Official Review: Christmas Party in Hollyville

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Christmas Party in Hollyville" by Donna Wright.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When Sara Marino, an event planner based out of New York, is given the task of planning a Christmas party, she happily accepts. Unfortunately, Sara's boss teams her up with Sam from the company's finance department, thinking they will work well together. Sara is not impressed. Not only will she have to travel from New York to Florida during the busy Christmas season, but it's with Sam, her estranged twin. Sara and Sam haven't spoken in six years—since the accident that changed her life forever. The company they work for has a strict policy against nepotism. If the twins' identity is exposed, it may cost them their jobs.

Wally is not enthused about some stuffy New Yorkers being hired to plan his company's Christmas party; he's worried that it won't appeal to his coworkers' taste. Still, when he lays his eyes on beautiful Sara and her fun-loving coworker, Sam, he changes his tune. Wally feels an instant connection with Sara, and he thinks the feeling is mutual. But Sara and Sam seem to have a strong bond, which leads Wally to believe that they are involved romantically.

Will Sara be able to pull off a memorable Christmas party, restore the stilted relationship between her and her twin, and make room for love? Read this delightful novel to find out.

Christmas Party in Hollyville by Donna Wright is a charming romance novel about repairing relationships and being open to the possibility of love in unexpected places. The story is told from the third-person perspective. It follows Sara Marino as she embarks on a life-changing work trip that forces her to let her guard down—all while grappling with grief.

I admired how the author touched on weighty topics such as grief, divorce, and family estrangement without taking away from the story's light-heartedness. These weren't all-encompassing issues and left plenty of room for laughter and romance.

My favorite aspect of this endearing novel was that it took place during the holidays in a town designed with Christmas in mind. With a name like Hollyville, anything less would have been a travesty. As a serious Christmas enthusiast, I loved everything about how Hollyville was portrayed. It had a festive small-town feel with beautiful lights adorning the streets and elaborate ceiling-high Christmas trees. Hollyville felt like a town straight out of a made-for-television holiday movie.

Another thing that I adored was the sense of community fostered by the people in Hollyville. Like one big family, they all looked out for one another and went out of their way to help a friend in need. An example of this was when one of the older characters had an accident. Everyone in the community seemed to rally together to offer support. It reminded me fondly of the small town where I grew up.

Every page was a delight, so trying to find something I disliked was a useless endeavor. The book had a couple of minor errors, but they did not negatively impact my reading experience, which led me to conclude that it was professionally edited. I have chosen to give Christmas Party in Hollyville a rating of four out of four stars; the characters were lovable, and the storyline was simple and sweet—everything you'd ever want from a holiday romance novel.

If you're a reader who loves Christmas festivities, I urge you to pick up this novel. Those who want to get swept off their feet by a sweet romance set in an idyllic town would enjoy this book. Christmas Party in Hollyville has no explicit content or profanity, so people of all ages can read this squeaky clean book.

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Christmas Party in Hollyville
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[Saint Bruno]

I do hope Wally shoots his shot. But first, he needs to be sure of the relationship between Sam and Sara. Thanks for this detailed review and recommendation.

[Drianie]

This seems like the perfect light-hearted romance novel to curl up with around Christmas time. The small town seems endearing, making me long for a Christmas vacation, even though we just had one. Thanks for the detailed and well-written review!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

This seems like the perfect light-hearted romance novel to curl up with around Christmas time. The small town seems endearing, making me long for a Christmas vacation, even though we just had one. Thanks for the detailed and well-written review!

Thank you for the thoughtful comment!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I do hope Wally shoots his shot. But first, he needs to be sure of the relationship between Sam and Sara. Thanks for this detailed review and recommendation.

Thank you!

[Miller56]

Thanks for the review. This sounds like a great book to curl up in front of the fire to read. I will have to add it to my bookshelf for reading.

[LinaJan]

What an intriguing review! When I read the title, I thought it was going to be some sort of a mystery/horror story (which I wouldn’t have minded at all!) - mostly due to my deep-seated associations with all the ‘-villes’ - but I see I was mistaken! Mistaken but not less intrigued having read your review! Thank you!

[WADonnelly]

This is such a detailed and engaging review, well done! I'll have to give this book a look.

[Damian Keyes]

Like millions of people, I am also obsessed with Christmas themed books, movies, music, etc. This well-written review sounds like the movie trailer version of this book. I cannot wait to read this book.

[ikechukwuamarachi+55]

This book reminds me of the previous Christmas with lots of fun. The review is actually captivating which makes me interested in reading the book.

[Bertha Jackson]

Thanks for the wonderful review. I love Christmas romance novels.

[Maríe Wamakima]

I have never read about twins who loathed each other. This sounds like an interesting read.

[Adelle v]

I love this review. The Christmas trees, the endearing towns people and the twins rebuilding their relationship, makes for a splendid plot. I do hope Wally gets a chance with Sara.

[Chelia27]

The book touches on what's most important thing during Christmas ... family. I hope wally gets the chance to ask out sara, they will make a lovely couple.