Review: Love For All Seasons Anthology by Various Authors

Love stories for all seasons.

RJ Scott brings together authors in an anthology that reveals true love always deserves a happy ending, whatever the season.

With characters who find love in a New York park, or on a college campus, in the middle of a snow storm or in the heat of summer, ‘Love for all Seasons’ delivers romance for everyone. 

Including stories from three authors, new to the world of writing MM romance.

The first two things that caught my eye when this anthology came through the blogosphere were; the proceeds are all going to two charities worthy of all our support, The Matthew Shepard Foundation and The Albert Kennedy Trust (follow the links to learn more about them) and secondly, there are three authors new to the MM genre published here. I think that’s such an awesome idea. What a great way to get introduced! I hope other coordinators of anthologies follow suit, support is something that is sorely lacking in our world these days, so to see it represented this way in the MM Community is quite heartwarming.

Brioche for Two - Seasons of Bryant - Spring 
V.L. Locey 
3 ¾ Hearts 
Brioche for Two is the first of four short stories that will tell the tale of Isamu and Brian, so this story is more of an introduction to the MC’s. That doesn’t mean that anything was lacking or I was left hanging in any way as a reader, it just means that their story isn’t over. The setup for their HEA is ever present though and I liked their chemistry from the beginning. Isamu is a film student crushing hard on one of his customers from the bakery where he works part time. Brian is the crush who is older, devastatingly handsome and incredibly successful. Technically they are in the “opposites attract” realm, but they clicked so well that I never had the feeling that Isamu didn’t belong in Brian’s world so there was no manufactured angst about where he was in his life in comparison to Brian. That was really refreshing for a change. I loved the documentary project that Isamu had to work on that the author used to show the heat between these two. It was clever, steamy and makes me want to read the next chapter of their story.

Sweeter than Honey 
C.M. Valencourt 
3 Hearts 
The premise for Sweeter than Honey is adorable and quite relatable for anyone who’s ever been to a farmer’s market. Considering that is most people, given their popularity, I know I’ll be shipping stall owners right and left next time I go.

Wyatt is a local beekeeper who is anxiously looking forward to market season and he is even more happily anxious when he is set up next to a handsome vegan baker named Grayson. Problem is, Grayson is a bit of a militant vegan and he in no way approves of beekeeping due to the harm he believes it causes. Grayson was a bit off putting at first and I was impressed with how Wyatt kept to the high ground considering the smear campaign Grayson was trying to pull off. Wyatt convinced Grayson to learn a little more before judging his livelihood so harshly and surprisingly, Grayson agrees. From this moment on, I could see these two together and I though the beekeeping lesson I received was very interesting. I wish the drama at the beginning were dialed back just a bit so I could reconcile Grayson from the beginning of the book to Grayson at the end. Being a short story, there wasn’t enough time to watch him change that much, but I did still buy into the two of them together in the end.

Special Nights 
D.J. Jamison 
4 Hearts 
I loved this story. It was one of those quiet ones that you get wrapped up in easily and focus on a couple of really likable characters who need a break and need to find one another. Sam has insomnia and he liked to head to the all night diner where Hunter is a waiter. The story is set over an extended period so the two get a chance to know one another in a pretty realistic way considering one is a customer and the other is working his buns off when they do get to see each other. The slower pace works here because anything else would not have been believable. The reader gets to know the two of them as they get to know each other so their conversations felt very intimate and when the time finally comes for them to move beyond a professional relationship I couldn’t have been happier. 

Winters Chill 
Cathy Brockman 
2 ½ Hearts 
The set up for Winters Chill is perfect for a seasonal anthology. Nothing sets you up for love between two MC’s than being snowed in. Lane is the prepared MC, ready for the harsh winter storm and Jeffrey is our unprepared MC who ends up being rescued by Lane and given shelter until the storm passes. I liked that the author didn’t make Jeffrey incapable of taking care of himself, his pitfalls came from outside forces more than anything else. It put the two of them on more of a level playing field from the beginning which read well for a short story. The two opened themselves up pretty quickly to one another and a few of their conversations were a little jarring in that there was some early on oversharing and unasked for advice that just didn’t read authentic to me. Not that either of the characters minded in the least, it just didn’t seem like that’s how people would normally communicate with a stranger. Jeffrey is closeted and Lane is not which could have lead to some angst but he author addressed it well for a short story.

