From New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy comes a standalone holiday romance with a grumpy, holiday hating Christmas tree farmer and a woman who embraces the holiday season with her whole heart… donating much of her time and wealth to various charities in the local area.
Charlie Sullivan despises Christmas. Though it keeps his family afloat, considering they own Sullivan Family Christmas Tree Farm, the main provider for Christmas trees on the Monterey peninsula. He’d much rather work among the trees versus have to deal with people.
But Charlie’s parents are taking on more philanthropic projects—and as their oldest child, they want him to be their official public representative. He just has to play nice and convince everyone he’s not a total holiday hater.
When Charlie’s mom asks Candice to accompany him to a variety of holiday parties and events, she reluctantly agrees. She thinks Charlie is a big ol’ Grinch, but is determined to change his mindset and help him spread Christmas cheer. Charlie finds Candice is too chatty, too sweet, too much. Do people like her really exist?
Why yes, yes they do. The more time they spend together—along with a few kisses under the mistletoe—the more they start to like each other. Hopefully Charlie can convince Candice he doesn’t have a heart that’s two sizes too small before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
The Dating series are standalone romances with interconnecting characters. Each novel completely stands alone (no cliffhangers!) and can be read in any order, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!
Save The Date
Fake Date
Holidate
Hate to DateYou
Rate A Date
Wedding Date
Blind Date
more
This was a great holiday read. I loved the atmosphere when winter comes around and even though I’m a little like Charlie about how it sometimes feel manufactured, I’m also a little bit of Candice. Feeling hopefully and joyous for the season. You really can’t go wrong with a sexy curmudgeon like Charlie and I’m glad he has Candice.
OMG Monica! This is not just a Hallmark movie. This is a Hallmark movie with added Xmas 24 and a sprinkle of Sony Xmas channel for good measure!
I was already in love with Candice after Sarah and Jared but isn’t she just the cutest? If I had a little sister, I would like it to be Candice. Her self-doubt that kept on creeping through and waring with the goodness of her heart just made me wanna hug her really tight.
Charlie was the best antidote for Candice. His quiet, rough around the edges, hardworking yet charming self really suited what Candice needed.
I don’t do spoilers so I wont tell the story…and anyway that’s what the blurb is for but just trust me when I say I read this in a day, devoured it, couldn’t put it down, laughed a little, teared up and then smiled wide. I just needed more!!
There’s not enough Christmas love out there and I get a lot of stick for my Christmas movie addiction so to have it in book form? All my dreams come true.
So, if your looking for a light, feel good, snuggle up with a hot chocolate or a Gingerbread Latte this is perfect. You don’t have to have read Fake Date or Save the Date for this to work but I would recommend.
Thank you, Monica, for writing what I love…again! And for the privilege of being able to read it 1st.
……think I need to find out who at Hallmark chooses their movies…. I’ve got a great story for you!
Holidate by Monica Murphy is the third book in The Dating Series. This fun, dynamic series is based on the complications of the modern day dating world, alpha heroes who are clueless with the world of relationships and romance but experts in the bedroom. It takes a strong willed woman to put up with these heroes.
Candice Gaines may seem like a meek heiress spending her time working on one charity after another but that is only a general impression. Beneath the sugar and spice is a strong willed woman who is compassionate, organized, and sensible. She’s very reluctant when she’s recruited to help introduce Charlie Sullivan from the Sullivan Family Tree Farm into the community holiday events and festivities for philanthropic purposes. After a hearing a lot of negative opinions from her “girl posse” she’s inclined to refuse her help. After an unfortunate incident she finds herself guiding grumpy Charlie through the holiday season. He makes the Grinch look cheerful and Scrooge seem generous.
Spending his life working on the farm and making their fortune off the holiday season, the last thing Charlie wants to do is spend his free time celebrating the season. He would work through all the holiday festivities if it wasn’t for his deal with Candice and his mother. Here’s hoping there’s lots of spiked eggnog and an overabundance of mistletoe. What Charlie doesn’t know is it’s his season to fall head over heels in love.
Holidate is another fun, charming romance by Monica Murphy. This book can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the holiday season. I only wish we had a sexy tree farmer in our community.
