Deck the Headlines with love
By PHOENIX CARLISLE | Cover courtesy of Lightning Strike Press
Find hope in your hometown this holiday season with Deck the Headlines by Teagan Hart. Navigate the hometown memories held by Ella Danforth as she falls back in love with Hope Island and the grumpy journalist of The Hope Hornblower, while solving the mystery of her office floorboards.
Recently graduated journalist Ella Danforth is right where she wants to be … FAR away from her hometown of Hope Island, Washington, but in a single morning, she loses everything. Before sundown she finds herself home for the first time in four years to reluctantly take up the recently (and mysteriously) available post of editor-in-chief for the local paper: The Hope Hornblower.
And who does she find in her way? Cal Dickson, a jaded New Yorker fleeing a billionaire marriage alliance back home and hoping to get the top job himself.
The sparks turn to flames as they’re forced together to tackle the “Hellidays” — a month of wacky, holiday events designed for tourists, ranging from midnight fruitcake fights to semi-dirty holiday cookie decorating contests complete with themed drinks!
Each day they get closer to Christmas Eve, the tension between the two keeps rising. But will their mutually painful pasts conspire to douse the flames of love?
If you watch Gilmore Girls and think “Ugh, they have such cute little festivals” or “Ugh, look at the weather there, it actually gets cold,” this is the book for you.
Ella Danforth is like if Rory did pursue a successful career in journalism; going back to her hometown may sound like her final straw yet it ends up leading to a holiday filled with healing. Ella learns to overcome her cranberry trauma, fall in love, and discover what it actually means to be part of the journalism business.
But of course, before she can get to all of the festive love, her entire life in Seattle has to fall apart. Is this book incredibly cheesy? Absolutely! Is it exactly the distraction we need this year? Ab-so-lute-ly!
I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, especially when the male main character falls first, and boy did Cal fall first. Cal was so grumpy, so witty but also somehow sweet. The banter between Cal and Ella was hilarious and a great launch into their relationship. Their pranks were of course holiday themed but also gave both of them nudges into the community that ultimately made the “failed writer girl” and the “new guy in town” fall in love with Hope Island.
The plot also includes a mini mystery that is extremely easy to figure out, yet it was a simple way to get the characters together. Hope Island was so adorable. Everyone knew everyone, all the events and shared memories placed the readers in Cal’s position of falling in love with the town’s charm.
Some details were confusing. Was Cal engaged or not? Who knows until halfway in when they finally explain it. Why can’t Ella get over her cranberry trauma? Who knows, until Cal shares his embarrassing story.
Deck the Headlines by Teagan Hart is the comedic love story we all need for this season. She swore she’d never go back to her hometown island. He can’t get enough of its wacky “helliday” charm. Thrown together chasing headlines and solving mysteries, will the sparks flying between them turn into love? Happy holidays and stay warm!
