Review: Turkey in the Snow by Amy Lane

Since Hank Calder’s four-year-old niece, Josie, came to live with him, his life has been plenty dramatic, thank you, and the last thing he needs is a swishy, flaming twinkie to complicate things. But when Justin, the daycare worker at his gym, offers to do something incredibly nice for Hank—and for Josie—Hank is forced to reconsider. Justin may be flamboyant in his speech and gestures, but his heart and kindness are as rock steady and dependable as anyone, even Hank, could ask for. Can Hank trust in his dramatic “turkey in the snow” to offer his heart the joy he and Josie have never known?

Ohmigah! This story was cute and ohmigah great!

*ahem*

What I mean is...I enjoyed this story! I usually shy away from Amy Lane books because I'm totally not an angst-seeker. I avoid it, to be quite frank. I've noticed, though, that I really enjoy her lighter reads, and Turkey in the Snow fits into that category.

When we first meet Hank, he's quite harried and doesn't want to bother dealing with the gym's flaming daycare worker, Justin. However, Justin's offer to do something very sweet and thoughtful soon has Hank looking at him with new eyes.

I wasn't sure if I would like Justin, honestly. He was loud and dramatic, and seeing him through Hank's eyes, Justin just wasn't someone I could see myself having the patience to deal with on an everyday basis. That said, I like how the story unfolded to show Justin's depth and Hank's ability to move past his initial prejudice. By the end, I adored Justin - ohmigah, I really did.

There's a little bit of an age gap here with Justin's just-turned-21 matched up against Hank's 26 years.  However, through actions, we see Justin's maturity and capacity for caring, especially when that caring is directed at Hank and Hank's niece, Josie. The age gap doesn't register as much of a blip other than in Hank's mind, and Justin soon dispels any doubts Hank (or the reader) might have.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this read, and it was very good for a holiday novella. The characterization was lovely and even with the small bit of angsty stuff at the end, it felt uplifting all in all. Some parts of the story were definitely glossed over, and there was a bit of a time jump that was jarring. I also would have liked a little more of seeing Hank, Justin, and Josie together after Hank and Justin become an item. However, for a holiday story that's meant to make you feel good, I thought this one did an admirable job of it. Recommended for a nice dose of holiday feelz.