Thank you NetGalley for providing me this Arc to read in exchange for my honest thoughts

Unfortunately this book wasn’t it for me, I was ready to DNF it at around 20% but forced myself to complete it with hopes that it gets better

Negative aspects

• It held so much repetitions and had more of a tell and not show kind of speech, the main characters personalities felt off and I couldn’t connect to them.

• The characters spent almost an entire chapter discussing/ debating on completely unrelated topics or facts and this happened repeatedly.

• I couldn’t get the sense of humor at all
• I was confused on who the real main character
• The MMC had inflated ego and the female character is a confused soul who keeps complaining and comparing her ex husband, at least Daniel felt real
• Their conversation almost always went completely off topic
• The female was always talking about looking for the father and then Kaboom found him 🤷‍♀️
(no connection leading to that)
• The emotions didn’t really exist throughout the book and I couldn’t figure out what the character’s intentions were supposed to be.

That being said, there are some positives sides on this book
• like Demi, who’s the kind of person we all wish to have in our lives and
• The friendship between Makayla and Candice 😘

This book was such a disappointment for me and I really wish I could have enjoyed it
Will definitely try another of the author’s book for a greater experience

Okay, so I have a lot to say about this book…and it’s not possible. Firstly, I felt like the transitions between paragraphs were not it, I felt like I was reading a whole new scene when I shouldn’t have been. Essentially, the writing style just didn’t suck me into the book. The biggest issue for me…the men. So the men featured gave me the ick, I didn’t like them. Most importantly, Alexis. Alexis is so misogynistic I can’t. Candice was going to give him surfing lessons (her side hustle) and asking what he skill levels are?? Alexis is also writing a romance novel…but he is displaying the stereotypical behaviours of men writing about women and shitting on “women’s fiction”, with the best liner being: “I don’t mean to be a snob and I have a love of time for women’s fiction, Margaret Atwood, et cetera.” Look, this is probably the intention of the author to write horrible men. But it just wasn’t executed well and sometimes I don’t want to always read it.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC copy- all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Candice escapes a bad marriage and leaves her surfing community of Hawaii behind for the UK paradise of Newquay. The change of scenery is partly to escape, but also strategic: Candice returns to the place she was conceived to try and find the birth father she only recently learned existed. When a handsome loner-type signs up with her for surf lessons, Candice is determined not to get distracted from her goal- leave romance to Jane Austen; find Dad.

This one was a bit hard for me to get into. I was more than halfway through the book and still wondering where the plot was going- Candice's desire to meet her real dad felt like an afterthought- thrown in every now and then to justify one of her choice, but not a driving force behind the progression of the novel. Alexis was extremely unlikeable- he was selfish, immature, irresponsible and came off as a petulant chauvenist. Then there is a second 'love interest' named Daniel that gets thrown into the storyline, and while rooting for him because he's a much better choice than Alexis, that's really all he had going for him.

I liked Candice's character- she is a bit quirky, you can sympathize with her desire to move on from her past and I really connected with her love of the water- I also fid it incredibly soothing. Living in Ontario, I don't surf; but the connection is still there!

I'd recommend reading this one on a beach day- where you can be somewhat distracted by your surroundings but still enjoy a light read.

The cover of this novel does not set the tone for what is inside. The male lead is not admirable, there are no "holiday read" vibes at all, and I unfortunately had a hard time finishing the novel.

I really, really enjoyed this book! It reeled me in from the very first chapter and kept me hooked the entire time.

For fans of Beach Read! All the summer, vacation, sunshine vibes. Highly recommend for a vacation read!

This was a DNF for me. I read 1/5 of the book, yet it still didn’t get started with the story on the blurb. Also the hero in the story wasn’t a likeable character, so I wasn’t wanting to keep reading to see him get his HEA

This book came full circle for me and it was done is a way that showed many different sides of the main character.

This was a really hard book to like. I’m not even counting it as a book I “read” because I skimmed through most of it just to finish it and see if it had any redeeming qualities.

First of all, the book is called Holiday Read… these characters aren’t even on holiday? Alexis isn’t even on holiday he came to this town to write his book. And while we are on the topic of Alexis, he is a horrible character and not even remotely likeable.

There are so many plots and sub plots in this book that you don’t even know what to focus on and not much of them are even remotely interesting.

This book probably would have been better if you just focused on the female friendships in this story because they could at least be funny at times.

I’m sorry to say this is not one I enjoyed at all. Many thanks to NetGallery and Aria and Aries for allowing me to provide an honest review.

If you like Emily Henry this book is for you, happy ending with quite a few twists. This book could be seen as a slow burn but if you stick it out you maybe happy that you did. I would love to know who will do the audio of this book it just might make a difference how people see this book overall.

I would like to start off this review by thanking Aria and Aries for sending me an advanced reader copy of "Holiday Read" by Taylor Cole in exchange for my honest review. Let's jump into this.
I would like to disclose that I DNFed this book at about 50%. I firstly found the title to be misleading, this doesn't have anything to do with holidays. I was excepting a Emily Henry-esque type of book and this wasn't even close to my expectation. The plot is all over the place and I find the MMC, Alexis, to be truly gross. He's misogynistic and a major creep. What caused me to DNF this book was the part where his publisher tells Candice, the FMC, that Alexis wrote a story under an anonymous name about killing women. If the several misogynistic comments throughout the beginning of this book weren't bad enough, the author hits us with that. You can write a grumpy, misunderstood MMC without him being sexist. I like my romance books without bigotry towards women,

This was definitely just not for me, and honestly, shouldn't be something that anyone really finds enjoyable.

Our MC in this book is misogynistic and egotistical with no redeeming qualities. I have a feeling from the cover and title, that Holiday Read was an attempt to draw in readers and form similar feelings to Emily Henry's Beach Read. But these things could not be further from similar. Emily Henry draws on grumpy, slightly unlikable characters who we get to see develop and grow. Taylor Cole makes their characters so unlikable that I have no interest in seeing their growth if it's even there.

That, and there's some definite consent issues that take place in this book, and there's basically no caution warning anywhere to be found. Do yourself a favor, and just go read Beach Read or another rom-com style book.

Holiday Read is set to be published May 11, 2023. Thank you to Aria & Aries, NetGalley and the author for the Advanced Reader's Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am fascinated by surfing. I've always enjoyed stories with characters who are surfers (Malibu Rising, anyone?) and this book definitely fit that niche! I know that's an odd thing for someone who's never even been to the ocean, let alone tried to surf. I just find the whole sport and culture fascinating!

That's one of the reasons I find Candace so appealing. I can't imagine anywhere more odd to teach surfing than Cornwall! Add to that her delightful personality quirks, and you've got a top tier main character!

There are lots and lots of unique nerdy references scattered throughout the story, from Dungeons and Dragons to Pride and Prejudice, from Thundercats to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Something for everyone, you know. 😉

I love how meta this book is. It is, after all, a book about authors writing a book about authors that might make a great movie. Definitely a theme that romcom readers will understand!

This book arrives in stores during the summer holidays, which is perfect! This is the best kind of fun beach read that all of us reach for in July!

I found this book super interesting. There is a lot more depth here than the usual meet-cute romcom, and I found the main character of Hawaiian surfer turned waitress Candice interesting and engaging.

This book offered more that the usual cute fluff, and made for a nice addition to the romance genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

I have not gotten very far into it but it does not seem the the book for me. I don't think there is an issue with the writing, I am just personally struggling to connect with the characters and I believe that I am just not in the right mindset to read a book of this nature currently. I will hopefully one day be able to sit down and actually get into it but right now is not the time for me.

The cover and title had me instantly. However, I felt both the cover illustration and the title had little to do with what the book was about. I could have used more from the plot line overall. I actually found myself going to the back of the book to see what this book was supposed to be about. I did ultimately finish the book but was not swept away with the storyline. However, the female friendship was a fun supportive character group to follow.

No matter how much I tried I just couldn't get into this book. I gave it multiple attempts but in the end I had to leave it at 20%.

I got so immersed on the cover and tried to find the romantic comedy genre of the story, but that did not happened. Instead, I felt really bad for Candice, and the struggle with her limits and how they semmed to no matter at all.

I really wanted to like this, but I felt uncomfortable with Alexis way at first just to finish his novel, I'm just saying that the end doesn't justify the means, even though Candice was up tu help him.

This tale has all the elements to make a great story - jilted Candice leaves her home of Hawaii to Newquay to find her long lost biological father and also find herself. One summer, she happens upon writer Alexis and his agent Daniel and is surprised to find herself suddenly thrown into being a co-writer which also happens to be a passion she had always wished to be able to do. A love triangle also ensues.

Unfortunately, the execution of these elements just didn’t meet the mark. The plot development fell flat with a lack of depth and it was difficult to connect with the characters.

Overall, a light beach read that did not meet its potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

This book had great potential, but unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me.
I felt like the book has taken the plot and ideas of other novels in the same genre and tried to fit them all in this small book, which I did not like personally.

The descriptions, plot, and characters felt very one dimensional and I really struggled.
As an editor, in my professional opinion, this book needs a lot more work.