This was a bittersweet, heartwarming Christmas story. Eight years ago, Ivy Macintosh lost her husband and twin three year olds in a plane crash. She has still not recovered, spends her days drinking coffee, watching TV, and shopping online and her nights drowning her sorrows. Her father decides it is time to force some changes and had a tough love talk with her, but she does not respond well. Eleven-year-old Holly Greenwood lost her mother in the same crash and her father is overprotective and closed up in his own shell. When Holly gets lost and shows up at Ivy's door to use her phone, something clicks in Ivy. She realizes that her children would be the same age and she decides it is time to make some changes.

This is a sweet Christmas story. Yes, there is some romance, but there is so much more to this story. Holly does not know what happened to her mom and she thinks her dad doesn't love her. With Ivy's help, the relationship between Holly and her dad improve and he loosens the reins. There is also some letting go of hurts and trying to move on with your life which is so real to so many people. I liked the characters in this story, although at the beginning I was not impressed with Daniel, Holly's father. With help from friends and a little girl, Ivy and Daniel are able to open their hearts once more.

I wanted to love this book, so so much, but I had to put it down at about 30%. I even tried a finished copy to see if the issues I was having were fixed in editing, and no luck. This needed a very thorough read aloud for dialog editing - every word spoken in the story threw me out and annoyed me to the point I couldn't go on.

This is a heartwarming holiday read for those who enjoy a quick read. Two families both dealing with grief at the holidays find each other and are able to open and let go and maybe even find love.

This book was a great read. The characters were easy to relate to. I was hooked in from chapter one and didn’t want to put it down. If you enjoy a little romance then I would suggest this book to you. I can’t wait to read more form this author.

Review: I have not read a book by Fern Michaels before. This is a about a tragic event that happens at Christmas Time. Despite it having a tragedy at the heart of the plot the author manages to draw positives out of it. If you want to read about a miracle at Christmas this is defiantly one for you.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

Here's the overview (from Goodreads)
The flames of memory always seem to glow a little brighter during the holidays. Perhaps that's why this time of year is so difficult for airline heiress Ivy Macintosh, as she faces thoughts of yet another festive season alone. Since the plane crash that claimed the lives of her husband and two children eight years ago, she's been submerged in grief.

When eleven-year-old Holly Greenwood knocks on her door, lost and frightened after a forbidden visit to her singing teacher, Ivy's self-imposed exile is shattered. Holly has an extraordinary voice, and wants nothing more than to perform in an upcoming Christmas musical. Holly's father, Daniel, doesn't allow music in their home, refusing to give a good reason why--just as he refuses to talk about Holly's mother. Ivy has no idea how closely she and Daniel are linked by their tragic pasts, yet she's drawn to the warmth she senses beneath his gruff exterior. And as Christmas nears, their shared concern for Holly begins to draw Ivy back into the world again . . . and toward a family who may need her just as much as she needs them...

As you can tell from the synopsis there, this was not all light hearted and fun - there were some super sad bits, and some pretty heavy feelings stuff too. Like I said above, it certainly had a Hallmark movie feel about it - two grieving adults brought together by common love for a child.

It took a while for me to get into the story, but once I did I really enjoyed it overall. There were,though, definitely sometimes where I had to look past what I really thought was some weird behaviour/actions from the characters - if you find it hard to let go of "someone would never say/do that!" and it's a deal breaker for you, then this one might be a bit tricky.

I gave Holly and Ivy three stars

A very sad and heartwarming story that gets you thinking about all you are thankful for. The story remains quite depressing for a good part of the story but once the story begins to turn, it really turns into a delightful book!!

Ivy's father owns an airline businesses and eight years ago one of his planes crashed killing Ivy's husband and children. For all of that time ivy has lived in grief but now her father wants to retire and have Ivy take over the business.

Holly is only 11 years old and lives with her father who is very strict, he would not talk about her mother and how she died eight years ago, and will not allow any music in the house or let Holly have anything to do with it.

When Holly gets lost after being at a school music production without hret father's knowledge she knocks on Ivy's door for help and so brings Ivy and her father together...... can they help each other with their grief and bring light back into their lives?

A good book although quite sad, I enjoyed the characters, although thought maybe eight years was a long time to have not moved on, especially as it was affecting holy so much, not a book to read if you are already feeling down

Quick, easy, and fun little read. I read it while being tortured watching Game 5 of the World Series (Go Astros) because the anxiety of the game was too much for me.

