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Um Encontro com Holly
A peculiar Holly Jackson não teve sorte no amor, mas seu coração romântico se recusou a desistir de sua busca por companhia - mesmo depois que seu noivo a deixou no altar na véspera de Natal. O mal-humorado proprietário do restaurante, Kai Kane, não queria nada com o amor. Infelizmente para ele, quando uma excêntrica Holly entrava em seu restaurante todas as noites com um primeiro encontro diferente, sua irritação aumentou. Quando Kai se ofereceu para ajudar Holly a encontrar um pretendente, foi por um único motivo: tirá-la de seu restaurante e levá-la para um segundo encontro com alguém em um local diferente. Tudo estava indo muito bem até Kai ficar cada vez mais ciumento da conexão que Holly desenvolveu com outro homem. Quanto mais Holly se apaixonava pela escolha de Kai para ela, mais superprotetor ele se tornava. Kai rapidamente percebeu que nem tudo era justo quando se tratava de amor e feriados. Ele teria que intensificar seu jogo se quisesse uma chance pelo prêmio final - ser o par favorito de Holly.
276 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2023
590 people are currently reading
10275 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,773 reviews
November 23, 2023
5 stars
What a wonderful Christmas story! Christmas romances always make me so happy and when I saw Brittainy Cherry was releasing one I was thrilled. This was such a fun rom-com but also had the emotion that I love and expect from a Cherry novel.
Holly has a really hard time around Christmas… this story takes place a year later, the next holiday season. She’s trying to find love again and trying to find someone to take home for the holidays. These dates are not going the best.
Holly’s neighbor Kai and she meet and it’s not the meet cute one would expect- in fact it’s the exact opposite. Kai has a new restaurant down the street and Holly is bringing a lot of dates there and Kai is seeing all this and wants to help her. He decides to coach her into dating and finding the right guy.
Gah I love books like this! Watching Kai and Holly navigate her dating and become friends was so sweet. And then watching them go from enemies to friends, and then friends to lovers. It was jus the best. They had a beautiful connection and I adored the both of them. Also, Kai’s brother Mano was amazing and I loved Holly’s whole family! Such a great supporting cast of characters.
Brittainy Cherry never disappoints and I truly enjoyed this one. The Holly Dates is one of my favorite Christmas romances period and one I can see myself re-reading for many holiday seasons to come!
When you found a love that allowed you to be yourself fully...Well, that was the kind of love you wanted to keep around.
What a wonderful Christmas story! Christmas romances always make me so happy and when I saw Brittainy Cherry was releasing one I was thrilled. This was such a fun rom-com but also had the emotion that I love and expect from a Cherry novel.
Holly has a really hard time around Christmas… this story takes place a year later, the next holiday season. She’s trying to find love again and trying to find someone to take home for the holidays. These dates are not going the best.
Holly’s neighbor Kai and she meet and it’s not the meet cute one would expect- in fact it’s the exact opposite. Kai has a new restaurant down the street and Holly is bringing a lot of dates there and Kai is seeing all this and wants to help her. He decides to coach her into dating and finding the right guy.
Gah I love books like this! Watching Kai and Holly navigate her dating and become friends was so sweet. And then watching them go from enemies to friends, and then friends to lovers. It was jus the best. They had a beautiful connection and I adored the both of them. Also, Kai’s brother Mano was amazing and I loved Holly’s whole family! Such a great supporting cast of characters.
Brittainy Cherry never disappoints and I truly enjoyed this one. The Holly Dates is one of my favorite Christmas romances period and one I can see myself re-reading for many holiday seasons to come!
December 3, 2022
4.75 HOLLY JOLLY STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨✨
this was the most heartwarming and swoon-worthy read! it was hilarious and cute all at the same time. holly is one of my favorite mc’s ever, she was so funny and relatable. and kai? a whole grumpy king.
their meet-ugly was my favorite thing ever. and their friendship. THE SLOWWWBURNNN? HELLO? YES PLEASEEEE. and can we get a round of applause for mano? i’m obsessed w his character.
overall, i couldn’t put this book down. i wish it gave a lil more christmas vibes but other than that.. perfect.
“kai?”
“yes?”
“you’re the best fake boyfriend i’ve ever had.”
“holly?”
“yes?”
“you’re the best person i’ve ever known.”
this was the most heartwarming and swoon-worthy read! it was hilarious and cute all at the same time. holly is one of my favorite mc’s ever, she was so funny and relatable. and kai? a whole grumpy king.
their meet-ugly was my favorite thing ever. and their friendship. THE SLOWWWBURNNN? HELLO? YES PLEASEEEE. and can we get a round of applause for mano? i’m obsessed w his character.
overall, i couldn’t put this book down. i wish it gave a lil more christmas vibes but other than that.. perfect.
“kai?”
“yes?”
“you’re the best fake boyfriend i’ve ever had.”
“holly?”
“yes?”
“you’re the best person i’ve ever known.”
January 2, 2024
I have found me a new favourite book! 😭
This just snuck up on me and I’m so glad this was the book that completed my reading goal for the year too.
I’m utterly in love. 🥹
“I admired authors who were so deeply gifted. I found myself so engulfed in their words that I’d get butterflies.”
I mean, look at the amount of lines I highlighted! I became obsessed! 😍
Let me tell you that the feeling that occurred between me and this book? Is what you call insta-love at its finest. I knew from the first chapter that this book was going to be it for me. Probably one I’ll reread every year at this point around the holiday season.
I was sceptical though. I didn’t think it would continue to stay this way. I was wary that something would happen that would throw my feelings off track. That it would be good enough but not great.
Nope. Not the case.
It was a win of the biggest kind. I feel like I’ve found my book. 🥰
Everything I loved about this story I found through the writing. The humour, the characters, the side characters, the love story, all of it was beautifully told and written.
I couldn’t stop cackling! Howling at some points. The humour and banter were so well done, and it flowed beautifully throughout the story, woven perfectly between moments of sadness.
And don’t get me started on the romance, my god! 😭
Nah, actually get me started. Because it was a treat and a dream!
“I liked that about Kai—how he made me feel safe when my thoughts did the opposite.”
Both of these characters have dealt with some things that were ugly to say the least.
Holly, my sweet soul, was a ray of sunshine. She never let her past dim her light. Her upbringing had a lot to do with that.
Kai, on the other hand, my baby, has gone through it. Shit childhood and an even shittier romantic relationship caused him to have a brick wall around him. He was so grumpy but such a softie too.
But the way they complemented one another, fell for one another was nothing short of perfect. There’s nothing about this story that I would want to change.
Both of them really deserved that happy ending and I couldn’t be happier for them. 🥹
I better stop before I write an essay. 😅
This book was magic. I will hear no criticisms of any kind.
CW: ex-partner with cancer (though recovered), cheating, emotionally abusive parents.
This just snuck up on me and I’m so glad this was the book that completed my reading goal for the year too.
I’m utterly in love. 🥹
“I admired authors who were so deeply gifted. I found myself so engulfed in their words that I’d get butterflies.”
I mean, look at the amount of lines I highlighted! I became obsessed! 😍
Let me tell you that the feeling that occurred between me and this book? Is what you call insta-love at its finest. I knew from the first chapter that this book was going to be it for me. Probably one I’ll reread every year at this point around the holiday season.
I was sceptical though. I didn’t think it would continue to stay this way. I was wary that something would happen that would throw my feelings off track. That it would be good enough but not great.
Nope. Not the case.
It was a win of the biggest kind. I feel like I’ve found my book. 🥰
Everything I loved about this story I found through the writing. The humour, the characters, the side characters, the love story, all of it was beautifully told and written.
I couldn’t stop cackling! Howling at some points. The humour and banter were so well done, and it flowed beautifully throughout the story, woven perfectly between moments of sadness.
And don’t get me started on the romance, my god! 😭
Nah, actually get me started. Because it was a treat and a dream!
“I liked that about Kai—how he made me feel safe when my thoughts did the opposite.”
Both of these characters have dealt with some things that were ugly to say the least.
Holly, my sweet soul, was a ray of sunshine. She never let her past dim her light. Her upbringing had a lot to do with that.
Kai, on the other hand, my baby, has gone through it. Shit childhood and an even shittier romantic relationship caused him to have a brick wall around him. He was so grumpy but such a softie too.
But the way they complemented one another, fell for one another was nothing short of perfect. There’s nothing about this story that I would want to change.
Both of them really deserved that happy ending and I couldn’t be happier for them. 🥹
I better stop before I write an essay. 😅
This book was magic. I will hear no criticisms of any kind.
CW: ex-partner with cancer (though recovered), cheating, emotionally abusive parents.
October 5, 2024
Brittainy Cherry is one of my favorite romance authors and I was so excited to see she’d written a Christmas book! THE HOLLY DATES had everything I love in a good romance—humor, drama, and memorable characters. Holly is a romance writer who was left at the altar when her fiancé ditched her for her maid of honor. Ouch. Now she’s been going on lots of first dates but can’t seem to get a second date. So she turns to Kai, the owner of the bar where she’s been having the first dates for help. Kai has a troubled past of his own, and I particularly loved the relationship he has with his younger brother Mano. I loved watching Holly and Kai eventually figure out they were right for each other. Such a great romance! 5/5 stars.
December 29, 2023
4/5 ⭐️
- Wow! Wow! Wow! I don’t know if I have ever rated a holiday book this high. This was such a great book and I immediately ordered more books from this author! I feel like she has the depth of Kennedy Ryan and the humor or Natasha Bishop all rolled into one! Love her style of writing so much.
- This story had so much happening throughout that I couldn’t help but stay invested! Even though this is a holiday romance, it’s so good that I would recommend it any time of the year!
- There was so much humor in this story, but also a great balance of tough moments & healing for the characters that really made me fall in love with every minute of it!
- Wow! Wow! Wow! I don’t know if I have ever rated a holiday book this high. This was such a great book and I immediately ordered more books from this author! I feel like she has the depth of Kennedy Ryan and the humor or Natasha Bishop all rolled into one! Love her style of writing so much.
- This story had so much happening throughout that I couldn’t help but stay invested! Even though this is a holiday romance, it’s so good that I would recommend it any time of the year!
- There was so much humor in this story, but also a great balance of tough moments & healing for the characters that really made me fall in love with every minute of it!
February 27, 2025
3.5 ☆ think <<“he’s just not that into you” >> movie (bartender guy gives girl dating advice, ends up falling for her) but modern, better and takes place around christmas
kai really said no jolly for u holly ima serve you with the blunt wake up calls U NEED!!!!!!! 💯
“Sometimes people need a dick to make them realize how out of touch they are being. Your approach to dating is ass backward, and it’s not doing you any favors.”
“And you think calling me desperate is helpful?”
“Absolutely. If your friends were any good, they’d tell you the same thing”
'Don’t belittle yourself. Don’t think you’re not worthy or capable of quality men. You are what you feed yourself, and your current diet is shit.'
“Don’t offer to cover the bill. Don’t even reach for your wallet.”
“What if he doesn’t have enough to cover the cost?”
“Then he shouldn’t be on a date. He should be filling out job applications.'
PERIOD NO PAD!! IKDR clock it white king!! 🫰🏾 🫰🏾
throughly enjoyed him secretly— yearning, in jealousy and hiding how he read and became a fan of all her books whilst doing so.
“Kai.. What do you see when you look at me?”
“Everything” He replied. “I see everything when i look at you.”
both him and holly were such appealing and relatable characters. their connection was heartfelt and fun, paired up with a decent burn
did find myself wanting better and more of the lolly schlong thrust in her holly details, just some more oomph
'The other night when you washed your hair, you untangled it with a brush and some hair products,” he mentioned. “Can I do that for you?”
offered, asked what products, washed AND did her curly hair routine y’all😩
i’d lap my tongue up yo bumcrack so good u have no idea
the fried crisp cabbage nest of afro curls that’s planted on my scalp and refuse to manage will in fact— FOLD at that every single time
and the way he handled his last relationship aswell?? a good man savannah he’s a good mannn
manno too!! omg i liked lil brudda so much?? kai was her dating coach but mano was HIS fr. cupid who. he built and sailed this ship. a spin-off on him when?
is this however sprayed in some silliness, corn and clichés? yes but then again don’t know a romcom that doesn’t 😭 take it or leave it ig, this just has the kind that i can somewhat roll with lol
third act break up was a bit like eh why but alas i did like the solving of it and didn’t make it feel draggy.
i was in a rubbish mood when i picked this up and this managed to uplift it. i consumed it so rapid and easy. so kudos to that, i had a good jolly time
and bonus points because it’s bwwm OFCOURSE🙂↕️!!
kai really said no jolly for u holly ima serve you with the blunt wake up calls U NEED!!!!!!! 💯
“Sometimes people need a dick to make them realize how out of touch they are being. Your approach to dating is ass backward, and it’s not doing you any favors.”
