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Holland: Jake & Eleanor's Story
Eleanor Murphy's life has always been about sacrifice-sacrificing her dreams, her happiness, and even her sense of self for the sake of her family. But after her fractured 14 year marriage finally shatters, leaving her as a single mother of two young boys, she's left wondering if she has the strength to rebuild her life. A new job brings her into the orbit of Jake Holland, a bold and magnetic contractor, and Eleanor quickly learns that some people are worth trusting.
Jake Holland has always played it safe, building walls around his heart as carefully as the homes he's famous for. But Eleanor changes everything. Her quiet resilience, fierce devotion to her sons, and natural warmth awaken a part of him he thought he'd locked away forever. As their connection deepens, Jake finds himself breaking every rule he's made about love and family, determined to give Eleanor and her boys the life they've always deserved.
When ghosts from Eleanor's past threaten to derail their happiness, Jake and Eleanor must lean on each other like never before. Can their love withstand the challenges ahead, or will fear and doubt keep them from the family they've both longed for?
Content Holland contains scenes involving DV and SA, which may be distressing for some readers. While the story centers on personal growth, healing, and second chances, it also explores the lasting impact of abusive relationships and the emotional complexities that come with them.
This story is not intended to romanticize abuse or abusers in any way.
Please take care while reading, and know this book was written to offer a message of hope, strength, and resilience.
Jake Holland has always played it safe, building walls around his heart as carefully as the homes he's famous for. But Eleanor changes everything. Her quiet resilience, fierce devotion to her sons, and natural warmth awaken a part of him he thought he'd locked away forever. As their connection deepens, Jake finds himself breaking every rule he's made about love and family, determined to give Eleanor and her boys the life they've always deserved.
When ghosts from Eleanor's past threaten to derail their happiness, Jake and Eleanor must lean on each other like never before. Can their love withstand the challenges ahead, or will fear and doubt keep them from the family they've both longed for?
Content Holland contains scenes involving DV and SA, which may be distressing for some readers. While the story centers on personal growth, healing, and second chances, it also explores the lasting impact of abusive relationships and the emotional complexities that come with them.
This story is not intended to romanticize abuse or abusers in any way.
Please take care while reading, and know this book was written to offer a message of hope, strength, and resilience.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 1, 2025
The fact that the MFC is my age gave this book an automatic 3 stars. Thank god for that. Haha
Seriously though, this is so beautifully written. The story is so relatable, raw and real. Each character felt so genuine to me, I want to be friends with these characters.. Hell I could be friends with them! Lol it takes on a serious topic so tastefully and authentically, which I really appreciated. I really can’t see anyone being disappointed with this one. I’m reeeeally happy it’s a part of a series because I’d love to live in this world a bit longer. ❤️
Seriously though, this is so beautifully written. The story is so relatable, raw and real. Each character felt so genuine to me, I want to be friends with these characters.. Hell I could be friends with them! Lol it takes on a serious topic so tastefully and authentically, which I really appreciated. I really can’t see anyone being disappointed with this one. I’m reeeeally happy it’s a part of a series because I’d love to live in this world a bit longer. ❤️
July 2, 2026
Some books entertain you. Others reach into places you didn’t realize still needed healing. Holland was the latter.
I picked this up expecting an emotional women’s fiction novel, but I wasn’t prepared for how deeply Jennifer Hardie captured the reality of surviving domestic abuse. I could not put it down. Every spare moment was spent reading, every household chore was ignored, and the second I turned the final page, I added Book 2 to my cart.
The heroine is wonderfully written; strong, vibrant, fiercely maternal, yet deeply conflicted. She’s determined to protect her children while convincing herself that she chose this life and now has to live with the consequences. She longs to be independent, to rebuild a life that belongs to her, and to show her children that it can be done. That internal battle felt heartbreakingly authentic.
TW: DV, SA and PTSD.
These topics are handled with care while never minimizing the reality of what survivors endure.
What resonated with me most wasn’t just leaving, it was everything that comes after. The overwhelming guilt when abuse spills over into your children’s lives. The indescribable relief when they’re finally safe and you can breathe again. The slow rebuilding of your identity. And the reality that even after you’ve escaped, one unexpected phone call or text can throw your nervous system straight back into survival mode.
The book also captures something I don’t often see portrayed: the moment your healing begins to outgrow your fear. The realization that your abuser is losing their power over you. Ironically, that’s often when the situation becomes the most unpredictable and dangerous, making the support of trusted people and the right resources absolutely life-saving. Sometimes courage doesn’t appear out of nowhere, it grows because someone finally shows up beside you.
One line of thought stayed with me long after I finished: every survivor who tells their story leaves behind a handbook for the next survivor. There are people alive today because someone else showed them it was possible to leave.
As someone who has lived through many of these emotions, this story felt incredibly cathartic. I immediately connected with the main character, understood her decisions, her fears, her guilt, and ultimately her triumph. Watching her reclaim herself wasn’t just satisfying, it was healing.
If you’ve ever wondered whether life exists beyond survival, Holland answers with a resounding yes. It reminds us that home isn’t a place you return to, it’s something you build after you’ve found the courage to leave.
An easy five stars. One of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a survivor’s story, it helps carry one forward.
I picked this up expecting an emotional women’s fiction novel, but I wasn’t prepared for how deeply Jennifer Hardie captured the reality of surviving domestic abuse. I could not put it down. Every spare moment was spent reading, every household chore was ignored, and the second I turned the final page, I added Book 2 to my cart.
The heroine is wonderfully written; strong, vibrant, fiercely maternal, yet deeply conflicted. She’s determined to protect her children while convincing herself that she chose this life and now has to live with the consequences. She longs to be independent, to rebuild a life that belongs to her, and to show her children that it can be done. That internal battle felt heartbreakingly authentic.
TW: DV, SA and PTSD.
These topics are handled with care while never minimizing the reality of what survivors endure.
What resonated with me most wasn’t just leaving, it was everything that comes after. The overwhelming guilt when abuse spills over into your children’s lives. The indescribable relief when they’re finally safe and you can breathe again. The slow rebuilding of your identity. And the reality that even after you’ve escaped, one unexpected phone call or text can throw your nervous system straight back into survival mode.
The book also captures something I don’t often see portrayed: the moment your healing begins to outgrow your fear. The realization that your abuser is losing their power over you. Ironically, that’s often when the situation becomes the most unpredictable and dangerous, making the support of trusted people and the right resources absolutely life-saving. Sometimes courage doesn’t appear out of nowhere, it grows because someone finally shows up beside you.
One line of thought stayed with me long after I finished: every survivor who tells their story leaves behind a handbook for the next survivor. There are people alive today because someone else showed them it was possible to leave.
As someone who has lived through many of these emotions, this story felt incredibly cathartic. I immediately connected with the main character, understood her decisions, her fears, her guilt, and ultimately her triumph. Watching her reclaim herself wasn’t just satisfying, it was healing.
If you’ve ever wondered whether life exists beyond survival, Holland answers with a resounding yes. It reminds us that home isn’t a place you return to, it’s something you build after you’ve found the courage to leave.
An easy five stars. One of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a survivor’s story, it helps carry one forward.
October 7, 2025
I started this hoping to read it leisurely over a few days and when I say I couldn’t put it down I mean I finished it within hours!
Jake and Eleanor’s story is so captivating…finding Jake to actually be a soft teddy bear until those he cares for are threatened. And Eleanor….what a strong and beautifully resilient woman and mother. Throughout her hardships she shows up consistently for her boys, for her job and most importantly…she was learning to do it for herself! Every page I was either giggling at her clumsiness, tearing up for her heartache, ready to punch her ex or yelling in my head for her to trust in Jake. I felt like I was in the beautiful homes of Holland Ridge Estates, wondering at the beautiful architecture while witnessing a love story unfold…but not just traditional love with another but love for one self and the healing it takes to get there. Jennifer Hardie captures it all in the first book of her Coming Home
Series! Can’t wait to read more about the Holland men!
Jake and Eleanor’s story is so captivating…finding Jake to actually be a soft teddy bear until those he cares for are threatened. And Eleanor….what a strong and beautifully resilient woman and mother. Throughout her hardships she shows up consistently for her boys, for her job and most importantly…she was learning to do it for herself! Every page I was either giggling at her clumsiness, tearing up for her heartache, ready to punch her ex or yelling in my head for her to trust in Jake. I felt like I was in the beautiful homes of Holland Ridge Estates, wondering at the beautiful architecture while witnessing a love story unfold…but not just traditional love with another but love for one self and the healing it takes to get there. Jennifer Hardie captures it all in the first book of her Coming Home
Series! Can’t wait to read more about the Holland men!
June 22, 2025
Jake?! YES PLEASE. 😭🥰🥹 I absolutely did not want to put this book down. It has so much depth, you really feel in these characters world and fall in love with them. The author did an amazing job at taking the trauma of domestic violence and illustrating it into this book and showing just how much of it also affects the children in those situations all while making the book just light hearted enough. Giving a glimpse of what life is like for the survivors, and showing how it can be like afterwards from all angles. It was beautifully written. And packed so many emotions! It truly shows what it’s like to let yourself love again! Second chance romance, with the right guy. The character depth, the plot, the storyline, it was all SO GOOD! I still can’t believe this was a debut novel. It’s a 100% must read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
I enjoyed this book - although the one thing I didn't really like was the fact that it was written in third person.
Eleanor, a single mother of two boys and recently separated from her toxic husband, gets the opportunity to work with for her best friend as an interior designer where she meets Jake who is the business owner of the contacting business.
I loved how Jake and Eleanor's relationship grew throughout the book and how he was there for not only Eleanor but for her son's as well.
This book does mention DV and SA, so be sure to check the content warnings/triggers. I also found that the book jumped in time quite a bit and I felt that there could have been moments where it was elaborated more. I also felt that there was a lot of build up to intimate moments throughout, but just kind of left due to closed door scenes.
Eleanor, a single mother of two boys and recently separated from her toxic husband, gets the opportunity to work with for her best friend as an interior designer where she meets Jake who is the business owner of the contacting business.
I loved how Jake and Eleanor's relationship grew throughout the book and how he was there for not only Eleanor but for her son's as well.
This book does mention DV and SA, so be sure to check the content warnings/triggers. I also found that the book jumped in time quite a bit and I felt that there could have been moments where it was elaborated more. I also felt that there was a lot of build up to intimate moments throughout, but just kind of left due to closed door scenes.
July 7, 2025
This book was so good!! I couldn’t put it down, such a great love story. I thought it was going to be lighter before I started it but had a lot of depth with the sensitive topics Eleanor was going through which pulled on the heart strings. The very end was a bit predictable but in a good way. Emotional and frustrated by her choices at times but that’s what kept me reading and wanting more. Loved this book.
July 25, 2025
I loved it!
Such a wonderfully written novel with relatable characters. I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to the other novels in the series.
Such a wonderfully written novel with relatable characters. I couldn’t put it down. I’m looking forward to the other novels in the series.
June 30, 2025
This story is a touching and realistic glimpse into the emotional journey of a woman, and a mother, rebuilding her life after surviving domestic abuse. The author did a great job showing how difficult intimacy and trust can be after trauma and I couldn't put it down, I just needed to know what was going to happen. The story was thought provoking and stayed with me long after the last page...and since it's a series, I get to return to their world again! I can't wait.
If you enjoy emotional second chance romances with depth, you should give it a read!
If you enjoy emotional second chance romances with depth, you should give it a read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews