I thoroughly enjoyed Jane Kolven’s debut novel The Holiday Detour. The quirky MC 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, I’m looking forward to more by this talented author.

3/5

This was a super quick read, but just seemed very rushed. This wasn’t quite what I was expecting based on the description of the book. It wasn’t bad for a debut author, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

3 star
Im glad this was a debut so the author can only get better.
The premise was clever....genderqueer gives a ride to young jewish girl. Great setup for a rom com but it just missed for me. I didn't like the main character, Dana. She kept saying inappropriate things. And talk about insta love....in 2 days?
As I said, the author can only get better, and Im sure she will. Maybe you dont need quite so many oddities and happening in one story.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2020/10/06/the-holiday-detour-by-jane-kolven/)

Overall Rating: 2.0 stars

Library recommendation: Not recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.

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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Whirlwind, but not instalove (HFN)

Relationship dynamics: The Unemployed Winter Traveller (h) / The Kind Agricultural Scientist (p = protagonist)

Sexual content: A smidge; on-page, not explicit

Gender Identity: Cis (h) / Non-binary (p)

Sexual Identity: Lesbian (h) / Queer (p)

Triggers: Threatening behaviour from homophobic/transphobic people (no overt violence)

Acceptance Rating: 3 stars

Acceptance Rating Explanation: This is a lot of awkwardness around using the correct pronouns, words, etc. There isn’t a lot of malice from the general populace, but there is a smidge.

Grammar/Editing: This was a fairly clean ARC with only a couple of typos

Review: This short novel takes place on a road trip between Cleveland and Chicago, with a lot of the action taking place once the couple reaches Chicago. If you are looking for a feel-good holiday story, this is not the book for you. The dialogue is generally combative and hypercritical and the novel reads like an instructional manual for cisgender individuals on the do’s and don’ts of conversations with genderqueer folks in different scenarios (e.g. general conversations, in a bathroom, in the bedroom, etc.). I found the majority of this novel to be cringe-worthy and incredibly awkward.

The main characters of this book are Dana and Charlie. Charlie is cocky and rude, and Dana is rash, irrational, and insensitive. It wasn’t until being called out halfway through the book that she even bothered to use Charlie’s preferred pronouns. They mostly yell at each other, misunderstand one another, and then makes eyes at each other. Their relationship is incredibly volatile, which was just not appealing to me, on top of the other issues I have already flagged. Amazingly enough, however, the supporting characters were much more straight forward and even-keel than the main characters. For the most part, they were also far more supportive and correct about using Charlie’s correct pronouns – even the ‘villainous’ ex-girlfriend.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 Stars

I really wanted to like this book. A queer holiday romance sounds like it's made for me, but I had a really hard time with it. The main character, Dana, comes across as incredibly immature throughout the story. She pouts, constantly second-guesses herself, and doesn't seem like she can have a normal, honest conversation with anyone. What really got to me though was the fact that Charlie is CONSTANTLY misgendered. Dana asks Charlie for their preferred pronouns ("They. 'She' is okay. My family all call me 'she.' ) and then constantly referred to Charlie as She throughout. More than that, the author continues to refer to Charlie as 'she.' Perhaps others won't have as hard of a time with this as I did, and will enjoy this book more, but for me, it really didn't work. I didn't believe the characters, gender identity seemed to be used solely as a plot device, overall not great.

The premise of this debut sounds really intriguing and super cute, and I try really hard to include diversity among my reading, which is why I originally requested this title, as one of the main characters is genderqueer. The plot could have had great potential, but for me, it fell flat because I thought it was rushed and one of the main characters seemed extremely bratty and unlikable. Some of the scenes described were a little uncomfortable, such as the one where they're listening to each other pee?!? The characters were in their 30's but the dialogue between them seemed much more younger, and often times immature. I also felt like these two characters didn't go well together. Something just didn't seem right to me. Charlie deserved better, honestly.
I would have liked to see more of an adventure, because some of the "roadblocks" in this story felt very unlikely. I also would have liked to see the characters connect on a deeper level as they reached each new obstacle. That just wasn't the case here.
Overall, this was just an okay, fast read. I can't say that I'd recommend this title, but with that being said, I will look for future books from this author!

Thank you for allowing me an ARC of this title!

*I was with an ARC of this book via NetGalley.*

This book was an easy read - a couple of hours. Unfortunately, for me the plot felt rushed, a bit thin, and disconnected at times. Everything moved so quickly and did not feel realistic. Some of the traits of the main characters did not seem to align as well.

I did appreciate the acceptance that the book and its characters showed. And the explanation of things that for many are confusing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
Well I was fascinated by the premise of this book- a Jewish lesbian takes a road trip at Christmas with a non-binary stranger that she is instantly attracted to. I love seeing stories like this that are that little bit more unusual and give the opportunity for under-represented members of the community to see themselves finally within literature.
However, while I very much admire what I think the author was trying to achieve, I’m not sure that it has been executed to full effect. I think the very important things the author has to say on gender identity and equality are maybe too big for the framework of this relatively short novel. I think the message has also gotten a little lost amongst some clunky un-natural dialogue and some bizarre plot choices such as a scene where the two main characters are listening to each other urinate in a public bathroom. Not sure there’s much of a place for that in a cosy Christmas read! Each to their own I guess! I was also surprised to learn that the main character was in her early 30’s as I felt she had a much younger voice and level of maturity.
Overall, I was personally a bit disappointed with this book. I feel the author is definitely someone to watch though as she hones her craft and I’;d be interested to see what other premises she comes up with for her future books. 2.5-3 stars

I really enjoyed reading a book with a genderqueer (non-binary, although never said) main character. I identify as non-binary and read a ton of "f/f" books and deeply want more non-binary representation.

I liked the bits that dealt with Charlie. Unfortunately I didn't really like Dana.

The plot itself was too much too fast. I get that it was a chaotic adventure/misadventure, but it didn't quite work for me. The insta-(almost) love was too fast for m

💕 Review Time 💕

I wanted to love The Holiday Detour, the premise sounded super cute and always want to support romance novels with greater diversity - in this case one of the MCs Charlie is genderqueer 🌈

But the execution just fell flat. Now I’m not genderqueer so I can’t comment on the accuracy of the representation but it felt like Charlie’s gender was used as a plot point? They were constantly misgendered by the other MC Dana who spent most of the book referring to Charlie as ‘she’. It didn’t sit well with me and made me really dislike Dana.

Even when Charlie’s friends call Dana out on it she makes it into a big deal... It isn’t a big deal and calling someone by their pronouns is a pretty basic thing! Especially for someone you are romantically interested in 💅🏻

I realise some people go by multiple pronouns and genuinely don’t mind what people use but that didn’t seem to be the case for Charlie so I found it weird 🤷🏻‍♀️

That aside a lot of random stuff kept happening that felt forced... I didn’t expect nearly the whole book to be the ‘five’ hour car trip 🚗 It just started to feel a bit silly 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ultimately this wasn’t the book for me and I can’t give it more than 🌟🌟

Thanks NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.

After quitting her job, Dana just wants to go home and spend time with her grandma but the trip doesn't go to plan. Along comes Charlie who tries, in vain, to save the day.

At times this is a fun, road trip, rom-com. The characters aren't perfect, they are awkward and flawed with room to grow. This book feels like an episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in the sense that, the lead character does a lot of things wrong but gets it together by the end. The Holiday Detour is an easy read that is both an intsa-love and a slow-burn romance.

[Content warnings: misgendering from main character and minor character, car accident, recalling parental loss]

As someone who is both genderqueer and sapphic, The Holiday Detour is very difficult for me to review. I wanted to love it so badly but I didn’t. I appreciate Kolven writing a sapphic story featuring an f/gq relationship however, so I rounded up my rating. There are too many issues that kept me from fully enjoying the story, but it was nonetheless chaotically entertaining.

On Christmas Eve, Dana Gottfried’s (32, lesbian, Jewish) beloved car breaks down while she is on her way to visit Nana. When animal scientist Charlie Barlow (genderqueer) rescues Dana from the roadside, they embark on a messy holiday adventure where nothing goes right. The only thing that seems right is their attraction to each other.

