Week 4 is here My Lovelies!
A Peace Offering by R.L. Merrill
Dover Billings has sold his handcrafted wares at the Dickens Fair in San Francisco for over twenty years. He's not as outgoing as the other artisans at this yearly Victorian celebration and prefers to observe the festivities from the shadows. That is until a new corset maker moves into the booth next door and unsettles his carefully constructed life. Landry Malcolm is handsome, well-dressed, and the life of the party… one Dover wants no part of. Too bad he's attracted to his confident younger rival.
Landry desperately wishes to get through to the beautiful artist next door, but every move he makes seems to be the wrong one...until a drunken kiss seems to break through Dover's serious demeanor. Miscommunications seem to plague any attempts to find common ground, leaving Landry wondering what—if anything—he can do to make things right. Will a custom-made peace offering open the door to friendship, cooperation… and maybe more?
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 4 Hearts!
Oh this was a good one!
Slight enemies, Dover and Landry seem to step on each other’s toes over and over as they cross paths repeatedly within their small artsy renaissance community. Landry desperately wants to make an impression, and Dover just wants to avoid intimacy all together.
It’s awkward and tentative with a one step forward with two steps back progression. Dover and Landry just can’t seem to connect and they fight with each other and themselves over whether or not they should pursue or just back off.
What I really enjoyed about this is that the MC’s are not cookie cutter stereotypes of the grumpy antisocial nerd vs the charismatic extroverted player. These two have layers, and I was constantly pleasantly surprised to see them slowly revealed in ways I didn’t expect.
Overall, impressive writing with natural realistic progression, this really was one of those rare holiday shorts that never felt rushed nor left out anything crucial (except the erotic details - darn!). Regardless, a hard earned, well deserved happy ending where a bit of perseverance and a willingness to take a chance pays off in all the ways!
Ann - 4 Hearts
This tale had all the elements of old-timey Christmas pageantry that I would love to have a taste of. The author did a great job of creating a visual treat and considering both Dover and Landry are artists, that element was a character in itself that added to my enjoyment of A Peace Offering.
Dover and Landry have an opposites attract / not-really-enemies to lovers thing going on. I liked where it was going even if Dover came across as a real dick to Landry more than once. Thankfully we got Dover’s POV as well and I really appreciate when an author does that with a particularly prickly character. Especially in a short story. The ending of the story and the beginning of the relationship don’t feel rushed then, because we’ve had the benefit of insight into Dover, in reality, being a bit of a smitten kitten over Landry.
The two of them were a real treat once Dover opened up and all that sweet chemistry got to pour out towards Landry who deserved it muchly by that point.
Piecing Together His Life by Jon Keys
Real estate broker Colin Romu has been estranged from his family for many years, but an unfinished quilt bequeathed in his mother’s will might help him make peace. Seeking solitude, Colin heads for his isolated cabin in upstate New York, but a sudden blizzard lands him in a ditch instead. Fortunately local EMT Mason Doyle is on hand with a rescue and a place to stay until the storm blows over. As they contemplate Colin’s mother’s last gift, they realize their lives entwine in ways they never imagined.
Ann - 3 Hearts
The setup for Piecing Together His Life was really great. An inherited unfinished quilt, some family drama, a somewhat reclusive artist, a cabin in the woods; all great stuff. Colin and Mason were both likeable characters and obviously very attracted to one another. I liked where the story was going and was completely onboard.
I got a little lost with the two main plot points along the way. I was told about them, but they didn’t feel like they were explored enough or maybe they were just too big for a short story. Mason had basically zero confidence in his artisitic skills and has just kind of given up on pursuing art as a profession. His family is all for that and I guess I just didn’t get it. The big why was never really explained beyond they just weren’t fans of the idea. Colin was cut off from his family even though his mother left him the quilt and apparently still loved him. I guess. His family sounded pretty terrible actually and I didn’t understand the point. She could have just left him the quilt without all the drama and it would have felt more sweetly sentimental instead of a little meh.
I loved how it turned out though. It was a Very Christmas Happy Ending (all capitalized), the kind that gives you hope for the MC’s for a forever kind of happiness, not just with each other but with all kinds of possibilities for their futures.
Purls of Wisdom by Morgan James
Yarn shop owner and ex-soldier Noah Miller never looks forward to the Christmas season. At least this year the break coincides with Hanukkah. But before his vacation, he has to survive the December rush.
When virgin knitter Finley Mason comes into the store desperate for yarn, needles, and lessons so he can win a bet against Hazel, a woman who must be his wife, Noah agrees to help him despite his better judgment—he usually hates teaching.
As the deadline to finish his roommate’s scarf looms, Finley falls in love with the reclusive shopkeeper, and he tries his best to woo Noah with all the magic of New York City at Christmastime. Noah could easily be swept away—if only Finley wasn’t straight and taken….
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3.5 Hearts!
Understated with dashes of quirk, I appreciated this nice holiday short!
Noah is a lot grumpy and perhaps that’s due to his experience in the military. Now that he’s home and owns a yarn shop, such a pleasant environment has not lessened his gruff side much. Despite the many unwelcoming signals Noah thinks he’s putting out, customer Finley is completely oblivious as he desperately begs Noah for help in teaching him to knit.
Surprisingly, Noah is unable to say no to Finley, and a nice slow burn starts as these two get to know each other under the excuse of being teacher and student. Finley is super earnest and happy go lucky - his infectious cheer inevitably rubbing off on Noah. Both wish things would progress further, but there’s just one teeny tiny misunderstanding.
