Girl Having a Ball

Stevie has depended on her brother Marsh for almost everything since their parents died, but now that he’s married, she can’t go running to him with every little problem. It’s time to grow up and be independent, so Stevie quits the job she hates and embarks on the career she’s always wanted in event planning. Her first gig is a charity ball at a gorgeous old mansion in Oxford and the hyper critical Lady Beryl is second guessing her every move. Stevie is bound and determined to succeed and stand on her own two feet, and no one, not even her first love come calling is going to interfere. Stevie is emotionally very young, and it’s a little difficult to warm up to her in the beginning, but she does come around in the end

Girl Having A Ball is a highly enjoyable story, that is a lot of fun. The romantic element was slightly predictable, but its the journey that is always the most entertaining, and it certainly had me smiling as the story progressed.

Stevie initially comes across as a bit flighty and I initially had large concerns over whether she would be able to organise the charity ball, as the kickstarter for her new career. In fact I was foreseeing disasters that didn't even occur, although that's not to say anything at all ran smoothly.

I left the book feeling very impressed with Stevie, she experiences a great deal of personal growth over the month or so the story progresses for, as she learns to deal with all manner of challenges.

Stevie had a crush on Tom, when she was only 13 and now he is a high powered workaholic businessman, but that may have on re-meeting Stevie, twigged she is now quite a bit over 18, and a woman! The main insights we have into Tom are from his communications with his best friend Og mainly over email, which shows how confused he is about his work currently, as well as his feeling for various females.

My overall feeling of Girl Having A Ball was that is was a lot of fun. There are smiles and giggles to be had, as well as information about a great charity that the ball is for. I loved some of the solutions to the problems, and really liked the big manor house setting in Oxford. It was a lovely story to read, and as my second book by this author, I will definitely be curious to see future releases.

Thank you to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

Feel like I've been on a little bit of a journey with Stevie who this book is centred around! And I have to admit to initially not being on Stevie's side as she did come across as a little needy and flaky! But the more I read, the more I began to see how much she had been through and how much she had relied on her brother, Marshall, so when he married and she started spending less time with him it was a big change for her.

She has never found her perfect job and had planned on taking a year out, despite Marshall objecting to the idea, so she could wait for her ideal job as an events planner to hopefully appear. The jobs she does end up taking don't end up lasting for long and she begins to give up hope a little and i started to feel empathy for her.

She lost her parents when she was 13 so her big brother became her guardian, and now he's moved on after marrying Jane, Stevie just misses the constant guidance and support he provided. She had moved in with him and his University mates at the time of their parents death and that didn't run too smoothly with his other housemates, especially when Stevie had a crush on Tom.

Tom is now a very different person as he pushes himself too hard to keep up with his high achieving family. His mother is going through the process of converting their gorgeous home into a B&B, and she is is also looking to host a charity ball, but with minimum funds - if only a young events manager was looking for a way to get her big break and find a way to start showing her brother she is capable of growing up and holding her own in the party planning world!!

Really enjoyed the transformation of Stevie throughout this book, from lost young girl, to confident, sexy young woman! Tom also has to face up to the realities of trying to push himself too hard and it is only when he takes a step back from his work that he becomes aware of the changes that need to be made in his life. The dynamics of all the characters work so well together and I think they all learn something from each other which is fascinating to see how it allows them all to become the people they always hoped to be!

Lots of fun moments made this a treat to read and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!!

The character of Stevie does feature in an earlier book by the author, Girl On The Run, which is the story of how her brother Marshall ends up meeting his wife Jane, so that is next on my list to read!!

Girl Having a Ball,  Rhoda Baxter

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women’s fiction

 Life’s been a bit hard lately and sometimes I find I just want something light and easy to read, but with a story that feels real, not a fluff piece that leaves me unsatisfied – and there’s a whole lot of those out ;-) I've found when I’m in this mood Choc Lit novels tend to deliver and this one once more fitted my mood perfectly and took me out of myself for a while.

I hadn’t realised there were earlier book/s featuring these characters, and hadn’t read them but Marsh and Jane, that sounds a fun read.
Still, we’re with Stevie and Tom now, Stevie being Marsh’s little sister and Tom an ex housemate of his.

Marsh brought up Stevie after their parents died when she was 13 and he around 21-22. She lived in the student house for a while and had a crush on Tom, and it didn’t go well, she did something that caused friction between Tom and Marsh, but that’s all in the past she thinks.
She adores Marsh, has been finding it difficult letting go when he married and now he and Jane are going to become parents she feels she’s losing her family, the old nightmares about her parents are back and to add to that she’s currently out of a job...

