FAST HOLIDAY really hits the exact vibes you’d get from a Hallmark Christmas TV movie.
I struggled a little bit with the start of the book because it all felt a little – pardon the pun here – ‘fast’. I felt like I was thrown into the world and characters in a slightly chaotic way, that could have used a little more time and development. However, it is a 200-ish page book, so I can understand why the author would feel the need to hit the ground running. As the story went on the pacing settled, but I do think making the book a tad longer would’ve allowed for slightly more rounded characters and a little more exploration of the town/business/non-romance side relationships. There were quite a lot of strings, and I could see this sitting more comfortably at 300 pages.
Despite that, FAST HOLIDAY was a sweet story, and its compact length would be perfect for squeezing some light-hearted romance into a busy festive holiday period. You’ve got lots of fun tropes woven together – insta-attraction, opposites attract, snowstorms, troubled family pasts, only-one-bed, and the Christmas classic: small business up against a big, soulless company.
Perfect for anyone wanting a queer Hallmark afternoon.

A cute holiday romance for those who love one bed and grumpy/sunshine - easy escapism with cute main characters and easy storyline.

This book was a cute, adorable, fast paced, holiday queer read! It made me wish I was stuck in the snow somewhere with a handsome jolly man drinking hot cocoa.

The story started quickly with the two main characters meeting and instantly falling for one another! I do wish there was a bit more banter between them before they tried to make something happen with one another. Their relationship though was adorable and also real when it came to the self sabotaging of it all.

If you’re looking for a cute, queer Hallmark style holiday story then this one is for you!

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book

sandy is quite a character and one i think every one will love

patrick is about to hire sandy though he doesnt know it yet...sandy is also going to have a big impact on his life again another shocker for patrick

but first patrick has to sort out the family owned store that is struggling just before christmas and with the advent of a new bigger store opening in the new year things are looking very bleak

its a sort of stop start sort of book but the main interest is watching how patrick and sandy navigate around their feelings for each other plus its a christmas book so always a winner for me

This release was perfectly timed for Southern Hemisphere winter.

I was looking for something with Hallmark movie vibes, and this book gave me exactly what I was wanting. Sandy is a photographer between gigs, looking for a holiday job. He gets one working for Patrick at a family store, which is under threat from a soon to be opening mega store.

A review of this book could easily become just a long list of tropes, but honestly, that’s the exact vibe I was looking for and what I wanted to see. I wanted to see things work out between Grumpy and Sunshine, I wanted to see what ridiculous reason would mean there was only one bed (and no one could POSSIBLY sleep on the couch!) I wanted to see the family business get saved and I wanted to see a complicated family situations work out. And they did, but there was also enough variation in how all of the tropes resolved that kept me feeling interested and engaged.

If you, like me, are struggling through winter, OR if you are in the northern hemisphere and are in the middle of summer, and wish you weren’t, this might be for you!

This is cute and a little zany. If you like queer holiday grumpy/sunshine rom-com, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

⭐ 3.5

This was a good one, Christmas in June? well yes and I liked it, a little fast but Sandy and Patrick were sweet to each other, even when at the beginning Patrick was all grumpy, Sandy managed to get through those layers of personality and charm him with his, the whole plot goes into saving Patrick's family store and Sandy has some really good ideas to promote it, their relationship was nice, the two talked a lot (but sometimes not about what matters), let's say that for an almost insta love the evolution was good, although there is a conflict near the end of the book, I liked that they didn't give it so much thought and they were happy. To pass the time this book is more than fine, my heart that loves christmas is happy to read this book and yes, I fell in love with all the characters (except for Patrick's brother, he gave me a bad feeling).

📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

This was an enjoyable holiday romcom set in a little town outside the Chicago area.

Sandy needs a job for the holidays to get him through the new year, when his new job starts. He ends up at a small town department store interviewing with a grumpy guy in flannel.

