Holiday Hearts – Denise B. Henry
Holiday Hearts, Christmas Chaos, Kitchen Heat – and a Romance You’ll Devour
What’s more enchanting than a Christmas wedding in a grand stately home, love, family, and festive sparkle? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot when you’re the one stuck behind the scenes juggling a frantic kitchen, missing supplies, and a bride teetering on the edge of meltdown. The magic looks very different when you’re the one holding it all together. Add in a stream of well-meaning but demanding relatives, each with their own agenda, and the sparkle dims even further.
That is exactly the position Andrea finds herself in. Brought in at the last possible moment after the previous chef abruptly left, she is determined to hold everything together through sheer competence and willpower. The last thing she needs is any sort of distraction, especially not one that looms over her shoulder, wielding a clipboard, a relentless to-do list, and an alarming ability to appear at precisely the wrong moment. Yet that’s precisely where the charm of the story takes root, because it is often in the chaos that the magic begins.
One of the quiet delights of this book is its setting. It takes place in the late 1980s, though the author never explicitly states it. Instead, she relies on small, carefully placed clues to capture the era: a comment, an attitude, a song played in passing. These hints are never intrusive or heavy-handed; rather, they give you a sense of time and place that slowly intensifies as the story unfolds. The world-building is subtle but impressively vivid. You can almost feel the bustle of the kitchen, the atmosphere of the house, and the quiet undercurrents between family members. It’s woven together gradually, like a tapestry growing fuller with every page.
The cast isn’t enormous, but those who take centre stage are wonderfully layered. There’s complexity and humour, warmth and tension, all of which create an authentic portrait of a large family navigating the pressures of hosting a wedding. Anyone who has spent time in a big family will almost certainly recognise an uncle, cousin, or sibling in one of these characters. They feel real, sometimes exasperating, sometimes endearing, always familiar. It feels lived-in, authentic, and full of affection.
That said, the story does have a few shortcomings. The handling of time within the narrative is the most noticeable. There are moments when it feels as though only an hour or two has passed, yet suddenly the day is finished and we’ve leapt ahead far more quickly than expected. Because the entire book takes place over the course of a single week, time is inevitably tight. Still, the pacing occasionally feels rushed or uneven. It’s not enough to pull you out of the story for long, but it does create the occasional moment of confusion.
The romantic arc has a similar issue, at least from Andrea’s perspective. For a character who is otherwise portrayed with emotional nuance, her romantic feelings seem to appear suddenly, almost fully formed. There is little sense of the gradual build or inner realisation readers often hope for in romance. It’s a surprising omission, given how skilled Denise B. Henry is at conveying other emotional states with precision and authenticity. Perhaps it was intended to show Andrea’s uncertainty or reluctance to acknowledge her emotions, but it does make her romantic shift feel a little abrupt. Even so, this doesn’t overshadow the book’s overall charm.
The spicy scenes, however, are a standout. They’re present, but they never dominate or detract from the plot. Instead, they complement the emotional beats, written with originality rather than recycled clichés. It’s refreshing to see intimate moments handled in a way that feels both distinctive and genuine, something many ‘spice-heavy’ romances could learn from.
If you’re looking for a festive read that offers cosy escapism without relying on modern conveniences to smooth over every difficulty, this one is a delight. Andrea’s determination to prove herself is relatable, and her self-doubt is handled sensitively without veering into melodrama. Her journey, steady, grounded, and rooted in integrity, is satisfying to follow.
I also loved the twist on the grumpy/sunshine trope. For once, we have a prickly, guarded female lead paired with an irrepressibly cheerful male counterpart. It’s a refreshing reversal of the usual formula, and it genuinely brings a smile to your face.
All in all, it’s a warm-hearted, festive romance that’s perfect for readers who want to step into a charming world for a while and watch two very different people collide in the best possible way. A genuinely uplifting Christmas treat.
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