I have been waiting for Tara Sloane Chadwick to gracelessly fall on her ass in love since meeting her in Season of Love. She is an ice queen lawyer, determined to always do the right things, to fit in perfectly with Charleston’s old money society so she can take it down from the inside. She’s looking for a lesbian marriage of convenience while she politely dismantles the carceral system. Tara wants to use her wealth and privilege to make the world better while keeping her emotions locked down. So who is going to take on this woman who is smarter than almost everyone and has given her life to a worthy higher cause? The joy of this book is watching a whole team of people crack open her icy shell.
Holly Siobhan Delaney, her fake girlfriend for Miriam and Noelle’s wedding weekend, is cut from a similar cloth. Holly is doing her best to opt out of capitalism by becoming an itinerant waitress who would really like to be a baker. Growing up poor in Davenport, Iowa has left her with an aversion to being trapped by anything, including emotional ties. Holly has been trying to figure out how to get Tara into her bed for months, but she’s no more interested in falling in love than Tara. The magic of Carrigan’s Christmasland and it’s denizens, true believers in living your life authentically, work their magic on her too.
Once Tara and Holly concoct their fake dating/avoiding family at Christmas scheme, you know that there will be disaster before there can be a happily ever after. As they start the book, Tara and Holly have life plans that rule out the other as a partner. Tara would demand that Holly make herself small, and Holly has no interest in forever.
Hers for the Weekend is a torch in the dark. The undercurrent of the Carrigan’s Christmasland series is liberation. In this final (sob) installment, Greer goes full throated on queer liberation. I’ve followed Greer on social media long enough to know that her thesis is “none of us are free until all of us are free.” The beauty of her writing is that all of this comes from the characters organically. Greer writes character driven and character centered books. They aren’t “all vibes, no plot,” but character choices drive the plot rather than circumstances (plot) driving the characters.
Miriam tells Tara that she must consult the wisdom of the elder queer poets and ask herself, “what do I want to do with my one wild and precious life?” The answer that everyone who matters is begging Tara to give is to be her authentic self, no mask, no making herself small for people who will never love her, and to be the powerhouse crusader who will (figuratively) burn down the country clubs.
Carrigan’s Christmas Land is a wonderful pocket universe in our own terrible reality. I know that there are many people and communities that are always working to make the world a better place, more free, more equitable, more inclusive, healthier, and more loving. I wish we all had a Carrigan’s crew to feed us, love us, and keep our fires lit.
I am friendly with the author of this book, but have done my best to ensure the review is based solely on the book itself.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Forever and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
Note: If you are registered for Cannonball Read 16, Helena Greer will be joining our Queer Books Zoom on Saturday, June 15 at 4pm Eastern to talk about books.
