I enjoyed this light and easy read with engaging characters. It was sweet watching these three live, work, and have fun together. Told from Wil’s point of view, it was interesting to see how he became a part of Simon and Adam’s established relationship. I would have liked a bit more dialogue with the three of them, but Wil was likable enough to carry the story.
Nick St. George was at the end of his rope until a sweet little elf saved the day.
Nick is an extremely successful businessman who has everything except love and happiness. He has finally reached a breaking point in his life and is on a road trip to San Francisco to end it all. He meets Kit Jefferies, whose car has just broken down, and decides to give him a ride.
Nick and Kit are both very interesting characters, and we spend quite a bit of time both in their heads and in their discussions, getting to know them. Nick is an extremely unpleasant person which made it hard to enjoy the story in the beginning. In addition to his nasty comments about Kit’s personality, and his overall negative view on gay people, it was very hard to like him at all. However, as the story progressed and Kit rubbed off on him, he became much nicer. The speed in which this happened seemed a little short, but it worked well for this story.
Kit was a joy to be around and just an overall fantastic person. In addition to being a store elf helping children, he was also an amazing artist. I really enjoyed reading the details and descriptions of his work. The only issue I had with Kit was his language. Listening to a grown man, who refuses to swear, say words like “poopie” took me out of the story multiple times. The time they spent on the road trip and at Kit’s house made for an overall enjoyable story.
A sweet holiday romance where one man’s zest for life gives another man a new chance at happiness.
Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb
At age 18, Shiloh has finally decided that he’s had enough with the bullying, lack of friends, and lonely life. He’s decided to end it all, but fortunately he’s not successful. Flash forward 18 years when he meets Travis. Working as a doctor, and leading an equally lonely life, Travis is immediately drawn to Shiloh. They connect and begin a lovely, sexy relationship where they know deep down that they are meant for each other.
Unfortunately, fate seems to have something else in mind for them. This is where you have to suspend your knowledge of reality and open your heart to magic. We flash back to 18-year old Shiloh recovering from his suicide attempt. Travis is the EMT who saves his life, and continues to visit him in the hospital while they quickly become friends. The rest of the story is simply beautiful.
This touching love story, with a bit of magic and holiday spirit, melted my heart.
Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb
Very touching, emotionally-charged story about two men who desperately want to adopt a child.
Jon Kechter and his husband, Cole Fenton, want to bring a child into their family. Cole is struggling with his desire to grow his family, but frustrated that he doesn’t have any true control over accomplishing it. At the same time, Cole is dealing with his mother who apparently wants to try to be part of his life again.
The majority of the story is told from Jon’s point of view. However, there is a brief period where Jon’s father shares his views. Jon is a pretty straightforward, simple character whereas Cole is much more lively and entertaining. Although their relationship was already established in “Strawberries for Dessert”, I would have liked to have seen more of their interactions as a couple. Too often it felt like Cole didn’t fully share himself with Jon. The beginning was a bit maudlin since Cole was always upset and on the verge of depression. The majority of the story was spent watching them live through the stressful ups and down of the adoption process.
There was also quite a bit of drama as we got to know Cole’s mother better and watch them interact with each other. As Jon and Cole got closer to reaching their dreams, it was easier to get lost in the emotions of the story. I certainly shed quite a few tears for both happy and sad moments. Although this can be read on its own, I think it’s much more enjoyable if you read the entire “CODA” series so that you really understand where all of the characters are coming from.
I recommend this beautiful heartfelt story that engages the heart and mind.
Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb
kindleromance Book Reviews 