Radd Reader's Reviews > The Detour

“You’d be surprised what magical places do for people’s souls, Harley Humbug. You just might be in need of some of that magic too.”

This is short novella and part of the ‘Tis The Season for Romance anthology.

Synopsis:
Five days before Christmas, Harley Humbug heads out of Chicago looking for someplace where she can find her muse and get her creative writing juices flowing again. As she is driving, bad weather conditions force her to take a detour and she ends up in Saint Nick’s Hollow (which apparently is a town that "looks like Christmas threw up everywhere".

With places like Kris Kringle’s Cafe, Gingerbread Grocery, Saint Nick’s Saloon and Rudolph’s Roadside Repairs, Harley is sure she has gone down the proverbial rabbit hole. There’s no way this town could be real, right?

Well it is real and the sexy mayor ( Saint Nick) is one hot guy to be running to town.

Needless to say, Harley Humbug finds inspiration when she meets Saint Nick, and sparks fly. I adored both of these characters and I want a much larger story with Saint Nick because.....sigh 🥰😍....he was perfect! ❤️

This is a short novella, but I didn’t feel cheated in anyway. The chemistry and banter between the H/h was fun and sexy and I enjoyed spending time with them.

The epilogue was a little disappointing. I love the HEA ending and I’m not a fan of the happy for now or the more open ended type of conclusion (which this had). I like everything wrapped up in a beautiful neat bow. However that was just a small nitpick of mine, and the only aspect of the story that I didn’t necessarily like. Otherwise it was over the top Christmasy and perfect for the holiday season. And did I mention Saint Nick....gah, loved him 🥰🥰


Quotes
"what is your one wish this season? To visit a long-lost family member? To spread cheer to those who are doing without?”
"How about finding my writing muse again and if it’s not too much to ask, have some hair pulling, back scratching, toe-curling sex while I’m at it"

"but I’d made myself a promise: No down and dirty until I finished—or at least found my way through the fog—this book.
So now I’m a romance author who has to write about great sex without getting any . . . and the writing part most definitely hasn’t been happening. Shit, the idea part hasn’t even been happening."

"It has to be this damn holiday, its artificial cheeriness, and its superficial notion that to give is better than to receive because I gave. Hell, I gave for two whole years, and now I’m alone and unsatisfied with an unfinished book and a dried up hooha."

"I’m not one to objectify, but hell in a handbasket, Saint Nick is stunning."

“For the record, Saint, I got the hell out of Dodge because I wanted to find some random town with an even more random and sexy man. One who would pin me against the wall while kissing me senseless before carrying me off to have some wild, bed shaking sex. A little—or hopefully a lot of—something to take my mind off my dumpster fire of a love life and the train wreck my creativity seems to have fallen victim to.” She lifts the glass of wine and finishes the rest of it in one long gulp. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”
"I’m not sure if I should applaud her endgame or raise my hand and volunteer as tribute."