Date of publication: November 2011
As Brian McAlister struggles to move past being jilted not once, but twice by the only woman he's ever loved, he's all but given up on relationships. Then, on special assignment for the DA's office, he crosses paths with ex-socialite turned social worker, Holly Cavanaugh Winter-and romance blossoms.
Widowed, practically penniless, and reduced to shopping at WalMart, Holly is dreading the approaching Holiday Season. However, her angst isn't due to her husband's untimely death the previous December 25th, but because of a secret that could reveal itself unless she can find a way to avoid the coming Christmas.
Love at first sight quickly turns frigid for Brian and Holly when Holly gets pulled into a manhunt for an accused murderer who now has his sights set on her. His case unraveling, Brian finds himself tasked with keeping Holly and her two daughters safe while bringing an assassin and the powerful man who hired him to justice.
No Holly For Christmas is the latest offering by Julie N. Ford. It involves defense attorney, Brian McAlister, who was featured in an earlier book, The Woman He Married. While I hadn't read that book, I never felt like I was out of the loop. Ms. Ford did a great job of getting you up to speed on the Brian's background. No Holly for Christmas works well as a stand alone book. No Holly For Christmas is a romantic suspense. I would say that there is probably more romance than suspense, since you know the bad guys right from the start. The suspense was nail biting though and knowing the culprits didn't lessen my enjoyment of it.
At the heart of this story are two people who have been hurt in the past who find a second chance in each other. I will admit that I didn't like Holly at all when I first met her. I thought she was superficial and snobby. But, as Brian got to know her, I quickly changed my mind. The outward appearance may be perfect, but as you get into the person she really is, you can see she is just a woman who is trying to survive. I loved Brian and Holly together. Brian's "a-ha" moment when he realizes what he is about to pass up is very sweet. I also loved the end. Just perfect.
I definitely recommend this one. It is a good clean romance. I applauded Holly for sticking to her convictions about sex without marriage. It was refreshing to read about a character who isn't swayed into changing her mind.
At the heart of this story are two people who have been hurt in the past who find a second chance in each other. I will admit that I didn't like Holly at all when I first met her. I thought she was superficial and snobby. But, as Brian got to know her, I quickly changed my mind. The outward appearance may be perfect, but as you get into the person she really is, you can see she is just a woman who is trying to survive. I loved Brian and Holly together. Brian's "a-ha" moment when he realizes what he is about to pass up is very sweet. I also loved the end. Just perfect.
I definitely recommend this one. It is a good clean romance. I applauded Holly for sticking to her convictions about sex without marriage. It was refreshing to read about a character who isn't swayed into changing her mind.
About the author:
Julie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in English Literature from San Diego State University. In addition, she earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama. She has worked in teaching, childbirth education and family therapy.
She is the author of three women's fiction novels including, The woman He Married, and the most recent release, Count Down to Love. She is looking forward to the release of the follow-up novel to The Woman He Married, No Holly for Christmas, in November.
Visit her at JulieNFord.com or JulieNFord.com/blog
Kari,
ReplyDeleteThank you for being a part of this blog tour and for writing this great review. I'm glad you were able to like Holly in the end. I hope you have a very Merry Holiday Season!
Julie N Ford