Author: Isabelle Adler
Publisher: NineStar Press
Publication Date: November 4, 2019
Length: 25300 words
Reviewed by Michael
Synopsis
It’s Christmas, and Justin’s life is fraying at the edges. The family business he took over instead of going to art school is bleeding money, and his boyfriend of seven months cheated on him. Under these circumstances, family gatherings can be rough, but Justin believes he has everything under control. That is, until Elliot, his former best friend (and the first guy to ever break his heart) unexpectedly shows up at the holiday dinner party.
With both of them still nursing the wounds of the past, it might take a real Christmas miracle for Justin and Elliot to learn to appreciate the art of second chances.
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Review
Aaaahhhhh, ‘‘tis the season
for holiday reads. Or, at least that’s
what the calendar says. To tell the truth,
these are some of my favorite kinds of stories because I love the holidays. I love the old holiday specials, the
decorations, and getting together with the family.
Which is precisely what
Justin is doing, getting together with his family for their annual Christmas
dinner. But he’s in for a surprise when he
walks through the door to find his ex, Elliot.
Because nothing says family drama quite like your mother inviting your
ex from years before to Christmas dinner.
Especially when she doesn’t know that you just broke up with a guy that
cheated on you.
Elliot’s in town clearing out
his parents’ house after they died in a car accident. I can’t imagine how gut wrenching and
devastating it would be to do that during the holidays. The holidays themselves are more of a
backdrop, a time setting if you will, for the story itself. Elliot’s reason for going home would have
worked fine on its own. The fact that he
does so during the holidays adds an additional emotional whammy.
I won’t go into the
circumstances surrounding Justin and Elliot’s separation years previous. What I will say is that it wasn’t because
they didn’t love each other. Duty and
circumstance simply got in the way. With
that said, it’s clear they still care deeply for each other, and, as a result,
you can’t help but root for an eventual reconciliation. But how is that even possible when each of
them lives in different parts of the country?
I love stories like
that. There’s just the right amount of
angst and the right amount of drama to propel the story forward, without
overshadowing the narrative. Because this
is romance, the HEA is inevitable. The
story of how is the most important thing. And this one is pulled off just fine.
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