I was given an ARC for an honest review of the book. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was sweet , adorable and the story in the book was unique which I loved. I didn’t give it 5 stars because I felt there was a lot more to be desired in the book. Meaning I couldn’t feel the sparks fly between Charles and Candice. I felt they could have had a lot more chemistry than they did. I would have loved to see more sparks flying between them. I also gave it a 4 because I loved Candice spirit for Christmas, I am a huge Christmas fan and who doesn’t love the holidays!?!?
I want to thank Monica once again for delivering such a great story!
if you love Holiday books this read is just for you!
What an awesome holiday read!!!
It’s sweet, cute and funny, this book easily to be devoured in just a short amount of time. An easy-to-read romance that really warms my heart. An enemies to lovers story with Christmas theme and as a Hallmark movies fan, this book really nailed it. It kind of predictable, but still the story is captivating and entertaining and loveeee all the characters. It’s a perfect package for a holiday read.
If you’re looking for a holiday read, this is the book for you.
I loved this charming, Christmas romance. It was filled full of christmas wonder, parties, and cheer, as well as some cheesy christmas traditions, heartfelt moments, character vulnerability, and a sweet romance story. It will make you smile, mad, tingle, laugh and swoon and maybe shed a tear or two.
I loved Candice. She is just so full of cheer and goodwill. Christmas is her favorite time of year. She is on all the charities committees donating her time and money to make them a success and to fill the void in her life. No one would know it but, she has been feeling lonely and bored, trying to forget about the her mother and the fact that she has no significant other to spend the holidays with.
But this year she has been asked to help Charlie Sullivan. The Sullivan Tree Farm family’s new spokesperson. Candice is hoping that he could be a fun project. She can reform the grinch man into a smooth sophisticated gentleman who people will admire and respect. He could be on her arm at all the parties and functions, she could introduce him, help him make connections, and then he will be forever in my debt.
Charlie Sullivan might be the future of the Sullivan Tree Farm but he is going into his mother’s request kicking and complaining. He doesn’t have time for such nonsense at their busiest time of the year. He is also afraid that he will ruin everything. Little does he know that the woman that would be helping him is the stunningly, beautiful woman he met outside of Sweet Dreams.
These two have a sizzling connection from the moment they meet. But they are opposites in every way. So snuggle up tight and hold on for their christmas filled adventures. Because the ride has a few bumps in the road. If you want a story that will fill you up and make you happy, that’s entertaining, with a lot of christmas spirit, and just the right amount of spice and love, this is it.
This was a sweet, very Hallmark-esque holiday story that was enjoyable. Both Candace and Charlie were great characters. Candace loves Christmas and I loved that about her. She was sweet, spunky, so kind to everyone and also a bit lonely. She devotes so much of her time and money for their community so she doesn’t think too much of what she had lost. Charlie on the other hand is the complete opposite, he is the equivalent to the Grinch. He is very jaded with the holiday season and just wants to be left alone. Unfortunately for him, he is to be taking over the family business, Sullivan Family Christmas Tree Farm and his mother wants him to become more social. During one of Candace’s many committee meetings, Charlie’s mother is present and requests Candace’s help. Next thing she knows, Candace and Charlie are attending holiday events together. Both are initially not too keen on this idea, but the more time they spend with each other emotions come into play.
Overall, Holidate was a cute story and I did like the two main characters, but something about the way they were forced to work together didn’t mesh with me. I really did like Charlie’s mom, but the way she meddled was a bit off putting. And Charlie was a grump, I knew that going in, but I didn’t always like the way he treated Candace. And some of his reactions to what people thought about him seemed a bit off to me. But I did enjoy the holiday feel to the story, the happily ever after for Charlie and Candace and also because I actually live in the Monterey Peninsula so that was a nice connection.
Thank you Netgalley and Social Butterfly PR for the complimentary copy of Holidate. All opinions are my own.