“And you think calling me desperate is helpful?”
“Absolutely. If your friends were any good, they’d tell you the same thing”
'Don’t belittle yourself. Don’t think you’re not worthy or capable of quality men. You are what you feed yourself, and your current diet is shit.'
“Don’t offer to cover the bill. Don’t even reach for your wallet.”
“What if he doesn’t have enough to cover the cost?”
“Then he shouldn’t be on a date. He should be filling out job applications.'
PERIOD NO PAD!! IKDR clock it white king!! 🫰🏾 🫰🏾
throughly enjoyed him secretly— yearning, in jealousy and hiding how he read and became a fan of all her books whilst doing so.
“Kai.. What do you see when you look at me?”
“Everything” He replied. “I see everything when i look at you.”
both him and holly were such appealing and relatable characters. their connection was heartfelt and fun, paired up with a decent burn
did find myself wanting better and more of the lolly schlong thrust in her holly details, just some more oomph
'The other night when you washed your hair, you untangled it with a brush and some hair products,” he mentioned. “Can I do that for you?”
offered, asked what products, washed AND did her curly hair routine y’all😩
i’d lap my tongue up yo bumcrack so good u have no idea
the fried crisp cabbage nest of afro curls that’s planted on my scalp and refuse to manage will in fact— FOLD at that every single time
and the way he handled his last relationship aswell?? a good man savannah he’s a good mannn
manno too!! omg i liked lil brudda so much?? kai was her dating coach but mano was HIS fr. cupid who. he built and sailed this ship. a spin-off on him when?
is this however sprayed in some silliness, corn and clichés? yes but then again don’t know a romcom that doesn’t 😭 take it or leave it ig, this just has the kind that i can somewhat roll with lol
third act break up was a bit like eh why but alas i did like the solving of it and didn’t make it feel draggy.
i was in a rubbish mood when i picked this up and this managed to uplift it. i consumed it so rapid and easy. so kudos to that, i had a good jolly time
and bonus points because it’s bwwm OFCOURSE🙂↕️!!
Read
November 27, 2023Kai and Holly’s story is one packed with all of your favorite tropes 😍
Grab your copy today! https://amzn.to/3AxNpML
Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Also available in audio!
Grab your copy today! https://amzn.to/3AxNpML
Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Also available in audio!
December 10, 2022
i really enjoyed this but at the same time i struggled A LOT because it felt really slow for some reason. but i love these characters and i relate to the main character being betrayed by her best friend and the guy she loved. there was specific scenes that really spoke to me which doesn’t happen a lot but i’m very grateful for it, which is why i’m sad i couldn’t give it 4 stars or more. excited to read more by this author in the future.
December 11, 2022
I picked this up because I wanted a nice holiday romance. In the past, Brittainy Cherry’s books have worked well for me. I’m starting to rethink that. If you’ve read BC’s Disgrace, you will notice that there are a lot of parallels in this story. More like it’s the same circumstances but tweaked a tiny bit. Ms. Cherry needs some new writing material. I was very disappointed with The Holly Dates.
I’ll start with what I liked.
✅ The cover is really cute!
✅ Kai is a swoon worthy hero of a man. I absolutely loved him. Kai alone gets 5 stars.
✅ Holly’s family was great, and their Christmas together was lots of fun.
✅ I liked that the couple was biracial. Also, I liked that Holly was “curvy” but didn’t put herself down about it. Kai loved her body and called her beautiful all the time.
Yeah, I know that’s not a lot, so let’s move on to what I didn’t like. Be aware that there are some spoilers.
🛑 I hated how much this mirrored BC’s Disgrace. It’s an insult to readers to recycle and make tiny tweaks to a story. Come up with new material!
▪️Holly’s fiancé left her at the altar by declaring his love for her best friend and the two of them ran off together. This is a slight tweak from the other book where the FMC was actually married to the guy who had an affair and ran off with her BFF.
▪️In this book, Kai is the one who had the cheating spouse. Why??? Why did this have to be a thing? Let Kai be the awesome guy he is, but let him be single! Stop with the cheating spouses/boyfriends!
▪️Holly runs into her crappy ex-BFF and ex-fiancé in the grocery store and sees her ex-BFF very pregnant with her ex-fiancé’s baby. Same as the other book — her BFF got pregnant with her husband’s child.
▪️Gossiping biddies in the small hometown. It wasn’t as bad in this book as it was in Disgrace, but it was the same element to cause drama.
▪️Toxic family drama. Kai’s parents are horrendous. In the other book, it was both MCs with toxic relatives.
▪️Ms. Cherry has a thing with “15 years” because both books had this same timeline for relationships. Kai is 15 years older than his brother. Kai and his (ex)wife “dated for more than 10 years and we’re married for 5.” (More on this below 👇)
I’ve highlighted more similarities in my notes. This review would be pages long if I included them all.
🛑 SO MANY errors!!! I made so many highlights with corrections that most of the text was blue!
🛑 The timeline of Kai’s relationship with his (ex)wife didn’t add up at all. Neither did the timeline of the epilogue.
▪️Keep in mind that Kai is only 31. When I moved out to Chicago at eighteen, I worked at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where Penelope was the owner’s daughter. We instantly clicked, and I fell for her.
———————————————————————————————-
“How long were you two married?”
“Five years. We dated for over ten years, though. We are still officially married, but I haven’t seen her in two years.
———————————————————————————————
THIS IS SIMPLE MATH!!! 18 + 10 + 5 + 2 = 35!
