Book Review: The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon

Title: The Longest Holiday
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing Date: April 25th 2013
Length: 400 pages
Keywords: romance, chick-lit, vacation, self-discovery, Key West
Source: Publisher

He's smiling down at me with tears in his eyes as I say my solemn vow:
'I, Laura, take thee, Matthew, to be my lawful wedded husband…' I thought I would never feel like this about anyone ever again. Not after my first love… Not after the heartbreak and the loss and the trying to pick myself back up again… Then I met Matthew, and I know that he has my heart forever: my perfect, gorgeous, adoring Matthew. And then I wake up. And I remember that he's not perfect. He's so far from perfect that my heart could surely collapse from the pain that instantly engulfs me…
To say Laura is unlucky in love is an understatement. Her first boyfriend died in a horrific accident, and now she's just discovered that her husband of six months has been hiding a terrible secret. Devastated and unwilling to face reality, she escapes on a girls' holiday to Key West with her best friend Marty. But a deep and instant attraction to a sexy Cuban scuba diver takes her completely by surprise. When her two weeks in the sun come to an end, Laura doesn't want to go home again. But she can't run from real life forever. Can she?

Summary by Goodreads 

Laura, Marty and Bridget are on their way to Key West. They've come to explore Florida, to party and most important to forget (and forgive) Laura's husband Matthew. THE LONGEST HOLIDAY is told from Laura's perspective who has to deal with a lot right now, something her husband did to her. Like possibly every other woman I couldn't help to feel sorry for Laura and angry at otherwise pretty perfect, but admittedly plain, Matthew.

The Keys open up a whole new world for Laura. Without the pressure and pretence of life back in London. And without any barriers to hold her back. For Laura it's not just a trip across the Atlantic, but a chance to discover herself and find her place in life.What is life worth if you are constantly stressing or worrying yourself? Laura's inspirational quote sums it up best: "Don't wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain." 

The trio's girl power is a fabulous and carefree plunge into the story. Marty and Bridget urge Laura to let go and drink, party and have fun with them. Together they absolve a dive course and drive around to explore the island. You'll learn a few fun facts about the Keys and are awarded with a gratis crash course on Scuba diving. It's a wonderland of colorful underwater scenery, brightly painted houses and the richness of nature and food in its exotic glory. They are having a blast, but when the time comes to leave and go back to England Laura does what she feels like and not what others expect her to do. She stays.

One evening Laura finds herself wandering around and is magically drawn to an overgrown garden. It's life that throws fortunate coincidences your way and so it comes that Laura moves in with her new crush, sexy Scuba diver Leo, his friend Carlos and his sister Carmen and her boyfriend. By stepping into their home, she's entering an almost dream-like world, paradise right outside her window. Now it's her task to find out what's in her heart. Can she go back to London and face reality or does she stay in Florida. And what does brooding and cautious Leo want?

Laura's and Leo's relationship is like a little game itself. They are slinking around each other, testing, and teasing. When they are ready and willing to let go of their inhibitions, their emotions flow into a sensual bond that gives THE LONGEST HOLIDAY a very passionate and slightly erotic air. Be assured, this isn't about the sex only, their love story convinces with a a true romantic feel to it. 

Leo isn't your typical love interest. He's unrelenting and at first seemingly uninterested. But there's much more to him than you first thought. In the course of the story he goes through something that shows his loyal and loving character that you can't help but be touched by. 

So far I have only read one other book by Paige Toon, ONE PERFECT SUMMER, and I enjoyed it so much that I did a jump of joy when Simon & Schuster sent me her newest book THE LONGEST HOLIDAY. I heard that Paige Toon brings back characters from her previous books and involves them in her new stories. That's something I am absolutely cheerful about. I'm a reader who never wants to let go of her characters and meet them again and again. I recognized one character from ONE PERFECT SUMMER crossing Laura's way but there could be others, too I haven't met yet. My goal is to read all previous Paige Toon books by next year so that 2013 can be officially named my Paige Toon year.  

1) of its vibrant underwater scenery
2) we've always wanted to live in paradise
3) of a glimpse on the other side of love
4) there's a new dream for everyone
5) we get a chance to meet other beloved Paige Toon characters again

4/5 **** - A luscious and inspirational journey to paradise, self-discovery and beyond!

THE LONGEST HOLIDAY is indeed a fine holiday read and another definitive chick-lit favourite of mine. You practically feel the soft sea breeze combing your hair, sand between your toes and smell the richest flavours of Leo's curry. Between Laura's sorrowful past and her confusing present, there's hope at a bright and rewarding future.

* Want to read more by Paige Toon? Start with her first novel, LUCY IN THE SKY!

* You can read an excerpt of THE LONGEST HOLIDAY by clicking here.

