YAY Week 2!
Finding Yuletide Karol by L.A. Merrill
Fifty years ago, during the Vietnam War, Lee Elbridge fell in love with an Army cook nicknamed Yuletide Karol, but they haven’t seen each other since.
Now, led by a clue in an old cookbook, Lee sets off on a road trip to find his lost love. He arrives on Karol's upstate New York farm to find preparations for a handfasting in full swing, and is mistaken for the wedding planner’s assistant. As Lee is roped into folding hemp napkin goats and mashing fresh sweet potatoes, he is welcomed by Karol's large, eccentric family of witches and pagans. When Lee and Karol finally get a moment alone, Lee tells him the truth, but it will take more than a little Yuletide magick to bring them together again after almost a lifetime.
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3 Hearts
If you’re itching to read about a mature couple for the holidays, look no further!
What I enjoy most about Christmas stories is the whimsical feel that anything can happen through the magic of the holidays.
Lee has been searching for a man he only briefly knew during the Vietnam War. Though their time together was seriously short, it was impactful enough for both men to use those memories to get them through some very very difficult life situations. When Lee finally finds Karol, he hopes he can rekindle what they had so many years ago.
The feel good feels overcome what any quibbles one may have about the set up and progression, and the old saying “love is the only thing that matters” rings true for these two men who finally get their well deserved ending that really is just the beginning!
Ann - 3 Hearts
Such a refreshing change to read about mature characters, I loved that!
Lee has been in love with Karol since they were both very young men in the Vietnam War. Lee was coming off a traumatic mission and Karol literally and figuratively saved his life. It altered Lee forever and no one could live up to the memory of Karol. Which, was incredibly sweet and also so sad. The two knew one another for less than 24 hours but the impact was profound.
Through serendipity, tenacity and a cookbook the two are reunited and the reconnection is lovely, but busy. Karol lives a unique lifestyle surrounded by his pagan friends and family. It’s very different than what Lee is used to, but having Karol back in his life makes Lee see that it’s time for him to embrace something different.
Flour, Eggs, Sugar and Magic by Daniel de Lorne
Wannabe witch Will Brand’s attempts at making magic cookies for the kids at a local shelter go awry when his ex-boyfriend messages and turns Will’s good energy to anger. Will has no idea there’s anything wrong with the cookies until his hunky roommate, Lucas, scarfs three of them, cursing himself with bad luck, unfettered hate, and ill health. In a race against time, Will must find a way to break the spell before accidents, ex-lovers, and a sudden illness make this Christmas Lucas’s last.
Ann - 3 Hearts
Will has a crush on his roommate Lucas. Lucas has a crush on his roommate Will. But, circumstances being circumstances, neither of them has acted on or acknowledged said crush. Will is also a very amatuer witch who tries to do a very good thing that turns out very bad.
I just loved Lucas. And also felt bad for the guy! He’s accidentally cursed by Will with his tasty baked goods and when things started going downhill, they went downhill fast. The drama was a little much for a short story, but the characters were likable enough to make up for it.
The ending was satisfying, especially considering everything Will and Lucas went through, they deserved their HEA by then!
For Joy by Crystel Greene
When college athlete Chad comes out to his parents and gets a nasty reaction, sparkly twink Joaquin “Joy” Acosta offers him shelter in his tiny apartment. Joy’s the sweetest, most beautiful roommate on the planet, and every day, Chad falls in love a little bit more. The problem is, Joy will never know since his banter-loving hipster friends make bear-sized Chad feel all hulking and tongue-tied.
Joy is a sucker for anything handmade, though, and eventually Chad decides to tell him he loves him with a self-knitted pair of gloves. But it turns out knitting is way harder than Chad expected. Fortunately, Joy knows just how to save the day….
Cute twink and self-conscious baseball jock, flatmates to lovers, opposites attract, banter, insecurity, fluff, feels, first time, Christmas.
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3 Hearts
Take a gentle giant, a shy one at that, who’s devastated by his parent’s lack of acceptance when he comes out. Toss in some good luck, and said giant is able to crash on his crush’s couch until he gets his bearings.
Mix this with the holiday spirit, and Chad’s besotted feelings have only one direction to travel and that’s to grow deeper and deeper for Joy. He can only dream and wish that Joy would feel the same. What’s a guy to do?
Again, another easy holiday read, but beware a mean bestie, a preference towards some D/s that seemed incongruent, and the use of one of my most hated endearments. However, this was saved by two great MC’s that were just so darn likeable! Pssst…. the smexy smex didn’t hurt one bit either! Just saying.
