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Holidays in Hadley Springs #2
Planning for Nickie
“Fifty-three weeks is plenty of time to find a wife. One week to plan, fifty-two to execute.”
Career-obsessed Mark is history. From now on, my heart is open and ready for a family. No more fifth wheel. No more working alone through dinner in restaurant booths.
Solo Mark is out. Family man is in. As with every challenge, I’ve divided the task into a step-by-step process. While on holiday in Hadley Springs, Nebraska, I drafted the twelve-month plan. I included a detailed description of what I’m looking for and a spreadsheet for the expected timeline. Project: Find-A-Wife will commence as soon as I return home to Phoenix.
It’s all well and good until I join my cousins on a blizzard walk for a few donuts.
Who knew a chance encounter with a scrubs-wearing, sweet-smiling, schedule-wrecking woman would derail my life so efficiently?
To Do…
1. Review the plan
2. Drink coffee
3. Find a wife
Career-obsessed Mark is history. From now on, my heart is open and ready for a family. No more fifth wheel. No more working alone through dinner in restaurant booths.
Solo Mark is out. Family man is in. As with every challenge, I’ve divided the task into a step-by-step process. While on holiday in Hadley Springs, Nebraska, I drafted the twelve-month plan. I included a detailed description of what I’m looking for and a spreadsheet for the expected timeline. Project: Find-A-Wife will commence as soon as I return home to Phoenix.
It’s all well and good until I join my cousins on a blizzard walk for a few donuts.
Who knew a chance encounter with a scrubs-wearing, sweet-smiling, schedule-wrecking woman would derail my life so efficiently?
To Do…
1. Review the plan
2. Drink coffee
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2025
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Tasha Hackett
8 books57 followersTasha’s still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up. In the meantime, she sings, paints, sews, dances in the kitchen, homeschools the kids, and often forgets to put away the laundry. Tasha writes with hope and humor to encourage and entertain. Her novels demonstrate a vision of romance between flawed characters loved by an unflawed God.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 5, 2025
Planning for Nickie is one of my top reads for the year. I absolutely loved the complexity of these characters and their growth as they learned how to love each other. Waiting for Gilbert was my favorite Christmas book last year, and Planning for Nickie is my favorite this year! I laughed. I cried. I absolutely want more!
Read
December 17, 2025This story was so fun! I was really liking it! Unfortunately, I had to DNF. There was some content that I just can’t do. Mark texts her “I like boobs” which was done in a joking way but was too far in my opinion. Then Nickie later comes to his hotel and has a Ruth and Boaz moment and he is in just his underwear. Some other things too but I’ll leave it at that. I was so sad to have to DNF because I was really liking the story otherwise and tried to push through but couldn’t do it. Thank you to the author for my gifted copy, I’m sorry and feel bad I couldn’t finish.
December 9, 2025
Planning for Nickie is the second in the Holidays in Hadley Springs series by Tasha Hackett. While it could be read as a stand-alone novel, I HIGHLY recommend reading Waiting for Gilbert first.
In the first book, we follow Cordelia and Gilbert. In this book, we follow Mark and Nickie. Mark is Cordelia's cousin and has a prominent role in the first book. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get as much interaction between Cordelia and Mark as we did in the first book, but it does make complete sense.
Read for:
🎄Mark's story
🎄meet cute
🎄the wife project
🎄the Boaz scene
🎄the text messages
🎄the witty banter
🎄Mark's thoughtfulness
🎄character growth
🎄relatable characters
I loved this book. The way the author writes her dialogue and the banter is just so fun. I loved the main characters and the side characters. I enjoyed catching up with the ones we met in the first book. Out of the two books, I have to say the first is still my favorite, but this is definitely a close second. I HOPE the author writes more in this series (and sooner rather than later, LOL!).
In the first book, we follow Cordelia and Gilbert. In this book, we follow Mark and Nickie. Mark is Cordelia's cousin and has a prominent role in the first book. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get as much interaction between Cordelia and Mark as we did in the first book, but it does make complete sense.
Read for:
🎄Mark's story
🎄meet cute
🎄the wife project
🎄the Boaz scene
🎄the text messages
🎄the witty banter
🎄Mark's thoughtfulness
🎄character growth
🎄relatable characters
I loved this book. The way the author writes her dialogue and the banter is just so fun. I loved the main characters and the side characters. I enjoyed catching up with the ones we met in the first book. Out of the two books, I have to say the first is still my favorite, but this is definitely a close second. I HOPE the author writes more in this series (and sooner rather than later, LOL!).
October 24, 2025
I read this all in one sitting and loved it! I’ve always loved Cordy and Mark’s friendship in book one, so I was really curious to see what it would look like when it was Mark’s turn to fall in love. Truth be told, he seemed a lot more level headed when he was giving Cordy advice, but when it came to himself, he was all over the place! Maybe that’s why he created the list, he didn’t trust his own instincts.