Beach Boys 
Annabelle Jacobs 
3 ½ Hearts 
Awwww, I was utterly smitten with Beach Boys. The story is really an extended meet cute with a hard core tease at the end, which normally would drive me nutters, but the way the author delivered it, it was perfectly delicious. It doesn’t try to be more than it is, so go in knowing you aren’t going to get an epilogue describing Russ and Blake’s HEA, but you are going to get one of the best meet cutes you’ll get in a long time. This would make a great short film, I would LOVE to see this story play out further, but I was also completely happy with where it left off. Russ is charmingly real and Blake turns out to be just the same, I loved it.

Who Do You Love, My Valentine 
EJ Smyth 
3 ½ Hearts
I was happy to see a fantasy story included in the anthology and Valentine stories always seem to deliver the goods. Nox is an immortal who has been crushing on a human for too long. He spies on Matt from his realm far too often and his distraction leads him to screw up his one job, his arrow hits the exact opposite of the person Matt should be with. What happened next could easily have gone in bad directions, but the author kept it focused on the humans getting back on track with minimal lasting heartache and I appreciated the world building that allowed free will to still play a major part in the outcome for the characters. I thought that was really well done and made the evolution of the story much easier to buy into. I would have loved to see what Nox’s father thought once all was said and done, but that didn’t take away any of the fun I had reading this one.

Favorite Flowers 
Chris McHart 
4 Hearts 
Kudos to everyone who works tirelessly to make sure that others get a special holiday. Such is the case for Gabe who owns a flower shop yet he has never received flowers as a gift himself. Jason becomes a regular customer and while Gabe can’t help but crush on the man, he also knows nothing can ever come of it. But the two still get to know one another and become acquaintances at the least. Jason is more of a romantic than he lets on and as it becomes obvious he is smitten with Gabe, the two of them move beyond customer and shopkeeper and we really get to see them as they get to know one another. I respected Jason quite a bit for his honesty and I’m glad that Gabe appreciated it as well. The reality of Jason’s situation kept the story from being too sweet and gave it the dose of reality that will make it memorable.

The Last Chance 
RJ Scott 
4 Hearts 
For fans of second chance love stories, this will be a treat and a half. I personally love them when they are done just right and The Last Chance was done just right. It’s a story set while Luke and Justin are still in college, but they’re at the end of their college careers so the two were much more mature than most characters in college aged stories. Justin is taking the last chance to see what he could possibly have with Luke and I loved seeing the perspective of Justin’s friends when they were trying to “help”. Luke didn’t make it too easy and Justin didn’t give up and both of those things made me respect and root for them. It’s a very sweet and optimistic story and I really enjoyed the read.

**a copy of this anthology was provided for an honest review**

Review: The Christmas Pageant by D. River

When Troy Swenson left the army to raise his little brother, he had no idea what he was in for. Now a high school history teacher at Brentsen Academy, he finds himself drafted into running the school's Christmas Pageant. There's just one problem: He has no idea how to do that.

Fate intervenes and sends him help in the form of Taylor Douglas, a parent of one of his students. Taylor is a handsome, funny guy and if Troy allowed himself to think such things he'd find him very attractive. However, Troy doesn't have time for romance. He barely has time to breathe as he struggles to keep the Christmas Pageant from falling apart around him.

What he doesn't realize is that Taylor is going to drag him out for fun no matter what feeble protests Troy offers. Troy finds friendship with Taylor easy. The problem for Troy then becomes, how does he keep the feelings he starts to have for Taylor in check?

I am a huge fan of Christmas stories and this one did not disappoint. There is a fine line, I feel, with Christmas stories. A line that separates cute from cheesy - now don't get me wrong, I'm a sap and I pretty much love 'em all, but there is some skill in pulling off a warm, cosy Christmas story that doesn't cross from one side to the other. This year, there has been a plethora of fabulous seasonal stories, and this is definitely one of them.

Troy is the kind of hero I like. Putting his brother before himself, even though he had to change his whole life around to do so, Troy is funny and honourable and hard working and... I just really liked him. I wanted him to be happy so I loved reading about him. Taylor Douglas is the same - a guy I really liked. Like always sounds so meh, but to me it's really important to like my MC's. Especially in a feel good story. What I liked most about him was that he wouldn't let Troy just concentrate on everyone else and made him think about himself a little.

D. Rivers is a writer I enjoy. He has a wonderful way with words and includes a cast of characters that just make a story. I'm always partial to surrounding characters as they can really make or break a story. The kids in the pageant, Troy's son... they all fleshed out a good story and added to it.

A great story that I recommend to everyone who enjoys Christmas stories as much as I do.

A copy of this story was given on exchange for an honest review.
For more information check out Goodreads.

Review: Angel in a Bookshop by RJ Scott

What happens when a broken man has to trust in the impossible?

Chapter One is an antique book shop and is the last tangible thing Joshua Blakeman and his mum have left of his father. Nestled in a quiet square a few steps from London's St Paul’s Cathedral, it is boarded up with whitewashed windows and no new stock. The place is a sad reminder of loss and it has to go, but destroying a business that has been in his family for generations is not a role Josh is looking forward to.

Michael is the owner of Arts Desire, the shop next door. With his rainbow pride mugs and his sunny outlook, he is the complete opposite of what Josh thinks he needs in his life.

But, when Josh and Michael become friends, Josh learns that finding true love starts with making big decisions—and that everyone deserves their own Christmas miracle sometimes.

Christmas reads - oh my heart, Christmas reads. As much part of my essential seasonal package as chocolate, family, hallmark films and Christmas jumpers. There is nothing like a dash of romance and sprinkling of snow in a story to give me the warm and fuzzies - and in a little magic and the fuzzies just get fuzzier.

Angel in a Book Shop is a beautiful winter story. It is the kind of book that gives me a mellow after glow of happiness once I've read it. Joshua is at the lowest possible ebb in his life. The death of his father, betrayal of his boyfriend resulting in the loss of his job and the manipulation of his uncle have left him in a place where he is barely coping with life. The last thing he needs really is to enter the shut up bookshop that had been his dad's life. The desire to stay well away warred with the need to not let it go to rack and ruin and the latter won. Just.

Michael has lived many, many lifetimes. He has met with many, many souls and changed the life direction of those lucky enough to interact with him. He moves on and those he has met before become a blur, another part of one whole that makes up his life.   Then he meets Josh - and from the start he knows that this 'job' is different. As well as helping Josh he finds he has his own, life-altering, choices to make.

In RJ Scott's enjoyable style this story unfolds. Choices and actions, decisions and doubts. It's not handed to us readers on a platter, but the silver lining definitely shines in this cloud. I really enjoyed this read, and I think anyone who has a love of Christmas stories will. It's well worth a read.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more information on Goodreads!

Review: Winter Knights by Harper Fox

Historian Gavin Lowden is in Northumberland on Christmas Eve for two reasons: to find evidence of a romantic bond between Arthur and Lancelot, and to finally tell his partner Piers that he loves him. Piers has promised to come clean with his conservative family and join Gavin for their first holiday as a couple, but at the last minute, he bails. Devastated, Gavin heads out onto the moors alone, just as snow begins to fall…


Gavin stumbles into an underground chamber, where strange happenings cause him to question what is real and what is fantasy. He’s found by two mysterious men, who offer him a bed for the night–and awaken him to nuances of erotic pleasure he didn’t know existed. Pleasure he hopes to be able to share with Piers.


When Piers learns that Gavin has gone missing, he is desperate to find him. He knows now breaking up was a terrible mistake, and he’s ready to take the next step in their relationship—if it’s not already too late.

It's winter time, so throw some coal on the fire, pour yourself a warming glass of mulled wine and curl up with a good book - I've got a great recommendation for you. Winter Knights by Harper Fox features snow, Arthurian legends and, of course, romance. What more do you need on a dark December night?

I loved the setting of this story, deep in the English countryside - I may be a little biased but it is one of my favourite places to be! Harper Lee obviously loves the area the book was set and it was so easy to imagine it, the snowy hills and cut off villages. The small mountain rescue shack and the underground cave. Perfect.

I also absolutely adored the Arthurian legend incorporated into this story, Gavin was so believable as the scholar determined to prove his own theory about Arthur and Lancelot. It didn't feel at all contrived, again I would say the author researched her subject well - and while Gavin's theories cannot necessarily be proven they totally worked within the context of the story.

Piers is a great and believable character, we first see him through Gavin's eyes - as the great love of his life and them the person who breaks his heart. As the story progresses though we see that it isn't black and white, Gavin isn't the only injured party, it does, as they say, take two to tango!

Artie and Lance the rescue guys - take one broken hearted historian and throw in two hot mountain rescuers and you have yourself some hot lovin'. I loved Artie and Lance and their story, though to be honest (close your ears unicorns) I could have lived without the sex - hot or not - because I wanted more about them and the mystery that surrounded them.

It's really my only complaint, instead of being a novella this story had all the makings and the wonderful writing of being a longer story. It was great as it was but I wasn't ready to stop reading, I could definitely have lived with the mystery deepening and the legends being expanded on, but it could just be me being greedy. Well it is the season of over-indulgence. ;)

Review: Blame it on the Mistletoe by Eli Easton

When physics grad student Fielding Monroe and skirt-chaser and football player Mick Colman become college housemates, they’re both in for a whole new education. Mick looks out for the absent-minded genius, and he helps Fielding clean up his appearance and discover all the silly pleasures his strict upbringing as a child prodigy denied him. They become best friends.

