The Holiday Treatment by Elle Spencer
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, November 10th 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 242 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.
Content warning: homophobia
I finished this book on a perfect day, aka the trailer release day of the sapphic Christmas rom com Happiest Season, where, and I quote the book, “lesbian Twitter” was freaking out about it. You should see my timeline. And I also want to quote Kyle Krieger (soccer player Ali Krieger’s brother) on the Krashlyn wedding, “we get happy endings, too.” I love that speech and will probably be repeatedly quoting it.
Growing up in Christmas Cove, Vermont (not a real place but Christmas Cove, Maine is) and named Holiday, lesbian disaster Holly Hudson (34) cannot be more sick of Christmas. Ironically, she is the writer of Wifetime Network’s very straight Christmas rom com series Evermore. When she visits Hawaii again for the holiday, Holly finds her crush, Wifetime’s development executive Meredith Drake, there as well. As their brief fling ends in Hawaii, what is next for Holly back at work? Can she finally have her gay movie approved while getting her own real-life rom com as well?
“Oh, please. I’ve had to stumble and mumble and bumble my way through every promising date I’ve ever been on.”
Holly
Angsty relationships in romance aren’t really my thing, nor are lusty flings, but The Holiday Treatment is so funny, though at times a little over the top, it was totally worth all the angst as well as all the lust I couldn’t quite understand. With the main relationship of Holly and Meredith being more lust-to-love and Meredith’s questionable ethics, I am rather ambivalent about the romance aspect of the book. Also, the story reads like two separate novellas with two story arcs where the first one is the hot fling in Hawaii and the second is about the rest of the relationship.
There were also a few time jumps and occasions where people acted out of character that I had trouble with. However, I do love Holly’s chaotic group of friends/tenants, namely Gwen, Griffin, Ty, and Dez. Especially Gwen and Griffin. Please protect them at all costs. Even though there would never be books about their love lives, I’d read them all if there were.
The Holiday Treatment is well-written and the details connect nicely between chapters. And an awkward disaster lesbian is what we all need in a romance. While I don’t think Meredith deserves Holly, the ending was so on-brand for them both I couldn’t help but be happy for them. [9 Nov 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