Again, sweet and heartwarming as Noah comes out of his shell for all the right reasons, guaranteeing that he and Finely get a fabulous holiday together!
Ann - 4 Hearts
On paper Noah shouldn’t have been as swoon worthy as he was, but damn if he didn’t convince me to swoon along the way. Sure he’s a fine specimen of a male, but his grumpiness should have been off putting but turns out, it wasn’t. Especially in the face of the force of nature that is Finley.
Sure the story is pushed along by the misunderstanding, and the only reason that wasn’t annoying was because it was a short story, so it didn’t go on for too long, and because Finley has a friend in Hazel who is smarter than both Finley and Mason and makes sure the two of them get their shit together.
Noah is saved by the fact that we get his insight so I knew he was falling hard for Finley and my absolute favorite thing was the banter between the two of them. They had chemistry for days and I was there for it with every conversation.
Finley is just too sweetly earnest to ignore for long and his gift to Noah was sincerely adorable. I’ll be adding this one to my Christmas reread list.
Rainbows in Sea Glass by Kim Katil
Kyle has loved James, his best friend’s older brother, for as long as he can remember. Unfortunately James is a player, and Kyle has no desire to be his latest conquest. When James suddenly turns the full weight of his charm on him, Kyle flees to Cape May Point to collect sea glass and Cape May diamonds to make a St. Nicholas Day present for his aunt.
James has always taken Kyle’s presence for granted and he’s shocked to find how integral Kyle is to his life and future happiness. Braving his family’s well-meaning attempts to help and a sudden winter storm, James heads to the shore to convince Kyle that the most precious thing they’ll find on the beach is each other
R *A Reader Obsessed* - 3 Hearts!
Bonus points for favorite trope of falling for your best friend's brother!!
As per the blurb, Kyle has been in love with James for as long as he can remember, but he knows that he would never survive being a fleeting hookup. When a night of dancing makes Kyle realize he needs to distance himself from James and the potential messy situation, James too, has his own revelation.
What ensues is a bit of sappy wooing but it was enjoyable sappy wooing. Beware again the out of nowhere random BDSM element dropped in the bedroom (perhaps along with the homemaking theme, a little bondgae was also a possible option for advent authors this year) but I digress.
Again, this features a beloved trope, warm family vibes, and an inevitable cuddly HEA!
Ann - 3 Hearts
Being in love with the best friends brother is a trope made of gold. Rainbows in Sea Glass took it and cranked it up to 11. While everything was a little too perfect, a little too sweet and a little too shiny, that didn’t mean I didn’t eat it up. The author did a really good job of throwing in enough flash back moments to make sure we knew how important Kyle was to James and his family.
I really appreciated the unique setting and the use of the crafts that brought Kyle and James together (finally). Being a west coaster I wasn’t familiar with the setting and some of the treausres Kyle worked into his present for his aunt. So I did some googling and that always is a fun rabbit hole and any story that makes me google is a winner.
Riding the Hammer Lane by Cassie Decker
It’s long-haul trucker Eddie’s first Christmas away from home, and he picks up the CB radio in search of friendly voice. He doesn’t expect to reconnect with his old instructor—and brief but passionate fling—Colton. Eddie realizes the scarf he’s been knitting symbolizes the love and longing he’s been trying to deny. When fate brings them back together on a lonely, snowy stretch of Iowa highway, will they grab hold of their second chance and acknowledge the love woven tightly between them?
Ann - 2.5 Hearts
I liked the idea of Riding the Hammer Lane, I liked what I knew of the characters, but the problem was, I didn’t really get to know much. Having only one POV made it a little tougher to buy into how into one another these guys were.
Eddie was obviously a good guy and Colton was, well, Colton was there and I felt that I was told about their connection much more so than anything I actually saw. Which was kind of a bummer considering the unique premise. I think the action in the middle was a little big and not exactly necessary. I would have loved to have those pages filled with Eddie and Colton reconnecting. I wanted to be there for that ride
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The Santa Project by Elinor Gray
Working at the Craft Emporium keeps Adam Martinez busy during the holiday season he absolutely hates. Enter elementary schoolteacher David Okoye, who can’t get enough of Christmas or craft supplies. David is cute, wholesome, and Adam can’t deny a little bit of a crush.
Making the holidays special for his students is only part of the reason David makes excuses to go to the Craft Emporium. He also holds a torch for Adam. He takes it as a personal challenge to show Adam how to enjoy the holidays when he asks Adam to teach him to knit. David promises the holidays can be wonderful when shared with the right people, but how can they share them when David is going home to his family and Adam will be left all alone?
Ann - 4.5 Hearts
Ok, this story is a snack and a half. The author really managed to fit a lot of connection between David and Adam into a short story. I also felt like I got plenty of backstory for each of them, so that their reactions, issues and conversations read organically.
And David? David is super emotionally mature and what is up with that? He’s just perfect for Adam and the way he handled Adam’s dislike of the holidays and the understanding he showed was above and beyond what I expected. His profession as an elementary school teacher shines through, but in a way that was kind and not at all condescending. Adam recognized it too and it spoke to the appreciation they had for one another.
Their dates were quite sweet and exactly what I wanted to read for them. The bit of drama at the end made sense and was short lived, thankfully, because a sad Adam made me sad. The resolution was executed perfectly for the two of them and gave confidence in an HEA.
Also, steamy hot. Very steamy hot. A lot of the Christmas short stories fade to black when it comes to the physical, but not this one, no sireeee bob. Thank you Elinor, that was some good stuff.
**copies of the Advent stories were provided for honest reviews**