As a photographer and elf for the store Santa, Sandy is determined to bring some joy to the people at the store.

As Sandy and Patrick get to know each other, something magical happens. Maybe Sandy can help Patrick get over his grumpiness.

There were a few places where the flow of the story seemed a little forced, but overall, if you want a nice seasonal read this holiday season, I think you will enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

Closer to 3.5 stars. The beginning felt a little too rushed, and Patrick is all over the place.

Out of no where Patrick is a completely different person when they are all doing the Santa photos, it felt like a really forced way to try and get some flirting thrown in. And though we barely know any of them at that point, the previous vibe we were getting from Patrick was grumpy and it was too soon and drastic of a flip. When they are at the bar in the next chapter Patrick feels much more natural, making the Santa part seem even more unnecessary and a bit jarring. Sandy does acknowledge it at least.

A little tension build up and wanting between them would have been nice, instead they were together almost immediately.

Also, I thought it was really weird how the book kept saying "the short one" or "the smaller man" when referring to Sandy.

Overall I liked Sandy's character he's likable and relatable in a way. And I wish the date was told with more of his viewpoint rather than Patrick arriving there, or perhaps just a little bit of warning or preparation for Sandy’s behavior moments before instead of well after. I get there were some doubts from Sandy sprinkled in, but overall he came off as excited, so it was upsetting and unexpected to have Sandy acting how he was.

The ending is cute.

This was cute, but it felt a little bit... unfinished? Half cooked? Gah, I don't know how to say what I mean

It was like a cutesy small town You've Got Mail with the small town vs the big box store.

Sandy and Patrick are our typical sunshine/grumpy matchup. The townspeople were a rag tag bunch, but I liked them.

The whole thing was just missing that extra something that would take this up to a 4 star read for me.

I would read more Fast Love books in the future.

3.5 stars

An adorable Christmas read, fast paced with all the ingredients you need. Santa, a store in trouble, snow and a cute dog!

This book was... a bunch of interesting ideas (and some cringey ones) kind of whizzed together, but not fully baked. I feel like it has the makings of a really good story, but it's not there yet.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Fast Holiday was a very fast paced, cute, Christmas read.

I really liked that this book had a Korean main character, as I have not seen much representation in romances before. I also liked Moonshine and thought that was an adorable name for a dog.

The pacing of this book is extremely fast. This isn’t too surprising as fast is in the book title, but I do wish it was a bit slower.

Overall, it is a cute book if you are looking for a fast, festive read!

Before I begin, I would like to thank Kerry Lockhart for allowing me to read a Net Galley ARC of her upcoming book, Fast Holiday, which will be available on July 17th, 2024.

Sandy Holiday needs a job to hold him over until his new one starts, and he wouldn’t mind having fun with a burly man either. When he meets Patrick in Mayfield, a peaceful hamlet, the only job that Patrick has to offer him is for Sandy to be an elf. Patrick has a had a rough morning dealing with his family’s business and a drunk employee, but Sandy is charming and offers a lot of ideas. But as pressure for the store to succeed and Sandy’s discovery about his future job, can Sandy reach for a wonderful long-term relationship that he has never had before? Can Patrick realize that work isn’t the only thing that should fulfill his life, and that maybe starting a new chapter with Sandy might be part of the life he wants?

This book was fantastic. You have Sandy, a sassy and charming young photographer that is dog-sitting for his best friend as he tries to make enough money during the holidays. You have Patrick, a young man that manages his parents’ store and spends most of his days doing stuff for work. Moonshine is adorable. The banter between Sandy and Patrick was funny and sweet. I appreciated how complex Lockhart’s characters were and the moments of vulnerability they shared with each other, not only between Sandy and Patrick, but also between the young men and their respective families. Overall, if you like complex characters, humor, spice, cute dogs, communication and sweet romance, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link for more information: Amazon.com: Fast Holiday (Fast Love Book 2) eBook : Lockhart, Kerry: Kindle Store