Home is where the heart … was broken.
Paisley finds joy in simple things: snow cones, roller skates, smiling children. She doesn’t have an ambitious bone in her body, but her friends don’t mind. She cheers them on when they’re up and supports them when they’re down.
Everyone loves Paisley, and for good reason. She’s always there when you need her.
But Paisley has a secret.
And none of … Paisley has a secret.
And none of her friends know anything about it.
When that secret calls her home, she must face all the things she has ignored. She needs her friends’ help, but asking for it will expose the truth she has been hiding. Her family owes a debt, and to her great dismay, the debtor is someone her friends dislike immensely. . . shrewd business mogul James Fulton.
Can Paisley confront the demons she left behind and repair the damage from her departure? Or will her mistake cost her family everything?
Publisher’s Weekly said, “This is a story of growth and transformation. The plot is quite unusual. . .and the author puts a fun and fresh twist on the [princess as a commoner] trope.”
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Paisley has always been the one everyone could count on, but she never even had anyone to share her life with. I was thrilled to finally find out what Paisley has been keeping secret from everyone and boy was it a big one!
James was also a complete surprise because he’s actually much more than he seemed from the outset. Even though Luke was his only supporter, as his family secrets are revealed you’ll find yourself rooting for him just as much.
I love the twists and turns of this story. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Paisley and James. Thank goodness these two have such good friends to keep them on the right track. If you love a great happily ever after, then you’re in for a great adventure with this story!
Finding Holly is a well written story, with so many ups and downs you can’t tell if your on a runaway elevator or not. You have your fair share of laughs and too many tears. This story is centered around Paisley, but we have all our friends back. Mary and Luke, Geo and Trig, Trudy and Paul along with Amy, Chase and Troy are all back for the fun. We also meet James, friend of Luke that Paisley instantly takes a liking to. James likes Paisley also, but fears she will never be able to fall for him. We meet Cole, Paisley’s brother that is funny and deserves a story of his own. We learn Paisley’s secret that she has kept from everyone for the 10 years she has lived in America. If you think this is not a shock enough, we find out who Santa is in Paisley’s hometown. And before the story ends we find out more secrets that has to be told in the next book or it will be the worst of cliff hangers! I think this has been one of my favorite in this series. A series that must keep going so we find out about all the new characters and hopefully a wedding for Trudy and Paul.
Paisley is surrounded by happiness. All of her friends are falling in love. She’s delighted but a little lonely…while she loves her little apartment with its mismatched furniture, it would be nice to have someone with her. To her surprise, she finds herself drawn to James Fulton, a wealthy but ruthless man her friends warn her against. They talk and begin to open up to each other. But when James never calls her back, Paisley assumes it’s a dead end. Until he shows up in the one place she never expected to see him: her parent’s home, far from her Atlanta life, where all her secrets are buried. She and James must decide whether they can trust each other with their secrets, their hearts, and their futures.
To be honest, after reading the first four books, neither Paisley nor James was my favorite character. She seemed flighty and illogical; he seemed to enjoy causing pain. And yet this turned out to be one of my favorite books in the series. What I learn in every Bridget Baker book I read is that there is ALWAYS a reason for the way people act. Past hurts play out in a variety of ways, and healing is possible and beautiful.
It’s clear through reading this that love is more than just emotions. For marriage to work, two people have to be able not just to enjoy being together, but to trust and respect each other. Paisley wrestles with the understanding that she can’t be with a man just because she’s attracted to him…she needs depth and substance, and she has to be able to trust in his integrity. Both sides will have to sacrifice, giving to each other and being vulnerable to each other. And they’ll need to learn to love the little details, delighting in the everyday as they build their relationship. But just maybe, they’ll find themselves stronger and more completely themselves when they face life together.
This one is about James and Holly/Paisley. Loved there meet up and all the text and banter. What happens we you have to reveal all your secrets to everyone. Will love and friendship survive. Loved the Christmas backdrop. Great story.
James and Holly are both trying to find their individual way in life, but will they find their to each other?
A good clean romance. I really enjoyed.
Fun, silly, innocent Paisley has a past that is NOTHING like her current life. It was a surprise to get introduced to this side of her, and a surprise to see that the evil jerk in the past of some of the men I have grown to love throughout the Finding series actually has a heart. This romance spans the ocean, both in commercial flights and private jets. Strong love and great loss for both main characters. I feel the pain that has shaped who they each have become and understand how a princess could become plain ole Pais. This is a perfect read around the holidays! (If you remember way back at the start of the series, Paisley loves helping with Sub-for-Santa and we get to find out a bit more behind her enthusiasm for Mary’s project!). Hallmark sweetness to the max!
This book intrigued me. I had read the rest of the series, so I was already familiar with both of these characters. I could NOT see how they could possibly fall for each other. And the revelations behind Paisley’s secret past floored me! I found the book to be engaging and kept me eager to find out what would happen next!