4.5 Stars for Holidate
Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I love romance set in the magical holiday season because for me this is the time of year we should be celebrating love, families and friendships. I really related to the heroine Candice Sullivan because like me she loves everything Christmas but Charlie Sullivan is the complete opposite to him Christmas is just about selling trees from his families Christmas Tree Farm. Can Candice give Charlie a different view on the holiday season and in doing so make him change his mind about Christmas and love …….
If you are looking for a entertaining, sweet romance this book will certainly tick the boxes, this story is really a journey that’s beautifully written with wonderful characters and I hope like me you are left smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Holidate is the third book in the Dating series and we met the heroine, Candice, in book two, as she is Jared’s sister. I so enjoyed the first books in this series, so I was excited to get my hands on this one!
Candice Gaines loves Christmas. She is involved with just about anything she can be in order to bring Christmas cheer to those in her hometown. She is able to focus on giving back due to the fact she inherited a large sum of money from her late mother and she’s a very generous soul.
On the flip side, Charlie Sullivan is not a fan of Christmas, yet his family owns a Christmas Tree Farm, so he has no choice but to be immersed in it! He much prefers to stay behind the scenes, to run the farm and avoid the commercial elements, yet his parents are getting to the age where they are wanting to turn over more of the responsibility to him and have him be more visible.
Charlie’s Mom decides to take matters into her own hands and enlists Candice to help get him more comfortable with being more in the public eye. As the two begin to spend more time together, will Candice be able to turn “the Grinch” into a Christmas loving guy or will it totally burn out like a string of Christmas lights?
This was a quick, easy read, but it was really great. This is one instance where the old adage “opposites attract” really was the recipe for a fantastic couple and an engaging story!
So much goodness in this book! I absolutely loved Charlie and his grumpiness. Candice was perfect for him. She brought out the good guy lurking underneath all the grumpy. This is such a charming and wonderful holiday story that will give you all the feels.
HOLIDATE is the third instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, adult DATING romance series. This is Christmas tree farm owner Charlie Sullivan, and philanthropist and fund raiser Candice Gaines’ story line. HOLIDATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Charlie and Candice) HOLIDATE follows the building romance and relationship between Christmas tree farm owner Charlie Sullivan, and philanthropist Candice Gaines. The holidays are about to get busy and Candice finds herself the ‘victim’ of a lie when she is asked by a well-meaning mother to accompany her son to a variety of holiday parties. Candice, with a holiday scheduled filled to the brim, isn’t exactly thrilled to be holding hands with the local Grinch but discovers there is more to Charlie than meets the eye. What ensues is the building relationship between Candice and Charlie, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed.
The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Candice’s friends Kelsey, Eleanor, Caroline (Save the Date #1) and Sarah, her brother Jared’s girlfriend (Fake Date #2), Joyce Rothschild, as well as Charlie’s mother Isabel Sullivan, his sister Victoria; and tree farm employee Isaac Jones.
HOLIDATE is a cute holiday themed story; a ‘Hallmark-esque’ sweet romance where the push and pull of enemies to friendship quickly escalates with each encounter. The premise is endearing; the romance is sweet (no $ex scenes, a few kisses and limited physical touching); Candice is energetic and over the top, almost childlike in her love of Christmas; Charlie struggles with the season and everything it represents. HOLIDATE is a light-hearted and delightful read.
Holidate is such a cute fun read and prefect for the holiday seasons. I loved this one so much. Candice is just has this bubbly holiday cheer and tries to help everyone during the holiday season. Once you get to know Candice more you understand why she is the way she is and I so can’t wait for you to read this one. Then there is Charlie who is grumpy and gruff even when his family sells Christmas trees. I love how they meet. Even after the meet and the meddling that goes along the ways makes this story so heartwarming. If Holidate doesn’t bring a smile to your face by the end of the read then I don’t know what will. Candice and Charlie are wonderful and you need to read this one.
I’m not going to lie to anyone, I don’t love Christmas. I am pretty grinchy and I definitely share some of the same feelings as Charlie in this book. So when I saw the description of this book I was concerned, but as always, I trust Monica to give me something I love. This was no exception. I actually ended up liking this book WAY more than I expected and even got a little teary eyed at the end. It was the perfect holiday read. Candice loves Christmas and the holidays, but not for the reasons you would expect, and I like that. Charlie is just a grinch and I LOVE THAT. Reading about the two of them together was pure magic and there were a lot of scenes that gave me butterflies in my belly.
