A holiday can change your life

Synopsis

When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day it feels like her world has fallen apart.

Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he’s never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better.

Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart.

Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?

My review

The last thing Charley expected to happen on Christmas Day, is to be single. With no other option, she moves back in with her parents, and with a hard yet gentle push of her friend Madison, Charley is going for a total make – over.
She also decides to go with her parents on a holiday to Antigua, to recharge her batteries.
There she meets Ed, who is on a honeymoon without a bride. Being both on their own, they decide to stick together and spend their holidays together.
Once back home, will this turn out to be a wonderful holiday fling? Or is there more for them in store, even if Fate seems to pull them back apart… 

As my own love life is non – existing, I can rejoice with reading a great romance book, as it seems that those books can make up for the lack of romance in my life.
So reading about two people meeting on a holiday, seemed the perfect option for me! 

I have to warn you, when we first meet Charley, and her boyfriend, it was cringe – worthy. Literally the first words of this book made me frow, as I couldn’t believe what I was reading. And yes, I could see why the toothbrush was the last straw…
While I understand the need to save the planet, and I am all for it too, you cannot go all the way into the extreme and just assume your partner will follow.
Because believe me, Josh (the boyfriend) did exactly that and even did a few other unforgivable things.
If I didn’t know someone of my own acquaintances going too far with his beliefs, I would think that Josh was a too fictional character.
So yes, even if I weren’t to know that something better was coming, I was happy that Charley got rid of her boyfriend. 

I could perfectly understand that going back to her parents was a temporary solution, no matter how much she loves them. Going back feels always a little bit like failing somehow, even if you aren’t.
And I enjoyed reading how Charley finally got to be her real self again, with a push from her friend Madison. Even if Mads was a bit too much, too excited, too into the make – over, I think everyone needs a Mads in their lives. 

Before I started reading this book, I thought that Charley meeting Ed would take place earlier in the story.
But it’s only halfway that Ed makes an appearance, putting the focus more on Charley and rediscovering herself. And that was a great idea, as finding love is always an amazing thing, but finding yourself is even better! 

Reading how Charley and Ed meet, and discovering how Ed ends up alone on his honeymoon, was funny and awkward at the same time. Aren’t we all guilty of gloating with reality shows on television? But do we ever think about how the participants are truly feeling? 

However, Charley and Ed show us how it is possible to find someone at an unexpected place. And it is possible to find someone that makes you feel comfortable with, and feels like you have known each other for years.
The more time they spend together, the sweeter they are. I laughed over their shared activities, melted at the more romantic bits and even the hotter bits were perfect for their story.
And I got a little bit heart – broken once the holiday was over and things seemed insurmountable.
Long live Interventions! 

This was a wonderful read, a perfect way to escape the reality of my own life, making me dream away. I enjoyed reading every bit of it, making me believe that even the most random meeting can turn into something more, as long as you keep on trying, hoping and believing (building shrines are complimentary).