This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations. The character development was excellent. I would definitely recommend to others, a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Holiday Read by Taylor Cole.

This takes place on the Cornish coast. Candice is a surfer, living in a van making ends meet at a waitress in a cafe and just trying to live her life for herself. Alexis is a writer visiting the coast trying to get past his writers block and find inspiration in Candice.

I will be honest and say I did not finish this book I dnfed at about 40%. I wanted to take a chance on something published independently. I was excited for the comparison to Emily Henry and Josie Silver, and the premise of a writer main character. Unfortunately I could not read further. The writing was really not my cup of tea and I felt no joy while reading. I was pushing through and forcing myself to keep going but it got to the point I could not continue.

I was very curious to this book, the blurb was very cute as the cover.

But (I really hate to leave lesser reviews) but this book has a lot of similarities with Beach Read.

The intention was there but the execution of all of the different plotlines was not successful.

Then there was a hidden marriage out of nowhere ...

The tittle is a not well-chosen as well, it does not take place during the holidays ...

As a romance reader it hurt that the male character who is a romance writter is so down on romance, such a bad view on it, why make the plot that he is writing romance?

Not as advertised and disappointed.

Really wanted to like this, but I found the writing style quite jarring, to be honest. I didn’t like the way the narrator spoke about the love interest, and the writing felt juvenile.

Absolutely loved this book!

Taylor you are amazing!

I was hooked throughout and couldn't put this book down.

Thank you for accepting my ARC request.

DNF @ 30%

I cannot finish this. The male main character is absolutely terrible. Please don't make your love interest a misogynist, it makes me instantly never want the couple to get together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 15%. I just could not get into this book. I feel like its attempting to draw in Emily Henry's Beach Read fans but it doesn't even take place on a holiday. Characters were not well liked or enjoyable.

Thank you netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book, the synopsis was so promising but the book didn’t read like that. For me it wasn’t a hit but for others I’m sure it will be.

DNF at 48% I personally couldn’t finish this one, i tried very hard! I had a hard time following the plot. It had great potential!

I gave this book a try but, it’s really not for me. I cannot get into it. I could not connect with the characters at all. I was expecting a lot from this book and it did not deliver. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

Newquay sounds like the perfect place to fall in love. I enjoyed hearing about Candice’s connection to the water + how surfing makes her feel. I liked the friendships between the women + appreciated how loyal they were to one another. This story is a nice reminder of your chosen family + how much you can become a part of somewhere regardless of how you got there.

This book spent so much time building up to what ultimately felt like a disappointing plot. It never grabbed me or had me invested in the characters development or relationship. Not my cup of tea personally

This book was just not for me. I had a hard time getting into the story or rooting for any of the characters - the MMC I found to be particularly unlikable (Bone broth and fasting - I mean already that is a very specific type of person and 99% of the time not a great person in my experience).

Nestled along the Cornish coastline, the idyllic setting with its beach allure added charm to the story. Candice's enterprising nature shone as she embarked on her surf school venture alongside her bustling café job. While Alexis initially appeared amiable, his true colors revealed a less likable persona as the story unfolded. Candice, yearning for a genuine and fulfilling romantic connection, evoked a sense of compassion. Although the characters lacked depth, the book flowed seamlessly and provided an enjoyable reading experience. Yet, I longed for more nuanced character development to forge a deeper emotional connection.

I almost didn't finish this one. I probably should've put it down, honestly, because I really just couldn't get on board with it. It feels like a knock off of Beach Read by Emily Henry, and not in a fun ode to it sort of way. I just didn't feel for the characters and didn't totally understand the romance either.

This sounded like a great rom com and had lots of promise, however I just couldn’t get into it! There was little chemistry between the two main characters (or it was very very slow burn - I didn’t finish reading as I just wasn’t feeling it!). I feel like some of the events/problems the character faces do not really add to the story and seem a bit random.
It may be one I have to come back to and finish at another time.

This book was very cute, although it didn't hit for me as much as I had hoped when I read the premise. I thought the main interest could have been fleshed out more, and I found myself annoyed and confused by his decisions throughout. I liked Candice but ultimately thought I could have known more about her as well.

Ugh I DNF'ed this. I tried so hard to get into this book because I was excited to read it based on the summary but I just could not. I didn't find any of the characters likeable, in fact, I found most of them rather unlikeable. There really was not plot and zero character development. I just couldn't. Made it to 56% then DNF'ed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, but this is a DNF. I was really looking forward to this summer read. I'm sad that it wasn't what I was expecting.