Completed this in a day🤩

A much needed Holiday Read🏖🍹
You'll LOVE it<333

THANK YOU SO MUCH NETGALLEY, AUTHOR & THE PUBLISHER FOR THE eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, as well as Aria & Aries for an ARC of Holiday Read in exchange for my opinion.

To be honest, I haven’t been this disappointed in a story in a while. This book had so much potential given the plot line, but it just fell flat.

The characters weren’t that likeable, specifically Alexis the author. He was rude, classist, and misogynistic. I kept reading thinking eventually we would get a break through moment with him, but unfortunately the book even ends with him still being a complete jerk.

As for the love story happening with Candice, it’s extremely hard to buy into. There’s no romance, no real connection, or passion.

I did enjoy some cast of the characters including MaKayla and Demi, who brought humor and banter to many pages.

The ending felt rushed and quick, and left a lot unsaid which I wasn’t a fan of. It felt like I read this entire book, and didn’t even get any answers by the end of it.

Overall, this book misses the mark. It was a struggle to get through, and wasn’t enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC!

I feel the marketing should go in a different direction for this book. With the cover, title, and description of Holiday Read, I’m afraid people will go in expecting something different. It’s selling as an escapist romance, but that did not come across for me.

What I liked about the book was the setting, the focus on the importance of healthy friendships that feel like family, and Candice taking control of her life and not being complacent! Yesss, we love that journey!

However, the negatives unfortunately overshadow the positives.

The plot points (some unnecessary, I dare say?) felt equally forced and forgotten at the same time. This requires the reader to suspend reality when these plot points are “resolved”, which took me out a bit. The dialogue often feels disjointed and irrelevant in moving the plot forward.

With our leading lady, there is a lack of communication not only with the other characters, but with us, the readers. This made it difficult for me to root for her, because I was often unsure how she felt in situations or what she really wanted, especially with the Alexis and Daniel moments.

Speaking of the Alexis and Daniel moments, this love triangle/work partnership did not work for me. When one romantic male lead is an unlikable, selfish, misogynistic human being - it's easy to write him off. While the other is obviously a more likable person, the conservations required for relationship building were glossed over, so as the reader, I was not pulled in. The triangle was unnecessary and ineffective.

Overall, I feel there is a disservice to the author by selling this book as an “escapist beach read rom-com”. If the reader goes in knowing this is a story of a woman finding a new life for herself after a tumultuous past by taking on a new career opportunity that leads to her fighting for respect in a field so often looked down upon; all while navigating the obstacles of working directly with a petulant male colleague, and catching feelings for the other, there might be a more positive reaction? But as it stands, the story falls flat and is inconsistent in its objective.

I want to start this off by thanking NetGalley and Aria for this arc.

I really didn’t like this book and I had to force myself to finish it, it felt like the author tried really hard to mimic beach read and failed miserably at it also a lot of the dialogue that was intended to be funny just ended up being cringy and uncomfortable.

The pacing of the story felt off and completely detached and the characters that are suppose to have feelings for each other have no chemistry plus they are surface level and have no debt therefore they feel very “fictional”. When it comes to the important issues that have or had an influence on the fmc’s life they are either unresolved or resolved way too fast like for example (incoming mild spoilers) one of the main reasons she moved to this small town was to find her father and this topic is dragged on during the whole book just for it to be resolved in a few lines in a paragraph towards the end like??? Also we are never told if the issues she had with her ex-husband remained unresolved or if they were resolved at all, plus we are just given a time jump and we are suppose to accept it and move on and don't get me started on the lack or none existence of consent!

The mmc is an egotistical and misogynistic author who doesn’t get the appeal of romance books and pretty much looks down on them but he still wants to write one due to their popularity and immense profit which is quite literally what this author is doing by using a title, cover and description that are completely misleading to draw the attention and interest of romance readers just for the content of the book to be completely lacking and poor.

Overall this book felt like a waste of time and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!!

