Book Review: "Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida" by Sandra D. Bricker

Lawyer Cassie Constantine has no plans to stay in Florida. Shes here just long enough to sell her late husbands vacation house, a tacky bungalow shes always despised then shell hightail it back to her gracious Boston brownstone. But the place needs more work than Cassie bargained for. Whats more, her widow status is like a target on her back and the elderly matchmakers around town manage to sidetrack her mission at every turn. Holiday is a landmine of golf tournaments, ballroom dancing competitions, shuffleboard and day trips. But the biggest obstacle of all? Richard Dillon, the stuffed shirt shes paired with on the dance floor. Cassie had always considered herself uptight but Richard wont take a walk on the beach without his socks and shoes! There's one little problem he makes her heart beat faster than the rhythm of the quickstep. Can Cassie and Richard let loose long enough to have a little fun?.

I have been pleased with all the books in the Love Finds You series and I had enjoyed Sandra Bricker's previous entry, Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas. I was excited to take a trip down to Florida and see what life was like down there. Stories about widows can be difficult to write. Do you want the character to be mournful all the time or is it too soon for her to get on with her life without looking disrespectful? This book is able to combine both in Cassie's character as we see her trying to move on but at a slow pace. There is a great cast of characters in the book. Cassie and Richard make an interesting couple, but the real stars are their neighbors. Being a community with older residents, the neighbors are quirky and zany yet it's obvious they care a lot about Cassie.

There's a lot of humor and awkward moments in the book that make it really fun to read. I think my favorite scene involves a snake and a naked lady. All I will say is that I was both giggling and squirming during that scene. I'm still shivering in disgust thinking about it now. If it was as half as fun to write as it was to read it, I wouldn't be surprised.

While I enjoyed this book, there were times when I felt that there were a few times when the story seemed a bit slow. It wasn't a bore to read at all, I just felt that some scenes could have used a bit tweaking up. There is also a crossword puzzle that is vital to the story that is featured throughout the book. While this is a creative way to make the story interactive, I felt that the way it was presented was a bit awkward. Overall though I really enjoyed this story and had a great time reading it. If I ever decide to retire and move to Florida, I would love to hang around with Cassie, Richard and the rest of the gang. Sandra Bricker has written another hit for the Love Finds You series.

Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida by Sandra D. Bricker is published by Summerside Press (2009)

This review copy was provided for a blog tour with the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance