't have any time.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
I don't know what it is. It just goes by
so fast.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So you think that we find ourselves in like the
mind space of a kid, like as it starts to
kind of ramp up and we go back to, you know,
what we did as a kid, or some of those
nostalgic memories, and then we lose track of what we
were supposed to be doing currently.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
I think.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So I think also just you know, it was interesting
because we'll get to that later, but in the book
about how making different Christmas memories and not maybe doing
things how you did them.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
But yeah, like even for me with the kid.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's like is that elf on the shelf coming back?
And then it's like one other thing I have to
think about. It's like, you know, and My oldest is
he's twelve and a half, so he's at the age
when we mentioned Santa, he kind of gives us this look.
But we haven't officially said anything to him, but I
think he knows the Santa deal, but he's kind of
(02:20):
holding on to Santa's going to get me these gifts.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So he's we're.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Both kind of playing that game where we're like, we're
not going to be the ones to say anything, but
he's kind of playing us right now because he should
technically just be asking.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
For a gift from us.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So it's this funny little little thing going on with
the kids, for sure. So we're on teams and I know,
if you're listening, you can't see Tanya, But Tanya, your
hair looks phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I know what's going on there.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Always I don't know. I let it dry by itself.
Sometimes I do that.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
This is curl, that's a result.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, Sometimes I just let it dry. Like I was
at home yesterday. I have a sick kitty, so I
was and just kind of monitoring her and making sure
she's okay. So so yeah, when I have time, I
don't blow dry my hair because I blow dry my
hair all the time, right, so I try to protect it,
but thank you, I need to go see my hairdresser
(03:16):
because I need like, I need color.
Speaker 6 (03:18):
It's a lot of gray. It's a lot of gray happening.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah, this is hat's hat.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Tuks this time of year. I mean, you can't get
away with the tuks in the in the spring and summer.
But it's like cute now.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Right, and it's cold here, so I have a reason
to wear my wear my tuk.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yes, you're you're almost like full on winter now, aren't you.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
Such a nice I don't like it when it gets
to be minus twenty and there's no snow.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
There's gotta be snow.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Look, if you're gonna kick our ass with cold, can
you just give us something pretty to look at?
Speaker 6 (03:51):
So it's like to do it right, it's pretty.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Exactly all right? Are we ready to get started? Sure?
Hide Stab in Halifax, Hiatt Simone in Vancouver.
Speaker 6 (04:00):
Hey, it's Tanya and Edmonton.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Well, our latest street is just in time for the holidays.
The holiday honeymoon switch from Julia McKay or, as we
know her, Marissa Stapley Trading Places and Vacations might just
be the Christmas miracle these two best friends need. Holly
Beach and Ivy Casey are bury the body besties.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
When Holly's fiance.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Jilts her, leaving her in shock and with a non
refundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places. Ivy will
go on the Hawaiian honeymoon, her best friend can't bear
to take a loan, while Holly escapes to Ivy's rented
Hudson Valley cabin to binge, watch holiday movies and heel.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Holly's walloween is.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be
her high school academic rival who's had a major glow up,
and Ivy's solo retreat is upended when Holly's ex checks
into the honeymoon suite with a new woman, enter the
hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds,
this Christmas might prove to be the most magical yet.
(05:03):
So is this book all the holiday vibes we need, ladies?
Speaker 6 (05:06):
Yes, yes, you know it's.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So rom calm and typically.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You know, we have the story of Holly and she's
in this beautiful place called Crimbo where everything is holiday
and magical, and it's cozy and cabins and snow falling
right at the right times, and sometimes, you know, that's
how you feel Christmas should be. And when you think
of the other side of it. We have one character
who's in Hawaii, and sometimes you feel like a tropical
(05:36):
vacation takes you away from it.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
But in this book you still get the vibe of.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Mister and Missus, claws and dolphins and Christmas luaus. So
I feel like it was represented well with the two
locations that also were kind of the characters in the book.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean, of course, in Edmonton, I'm more familiar with,
you know, the snow and cold. But you know, as
I get older, I have often thought, you know, maybe
I'd like to go away for Christmas. Maybe I'd like
to go somewhere hot. And so you see Ivy and
who's in Hawaii and it is Christmas all things Christmas.
But she's on a beach and it is beautiful out
(06:13):
and she's painting these ocean scenes and the sand and everything.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
I'm like, yeah, that is seriously talking to me.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, I love that idea.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Although because in Halifax, in many parts of Canada, we've
not had a lot of white Christmases. In recent years
things are changing up, so that picture perfect winter scene
I love, I think because it's not always guaranteed now,
so I like the idea of the cozy and the
traditional looking setting. But Hawaii, if somebody's paying for my trip,
(06:52):
I'd be gained too.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Wouldn't it be magical if you could be snowed in
inside a cabin and cozy for say, like Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, so you get like that shut
off from the world, and then on the twenty seventh
you get on your flight and you go to Hawaii
and then you enjoy the sun and sand and.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Celebrate New Year's on beach.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I feel like that would be the perfect marriage of
the two.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Can you order it for us?
Speaker 6 (07:20):
That is awesome?
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Is there Uber travel?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Can we just book this and make it happen? But yeah,
I've never been away for Christmas. We've gone away that
window between Christmas and New Year's once to la and
it was nice, it was, but it was interesting because
we had a big dumping of snow and Vancouver that
year and we were on like Santa Monica Beach.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
It was like everybody here was cold.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
And then before Christmas one year we did Hawaii and
it was it was nice because it was very mele
khaliki maka and festive, but also kind of nice. But
I do enjoy Christmas at home where you are in
your space. So yeah, but this book was was great.
I almost wished it could have been two books. You know,
(08:01):
we hear the story of Holly and then we get
to Ivy. Like with the dual character timeline, sometimes I
feel like you get the build, build, build, and then
it's got to kind of wrap up quickly, and I
feel like I wanted a little bit more.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Yeah, yeah, I think so too, Like there is a
lot more in this book.
Speaker 6 (08:19):
Wait wait until you get started. Yeah, I think so too.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Like I felt like I was, you know, I'm reading
Holly story and I'm getting really engrossed in that, and
then it switches to Ivy because that's what this book is.
It's Holly than Ivy, Holly and Ivy, And yeah, you
do get left with some sort of like what's going
to happen to Holly and then all of a sudden
you switch over to Ivy. You know, but I wanted more,
I think for me, like who resonated with me the most?