As far as the epilogue is concerned, the previous chapter starts on New Year’s Day, then has a part where it’s 6 months later. That makes it June, yes? Holly has written a book. It says: Publisher’s Weekly was calling it the book of the summer. It would publish in the next three months, This means it won’t be published until September. How is that the “book of the summer”?
The epilogue says it’s “One Year Later” on “New Year’s Eve.” First of all, that’s not one year later. That’s 6 months later. It was just June in the previous chapter!!! Then it says: my novel was still on the New York Times bestseller list for the 20th week. What??? There aren’t 20 weeks between June and the new year! How is this possible?
I know most authors don’t read reviews, but someone needs to tell this author that she can’t get her timelines straight. Or she needs a better editor to fix all the inconsistencies and errors.
I’ll start with what I liked.
✅ The cover is really cute!
✅ Kai is a swoon worthy hero of a man. I absolutely loved him. Kai alone gets 5 stars.
✅ Holly’s family was great, and their Christmas together was lots of fun.
✅ I liked that the couple was biracial. Also, I liked that Holly was “curvy” but didn’t put herself down about it. Kai loved her body and called her beautiful all the time.
Yeah, I know that’s not a lot, so let’s move on to what I didn’t like. Be aware that there are some spoilers.
🛑 I hated how much this mirrored BC’s Disgrace. It’s an insult to readers to recycle and make tiny tweaks to a story. Come up with new material!
▪️Holly’s fiancé left her at the altar by declaring his love for her best friend and the two of them ran off together. This is a slight tweak from the other book where the FMC was actually married to the guy who had an affair and ran off with her BFF.
▪️In this book, Kai is the one who had the cheating spouse. Why??? Why did this have to be a thing? Let Kai be the awesome guy he is, but let him be single! Stop with the cheating spouses/boyfriends!
▪️Holly runs into her crappy ex-BFF and ex-fiancé in the grocery store and sees her ex-BFF very pregnant with her ex-fiancé’s baby. Same as the other book — her BFF got pregnant with her husband’s child.
▪️Gossiping biddies in the small hometown. It wasn’t as bad in this book as it was in Disgrace, but it was the same element to cause drama.
▪️Toxic family drama. Kai’s parents are horrendous. In the other book, it was both MCs with toxic relatives.
▪️Ms. Cherry has a thing with “15 years” because both books had this same timeline for relationships. Kai is 15 years older than his brother. Kai and his (ex)wife “dated for more than 10 years and we’re married for 5.” (More on this below 👇)
I’ve highlighted more similarities in my notes. This review would be pages long if I included them all.
🛑 SO MANY errors!!! I made so many highlights with corrections that most of the text was blue!
🛑 The timeline of Kai’s relationship with his (ex)wife didn’t add up at all. Neither did the timeline of the epilogue.
▪️Keep in mind that Kai is only 31. When I moved out to Chicago at eighteen, I worked at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where Penelope was the owner’s daughter. We instantly clicked, and I fell for her.
———————————————————————————————-
“How long were you two married?”
“Five years. We dated for over ten years, though. We are still officially married, but I haven’t seen her in two years.
———————————————————————————————
THIS IS SIMPLE MATH!!! 18 + 10 + 5 + 2 = 35!
As far as the epilogue is concerned, the previous chapter starts on New Year’s Day, then has a part where it’s 6 months later. That makes it June, yes? Holly has written a book. It says: Publisher’s Weekly was calling it the book of the summer. It would publish in the next three months, This means it won’t be published until September. How is that the “book of the summer”?
The epilogue says it’s “One Year Later” on “New Year’s Eve.” First of all, that’s not one year later. That’s 6 months later. It was just June in the previous chapter!!! Then it says: my novel was still on the New York Times bestseller list for the 20th week. What??? There aren’t 20 weeks between June and the new year! How is this possible?
I know most authors don’t read reviews, but someone needs to tell this author that she can’t get her timelines straight. Or she needs a better editor to fix all the inconsistencies and errors.
December 11, 2024
C’était trop chouette, très cliché mais c’est généralement ce à quoi on s’attend lors d’une romance de Noël ! BCC a relevé le défi, of course.
C’est drôle, c’est très mignon, c’est joliment dit, c’est rempli de tropes qu’on aime : grumpy x sunshine, ennemies-to-lovers avec même un soupçon de fake dating … bref on passe un super moment en compagnie de Holly et Kai !
Holly est littéralement la plus size héroïne qu’on veut avoir comme copine. Elle respire la positivité et bien qu’assez naïve, on s’attache très rapidement à son personnage.
Kai est un cliché sur pattes, très grumpy à premier abord, il devient, bien évidemment le bookboyfriend que l’on mérite toutes !
J’aurais adoré que l’ambiance de Noël soit plus présente. Sinon, les thèmes abordés sont assez basiques mais reste très bien exploités !
Pour une romance de Noël RomCom, hyper agréable à lire, avec une plume divine, vous ne serez pas déçu <3
C’est drôle, c’est très mignon, c’est joliment dit, c’est rempli de tropes qu’on aime : grumpy x sunshine, ennemies-to-lovers avec même un soupçon de fake dating … bref on passe un super moment en compagnie de Holly et Kai !
Holly est littéralement la plus size héroïne qu’on veut avoir comme copine. Elle respire la positivité et bien qu’assez naïve, on s’attache très rapidement à son personnage.
Kai est un cliché sur pattes, très grumpy à premier abord, il devient, bien évidemment le bookboyfriend que l’on mérite toutes !
J’aurais adoré que l’ambiance de Noël soit plus présente. Sinon, les thèmes abordés sont assez basiques mais reste très bien exploités !
Pour une romance de Noël RomCom, hyper agréable à lire, avec une plume divine, vous ne serez pas déçu <3
December 14, 2024
they are so cute together. i liked the characters and the mmc little brother!!
i went into this blind so i didn't know that the mmc is trying to help set up the fmc with other men. i hate om drama. the fmc was dating other men until almost 60%, that went on way too long for meee. plus this made me cringe multiple times .
⋆⭒˚.⋆ pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
back to reading holiday books to help me get into a Christmas-y mood. this is the 1st one i've found written by a black author. i'm so excited
♡ i rented from kindle unlimited ♡
i went into this blind so i didn't know that the mmc is trying to help set up the fmc with other men. i hate om drama. the fmc was dating other men until almost 60%, that went on way too long for meee. plus this made me cringe multiple times .
