Holme for the Holidays

Americans Abroad Series, Book 2

By: Miranda MacLeod

Narrated by: Stephanie Murphy

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

An American musician with a broken heart meets a local farmer with a hidden past on a holiday house swap in Yorkshire. A charming romantic comedy that will fill your heart with holiday cheer.

A country cottage is the last place Paige expected to spend the holidays, but a year after her girlfriend dumped her, her life is in shambles. A last minute house swap sends her from California to Yorkshire to put her life back on track. She doesn't believe in forever anymore, but when she meets a raven haired beauty in the local pub, she seizes the chance for a night of fun.

On the brink of fame and fortune, Fiona suffered an unthinkable loss, and a year later she's given up on singing, and just about everything else. When the brother she relies on too much skips town "for her own good" and loans his cottage to a stranger for the holidays, her life is turned upside down. She knows she can't make a new relationship work, but when she meets a purple haired American at the local pub, she figures it wouldn't hurt to blow off some steam.

They never meant to see each other again, yet from the very first morning when the vicar comes to call and Paige gets mowed down by a runaway llama, they just can't seem to escape their lives becoming increasingly, and hilariously, entwined. And when a series of calamities threatens Christmas in Holme village, the two must work together to save the day, and maybe find true love along the way.

A year ago, their lives fell apart. Can a bit of Christmas magic help them build a new life together?

Part of the Americans Abroad series, a romantic comedy series where each book features an American woman traveling or living abroad and finding love in humorous and unexpected ways.

Waltzing on the Danube

Holme for the Holidays

Stockholm Syndrome

©2016 Miranda MacLeod (P)2017 Miranda MacLeod

Laugh out loud romantic comedy

This was laugh out loud funny. Miranda MacLeod did a fantastic job taking a story that started off somber and turning it into something fun and hilarious. I highly recommend this if you like romantic comedies and the Christmas season. Stephanie Murphy did a great job making each character unique and easy to follow who was speaking.

Laugh out loud!

A very touching novel. I shed a few tears and laughed out loud. I recently listened to and I’m sure it’s a good read too, ‘Home for the Holidays’ by Miranda Macleod. While I laughed out loud in public this rom-com it’s not fluff. I bought a hard copy for a friend.
Stephanie Murphy is a treasure. She gives the perfect voice to the story and the characters providing total immersion into a wonderful book.

Llama, Elivs, and jazz

In this rendition of S. Murphy voice portraying of this story have brought into the story of love, travels and experiences of life. The hardship of losing a loved one and finding hope again. To be strong enough to live when you want to give up.

enjoyable

such an enjoyable story. voice actor is amazingly blissful to listen to. I recommend this book!

really enjoyed the story

Miranda has written another great story hard to stop listening and i can't say enough about Stephanie Murphy...great job !!!

Great

Loved the dialogue between and growing development of these characters. The story was thought out and believable. Thanks.

Holme for the Holidays

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, past death of a parent, cancer/terminal illness, past death of a partner, alcohol, cursing, sex, injury, gaslighting, toxic ex, colorism, homophobia

Representation: Lesbian, Person of Color

Holme for the Holidays is a Lesbian romantic comedy that will fill your heart with holiday cheer. An American musician with a broken heart meets a local farmer with a hidden past on a holiday house swap in Yorkshire.

A country cottage is the last place Paige expected to spend the holidays, but a year after her girlfriend dumped her, her life is in shambles. A last minute house swap sends her from California to Yorkshire to put her life back on track. She doesn't believe in forever anymore, but when she meets a raven haired beauty in the local pub, she seizes the chance for a night of fun.

On the brink of fame and fortune, Fiona suffered an unthinkable loss, and a year later she's given up on singing, and just about everything else. When the brother she relies on too much skips town “for her own good” and loans his cottage to a stranger for the holidays, her life is turned upside down. She knows she can't make a new relationship work, but when she meets a purple haired American at the local pub, she figures it wouldn't hurt to blow off some steam.

They never meant to see each other again, yet from the very first morning when the vicar comes to call and Paige gets mowed down by a runaway llama, they just can't seem to escape their lives becoming increasingly, and hilariously, entwined. And when a series of calamities threatens Christmas in Holme village, the two must work together to save the day, and maybe find true love along the way.
A year ago, their lives fell apart. Can a bit of Christmas magic help them build a new life together?

This is a simple and charming love story with a very Christmas-sy theme. The author plots a decent story, but the character development lacked a bit. While this story lacked in humor, it still provides a holiday romance despite having a heavy backstory. The author’s inclusion of the guilt that comes with death is handled very well and allows the grief to be less of the focus. Though self-punishment, guilt, grief, and low self-esteem play a role in the story, the read is also peppered with humor and we get an engaging and positive romance with believable characters. The book sometimes felt a little long but I enjoyed the investment into the dialogue and both Paige and Fiona are likable and easy to root for! Overall, this is another great Christmas romance to read!

Nice to re-vist this story in audio form!

Would you consider the audio edition of Holme for the Holidays to be better than the print version?

In different. I read the e-book when it was released a year prior and thoroughly enjoyed it while reading. I usually listen it audiobooks during my commute to and from work or long drives to visit friends so it was about the same as any other audiobook for me. Though I didn't get some good laughs out of the story again it was read to me instead of me reading the scene.

What did you like best about this story?

The morning after Paige and Fiona's first night together and the chapel scene.

What does Stephanie Murphy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She was shaky in the first couple of chapters, but seemed to gain confidence as she went along with the rest of the story. Though it was difficult at times to tell the difference between Paige and Veronica if it wasn't for the way their speech patterns varied.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Again the morning after Paige and Fiona's first night together and the chapel scene. I lost it when I originally read it and Miss Murphy's performance on those scenes were amazing and made me really laugh again.

Any additional comments?

I hope Miss Macleod's other stories would get an audio version in the future as well especially the Agency of Secret Agents series.

Great Book!

Would you listen to Holme for the Holidays again? Why?

This was a fun book to listen to for my first ever audio book. It was a light and easy book, and I really enjoyed it!

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were likable and relate-able, and I enjoyed how the story flowed from one chapter to the next.

What does Stephanie Murphy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A couple terrible foreign accents. They made me laugh though!

Any additional comments?

Loved it! Highly recommended.

Miranda MacLeod rocks!!

This was the very first book of many I have listened to by MacLeod, She has a real talent for writing funny romance novels! And Stephanie Murphy... Well I will listen to anything she narrates in the les fic category!