Why I Held Your Hand by Augusta Reilly is a small town romcom that follows Laura, and her love triangle. This is a fun, quick read that is sweet, and holds a good bit of spice (hubba hubba). Perfect for Hallmark Holiday Movie lovers who enjoy the small town story. 3/5

I only started reading romance about a year ago because of Bookstagram! I have never read a romance novel about a love triangle but I was here for it and read this one in less than two days. I HAD to know which guy Laura was going to pick - the straight laced finance guy from the marketing firm or the rough around the edges creative genius. This book was super well-written, SUPER STEAMY and had me turning pages and staying up way past my bedtime. I am still thinking about it three days later!! It was SO GOOD!!

I adored this. I went off the cover and two lines of the blurb and it paid off.

Laura hires a big marketing firm to help boost her little town's appeal and she gets so caught up with witty and handsome David she almost doesn't notice Spence and his immediate awe of her.

Reilly did one of my favorite things in books: dropping innocent lines and dialogue that come back to hit you like a bag of bricks toward the end. And I never saw it coming, made me want to reread it as soon as I finished to pick up those clues.

Initially I was worried about the pacing, Laura and David moved way too fast: their words, their actions, their banter felt like it was all they had. And maybe I'm right and maybe it did all serve a purpose to contrast with her interactions with Spence, but till the end it bugged me how fast they moved. The moment with Spence and the tie I was hooked and by the end I was so full of anticipation and joy that I had tears welling up.
And I really appreciate that Reilly did not make it a super obvious choice for Laura, she didn't pit the two men evilly against each other. she didn't write one or the other as the obvious "bad" option, she made Laura's choice real and believable, even relatable.

Sometimes the banter between characters was too witty, too funny, too perfect, bordering on unbelievable but the rest of the book was great. I would definitely reread this, recommend to my friends, buy a copy for my shelves.

WOOF.

I really did not enjoy this book. It looks and sounds like it's going to be a cute small town romance centered around the restoration of a little town looking to stay economically afloat while surrounded by major, more modern tourist attractions. Um... it is pretty much not that. Where do I even begin?

For starters, I find our main protagonist wildly unlikeable and unrealistic. She owns a knitting shop - in this economy? Honey, please. Yet she has her own place, her own car, and is financially independent. And she has plenty of time to volunteer to be on a town council making plans to revitalize the city. If this were real life, she would be driving Uber or hawking Etsy creations every night to make ends meet. Also, she's instantly loved by every man she meets, and no one can stop talking about how beautiful she is. ALSO, she makes some very poor choices, including gaslighting her boyfriend for MONTHS and cheating on him several times. Yikes. Call me old fashioned, but this isn't the cute small town romance that I'm here for.

Aside from the awful characters in this book, the plot is practically nonexistent, time is a flexible concept, the romance does not work whatsoever, and this book basically just exists to deliver such cringe-worthy sex scenes that my eyes wanted to crawl out of their sockets and go hide underneath my coffee table until it was all over. Overall, let me reiterate: WOOF.

Thank you Get Red PR and Netgalley for a copy of this novel.

Why I Held Your Hand is a fun and fierce love triangle romance about one woman and two men. Laura is trying to save her small mountain town by renewing tourism interest. Enter David and Spence, two adversaries for the marketing team who will brighten the town’s chances of bringing in new tourism. And of course, feelings start flying between all three of them.

Cute! I loved this small town romance with a flare. The writing was funny and sweet with such great characters falling head over heels for one another. The cover suggests a tame and cute holiday read, but this one has some STEAM. Quick, romantic, dramatic, and fun.

3.5 stars (rounded to 4 stars)

So, full confession I saw this cover and thought from both the cozy cover and the cute description that it was going to be a cozy Christmas read.

NEWS ALERT: deceptively sweet and innocent cover.
Reality: enough steam to melt the cozy Dickenson-esque snow-covered streets.