Not a book that will leave you feeling breathless or hollering that it should win awards, but still a really solid book worthy of picking up. There were many parts that I skimmed through because I didn't find them relevant to the whole of the story (much of the parts of Holly with her friends) and they felt more like page fillers than anything else.

A wonderful story that will leave you feeling hopeful and happy

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2167727893

A very sweet and touching holiday romance. Eight years after a horrific tragedy two families meet not realizing how much they have in common that forms a bond between them.

Fern Michaels entwine the stories of Holly and Ivy,survivors left behind by the loss of family members in an air crash. Ivy lost her children and husband and has just started to emerge from long grief when she meets Ivy who lost her mother in the same tragedy. Holly helps Ivy reconcile with her father and as Christmas approaches two families start to merge.

Stevie‘s review of Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels
Contemporary Holiday Romance published by Kensington 26 Sep 17

I’m not a great fan of reading Christmas stories in September, although I seem to have picked up a few books recently that culminate in families getting into the festive spirit; it seems that holiday books are coming out ever earlier, and so I may have little choice in the matter if I’m to keep up with new releases from favourite authors as well as from those new to me. Fern Michaels falls into the latter category, although she has an extensive back catalogue. This early seasonal offering would appear to be a standalone, so I get to sample an author I’ve not encountered before without worrying how many of the background characters would be instantly recognisable to regular readers.

Ivy has been in mourning for her husband and two young children for eight years, after they were killed in a plane crash not long before Christmas. Her father owns the airline and has put no pressure on Ivy to return to the job she held there, so she’s been able to wallow in her grief with no money worries all that time. I spent most of the book longing to either slap Ivy or watch someone shake a modicum of sense into her.

Ivy’s overindulgent life of misery is overturned, however, when a young girl knocks on her door. Holly has sneaked out of her friend’s house to practice for the Christmas concert – since her widowed father has banned music from their house – but has become lost in the woods on the way back. Ivy jumps to all the wrong conclusions about Holly’s family situation and starts interfering, which at least gives her less time to wallow.

Holly’s father is the groundsman at a gated community for senior citizens, which also belongs to Ivy’s father. His wife was a talented singer until her unexpected death, and he’s been in mourning, albeit not nearly so dramatically, for just as long as Ivy. Daniel does at least hold down a job and go on occasional dates, but his attitude towards Holly’s musical ambitions does rather suggest he could do with a little professional help too.

When Ivy gets to meet Daniel, she realises that he’s not quite the ogre she imagined from Holly’s descriptions, and the two hit it off, rather to the disappointment of Ivy’s old school-friend, who is now one of Holly’s teachers. There was a lot going on in the background of this story, some of which could have been quite interesting, had I not expended most of my reading energy on getting cross with Ivy.

All in all, not a great addition to my festive reading list.

Grade: D

Smaltzy Christmas romance. Not much depth to it. I have read much better books by this author.

Lovely book. Gorgeous cover. Needed the tissues for this one. Lovely characters and story and all fitted well together. Nice for over the festive season.

Ivy is an heiress to an airline company. Eight years ago, she lost her husband and two children in a plane crash and, though she has tried, she cannot get her life back on track. One day, eleven-year-old Holly Greenwood knocks on Ivy’s door, alone, lost and scared, after a forbidden visit to her music teacher. Holly’s mother also died in the plane crash that Ivy’s family did. Her father will not discuss Holly’s mother’s death with her and, in his grief, has become an extremely strict father. Holly cannot sing or have any music in the house, because it reminds her father of his dead wife. Holly wants dearly to sing in the Christmas musical, but her father will not allow this to happen. This story follows these two lost souls, Ivy and Holly’s father Daniel, and how they come together to heal each other’s wounds.

The story begins with the re-telling of the death of Ivy’s husband and children, which is extremely downbeat for the reader. Then, the way Ivy is trying but failing to get her life back together continues this sentiment. In the case of Holly and her father, there is more sadness. Unfortunately, though thoroughly and well done, the romance between Ivy and Daniel (and you just knew that was going to happen) came across to me as rushed and is largely, in my opinion, overshadowed by this sadness. This book is a good holiday book but not a terribly happy one. I guess it is good to once in a while find a book where everything is not always rosy, and where everyone’s life just does not fall immediately into place, even if a new romance comes into it. However, as conditioned as I am, I expected this to be another cheerful holiday story and found it not so. Still, it is good to find reality in books you read every once in a while. The characters are, as usual in books by Fern Michaels, well done and interesting. The plot, though not all that unusual, was a bit different. If you enjoy reading books by Fern Michaels or good, heart-felt stories, you will enjoy this one. I received it from NetGalley to read and review.