I really liked the vibe. It was sunny, funny and reminded me of holidays. I also liked the characters even though I would have like more depth in their personality. But the writing was cool, so was the story.

To preface this review- I really wanted to love this book and usually don't feel comfortable giving reviews this low. I appreciate the time and energy and love authors put into their novels and never want to detract from that. However, I'll just say this book isn't for me.

What I loved:
- A book about books!
- The setting of Newquay
- Positive female friendships

What I didn't:
- I pretty much exclusively read romance novels and this one just falls short for me. The characters feel flat (I felt indifferent about all of them, except the MMC who I had a lot of trouble liking). There's a lot of small plots that aren't resolved/needed.
- I feel like the cover and title is a little misleading? It wasn't about their holiday at all. I mean the cover is seriously cute, but it doesn't fit this book.
- I had trouble following the plot, I feel like the dialogue doesn't flow and I had trouble pushing through to finish this book.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was just okay for me. I didn't connect with the characters very well but I kept reading and it ending up being cute. Just not 100% for me. Will I read another book from this author, you bet I will.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I didn’t realise until reading other reviews that the author was male, in the romance genre this does play a factor in the quality and scope of the story and characters- especially the female main character. This felt very cynical and mean, romance as a genre is beloved and popular for a reason and this book wanted to profit off that while also scorning it. Disappointing effort all round.

I was given an advanced copy of Holiday Read by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.. so here goes.

I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it.

The challenge with romance is that it's a very common and intensely saturated genre. Writers have to stand out to make them feel different to all the others. And whilst I can see what Cole tried to do - it rarely missed the mark.

I made the mistake of reading reviews whilst I was reading the book. I got about a third of the way in and, getting quite frustrated with the story in a "Surely not?" kind of way - I took a look at the reviews (something I NEVER normally do). The guilt absolutely took me over so I finished it instead of DNF'ing it.

And I'm glad I did because thankfully, it set itself back on a relatively good course.

In an attempt to set themselves out from other romance writers - there were some seriously unnecessary facts throughout the dialogue which turned elements into a lesson. There were social issues highlighted and discussed purely for the sake of featuring them in the story/book.

There were one or two subplots that were completely unnecessary - trying to tie up the ends just left the final chapters rushed and with no depth or value.

The desire to highlight and include so much of Cornwalls rich and beautiful scenery and history was clear, but it fell short of the mark because it just didn't DETAIL it all. It was spread too thin.

The main romance story - awesome, I love it. The motivating plot behind it, worked. The doubt I felt when I thought it was going to go one way was well done and I'm glad it DIDN'T go there. And had the the writer chosen to strengthen instead of adding in the above mentioned snippets - it probably would have ended up being a relatively decent read.

And I have to say it - the title is misleading. I'm keen to see what the others will say on release.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

TW - Not clear consent for sexual scenes.

This one was hard to finish. Really hard. I have a lot of issues with consent not being taken seriously, a really kinda dickish male lead who just obsessed the main female's body. I also didn't love that it felt like a jab to those who love romance novels or liked Bach Read. The MMC hates romance books but writes them as his job? It just was really rough to get through and I pretty much DNF near the last 50 pages. I was so drawn by the cover but it really wasn't for me.

Sorry.

This was such a fun read. The chemistry was palpable between the characters and I loved every second.

Sadly not for me, I just couldn’t stay invested , I need to like the main characters and I just didn’t take to Alexis from the start, and then once he started outlining his book synopsis urgh just no wasn’t my thing at all. Sorry

A strange read. Got better. Did not like the sexual word references. Had the makings of a 5 star book. I reviewed it. No. The main character came to Cornwall to find her birth father. She was surfer who had also escaped an abuse marriage. . She had lost her mother and found a lovely community in Cornwall and had dreams of being a writer . I won’t spoil the plot. It had a neat ending but just did not flow .

A quick, easy and enjoyable read that I read in one sitting. It was well written with a good storylibne and well developed characters that I really liked.

Holiday Read by Taylor Cole was an excellent rom-com.

