Review: Home For the Holidays by Ellen Faith

When Lexi and Ryan make the decision to venture home for the Christmas holidays, neither of them can wait to catch up with their families. What the pair don’t anticipate is the series of life changing events their families have been going through while they’ve been continuing with their American adventure, including a newly nudist father.

As they try to weather the storm, they discover that being back in the UK is creating more questions than answers for them as a couple and their American dream is beginning to fade. Fast.

*This novel can be read as a follow on from The Story of Us or as a standalone* 

4 Star Review by Jen Skewes

I loved The Story of Us and was so excited when I found out that we were getting more of Lexi and Ryan.  Home For the Holidays can technically be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading The Story of Us to see how Ryan and Lexi met and fell in love.  Plus you see the close friendship between Lexi and her best friend Rosie. 

I loved Home For the Holidays.  It is one of those stories that is funny, sweet and just makes you smile.  It is about family and love.  Ryan and Lexi are both from the UK but met in The United States where Ryan was living.  They are now engaged and living in the States.  But with the holidays coming up they decide it is the prefect time of year to go back home and spend some time with their families.  Oh and the perfect time for the family introductions as well.  Yes Lexi and Ryan will be meeting each other’s families for the first time and I am sure we all remember that time and how nervous you were in that moment.  Wondering if they will like you and hope that you will get along with everyone.   Well Ryan and Lexi have those same anxieties but for Ryan he is more concerned about seeing his parents since it has been a while.  His parents are now divorced and living separate lives.  And when he sees his father for the first time in a few years he gets one heck of a surprise.  Nope, not going to tell you but will say it makes for great entertainment.

We get to spend a lot of time with Rosie and Jason who I just loved.  Rosie, Jason and Lexi have been best friends since they were kids.  Rosie and Jason are married and Rosie is expecting their first child.  She is a bit of a hormonal bitch but you still love her.  Jason tries his best to keep his lovely wife in line and take care of her and his baby that she is carrying.  No mater how cranky Rosie may be she is still one of the best friends a girl can have. 

We also get to see Luke as well who is Lexi’s ex-boyfriend from high school and also Jason’s best friend.  But things have been a little distant between them and Luke lately.  I loved Luke and wanted to see them all work out their issues.  A part of me was not a huge fan of Alice’s even though I know Luke may have had some fault in their damaged relationship.  But I was sort of hoping for more happiness for Luke and maybe with someone other than Alice.  I am just being honest here….lol  

But putting my Luke issues aside I really loved this book. I loved the feels that you get while reading it.  Lexi and Ryan are back home for a little while but start to feel that maybe they miss their life and family back home.  And have to decide if going back home to the States is really where they want to be.  I loved watching them plan their wedding.  I remember planning my own wedding and walking into the catering hall and just knowing that is the one!!  So watching Lexi and Ryan go through the same thing just brought back so many memories.  I was so happy and excited for them and in that moment my heart just melted.  These two had been through so much before they met.  But they have both found the happiness that they deserve and I loved watching their love for each other grow.  I loved seeing their happily ever after and how much their family meant to them.  This is one of those feel good books that will make you smile and laugh out loud.