⋆⭒˚.⋆ pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
back to reading holiday books to help me get into a Christmas-y mood. this is the 1st one i've found written by a black author. i'm so excited
♡ i rented from kindle unlimited ♡
January 24, 2023
Hollydays/Christmas
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Tenia bastante tiempo que no leía un libro de Brittainy C. Cherry y lo disfruté mucho.
Es que está bien bonito.
Tenemos como protagonista a Holly una mujer que fue plantada en el altar por su prometido y para el colmo huye con la mejor amiga y coescritora de Holly, fue un evento humillante y que le rompió el corazón.
Dicho evento, sucedió en vísperas de navidad por lo que un año después regresará al pueblo dónde viven sus padres y se iba a casar por lo que necesita una cita urgente para que no digan que no ha seguido adelante.
Por otro lado tenemos a Kai un hombre, medio malhumorado y huraño que es dueño del restaurant en donde Holly ha tenido sus citas infructuosas, cansado de verla fracasando decide darle una ayudadita.
Pero cuando una de la citas para ser buena, él empieza a ponerse celoso porque desarrolló sentiento por Holly.
Holly y Kai eran bien lindos juntos, al principio no se llevaban bien, después empezaron a tener una amistad que los llevo a una cita falsa y a enamorarse.
Los dos se dieron la oportunidad de amar nuevamente aunque su pasado no fuera tan alentador y tuvieran sus corazones rotos y sensibles.
Descubrieron que las personas que les fallaron no eran dignas de su amor pero con la persona correcta era para siempre.
Muy cursi pero así me dejó este libro.
Y mención especial para Mano el hermano de Kai, mi personaje favorito.
Y el epílogo fue bien bonito me encantó.
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Tenia bastante tiempo que no leía un libro de Brittainy C. Cherry y lo disfruté mucho.
Es que está bien bonito.
Tenemos como protagonista a Holly una mujer que fue plantada en el altar por su prometido y para el colmo huye con la mejor amiga y coescritora de Holly, fue un evento humillante y que le rompió el corazón.
Dicho evento, sucedió en vísperas de navidad por lo que un año después regresará al pueblo dónde viven sus padres y se iba a casar por lo que necesita una cita urgente para que no digan que no ha seguido adelante.
Por otro lado tenemos a Kai un hombre, medio malhumorado y huraño que es dueño del restaurant en donde Holly ha tenido sus citas infructuosas, cansado de verla fracasando decide darle una ayudadita.
Pero cuando una de la citas para ser buena, él empieza a ponerse celoso porque desarrolló sentiento por Holly.
Holly y Kai eran bien lindos juntos, al principio no se llevaban bien, después empezaron a tener una amistad que los llevo a una cita falsa y a enamorarse.
Los dos se dieron la oportunidad de amar nuevamente aunque su pasado no fuera tan alentador y tuvieran sus corazones rotos y sensibles.
Descubrieron que las personas que les fallaron no eran dignas de su amor pero con la persona correcta era para siempre.
Muy cursi pero así me dejó este libro.
Y mención especial para Mano el hermano de Kai, mi personaje favorito.
Y el epílogo fue bien bonito me encantó.
November 24, 2023
Brittainy always hits that sweet spot for me. This woman can write anything. I love how BC always lets us “read the hard chapters” of her characters. This is the perfect holiday rom com with that deep emotional pull. Enemies to friends to lovers, yes please! I love how Kai coached Holly on how to navigate the dating apps/dates only to realize that he himself was falling for her! Perfection 😘😘😘
November 23, 2024
4,5 ⭐️
J’AI TROP AIMÉ ?? C’était si drôle et en même temps si touchant, si doux et si addictif. Les personnages autant que l’histoire, en passant par le style et l’ambiance : C’ÉTAIT GÉNIAL. Ça a même réussi à me faire passer outre le fait qu’il y a une histoire de cancer, aka le thème qui me trigger de ouf.
J’AI TROP AIMÉ ?? C’était si drôle et en même temps si touchant, si doux et si addictif. Les personnages autant que l’histoire, en passant par le style et l’ambiance : C’ÉTAIT GÉNIAL. Ça a même réussi à me faire passer outre le fait qu’il y a une histoire de cancer, aka le thème qui me trigger de ouf.
December 3, 2022
I ADORED THIS BOOK! If you’ve read this author’s books, you know to expect an emotional journey. So when she announced her first romantic comedy was I was intrigued. And she absolutely DELIVERED. The Holly Dates was hilarious, while still having those emotional moments that made you root for Holly and Kai’s relationship.
The Holly Dates starts with Holly’s relationship ending on Christmas Eve in a way that leaves her jaded and closed off to love and the holiday season. Almost a year later, Holly has writer’s block (she’s a romance author) and is desperate to find a guy to bring home for the holidays. Meanwhile Kai, her downstairs neighbor and local restaurant owner, is also not a fan of the holiday. These two have what they author calls a “meet ugly”, when they literally ram into each other in the hall, causing Kai to drop an expensive case of alcohol and for said alcohol to ruin the paperback Holly was reading. Clearly they are not off to a great start lollllllll.
Well, Holly happens to come hang out at Kai’s restaurant/bar, where their banter slowly turns into a love/hate friendship. Kai watches Holly bring date after horrible date to the restaurant and ends up helping her figure out where she’s going wrong with the duds. He becomes her dating coach and when I tell you it was hilarious?!
BUT…..what happens when the coach wishes he could take his own advice and falls for his student?
The author absolutely knocked it out of the park with Kai and Holly’s connection. They became genuine friends and their attraction to each other was built on more than physical intimacy (though that was HAWT TOO). They become fixtures in each other lives’ in the best way. They both have reasons to never try love again, but as Kai said:
“If you need to be scared, then fine. But please, Holly…be scared with me.” CUE THE SWOON.
This is the perfect holiday read and I can’t wait to see everyone fall in love with Kai and Holly as much as I did!!
