Review: Holidating by Sarina Bowen


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

What's better than one Sarina Bowen-penned story? THREE stories from her! Holidating is an anthology consisting of two previously released books--Boyfriend (the first novel in the multi-authored Moo U series) and Blonde Date (a novella in the Ivy Years series)--and the new novella in the True North series, Crossroads. They can be read as standalones, but if you're a longtime reader of Bowen's, revisiting Boyfriend and Blonde Date is rather fun and having the second eldest Rossi sibling find love is satisfying.

The fake relationship romance trope isn't my go-to, but I adored Weston Griggs and Abbi Stoddard in Boyfriend. These two were inevitable, but who would have thought it would take a fake relationship to lead to a very real friendship and then far more? There was some angst due to family issues, but this was still a light story, and was a nice crossover of sorts between the Moo U series and True North book universe. If you're new to Sarina Bowen's work, this is a great introduction to her storytelling. Five stars.

Blonde Date is a lighthearted read, fun-filled and with lots of humor. Andrew Baschnagel and Katie Vickery were an unlikely couple but the possibility of something more past their blind date was intriguing. Both Andy and Katie were in The Year They Hid Away, and they certainly made their mark what with Andy being such a good guy and Katie and her unfiltered mouth that led to hilarity. Katie's interaction with her ex-BF at the end made me want to cheer out loud and give her a high-five. Five stars.

Missed connections, taxi rides, and an unexpected friendship between two people on opposite sides of the tracks are what you can find in Crossroads, but that's over-simplifying it. Damien Rossi and Nicolette Overland's story plays out over a decade and a half, from the time he's nineteen and she's eighteen till they're in their mid-thirties. It was interesting to see the highs and lows of their friendship and all their missed chances until the stars finally--FINALLY--align for these two. This was an easy five-starrer novella.

Release Date: 11 November 2024

Date Read: 28 October 2024

Learn more about Sarina Bowen

Purchase Holidating on Amazon.

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