I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Holiday with a Twist by Shannon Stacey Published by Carina Press on November 21st 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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After a messy breakup, Leigh Holloway is ready to start her life over. Until her parents put the family home on the market and call her back for one final, memory-making Christmas. The last thing she wants to do is deprive her mom of the perfect holiday, so she'll lie her way through the visit and worry about her future in the New Year. Too bad the only bar in town is owned by a guy she seriously wronged in high school.
Leigh's best friend broke Croy Dawson's heart, and Croy knows it was Leigh's fault. They've never liked each other, but Croy isn't cruel: he'd never turn away a pretty woman in need of some family-Christmas fortification. He doesn't expect her to drink just enough candy-cane martinis to tell him her secrets—and he definitely doesn't expect to get caught up in her holiday madness.
Despite the surprising love and laughter, Croy and Leigh can't escape the truth: he can't walk away from his family obligations and she has a life and career to reboot. But anything is possible if your holiday comes with a twist…
First of all, I would just like to point out that pugs are majestic creatures. Majestic.
With that out of the way, Holiday with a Twist by Shannon Stacey is sweet and sexy, pretty much exactly what I look for in a holiday romance. My family doesn’t really do much for Christmas, so I like seeing these glimpses of what I imagine more traditional family Christmases are like. They may be pure fantasy, but I don’t care. I also watch a crap-ton of Hallmark holiday movies, so it really isn’t that much of a stretch.
Leigh Holloway has come home for Christmas. Her parents are selling their house, and they want one last Christmas in it with all of their daughters. What Leigh hasn’t told them is that she’s able to spend three weeks with them because she recently ended her engagement and quit her job. She’s worried that they’ll be so concerned about her that they’ll put their own plans on hold, so she wants to wait until after Christmas to tell them.
This leads to some shenanigans when she reconnects with her old high school friend Croy Dawson. They want to start dating, but everyone thinks she’s still engaged, so they have to hide it. As an overall premise, I have to admit this felt a little thin for me. But this was a Christmas novella, so I didn’t care. I read holiday romances, novella or novel length, because I’m looking for some sexy times with not a lot of drama. And in that respect, this was perfect.
About Shannon Stacey
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up.
