The Holiday Whoopie by Sara L Hudson

A Romance Novel published (11/11/25)

Summary: It’s Just Business Until It’s Not

“I know exactly what it’s like to live entirely at work and leave the rest empty because you’re never really there.” (Kindle 25%).

When a driven pastry chef and an equally ambitious Hollywood lawyer collide, sparks (and whoopie pies) fly. Audrey traded the high-stakes world of the Ritz-Carlton for the small town charm of her whoopie-pie in Hideaway Harbor, determined to build something of her own. Jack, the Hollywood Lawyer, never planned on staying long. But when a snowstorm, a viral Christmas tree disaster, and a few too many pun-filled pastries throw them together, neither can ignore the chemistry simmering beneath their banter. What starts as a business relationship turns into something deeper, as they learn that sometimes the sweetest things in life come when you stop trying to control the recipe.

Keywords:

Contemporary, Hideaway Harbor, Christmas, Lawyer, Small-Town, Bakery, Expectations, Competition, Pies

My Review:

Audry is the pastry chef at the top of her game who left a prestigious position at the Ritz Carlton to open a Whoopie pie innuendo laden bakery in the small town of Hideaway Harbor. I relate to her Type A personality so much! She has trouble relinquishing control of anything in her life. And she’s out to prove to her mother that her career change was a good choice, in any way possible. She’s burning the candle at both ends, and it’s never enough. Her dream of a small-town life with a husband and kids has been set aside because she’s too busy. She’s stuck in the constant cycle of doing more while not being enough, and that’s quite relatable. She’s driven, sharp, and definitely not looking for a man in a thousand-dollar suit who treats deadlines like oxygen.

Jack is the LA lawyer who is always treated as the sidekick. He barely gets any attention when he’s out and about with his clients. He’s viewed only as his profession. LAWYER in all caps whenever he’s in public. Even Audrey only sees him as business-only, Scrooge-like, holiday downer of a dude who is only in it for the billable hours.

It’s just business for them both… Until it’s not. I loved seeing the two perspectives of these main characters as they spent more time with each other and brought out the best in each other. The croissants are good, but the sex is better! It gets just as steamy as any of the other books in the Hideaway Harbor series.

I loved this book and could not put it down. The writing is smooth and smart, the pacing keeps you hooked, and I’ve grown to love the town of Hideaway Harbor with this series of books.

I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

This novel was published on 11/11/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information

Goodreads