I enjoyed the premise of Laura’s existence, as well as David and Spence’s. The sweet connections between each character was great. From the hilarious opening scene (who wakes up with their feet out a window??) to the secret hot springs sunset, all moments to find beauty in our lives. David checks all the boxes, as does Spence, even if they are almost polar opposites in most every area (except their love of Laura). Spence was my favorite not just because he was different, but because he listens so well. That's important, ya know?

My least favorite: Laura’s choices. I don’t feel like they were cozy Christmas at all. This story line has so much potential for her to be a strong female making smart choices, but I feel she chose easy and chose recklessly.

This would make a great series, with Laura’s future after her choices!

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a romance with a love triangle. Officially a fan! I really liked all of the characters, and the small town storyline. There was a bit of a Gilmore Girls vibe for me in that respect, with a cantankerous town councilperson, emphasis on small business, rehabbing a historic building, and of course, a town festival.

I did struggle a bit with the way Laura handled her decisions, mainly because there is no bad guy in this story. As much as I liked all of the characters, it was hard to see a good guy get hurt. A true case of the heart wants what it wants! As for the romance, this is a NSFW, open door story so, know that from the start. Overall, I enjoyed this so much that I immediately reached out to the author asking if there will be a sequel!

This was a really fun holiday romantic comedy read. It is just what is needed in these very serious scary times. Laura lives in a quaint small town desperately in need of a makeover as it has been losing its tourism business to the surrounding towns. She hires a big time powerful marketing company to help to reinvigorate their town and all of its businesses. Through this venture she meets David Harper, her ideal man. She has found her “unicorn” and only has to keep things under wraps until their ad campaign is complete. Then she meets Spense only to discover that he too may be her ‘unicorn” What is a woman to do when she is surrounded by two men who make her heart smile, sing and makes her tingle all over? It’s a funny quick read that will have you hoping this author has something new on the horizon.

I sincerely enjoyed the dialogue in this book. It was hilarious, sweet when it needed to be, and relatable. I found myself laughing out loud more than once and thinking "this is what real people actually sound like."

Laura, the main character, is immediately likable, sincere, and has the best one-liners.

Multiple love stories happening in this book and they're both fantastic. One is instant, passionate, and sexy. And one is a deep, slow burn that keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next!

The only thing I will say is you may feel put off by the opening scene of the book. It felt a little unbelievable to me (a woman with no undergarments randomly falling asleep overnight in her unlocked car when she lives a few blocks away? Not realistic).

Nonetheless, you have to carry on. Overall, the book really is delightful, and worth it!

Very well done!

Why I Held Your Hand is a romantic small-town romance. Augusta Reilly gives readers easy to love characters, a picturesque town, and even a love triangle.

Laura is a kind woman that loves her town. She wants more people to fall in love with her town of North Powell so she hires a marketing firm to help tourists see it as a must-see spot. She meets a handsome man named David who is part of the marketing firm. They have chemistry and agree to keep their dating secret.

Things get more complicated when she works closely with Spence. He is coming up with ideas like a festival to get more people to visit the town. They didn't hit it off at first but are beginning to feel an attraction as they got to know each other.

I give Why I Held Your Hand 4 stars. It was a sweet and spicy romance that romance readers will enjoy. I loved the small-town setting and really fit with the story. Yes, there is a love triangle but I was pleased with how it all turned out.

This was interesting ! It was more explicit than I was expecting because all of the interactions were super sweet and then this steamy scene would just be thrown in and it felt off. Also, there was definitely an issue because (I presume) a UK author was trying to write in a US mountain setting. Since I live in the mountains, there was definitely a disconnect in the author trying to accurately describe the US. That being said, I did enjoy this.

Why I Held Your Hand came out earlier this month on October 23, 2020, and you can purchase HERE. This was different, but good!

It was the night we hiked to the hot springs. You were watching the sunset. I was looking at you, and all of a sudden I thought you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and that I could never lover anyone or anything more than you.

