The Holiday Treatment

By: Elle Spencer

Narrated by: Lori Prince

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

By day, Holly Hudson’s a story editor for Wifetime Network. By night, she’s the writer for the network’s very cheesy, very straight holiday romance series -Christmas in Evermore. Holly took the job to accomplish exactly one thing: A gay Christmas movie. She’s been shot down before, but things start to look up when Meredith Drake unexpectedly moves into the network’s holiday division.

On the heels of a brief (but totally hot) fling, Holly and Meredith agree to keep things professional now that they’ll be working together. Especially since the network has a strict policy about workplace relationships. Instead, they vow to channel their passion into a pitch for the network’s first Christmas movie to feature two female leads.

In this contemporary romance, Holly and Meredith work to make the Yuletide gayer while discovering that happy endings aren’t only for the movies.

©2020 Elle Spencer (P)2020 Bold Strokes Books Inc

Plenty of fun, but a lot of holes

This is a meta-book: a lesbian Christmas romcom about a woman trying to make a lesbian Christmas romcom because there are no lesbian Christmas romcoms. If that sounds like fun, yep, it is! Go ahead and listen, you won't be sorry. But in all honesty, the book also feels rushed and messy in parts, like the usually polished author was desperately trying to get it published in time for the holidays.

A major plot point keeping the couple apart is never solved, but simply ignored. A side-character romance is carefully set up and then forgotten about altogether. Etc. Despite the book's many delights, I got sidetracked by waiting for resolution on some questions that never came.

The narrator was great overall, but I docked a star for her reading of Meredith. She's supposed to be a poised, powerful, intimidating businesswoman, and that didn't come through at all.

Funny Holiday Romance

A cute holiday romance which I truly enjoyed about 75% of. Holly & her gaggle of friends as well as Holly & Meredith's Hawaiian hook-up was hilarious and the end was super sweet & fun as well. The in-between was a bit touch & go for me as there were some sweet & fun scenes with great dialog and humor but also a weird time jump which made it seem like more a insta-lust hook-up than a true love growing (disclaimer- I'm more of a slow burn girl than the instalove which won't be a problem for some). I wish we could have had equal or really any time in Meredith's head or emotions and then maybe the near end of the book drama wouldn't have seemed so out of place and character, as that just threw me a bit. Overall definitely worth a read a strong 3.5 rounded to 4 as there were many laugh out loud moments. I think Elle Spencer could be phenomenal if she just had a better content/developmental editor. Lori Prince did a very good job with the narration.

Great Story

My only complaint is that it was to short. But I loved the story. Awesome!

Hilarious!

OMG! I seriously LOL. This audio... Just wow!
Great story, great characters and a great way to escape reality for several hours. I’ve never laughed so hard listening to a book. A well written witty story read by the perfect narrator.

Outstanding love story

The tears flowed not only in the storyline, but down my cheeks. A wonderful story with joy,loss, and redemption . If you love love stories, you must read this.

Great tea at work👍👏

The years between 1930 and 1965 produced so many movies we now call romantic comedies. Of course all of them were heterosexual romances, which involved two people who we know will wind up together despite all of life’s trivial obstacles.
To be successful, they required a perfect blend of writers and actors who excelled with this genre.
In modern romance, we now can confront that new element of gay starring characters.
To be funny, while not making fun of these characters, is not so easy.
In the past, these characters were often made to look foolish, or were inserted for comic relief.
I want to praise Ms. Spencer for giving us three dimensional gay characters who never sacrifice their self respect and three dimensionality for a laugh or self deprecation.
And I very much want to congratulate Ms. Prince on her ability to portray each character with broad humor and great depth.
A perfect team.
I also want to praise M. Spencer for writing a story that includes so many emotional issues: abuse in the work place, sexual discrimination, true friendship, family traditions, diversity in all its many meanings, and of corse…passion🔥.
In closing, I want to compliment the author and narrator on their ability to make love, sex and passion a constant presence in the relationship between Holly and Meredith without their falling into bed with each other every 15 pages. Their heat is as present in their hand holding, longing and dreaming as it is when they are naked.
Until the next book which I hope features this classy team. 😘

Sweet but flawed holiday romance

This was mostly what I expected from Elle Spencer. It's a sweet, witty holiday romance with sizzling chemistry.

Here's the rub, though, Meredith did something to Holly that betrayed Holly's trust and that wasn't really resolved. It was kind of glossed over.

So, go in knowing that you are going to have to suspend some disbelief and then sit back and enjoy the wonderful vocal stylings of Lori Prince.

Holiday Treatment indeed

Absolutely loved this book. Lori Prince did a fantastic job bringing Elle Spencer's story to life. I laughed so hard at several different times.
Another hit!

Such a lovely story!

It was such a nice story! While listening it actually played out in my mind as if I were watching a wonderful Christmas movie.

Should be a movie!

Loved the characters and writing! This needs to be made into a movie. With the success of Happiest Season, let's make this next year's biggest hit!