TROPES: dislike to friends to lovers; neighbors; romance author heroine; restaurant owner hero; interracial (Black heroine/Pacific Islander hero); found family vibes; dating coach; fake dating; love after heartbreak; holiday season
TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of cancer (effects of chemo described on page - H/h do NOT have cancer)
The Holly Dates starts with Holly’s relationship ending on Christmas Eve in a way that leaves her jaded and closed off to love and the holiday season. Almost a year later, Holly has writer’s block (she’s a romance author) and is desperate to find a guy to bring home for the holidays. Meanwhile Kai, her downstairs neighbor and local restaurant owner, is also not a fan of the holiday. These two have what they author calls a “meet ugly”, when they literally ram into each other in the hall, causing Kai to drop an expensive case of alcohol and for said alcohol to ruin the paperback Holly was reading. Clearly they are not off to a great start lollllllll.
Well, Holly happens to come hang out at Kai’s restaurant/bar, where their banter slowly turns into a love/hate friendship. Kai watches Holly bring date after horrible date to the restaurant and ends up helping her figure out where she’s going wrong with the duds. He becomes her dating coach and when I tell you it was hilarious?!
BUT…..what happens when the coach wishes he could take his own advice and falls for his student?
The author absolutely knocked it out of the park with Kai and Holly’s connection. They became genuine friends and their attraction to each other was built on more than physical intimacy (though that was HAWT TOO). They become fixtures in each other lives’ in the best way. They both have reasons to never try love again, but as Kai said:
“If you need to be scared, then fine. But please, Holly…be scared with me.” CUE THE SWOON.
This is the perfect holiday read and I can’t wait to see everyone fall in love with Kai and Holly as much as I did!!
TROPES: dislike to friends to lovers; neighbors; romance author heroine; restaurant owner hero; interracial (Black heroine/Pacific Islander hero); found family vibes; dating coach; fake dating; love after heartbreak; holiday season
TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of cancer (effects of chemo described on page - H/h do NOT have cancer)
December 9, 2023
Eine schöne Geschichte für zwischendurch, die ich auch eher für die Weihnachtszeit empfehlen würde.
Es war nicht wirklich etwas Neues dabei, aber trotzdem hat es Spaß gemacht das Hörbuch zu hören.
Ich habe auch leider das Gefühl, dass sich mittlerweile immer wieder Dinge bei Büchern der Autorin wiederholen und man die Geschichte ungefähr so schon einmal gelesen hat. Diese Entwicklung finde ich schade, weil ich gerade die Romance Elements Reihe oder Verliebt in Mr. Daniels sehr geliebt habe.
Es war nicht wirklich etwas Neues dabei, aber trotzdem hat es Spaß gemacht das Hörbuch zu hören.
Ich habe auch leider das Gefühl, dass sich mittlerweile immer wieder Dinge bei Büchern der Autorin wiederholen und man die Geschichte ungefähr so schon einmal gelesen hat. Diese Entwicklung finde ich schade, weil ich gerade die Romance Elements Reihe oder Verliebt in Mr. Daniels sehr geliebt habe.
January 18, 2024
Це така чудова, весела, чуттєва історія, що не потребує й багатьох букв)
Просто читайте і насолоджуйтесь зимовою атмосферою, класними героями і неймовірними жартами 😁😁😁
Пів книги 📕 виділено 😆
Декілька цитат для того, щоб ви зрозуміли який скарб перед вами😁
«Ненавиджу це місце! Ненавиджу це відчуття. Ненавиджу прокидатися на самоті, спати на самоті і робити все на самоті. Але я все одно виберу це кожен день замість того, щоб повзти в обійми не тієї людини і приймати її крихти любові. Неповноцінне, ліниве захоплення — це все, що він може тобі дати, і мені соромно, що ти з такою готовністю приймаєш його.»
«Голлі та її сміх були як ліки для моєї душі, і я навіть не знав, що моя душа була хвора.»
«Наступне НЕ. Не засинай під час марафону Володаря перснів. Це просто неповага.
— Ти змушуєш мене дивитися повну версію. Вони ж багатогодинні.
— Це шедеври.
— Вони в кращому випадку посередні.
Він суворо тицьнув пальцем у мій бік.
— Прикуси язика, або я применшу значення Гаррі Поттера.
— Не будь божевільним, — я відмахнулась від нього. — Гаразд, що далі?»
Просто читайте і насолоджуйтесь зимовою атмосферою, класними героями і неймовірними жартами 😁😁😁
Пів книги 📕 виділено 😆
Декілька цитат для того, щоб ви зрозуміли який скарб перед вами😁
«Ненавиджу це місце! Ненавиджу це відчуття. Ненавиджу прокидатися на самоті, спати на самоті і робити все на самоті. Але я все одно виберу це кожен день замість того, щоб повзти в обійми не тієї людини і приймати її крихти любові. Неповноцінне, ліниве захоплення — це все, що він може тобі дати, і мені соромно, що ти з такою готовністю приймаєш його.»
«Голлі та її сміх були як ліки для моєї душі, і я навіть не знав, що моя душа була хвора.»
«Наступне НЕ. Не засинай під час марафону Володаря перснів. Це просто неповага.
— Ти змушуєш мене дивитися повну версію. Вони ж багатогодинні.
— Це шедеври.
— Вони в кращому випадку посередні.
Він суворо тицьнув пальцем у мій бік.
— Прикуси язика, або я применшу значення Гаррі Поттера.
— Не будь божевільним, — я відмахнулась від нього. — Гаразд, що далі?»
December 19, 2022
4.5 Stars ⭐️
October 4, 2024
ai-je levé les yeux au ciel 475 fois durant ma lecture ? affirmatif
est-ce que ce livre m'a réconciliée avec la magie de noël ? négatif
mais est-ce que j'aime toujours autant Brittainy C Cherry ? bien-sûr que ouiii
qu'on se le dise cette histoire est full cliché, du début à la fin. mais je reconnais que c'était mignon et parfois touchant. en revanche, je refuse de croire qu'un homme comme Kai existe dans la vraie vie, c'est bon, stop mdr
si vous voulez une romance de noël écrite par une queen, foncez ✨
— "nous avons tous des chapitres qui sont difficiles à lire. cela ne veut pas dire que le roman ne mérite pas d'être lu."
est-ce que ce livre m'a réconciliée avec la magie de noël ? négatif
mais est-ce que j'aime toujours autant Brittainy C Cherry ? bien-sûr que ouiii
qu'on se le dise cette histoire est full cliché, du début à la fin. mais je reconnais que c'était mignon et parfois touchant. en revanche, je refuse de croire qu'un homme comme Kai existe dans la vraie vie, c'est bon, stop mdr
si vous voulez une romance de noël écrite par une queen, foncez ✨
— "nous avons tous des chapitres qui sont difficiles à lire. cela ne veut pas dire que le roman ne mérite pas d'être lu."
