reading report: holiday romances galore

The real reason I’m not writing / being a writer: I’m reading too much! All of these are MM.

1. ‘Light Up’ by Barbara Elsborg, new holiday-themed novel with a magical twist that seems clearly inspired by Harper Fox’s ‘When Christmas Lights are Blue.’ Short version, the MCs are both injured in a car crash on a freakishly snowy night, fall into some adventures which turn out to not have happened in the real world, wake up in hospital, do they both remember? Tune in and find out. Also contains a clear homage to Alexis Hall’s ‘For Real.’

2. ‘Sheep Calm and Merry On’ by Ashlyn Kane, novelette featuring two ex hockey players, one retired post struggle with addiction and the other following TBI. Fast-moving bonding, which I bought because these guys have a lot in common and are both nice guys, but I wish the ending had been less abrupt. I expect I’ll re-read it in some future binge of holiday shorts.

3. [re-read] ‘This is Real’ by Barbara Elsborg, featuring a closeted actor, a Harvard math lecturer dragooned into English accent coaching, a snowy car crash, and a happy ending that I completely buy into.

4. [re-read] ‘Merry & Bright’ by Joanna Chambers, three novelettes: Humbug, Mr. Perfect’s Christmas, Rest and Be Thankful.

5. [re-read] ‘The Mission’ by Barbara Elsborg, cannot be capsule-recapped, suffice to say there is a truly shitty ex in this one and a violent assault, plus skiing, and bonding over cello. One rarely sees musician MCs actually being musicians; here we do.

6. [re-read] ‘Snowed In With Benefits’ by Misha Horne, which looks like a piece of kinky fluff but is actually a pretty serious excavation of the ugly underside of extreme fame. I like this more every time I read it. Author site HERE.

7. ‘Christmas on Cosmic Avenue’ by Garrett Leigh, her latest in a series of blue-collar English Christmas novels. MC1, a carpenter who’s a recovering addict and a single dad; MC2, a firefighter with abandonment issues and a hookup habit. Male failure to communicate is the conflict.

8. ‘Merry and Bright’ by N.R. Walker, 6th in a series she’s writing set in Montana. Very effective, delivered lots of feels, and for those who are tired of all the sex, all the time: this book features an asexual small-town newcomer opening a bookstore and the touch-averse autistic 2nd-generation veterinarian. Intimacy is explored in a terrific way here. Content alert: they meet due to accidental death of a stray cat (and subsequently bond over rescue of her kittens). This would be my rec of the week! Author site HERE.

9. ‘Holiday Heartstrings’ by N.R. Walker, 4th in that series. Not a home run, but a solid triple. MCs are a short-term substitute teacher and a closeted sheriff’s deputy, so there are the two main conflicts, but love conquers all.

10. ‘A Holiday Homecoming’ by Liv Rancourt, novelette feat. a concert pianist and a schoolteacher; they knew each other at 13 but have gone a long time without seeing each other. Insta love, a lot of complications, the pianist is fairly well fleshed out but the other character often feels like a sketch.

then: [re-read] ‘When Christmas Lights are Blue’ by Harper Fox. In this short story, two English paramedics crash on their way to a winter call, both are injured (one badly), they share a dream. On waking / partial recovery the recollection of the dream helps them knit up their unraveling relationship. Fox’s stories often contain a lot of conflict and pain; this is no exception, but I love it.

11. [re-read] ‘Nine Lights over Edinburgh’ by Harper Fox, starring an alcoholic policeman and a visiting Mossad agent, in which the cop’s daughter is snatched by a trafficker. Mayhem, stress, injuries, trauma, and a fast but deep connection.

also: [re-read] ‘Deck the Halls with Secret Agents’ by Aster Glenn Gray. I love this story. Author site HERE.

12. ‘Arctic Fire’ by Keira Andrews, a novella feat. a Canadian Army officer with PTSD and a closeted Ranger falling rapidly into love over a the course of a few days in the frozen north.

13. ‘On Dancer’ by Annabeth Albert. MC1 is 24 yr old son of a ballet school / company director; MC2 is the 34 yr old star danseur who got his start there and has come home to finish rehab for an ACL repair. Lots of tropey goodness here, lots of ballet, solid & likeable.

Now, go read a book!