Ann - 3.5 Hearts
Oh Chad, how do I love thee . . .
I love me a Chad type character in a story and this Chad made me all kinds of happy. He’s so much more than he seems on the surface and is underestimated entirely too often. It takes a special person who sees him for all his wonderfulness and I couldn’t have been happier to have Joey and Chad paired up.
One of the friends, Franky, was a little much and he could have been dialed down from 11 by a few notches, but he was the vehicle to see Joy’s protective streak come out and Chad and I both loved seeing that.
There was an odd little dynamic about Joy’s sexual preferences that seemed to be dropped in, but not super relevant because the intimacy between Joy and Chad didn’t need any explaining. They seemed to handle things fine all on their own.
Get Lit by Kim Fielding
Uri Kessler is a bit of a klutz. Recently divorced from a guy he married too quickly and yearning to have a holiday that feels special, he decides to make Hanukkah candles. The results are literally a blazing disaster. But Uri’s mishap helps him get to know Oscar Cortez, his sexy new neighbor, and the two men instantly hit it off. While Uri finds himself drawn to Oscar, he’s also afraid to make a mess of their budding relationship. It’ll take a small miracle to make things work between them.
Ann - 4 Hearts
This story! So damn cute with the banter and Uri’s inner musings. Uri’s craft challenged and when he attempts some holiday homemade magic he burns his condo down. Bless his heart, but he is a hot mess in the most charming of ways.
He gets to know his neighbor Oscar through his klutziness and lucky him! The two of them are a total treat together and they fall hard and fast, but in a believable and pretty reasonable way. Oscar’s efforts to learn about Uri’s faith is heartwarming and Uri’s appreciation is humbling and adorable. I just loved these two together and this story was a humorous warm hug wrapped up in just a handful of pages.
A Graphically Designed Holiday by Ren Holly
Graphic designer Eli has harbored a secret crush on nerdy math teacher Lincoln since they were at school together, and he’s perfectly content with his unrequited feelings—until Lincoln requests a special handmade holiday gift: a dating profile with all the bells and whistles Eli can include, one that will be sure to find Lincoln a boyfriend for Christmas.
Eli uses building the profile as an excuse to spend time with Lincoln, but will he be able to watch his friend find love with someone else?
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3.5 Hearts
Oh this went down nice and easy!
Eli has been pining for his bestie Lincoln, since college, but as usual, the typical reasons for not making a move always stems from the fear that it'll ruin the friendship. When Eli can’t say no to Lincoln’s request to help him find a boyfriend before Christmas by sprucing up his online dating page, there’s all sorts of inner turmoil.
This really does the trope of friends to lovers just right, with a bit of cluelessness, a lot of UST, with the added bonus of a virgin (though admittedly, the smexy progression rubbed me wrong). Despite that one snafu, this still left me with a smile on my face!
Ann - 4 Hearts
This friends to lovers story nailed the trope so well. The author did a great job of showing me the depth of Eli and Lincoln’s friendship through references to their history and the time they spent together. It was organically done and made me totally believe they were meant to be together well before the two of them figured it out.
And the journey was bittersweet even though I was sure they were going to get their HEA because all of the warm fuzzy love was so obviously there. But, I could also respect Eli’s wishes to protect their friendship and it was worth it to him, to sacrifice his own happiness, as long as Lincoln got his.
Thankfully the sacrifice was unnecessary and Lincoln’s grand gesture leveled the field between them and the ending was just perfect.
The Great Aerodynamicist by A. Nybo
Thinking he’s up to the task, droll Irishman Donnell, who is new to Australia, has almost completed assembling a model steampunk flying machine for his nephew’s Christmas present. Then an accident involving a parachute, some superglue, and his mouth lands Donnell in the emergency room with two of his fantasy men… only one of whom is real.
Ann - 3.5 Hearts
While this was, in all honestly, a slightly silly setup, I still totally dug on it. The characters, especially Donnell, made me laugh and also shake my head at his predicament. Even though it was slightly over the top, I had to appreciate the result of the meet-cute between Donnell and Charlie. And, as I got to know them and they got to know one another I was completely charmed by their relationship.
Also, who wouldn’t love a guy who went to that kind of effort for his nephew? The author put a perfect amount of personal quirks for the characters to make them relatable, unique and pretty adorable. I really liked the dynamics between the two of them and could completely believe in them in the long term.
**copies of the Advent stories were provided for honest reviews**
