Welcome to Holiday, Alabama—population 765. In Holiday everyone knows their neighbors—and their business—a Mr. Roger’s look alike leads the local congregation Sunday mornings, and Annabelle, Breanna, and Carson have been best friends for over two decades.On the eve of Anna and Carson’s wedding, Bree shares a secret and she and Carson embark on a journey that will break hearts and rock the town, … the town, where the biggest news is usually the size of the trout pulled from the harbor.
But the force of the river running through Holiday is nothing compared to that of its citizens, whether they’re holding a grudge, or standing behind someone. With both hearts and lives on the line, Breanna and Carson’s love story becomes a true Holiday affair.
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I’m a sucker for a sweet small town romance and I was captivated, in both good and bad ways, by this story. This read won’t be for everyone, as there are triggers for some and difficult content. Small towns can be sticky–everyone knows everyone’s business and scandals become a fodder for gossip and grudges, yet they can also be the glue that supports a person in hard times, as is evident in many ways throughout this tale.
Anna, Carson, and Bree have been best friends forever and their life-long friendship is challenged by an unforeseen event, throwing these three into the most difficult trials they’ve yet to face. This story is full of angst, hope, redemption, and forgiveness, and I was completely immersed in the happenings. I admired the dedication and loyalty to the choices and decisions that were made and could feel the hope and pain of these characters. I kept wondering what I would do and this story, although fictional, forced me to consider how I treat others–do I unfairly judge without truly knowing the hearts and intents of others?
Content: moderate romance (innuendo, kissing); moderate religion
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
What difficult and heartbreaking circumstances! The author didn’t hold any punches in this drama-filled angsty romance that unites two people meant for each other through making the hard choices that put them on a path to redemption. I don’t want to spoil any of the plot twists since the synopsis doesn’t give much away, but this was an unexpected ride with strong themes of repentance, forgiveness, and the love of a community. The characters are vivid and emotional, and I really felt for them as they push through their trials and not only make the best of things, but seek to thrive and sincerely love. I’m curious to see what path the next book takes in resolving the broken relationship of these childhood friends.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
What I liked:
• The story drew me in quickly with the drama surrounding Bree’s accidental pregnancy and Carson’s pending marriage to Anna. How are they going to handle the situation?
• I was rooting for Bree and Carson to make their marriage work and to fall deeply in love along the way, despite how their marriage began.
• Throughout the text, the author told events from Bree’s and Carson’s childhood. They had many happy memories together and these vignettes added uniqueness to this book.
• The author painted pictures with her words. Pictures filled with emotions. One minute I felt joy. The next I was crying.
• The supporting cast of characters added dimension and depth to the story.
• The pacing of this story was not too fast nor too slow. There was a smooth, coherent flow to this book.
• The story was well edited.
• This was a clean read.
This was an amazing read that I believe most readers would enjoy. It was a story filled with heart and soul.
I was given a free copy of this book by the author. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own.
A Holiday Affair by Michelle Paige Holmes (5 stars)
Ms. Holmes writes books with complex and imperfect characters with lots of twists and turns in the story.
This is anything but insta-love. Carson, Anna and Bree have been best friends all their lives. Some tragic events find Carson and Bree betraying their friend Anna. It’s the beginning of twists and turns that bring them together, tie them together and bring forgiveness from their three families and the town of Holiday.
It’s a wonderful love story and a study of Christian humility and forgiveness.
I can’t wait for Anna’s story!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
Wow! When I got an email about the opportunity to read this book, I read the book blurb, and wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy reading it, although I love other books by this author. I needn’t have worried, as I was completely drawn into Bree and Carson’s story. It’s a story of making mistakes, betrayal of decades-long friendships, trying to do the right thing, heartbreak, growth, learning to move on, and forgiving yourself and others.
I don’t want to give anything away but at one point it seemed as if Bree and Carson had so much going against them I wondered how things would work out. I thought the author did a wonderful job handling all the sensitive subjects that are in this book. I loved that right away Carson wanted to do the right thing even though it was the hardest thing to do at the time. It would’ve been so easy to let Bree go ahead with the plans she’d already made.
I loved Carson’s father, who’s the minister of the small town of Holiday. He had so much good advice for Carson and Bree “If you remove yourself from God…You’re only making life harder. He will always be with you, if you’ll only ask.” and “God doesn’t work that way,: he’d explained. “He doesn’t interfere with natural consequences, but neither does he wish upon us suffering. Like any loving father, he wants the best for each of his children. When we stumble and are hurt, heaven weeps with us.”
I felt so much for these characters while reading this story. They went through so much. There were parts that were so sad I almost cried and towards the end kindness from an unlikely source that made almost tear up. I only wish Bree and Carson would’ve talked to each other sooner, but then the book would’ve been shorter. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Due to personal matters that I’ve had to endure in my life, I have a hard time reading stories where someone cheats or has an affair. It is these experiences that soured A Holiday Affair for me, not to mention how “perfect” Carson is, and how grating Bree’s character was to me. The entire time I’m reading I am bothered by something about Carson and Bree. Certain trails that they have to endure are incredibly heartbreaking, and are actually what kept me reading to the end.
The redeeming quality in this novel is the fact that the author is such a great writer, pulling you into this world, and giving you a heart for the residents of this sweet, small town. The ending is charming, and left me with just enough questions to make me impatiently wait for the next book in the series.
As far as A Holiday Affair, I am left with mixed feelings, but as I ponder the novel as a whole I realize that it has more to do with my personal issues with the main topic and not with the novel itself. It’s a great start to what I’m sure is going to be a wonderful new series.