Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: October 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible
Description: Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life. The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
George Holloway is here to sell his granduncle’s house—and to reconsider whether he and his fiancée are right for each other. Amid home repairs, George notices strange noises and missing food, but as much as he gets his rental agent on the phone, Tilly dodges every invitation to meet. He’s sure that someone’s here with him, and it’s certainly not the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Future.
As Tilly and George circle each other, they both wonder where their lives are headed and if, maybe, meeting each other is just the Christmas miracle they need.
My Thoughts: The Christmas Season is so busy that it’s the only time of the year that I don’t mind short stories. In fact, I make a point of looking for the shorter Christmas themes. They are wonderful for adding festive cheer to what can be a very stressful and anxiety ridden time. Holiday Hideaway by the very talented Mary Kay Andrews hits the mark for readers looking for a little escape from the frenzy of holiday.
Tilly and George were wonderful characters and Tilly’s dog, Smoosh, was a little bit of a scene stealer, but I love stories that feature dogs or cats prominently so even better. Tilly has been evicted from her apartment because of Smoosh (what a Scrooge!) and her new apartment won’t be ready until after the holiday. With absolutely nowhere else to go and no money for a hotel because of the deposits she had to pay on her new place, Tilly is squatting in one of the vacant properties her employer manages. No big deal, right? It won’t hurt anyone.
George and his siblings and cousin have inherited this house from their Great-Uncle Gus who is not so great and probably knew Tilly’s landlord on a first name basis. George arrives from Boston to assess the house and what needs to be done to make it sale ready, unaware that Tilly is hiding out in the attic. What ensues is so much fun and I thought these two were a hoot. The awesome thing is that they already know each other from high school but don’t realize right away. Unforeseen events force Tilly out of hiding and she’s worried that George will have her arrested for squatting and she will be fired and homeless for real, but I absolutely loved how this all played out.
This story is really short and can be read in a couple of hours. The pace is pretty fast but the reader will have no problem keeping up and will likely be surprised when it’s all over. I would love to see this author revisit Tilly, George and Smoosh in the future.
My Final Verdict: Overall, I highly recommend this book to readers who love Christmas themes, lots of snow, festive cheer and dogs. Squatting in vacant houses is not recommended but putting on fuzzy socks and sipping eggnog by the fireplace while reading this book is a must.
Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Original Stories, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
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