The story touches upon subjects including sexuality and gender identity. Dana, who identifies as a lesbian, finds herself hopelessly drawn toward Charlie, who is genderqueer. I like this setting, but I do need to point out an extremely problematic sentence of Charlie’s: “maybe you’re not only entirely attracted to cis lesbian women.” Trans lesbians are lesbians. I understand that Charlie wants to talk about genderqueer and/or nonbinary people, but this comment actually excludes transwomen who are lesbians and that is not okay. It is okay, however, for a lesbian to be attracted to someone who does not identify as a woman.

From the very first chapter of The Holiday Detour, we know even from Dana’s first-person perspective that she is not a likable character. She complains too much, fakes too hard, and doesn’t even respect the name of her childhood acquaintance Mitch. I see Mitch going by a new name as a augury of Charlie’s genderqueerness. And was I really surprised that Dana also fails to respect Charlie’s pronouns? Not really. But since Charlie doesn’t seem to mind it much, I am not going to reprimand Dana on her blatant misgendering throughout most of the book. But I feel like misgendering was used as a plot device here, and that makes me very uncomfortable.

Far too often we have perfect main characters in romance because this genre is inherently happy. Yet Dana has to be one of the least appealing leads ever. She is extremely judgey and an awful person in general. I think this is an oddly nice change, because though it is frustrating and sometimes angering to be in her head, it is also refreshing to see someone so imperfect. In Asia, there is a phrase called Princess Syndrome (公主病), which describes a woman who is narcissistic, egocentric, and materialistic (its male counterpart is Prince Syndrome). Dana is exactly that. The closest English word is probably “snobby.” Though I think Charlie deserves someone better despite a lot of lying going on on their end, I like how Kolven made Dana fall for them at their worst. It is the sort of balance in their relationship that I had hoped to see.

I want to clarify another thing that Dana didn’t get right: genderqueer/nonbinary people don’t have to be androgynous or have a mix of feminine and masculine traits. They do not owe anyone androgyny and can appear hyper-feminine or masculine yet still be genderqueer/nonbinary. Also, they can use binary pronouns, and that doesn’t make them any less genderqueer/nonbinary, either.

The Holiday Detour is a rom com filled with disasters that is fun and mostly enjoyable. The whole story spanned five days with the majority in two days—Christmas Eve and Christmas. It began and ended with Dana’s distaste for Christmas songs, a reference to the holiday gone awry.

The premise of this is super cute, a girl trying to get home to her Nana for Christmas and she has a sort of meet cute with a kind person who helps her with her journey. I was excited that one character is lesbian and Jewish and the other is genderqueer, but unfortunately it didn't play out well.

Our main character Dana was rude, bratty, and transphobic. She called Charlie by the wrong pronouns, even after Charlie told her they went by they/them. She freaked out when Charlie used the women's bathroom and tried to force Charlie to talk about uncomfortable topics, even when they clearly didn't want to. Dana never redeemed herself to me and I think Charlie can do much better.

Charlie had a few issues too. They told Dana that they only gave her a ride because they thought Dana was gay. Um, super creepy! They tried to use Dana to make their ex girlfriend jealous and made up extravagant lies to cover it. And they really shouldn't have gotten with Dana after all the crap she pulled.

I can't say there weren't some cute moments and I can see where the author was trying to go with the story. It just didn't work for me unfortunately.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dana Gottfried meets Charlie after her car breaks down on her way home to visit her grandmother in Chicago for Christmas. She is saved by Charlie who uses the pronouns they and them. Charlie is also from Chicago and has decided to give Dana a ride to her grandmothers house. The ride home becomes an adventure that neither are looking for and Dana worries she will not make it home in time for Christmas.

