Review: Holiday Man by Marilyn Brant

With New Year's Day behind us and Valentine's Day fast approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to review Holiday Man by Marilyn Brant. This contemporary romance takes readers through a year of holidays, beginning on Valentine's Day. 

Shannon Quinn is suffering from a romantic dry spell. Perhaps it is running Holiday Quinn, a quaint holiday themed bed and breakfast, that keeps her too busy for romance. Sure, there is her young, good-looking assistant Jake Marcolis, who brings sexual suggestiveness to every conversation, but that’s just his way; he’s a Grade-A flirt. He can’t honestly be serious about Shannon. Could he? But when the tall, dark and deliciously handsome Bram Hartwick walks through the inn’s doors on Valentine’s Day, Shannon’s dry spell may be coming to an end.

Surprising herself, Shannon begins sizing up the intense looking man with jet-black hair and a rather unsettling gaze. As her thoughts rapidly begin taking a more erotic bend, Shannon remembers what her friend and mentor, Margaret Ashland, once said, “Some temptations should never be resisted.”

For Bram Hartwick, there is also no denying the sexually charged energy between them. This may well be the thing he’s looking for: a hot, short-term romance with boundaries. As Bram visits Holiday Quinn throughout a year of random holidays and passion-filled trysts, can their relationship stay hot and short-term or has it gradually moved into something more? What’s more, can our carnal couple overcome their frequent misunderstandings and differing desires in life? Shannon wants to experience world adventures outside Door County, Wisconsin while Bram seems ready to settle down into a relaxing life in the country. Shannon continually finds herself asking if one adventure will lead to another, if one small risk opens the door to larger ones? And are these risks she is willing to take, both emotionally and personally?

I have yet to encounter a novel by Marilyn Brant that I have not either simply enjoyed or altogether loved. With each story, I am impressed at how well scenes are described and how easily I am transported to them. Adding to my sensory experience, Brant seamlessly finds a way to incorporate music and food into each novel, with Holiday Man being no exception. Readers are taken back in time with classic tunes such as “Playing with the Queen of Hearts” during the inn’s Valentine’s Singles Dance, the appropriate “Monster Mash” at Halloween, and “White Christmas” during the Christmas season. When it comes to food, I do not think I will ever look at a cupcake the same way after Shannon’s tantalizing Memorial Day cupcakes, and I have a great desire to try some Česnica, Serbian Christmas bread, after Bram and Shannon’s savory scene. I have come to look forward to the various and illustrated ways Brant draws me in, enlivening my reading experience.

Holiday Man is a hot, quick, and titillating read, sure to keep one warm during these long, cold winter months. 

Read an excerpt from Holiday Man HERE! 

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Kindle | Nook

*Review copy provided by author