The Most Wonderful Time

Two women swap homes for the holidays in this overly dense contemporary from Allen (the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series). Malibu artist Chelsea Flint hasn’t sold a painting since her parents’ deaths, and her agent/friend Helena can no longer foot her bills. Helena suggests a home exchange could help Chelsea rekindle her artistic spark. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Ramona Tucker conceals her broken engagement from her family. Skipping her mother’s Christmas gathering while going on a home exchange seems like a great way to buy herself more time before breaking the news. Ramona’s brother, Carlos, agrees to dog-sit for her while she’s away—and ends up meeting Chelsea when he sneaks into Ramona’s house looking for extra dog food. Feelings soon blossom between these two, but they don’t know if they could make a relationship work given the distance and Carlos’s fear of commitment. On Ramona’s first night in Malibu, meanwhile, she’s racially profiled by the neighbors and nearly leaves. But after meeting Jay, a yoga instructor who introduces her to surfing, she finds comfort in the ocean and considers finally moving on from her ex. The layered plot puts a sensitive focus on racial issues but has little holiday cheer to balance out the heavier moments. This is unlikely to get readers in the Christmas spirit. Agent: Lucinda Halpern, Lucinda Literary. (Oct.)