Holly is eleven years old, and it’s been just she and her father for as long as she can remember. She’s not allowed a radio, computer or the freedom that her friends have, and school is the only time she has to feel ‘normal’, well, as normal as she can. Her father is strict, and she can’t get any information from him about the why…why he won’t tell her about her mother, why he won’t let her sing or play music, why they rarely do anything together. She just wants a mum and to be more like the other girls in her class. Far more mature than her peers, her own home life is rigidly controlled and doesn’t allow for her input.

Ivy has spent the past eight years in mourning and as a recluse, rarely emerging for life. She retreated after the death of her husband and twins in a plane crash and she hasn’t ever found the mechanisms, or need, to move forward. Until now. Her father is wanting to retire, and is planning that she will take over the company and do something more with her life than hide away. She’s understandably freaked out, but this push may just be the key to her starting her life with more than a bottle for company.

With the unusual friendship and support the two have, there is a sense of two lost souls coming together – and when Holly’s father’s input: his closed-off and fearful approach to life, his often immature and reactive behaviors based in that fear come striding into the picture. This is more a story of three lives touched by tragedy that spun out of control onto paths that fed their fears and grief without actually dealing with or acknowledging those issues. There are moments of laughter in what is a somber topic, and the one step forward, three back progression for both Ivy and Daniel are clearly developed and presented. In the middle of all of the tumult is young Holly: not quite adult enough to understand the magnitude of the fears that constrain her father and new friend, but aware that life as she’s known is can’t be all that there is, and somehow, perhaps together they can find a path to a new ‘normal’. You’ll cry and cheer, get angry and worry for them all in this book, but as they find the light at the end of a very dark tunnel, they demand you want the best for them – and to find that light.

Fern Michaels is a master at creating broken characters that have hidden reserves of strength that only shine when they find someone who, whether realized or not, strike that chord of familiarity and need for their unique input. While Daniel and Ivy both have grief and heartbreak in lost family, their issues are similar, but in both of their desires to protect and provide Holly with more, their own fear-based needs seem to take a back seat as the struggle to move forward. Uplifting and emotional, this is a great story for the rejuvenation and hope tied to the holiday.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9la/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels would be a moving story anytime of the year, but it makes a rather impactful Christmas story. The book opens in mid-December 2008 with Ivy Macintosh losing her husband and toddler-aged twins in a plane crash. Just when you think this opening couldn’t get more crushing, it’s revealed that the airline is owned by Ivy’s father and Ivy is an executive in the company with what seemed like a bright future ahead of her.

Fast forward eight years and Ivy hasn’t been able to move on. She’s living her own terrible Groundhog’s Day, reliving the death of her husband and children over and over. Eight years of self-medicating with alcohol and avoiding those who love and support her has left an angry shell in the place of what was once a vibrant and intelligent woman.

Eleven-year-old Holly and her father Daniel Greenwood also lost someone they dearly loved in the same accident that took Ivy’s family. Holly doesn’t remember her mother and when Daniel refuses to talk about her or allow Holly to become a singer (like her mother), he pushed his young daughter away. Daniel’s treatment of his daughter borders on almost cruel. While he never physically harms her, he stays emotionally distant while placing expectations on Holly that she cannot possibly achieve and then puts crazy restrictions on Holly when she inevitably falls short.

One night Holly gets lost in the woods while trying to attend a voice lesson behind her father’s back and ends up on Ivy’s doorstep. That one action jump starts a domino effect of healing for not just Ivy, but for Holly and Daniel too. Grief is never an easy process and it’s far from your average love story or Christmas story, but it makes for a powerful and emotional book.

Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels
Starts in Pine City, NC Dec 2008 Ivy and John have twins. Her father owns his plane company so they have no problems with air travel.
She's just learned her family has died in a crash..
2016 we find Holly who's involved in school projects. Daniel is her dad and he hates musicals. Her mother had died when she was very young and she's not to bring it up to her father.
Story alternates between the two and how they cope with their situations. Ivy blames the pilot. She was still on the payroll and had John's money so she drank her life away. She buys everything on line so she won't have to socialize with anybody.
Ivy's father George remained running the company and he knows he has to move into retirement-have her run the company or sell it, along with the house.
Love how the trails bring the woman and girl together.
They all suffer so much pain from one unexplained act of disaster, will they ever heal?
Received a review copy from Netgalley via Kensington Books and this is my honest opinion.