Mark has a plan: Project Find a Wife. Once he gets back home, he’ll start his search and get his plan off the ground. But when he meets Nickie before he even gets home, she completely throws off the plan. She doesn’t live where he does, but she quickly goes from being a fake/temporary date to a fast friend, and soon they’re maintaining a long distance friendship.
When Mark returns home, he’s ready to start dating and finding his wife, but he continues to stay connected to Nickie. He never considers her for his list, though. At first, Nickie doesn’t think much of it, but the closer they get and the more they talk, the more she wants to be a contender on his bride list. Can she convince Mark to consider her? And what will become of their friendship and the distance between them?
Why is Mark so dependent on Nickie, yet unable to see her as bride material? What will it take for him to stop searching for the woman who fits his list and choose the one who truly fills his heart?
The friendship, the tension, the kisses, and the confessions when they finally admit their true feelings so good!
I gave this 4.5 rating, rounded to 5 star read!
I received a complimentary copy, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
Mark has a plan: Project Find a Wife. Once he gets back home, he’ll start his search and get his plan off the ground. But when he meets Nickie before he even gets home, she completely throws off the plan. She doesn’t live where he does, but she quickly goes from being a fake/temporary date to a fast friend, and soon they’re maintaining a long distance friendship.
When Mark returns home, he’s ready to start dating and finding his wife, but he continues to stay connected to Nickie. He never considers her for his list, though. At first, Nickie doesn’t think much of it, but the closer they get and the more they talk, the more she wants to be a contender on his bride list. Can she convince Mark to consider her? And what will become of their friendship and the distance between them?
Why is Mark so dependent on Nickie, yet unable to see her as bride material? What will it take for him to stop searching for the woman who fits his list and choose the one who truly fills his heart?
The friendship, the tension, the kisses, and the confessions when they finally admit their true feelings so good!
I gave this 4.5 rating, rounded to 5 star read!
I received a complimentary copy, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
November 3, 2025
Give me more Hadley Springs!!
After loving Waiting for Gilbert, I was nervous about this second book in the loosely related series, but it did not disappoint! Starring Cordelia's type-A cousin Mark, Planning for Nickie has all the heart and quirk I loved about Waiting for Gilbert while being a fresh, unique story. (You don't have to read WFG to enjoy this one, though they have some cute crossover moments.)
Mark is a man with a plan, and like so many of us, he's putting his trust in that plan instead of seeing what God has given him. I adored his dynamic with Nickie. They're friendship and banter is beyond fun. May we all have such wonderful conversations with the men in our life.
Carol Award winner Tasha Hackett weaves genuine and true-to-life faith into this sweet, just-kisses romance. The characters feel so real, you'll hope to bump into them in the street. The wintry setting is cozy, the chemistry has all the sparks, and you'll be cheering for Mark and Nickie before you know it!
Content notes: car accident, anxiety
After loving Waiting for Gilbert, I was nervous about this second book in the loosely related series, but it did not disappoint! Starring Cordelia's type-A cousin Mark, Planning for Nickie has all the heart and quirk I loved about Waiting for Gilbert while being a fresh, unique story. (You don't have to read WFG to enjoy this one, though they have some cute crossover moments.)
Mark is a man with a plan, and like so many of us, he's putting his trust in that plan instead of seeing what God has given him. I adored his dynamic with Nickie. They're friendship and banter is beyond fun. May we all have such wonderful conversations with the men in our life.
Carol Award winner Tasha Hackett weaves genuine and true-to-life faith into this sweet, just-kisses romance. The characters feel so real, you'll hope to bump into them in the street. The wintry setting is cozy, the chemistry has all the sparks, and you'll be cheering for Mark and Nickie before you know it!
Content notes: car accident, anxiety
December 28, 2025
Mark is a planner. So what does he do when his life is thrown into chaos? I love the connection between him and Nickie. The fact they were not looking for each other but found each other anyway. Naturally. The way their friendship blossomed. The challenges that come their way are things that happen in real life. We don’t usually respond perfectly and neither do these characters. Yet as time moves on and the chaos of their choices swirl around them; there’s light. And that light changes them and their lives. Forever. I love that people with flaws find their person.
October 25, 2025
A roller coaster of desire! I know it sounds a little far fetched but as I read this book, there was laughter, tears, more laughter, tears and my heart raced as I tried to keep pace with the story! Mark’s plans and Nickie’s spontaneity are the rails on which the story runs. Such fun- I am ready to go again!
November 19, 2025
Humorous and cute romantic comedy! I gobbled it up. I love Tasha’s characters and her relatability through them.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews