Review - - Manic Pixie Dream Earl

Manic Pixie Dream Earl

by Jenny Holiday

Earls Trip - Book 2

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: May 27, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.

Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.

Julianna is baffled. How can her soul mate not want to meet? Could it be that Euphemia is not the simple country girl she claims to be? Perhaps she’s wealthy. After all, she’s never cashed any of the bank drafts Julianna has sent. Perhaps Euphemia simply doesn’t want rank to come between them. Well, no more. Having extracted the details of a trip Euphemia is planning, Julianna squanders her meager savings and surprises her at the scene.

He is very, very surprised. As is she.

Now the two will have to decide what is true, what is not, and whether the truest thing of all—love—just might be worth an earldom . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

Jenny Holiday took me on another entertaining and surprising journey with book two of her Earls Trip series. I expected a rom-com, bromance, mistaken identity romp and there are parts that fit that description but it's also so much more. 

First, I love the long-time friendship among the three earls in this series and especially how they all accept and support one another for exactly who they are. In Effie's case, that's a sweet, somewhat naive, fashion-loving, poetry-writing, nightmare-plagued man with some deep emotional baggage. He's also a man who has no experience with sexual desire, needing a close emotional relationship first (in today's world, he would be called a demisexual), but all that's about to change in a wholly Effie way.

Julianna, Effie's editor and letter friend, is the object of this new desire. A businesswoman, she's ten years older, sexually experienced (with a woman and a man), and wholeheartedly against marriage (just what's in it for a woman, anyway?). On paper, they seem the most ill-conceived couple ever but in real life the feelings that these two share are deep, endearing, and under a time constraint. What happens in Brighton should definitely stay in Brighton, right? Maybe not.  

There seems to be no way this cross-class romance will work (and truthfully, I had no idea how it would). Jules and Effie have opened their hearts and thoughts to one another through their many letters before they ever meet in person. They are well balanced, each having something to teach the other. Their time together is tender, funny, eye-opening, and endearing. Their parting is heartbreaking, but necessary for the growth that follows. Their happy ending is unconventional but oh, so perfect for the two of them. I didn't see the twist coming that made it possible but it absolutely works. 

I'm already looking forward to discovering what Holiday has planned for serious Simon in the next Earl's Trip novel and, of course, catching up with my favorite characters from books one and two. If you're looking for something a little different that will touch your heart, give Manic Pixie Dream Earl a try. I also recommend book one, Earls Trip. 

Review - - Into the Woods

Into the Woods

by Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

Gretchen Miller is a bit of a badass. But even badasses get the blues when it comes to romance, and Gretchen could use a break from dating. So, when she gets the offer to be the summer dance instructor at Camp Wild Arts, she leaps at the chance to embrace clean air, nature, and her inner crone. But every forest has pests—and the biggest one at Wild Arts is none other than Tennyson “Teddy” Knight, the A) arrogant, B) infuriating, C) kinda hot if it weren’t for A & B rockstar who happens to be Gretchen’s fellow artist-in-residence.

Fresh off his band's epic and ultra-public breakup, Teddy's grouchier than a black bear in spring, and Gretchen is happy to ignore the unexpected heat she feels around him. Yet a wary friendship blooms, and before she knows it, Gretchen finds herself sneaking around to have one last summer fling with the broody musician before she swears off men for good. But as they grow closer, Gretchen has to figure out if she's ready to take this summer camp romance out of the woods and into real life. 

PJ's Thoughts:

I don't know who started this trend of adult summer camp romances but they have my thanks because I am loving these stories. And, Into the Woods, in Jenny Holiday's capable hands, has me ready to grab a backpack and head for the woods myself. 

I love Jenny Holiday's characters. They are beautifully developed, complex, and intriguing. Also relatable. I feel like I know them, understand them, flaws and all, and appreciate their emotional challenges. The banter between Teddy and Gretchen is impeccable, as is the friction. I love a good adversaries-to-lovers journey. Even better, there's all that delicious but unwelcome (at least at first) heat simmering beneath the surface.

Teddy and Gretchen have some life experience in their rearview (they're in their 30's/40's) and are each at a professional crossroads. Their growth, both professional and personal (each has emotional baggage to confront), adds additional depth to their journeys and made this book even more enjoyable for me. I loved their snark, loved their spark, and finished their book with heartfelt satisfaction. Also, don't discount the importance of the richly depicted secondary cast in this book. They add humor, heart, conflict, and unexpected wisdom. It's always fun when we learn life lessons from the ones we're supposed to be teaching.  

If you read last year's Canadian Boyfriend (And if you haven't, you should. Just sayin'), you may recognize Gretchen as main female character Rory's (Aurora) boss and best friend. While Rory makes appearances in Into the Woods, don't worry if you're beginning here. Each book stands well on its own and I enthusiastically recommend both. Read my review of Canadian Boyfriend here. 

