Holiday Escort

by Julia P. Lynde

[Angie]

Madeline is the best personal assistant around, but in Holiday Escort, she finds herself being offered an unconventional position. After several months of job hunting, Madeline lands herself in Karen's office. She's not qualified for the in office assistant position, but with the holiday season drawing near, Karen needs someone for more personal reasons. For the next month, Madeline is to be Karen's live-in girlfriend, hosting parties, keeping house, and cooking dinner.

Holiday Escort is a fake relationship turned real romance with a holiday twist! Madeline has never identified as anything other than straight, but she genuinely likes Karen, she pays well, and hey, she might get some contacts out of the deal. Obviously, spending so much time together and acting as a couple, leads to feelings developing. Madeline isn't sure what to do when they're contract is over, but she does know that she wants to be with Karen. I loved how their relationship develops. There's no big "AH HA!" moment. They just get to know each other and everything happens naturally. I also loved that Madeline wasn't afraid to admit that she's unsure what to do in the bedroom, and Karen leads her through it. It's all very sweet.

What I also loved about Holiday Escort was that no one is giving up their dreams to be together! Karen is essentially married to her job, which is why she needs someone to help her with all of the holiday tasks. She also doesn't want to come home and be alone, but she's definitely not giving up the career that she's worked hard to build. On the other hand, Madeline might be unemployed at the moment, but she's not content to just be a housewife either. She discusses this with Karen, and even though Karen is more than willing to support her financially, she also understands Madeline's need to actually do something. In fact, it's Karen's contacts who help Madeline find her dream job!

Holiday Escort was really great. I loved watching Madeline and Karen grow closer, and I loved that they actually communicated with each other (most of the time) instead of making drama out of nothing. I'm also glad that the story extended beyond them falling in love. It was nice to see them settle into their new real relationship and navigate the dynamics.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.