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kfriend 's review for:
Holiday with You
by Grahame Claire, Claudia Burgoa
DECK THE HALLS! I love a feel good Christmas story, and Holiday with You is full of the saccharine and heartfelt charm of a sexy Hallmark movie and the provincial magic of a small town romance. This story had me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Our story begins with a classic holiday story meet-cute: city girl sent to the snowy small town of Winter Valley to complete an impossible task at the behest of a tyrant boss finds herself perilously driving on ice- literally crashing right into the truck of our hero. Sexy single dad Colin wasn’t expecting to be charmed by the unicorn-onesie clad stranger, but their paths keep crossing. Audrey is staying in the town’s much loved B & B, stuck there thanks to business and her wrecked car. Our story is brimming with all your favorite small town holiday love story traditions- cookie making, ice skating, Christmas tree hunting, decorating, the small town gossip and the charming but nosy family. As Audrey spends more time taking in the towns’ provincial jolliness and starts to be part of the tight-knit community, she finds herself developing a tentative relationship with the sexy single dad. And on top of our romance, we also have a curious mystery to figure out, too.
Our characters are pretty straight forward- but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delightful. Colin starts out as the uptight, set in his ways single father- a man burned by love and focused on raising his 4 year old daughter. But the free spirited, yet stressed workaholic Audrey awakens his need for connection, and gets him to let loose. And soon he turns into the biggest, sweetest, swooniest teddy bear- charisma oozing for days. But man is HOT in the bedroom. Like Colin, Audrey has stoically focused on her career to avoid facing that she’s lonely- that she lacks connection, that she lacks a home. The sexy single dad helps her dream again, makes her want things she’s scared of- and soon our hyper focused but goofy heroine finds herself enjoying Winter Valley’s charm- and feeling a part of something that challenges everything she thought she knew and wanted. We have a motley crew of small town secondary characters, mostly Colin’s family, that add some nuance and charm - and the real star of the show is the sweet and curious Perry, Colin’s 4 year old daughter who, too, is charmed by the unicorn lady.
CB And GC bring so much festive joy and cheer to this story- accentuated by the magic of the setting they create. Winter Valley feels like a character in and of itself. Like the cover depicts, Winter Valley feels like an idyllic snow globe scene- a winter wonderland that enamors, with a little bit of magic and a lot of nostalgic and comforting warmth. I feel in love with Winter Valley even before our characters- it is the perfect setting for a holiday themed love story.
The story did start out a bit slow for me, and our characters' attraction played out before I really felt their chemistry- but as the story progressed, the chemistry started to click into place more and more. Their romance is just sweet and adorable- Audrey’s slight adorableness paired with her sassy banter, and Colin’s burgeoning vulnerability and tenderness. And the more time they spend together, the more holiday fun they have, the more I felt their connection- two lonely characters learning to trust again, brought back to life by a chance encounter and a good sprinkle of Christmas magic.
The ending of this was SO adorable- I got the warm, swoony fuzzies. And I love that the center of this story is really just about BELIEVING, about taking a leap of faith. Two characters who’ve micromanaged their life so much so that they forgot to actually live it. Their story is a sweet and hopeful reminder that there is not only one path to love- because the only thing you need for it to happen is to jump. And like sweet Colin and Audrey, we just need to believe in everyday magic, to trust it to lead us just where we’re meant to be.
I’m a total sucker for holiday-themed stories, but how can anyone resist a warm and hopeful escape full of Christmas spirit?! Holiday with You is like a big hot chocolate marshmallow- fluffy, sweet, sentimental, festive, and oh so yummy. A feel-good holiday story that leaves you feeling warm and squishy.
4.5 stars
Our story begins with a classic holiday story meet-cute: city girl sent to the snowy small town of Winter Valley to complete an impossible task at the behest of a tyrant boss finds herself perilously driving on ice- literally crashing right into the truck of our hero. Sexy single dad Colin wasn’t expecting to be charmed by the unicorn-onesie clad stranger, but their paths keep crossing. Audrey is staying in the town’s much loved B & B, stuck there thanks to business and her wrecked car. Our story is brimming with all your favorite small town holiday love story traditions- cookie making, ice skating, Christmas tree hunting, decorating, the small town gossip and the charming but nosy family. As Audrey spends more time taking in the towns’ provincial jolliness and starts to be part of the tight-knit community, she finds herself developing a tentative relationship with the sexy single dad. And on top of our romance, we also have a curious mystery to figure out, too.
Our characters are pretty straight forward- but that doesn’t mean they aren’t delightful. Colin starts out as the uptight, set in his ways single father- a man burned by love and focused on raising his 4 year old daughter. But the free spirited, yet stressed workaholic Audrey awakens his need for connection, and gets him to let loose. And soon he turns into the biggest, sweetest, swooniest teddy bear- charisma oozing for days. But man is HOT in the bedroom. Like Colin, Audrey has stoically focused on her career to avoid facing that she’s lonely- that she lacks connection, that she lacks a home. The sexy single dad helps her dream again, makes her want things she’s scared of- and soon our hyper focused but goofy heroine finds herself enjoying Winter Valley’s charm- and feeling a part of something that challenges everything she thought she knew and wanted. We have a motley crew of small town secondary characters, mostly Colin’s family, that add some nuance and charm - and the real star of the show is the sweet and curious Perry, Colin’s 4 year old daughter who, too, is charmed by the unicorn lady.
CB And GC bring so much festive joy and cheer to this story- accentuated by the magic of the setting they create. Winter Valley feels like a character in and of itself. Like the cover depicts, Winter Valley feels like an idyllic snow globe scene- a winter wonderland that enamors, with a little bit of magic and a lot of nostalgic and comforting warmth. I feel in love with Winter Valley even before our characters- it is the perfect setting for a holiday themed love story.
The story did start out a bit slow for me, and our characters' attraction played out before I really felt their chemistry- but as the story progressed, the chemistry started to click into place more and more. Their romance is just sweet and adorable- Audrey’s slight adorableness paired with her sassy banter, and Colin’s burgeoning vulnerability and tenderness. And the more time they spend together, the more holiday fun they have, the more I felt their connection- two lonely characters learning to trust again, brought back to life by a chance encounter and a good sprinkle of Christmas magic.
The ending of this was SO adorable- I got the warm, swoony fuzzies. And I love that the center of this story is really just about BELIEVING, about taking a leap of faith. Two characters who’ve micromanaged their life so much so that they forgot to actually live it. Their story is a sweet and hopeful reminder that there is not only one path to love- because the only thing you need for it to happen is to jump. And like sweet Colin and Audrey, we just need to believe in everyday magic, to trust it to lead us just where we’re meant to be.
I’m a total sucker for holiday-themed stories, but how can anyone resist a warm and hopeful escape full of Christmas spirit?! Holiday with You is like a big hot chocolate marshmallow- fluffy, sweet, sentimental, festive, and oh so yummy. A feel-good holiday story that leaves you feeling warm and squishy.
4.5 stars