The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks | Arc Review

Thi and I are so excited to bring you a joint arc review! We read book one of this series, Holly Banks Full of Angst, and we absolutely adored it. So when we got the opportunity to get our hands on an arc of The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks, you know we jumped on it!

Synopsis:

A wife, mother, and aspiring filmmaker clings to the pursuit of perfection only to have fate play with every plan she’s made in this quirky, contemplative, and empowering novel.

Holly Banks is on a desperate mission to have it all, but nothing in life goes according to plan. She’s quickly learning that keeping up with the Joneses is a full-time job, especially when the women of Primm, her new neighborhood, seem to have it together all the time.

With her husband’s job in flux, her daughter’s difficulty with learning to read, and her mother’s new zest for dating, Holly’s life is already anything but picture perfect. Then her dog digs up an old artifact in the village center, and the mishap draws the attention of local media. Because of course it would.

Holly finds herself at the center of a mystery between two rival towns that, if solved, could change the Village of Primm forever. Attention is the last thing she needs as she’s launching a new business, the village-wide “Parade of Homes” is approaching—though she’s hardly unpacked—and she needs to submit her entry for an upcoming film festival. Can Holly still create her perfect (looking) life? Or is fate about to go off script and give her a story she never could have imagined?

This is the second installment of the Village of Primm series and we pick up right where we left off with book one- Holly Banks Full of Angst, which is about a month after the Banks family moved to Primm.

Though the books may be standalones, we feel you would get more from the stories if you read it from the beginning. This will give you a better understanding of the characters and the dynamic of the new town and its residents.

Holly Banks is still trying to adjust to the Primm lifestyle when her dog, Struggle manages to dig up a mystery artifact adding to her continuing list of mayhems and misadventures.

While we enjoyed revisiting the Villiage of Primm, this book was missing some of the laugh out loud moments that we fell in love with in the first book. Please give us more Mary Margaret vs Holly Banks witty banter!

This book definitely had a more serious tone as it showed Holly navigating through various life challenges. So, while we did miss some of the laugh-out-loud moments, one of the things this book is not lacking, is a true glimpse into the life of an adult.

One of the reasons we both love Holly Banks so much is because she is relatable. She is flawed and sarcastic, but full of heart and means well. So, seeing her character navigate through some personal and life issues- you can’t help but root for her. Between battling with house repairs and caring for aging parents, this shows that it is okay to not have your whole life in order.

All in all, this is a quick and fun read and a series that we would recommend! We can’t wait to see what is in store for Holly and the Village of Primm. Hip hip!

Book Details:

Title: The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks
Author: Julie Valerie
Publication Date: November 24, 2020
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Have you read Holly Banks Full of Angst? If so, what did you think and will you read the follow up?

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