(08:46):
Now I've never been to Hawaii for Christmas. I would
love it, like someone's described, But I think I think
Holly's like cabin.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
In the woods with the snow.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
It really appealed to me, and I I kind of
liked I kind of associated a little bit more with
Holly than I did with Ivy. I think maybe just
because of the location, I'm more familiar with that, right,
But both really interesting stories, and yeah, there's a whole
bunch that you could really develop with both of these characters.
And I think they could have their own, their very
(09:19):
own story you know.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, was was there one character like their own personality,
their own storyline that you connected more with, not necessarily
the setting.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I feel like maybe Ivy for me because I am
very spontaneous and just make decisions, where you think Holly
is a little bit more of a thinker. She likes
to kind of plan things, have things a certain way,
And as much as I like that, I'm sometimes just
someone who wants to just like do something now and
get the decisions made and do that. So that part
of it, I felt like I connected with Ivy, even
(09:50):
though Holly became a little bit like Ivy a little later.
But I liked the setting of the cabin and the
whole vibes there, and like the family and that little
you know, the community they've built for the holidays.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And how magical it is. So it kind of makes you.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Think about, you know, the traditional Christmas or holidays you
have with family, friends, little community. And then there's the
ones where you know, people have traveled and moved to
different parts of the world and now they've kind of
created their own families and the friends, miss and that
kind of thing. So that was the Hawaii but I've
never really connected to that part of it. But location wise,
I was all about I was all about that cabin
(10:27):
and the snow.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So yeah, what about for you, Deb?
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I like so Ivy.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I think like her free spirit and you know, simone,
your you know, spontaneous. I love that and I think
that's part of me.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
But I think.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
How Holly was left with her ex, how she was treated,
I feel that's part of me as well. So I
think I connected a little more or felt more badly
for her situation. And I don't think I would know
what to do because in past incidents or relationships when
(11:03):
I've kind of been left high and dry and trying
to figure and sort things out if I had somebody
beside me, like if I don't know, I yeah, so
that part of me is Holly.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
But I like the.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Side of Ivy where you just go, you just go,
you don't care, and you know, you live life as
it should be today, as it might be tomorrow and
see what happens.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
But isn't that interesting, deb like how you put it, Like,
you know, those of us who've gone through like that
deep heartbreak, that heartbreak sometimes can linger for so long months, years,
and then for some I mean, this all happened within
a week. For her, she was able to find someone else.
Like as bad as it is, you know, if we've
gotten out of a bad situation, you just don't know
(11:51):
what tomorrow holds. Are you going to be grieving this
relationship or is it a friendship or whatever for a
long period of time, or are you going to find
a new.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Best friend tomorrow. That's just the interesting part of life.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
Yeah, And I think I think, you know, part of
this book was about Holly had her whole life planned right,
Like she went up with this guy, Matt for ten years,
and that was going to be her life. And I
think sometimes sometimes we you know, if we get into
situations we think, in my life is always going to
be like this, right, But we don't know that one
little thing can change our life completely, and it can
(12:24):
be something huge, like what happened with Holly. You know,
Matt leaves her the eve of her wedding. Oh my gosh,
I can't even imagine. And you know, in her life
takes a change. And of course in Ivy's thinking, you know,
I'm going to go have like an art honeymoon and
I'm going to go work on my art, and all
of a sudden she's she's going off to Hawaii. And
and of course both these women have things happen to
(12:47):
them in their in their locations, and I just think, wow,
you know, sometimes our lives just we never really know
what is going to happen from one day to the next.
And sometimes there's there's a beauty in that, because sometimes
I think life can get kind of like it's never
going to change, you know, and then something happens and
it completely changes, which is the case for Holly. And
(13:08):
and you know, I'm thinking about those two characters, like,
I'm very much like Holly. I like to plan stuff
and I really kind of envied Ivy for her she
you know, Holly used to say about about Ivy like
she just goes after and guess what she wants, you know,
in particular, like they were talking about sex one time,
and like, yep, Ivy just says, yeah, this is what
I want, this is what I want to do.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Bang, she's gone and she gets what she wants.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
And Holly's like a little bit more timid with that,
And I really I loved Ivy for that, and I
was like, I'd really like to I'd like to be
a little bit more like Ivy, you know, just be
a little bit more carefree. But I get stuck in
my in my sameness sometimes. So I think this book
just kind of gives you sort of like life. Life
can change, and we don't know really what's going to
(13:51):
happen from one day to the next.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
That's why we all need to go to Hawaii, because
we're in a different setting, and then anything goes because
when you are in a different space, you will do
the things that you wouldn't necessarily do at home or
around where you know you're afraid that a friend or
a family member might see you doing something that ooh,
they're gonna judge me for this.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Go to Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Everything will be fine.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And good on Holly for sticking to her plan, Like
she wanted to go and paint, and she did quite
a bit of painting, whereas me, you know, you'd go
on vacation, you take a book or you take something
to do.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
That book does not get unpacked.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I see something shiny, and I get distracted and I'm like,
I'm doing this. So she was She kept that focus
for a long time, so I was like, Wow, she's
not just like on vacation doing whatever she wants. She's
actually like, no, I have a purpose as to why
I'm here, and I'm sticking to it. So that was commendable,
I guess.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
And what about the man in this book? Are you
like Team Aiden or Team Oliver?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh well, it's like you know, she describes and as
kind of like Superman, you know, Henry Cavill and then
you've got like the Ryan Gosling vibes, and both are
a tra active. But I like the I like the
rugged man who can just do everything for you. I
like that, like, you know, he's coming to our rescue
and he's helping her with all these things she can't
figure out in the cabin. So I definitely like I
(15:12):
like that, Like it's nice to have a man who's
just hot to look at as well, but it's a
man who's functional functional as well.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
It's it's kind of nice.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Nice, And those reindeer boxer shorts.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
Come on, there's a man in my kitchen wearing nothing
but rainbow boxer shorts cooking me eggs.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Like that would be all I want for Christmas? Is yeah, wow,
but yeah that was a huge job.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Yeah, yeah, I have to agree.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I like the idea again because Hawaii, or even if
it's not Hawaii, a trip elsewhere you find a guy
and something happens and all these exciting things. You know,
maybe he's not the guy that you date or see
yourself with in your own hometown, but yeah, the guy
who is a jack of all trades. Yeah, it's just yeah,
(16:10):
there's something there.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Oh, and helping that that elderly man what was his name?
And when they go on.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
George George, like George, you know, they.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Go visit him, they've set up a schedule so he's
not lonely like that.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
There needs to be more of.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
That in the world where sometimes you know, if you're
on your own, you're like, okay, I haven't called my parent,
I haven't done that.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
You get stressed out.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
But it's like if you have siblings and you set
up a little schedule and you say, okay, these are
your days and these are my days, or you have
you know, you know, people are relatives and you're like, Okay,
we're all going to check in on this one person
who maybe doesn't get that regular those regular check ins.
