Andrews is a must-read author in my book! This was a short and entertaining story. It features dominant characters and a sweet setting. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Tilly is really down on her luck and with her apartment not ready for her yet, she is living in one of the rentals that her company has but no one is staying there. She is surprised by a vehicle driving up and escapes upstairs to the freezing attic!! George had recently inherited the house with some other family members and is there to get the house ready to sell.

Am unfortunate accident leaves Tilly needing to watch George and he realizes that he knows her from high school. He begins to think about his life in Boston and some changes might be coming!

Loved this cute book and recommend you get it on Oct 29!! I just want more time with these characters!!

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Holiday Hideaway release October 29, 2024

Tilly is squatting in one of the vacant vacation rental properties she manages as a rental agent for the month of December until her place is available in January, but is forced to hide out in the attic with her dog when a family member of the recently deceased owner unexpectedly shows up and decides to move in and renovate the place.

The plot was too outrageously over-the-top and far-fetched to take seriously. Setting aside all the missed opportunities to discreetly leave the house, the broken down car, and George’s fall off of the ladder, I can’t get over the fact that he didn’t care she was trespassing and in his attic the whole time all because they were in the same club in high school. How long would he have let her tiptoe around while pretending he had no idea she was there? The full two weeks?!

The romance in this is so dumb and unconvincing. Everything hinges on them both attending the same high school <I>twenty years</I> prior, and two days of being concussed/on meds and bed-ridden due to a broken ankle. A person can change a lot in twenty years…

I might have given this two stars if it wasn’t for the fact that Tilly jumped into George’s lap and started straddling him not even five minutes after he ended things with his fiancée who had just driven away from the property.

Flirting through text messages in a professional context while knowing the recipient is in a committed relationship is a no-go.

If you want a holiday read by this author that’s actually good, check out <I>Bright Lights, Big Christmas.<I>

Tilly, a vacation rental broker, finds herself squatting (or “exercising prudent property management responsibilities”) in one of her business’s unrentable weed-infested properties, a Victorian mansion called the Crowe’s Nest. It’s a temporary residency until she can properly move in January, with her adorable shelter dog Smoosh (the reason she lost her last lease). Unfortunately, the normally absent owner of the property, an irascible and horrible human being, has died and left his millions to a cat. His few descendants are left with the house they consider a decrepit money pit, and great-nephew George has been elected to get it in shape and sell it by Christmas. When George suddenly arrives, Tilly and Smoosh have to hide in the attic — but for how long?

Mary Kay Andrews knows how to write a delightful Christmas story. Last year her “Bright Lights, Big Christmas” book was about an urban Christmas tree farm. “Holiday Hideaway” is a short story, but it still has a big Christmas heart and the perfect sweet romance. An excellent choice to spend a few hours with when you find some holiday downtime. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Vanessa has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO It is Christmas, so the fake tree/real tree decision occurs.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Mary Kay Andrews, we need to sit and meet for a coffee or wine...becuase I just have to know how you write the most amazing stories! Every book your read I'm amazed. But I especially loved this one! It was darling. And so honest, and true. I just adored the main character and her sweet story. Wonderful job! Highly recommend this for a great holiday book or book club! -Kelsey Vogeney @little_blue_book_hutch

If you need a quick jolt of holiday cheer then this is definitely the book that you're looking for. Holiday Hideaway is a short story full of humor, warmth and a bit of romance. Pairs well with a fuzzy blanket and a mug of hot cocoa...or maybe a hot bowl of oatmeal.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday Hideaway is a cute short story that's a great addition to Mary Kay Andrews' collection of work. As always with these shorts I wish it was a little longer because it was just so enjoyable to read!

Holiday Hideaway is a delightfully delicious addition to Mary Kay Andrews portfolio. Tilly and her dog Smooch are occupying the wreck of an abandoned house that George has come to sell after the death of his grandfather. This is a short story that features a humorous reacquainting of two old high school friends during a difficult period for each. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this story from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Holiday Hideaway is a fun, small town, coming home, holiday romance novella. Giving this four shining stars because despite being a short story, there was enough plot, back story, and conflict. I love how Tilly and George's characters go back to their high school memories, I just mostly wish there was more history behind their attraction to give their second chance more weight. Hehe, but the banter was cute, and George singing for Tilly after singing for no one else for years, has my whole heart.

