Customer Reviews

California Holiday: Or, How the World's Worst Summer Job Gave Me a Great New Life

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Kate Cann likes her Holiday books to be about off the beaten path type places that aren't the normal vacation destinations for the masses. In California Holiday, the main character Rowan takes off by herself to America after examines. For over half the book Rowan is in Seattle (which by the way is in WASHINGTON) working as a nanny for a horrible couple and hating every minute. Her only friend is their pet Iguana that they kept locked in a cage on the roof. With help from the polish grandmother called Babisca she runs away with Iggy the Iguana headed towards San Francisco but when her bus stops in Sacramento, she meets hottie Landon who talks her into following him to Truckee. Yes, that's right; Truckee is where she spends her "California Holiday".

The story begins very slowly and is kind of boring during her time in Seattle. There is no romance and very little plot to start with. The story picks up and becomes more interesting once she meets Landon. They work together at a hotel and live in cabins by the Lake. But the romance between them hits a huge snag in the form of a girl named Coco.

This was my least favorite of Kate Cann's Holiday books. Not only did the beginning drag, I thought Landon was a total jerk. I kept waiting for Rowan to meet some other cute boy. If you want a good vacation book, I'd pick up her book Spanish Holiday instead.

Rowan is a British teenager from England. She's like any ordinary girl, just making her way through life and enjoying the experiences along the way. On the other hand, one experience is not so pleasant. Living with her brother is a drag. He annoys Rowan all the time and is a little pest. Rowan can't be in England anymore with her family and just has to get away. She decides to become a nanny and go to America. She has never been to America and she hasn't been a real nanny before. Rowan finds a job in Seattle for a family with a little girl. Nothing is going right with this family and the only friend she really has at this point is a pet iguana, who is being trapped upstairs in a cage of this Seattle family's apartment. Rowan decides she can't take it anymore and she has to protect the iguana because the family wants to get rid of it. Her next adventure is to San Francisco, California. She meets a boy, Landon, after her first bus ride and he takes her with him to Truckee, California. Rowan is starting to really like Landon, even though he is kind of a jerk. Will her time at Truckee be the greatest thing that has ever happened to her? Will she finally meet her true love?

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of meaning to it that was completely real. This girl is trying to truly find herself and where she belongs. Where will she be in life? That is what really makes this book complete. This is an enjoyable and fun book to read. I recommend it to anybody who loves some romance and humor all mixed together. Kate Cann is an extraordinary author with a way of bringing books to life.

Kate Cann's "holiday" books are always entertaining, but are usually less than perfect. CALIFORNIA HOLIDAY isn't a fantastic book, but it was surprisingly cute and entertaining.

Rowan is sick of her family - her brother is annoying and her parents seem to walk on their tiptoes when they're around her. After a few mishaps, Rowan decides that it will be best if she takes a year off before she starts college - partially so she can clear her thoughts and partially because she wants to get away from her family. So she heads off to Seattle to be a nanny for an ultra-rich family.

Unfortunately, things don't work out the way Rowan had intended, and her employers are a handful. Once Rowan reaches her breaking point, she decides that she needs to leave...again. So she heads off in search of a new job and some new friends.

CALIFORNIA HOLIDAY is cute, funny, and an incredibly entertaining book. Yes, it's predictable. Yes, it's cheesy. But in my opinion, it's also Kate Cann's best book yet.

I was appalled as I read this book!

It is pure trash! The amount of four letter swear words, violence, disrespect for authority, excessive drinking, liberal use of marijuana, and casual sex left me nauseated.

It was a struggle to read through the book and I kept hoping that it got better as I read along. It never did. It was very slow paced and boring for the first 250 pages until Rowan, the main character, meets up with her would be lover, a Southern guy named Landon.
He turns out to be a marijuana addict and drunkard, yet, after they spend no more than a week together, she falls madly in love with him. Only to have him suddenly run off with his abusive ex-girlfriend, Coco.

Rowan mopes around for a month as she deals with work and having to look at Coco fight, abuse, and prance around showing off and making out with Landon. After fighting for the millionth time, Coco finally leaves and Landon comes crying back to Rowan.
Rowan accepts him back they live together for a month and she grows preoccupied when he doesn't want to speak of his feelings. He was never open about his feelings, why she expects him to change all of the sudden I've no idea.
Landon gets another letter from Coco and disappears. Rowan can't take it anymore and leaves Landon to release her pet Iguana in Cancun, Mex. He finds her halfway there, and they make up and drive off to Cancun together. It couldn't get any more idiotic or stupid! It was a waste of money!

