Name: The Holiday Detour
ISBN: 9781635557206

Jane Kolven

It will take everything going wrong to make Dana and Charlie see how right they are for each other.

The Holiday Detour

Sometimes it takes everything going wrong to make you see how right things are. Dana Gottfried is a stressed-out Jewish lesbian who’s just quit her job and wants to get home to see her grandmother. When her car breaks down in Indiana on Christmas Eve, Dana is stranded—until she’s rescued by Charlie, a pig farmer who doesn’t identify as male or female. Although they come from different worlds, Dana is intrigued by Charlie’s sense of humor and kindness. Despite her better judgment, Dana says yes when Charlie offers a ride. But the journey home is paved with detours. From car accidents to scheming ex-girlfriends to a snowy and deserted Chicago Loop, everything that could go wrong on their road trip does, but it leads Dana on a path of self-discovery that just might end in love.

Lucia Correa

2.75 stars for this Holiday Road trip story. This is a debut novel. I wonder if they published it midsummer so it wouldn't get lost in the onslaught of new and old holiday books?

This is about Dana Gottfried, a Jewish lesbian determined to get to home to see her Grandmother (Nana) for Christmas Eve. Unless I missed it, she doesn’t explain why she didn’t visit during Hanukkah a couple weeks earlier. Dana is driving from Cleveland to Highland Park, Illinois (near Chicago). And as many road trip books go – what can go wrong, does.

Dana’s car breaks down and a good Samaritan, Charlie finds Dana stranded and calls a tow truck for her. Charlie offers to drive Dana to Chicago since she/they were planning on driving the same way. And so begins an epic drive with two strangers. What was supposed to be a 5 hour drive turns into an adventure of more car problems, accidents, ex’s, standstill holiday traffic, and insta-love. This book was just OK but not good enough to put on my annual reread Christmas book list. Yeah. Instead of watching Hallmark Christmas movie marathons, I re-read my favorite Christmas romances and along with new holiday books that I hope will make the cut.

 An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an honest review.

Megan Cooper

Omigod - I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. I had no idea what to expect, but I was absolutely delighted the entire time I was reading it and laughed out loud quite a few times. This is a sweet, funny book that is definitely a madcap romp as Dana and Charlie desperately try to make it to Dana's grandmother's in Chicago in time for Christmas. They are on a fast paced road trip with everything that can go wrong - and the build up of the relationship between Dana and Charlie is where everything (eventually) goes right.

Ms. Kolven has a magic touch for blending humour, action and some really memorable characters. Dana's got to be one of the most adork-able characters I've come across - there's a wonderfully refreshing honesty and realness to her and when she starts overthinking and babbling, it's a riot. With the character of Charlie, I was particularly impressed. I've read books with nonbinary characters, mostly in secondary roles, but with Charlie, I think I actually "got it" and I think Ms Kolven deftly crafted a character who's confidence in knowing who she is is wonderfully accented by an underlying vulnerability. I dare you not to fall a little bit in love with these characters - and I double dog dare you to get in a car with them. :)

Overall this was just what I needed - fast paced, funny and just enough aw shucks to make it a heart warming (and hilarious) holiday read.

The Holiday Detour

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