Review - - Earls Trip

Earls Trip

by Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: April 23, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Even an earl needs his ride-or-dies, and Archibald Fielding-Burton, the Earl of Harcourt, counts himself lucky to have two. The annual trip that Archie takes with his BFFs Simon and Effie holds a sacred spot in their calendars. This year Archie is especially eager to get away until an urgent letter arrives from an old family friend, begging him to help prevent a ruinous scandal. Suddenly the trip has become earls-plus-girls, as Archie’s childhood pals, Clementine and Olive Morgan, are rescued en route to Gretna Green.

This…complicates matters. The fully grown Clementine, while as frank and refreshing as he remembers, is also different to the wild, windswept girl he knew. This Clem is complex and surprising—and adamantly opposed to marriage. Which, for reasons Archie dare not examine too closely, he finds increasingly vexing.

Then Clem makes him an indecent and quite delightful proposal, asking him to show her the pleasures of the marriage bed before she settles into spinsterhood. And what kind of gentleman would he be to refuse a lady?

PJ's Thoughts:

In thinking of words to describe this book, the ones that came immediately to mind were fun, poignant, and endearing. All three could describe not only the story but the characters as well. The antics Clem and Archie got up to were fun. The friendships depicted - not only between Clem and Archie but among the three men - were infused with humor but also endearing. And the scenes with Archie's mother were simmering with poignant emotion. Anyone who has had a loved one live with dementia or Alzheimer's will be able to relate. 

It took me a while to get into the story but once the ladies entered the picture it took off and kept me happily reading until the end. While the romantic focus is on the slow-burn, reunited friends to lovers journey between Clem and Archie, there are other relationships and storylines explored that are just as important. I enjoyed the evolution of the friendship between Clem and her sister, Olive, a character who turned out to be surprisingly different from what I had first expected. The men, friends since school, were also different from the characters who typically appear in the Regency romances I read. Their steadfast friendship - more of a chosen family situation - touched my heart, especially in regards to how they love, support, tease, and accept one another as they are. Very much a found brotherly dynamic going on. All three have a sweet, cinnamon roll hero feel to them. It will be interesting to see if that continues to play out in the next two books or if we will see a different side to them.

If you enjoy a Regency set romance with plenty of humor, forced proximity, a country setting, emotional depth, and two reunited friends who are the last to realize they've fallen in love, give Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday a try. 

Review - - Canadian Boyfriend

Canadian Boyfriend

by Jenny Holiday

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again...

Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”

PJ's Thoughts:

Canadian Boyfriend is one of my favorite books this month. Jenny Holiday has crafted an endearing story with relatable characters (Aurora Evans isn't the only one who had a fake teenage Canadian boyfriend), a slow-burn romance, and a surprising amount of emotional depth. I've read it twice. I loved it the first time, even more the second. 

Mike, Aurora, and Olivia earned my affection almost immediately. These three are all navigating rocky emotional waters with varying degrees of success. I appreciated the openness that Holiday implemented when dealing with each of their individual journeys as well as their joint relationship path. The communication between Mike and Aurora was refreshing - aside from that teenage secret - but the important stuff was talked about openly and honestly. I liked that Mike was in therapy and that we were given a glimpse into his therapy sessions. It helped understand him better as he slowly moved forward after his wife's death. (It brought to mind Ted Lasso's sessions with Dr. Sharon Fieldstone. Yes, I'm a fan.) 

As for Aurora, dealing with a toxic mother is no picnic. It was heartening to watch Aurora slowly open herself to joys she had been denied by her mother and later denied herself (indoctrination). That Mike and Olivia were part of that growth - and healing - further cemented their growing feelings for one another.

There were many scenes in this book that I could highlight for readers but I think they are best discovered on your own in the course of the story. Do keep your eyes open for the Canadian camping trip, however. It touched me deeply. 

There were a few issues that kept this book from being 5 stars for me...but only a few. One, Aurora calls the hero Mike Martin throughout the entire book, even after they are in a committed relationship. Not a problem at the beginning but later on it became annoying, distracting, and flat-out weird. Also, Mike's over-the-top reaction to Aurora in the final chapters felt engineered for a "black moment" rather than organic and left me shaking my head. The pages that followed that, however, were good in that the author gave him time to fully process what had happened and, with help, not only recognize the truth but hold himself accountable for his part in it. It included self-growth (for both Aurora and Mike) that was necessary for a solid HEA. As I said, minor annoyances, but ones that did pull me out of the story. Overall, Canadian Boyfriend was a solid read and one I thoroughly enjoyed.