Rowan wants to get away from her parents and her brother who is good at everything. She decides to quit college and become a nanny. Rowan gets a nanny job in the United States for a family with one little girl, Flossy. At first she thinks this is going to go really well, and she is going ot become really good friends with Sha, the mother. Rowan can't take all of the fighting, she thinks Flossy should be able to do what she wants and not go to dance class, have a nature diary. Now that Flossy's parents are fighting all of the time and she has to do so much more than just take care of Flossy she is thinking about quiting. When Flossy's grandmother comes to visit she talks to her a lot about leaving and her grandmother tells her to go for it, but she doesn't want to leave Flossy. Will she go find another job or will she stay for Flossy?
Some things I liked about California Holiday is all of the drama after Rowan goes to California and all of the suspence of what was going ot happen next. I would recommend this book to people who also like the other holiday books from Kat Cann.

Calafornia holloday is not at all what i expected. It looked good but i was mistaking. The Main Character Roanne meets this guy and he is a drug adict. She falls in love with him. I mean come on, you know someone has serious problems so you go out of your way to spend as much time with him as possible? It makes no sence. It is a mindless half hearted novel that could have been way better if Cann didnt ruin it with a really stupid main charater, drugs, the characters constantly trying to get into other characters pants!!! It has a crummy ending too! This is really a book i would not recomend. This is not a good book at all. It is mediocre to the last degree.

This book is about a 20 year old girl named Rowan who wants to get away from her stressful life in England. So she decides that she wants to work as a nanny in Seattle, Washington. Well that doesn't work out so she runs away with this hot guy to Truckee, CA. This book has a lot of emotional ups and downs with Rowan trying to find love over the summer. I would recommend this only to age 13 and up.

California Holiday
By: Kate Cann
Review by: Dana

In the book California Holiday by Kate Cann , Rowan like any other sister gets frustrated with her younger brother. He already has a career and future plans, unlike Rowan. This angers her. One day Rowan becomes so upset with her brother she hurts him, and unlike all of the other injuries she has caused him, this one requires medical attention. Rowan's family soon comes to believe she has become a psycho. Rowan decides it's time to slightly break away from her home in England. She receives a job as a nanny in America. At first Rowan is upset with her new job. This may be because of the "nut job" mother, the father who hit on her, and sadly, the pressured, stressed-out, little girl she cares for. Soon enough Rowan befriends two normal beings: Iggy, an abandoned iguana owned by her boss, and Grandma. Unfortunately Iggy is going to be given away and Grandma will be returning to her home shortly. Therefore Rowan hops on a bus with Iggy to a new, unexplored destination. On the bus Rowan meets a guy who she develops a crush on. He tells her about his destination, which is a resort located in the woods that he works at. This young man helps her and gets her a job and a place to stay at the resort. Rowan is very happy with her decision of joining the gentleman. The daycare center is where Rowan works; she is not a huge fan of her career but loves the resort and the guy. One day an attractive woman appears, and Rowan discovers it's the guy she met on the buses ex girlfriend. Rowan's man leaves her for his ex. Yet her ex's new relationship is on the rocks and Iggy is becoming restless. Rowan is concerned that he needs a permanent home. She is also concerned about her love life3. Now if you want to find out who gets the guy, and if Iggy will find a permanent home, READ THE BOOK!!
My opinion of this novel is that it is just good. Nothing special, nothing climactic, it was not up to my personal standards. I also viewed the book as extremely predictable and revealing. The story was interesting enough to continue reading, but not complex enough to be put on a "Best Books" list. Also, the characters didn't' have very complicated personalities. I would recommend this book, but only to people who are looking for a very easy, leisurely read.

I am a big fan Kate Cann. Last summer she did not disappoint when I read her Spanish Holiday and Greacian Holiday. So naturaly I was excited to learn she had another holiday in the works. And she definitely did not disappoint! I absoultly LOVE this one. I completely identifed with Rowan. It makes me just want to get out and go out on self finding adventure of my own.

This holiday is about a young girl in college (as usual) who isnt doing so well at home with her family so she decides to exscape away to America as a nanny. Only to find things for her there arent any better. So exscapes away to California and finds a Hot guy along the way. Which is always a plus! In California her hottie helps her get work and its a never ending are 'they going to get together' game.

I really enjoyed reading this one. If you loved Kate's other Holiday books and are just a hopeless romantic then your are a shoe-in for this book. Trust me it will shock you, make you cry and laugh all before the 2nd chapter. This book is completely 10 Stars!

It should be called "American Holiday," because she only spends half of her time in the book in California. If you can get over that fact, it is a good read. It is very descriptive and I felt like I was right there.