I struggle with what to write about this one. Let me start by saying that the characters in this one felt younger than they were. Dana had a lot more growing to do and Charlie was a bit more mature which helped. During the journey the mains did spend some time getting to know each other, but I saw them more as friends than lovers. The fact that they had so many issues getting home took away from any sort of chemistry they might have had. I guess what I am saying is the connection between the two was lacking. The premise of the story was fine, but it would have been better if they didn't have so many issues getting home so they could have focused more on romance. Even though this is a romance it felt like an afterthought.

I give this 3 stars.

This arc was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

This was what I’d describe as a quick read page turner. The main part of the story took place over less than 24 hours giving it a road trip caper movie kind of vibe and making me want to know what would happen next. In the moment I quite enjoyed the craziness of the storyline and the genderqueer representation, but after dwelling for a little while before writing this review I feel somewhat differently, so it’s possible that there are many people out there who will feel differently to me.

Dana is heading home to Chicago for Christmas to visit her Nana when her car breaks down. Charlie takes pity on her and offers her a ride.

Dana’s constant stream of conscious was tiring at times and her seemingly obsessive thoughts at times about a boy from her past became kind of odd after a while.

The discussions on more serious topics such as pronouns, misgendering and the dangers of public bathrooms for people like Charlie were handled well - both informative and fitting for the storyline. From my experience Dana’s reaction to these things fell in the pretty normal spectrum, so whilst frustrating and disappointing to read, I’d say they were also done quite well.

Spoiler Ahead

I can understand falling for someone in such a short span of time - but moving in together just seemed a bit much. Sure, they’d be entering into a relationship with some distance, but they weren’t going to be living on opposite sides of the world. I can see why this narrative was used, but my personal preference would have been an epilogue with them moving in together after some time.

Spoiler Done

Some of the other reviews have mentioned that the premise of this book would work as a movie and I tend to agree. As a debut book I found the writing style to be ok and I’d certainly give their next book a read, I just wish this book was a little bit different.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Holiday Detour has such a cute cover! I was expecting this to be a cutesy, fun read but I actually had some problems with. The love was too instant and sudden for me. It just wasn't believable to me. There was a lot of potential but the writing came off odd too. I believe this was Kolven's debut but I would possibly read her future novels as I do believe in her future work. Thanks so much for sending me an arc!

So, this person is the one? This is a read about family, friendship, and finding self. Dana Gottfried is an uncertain individual looking for who knows what. She does love her grandmother and would like to spend more time with her. Charlie Barlow is a research scientist with a focus on pigs. Dana and Charlie meet on the road when Charlie pulls over to help Dana. She needs help because her car broke down. Dana likes Charlie from the start. As readers, we are unsure how Charlie feels because the story is told from Dana's point of view. But by Charlie's behavior and some of her comments, there might be interest.

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 have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You'd think with a cute ass cover and title that I would absolutely fall head over heals for this. Yet, I didn't. Okay, so in the beginning The Holiday Detour was a bit cute. I can't and wont lie about that little tidbit. It's just that things went downhill after that and ugh, I just got frustrated.

In it, you will meet Dana and Charlie. Eh, they were okay. I honestly can't say I have a favorite out of the two because things between them felt so awkward for most of the book. Especially after Charlie told Dana how they identify as. Then it kind of went in one ear and out the other.

Plus some things were said that just made me cringe. I guess it was to make them be cute or whatever.. but it just didn't work for me. Not sure how Dana redeemed herself after saying some stuff.. but good luck Charlie.

This had so much potential with the premise! I was very excited about it.

And it went downhill FAST.

The main characters were such stereotypes in personality. The one who's point of view we read through was WHINY and acted like a TWELVE-YEAR-OLD. The love interest was cool and calm and collected and acted like a parent to the main character.

There was also way too much drama out of nowhere. I get what the author was trying to do but all of it felt forced and not funny at all.

And the romance had zero chemistry for me. It felt very insta-love. I could not see the characters together. They just did not work together.

I was so excited about this book and it really disappointed me. I just wanted a cute love story with a non-binary character but got a mess instead.

I’m a sucker for a good romance, whether it’s in fiction or film or television. Though I don’t always read as many queer romances as I’d like, something really drew me to Jane Kolven’s The Holiday Detour. Maybe it was the pleasant cover, or maybe it was the way that the description made this seem like the queer version of a Hallmark movie. Whatever it was, I decided to give it a try.
I’m glad I did, because I absolutely loved it.
The story is told from the perspective of Dana, a Jewish lesbian who gets stranded on the highway while en route to visit her grandmother. She’s rescued by Charlie, a nonbinary person who happens to be a pig researcher. The two then embark on a bit of an odyssey to Chicago, encountering all sorts of hijinks and roadblocks along the way, including Charlie’s ex. In the end, of course, the couple ends up together, with a bright and promising future in front of them.
Given that this is an insta-romance, there are quite a few madcap happenings that interrupt the union of the couple. Kolven has a keen eye for what makes a narrative work and, just as importantly, she handles everything with a light touch. There were several points while reading this book that I actually smiled or laughed out loud. There’s something more than a little whimsical about the way the story is told, and it helps that Dana, for all of her ditziness, is still a highly sympathetic character and a pleasure to spend time with. She’s the kind of person that you feel like you might know in real life, and this does mean that she can, at times, be a little irritating (but that’s true of many other literary heroines, too).
Of course, when it comes down to it, this book depicts a romance that is just too good to be true, but isn’t that the entire point of reading romance? We read it not because it makes sense according to the rules of our everyday lived experiences. We read it because it’s the world as we wish it could be. Deep down, most of us wish that it were so easy to fall in love, that it was so easy to understand another person and to feel such a deep connection that it sweeps away all doubts. Frankly, I think it’s rather refreshing to read a light-hearted romantic comedy like The Holiday Detour. It’s the kind of book that aims, and succeeds, in making you believe that there is such a thing as love at first sight. While that may not be popular for some in this cynical age in which we live, as someone who tends to be a serial monogamist (as well as someone who falls in love at the drop of a hat), I actually found this to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book.
More important, though, is the fact that this romance actually features a nonbinary person in a starring role. Of course, Dana struggles to wrap her head around Charlie’s identity, and there are large stretches of the book where she repeatedly misgenders this person that she clearly has a romantic interest again. It would be easy to criticize this aspect of the book, but I personally found Dana’s struggle to really come to terms with Charlie’s identity one of the book’s most mature aspects. Dana, like many cisgender people, has a really hard time thinking outside of that framework, and while the novel is told from her point of view, it makes it pretty clear that this is unacceptable.
I also appreciated that the novel didn’t make Charlie into a fetish object. They are as complicated and complex as Dana is, rather than just a cardboard cutout. Kolven’s greatest skill as a romance novelist, I think, is in allowing us as readers to see the wonderful person that Charlie is. From the moment that they appear on the page, you find yourself mesmerized by their charm, by the way that they seem to just get Dana. The moment when Charlie eats some of Dana’s pie at the diner is one of the most hilarious moments in the book. At the same time, The Holiday Detour doesn’t shy away from showing us that Charlie does face some very real challenges and threats in a world that still refuses to see people outside of the gender binary.
Finally, it’s worth talking about the romantic spark between these two characters. I’m not sure why, but from the moment that they met I felt the electricity. Maybe it’s because both of these characters are so authentic, or maybe it’s just Kolven’s skill at capturing the weird way the heart works, but even though I knew they were going to end up together, I still felt invested in their courtship. By the end, I was very glad to see that they would, presumably, start building their lives together.
The key to reading a book like The Holiday Detour is, I think, to take it for what it is. In many ways, it is a Hallmark movie. Seen in that light, it really does succeed. It really lets you lose yourself in a fantasy, gauzy world of romance and love and feelings and sentiment. I understand that that might not be to everyone’s particular taste, but I think it’s important to understand just how vital stories like this are. It wasn’t that long ago that the majority of Americans didn’t even know what nonbinary was, and it would have been almost unthinkable to see a nonbinary person in a romance. Kolven deserves a lot of credit for bringing another layer of inclusivity to the queer romance world.
I know that I, for one, am really looking forward to the next book from Jane Kolven. Given that the title is The Queen Has a Cold, I’m sure it’s going to be a blast!