So I thought that was a beautiful part of Aiden's
story as well.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, absolutely, I want to you know, when when they
went into George's house because he lives on a Christmas
tree farm, and they go into his house and and
how the author described like how this house looked inside
all the Christmas trees, how it smelled. I'm like, I
want to go into that house and stay forever, because
it was just like just I could just feel sort
(17:10):
of the love and warmth of what Christmas is for me,
and and I'm like, I want to stay with George
and Missus Claws like forever. But I did, like, like
Simone said, like I loved how the town, this little
town of Crimbo, they you know, this ninety year old
man who lost his wife recently, and the townspeople basically
have a schedule to go in and check in on
(17:31):
him so that he can stay in his home. And
I'm like, that is you know, I think what everybody
wants is that that lovely community that just so accepts
us and helps us and allows us to to just be,
you know, And I just I love that character and
I love that kitty.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Yeah, Aiden's family too, eight Like, you know, it took
a while for his sister, we find out a little
something about her. You know, she's a different character, but
I guess the hard shell, right, she's protected her family
or wanting to protect her family, and then you find
out that she's.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Got a soft spot as well.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
But you know his parents and you know, they were
so warm and accepting of Holly, and yeah, it was
so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, and even those dramatic moments didn't last very long,
Like there was quick to resolve things. You know, sometimes
it's like you read a book and it's like there's
this back and forth for a long time. And this
was like mistakes were made, but people were forgiven right away.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That was like that's how life should be.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
We shouldn't hold on to something so long because of
our egos and our pride, Like if we could just
move on, that would be wouldn't that be perfect?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (18:37):
And I think that's one of the things about this
book that I love, Like it is perfect for this
time of year because it doesn't hold on to regrets
or anger or anything like glass. I well, you know,
life is life. There's stuff like that that's happened, happening
in the book. But you know, we read this book
and it's like there's little things on that just moves on.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
It keeps moving forward, moving forward.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
It's happy, it makes you feel good, and it is
the perfect book for this time of year to just
nestle in on a couch, grab a blanket, and just
dig into.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
It because it's a lovely read. It really is a
lovely read.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
It is.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Now, their friendship, you know, they have such a strong friendship.
They met as strangers, had an instant bond, became best friends,
which is rare. Have either of you experienced that where
you met someone and then instantly fell in love and
now have continued or maintained a friendship like that.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I do have a couple of girlfriends. I mean they
weren't complete strangers. They were friends of friends. And then
when one of the friends in the circle left left
our friendships, that person became even closer to me. We
became better friends once they left, Once they were out
(19:48):
of the picture, they were a little toxic, but yeah,
and we discovered that we should have been hanging out
more than having that other person in our life. We
were spending more time with them than we were with
each other and found a lot of great things, more
things in common, and yeah, they are part of my
(20:10):
life and I can't imagine not having them.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yeah, I think, you know, I have a couple of
like lifelong friends that I knew when I was you know, little,
but I think as an adult, you know, meeting someone
for the first time. When I first moved to Vancouver
working in radio, and I didn't know anybody, and the
receptionist said, let's go down to the pub. You know,
I want you to meet a friend of mine, kim
I'm like, okay, So we go to this little Irish
pub and and Kimmy was there. She's a brit through
(20:35):
and through and we instantly connected and she is still
one of my best friends in Vancouver. I always go
see her, and the thing I love about her is
that she's completely non judgmental, Like she is the type
of friend where I can go to her with anything,
you know, things that I might be afraid to say
to some people, and she she has no judgment She
(20:56):
just like she just listens and she may give me advice,
she may not.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
But she's just there as a supportive person.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
So I think that maybe that's, you know, that's the
person that I definitely connected with who I didn't know,
you know, and to this day she's still, you know,
one of my best friends.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
So it happens, it does, And yeah, I've got a
few friends like that too, And it's nice because I'm
I'm generally a social butterfly and I love and I
you going out meeting new people, and I can make
social connections, but you know, it's sometimes a lot more
surface level because of what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
We do in the industry we're in.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
But then I've got, like you said, like this core
group of friends that I've kind of collected along the way, loss.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Them along the way.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
But those are the ones, like you say, Tanya, like
non judgmental, those.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Are the core.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Those are the people that I will let down the
guard with and they know everything about me, and it's
outside of the personality of who I am in public,
Like they know the deep parts of me and I
can really share with them, and that's that's beautiful too.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And I think that's just it like having those core friends.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Maybe if it's not a best friend, having a group
of collective best friends, because yeah, we are older now,
you might not have that one from high school or
elementary school. It's just nice to have that connection and
just have someone to lean on. And it was interesting there.
They've they've always been honest with each other, but then
they had to keep some secrets.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
But they're protecting each other.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
So that's a tough part of a friendship too, is
when you know information and you know, especially when you're
married and you've heard stories like you know, we've had
partners who have divorced and people were cheating in this
and then you know, you know information, but you're like,
you can't, you know, we don't want to bring it up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
You don't want to share things, so it gets messy,
you know, at times.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
But you know, in this story, there was some protecting
of the friendship and then they worked it out as
well and that's when you know a friendship is real,
is when you can go through a little bit of
those trials and tribulations and come out on top. It's like,
sometimes friendships are more work than actual relationships.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
It's true, isn't it. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I have a group of university friends who we all
met in residence. We all lived together, so we were
all strangers and we have an app chat thing going
on and we chat every day, and that is a
safe space. You know, most of them are moms and
they've got family, they've got people, have things going on, like,
(23:11):
there's a lot going on in all of their lives,
and that's a place where if they can't find anywhere
else in the day, they'll just dump it there and
will be there as the cheerleaders in the background. And
it feels good, like because you know that there will
always be a space for you. And the longer we've been,
(23:31):
you know, the more years that pass, the better we've
become at in these friendships, these relationships, and we find
more things that we love about each other every day.
It's really it's it's a cool thing. And I think
that the author really, you know, did something with these
two friends like it is a love you know that
a lot of girlfriends have. I don't know that men
(23:53):
have the same types of relationships. Like these friendships are
are true and true, and I think that love shows
with Holly and Ivy and it's it's a special thing.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
It is.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It's a beautiful friendship. And she did a great job
with it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
There were times where I was like, they need to
talk more because they kind of took that space during
the vacation and I was like, check in a little
bit more message, a little bit more, yeah, but the
details details. Yeah, I know Tanya had put this out
in our questions, but is there a favorite movie that
either of you watch this time of year?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
This book? The Holiday? Right, the Holidays?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
That's my go to movie every year.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I like it more than Love actually, which is you know,
a favorite for so many that and for Christmases with resourders.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Dude, those two I cannot, you know, not watch on
my own. I enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
They're kind of my little rom com stories with the kids,
you know, You've Got Home Alone and the Christmas Story.
But for me, and so when I was looking into
a little bit more on on this book in the background,
you know, the author Marisa actually said she it was
based kind of on the holiday, but she won the
two friends to be best friends, whereas in the film
Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, their characters don't know each other.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
They just do like the swap.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
But it was like kind of based on that, and
I really when I heard that, I was like, that's
pretty magical.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
So those are definitely my go to this time of year.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I love that moment where she just goes into the
grocery store and just picks up a bottle.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Of wine and some food, and I was like, Oh,
that's the best when you can.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Just have a solo night to yourself during the holidays,
because it's busy, chaotic family and if you get that me.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Time and you get to watch a movie with some drinks, it's.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Perfect, pretty awesome.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
I love I love Scrooged with Bill Murray, and I
think it's just my weird sense of humor. There's this
one scene where he's like, you know, he's obviously trying
to do this big production, and this old guy comes
up to him and he's got this little mouse and
he says, oh, I can't seem to get the antlers
to stick on the Little this little guy, and he's
always you know, falling off and Bill Murray's character goes,
(25:55):
have you tried Staples? Just makes for the Little Mos anyway,
So I always watch Scrooge.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
There's also the one I think did so did you
mention it? The one with the four story the.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Stories for Christmases for Christmas?
Speaker 6 (26:15):
No?
Speaker 5 (26:15):
No, no, the one with the Christmas story Oh the no,
the it takes place the Prime Minister.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
Love actually, oh love Actually.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I like that.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
I like watching that one. I do. I like watching
that one.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, there was talk of a sequel for that, like
it's been it's been years in the making, but I
don't I don't actually know if that's that's happening.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
H Grant talked about it recently because he was in that, right,
yeah Grant.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
Yes, yeah, yeah he did.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Or somebody else in the movie had recently said, I
don't think that's going to happen. But yeah, I like
the rom coms, the traditional fun rom coms, you know
how it's going to wrap up, but also the chaos
of the season, like a movie that has chaos so
then you can feel like, oh, it's not just me, okay,
good Yeah, And this book was great.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
It would make for great film our Holiday rom com.
Have either of you watched any of the Hallmark movies
I saw. I saw Hot Frosty come up about snowman
that melts and turns into a hot honk, and I
was like, I don't know if I'm quite there yet.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I watched it. Did you did you see it?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Yeah? It's on Netflix.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I watch it and it's actually not bad. Okay, it's funny.
Hot Frosty.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Yeah, Hot Frosty. So it's a snowman. She talks to
the snowman and then suddenly he becomes a hot confe
Frosty does.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Is that real life? So if we build a snowman,
I'm gonna go down.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
I'm gonna go out right after this and I'm gonna
go build a snowman.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
They're like, why are deb.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And Tanya just standing outside staring at the snow And
You're like, we're waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
To turn into a hot chiseled man. Give us the holidays.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
We have that magical hat here, all right.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
I know what I'm watching tonight, okay.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Right, yeah, yeah, And there was there was another one
recently that I watched the last weekend or so and
it was Oh it was Pentatonics. Oh you know.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
So they're in the movie The Girl. This girl's a.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Big fan and this guy's a big fan. They meet
each other, they were both having, you know, in different
relationships at the time they meet at the airport. They're like, Okay,
you know what, if it's meant to be, how about
we go see Penatonics in New York City next Christmas
if we're single, and then we know it's meant to be,
and then some other things happen along the way.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's cute. I liked it.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, And that's the thing, Like this book has all
the makings of that that perfect holiday rom com. Now,
if it comes down to it, we already talked about
the locations we would choose. But are you more team
Christmas or more team New Year's? Like what is the
celebration for you out of those two? Because you get
both in that time of year, right, I don't.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Know, Like I do love you know, both Holly and
Ivy are like they love New Year's because it it
is a brand new it's a fresh start. Every year.
It's a fresh start, you know, And I do love
that about it. I used to always go on the
running room does a New Year's Eve run or sorry,
a New Year's Day run. And there was a few
years where I would always you know, get up at
(29:14):
the crack of dawn and go run with a bunch
of people in New Year's Day, thinking that would like,
you know, yeah, wow, I haven't done it for a while,
but I always thought, ye, this is this will get
my know, you know, my years started off right. So,
I mean, I love I love New Year's for that,
but I'm not a big New Year's person. I don't
like to go out. I just like to be very
(29:34):
I like to go to a movie. My best thing
is like go into a movie at ten thirty at
night and come out.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
In the New Year.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
That's Oh I've never done what I really like to
do and then run to a bar and down a
glass of prosecco.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
And uh and you're good. I love that love. I
love the warm and fuzzy of Christmas.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Ye, when my mom was alive, I I loved it more.
I think I U she really was everything about Christmas.
So but it's up to the kids to keep that
going right.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
Yeah, so yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
I'm fifteen, twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
It was more about New Year's Eve and if I'm
going away, I think that's it's.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
It's more fun.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
But yeah, the warmth that comes with Christmas and all
the fields.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Yeah, it's a nice.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Great read for this time of year for sure.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So pick up a copy of The Honeymoon Holiday Switch
from Julia McKay, enjoy it this time of year, and
on our next podcast episode, we will be talking to
Marissa Stapley, who goes by the pen name Julia McKay,
and we will ask her all of our burning questions
about this book.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Take care for now.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Thank you for kicking back and relaxing with us. We
hope you'll join us again on relaxing reads.
Join us and unwine with a good book. Welcome to
relaxing reads.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Ah, I like your hoodie.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Oh thanks, it's a breeze, I know, I like it.
I like the color.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, this is I got this one like a few
years ago, and then they ordered more. The ones they
ordered are a little thinner than this one. Okay, this
is a nice, big cozy ready for whatever season's coming.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Ready for a cozy trip to a cabin. We're all, yeah,
So how are you both doing? What's new and exciting?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Oh my gosh, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It's once you get into this holiday season, isn't it
like I don't know where my head is. Even if
you're ready and you're prepared and you start to do
whatever the things are that you need to do, I
feel really out there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, it seems like it's a long checklist of things.
You know, once you get there, it's nice and you
hope you can you can relax.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But the lead up to it and just the planning
an organization, if you have a lot to do, it
just kind of floats in your head. Yeah, even though
you have your day to day checklist, you have your work,
you have things just in your head and you're still like,
am I going to do some Black Friday shopping to
get ahead of this that you thought about?
Speaker 1 (01:14):
This person? Is there a dinner happening here? What about
that party? What are you wearing? It's like just floating
floating in there. That's what I feel.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
I feel like I have all the time in the
world to do Christmas stuff and like get together with people,
and then all of a sudden, I don't have any time.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
I don't know what it is. It just goes by
so fast.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So you think that we find ourselves in like the
mind space of a kid, like as it starts to
kind of ramp up and we go back to, you know,
what we did as a kid, or some of those
nostalgic memories, and then we lose track of what we
were supposed to be doing currently.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
I think.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So I think also just you know, it was interesting
because we'll get to that later, but in the book
about how making different Christmas memories and not maybe doing
things how you did them.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
But yeah, like even for me with the kid.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's like is that elf on the shelf coming back?
And then it's like one other thing I have to
think about. It's like, you know, and My oldest is
he's twelve and a half, so he's at the age
when we mentioned Santa, he kind of gives us this look.
But we haven't officially said anything to him, but I
think he knows the Santa deal, but he's kind of
(02:20):
holding on to Santa's going to get me these gifts.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So he's we're.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Both kind of playing that game where we're like, we're
not going to be the ones to say anything, but
he's kind of playing us right now because he should
technically just be asking.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
For a gift from us.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So it's this funny little little thing going on with
the kids, for sure. So we're on teams and I know,
if you're listening, you can't see Tanya, But Tanya, your
hair looks phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I know what's going on there.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Always I don't know. I let it dry by itself.
Sometimes I do that.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
This is curl, that's a result.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, Sometimes I just let it dry. Like I was
at home yesterday. I have a sick kitty, so I
was and just kind of monitoring her and making sure
she's okay. So so yeah, when I have time, I
don't blow dry my hair because I blow dry my
hair all the time, right, so I try to protect it,
but thank you, I need to go see my hairdresser
(03:16):
because I need like, I need color.
Speaker 6 (03:18):
It's a lot of gray. It's a lot of gray happening.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yeah, this is hat's hat.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Tuks this time of year. I mean, you can't get
away with the tuks in the in the spring and summer.
But it's like cute now.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Right, and it's cold here, so I have a reason
to wear my wear my tuk.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yes, you're you're almost like full on winter now, aren't you.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
Such a nice I don't like it when it gets
to be minus twenty and there's no snow.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
There's gotta be snow.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Look, if you're gonna kick our ass with cold, can
you just give us something pretty to look at?
Speaker 6 (03:51):
So it's like to do it right, it's pretty.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Exactly all right? Are we ready to get started? Sure?
Hide Stab in Halifax, Hiatt Simone in Vancouver.
Speaker 6 (04:00):
Hey, it's Tanya and Edmonton.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Well, our latest street is just in time for the holidays.
The holiday honeymoon switch from Julia McKay or, as we
know her, Marissa Stapley Trading Places and Vacations might just
be the Christmas miracle these two best friends need. Holly
Beach and Ivy Casey are bury the body besties.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
When Holly's fiance.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Jilts her, leaving her in shock and with a non
refundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places. Ivy will
go on the Hawaiian honeymoon, her best friend can't bear
to take a loan, while Holly escapes to Ivy's rented
Hudson Valley cabin to binge, watch holiday movies and heel.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Holly's walloween is.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Interrupted when her rugged Airbnb host turns out to be
her high school academic rival who's had a major glow up,
and Ivy's solo retreat is upended when Holly's ex checks
into the honeymoon suite with a new woman, enter the
hot hotel bartender to come to her rescue. Against all odds,
this Christmas might prove to be the most magical yet.
(05:03):
So is this book all the holiday vibes we need, ladies?
Speaker 6 (05:06):
Yes, yes, you know it's.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
So rom calm and typically.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You know, we have the story of Holly and she's
in this beautiful place called Crimbo where everything is holiday
and magical, and it's cozy and cabins and snow falling
right at the right times, and sometimes, you know, that's
how you feel Christmas should be. And when you think
of the other side of it. We have one character
who's in Hawaii, and sometimes you feel like a tropical
(05:36):
vacation takes you away from it.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
But in this book you still get the vibe of.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Mister and Missus, claws and dolphins and Christmas luaus. So
I feel like it was represented well with the two
locations that also were kind of the characters in the book.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean, of course, in Edmonton, I'm more familiar with,
you know, the snow and cold. But you know, as
I get older, I have often thought, you know, maybe
I'd like to go away for Christmas. Maybe I'd like
to go somewhere hot. And so you see Ivy and
who's in Hawaii and it is Christmas all things Christmas.
But she's on a beach and it is beautiful out
(06:13):
and she's painting these ocean scenes and the sand and everything.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
I'm like, yeah, that is seriously talking to me.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, I love that idea.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Although because in Halifax, in many parts of Canada, we've
not had a lot of white Christmases. In recent years
things are changing up, so that picture perfect winter scene
I love, I think because it's not always guaranteed now,
so I like the idea of the cozy and the
traditional looking setting. But Hawaii, if somebody's paying for my trip,
(06:52):
I'd be gained too.
Speaker 6 (06:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Wouldn't it be magical if you could be snowed in
inside a cabin and cozy for say, like Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, so you get like that shut
off from the world, and then on the twenty seventh
you get on your flight and you go to Hawaii
and then you enjoy the sun and sand and.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Celebrate New Year's on beach.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I feel like that would be the perfect marriage of
the two.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Can you order it for us?
Speaker 6 (07:20):
That is awesome?
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Is there Uber travel?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Can we just book this and make it happen? But yeah,
I've never been away for Christmas. We've gone away that
window between Christmas and New Year's once to la and
it was nice, it was, but it was interesting because
we had a big dumping of snow and Vancouver that
year and we were on like Santa Monica Beach.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
It was like everybody here was cold.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
And then before Christmas one year we did Hawaii and
it was it was nice because it was very mele
khaliki maka and festive, but also kind of nice. But
I do enjoy Christmas at home where you are in
your space. So yeah, but this book was was great.
I almost wished it could have been two books. You know,
(08:01):
we hear the story of Holly and then we get
to Ivy. Like with the dual character timeline, sometimes I
feel like you get the build, build, build, and then
it's got to kind of wrap up quickly, and I
feel like I wanted a little bit more.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Yeah, yeah, I think so too, Like there is a
lot more in this book.
