I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Kolven’s debut novel The Holiday Detour. The quirky main character, Dana, is facing some big life changes, and we get an inside view of her thoughts and feelings as she processes them all. A journey of self knowledge, told in a fun and light-hearted way, 4/5 stars.

I didn't love the characters or the writing - a lot of it felt very cringe-y to me. I usually love a good cheesy Hallmark vibe but this was too much.

The Holiday Detour has been on my TBR list for several years now, and I just can't make myself get past the first chapter. Sorry! I'm sure someone will love this, but it wasn't for me.

The Holiday Detour
by Jane Kolven

This book had a lot of potential and had all the basics needee for a really good story but I felt the author needs a little more experience. Although a good start it needed just a little more time to expand on the main characters relationship it would have worked better as a romcom as opposed to a road trip romance . Better luck next time 2.5/5

I enjoy holiday romances and this one had a lot of promise, but you can very much tell it was a debut novel. I will give the author another chance though.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book as an escape

I had a difficult time connecting with either character, especially Dana. She was all over the place with feelings, thoughts in her head, actions, and what came out of her mouth. Charlie for the most part, was quiet and reflective. Both women had issues that needed to be dealt with and to some extent there was some interaction and processing going on. How much can happen in two days and a tense road trip was questionable. Instant attraction is a possibility but this read just did not do it for me. However, there were some funny lines and entertaining interaction with Mitchell, Clint, and Caroline. I also appreciated the talk about genderqueer.

I really, honestly, wish there were more to this book. I think this book could have been pretty good if there had been more time for a relationship to develop between the two characters. Even if the author wanted to go down the holiday rom-com style they could have stretched out the time that the two spent together. Or the author could have shown us the time after they got together before the last chapter of the book. There could have been more discussions between the two while on the road trip. This book just feels like it needed more.

A quick read but the characters just didn't do it for me, the main character being a bit money obssesed made it difficult for me to connect to her and her story.

I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

This sadly wasn’t for me. It wasn’t terrified but I just wasn’t invested at all in this story and found my attention constantly swaying

It wasn’t terrible, but the writing wasn’t great. The main character was weirdly obsessed with money which I didn’t understand. She also seemed immature for her age.
On the plus side, it was a quick read.

The heroine grated, sorry. She was just so rude and insensitive, I felt sorry for her love interest, sad that genuinely lovely person would end up with this woman who just went out of her, it seemed, to be nasty to her at every point. Killed the enjoyment, unfortunately

This was so cute and such a feel good story, it was a everything I wanted and more. Sometimes you just need a story that makes you feel good and this was definitely it for me.

I had been intrigued by this book when it was first presented to me, since the main character is Jewish and from Chicago. I also enjoy LGBTQ novels, although most of the ones I've read are young adult.

The Holiday Detour is a sweet story. It has an Adventures in Babysitting feel at times. I enjoyed getting to know Dana and Charlie throughout. I liked that there was a holiday feel, but it wasn't overtaking the story itself. The secondary characters were entertaining, especially Nana. Some aspects of the story made me think of when I was first on the dating scene in college. I like that this novel took place in the northwest Chicago suburbs, as I am familiar with that area and was able to easily picture the setting.

Even though the holidays are over, this will definitely bring back the cozy feeling. If you enjoyed The Happiest Season, you'll like this book even more. (And if you didn't enjoy that movie, you'll still enjoy this book because they are completely different stories.)

Movie casting ideas:
Dana: Allison Williams
Charlie: Lauren Patten
Nana: Ellen Burstyn
Mitch: Robbie Fairchild
Caroline: Tristin Mays
Clint: RJ Mitte

3.5 Stars

Dana Gottfried is a 32 year old lesbian Jewish woman who's just given notice at her job--before she could get fired. She's driving from Cleveland to the Chicago suburbs to spend the holiday with her 85 y/o grandma, her only remaining family. Her car breaks down in Indiana, though, and she's picked up by a cute genderqueer person, Charlie whose rusted out truck barely seems roadworthy. Charlie says their family lives in an adjacent suburb to Dana's grandma's and they would be willing to drive her all the way.

Dana is thrilled, especially since she's a bit intrigued with Charlie. It's going kinda well. But Dana is a little neurotic, and she's always second guessing if Charlie is telling the truth. And, they get into scrapes on the journey, like when a jerk gives Charlie guff for using the Ladies' bathroom, or when they are acting as Good Samaritans and the truck gets towed.

This is a bit of a madcap connection story. Charlie is a decent and kind person, and Dana is attracted, but also wary. She's actually a hot mess, worried about her lonely grandma, her dwindling finances, and now concerned how to get to her childhood home when help is dependent on Charlie's jealous ex-girlfriend. It's a little mish-mash of Planes, Trains and Automobiles meets a rom-com and it's sweet and silly by turns. Dana runs hot and cold, which makes her less appealing than Charlie, but they do figure out that they are a match. I liked that they did "get" one another, and their futures have enough flexibility to accommodate a new/first relationship.

I liked the story, and I liked that Dana calmed the heck down and stopped talking herself out of any and everything that could possibly be good. Charlie really also came a long way, repairing relationships with friends on their way through this adventure. As a Chicagoan, and a person who's made those drives across I80 and into and out of the Chicago traffic, I could fully sympathize with Dana and Charlie and their experiences.

Omigod - I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. I had no idea what to expect, but I was absolutely delighted the entire time I was reading it and laughed out loud quite a few times. This is a sweet, funny book that is definitely a madcap romp as Dana and Charlie desperately try to make it to Dana's grandmother's in Chicago in time for Christmas. They are on a fast paced road trip with everything that can go wrong - and the build up of the relationship between Dana and Charlie is where everything (eventually) goes right.

Ms. Kolven has a magic touch for blending humour, action and some really memorable characters. Dana's got to be one of the most adork-able characters I've come across - there's a wonderfully refreshing honesty and realness to her and when she starts overthinking and babbling, it's a riot. With the character of Charlie, I was particularly impressed. I've read books with nonbinary characters, mostly in secondary roles, but with Charlie, I think I actually "got it" and I think Ms Kolven deftly crafted a character who's confidence and surety in knowing who they are is wonderfully accented by an underlying vulnerability. I dare you not to fall a little bit in love with these characters - and I double dog dare you to get in a car with them. :)

Overall this was just what I needed - fast paced, funny and just enough aw shucks to make it a heart warming (and hilarious) holiday read.

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Ms Kolven has a wonderfully dry sense of humour - there's a few one liners delivered that had me grinning like and idiot. Her characters, Dana and Charlie, are absolutely fantastic - Dan

I had high hopes for this one. And I could’ve dealt with the cheesy writing and how obnoxious the protagonist, Dana, was. But it was SO preachy. Every conversation, every introspective thought turned into a lesson. Social justice is my thing but this was ridiculously forced. I don’t often DNF but I couldn’t take it anymore.

The Holiday Detour largely takes place in two days – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, admittedly two of the most festive days of the year. With that, however, also comes a lot of pressure, a lot of (forced) family interaction, and a lot of traffic. All three of those work to keep Dana from getting to her gran on Christmas Eve – and put her right in the path of Charlie.
Two days – that also means that, no matter how you turn it, you’re dealing with something resembling insta-love here. And I’ve got to be honest: insta-love? Not really my cup of tea. However, that didn’t stop me from rooting for Dana and Charlie. Even as Dana was annoying, stressed, and putting blame where it shouldn’t. Even as either (or both) of these characters jumped to conclusions. And even as I started to wonder – what else could possibly go wrong? Surely, this had to be it? (Spoiler: it never was) (Second spoiler: but all’s well that ends well).
Would I have liked to have seen these characters develop their romance at a more leisurely pace? Yes. Did the story at times (regularly) seem a bit over the top, a bit too much? Also yes. But did any of that stop me from reading The Holiday Detour in one sitting and enjoying it? Of course not!

I went into this book expecting a cute holiday romance. I *kind of* received that, but it happened late into the book.

Instead The Holiday Detour was filled with lack of communication, awkward moments, and uncertainty. To me there was so much potential for the road trip, yet it fell flat. I fully admit that Dana annoyed me. She seemed unappreciative of everything that Charlie was doing to help her get to her Grandma's house. I will say I was happy with the ending of the book. That was the ending I was hoping for. That being said, the lead up to that point was rough.

Thank you NetGalley, and the publisher, for an ARC of The Holiday Detour.