* You might want to have a look at Paige Toon's research photos for THE LONGEST HOLIDAY.

* For further information about Paige Toon and her books visit www.paigetoon.com

* Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me THE LONGEST HOLIDAY for review! 

Book Review: One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon

Title: One Perfect Summer

Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing Date: May 10th 2012
Length: 464 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, chick lit, college, England, vacation, romance, first love
Source: Publisher

'And you still love him?'
'Every second of every minute of every hour of every day…'

While on holiday in Dorset one summer, Alice meets Joe, a guy working at the local pub. She's eighteen and on the brink of starting university, while Joe's life is seemingly going nowhere. But despite their differences, the pair fall hopelessly and desperately in love. And then summer comes to an end and they are dramatically torn apart.

Alice heads off to university in Cambridge where she gets a part-time job punting on the River Cam and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. One day Lukas - a gorgeous golden boy from Cambridge University - spies her and it's not long before Alice falls for his charms.

Months turns into years, but then Joe comes back into Alice's life again in a way that she could never have imagined. While Alice lives her ordinary life with Lukas, she has to watch from the sidelines as Joe's life becomes evermore extraordinary. She never stopped loving him, but he's out of her reach now, surely? And what about Lukas?

Summary by Goodreads

Before I started book blogging I had mostly been into chick lit. It always had to be something with a great romance and a ton of emotions. ONE PERFECT SUMMER reminded me of how much I had loved these books when I was younger. Reading ONE PERFECT SUMMER felt so gratifying that I didn't want it to end too soon. This book was a chick lit love revival on 464 pages! 

Eighteen-year-old Alice is set to spend her summer in Dorset with her parents, a vacation in a small and cosy cottage near the beach. From the beginning on the story conveyed a very idyllic, casual and summery feel. With the stunning Dorset background, the cliffs and wide plains, it wasn't difficult at all to dream myself into Alice's story of first love and become a part of it. She's still a teenager and the following weeks are some of the most important of her life. Alice meets Joe and they fall for each other...fast and hard. 

Alice's and Joe's first love is glowing and full of cheerful and guiltless feelings for each other. The first few chapters are pure feel-good material and one could live in this dream world forever, but at some point Alice needs to wake up and see that life is not easy, it is anything but. Life and people can be brutal and some scenes felt crushing in comparison to their innocent young love. Paige Toon made the story feel like a story cut out of a real person's life. Tragic and real. I enjoyed ONE PERFECT SUMMER especially because it was mostly about the simple and daily things in life. 

ONE PERFECT SUMMER is set over the course of several years and is focusing on Alice's pretty awesome college years. We see her make new friends and find another love in Lukas. While Joe isn't a physically present constant in her life anymore, Alice can't seem to get him out of her head. The boys her heart belongs to are very different. Lucas is from a rich family with high standards and he always feels the need to steer Alice's life in the right direction. Joe is a free spirit, brought up under diffcult family circumstances and just wanting to escape this world of hurt and neglect to find his own way. And I just have to admit that I wanted for Joe and Alice to find happiness again in the end.
I really liked the life Alice built for herself, living in a house with her best friends and always having a good time without overdoing it. 
Her new friends, Jessie and Emily, and her best friend Lizzy from before college are a homogenous part of the story and not just a means to prolong the storyline, to add characters because you have to fill pages. I always wanted to know what happened in their lives, too and if they'd find happiness in the end.

My only concern was the Hollywood factor entering the story at some point. One of our characters becomes famous and the story didn't feel so everyday anymore. It blew up the story to something bigger than it should have been, but it only slightly lost some of its original allurement. 
The ending was a tad fast and I would have wished for a longer epilogue and for that I wouldn't mind a sequel. But I already saw there is a short story following ONE PERFECT SUMMER named ONE PERFECT CHRISTMAS. 

 


1) of a fun college experience
2) of two equally loving and caring boys
3) of a perfect vacation
4) it promises heart-break but also to chance to mend the brokes pieces back together in an even stronger and more beautiful constellation
5) of an adventurous punting job

4,5/5 ****/* ONE PERFECT SUMMER - A splendid summer read and not just a fling! 

ONE PERFECT SUMMER was indeed one nerarly perfect read. This was the first book by Paige Toon that I read and I can't wait to read all her other books in my next vacation. Set in London, Cambridge and Dorset the story fits exactly into that light summer read category, that uplifts your reading spirits and takes you to far away newfound places.

 
* Paige Toon's next book, THE LONGEST HOLIDAY, was released April 25th 2013.

* For an excerpt of ONE PERFECT SUMMER, click here. 

* ONE PERFECT SUMMER research photos.

* For further information about the author visit www.paigetoon.com

* Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy for review!