A Witch for Mr. Holiday

Witches of Christmas Grove, Book 1

By: Deanna Chase

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

Welcome to Christmas Grove, where holiday magic and matchmaking is in the air.

When Rex Holiday walks into the charming town of Christmas Grove, all he plans to do is to spend the season helping out at his buddy’s Christmas tree farm. What he doesn’t expect is for an overzealous matchmaker to slip a love potion into his cider. But the joke’s on the resident matchmaker, because not even a potent love spell can break through the walls he’s built around his heart. But when the girl next door catches his eye, some of his barriers start to crumble. Still, Rex Holiday’s time in Christmas Grove is only temporary. He can’t afford to fall in love. Or can he?

Holly Reineer is a powerful spirit witch who can see the future for everyone. Everyone but herself that is. And when Rex Holiday walks into her life, she sees his, too. He’s destined for a big corporate job all the way across the country. So when he starts to show interest in her, she knows it’s only temporary, and Holly’s not interested in a fling. She wants her happily-ever-after. But he’s very hard to resist...Can a love spell rewrite the future? If so, Holly will need to learn to follow her heart and, for once, trust what she can’t see.

©2019 Deanna Chase (P)2019 Deanna Chase

Witch for Mr. Holiday NOT A HOLIDAY

I was disappointed in the novel. I went online to return it, but it is not available for return.

Couple goals!

Rex and Holly have a true spark. Yes, it may have started with a love spell but it builds to so much more. The range of motion that Deanna Chase takes you through on this journey is wide and heart touching. I loved how the relationships develop and build, and the forgiveness that we see both characters go through. Christmas Grove sounds like a place I would love to be! The teaser at the end of the story has me wanting to devour the next book. Gabra Zackman does a fabulous job with the voices and an easy transition into characters. I would definitely recommend this book!

Between Hallmark and Lifetime lacks holiday/magic

This was my first Deanna Chase/Gabra Zackman audible. This felt somewhere between a Hallmark romance and Lifetime movie. I was surprised by the lack of holiday feel. In most of the romances on Hallmark there is constant focus on the holiday season and decor but although some is mentioned here there really isn't a sense of the story feeling like a Christmas story. Also although the beginning of the story seems steeped in magic and magic being used as well as mentioned (you start hearing about how someone in town gave the main romance interest male and local woman a love potion) magic pretty quickly evaporates from the story with none of the characters regularly using or engaging in magic. Made the magic feel more like an accessory than a part of the world save for the main character Holly, occasionally mentioning having a brief vision, though these gifts are not really explored or explained except when used for a story device. There is in a more typical Hallmark romance a love triangle of two men interested in Holly, one clearly being the right pick and the other not. And we even get the classic Hallmark style misunderstanding between the main pair so the audience thinks (though of course knows better) that the couple won't work out. But never fear all happily ever afters are here. Unlike Hallmark there is lots of described tongue tangling kisses and discussions of all the sex they will have, not actually sex scenes, but saying the words "let's go have sex" and paragraphs about how each others touch makes them frisky. So not the standard chaste kiss but far from a smut story and frankly not really satisfying in either direction. Gabra is super breathy for all her characters and though a lovely voice to the ear hard to distinguish between characters and frankly very slow narration (I had to speed up the story quite a bit as the slow speed and soft sultry voice could put one to sleep). The final chapter switches to Ilsa's POV as a set up for the next volume and feels very cliff hanger cutting off dialogue right after a big reveal. Overall despite the author writing repeatedly about the sparks and chemistry between Holly and Rex I didn't really feel the connection, nor the Christmas, nor the magic. I am interested in trying out Deanna's "Witches of Keating Hollow" and "Premonition Pointe" series but I don't imagine returning to this series unless I am out of other options.

I love this book!

I love Christmas Cove! The first book in the series 'A Witch for Mr Holiday" has me hooked. I can't wait to read the next one.
Rex and Holly are adorable. Rex comes to Christmas Cove to help his friend with his Christmas tree farm. It's a temporary job because his life and sister are in New York. What he didn't expect was to meet the fascinating witch, Holly Reineer.
I highly recommend!

A Great Christmas Read

Holly Reineer and Rex Holiday were hit with a powerful love spell. The thing is, they were already attracted to one another and now don't know if the feeling is real or if it is related to the spell.

Rex fell hard when he first saw Holly. He wanted to get to know the beautiful spirit witch better while he was in Christmas Grove helping his best friend, Zach Frost, with his tree farm. Rex is an earth witch in his own right.

Holly couldn't keep her thoughts away from the handsome witch in town to help her neighbor, and best friend. Convinced it is only due to the love spell, she tries to steer far away from Rex Holiday. She doesn't need to get attached to yet someone else who is destined to leave her. Her vision told her so.

However, fates have very different plans for these two. Can they get past their reservations and heartbreak from prior relationships to make a go at it? Or will others get in the way of their happiness?

Great read and tie-in to the Witches of Keating Hollow.

A Winner

A delightful well developed storyline of a witch who is infatuated with a man that will only be visiting their small town where she lives for a few months. Should she have some fun and pursue a short fling knowing she could easily fall in love with him and have him break her heart when he has to leave? A great start to a new series with adventure romance action and a few surprises. Narrator is superb. A must read. You will not want to put this one down.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her books.

I Loved A Witch for Mr Holiday. I like how the town is connected and the continued relationships and seeing how they grow.

Terrific Book

I enjoyed this story thoroughly. I love a book that engages you in the characters so completely you truly care about them as if the are friends. I found this book to be delightful on so many levels. Narration was perfection too. Please give us the second book on Audible soon please.

Cute holiday romance

This was a good holiday romance with just a little magic thrown in. Loved the connection to Keating Hollow. Hope to see these characters again!

Another great story

Two people who think they have been broken by their pasts, a love potion, Christmas, and true love. What more do you need? Oh yeah and Harry Potter themed Christmas decorations. I loved this book, “watching” as these two fell in love and realize that not only did their pasts not break them but made them perfect for each other was just wonderful. Add in that it’s during Christmas and you get the perfect storm of a book. Also the final chapter, omg, now I can’t wait for the next book.

Aaahhhh

Enjoyed this sweet short paranormal romance story. The characters are likable and believable. The storyline is interesting and realistic. The narrator did a fantastic job! I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A love spell will be over you for this one

Book 1 in a new series . Love how the author wrote some characters from her Keaton Hollow in to this story .
Hero is Rex . Heroine is Holly.
Rex is in a new town, Christmas Grove , to help his friend set up the friends business . A witch decides to play a trick on Rex , she pours a love potion in his tea . Holly is a witch that can see the future ( a clairvoyant). What she sees and feels for Rex has her confused. She sees Rex holding a baby in the future but not in her town. The feels are because both She and Rex are attracted to each other but Holly wonders if Rex feeling is because of the potion . Was the vision with the baby hers , will Rex stay or will she move .

Gabra Zackman performance for this story is perfect. Her tone was just right for this feel good story

Fun holiday magic read

Love this new series and the slight crossover with the Keating Hollow witches! An intriguing storylines that I can see continuing like The Witches Of Keating Hallow. Excited for the next in series.