She picks up one sort of in her field but its not without problems, low pay, difficult person to work with in Lady Beryl, but she’s offset by the lovely Evelyn and her niece Alice, and another lady, the wonderful Priya, the main connection to the charity the ‘ball is supporting.
All looks good but there’s a huge boulder in the way and its...Tom, who’s Evelyn's son. He still thinks of Stevie as a kid so he;s a bit shocked when he meets her and there is some fabulous humour thrown in, such as when he’s recounting the meeting to his friend Og (Olivia). He has to admit all his plans of being tough, of negotiating  the best deal ( or preferably not letting her get the job) go out the window when he sees her, is stunned at how she’s grown, is fiercely attracted, and just as she asks him a question he chokes on a biscuit. By the time he’s recovered the deal is done, Stevie gets her way and he’s lost the chance.

From then on its a race to make the Ball go well, offset by the usual issues, lack of time money and a celeb to bring in ticket sales. The house, Evelyn's, is wonderful and I loved the descriptions of it and the gardens, sounds a lovely old home.
The characters and situations are so real, we’ve all met ones like them, and organising things when there are several people involved leads to friction all too often. I was involved in an art exhibition with ladies from a local art group a few years back. Got to the venue, no one wanted to go first, but we finally started putting works up ready for display, and then one lady came in late, started complaining about how things had been done, grumbled very vociferously, which set others off and it really was a Handbags at Dawn scenario! Never again....
The humour is threaded throughout along with some very real issues, Stevie’s feeling of abandonment, Tom’s work pressures and stress. Evelyn’s missing her lovely husband since he died, Lady Beryl wanting to be in control but not do any work, thankfully Priya is one of those gems who get things done quietly, Alice, typical teen with teen issues, and Marsh, devoted brother who now needs to see his sister as grown, not as the kid he needed to guide so carefully. Vienna, (or Salzburg or wherever! ) was good, a real B itch but I’d like her claws to have been even sharper, she was perfect for that role.

 I have to mention this part which made me snigger. the posh Lady Beryl has heard one of the people at the ball has donated a large sum in order to have a ward at the Sri Lankan hospital named after his wife, so she’s persuaded her husband to do the same. Priya says how sweet that is, to immortalise a loved one in that way, named after a ward. Depends on the ward though Tom says – it’s not so good if its the Dysentery Clinic!!

 I  loved it – its a magical story,fun and gentle humour, perfect ending and one I really enjoyed reading.
Would it get a second read? Yes, if I’m in the right mood, its a “full” read with lost to see and I’m sure I missed some of the more subtle clues.

Stars: five. a great fun read with a perfect HEA.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher

Girl Having a Ball by Rhoda Baxter

Keep reading…don’t stop! Why do I say this? Well, I nearly put the book down thinking that Stephanie “Stevie” was a silly spoiled brat in the first few pages and didn’t want to read her story BUT, after checking a few reviews online that had been posted already, I persevered and am not sorry I did.

Stevie lost her parents when she was 13 and depended on her older brother Marsh from then on. After his marriage to Ashby he is still there for her but she is jealous – at 22 – and behaves badly as a result of having her feathers ruffled. (Ashby and Stevie’s brother Marsh have their stories told by Rhoda in “Girl on the Run”).

Unhappy with her brother, her job and probably with herself she quits her job and applies to be event manager for a charity ball, gets the job and then her life and she begin to change. She meets the charity organizers, re-meets a housemate of her brother (Tom) and begins to come into her own. While working on the event she and Tom begin to talk and sometimes those talks hit on issues in their lives that need to be talked about. Tom is handsome and at the top of his profession but has stress that leads to headaches that are almost debilitating. Both Stevie and Tom are working toward their own professional goals and may not have time for a long term game plan together…unless something changes.

This book made me smile, and feel, and wish, and hope and then smile again when I read the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and ChocLit for the copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars

5⭐️ Girl Having a Ball: Rhoda Baxter | Jenny O'Brien
https://jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/5%e2%ad%90%ef%b8%8f-girl-having-a-ball-rhoda-baxter/

A treat to read

This book is a lot of fun, which if I'm honest is something I'd fully expect from this author.

Stevie is a well rounded character that's had a hard life. However, after taking a job as an events organiser, she proves herself to be a competent young woman, whilst organising a charity ball and you fully expect so many things to go wrong., which don't.

this book is a great and magical story that's full of laughs, smiles and hope, and is perfect to read on a cold autumn night.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up enjoying this lovely story but it took a while because at first I found Stevie emotionally needy especially with her seemingly over the top reaction to her brother and his wife expecting their first baby. Gradually as her story was revealed I could see where she was coming from and root for her. In her effort to be more independent she lands her first dream job as an event planner for a charity do to be held at Tom’s family home. This brings her back into Tom’s orbit – the man she swooned over at fourteen. He’s a workaholic mainly because he never sees himself as good enough in his high-achieving family. He takes a forced break from his work and getting involved with Stevie show him other possibilities. The way they get their happy ever after will make you sigh!

