An Unexpected Holiday

by Carrie Crafton

When Penny’s best friend from college shows up heartbroken on her doorstep, she has no idea how much her summer is about to be upended. The practical plans Penny made to get her life on track are suddenly derailed when Irish born Bonnie insists they jet off to Ireland; the only place she could possibly heal. What’s a best friend to do?
Scarred by love herself, reluctant Penny is even more surprised when a hunky bartender starts flirting with her. Then there’s Finn, with the sea-green eyes, who she can’t get out of her head, even though Bonnie insists he’s not right for her. Balancing helping her friend with getting her own life figured out is no easy task. But in a setting that feels more storybook than reality, anything seems possible, even giving love another shot.

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2025

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Penelope 's best friend Bonnie comes to her and says that her wedding is canceled, Penelope is devastated. When Bonnie asked her to go to Ireland for the whole summer, at first Penelope thinks that is crazy but she relents and goes.

Bonnie grew up in Ireland and her family owns a home there. So its an easy escape.
Both girls have demons. Bonnie's mom abandoned her, so she is running because she has been abandoned before. Penelope used to not have a perfect body and a friend of Bonnie 's fiance used her and threw her away.

The girls get to Ireland and Bonnie is in full " forget anything happened" mode. They go to a pub where they meet Bonnie's cousin Finn. Turns out Bonnie's actual name is Siobhan, but Americans are too dumb to pronounce that so when she moved to the states she started going by Bonnie.

A bunch of stuff happens to put Finn and Penelope together, pull them apart, and put them back together. It had like a half point break up? It was different that's for sure.

I loved that they spent so much time being tourists and describing it to me. I felt like I went there vicariously through them.

Penelope figures some stuff out and is there for Bonnie. That just leaves figuring out stuff for her and Finn. I feel like that is a no win situation. Someone's parents is losing their kid for most of the year, but since they are both teachers they could spend the whole summer with the other set.

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story with good character development. Surrounds a young teacher (Penny) who accompanies her friend (Bonnie) to Ireland after she breaks up with her fiance despite being personality dependent of other's opinion of herself, taking much personally. Falls for friend's cousin but jealously interferes until she is able to stand up for herself. Good description of Irish hang-outs near Cork, though involves some sexually explicit content. Somewhat long story, though mostly entertaining, especially for someone who enjoys delving into psychological issues involving relationships.

[Ginny Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Unexpected Holiday swept me away from the very first page. The charm of Ireland, the warmth of the friendships, and the spark of romance kept me hooked all the way through. Penny is so relatable, and her connection with Finn is irresistible. Carrie Crafton has a gift for writing stories that feel like a heart-warming escape. I didn’t want it to end!