Review: My Life as a Holiday Album by LJ Evans (My Life as an Album #5)


Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

"You've taught us that there are no guarantees in life. That following your dreams isn't enought, that you have to also work hard to make them a reality. You told us that when you find love..." My voice cracked, and I had to take a moment to gather my thoughts. "When you find love--" 
"You damn well better hold on to it with both hands."

It was My Life as Country Album, the first novel in the My Life as an Album series and her debut release, that introduced me to LJ Evans's writing, and since then, Evans has become a go-to author, one whose new releases I wouldn't hesitate to read--devour!--time and time again. Her latest novel finds her returning to the series that's made her a favorite of many other romance readers. If you're as big of a fan as I am of the My Life as an Album books, then you are seriously going to want to make time for My Life as Holiday Album. Not only do readers get to catch up with the original cast of characters, but we see the next generation finding true love and fighting for it while pursuing each of their dreams.

This book isn't your typical anthology, in that it isn't a collection of stories tied together by a theme or subject. Instead, LJ Evans has taken the children of Blake and Cam Abbott (Mayson and Khiley), Derek and Mia Waters (Ty, Ginny, and Eliza), Seth and PJ Carmen (Grace), and Lonnie and Wynn Brennan (Edie and Stephen) and given each of them their respective happily-ever-afters while weaving them together into one story line. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of each of those stories because hello, spoilers, but suffice it to say that quite a few of them had secrets they were keeping, and revealing those secrets make for one heck of an interesting and entertaining holiday season for this close-knit group of family and friends who feel like family and all of their significant others.

I tip my hat off to the author for doing such an impressive job in putting this book together. I reacted, I felt, and I pondered, at times wishing I could advise most of the younger couples to communicate more openly, and others applauding their courage and conviction as they made important life choices. This book was about love and family, and it reminded me that there is more than one way to carry on the legacy of our parents. While reading this, something I heard before came to mind (and I'm paraphrasing here): Parents give their children roots and wings--roots to know where home is and wings to soar high and live their own lives while knowing that they can always come home. Family, love, and home, that's what My Life as a Holiday Album was for me, and I highly recommend and hope you check out this heartwarming read this month. Five-plus stars. 

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Read my reviews for the My Life as an Album series:


 My Life as a Country Album (book one) - five stars - My Review

My Life as a Pop Album (book two) - five stars - My Review

My Life as a Rock Album (book three) - four stars - My Review

My Life as a Mixtape (book four) - five-plus stars - My Review

My Life as a Holiday Album (book five) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 07 December 2020

Date Read: 06 December 2020

Learn more about LJ Evans.

Purchase My Life as a Holiday Album on Amazon.

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