Candice is a beautiful woman with a wonderful spirit. Yet, she feels like she isn’t doing anything with her life. She is independently wealthy and has focused on charity work. At the holidays, she overbooks herself to stay busy to battle the memories of losing her mother at a young age. Isabel enlists Candice’s help to work with her son Charlie so that he can become the face of their family tree farm. Charlie prefers to be in the trees, he doesn’t like small talk, so he definitely is a challenge for Candice. Candice is determined to get Charlie to embrace the holiday spirit and help him meet other business owners in the area. From the moment these two meet, there is a spark. In so many ways, they are opposites and as they get to know each other, there is this wonderful balance as they ultimately help each other. This is a bumpy road for them both, will they find that together it can be a smoother ride? Or will fear and misunderstanding keep them apart? I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
Holidate is the third book in the Dating series. It does read as a standalone though. We met Candice in the second book, as she is Jared’s sister. She didn’t leave the best impression in that book and I wasn’t sure I would even like her in this one. But, in this book, you get to know Candice much better and she is super sweet, generous, has a heart of gold and she loves Christmas! In a twist of events, Candice gets roped into helping an older woman, Isabel, with her son, Charlie, during the Christmas season. Charlie hates Christmas but runs his family’s Christmas tree farm and therefore, he is needed at variety of holiday parties and events. Candice reluctantly agrees to take Charlie with her to a few events. The two had great chemistry. It was more emotional than I was prepared for, but the sweetest story. The book reads like a great Hallmark Christmas movie. I would definitely recommend this one.
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
J’adore la saga Dating depuis le début de la trilogie car chaque tome ( bien que pouvant être lu de manière totalement indépendante) nous offre de douce romance qui nous colle un sourire aux lèvres. C’est doux, c’est frais et Holidate nous plonge d’ores et déjà dans la période des romances de Noël à dévorer au coin du feu avec un chocolat chaud à la main.
Candice Gaines est une jeune femme qui adore Noël et qui s’implique énormément dans la vie associative de Monterey. La période de Noël s’ouvre et elle ne compte plus le nombre de soirées auxquelles elle doit assister. Cela ne la gêne aucunement car elle adore ça et ça se sent. J’ai adoré ce personnage car elle est la gentillesse incarnée et elle ressent énormément d’empathie envers les autres. Elle n’a aucune once de méchanceté en elle et elle est entourée d’amies fidèles. Nous retrouvons Stella que nous avions découvert dans le précédent tome et son café est le repère de notre jeune héroïne. C’est donc naturellement à cet endroit qu’elle va rencontre Isabel Sullivan qui a une mission un peu particulière à lui confier. Il s’agira de voir si la jeune femme va accepter ou non. Par un concours malheureux de circonstances, elle va donc accepter de venir en aide à cette dame qui aimerait prendre sa retraite pour que son fils Charles devienne en quelque sorte l’égérie de leur entreprise et qu’il les représente comme il se doit lors des différentes soirées de gala. La tâche ne sera donc pas aisée car Charles est très particulier.
Contrairement à la jeune femme , l’esprit de Noël ne l’habite pas et c’est un ours grognon qui préfère couper les sapins plutôt que faire preuve de sociabilité. Seul parmi ses sapins, il n’est ennuyé par personne et l’arrivée de Candice dans sa vie risque de bousculer sa routine bien huilée. Aucun moment n’est laissé à l’improvisation et il n’a pas le temps de vivre. Il est donc vu comme quelqu’un de sauvage et de renfermer. C’est d’ailleurs amusant les rumeurs qui courent sur son dos car il s’en fiche complètement et je dirais même qu’il en joue. Quand Candice arrive pour réaliser sa mission, l’affaire ne sera pas mince et elle va devoir se retrousser les manches. Mais Charles n’est pas si bourru que cela et quand on gratte un peu le vernis, on se rend compte qu’il y a un petit coeur qui bat et qu’il peut être un compagnon assez charmant. Le courant va donc au final passer entre eux mais il est hors de question de se laisser aller au sentimentalisme. Si Candice veut l’intégrer dans les activités de la communauté, elle va devoir faire avec son emploi du temps de ministre. Les quelques chapitres écrits de son point de vue nous permettent donc de nous faire une image de celui qu’il est vraiment et on espère assister à un romance digne des films Hallmark dont Candice raffole.
