Review of Finding Julia by Desiree Holt

Finding Julia by Desiree Holt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Finding Julia was not the Desiree Holt book for me. I’ve read several of Ms. Holt’s novellas and books and find her writing style to be quite enjoyable. The same holds true for this book. She has produced a cast of characters in this book that were, for the most part, rather entertaining – even the ones you’re meant to hate. However, for me, I didn’t like Julia much at all. She had moments here and there during which I found her likeable, but for the most part she annoyed me and pissed me off. Her martyr syndrome got to be way too much and I just wanted to take her out to a big body of water and drown her. At about 75% into the book I finally realized why I disliked her character … she reminded me of an ostrich with her head buried in the sand. This is not to say that she wasn’t dealing with some serious situations – because she most definitely was – but the things she agreed to do just to avoid confrontations with her prick of a husband (soon-to-be ex) were mindboggling for me. I kept waiting for her to say enough is enough.

Fortunately it was Luke and the supporting cast of characters that made this book palatable for me. While I was rooting for Luke and Julia to get together, it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Luke being happy and Julia made him happy. The fact that he obviously knew his way around a woman’s body made for some STEAMY sex scenes. Claire and her husband were a wonderful support system for Julia, with Claire providing reality checks as need. I loved the relationship she had with Miranda, the live-in nanny/housekeeper/cook – it went far beyond employer-employee and made Miranda yet another individual in her corner.

While there were references to her past, I never felt like an actual explanation was given as to why she married and then stayed with her husband. Maybe a better understanding of Julia would have enabled me to connect her, but it just wasn’t meant to be. With all that said, do not allow my dislike of Julia to sway you against the book. Ms. Holt is an excellent writer and Finding Julia is a well-crafted novel. I suggest you download a sample and check it out for yourself. Just because I didn’t like Julia, doesn’t mean you won’t. You may love Finding Julia because ultimately it is the story of a woman who finds herself and the trials and tribulations she endures to get there.

I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!

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