All in all, it's a good holiday romance read. 🎄

Thank you author Mary Kay Andrews and Netgalley. 𖹭

Tilly is broke. She's recently been divorced and lost everything in the divorce. Her apartment isn't available yet so she's squatting in a falling-apart mansion on the waterfront in Maine. Her company does vacation rentals and the place hasn't had a single rental in over a year. So no one will notice, right? Especially at the Christmas holidays. Well, except for the rich guy who just inherited it and decided that the timing was perfect to start renovations so that he and his cousins could sell it.

Tilly is hiding out in the cold attic with her elderly dog because she has no where else to go.

This is a very fun and sweet Christmas story. Anyone can read it and enjoy.

Holiday Hideaway was a really fun and romantic short read! I loved how the storyline went, it brought a smile to my face and happiness to my heart. I did feel that it ended rather abruptly though which was a little disappointing. I think Mary Kay Andrews really rushed the couples relationship in the end but perhaps she was only permitted to use so many words for it to be considered a short story. I’m not sure but it was very enjoyable to read and every once in a while it’s nice to get a good short story to pass the time. I’m giving this a 4 star rating.

What a cute Christmas romance short story. Great character development in just 50 pages. Really enjoyed it.

Mary Kay Andrews always delivers! Holiday Hideaway, an Amazon short story, will be released on October 24, 2024. It’s a charming little rom-com perfect for the holiday season!

Smoosh is adorable, and I loved the moments he was mentioned in the story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews and Amazon Original stories for advanced access to Hidden Hideaways in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date- Oct 29 2024
#HolidayHideaway #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this short story. Great Christmas story! I love Mary Kay Andrews writing and this was great as usual.

It's a little early for a Christmas story but I discovered this short read while I was in between books so I plunged in.

Typical MKA style. Easy to read and fun. Perhaps a little more humorous than usual. It’s predictable and enjoyable, maybe even a little corny. This story could go straight from print to a Hallmark Movie. Like a Hallmark movie, it's not over until they kiss! But, it's all in a good way.

It was a great diversion from other books. And, it made me smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

The synopsis for this short story made it seem like a delightful holiday romcom, but the only holiday spirit came in the form of two Christmas trees and a passing nod to the calendar. I have enjoyed many of the author’s novels and was disappointed in the superficial tone of the story, the stereotypical characters, and the rushed romance based on high school crushes of twenty years ago. In terms of seasonal literature, this is a pass for me.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thank you to May Kay Andrews, NetGalley and Amazon Orignal Stories for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I LOVED it! From the first page I was immediately in love with the slightly quirky FMC and wanted to learn more about what on earth she was doing squatting in a random house over the holidays!

The story moved at a great pace and despite it being a short story, all the details were well fleshed out to make it feel like a complete story - not too fast or slow, just the right amount of detail to answer all the questions that pop up along the way!

This short story would make a great addition to anyone's holiday reading TBR, it's light, heartwarming and at some points even funny! Highly recommend for this up coming holiday season!

I will be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I absolutely adored this short story. Mary Kay Andrews is an icon and I loved every moment of this book. It’s unfortunately not a full length novel but it easily could be. I liked the main characters and their history together. I’d love to read more about them and how they would restore the historical home. There is so much potential but it was entertaining and has me excited about the upcoming Christmas season.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I couldn't resist reading a short story from the prolific Mary Kay Andrews. Both of the protagonists in Holiday Hideaway are looking for a change. George comes to town at Christmas time to clear out his deceased granduncle's house and prepare it for sale, with the hope that he will miss the holiday party where his girlfriend is planning to announce their engagement. Tilly, the rental for this property, is broke after her ex-husband got everything in the divorce and has been hiding out there as she gathers enough money to move into a new place. Could it be that they have a connection from their high school days?

It's a fun, holiday-adjacent story that highlights the lives of the two strangers and propels them to a not unexpected ending. I enjoyed it, although lengthening it from a short story to a novella would have given the author--and the reader--more time to appreciate the characters and their stories.

My thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review oft his short story..

Loved this short rom-com. MKA always gives me beach and Christmas feels. I would love to have a longer version of this story, but it was perfect for a lunch time read.