Farah Heron creates a warmly textured winter romance in her delightful novel A Little Holiday Fling. The vivacious Rubina "Ruby" Dhanji dreams of leaving Toronto and her luxury retail career behind for a chance to fulfill her and her mother's dream of opening "an inn or a bed and breakfast in the English countryside." Although her mother died of breast cancer years ago, Ruby has now laid the groundwork--and gained access to a trust her mother left her--so she can move to the U.K. Six weeks before leaving, she meets Rashid Hakim, another Ismaili Muslim, who looks "like a Brown Clive Owen." Unfortunately, he's also a grinch who seems to hate everything Ruby loves, including Christmas, spontaneity, and seasonal drinks. However, he's determined to help his recently separated sister, Jasmine, and twin nieces have a decent holiday season. Cue Ruby introducing him and the girls to the wonders of a secular Christmas in exchange for a recommendation to their family's U.K. hotel group.
Heron (Jana Goes Wild; Accidentally Engaged) deftly builds this rom-com on complexities that add depth. For instance, amid Ruby's burgeoning romance with Rashid, she must face her difficult father, who left her mother when she became ill and unable to work, cook, or clean. The novel also explicitly contends with class as Rashid, a dermatologist from a wealthy family, doesn't realize his biases until Ruby, who grew up working class, points them out. The outcome is a multilayered and heartfelt seasonal treat. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator