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21 July 2013

Review: 'The Longest Holiday' by Paige Toon (2013)

'Don't wait for the storm to pass; learn to dance in the rain…'

 Laura has been married to the man of her dreams for seven months. But a week before the wedding, Matthew made a terrible mistake. 

Escaping the humiliation that is now her marriage, Laura is whisked off to Florida's Key West by her best friend Marty. A carefree holiday full of cocktails and fun, surrounded by gorgeous, tanned men, is exactly what the doctor ordered. 

Distraction comes in the form of sexy Cuban scuba diver Leo. Laura's instant attraction to him knocks her flying, and she falls hard. 

As the end of the holiday approaches, Laura doesn't want to go home. Is it time to face the music? Or is there more to Key West than a holiday romance?

If there is something that can get me really excited, it’s a new Paige Toon novel. I read ‘Pictures of Lily’ several years ago, and since then Paige has definitely been one of my favourite chick lit authors. I don’t know what it exactly is about her novels, but they always manage to take over my life for several hours, in the best way possible! Once you get stuck in one of her tales, you don’t want to put it down until you’ve finished it. I had already fallen in love with the gorgeous cover (such lovely summer colours) of ‘The Longest Holiday’ and even though it took me some willpower, I decided it would be the perfect first read of my summer holidays this year. So, while I was on the way to my first holiday stop, the lovely city of Bath in England, I got stuck in ‘The Longest Holiday.’

Laura Smythson’s life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds out her husband of just a few months, Matthew, made a horrible mistake on the evening of his stag do. In an attempt to leave it all behind, Laura goes on a trip to Key West in Florida with her best friend Marty, where they spend their time in the sun, drinking and relaxing. Thankfully, Laura finds a good distraction in the form of diving instructor Leo, whom she fancies straight away. As the end of the trip comes near, however, Laura knows she shouldn’t do anything with her feelings since she is still married, but at the same time she can’t stand the thought of leaving Key West and Leo behind...

This was such an enjoyable and great read. I immediately got the ultimate holiday feeling from the descriptions of Key West, and from the beginning of the story I was already hooked. I especially loved Laura, she’s a great heroine that is easy to warm to, and the chemistry between her and Leo (such a great and brooding male hero to fall for!) was amazing. I love it when you find yourself rooting for two people to get together, and to me, the sparks between these two were practically coming from the pages! 

Paige Toon’s writing style is simply captivating, and easy to read, which made me fly through the pages of ‘The Longest Holiday’ and not want to put it down. I especially loved the saying that is used on the cover of the book: ‘Don’t wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain.’ The way this was used in the novel was so fitting and definitely inspiring! If you are looking for that perfect summer read to take with you to the beach or on holiday, definitely pick up this novel... Trust me, you will not want to put it down!

Rating:9/10

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