Lauren, in an attempt to bring business and life back into her small town, hires a marketing team to come up with a plan. What she doesn't expect is to fall for one of the team members, David Harper, but fall she does & she falls hard. Their relationship is everything anyone would want, and it seems to be progressing in the right direction, when she happens to look at another member of the team, a member she sees weekly and works closely with, and sees him in a whole new light. Can she turn off these sudden feelings for Spence? Or is there something simmering between them under the surface?

"After months and months of uncertainty, there was no longer a shred of doubt in her mind. She was madly, ecstatically, and rapturously in love with..."

I have been reading so many thrillers lately, because October 💁🏻‍♀️, that I needed to switch it up. This book was a perfect change of pace. It had me from the first page. It was witty and had all the makings of a great romcom. I enjoyed seeing David and Lauren's relationship develop, and I was worried when she began to realize she was falling for Spence. It left me wondering what I would do in her situation. And the steam! If steam is your thing, order this book ASAP. My only issue with the book actually had to do with the steam aspect. It seemed like Lauren made her decisions based on how turned on she was and that was just an eye roll for me. Instead of having any real meaningful conversations, she relied on "Tell me your favorite fantasy of me." There was nothing of substance to go by. That could just be me looking for more of the "rom" in this romcom. But if you are in the mood for a steamy read, this will not disappoint.

rating: 2.5/5

I’d like to start off by saying that I liked this book and the romance. I loved the longing and the slow burn.

HOWEVER!!!! IT’S A CHEATING BOOK ☹️ and cheating books just make me feel so gross. I honestly believe that it could’ve been written without the cheating storyline, and I’d be more inclined to give it 3-4 stars.

but no. I cannot consciously give it a positive rating.

thank you to Netgalley and Rhapsodic Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

I think this book cemented the fact that I just do not like love triangles. I also learned from reading this book that I really do not like cheating, especially when it's unnecessary to the plot and is tried to be justified.

I was really hoping that the author would be able to write a more balanced love triangle and that she would not fall into the trap of preferring one guy (or girl) over the other. While she constantly told us that the main character, Laura, was equally infatuated with both men, through Laura constantly thinking/telling us so, there is a clear bias for Spence. Laura basically has sex with David for like a few chapters and we spend most of the book seeing Spence and Laura together. This is despite the fact that Spence and Laura only technically see each other every Mondays and that, purportedly, David and Laura spend more time with each other. The author also falls into the trap of telling and not showing when it comes to David and Laura's relationship. We basically skip over the development of their relationship with almost no scenes with them actually being together and building a relationship.

As for the cheating, it could have been avoided. And I genuinely did not know how it affects the plot other than the fact that it reflects poorly on Laura's AND Spence's character. I find myself not trusting the characters to keep their promises to each other because I know they are capable of poor judgement, to put it lightly. Also when Laura attempted to justify being duplicitous, meaning having an emotional affair with Spence, even before they had sex, by saying that she did not want to hurt David by breaking up with him because he, like her, has very few people he loves. Does she not realise that by breaking her promise to be faithful to him she is doing exactly that. It was just such a piss poor excuse. And she was basically blatantly flirting with Spence and put herself in the position for feeling between them to develop to more than just friendship.

Nonetheless, I think the author is actually a really good romance author in the sense that I really enjoyed her writing style. I find that with most romance authors, I tend to get second hand embarrassment because of really cringy dialogue. There was some of that here, not to mention that some of the jokes were just not that funny, but the cringy dialogue was at the minimum.

Also Reilly can write a really good sex scene. I would put her almost on par with Talia Hibbert and Helen Hoang. And there were a lot of sweet moments between Spence and Laura that I also really enjoyed, besides the part when they finally boned.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes there were parts where the decisions of the MC made me shake my head. Yes, I didn't agree with them, but it's a story. And we all make mistakes or handle things poorly sometimes.

I loved Spence though. And was happy with the way the book ended. Whenever he wasn't in the scene I found myself wishing he was.