Bref, je ne vous en dis pas plus mais j’ai complètement craqué pour cette trilogie dont les couvertures sont vraiment magnifiques et dont les histoires nous assurent un superbe moment de romance en compagnie de personnages doux, frais , pétillants parfois renfermés ou enfermés dans leur routine mais qui sauront à chaque fois faire pétiller nos yeux et palpiter nos coeurs. Si vous lisez en VO, je ne peux que vous recommander de foncer lire ces bulles de bonheur.
This story is so cute and endearing. It feels wholesome and festive. If you want to read a Hallmark movie this is the book for you. Grumpy Charlie needs to be taken out of his comfort zone to start enjoying life and to actually become a part of society. Candice exceeds at that. She is on a mission and nothing will derail her. But really, it’s not a hardship when her grumpy project looks like him. Also, don’t even think Charlie has nothing to bring to the table. He is sweet, attentive and most importantly, he appreciates and respects Candice. With him, she gets her Christmas wish. The perfect gift. What is it? I guess you’ll have to find out…
5 Star Review of Holidate (Dating #3)by Monica Murphy
What’s not to love? Christmas is the most magical time of the year. It’s a time to reflect and celebrate life.
Candice Gaines is my kind of woman, just like me she loves anything to do with Christmas.
Charlie Sullivan on the other hand is just like my husband and dislikes Christmas. Ironically his family owns a Christmas Tree Farm.
When circumstances bring Candice and Charlie together attending some holiday events, Candice hopes to change his mind about the festive season.
Can these two opposites come together and forge a path together?
Monica Murphy is a relatively new author to me and I find myself being drawn in to the stories she weaves.
I really liked Candice, she is someone that I could easily be friends with. There is something about Charlie that drew me to him, he is most certainly swoon worthy and I loved the slow burn of the relationship as it built with Candice.
This is a sweet, romantic, love story that ticked the boxes for me. Extremely well written this story will take you on a fabulous journey that will leave you with a smile on your face.
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Rating:
Title: Holidate
Author: Monica Murphy
Series: Dating #3
Release: October 15th
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: Yes
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A cute little Christmassy book.
It was a easy read, you can easily pick it up and get lost inside for a while and not even realise.
Charlie and Candice are kinda like opposites, she absolutely loved Christmas and all this festive where as Charlie is a bit more guarded and thinks about the business side of it. Which i understand, working in retail kinda sucks the Christmas spirit right out of you.
But never the less i thought they was great together!
I really enjoyed this book!
Worth the read!
To say that Candice Gaines loves Christmas would be an understatement. She lives it, she breathes it, and she helps bring it to life in her local area. She donates much of her time and money to the various charities. Charlie Sullivan on the other hand is not such a fan of Christmas. Sure his family sells Christmas trees, and their Christmas tree farm is the main provider of trees in their area, but he just feels it’s all too much and commercialized. He prefers to stay behind the scenes running the tree farms. However his mother has a different idea. She wants her oldest child to be the face of Sullivan Family Christmas Trees, and she seeks out Candice to help. As Candice and Charlie spend more time together, can Candice show Charlie that Christmas cheer is better than being the Grinch? Or will Charlie stay set in his ways?
This was a fun and quick book to read. Christmas is one of my all-time favorite seasons, so I loved getting to see that aspect throughout the book! I also really enjoyed watching Candice and Charlie interact, and how they really complimented each other. They are the true definition of opposites attract, and it worked for them. I didn’t feel like any parts of their interactions were forced, and I feel like Monica Murphy just made everything come together so nicely and organically. Sometimes when reading opposites attract books, I feel like certain situations are forced between the two characters, but not this time. Monica did a great job of giving us a feel good holiday story!