Like a breath of fresh air! Totally entertaining
Audiobook version: 5 stars overall, 5 stars story, 5 stars overall
I must first say that I am extremely pleased by the masterful narration. Jennifer Jill Araya and Connor Crais deliver fantastic performances, as they have done in each previous audiobook in this marvelous series. They are two of the most talented and consistently excellent narrators today.
I love the heroine Paisley, and her guy Jim was lovable too. Jim is the first hero in the series with some morality issues since he really holds grudges. I waver between giving it 4 and 5 stars because there was a little too much lack of communication that seemed a little contrived and unnatural. Still, it squeaked in with 5 stars. I do love the crazy mix of tropes that all got melded together in this: millionaire, fake relationship, secret identity (for Paisley), and even a wild Christmas-related theme. A few revelations made me go “WTF” in a good way. The chemistry, the supporting friendships, and the family themes were all great. The little taste of living like a rich person was really fun, like a vacation from my life. There is lots to love in this audiobook. I was slightly irritated that these two main characters communicated a lot in some ways but hardly at all about their feelings toward each other. However, I was totally hooked and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this fun contemporary romance and the entire series as well!
I requested and received a free audiobook copy from the author via #AudioBookfly, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Great addition to the series. I love the real characters with real problems and life experiences. I love keeping up to date with people from other books in the series as they interact with Paisley & James. Bridget E. Baker writes in a way that connects to me instantly.
This is the 2nd audiobook I have listened to by Mrs. Baker. We got to reconnect with some of the characters from Finding Liberty and met some new ones as well.
I liked the “journey to self discovery ” feel from both Paisley and James’ characters. I knew of Paisley from Finding Liberty, but really got to know her in this book. We got to see her struggles, her pain, her growth and watch her overcome. James was an interesting character from the beginning. I felt like I got to watch him grow, open up and let go throughout the book.
There was a good, flow between the storyline and the readers of the book. I had trouble “putter the book down”. I am looking forward to reading more in this series!
what a cute cleat story! I loved it! wonderful characters and a very pleasant read from start to finish. The narration was excellent.
I received a free copy of this book and i am leaving a voluntary review.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Once a bad boy, always a bad boy?
James Fulton is not a nice man. His dad taught him to destroy things, and he enjoyed doing it. When he was kicked out of Harvard for cheating, he could have taken it as a wake up call.
He didn’t.
Paisley finds joy in simple things: snow cones, roller skates, kids. She doesn’t have an ambitious bone in her body, but her friends don’t mind. She cheers them on when they’re up and supports them when they’re down. Everyone loves Paisley, and for good reason.
She’s always there when you need her.
When Paisley and James meet at a friend’s wedding, no one expects sparks to fly. They’re far too different to ever be a good fit.
Everyone is wrong.
But Paisley has a secret. Something none of her friends know. When that secret calls her home, she must face all the things she has ignored. She needs help to survive, but asking for it will expose the truth she has been hiding.
Her family has a debt, and to her great dismay, the debtor is business piranha James Fulton.
MY TAKE
How does this series just keep getting better?
First about the book. I didn’t expect to like James. Not at all. And that’s Baker’s fault. She made him the villain in Trudy and Paul’s love story. And Baker did a dang good job of it. The blurb above tells it very well in her description of James. She called him a piranha but Paisley liked calling him a hawk. But it turned into an endearment. He became “her hawk.”
Because that’s the thing. Baker doesn’t write two dimensional characters. Even the villains. There’s so much more to James Fulton than we thought. At least for his motivations, some even he didn’t understand. There are hints about his character that I wanted to ignore, from Luke the husband of Paisley’s boss. With him, James proved a loyal friend even when he was working to get revenge on Luke’s brother. See, James has some really twisted and misplaced views on things. But Luke’s right. Deep down, James is a good man. And I’m all about stories of redemption!
Then there’s Paisley. Oh, boy, does that girl have quite the secret. I won’t go into the particulars of that because … secret. Let’s just say it was a surprise with a TWIST.
*Happy sigh*
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were fab as usual.
I went into this book thinking I was going to really dislike James. He wasn’t very nice in the book he was introduced in, but I should have known that Bridget Baker would be able to win me over to his side. I ended up loving James! People can change, and not everything was exactly the way it seemed with him. I was so happy to see Paisley finally find someone who was perfect for her. I’ve loved her in every one of the books. They made such a cute couple. I swear I could just picture this being a Hallmark channel movie. This ended up being my second favorite book in the series, right behind Finding Liberty.
If your looking for pure escapist romance, then look no further, this series will most likely be for you.
Unexpected Quality, Clean Royal Romance
This is a very high-quality royal romance. I usually steer clear of that genre, but I love this series and took a chance. I am so glad that I did! This story is as wonderful as all of the series. It can stand alone, but since it shares the same characters as the rest of the series, the reader will enjoy it more if it is read in order. I received this story free from the author, but it more than worth the cover price.