December 13, 2022
Ama çok tatlıydınız🥺
December 24, 2024
MJ can take his lasagna and shove it up his ass
December 16, 2022
Şeyma’nın dediği gibi; her şeyiyle 10/10 bir kitaptı, yoruma bile gerek yok🤌🏻🫠🤤🔥😋😍🫶🏻 Hem bu yılın, hem de kıristmıııssss kitapları arasında favorilerime girdi. Yorum yazsam sayfalarca döşeneceğim yine. Onun yerine boş boş duvara bakıp, Holly&Kai’yi düşünürken 32 diş sırıtmak istiyorum🤩🤩😍😍
Bu kadın şahane dram yazdığı gibi, daha da şahane romcom yazıyormuş. Yıllardır içinde bambaşka bir cevher saklamış. Tek dileğim böyle şahane romcom’ları da yazmaya devam etmesi🤌🏻🫶🏻
December 28, 2022
Son sahnelerde kalbim yumuş yumuş oldu. 😍İkisi de mutluluğu sonuna kadar hak etti. 😍Mano'nunda kitabı olsa keşke. Onu okumayı da çok isterim. Bir yıldız kırmamın sebebi biraz
kinci ol Kai (ben çok kinciyimdir 😄Azıcık tepki isterdim. Ve Alec'le ilgili olan bir mevzu. Çok güzel bir hikayeydi. 💖🌼
kinci ol Kai (ben çok kinciyimdir 😄Azıcık tepki isterdim. Ve Alec'le ilgili olan bir mevzu. Çok güzel bir hikayeydi. 💖🌼
December 7, 2022
4++++ stars. The Holly Dates was a perfect balance of emotional and funny with a grumpy hero and a quirky, full of life heroine.
Against all odds, Holly is the best of humans. The previous year led her to a very low time in her life. Feeling betrayed by those that she loved and trusted, Holly is finally ready to date and turn the corner a year later. When she literally runs into Kai, these two form a sort of frenemy relationship where he "teaches" her how to date and for her to learn how worthy she is of love and of being treated better.
Kai, meanwhile is a very to the point, yet protective man that has been burned in life, so he pours his heart and soul into his newly opened restaurant and into his younger brother, Mano (who, by the way, is the BEST little brother/supporting character EVER!!). But the coldest of hearts are usually the ones that love the deepest when their hearts melt for the right person.
I absolutely loved the great chemistry and banter between Holly and Kai. Their "friendship" sparked and I loved the way they supported one another in unconventional ways. You can't help but love them and root for them, even when Holly is dating other people. And I'd be remiss to not mention Mano and the way he became the glue to the best relationships Kai had. He's like the secret dash of seasoning that just adds to the romantic flavor of this story. While The Holly Dates is classified as a romcom and definitely has those laugh out loud moments, it's still has a pure Brittainy Cherry emotional layer that adds to the overall arc of the story. The way Kai and Holly's pasts and family came into play added another dimension to how these characters grew over the course of the story.
...When you found a love that allowed you to be yourself fully...Well, that was the kind of love you wanted to keep around.
The Holly Dates will be a wonderful addition to your Holiday reads!
Against all odds, Holly is the best of humans. The previous year led her to a very low time in her life. Feeling betrayed by those that she loved and trusted, Holly is finally ready to date and turn the corner a year later. When she literally runs into Kai, these two form a sort of frenemy relationship where he "teaches" her how to date and for her to learn how worthy she is of love and of being treated better.
Kai, meanwhile is a very to the point, yet protective man that has been burned in life, so he pours his heart and soul into his newly opened restaurant and into his younger brother, Mano (who, by the way, is the BEST little brother/supporting character EVER!!). But the coldest of hearts are usually the ones that love the deepest when their hearts melt for the right person.
I absolutely loved the great chemistry and banter between Holly and Kai. Their "friendship" sparked and I loved the way they supported one another in unconventional ways. You can't help but love them and root for them, even when Holly is dating other people. And I'd be remiss to not mention Mano and the way he became the glue to the best relationships Kai had. He's like the secret dash of seasoning that just adds to the romantic flavor of this story. While The Holly Dates is classified as a romcom and definitely has those laugh out loud moments, it's still has a pure Brittainy Cherry emotional layer that adds to the overall arc of the story. The way Kai and Holly's pasts and family came into play added another dimension to how these characters grew over the course of the story.
...When you found a love that allowed you to be yourself fully...Well, that was the kind of love you wanted to keep around.
The Holly Dates will be a wonderful addition to your Holiday reads!
December 23, 2024
“what do you see when you look at me?” “everything” sedate me!!!!!
January 31, 2024
4.2 ‘love is a choice’ stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I swear, this was like the most realistic love story I've ever read, and I'm in love ❤
I went into this book hoping to get another corny holiday romance, but it was so much more.
“If I had to go on another million terrible first dates to end up with Kai, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d take on every single heartbreak if it led me to him.”
I swear, this was like the most realistic love story I've ever read, and I'm in love ❤
I went into this book hoping to get another corny holiday romance, but it was so much more.
“If I had to go on another million terrible first dates to end up with Kai, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d take on every single heartbreak if it led me to him.”
December 12, 2022
***5 "A Meet Ugly!!!" stars***
"Don't do that, Holly."
"Don't do what?"
"Read the parts of my book that I don't share with people."
"It's a good book, Kai. I'd wish you'd let me read it all."
Oh how much I love Brittainy's words!!!
I'm not very much into the holiday romances, but when I heard about this one, it was impossible to stay away from it!!! And it became my most favorite of this season!!!
Holly and Kai were amazing creatures even though completely different characters and the cherry on the top was Mano!!! I adore this guy so much!!!
This was the perfect read for this period full of sweetness, humor and heartwhelming moments...