I was so happy to receive this ARC and I certainly wasn't disappointed! Stevie is introduced as a lost soul. Her brother (on whom she has always relied) is married and now off limits for her emotional support.

She wants to get into events and takes on a gamble. A huge ball in Oxfordshire. Nothing like starting small!!

As the book progresses we see weak Stevie slowly morph into strong Stevie and it is a fascinating study!
Tom is the love interest and the feelings grow as the independence does, making for a delicious conflict in Stevie.

This is a lovely, fun read - everything I would expect from Rhoda and Choc Lit!

Loved this book. My have not read the first book and it was not necessary to have done so. The setting was lovely., loved the characters. Very sad when book ended. I will read more by this author..

I absolutely loved this feel good romance. Brilliant storyline with all the right mix of characters. A good holiday read. Happy ending, just wish it was longer.

A romance that is gentle and heart warming. Stevie is a strong willed heroine I found easy to like, and Tom was gorgeous. I especially enjoyed the emails interspersed throughout the story. They cleverly moved the story along so it never dragged, but also often added lovely touches of humour. A really enjoyable book with characters I grew to love as the story enfolded.

"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."

I loved this book and hated to put it down. Stevie, arranging her first party as an events organizer proves to be endearing and extremely resourceful, taking advantage of the talents of the many people who are sponsoring the event. The house where the event is to take place is owned by the mother of Tom Blackwood, Stevie's "crush" as a thirteen year old. Their first encounter does not bode well, but the story continues...

I went to bed one night and started reading Girl Having a Ball, thinking I’d enjoy a couple of chapters before having an early night. Four hours later, it was approaching 1am and I had just finished it. I was so engrossed in the story, the fun characters, the will-they-won’t-they between Stevie and Tom that the hours flew by as I laughed, sniffled and cheered Stevie on in her quest to organise the charity ball that could start her career.

Stevie was a great character, and it was great to see more of Marsh’s sister from Girl on the Run, as well as the great cameo’s from Marsh and Jane after their happily-ever-after. Stevie’s desperation to make her way in the world, now that she needed to look after herself, will greatly echoe the struggles of some of the young women reading this book. Wanting to be seen and treated as an adult, yet still dreaming of her perfect future, which she knows won’t be so easy to get, it was wonderful to see her grow as an adult throughout Girl Having a Ball and how getting out from under Marsh’s wing, whilst emotionally tough for her, also gaver her a new freedom.

I loved Tom for his well-hidden vulnerability, and how he felt he had let down his family, despite his Mother’s love for him. Seeing him become closer to his family, and understand that they were proud of his achievements was heartwarming, and for him to understand that a high-paid, high-stressed job doesn’t necessarily mean a happy future.

With a great cast of secondary characters with whom Stevie helps to plan and set up the ball, you’ll laugh at the small-town style politics of the charity group, (I’m talking about you Lady Beryl) you will laugh, cry and feel at one with the ladies and Tom as they make the charity ball one to remember.

5 Stars!

*Review copy kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

A lovely story look forward to reading more by this author in the future

I have to admit that in the early parts of Girl Having A Ball I truly wanted to sit Stevie down and have a very stern conversation with her about being possessive, letting her brother have his own happiness and simply growing up to find her own place in life. It turns out that she manages to do all of that and more on her own.

It was very realistic to watch Stevie change over the course of this story, to see her come into her own and become a much more likable, understanding young woman by the ending. Part of that was stepping out on her own and seeing that she could stand on her own two feet very well. The other part was discovering that loving someone changes everything, the way you feel, the way you think, even logic seems to function differently when seen through the eyes of a personally strong emotion. Reconnecting with Tom as an adult, a still growing adult opened Stevie’s eyes to a whole different part of life. Call it a wake up call to a better understanding of her brother and his wife. Or simply call it falling in love for herself.

Now all this self-discovery doesn’t mean that everything is smooth sailing from now on.. no way. She still has to prove herself as an event planner, create a fabulous charity ball out of basically nothing – and win the man of her dreams. Not so easy, but Stevie is capable of so much now. There’s no stopping this girl from getting all of her dreams.

Tom’s email chats with his friend were delightful. They gave us an insight into the emotions, fears, confusion and excitement of a man who isn’t sure he’s ready for commitment. They were almost like crawling into Tom’s head, his innermost thoughts at times. A nice touch indeed.

Honestly, I started Girl Having A Ball not certain about this heroine and hero at all. By the ending, I had been treated to a unique look into the process of lives changing before my reading eyes. Stevie and Tom did some major growing up during their story. The resulting romance was perhaps all the more sweet and precious because of their discoveries along the way.

I would recommend this story to any Romance reader. Give Stevie a chance to show her true colors to you, I’m certain you’ll enjoy going along for the ride with her as she grows and has a few life lessons along the way.

*I received an e-ARC of Girl Having A Ball from the publisher, Choc Lit and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*