Tag: Lisa Plumley

Review: Home for the Holidays by Lisa Plumley

Posted December 22, 2008 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment


When Rachel loses her Hollywood dream job, a trip home for Christmas seems like a good idea. But she never expects to find a hunk from her past waiting under the mistletoe.

Red-hot stylist-to-the-stars Rachel Porter has it all. Well, sort of. Her luxury beach house is actually a loaner from her #1 client. And her cute Tesla Roadster? Well, that’s just another job perk … hers to keep, right? But when Rachel catches her #1 client in bed with her boyfriend, she exacts her revenge by tricking her turncoat “frenemy” into committing fashion suicide on the red carpet-and promptly finds herself out of a job. And her house. Her car. Her life. With nowhere to turn, Rachel does the unthinkable: she goes home to Kismet, Michigan.

For Reno Wright, picking up his neighbor’s daughter from the airport for a holiday visit sounds like no big deal. But from the moment he spies Rachel in the airport, Reno knows he’s in over his head. The girl Reno remembers from high school looks nothing like the glammed-out man-killer who walks off the plane. But for all her attitude, Rachel is really just a small-town girl with a heart too big for Hollywood. The temperature may be freezing, but the heat between Rachel and Reno is burning hot. Reno is falling hard fast … but will his holiday romance survive once the calendar turns?

This book was effing funny. I’ve read more than one Christmas themed book this holiday season and this one was definitely the best. At times, there were tears b/c I was laughing so much.

The fun begins in Hollywood when Rachel catches her #1 client in bed w/ her boyfriend. I was actually pretty impressed w/ Rachel b/c she didn’t flip out and make a scene. Nope, this girl planned the perfect revenge. And though that revenge was sweet, it basically blows up in her face. Heading back to her hometown Kismet, Michigan, Rachel hopes to spend the Christmas holiday licking her wounds and making a Hollywood comeback.

Reno Wright is the go-to guy in Kismet. Having made it big in the NFL, Reno came back to Kismet b/c it was always home. He also feels that he owes the town a debt. It did get a tad annoying b/c Reno was definitely a martyr. That aside, he was a likable hero. The fun starts when Reno picks Rachel up at the airport as a favor to his neighbors (the martyr complex in full force). Everything changes after he meets Rachel, who is different than he thought she would be.

There was also a secondary romance between Reno’s sister and his best friend. This was probably the funniest part. Nate (a combination auto shop/home ec teacher) thinks his dream girl is Rachel and asks Reno to help him get her. Reno being Reno, can’t say no. So Reno’s sister, Angela, agrees to help Nate get his girl. Not realizing that she’s falling for Nate herself. There was one part where Nate and Angela were in the grocery store and Angela was trying to teach him how to casually talk to a woman. Nate has no brain-mouth filter. This was probably the funniest part.

“Okay.” He twisted his neck like a prizefighter. “I’m ready. I’m awesome. Dork no more, I’m on the prowl. Here I go.”

“Not like that!” She grabbed his biceps. “You look like a gigantic, demonic Dennis the Menace! Look friendly!”

So both romances were sweet. I really liked how Rachel turned from Hollywood fashionista to small town girl when she got home. Rachel liked to tell herself that she doesn’t belong in Kismet, but Reno knows she does. He just has to figure out how to keep her and not let his BFF down.

The perfect funny Christmas read.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Zebra. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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