Wow, this was different than I expected.
I knew just by looking at the cover and reading the synopsis this was going to be a fun time.
This was very cute, and surprisingly really enjoyable.
The romance and a bit of the humour was great IMO.
The characters kept my attention and kept reading.
Overall, I liked it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Aria & Aries,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Great beach read for romance lovers! This was a fun book with likable characters- will definitely be reading more from this author!

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC of Holiday Read in exchange for an honest review!

Going into this i had high expectations. The cover and blurb drew me in and got me excited but sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations or even close.

The MMC was unbearable. He’s a romance author who doesn’t believe in romance, and makes fun of it yet profits from it?? The lack of consent was an issue for me aswell. She said that she wanted their relationship to remain professional and she said that clearly. Yet following that he got her drunk and they kissed. Yes she may have had feelings for him but she never clearly consented to the kiss, which is important, especially when she was under the influence of alcohol! And the notebook…that was my last straw unfortunately.

I’m usually easy to please but this was disappointing :(
I think it has potential as i liked the surf bits and a few other aspects but there was too much that annoyed me to enjoy it. Maybe if some changes were made this could be great!

CW: consent issues

In this story, a struggling surf instructor trying for a fresh start in a UK surfing town meets Alexis, an author who's a bit stuck on his current project--a romance novel. As their relationship unfolds, it comes to light that Alexis has been using Candice as inspiration for his writing, and then Candace decides to help him with the book.

Conceptually, this book has an interesting premise. The writing is also textured and distinct, with unique characters and dilemmas that pull you in.

But I don’t think this book is quite hitting the emotional cues it’s meaning to.

While miscommunications and social cue mistakes are totally okay (especially in an autistic or autistically coded character, as Alexis appears to be), being autistic is not an excuse to take advantage of someone, and readers in the romance genre do not want to be second-hand victimized by the male lead.

Alexis asks her to come over after again she’s refused the night before expressed a desire to keep the relationship simple and work-focused. He offers her alcohol, and as the day progresses, Candice becomes totally inebriated, and then Alexis kisses her without clear consent and takes things further. (It doesn’t matter if she’s somehow impulsively interested, as little sense as that makes given the development. She’s not of clear mind, and cannot give full consent, even if she had voiced it--which she did not.) At that point, they’re interrupted and she finds the notebook and what he’s really writing about. Despite them brainstorming for a separate story idea throughout the day, this notebook has notes including details about Candace, going into commentary about her body. Candace is understandably shaken and disgusted. Alexis claims the notes were only for him, that he messed up, etc.

It doesn't matter if the notes were only for him. He's a creep for ogling her body AND for writing it down AND for lying about it AND for using her AND for disregarding her clear "no" the day before and continuing to ask/try to finagle an opportunity to get with her AND for getting physical with her while she's intoxicated. The narrative describes Candace as having trouble walking, at this point. This is deeply, deeply disturbing. It's not something that women readers want to see in a romance novel. It's something some of us have been through and feel traumatized by. The male lead should be the person who INTERVENES and keeps things like that from happening. He should be the person holding other men accountable and respecting her decisions. Male leads can be flawed, they can misunderstand, but in a romance novel, I would argue that they can't have a solid arc where they learn how to not behave predatorially after behaving and making choices in that manner. That's a very, very different type of story, and one that should be undertaken quite cautiously and with lots of input from sensitivity readers.

As a reader, at that point, I don’t think Alexis fully understands why using someone else in this way is not acceptable (because if he does, then that’s even worse), and I don’t know that I want Candace to be the way he learns better. I want better for her, especially after her traumatic past. Lots of women have been there, in the "Oh, you didn't mean to pressure me/make me feel unsafe/make me uncomfortable and now you feel bad? Well, let me just help you learn to navigate these social dynamics better" role, and it often just leads to being on the receiving end of continued creepy behavior. That's not romantic. That's stressful. That's crying into your hands late at night, feeling like a terrible person because you're not sure if your friend/work mate/class peer/etc. is TRYING to make you feel scared when they continually make comments that are off-color despite prior conversations asking them to be more respectful or continually disrespecting boundaries you've set just a little bit. That's not Emily Henry. That's not sunny, cute, cartoon beach scenes.

