Review: Holiday Wishes

Book Review: Holiday Wishes, by Jill Shalvis, 4 stars

✩✩

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.
The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate. 
But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

Genre: contemporary romance

Publication date: November 2017

Mature content: yes

Review: Holiday Wishes is part of the Heartbreaker Bay series by Jill Shalvis. Oddly, the only books that worked for me in this series were the novellas. I'm not sure if it's a matter of size or a coincidence that the characters in the novellas are the ones that click together in my mind, but the fact is that the full sized books never managed to hold my attention like the shorter ones.

There were a few details that didn't click in this one either (hence the four stars instead of five). First was the surprise meeting between Sean and Lotti. If he was the one to schedule the whole weekend and if she was the one running the inn, it's difficult to believe that at least one of them didn't make the connection. And then, even if the impromptu wedding was more or less off, the Mexico themed room was way over the top. There's no way Sean could have pulled off all of that in the middle of a rainstorm, with no electricity and their limited resources - in fifteen minutes! Same goes for being ordained online (at least I learned that that was possible, I really had no idea) in between bed sessions with Lotti. Even if it's possible, it doesn't sound very proper.

Still, other than that the book is a fairly good read. I would have liked a bit more holiday magic, but I read it in one sitting and had fun with it.


It's not absolutely necessary to read the previous books in the series, but it helps to understand who Sean's friends are and where they come from - especially because there are lots of them.


Happy readings,

the book worm, book blog


Comments

  1. I do find it annoying when details don't really add up in a story; how on Earth would they not have realized they were working together to plan this? I am finding that more and more I am shying away from these types of books that I used to love because I do feel like they aren't nearly as well written as they used to be.. or maybe I'm maturing as a reader? I don't know it just seems like the storylines aren't as believable anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree. The older I get, the more critical I get. Or maybe it's just that I have such limited time to read that it bothers me to waste that time with poorly written books.

      Delete

Post a Comment