I also didn't understand Laura and David's relationship much. Outside of the first few weeks they barely showed them together. So naturally I felt more attached to Spence's character.

This was a lovely read that I devoured in one sitting.

This book was different from what I've read before.

Firstly, I haven't quite read books that start out with the heroine hanging out of a car.

This started out so funny, the introduction to Laura's quirky character hooked me immediately into this. Then the other characters began adding their own colors to the whole page and it was getting more and more enjoyable as time went on. The author's descriptions of the small town made me want to attend that Dicken's festival and just settle down!

David was a nice character, seemingly perfect and having the perfect replies to Laura's quips, but Spencer, in this book, took my heart. He was sweet in his own way, and his love for Laura was almost tangible in approach. In fact, I would've gone as far as to say that David probably was just settling down, while Spencer was throwing himself in the deep end here.

The only thing that got me, that I didn't quite expect, was the infidelity. There were patches throughout the book that had me thinking I missed a page, and going back to make sure, and then coupled with the emotional infidelity, there was the ending which just wasn't my thing.

All in all, it was a nice book!

CW: Cheating

[This book was provided to me by NetGalley and Rhapsodic Press in exchange for an honest review.]

Definitely for fans of Hallmark romances and those looking for a wintertime cozy (and quick) read. There's a little bit of an insta-love going on in the love triangle, that I wasn't personally a fan of, but may be your cup of tea. Overall, the story is enjoyable, but nothing too fancy.

I will admit there were certain lines (particularly when discussing the main character's body) that I wouldn't have been surprised if the author was a man. Some of the declarations of love came across as awfully outdated.

his is an enjoyable small town romance between one woman and two men. Laura loves her town, but it can't compete against the neighboring towns that have more to offer. That's where David and Spencer (and James) come in. They work for a marketing firm who is going to help the town of North Powell.

Laura meets David in the opening scene and it is just about the most memorable meet ever! Pretty funny. They soon start dating (secretly) and fall in love. David is a good guy. Cute, smart, and funny. They fall in love. But, while they are in secret (since she is his agency's client), Laura has been working closely with Spencer every week on the marketing campaign. She begins to feel things for him, too. What to do?

I felt for Laura in this book. She is a genuinely nice woman who has met her soulmate while dating a man she loves. She's in a dilemma and doesn't want to hurt either man. I was worried about the conclusion of this story, but it ended up working for me. I really love how the title of the book is worked into the end.

Warning: The cover on this book is not accurate. This is not a cutesy, holiday read. It is not a closed door romance, either. In fact, this is a very open door and spicy romance. (lots of steam,)

Thank you to NetGalley, Get Red PR, and the author for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a true winter/holiday read! I loved reading this book so much and it is such a cozy and perfect read for the holiday season. It incapsulates the magic and beauty of Christmas and I truly enjoyed reading it; it put me into the holiday spirit and mood instantly! The writing of this book is gorgeous and I love the lush descriptions and cozy feeling this book offers.

Very cute rom com setting - quaint town in need of a fresh start and Laura Delaney is just the person to shepherd North Powell back to vibrancy. Her family history is intertwined with its past glory and she is passionate about her town, store (aptly named Creations by Laura), and philanthropic work on the Powell House. Bring in a crack marketing team from the big city to design a Dickensian themed festival to kick off a year of events in North Powell. The marketing team employs two swoon worthy men that Laura falls for. The love triangle looks lopsided throughout much of the book and it's fun figuring out whose hand Laura will hold at the end and why. The reason for the title is in the last sentence on the last page (don't peek!). Reilly did a nice job of explaining the perspective of growing up with just one relative - 'the constant fear that you might lose the only person who loves you' Maybe it influenced Laura's decision-making in her approach to love? There is QUITE a bit of steaminess, which may be too blush worthy for some. It's not as Christmasy as the cute cover art portrays, however, there's plenty of charm in the story. Thanks to #netgalley for the advanced copy to review.