These two weren't supposed to meet but their ugly meeting led to something so wonderful!!!
"Who knew? Who knew that broken hearts could still beat so fast?"
Holly was abandoned on the altar by her fiancee on Christmas Eve... Now, a year later, she is desperate to find a date for the holidays...
Grumpy Kai is the owner of a restaurant nearby and he doesn't need love after he got burned really badly two years ago...
When Holly is turning every single night into Kai's restaurant with another date, his irritation is getting out of hand and he is seeing only one way to get rid of her... he is offering his help as her date coach!!!
"He was the type I went for -emotionally unavailable and uninterested in me. What could I say? I had a type."
Holly and Kai didn't have a great start... Then he became her coach and friendship crawled slowly between them... But was only friendship that was creeping inside of them or something else???
The only sure thing is that when Holly is landing a good guy who wants more dates with her, Kai's jealousy is rising in the surface and everything is becoming more complicated for both of them!!!
"Holly was a woman who felt a lot of things at all times.
I was a man who felt little until she came into my world."
I loved Kai so much!!! Yep, he was grumpy and too straightforward, but he was real and genuine... When he was showing his sweet side, I was swoony over him!!!
Kai had taken a bad taste of love and he was a tough nut to crack him easily...
Holly got dumped in a very nasty way, but still... she never give up on love even though she was afraid... She was witty and feisty and I loved the banters between her and Kai very much!!!
These two were just perfect for each other and their journey was peppered with much fun and the holiday spirit... What else a woman can ask for???
"You make me believe in fairytales."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
"Don't do that, Holly."
"Don't do what?"
"Read the parts of my book that I don't share with people."
"It's a good book, Kai. I'd wish you'd let me read it all."
Oh how much I love Brittainy's words!!!
I'm not very much into the holiday romances, but when I heard about this one, it was impossible to stay away from it!!! And it became my most favorite of this season!!!
Holly and Kai were amazing creatures even though completely different characters and the cherry on the top was Mano!!! I adore this guy so much!!!
This was the perfect read for this period full of sweetness, humor and heartwhelming moments...
These two weren't supposed to meet but their ugly meeting led to something so wonderful!!!
"Who knew? Who knew that broken hearts could still beat so fast?"
Holly was abandoned on the altar by her fiancee on Christmas Eve... Now, a year later, she is desperate to find a date for the holidays...
Grumpy Kai is the owner of a restaurant nearby and he doesn't need love after he got burned really badly two years ago...
When Holly is turning every single night into Kai's restaurant with another date, his irritation is getting out of hand and he is seeing only one way to get rid of her... he is offering his help as her date coach!!!
"He was the type I went for -emotionally unavailable and uninterested in me. What could I say? I had a type."
Holly and Kai didn't have a great start... Then he became her coach and friendship crawled slowly between them... But was only friendship that was creeping inside of them or something else???
The only sure thing is that when Holly is landing a good guy who wants more dates with her, Kai's jealousy is rising in the surface and everything is becoming more complicated for both of them!!!
"Holly was a woman who felt a lot of things at all times.
I was a man who felt little until she came into my world."
I loved Kai so much!!! Yep, he was grumpy and too straightforward, but he was real and genuine... When he was showing his sweet side, I was swoony over him!!!
Kai had taken a bad taste of love and he was a tough nut to crack him easily...
Holly got dumped in a very nasty way, but still... she never give up on love even though she was afraid... She was witty and feisty and I loved the banters between her and Kai very much!!!
These two were just perfect for each other and their journey was peppered with much fun and the holiday spirit... What else a woman can ask for???
"You make me believe in fairytales."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
did-not-finish
December 28, 2023DNF at 20%.
This book is giving me the worst second-hand embarrassment. I cannot continue.
The author has set this up in a way that makes me cringe nonstop.
She got dumped AT the altar. Ya, that was bad. And immediately she's all "I will never love OR date again".
Next page. "I'm desperate to date. I cannot live with this loneliness. I must find someone so I'll put up with a series of terrible men".
----
The two main characters bump into each other and they get into the pettiest fight. The male character feels RAGE towards the female main character because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Uh, what?
Next thing we know, our desperate heroine is bringing all of her first dates to his restaurant... and he decides to give her dating advice. But they still hate each other (insert eye roll here). He tells her that she's looking for a man who doesn't exist and then proceeds to mock her dates' names and say, "There are only two words you should hear when a man is between your legs... Good. Girl."
Insert ANOTHER eye roll.
But, what made my cringe is that the heroine LAPS IT UP. She pretty much orgasms on the spot just thinking about this douchebag calling her "good girl".
I just cannot.
This book is giving me the worst second-hand embarrassment. I cannot continue.
The author has set this up in a way that makes me cringe nonstop.
She got dumped AT the altar. Ya, that was bad. And immediately she's all "I will never love OR date again".
Next page. "I'm desperate to date. I cannot live with this loneliness. I must find someone so I'll put up with a series of terrible men".
----
The two main characters bump into each other and they get into the pettiest fight. The male character feels RAGE towards the female main character because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Uh, what?
Next thing we know, our desperate heroine is bringing all of her first dates to his restaurant... and he decides to give her dating advice. But they still hate each other (insert eye roll here). He tells her that she's looking for a man who doesn't exist and then proceeds to mock her dates' names and say, "There are only two words you should hear when a man is between your legs... Good. Girl."
Insert ANOTHER eye roll.
But, what made my cringe is that the heroine LAPS IT UP. She pretty much orgasms on the spot just thinking about this douchebag calling her "good girl".
I just cannot.
December 12, 2022
4 Stars
In true Brittainy Cherry fashion, this was an emotional romance. Both characters have been hurt in the past which affects their relationships going forward. When Holly tells her family she is bringing home a date for Christmas, she goes on a first date dating spree.
Kai helps her with their first dates and of course, they catch feelings. I love the romance and the holidays stuff in this book.
In true Brittainy Cherry fashion, this was an emotional romance. Both characters have been hurt in the past which affects their relationships going forward. When Holly tells her family she is bringing home a date for Christmas, she goes on a first date dating spree.
Kai helps her with their first dates and of course, they catch feelings. I love the romance and the holidays stuff in this book.
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