Speaker 6 (08:19):
Wait wait until you get started. Yeah, I think so too.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Like I felt like I was, you know, I'm reading
Holly story and I'm getting really engrossed in that, and
then it switches to Ivy because that's what this book is.
It's Holly than Ivy, Holly and Ivy, And yeah, you
do get left with some sort of like what's going
to happen to Holly and then all of a sudden
you switch over to Ivy. You know, but I wanted more,
I think for me, like who resonated with me the most?
(08:46):
Now I've never been to Hawaii for Christmas. I would
love it, like someone's described, But I think I think
Holly's like cabin.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
In the woods with the snow.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
It really appealed to me, and I I kind of
liked I kind of associated a little bit more with
Holly than I did with Ivy. I think maybe just
because of the location, I'm more familiar with that, right,
But both really interesting stories, and yeah, there's a whole
bunch that you could really develop with both of these characters.
And I think they could have their own, their very
(09:19):
own story you know.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, was was there one character like their own personality,
their own storyline that you connected more with, not necessarily
the setting.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I feel like maybe Ivy for me because I am
very spontaneous and just make decisions, where you think Holly
is a little bit more of a thinker. She likes
to kind of plan things, have things a certain way,
And as much as I like that, I'm sometimes just
someone who wants to just like do something now and
get the decisions made and do that. So that part
of it, I felt like I connected with Ivy, even
(09:50):
though Holly became a little bit like Ivy a little later.
But I liked the setting of the cabin and the
whole vibes there, and like the family and that little
you know, the community they've built for the holidays.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
And how magical it is. So it kind of makes you.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Think about, you know, the traditional Christmas or holidays you
have with family, friends, little community. And then there's the
ones where you know, people have traveled and moved to
different parts of the world and now they've kind of
created their own families and the friends, miss and that
kind of thing. So that was the Hawaii but I've
never really connected to that part of it. But location wise,
I was all about I was all about that cabin
(10:27):
and the snow.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
So yeah, what about for you, Deb?
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I like so Ivy.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I think like her free spirit and you know, simone,
your you know, spontaneous. I love that and I think
that's part of me.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
But I think.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
How Holly was left with her ex, how she was treated,
I feel that's part of me as well. So I
think I connected a little more or felt more badly
for her situation. And I don't think I would know
what to do because in past incidents or relationships when
(11:03):
I've kind of been left high and dry and trying
to figure and sort things out if I had somebody
beside me, like if I don't know, I yeah, so
that part of me is Holly.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
But I like the.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Side of Ivy where you just go, you just go,
you don't care, and you know, you live life as
it should be today, as it might be tomorrow and
see what happens.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
But isn't that interesting, deb like how you put it, Like,
you know, those of us who've gone through like that
deep heartbreak, that heartbreak sometimes can linger for so long months, years,
and then for some I mean, this all happened within
a week. For her, she was able to find someone else.
Like as bad as it is, you know, if we've
gotten out of a bad situation, you just don't know
(11:51):
what tomorrow holds. Are you going to be grieving this
relationship or is it a friendship or whatever for a
long period of time, or are you going to find
a new.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Best friend tomorrow. That's just the interesting part of life.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
Yeah, And I think I think, you know, part of
this book was about Holly had her whole life planned right,
Like she went up with this guy, Matt for ten years,
and that was going to be her life. And I
think sometimes sometimes we you know, if we get into
situations we think, in my life is always going to
be like this, right, But we don't know that one
little thing can change our life completely, and it can
(12:24):
be something huge, like what happened with Holly. You know,
Matt leaves her the eve of her wedding. Oh my gosh,
I can't even imagine. And you know, in her life
takes a change. And of course in Ivy's thinking, you know,
I'm going to go have like an art honeymoon and
I'm going to go work on my art, and all
of a sudden she's she's going off to Hawaii. And
and of course both these women have things happen to
(12:47):
them in their in their locations, and I just think, wow,
you know, sometimes our lives just we never really know
what is going to happen from one day to the next.
And sometimes there's there's a beauty in that, because sometimes
I think life can get kind of like it's never
going to change, you know, and then something happens and
it completely changes, which is the case for Holly. And
(13:08):
and you know, I'm thinking about those two characters, like,
I'm very much like Holly. I like to plan stuff
and I really kind of envied Ivy for her she
you know, Holly used to say about about Ivy like
she just goes after and guess what she wants, you know,
in particular, like they were talking about sex one time,
and like, yep, Ivy just says, yeah, this is what
I want, this is what I want to do.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Bang, she's gone and she gets what she wants.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
And Holly's like a little bit more timid with that,
And I really I loved Ivy for that, and I
was like, I'd really like to I'd like to be
a little bit more like Ivy, you know, just be
a little bit more carefree. But I get stuck in
my in my sameness sometimes. So I think this book
just kind of gives you sort of like life. Life
can change, and we don't know really what's going to
(13:51):
happen from one day to the next.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
That's why we all need to go to Hawaii, because
we're in a different setting, and then anything goes because
when you are in a different space, you will do
the things that you wouldn't necessarily do at home or
around where you know you're afraid that a friend or
a family member might see you doing something that ooh,
they're gonna judge me for this.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Go to Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Everything will be fine.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And good on Holly for sticking to her plan, Like
she wanted to go and paint, and she did quite
a bit of painting, whereas me, you know, you'd go
on vacation, you take a book or you take something
to do.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
That book does not get unpacked.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I see something shiny, and I get distracted and I'm like,
I'm doing this. So she was She kept that focus
for a long time, so I was like, Wow, she's
not just like on vacation doing whatever she wants. She's
actually like, no, I have a purpose as to why
I'm here, and I'm sticking to it. So that was commendable,
I guess.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
And what about the man in this book? Are you
like Team Aiden or Team Oliver?
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh well, it's like you know, she describes and as
kind of like Superman, you know, Henry Cavill and then
you've got like the Ryan Gosling vibes, and both are
a tra active. But I like the I like the
rugged man who can just do everything for you. I
like that, like, you know, he's coming to our rescue
and he's helping her with all these things she can't
figure out in the cabin. So I definitely like I
(15:12):
like that, Like it's nice to have a man who's
just hot to look at as well, but it's a
man who's functional functional as well.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
It's it's kind of nice.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
Nice, And those reindeer boxer shorts.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
Come on, there's a man in my kitchen wearing nothing
but rainbow boxer shorts cooking me eggs.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Like that would be all I want for Christmas? Is yeah, wow,
but yeah that was a huge job.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Yeah, yeah, I have to agree.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
I like the idea again because Hawaii, or even if
it's not Hawaii, a trip elsewhere you find a guy
and something happens and all these exciting things. You know,
maybe he's not the guy that you date or see
yourself with in your own hometown, but yeah, the guy
who is a jack of all trades. Yeah, it's just yeah,
(16:10):
there's something there.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Oh, and helping that that elderly man what was his name?
