Review: Jingle Wars

Jingle Wars by R. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved "Jingle Wars" by R. Holmes and Veronica Eden, a funny, charming, and heartwarming story featuring endearing characters, a compelling plot, and the perfect amount of steam. There was an immediate attraction between main characters Finn and Freya, who enjoyed a cute flirtation until Finn realized that Freya's father's new resort, the Alpine, was located right next door to his grandparents' Mayberry Inn and had contributed to the Mayberry's decrease in business. After that, the story turned into a fun enemies-to-lovers romp complete with a holiday-themed competition that had the potential to escalate into all-out war. With the competition forcing them together, Finn soon came to realize that Freya wasn't actually his enemy, and their slow-burn romance began to blossom.

Freya was a very interesting, complex lead character because there almost seemed to be two opposing sides to her. On one side was the tough, hardworking businessperson who was determined to prove that she had earned her position in her father's company. On the other was a sweet young woman who loved fashion, social media, and holiday movies, and not-so-secretly dreamed of buying a rustic cabin to call her own. What Freya wanted most of all was a loving family and a place to fit in, which she hadn't had since her parents' divorce. The more time she spent with Finn and his family and friends in the delightful town of Hollyridge, the more it started to seem as if she had finally found her home.

Finn was also a wonderful lead character, and I especially loved how caring and protective he was towards his grandparents. He had a rough start to his childhood but luckily his Grams and Gramps were there to look out for him, and Finn grew into a man they could be proud to call grandson. He worked hard for their family and business while also looking out for the town of Hollyridge and its citizens, always helping people with whatever they asked of him. He was just as considerate of Freya when they got together, as his grand gesture at the end demonstrated. It was perfect for her and showed exactly how well Finn had come to know her in such a short amount of time.

I enjoyed the book's secondary characters just as much as Freya and Finn themselves, particularly Finn's grandparents, Finn's best friend West, and Finn and Freya's mutual friend Riley. I'm glad that West and Riley will be getting a story of their own!

Overall, "Jingle Wars" was a fantastic read and a great way to get myself into the Christmas spirit. I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy.

*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own.

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