If I'd read the first third of this book without the cover or marketing material, I'd have thought this story is a literary fiction novel about a dysfunctional man and a traumatized woman colliding into a potentially dark and gruesome situation. But it's trying to be a romance, and it's not working.

I also don’t understand why Candace is attracted to Alexis much at all. He has two fleetingly positive moments with her amidst a myriad of her cringing at his pretension and lack of regard for others. It’s like the story decided it was time for her to like him because he finally expressed desire more overtly, and the expectation that she would just return that immediately is…not realistic. Also, it seems out of sync with the baggage she's walked away from her last relationship with. You know, the one where she was always the giver and never the receiver. The one where she was constantly taken for granted and manipulated. If Alexis is supposed to be the male lead, we need to see DIFFERENCES between how he treats her and how her ex did. We need to see him RESPECT HER AGENCY. His behavior is doubly uncomfortable because of the clear socioeconomic gap between them. He's paying her for lessons, and she's living out of her van.

He can BE weird. He can BE uncomfortable. He can fail to notice when he’s inconveniencing people!! He can be self-absorbed! But he doesn't have to disrespect her "no" or make moves while she's intoxicated. And the reader can discover his endearing and wonderful traits along with more of his vulnerability as Candace does. That connection has to build more organically than it has. He can still be awkward. But show us more of his simple, authentic reactions to things like surfing or getting his foot stung.

I absolutely adore neurodivergent rep in romance. It makes me feel seen and understood. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are just a handful of things in this first third that make the book not a romance novel.

He absolutely cannot tread lines of grey/no consent or outright disregard for her wishes (and neither can she, for that matter. Consent goes both ways). Because then, that makes this a nightmare, rather than a romance (as it is marketed). Right now, he’s acting as though he thinks he can just keep trying to convince her into whatever he wants (a relationship? Just something casual? We have no clue), and it’s not romantic.

No means no. Full. Stop. “I want to keep this simple” should be read by him as “I want to keep this simple” until she directly says otherwise. That is not an invitation to ask again the next day. If he's misunderstood what she meant there, having them have an awkward encounter the following day where she spells it out more clearly would be fine, so long as it's clear to the reader that he genuinely didn't get what she meant.

I love the idea of him struggling to write and her helping him. As a writer--I've been there! I really, really wanted to like Alexis.

But I hate his not listening to her clear “no” and his lack of respect for her agency. It made me feel uncomfortable as a reader, and I really, really hope the writer makes some changes to address this before the book is released.

There ARE elements that work here. The love of surfing (chef's kiss), the bits of his social dysfunction (his nerves, his self-remonstrating comments when he realizes he's been inconveniencing them at the diner), and Candace's need for something more and independence—all of those can mesh together to tell a cool story. I just think the first third needs some critical dialogue and plot elements retooled.

Taylor Cole, I am begging you to give this first third another try. You've got a unique voice, and your settings (especially Demigorgons) are so cool! But, I'm worried that most readers won't make it past the first third because of the issues mentioned above.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately disappointed when I realized this book has absolutely nothing to do with the holidays. The characters are flat and boring and the male character is unbearable. I couldn't even finish it.

I jus tried so hard to enjoy this book and I couldn’t connect with each of the main characters. The familiarities with Beach Read was obvious and it felt like this is unlikable execution of the similar plot line.

The hero is exploiting the success of romance novels without showing enough respect to the genre. It seems like only thing is important for me to get paid handsomely and do everything he can to achieve his plan including using heartbroken woman as a muse to bring him more commercial success!

Even the cover resembles “Beach Read” so I decided to stay with the original concept and doing something I really don’t like by choosing my dnf option!

I wish I enjoyed this read a little more!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria&Aries for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.