And when they go on.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
George George, like George, you know, they.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Go visit him, they've set up a schedule so he's
not lonely like that.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
There needs to be more of.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
That in the world where sometimes you know, if you're
on your own, you're like, okay, I haven't called my parent,
I haven't done that.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
You get stressed out.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
But it's like if you have siblings and you set
up a little schedule and you say, okay, these are
your days and these are my days, or you have
you know, you know, people are relatives and you're like, Okay,
we're all going to check in on this one person
who maybe doesn't get that regular those regular check ins.
So I thought that was a beautiful part of Aiden's
story as well.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Yeah, absolutely, I want to you know, when when they
went into George's house because he lives on a Christmas
tree farm, and they go into his house and and
how the author described like how this house looked inside
all the Christmas trees, how it smelled. I'm like, I
want to go into that house and stay forever, because
it was just like just I could just feel sort
(17:10):
of the love and warmth of what Christmas is for me,
and and I'm like, I want to stay with George
and Missus Claws like forever. But I did, like, like
Simone said, like I loved how the town, this little
town of Crimbo, they you know, this ninety year old
man who lost his wife recently, and the townspeople basically
have a schedule to go in and check in on
(17:31):
him so that he can stay in his home. And
I'm like, that is you know, I think what everybody
wants is that that lovely community that just so accepts
us and helps us and allows us to to just be,
you know, And I just I love that character and
I love that kitty.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Yeah, Aiden's family too, eight Like, you know, it took
a while for his sister, we find out a little
something about her. You know, she's a different character, but
I guess the hard shell, right, she's protected her family
or wanting to protect her family, and then you find
out that she's.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Got a soft spot as well.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
But you know his parents and you know, they were
so warm and accepting of Holly, and yeah, it was
so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, and even those dramatic moments didn't last very long,
Like there was quick to resolve things. You know, sometimes
it's like you read a book and it's like there's
this back and forth for a long time. And this
was like mistakes were made, but people were forgiven right away.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That was like that's how life should be.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
We shouldn't hold on to something so long because of
our egos and our pride, Like if we could just
move on, that would be wouldn't that be perfect?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (18:37):
And I think that's one of the things about this
book that I love, Like it is perfect for this
time of year because it doesn't hold on to regrets
or anger or anything like glass. I well, you know,
life is life. There's stuff like that that's happened, happening
in the book. But you know, we read this book
and it's like there's little things on that just moves on.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
It keeps moving forward, moving forward.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
It's happy, it makes you feel good, and it is
the perfect book for this time of year to just
nestle in on a couch, grab a blanket, and just
dig into.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
It because it's a lovely read. It really is a
lovely read.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
It is.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Now, their friendship, you know, they have such a strong friendship.
They met as strangers, had an instant bond, became best friends,
which is rare. Have either of you experienced that where
you met someone and then instantly fell in love and
now have continued or maintained a friendship like that.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
I do have a couple of girlfriends. I mean they
weren't complete strangers. They were friends of friends. And then
when one of the friends in the circle left left
our friendships, that person became even closer to me. We
became better friends once they left, Once they were out
(19:48):
of the picture, they were a little toxic, but yeah,
and we discovered that we should have been hanging out
more than having that other person in our life. We
were spending more time with them than we were with
each other and found a lot of great things, more
things in common, and yeah, they are part of my
(20:10):
life and I can't imagine not having them.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yeah, I think, you know, I have a couple of
like lifelong friends that I knew when I was you know, little,
but I think as an adult, you know, meeting someone
for the first time. When I first moved to Vancouver
working in radio, and I didn't know anybody, and the
receptionist said, let's go down to the pub. You know,
I want you to meet a friend of mine, kim
I'm like, okay, So we go to this little Irish
pub and and Kimmy was there. She's a brit through
(20:35):
and through and we instantly connected and she is still
one of my best friends in Vancouver. I always go
see her, and the thing I love about her is
that she's completely non judgmental, Like she is the type
of friend where I can go to her with anything,
you know, things that I might be afraid to say
to some people, and she she has no judgment She
(20:56):
just like she just listens and she may give me advice,
she may not.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
But she's just there as a supportive person.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
So I think that maybe that's, you know, that's the
person that I definitely connected with who I didn't know,
you know, and to this day she's still, you know,
one of my best friends.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
So it happens, it does, And yeah, I've got a
few friends like that too, And it's nice because I'm
I'm generally a social butterfly and I love and I
you going out meeting new people, and I can make
social connections, but you know, it's sometimes a lot more
surface level because of what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
We do in the industry we're in.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
But then I've got, like you said, like this core
group of friends that I've kind of collected along the way, loss.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Them along the way.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
But those are the ones, like you say, Tanya, like
non judgmental, those.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Are the core.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Those are the people that I will let down the
guard with and they know everything about me, and it's
outside of the personality of who I am in public,
Like they know the deep parts of me and I
can really share with them, and that's that's beautiful too.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
And I think that's just it like having those core friends.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Maybe if it's not a best friend, having a group
of collective best friends, because yeah, we are older now,
you might not have that one from high school or
elementary school. It's just nice to have that connection and
just have someone to lean on. And it was interesting there.
They've they've always been honest with each other, but then
they had to keep some secrets.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
But they're protecting each other.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
So that's a tough part of a friendship too, is
when you know information and you know, especially when you're
married and you've heard stories like you know, we've had
partners who have divorced and people were cheating in this
and then you know, you know information, but you're like,
you can't, you know, we don't want to bring it up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
You don't want to share things, so it gets messy,
you know, at times.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
But you know, in this story, there was some protecting
of the friendship and then they worked it out as
well and that's when you know a friendship is real,
is when you can go through a little bit of
those trials and tribulations and come out on top. It's like,
sometimes friendships are more work than actual relationships.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
It's true, isn't it. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I have a group of university friends who we all
met in residence. We all lived together, so we were
all strangers and we have an app chat thing going
on and we chat every day, and that is a
safe space. You know, most of them are moms and
they've got family, they've got people, have things going on, like,
(23:11):
there's a lot going on in all of their lives,
and that's a place where if they can't find anywhere
else in the day, they'll just dump it there and
will be there as the cheerleaders in the background. And
it feels good, like because you know that there will
always be a space for you. And the longer we've been,
(23:31):
you know, the more years that pass, the better we've
become at in these friendships, these relationships, and we find
more things that we love about each other every day.
