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Olivia started writing creatively at eight years old. During middle and high school, she attended several writing conferences. Her short story "By Its Cover" placed first in its division in the 2008 District III Alabama Penman Creative Writing Contest. She earned her bachelor's degree in history from the University of Montevallo in 2012, married in 2013, and published her first novel in 2014.
Olivia lives in central Alabama with her husband and their cat, Buddy. When she isn't writing, she enjoys watching quality television, teaching herself how to cook, and playing Pokemon GO.
Reviewed by Katherine Williams for Readers' Favorite
‘Tis The Season is a holiday fiction novella by Olivia Folmar Ard, the first in the Seasons of Love series. Lauren Calhoun is a woman who seems to live a picture perfect life. She has a great, hot surfer husband named Joe and they just got settled in their brand new home. She also has a great new job that gives her a steady income. With all these great things happening to her lately, Lauren loves to show off her lavish lifestyle on social media. When people see the life she publishes online, they think she is living a fairytale. Lauren thought she was living a fairytale, too, until everything slowly starts to fall apart. Everything starts to go wrong around Christmastime because of the diagnosis, a diagnosis that ultimately puts a pause on her plans and her perfect life. As Lauren and Joe struggle with the news, it seems like they won’t be able to make it. Could Lauren’s picture perfect life potentially be ruined forever?
Although it is a quick read, ‘Tis The Season is not light in subject. The beginning of the novella is warm and funny as you watch the lovely Lauren go about her great life. However, as the plot moves forward, it suddenly goes deeper than you ever thought it would. Olivia Folmar Ard manages to create such a beautiful story that is cheery and heartbreaking all at the same time. The way she captures the characters’ raw, genuine emotions is stunning. Instead of ‘Tis The Season turning out to be another simple novel, it manages to make you feel like you are involved in a real-life situation. The overall pacing of the novella is just right, and the writing is top notch. If you are looking for a way to really get into the holiday season, this is the book for you. It will make you feel so many things, but above all, it will remind you to be thankful for all that you have. Be warned - you’ll need lots of tissues!