It’s all well and good until they run into a cheerleader who calls Mick the ‘best kisser on campus.’ Fielding has never been kissed, and he decides Mick and only Mick can teach him how it’s done. After all, the physics department’s Christmas party is coming up with its dreaded mistletoe. Fielding wants to impress his peers and look cool for once in his life. The thing about Fielding is, once he locks onto an idea, it’s almost impossible to get him to change his mind. And he just doesn't understand why his straight best friend would have a problem providing a little demonstration.

Mick knows kissing is a dangerous game. If he gives in, it would take a miracle for the thing not to turn into a disaster. Then again, if the kissing lessons get out of hand they can always blame it on the mistletoe.

If you're looking for a Christmas novella that'll get you in all the right places, then this is the one for you. Mick is the straight, ex-football player, girl chaser who has decided to spend more time away from his ex-team mates and more time studying. Fielding is the slightly eccentric, totally over mummied, genius who ends up as his house-mate. Despite the obvious differences between them they hit it off and become best friends. Mick enjoys introducing Fielding to life in general as he's been completely cosseted by his mum and Fielding helps Mick to see life in a different way. They were both great characters.

The plot of the story is just so crazy - but it works. They are so damn sweet together and truly the romance of it all will make you squirm - as I said before - in ALL the right places. It is cute and lovely and hot at the same time. It is Christmassy and snowy and just perfect. The ending may have gone a teensy bit too much HEA - but I can forgive it in a Christmas story. I want sweet and perfect. I want steamy and saccharine - a difficult combination to pull off, but Eli Easton manages it.

It's a short review but the essence of it is I absolutely recommend EVERYONE to read this book but especially those who love a bit of romance at Christmas.

Review: I Don't: A Christmas Wish by Kari Gregg

At least he isn’t pregnant.

Seth Murphy campaigned for Maryland’s Question Six, wildly celebrating the Election Day victory for marriage equality. Divorce attorney and live-in boyfriend Owen, however, believes just as passionately that the gay community should focus on a plurality of equal rights protections instead of allocating so many resources and man-hours to one hot button issue.

Owen won’t marry Seth.

Relationship deteriorating, the couple visits the Murphy farm outside Brunswick for Christmas. Seth’s family never considered that Seth and Owen wouldn’t be first in line for a marriage license as soon as same-sex marriage passed. When they find out there won’t be a wedding, their season of miracles is invaded by pornographic gingerbread cookies, frowning church ladies, and a determined father with a tactical assault shotgun.

Neither Seth, Owen, nor their love may survive the family holiday circus to say, “I don’t.”

If you want a lovely, romantic Christmas story then this is a great one to choose.Seth and Owen are in love. They are in luuuurrrve - so why won't Owen marry Seth now it's legal? He has his reasons, he's very honest about them with Seth but he hasn't quite taken into account Seth's family.

I loved Seth from the start, his feelings for Owen were so apparent and he knew Owen felt the same way, but there is an underlying doubt now. It is often the 'getting together' stories that are the ones that set my heart racing, the will they/won't they of the romantic chase, Seth and Owen are an established couple, yet this book still retains that feeling of anticipation. There relationship was great and even though Seth is upset about Owen's refusal to marry him he sticks up for him with the family.

Owen - well you think you'd want to hate him right? He's breaking poor Seth's heart...but you don't. He's lovely and his feelings for Seth are so apparent, he shows him he loves him all the time - it's just he is a man of principles. BUT, and this is important, he's also not afraid to learn and change.

The family - well there's a comedy that was just itching to be written. Seth's family, the matriarch - refusing to let any kind of shenanigans go on under her roof before a marriage has taken place (despite the fact that when the maths is done there isn't 9 months between her wedding and birth of the first born). The Patriarch with his shotgun who really only carries out the mum's orders. The homophobic younger sister who thinks her life is so perfect with her upcoming nuptials. The cousin who decorates the gingerbread people with all their bits and bobs on display. The grandmother, who liked to be extreme and shock her daughter.I loved this family, it was vaguely reminiscent of the family in the sitcom Bread, though of course only those of you old enough and British enough will be likely to remember that show. Nothing says Christmas cheer to me like an eccentric family.

There really isn't much that I didn't like about this book - in fact the only thing for me was the shot gun scene at the end. I felt uneasy with a gun being waved around in a house full of people, especially children. (That's not to say I didn't like the shotgun jokes running through it). It's a small niggle, after all they are fictional people, ti just made me uneasy. This book is definitely getting a re-read each Christmas, there's nothing like some snowy, Christmassy love to get you feeling seasonal.