It's really it's it's a cool thing. And I think
that the author really, you know, did something with these
two friends like it is a love you know that
a lot of girlfriends have. I don't know that men
(23:53):
have the same types of relationships. Like these friendships are
are true and true, and I think that love shows
with Holly and Ivy and it's it's a special thing.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
It is.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
It's a beautiful friendship. And she did a great job
with it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
There were times where I was like, they need to
talk more because they kind of took that space during
the vacation and I was like, check in a little
bit more message, a little bit more, yeah, but the
details details. Yeah, I know Tanya had put this out
in our questions, but is there a favorite movie that
either of you watch this time of year?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
This book? The Holiday? Right, the Holidays?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
That's my go to movie every year.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
I like it more than Love actually, which is you know,
a favorite for so many that and for Christmases with resourders.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Dude, those two I cannot, you know, not watch on
my own. I enjoy it.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
They're kind of my little rom com stories with the kids,
you know, You've Got Home Alone and the Christmas Story.
But for me, and so when I was looking into
a little bit more on on this book in the background,
you know, the author Marisa actually said she it was
based kind of on the holiday, but she won the
two friends to be best friends, whereas in the film
Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, their characters don't know each other.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
They just do like the swap.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
But it was like kind of based on that, and
I really when I heard that, I was like, that's
pretty magical.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
So those are definitely my go to this time of year.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I love that moment where she just goes into the
grocery store and just picks up a bottle.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
Of wine and some food, and I was like, Oh,
that's the best when you can.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Just have a solo night to yourself during the holidays,
because it's busy, chaotic family and if you get that me.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Time and you get to watch a movie with some drinks, it's.
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Perfect, pretty awesome.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
I love I love Scrooged with Bill Murray, and I
think it's just my weird sense of humor. There's this
one scene where he's like, you know, he's obviously trying
to do this big production, and this old guy comes
up to him and he's got this little mouse and
he says, oh, I can't seem to get the antlers
to stick on the Little this little guy, and he's
always you know, falling off and Bill Murray's character goes,
(25:55):
have you tried Staples? Just makes for the Little Mos anyway,
So I always watch Scrooge.
Speaker 6 (26:07):
There's also the one I think did so did you
mention it? The one with the four story the.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Stories for Christmases for Christmas?
Speaker 6 (26:15):
No?
Speaker 5 (26:15):
No, no, the one with the Christmas story Oh the no,
the it takes place the Prime Minister.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
Love actually, oh love Actually.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I like that.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
I like watching that one. I do. I like watching
that one.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Yeah, there was talk of a sequel for that, like
it's been it's been years in the making, but I
don't I don't actually know if that's that's happening.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
H Grant talked about it recently because he was in that, right,
yeah Grant.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
Yes, yeah, yeah he did.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Or somebody else in the movie had recently said, I
don't think that's going to happen. But yeah, I like
the rom coms, the traditional fun rom coms, you know
how it's going to wrap up, but also the chaos
of the season, like a movie that has chaos so
then you can feel like, oh, it's not just me, okay,
good Yeah, And this book was great.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
It would make for great film our Holiday rom com.
Have either of you watched any of the Hallmark movies
I saw. I saw Hot Frosty come up about snowman
that melts and turns into a hot honk, and I
was like, I don't know if I'm quite there yet.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
I watched it. Did you did you see it?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Yeah? It's on Netflix.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I watch it and it's actually not bad. Okay, it's funny.
Hot Frosty.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
Yeah, Hot Frosty. So it's a snowman. She talks to
the snowman and then suddenly he becomes a hot confe
Frosty does.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Is that real life? So if we build a snowman,
I'm gonna go down.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
I'm gonna go out right after this and I'm gonna
go build a snowman.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
They're like, why are deb.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
And Tanya just standing outside staring at the snow And
You're like, we're waiting for it.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
To turn into a hot chiseled man. Give us the holidays.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
We have that magical hat here, all right.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
I know what I'm watching tonight, okay.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Right, yeah, yeah, And there was there was another one
recently that I watched the last weekend or so and
it was Oh it was Pentatonics. Oh you know.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
So they're in the movie The Girl. This girl's a.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Big fan and this guy's a big fan. They meet
each other, they were both having, you know, in different
relationships at the time they meet at the airport. They're like, Okay,
you know what, if it's meant to be, how about
we go see Penatonics in New York City next Christmas
if we're single, and then we know it's meant to be,
and then some other things happen along the way.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
It's cute. I liked it.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, And that's the thing, Like this book has all
the makings of that that perfect holiday rom com. Now,
if it comes down to it, we already talked about
the locations we would choose. But are you more team
Christmas or more team New Year's? Like what is the
celebration for you out of those two? Because you get
both in that time of year, right, I don't.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Know, Like I do love you know, both Holly and
Ivy are like they love New Year's because it it
is a brand new it's a fresh start. Every year.
It's a fresh start, you know, And I do love
that about it. I used to always go on the
running room does a New Year's Eve run or sorry,
a New Year's Day run. And there was a few
years where I would always you know, get up at
(29:14):
the crack of dawn and go run with a bunch
of people in New Year's Day, thinking that would like,
you know, yeah, wow, I haven't done it for a while,
but I always thought, ye, this is this will get
my know, you know, my years started off right. So,
I mean, I love I love New Year's for that,
but I'm not a big New Year's person. I don't
like to go out. I just like to be very
(29:34):
I like to go to a movie. My best thing
is like go into a movie at ten thirty at
night and come out.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
In the New Year.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
That's Oh I've never done what I really like to
do and then run to a bar and down a
glass of prosecco.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
And uh and you're good. I love that love. I
love the warm and fuzzy of Christmas.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
Ye, when my mom was alive, I I loved it more.
I think I U she really was everything about Christmas.
So but it's up to the kids to keep that
going right.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
Yeah, so yes, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
I'm fifteen, twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
It was more about New Year's Eve and if I'm
going away, I think that's it's.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
It's more fun.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
But yeah, the warmth that comes with Christmas and all
the fields.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
Yeah, it's a nice.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Great read for this time of year for sure.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So pick up a copy of The Honeymoon Holiday Switch
from Julia McKay, enjoy it this time of year, and
on our next podcast episode, we will be talking to
Marissa Stapley, who goes by the pen name Julia McKay,
and we will ask her all of our burning questions
about this book.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
Take care for now.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Thank you for kicking back and relaxing with us. We
hope you'll join us again on relaxing reads.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!