Heartwarming

by Andrew Grey, Kim Fielding, Cardeno C.

The holidays bring first dates, new love, reunions, and a renewal of devotion to a relationship. Romance can warm even the most cynical or sad of hearts, and these stories will get you in the mood for love. Your Christmas present to yourself!

Alaska by Kim Fielding
Bashert by Gale Stanley
Blah, Humbug! by Dawn Flemington
Celebrating You by Grace R. Duncan
Change of Fortune by A. Morell
Feathers From the Sky by Posy Roberts
From This Window by Diana Jean
Gaudete by Amy Rae Durreson
Gift-Wrapped by Sam Hill
Goosed by Sasha Payne
Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf by B.G. Thomas
The Healing Power of Eggnog by Jamie Fessenden
Heart of the Pines by Jon Keys
Holiday Invasion by Elle Sommers
Holly and Oak by J.L. O'Faolain
In Another Life by Cardeno C.
Last Leap of the First-Foot by Ari McKay
The Lawyer Under the Tree by Meg Harding
A Lion in Tails by Andrew Grey
A Prairie Dog's Love Song by Eli Easton
The Promise of Snow by Elizah J. Davis
Rebound by Chris Scully
Santa Gets His Man by Julian Balfour
Scanty Santa by Troy Storm
Snow Globe by L.E. Franks
A Solstice Journey by Felicitas Ivey
A Swift Herd for Solstice by Andi Van
Toy Run by Charley Descoteaux
The Trouble With Elves by Therese Woodson
Worth It by Kris T. Bethke
Wrapped Up In You by Lucy Whedon

Genres: Anthologies, M M Romance, Holiday

ebook

First published December 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I DID IT!!!!

So, yay me. I read and reviewed all the 2013 Advent Calendar stories. I know, it's not really an accomplishment of epic proportions, but for me to accomplish anything in the month of December outside of work and holiday shenanigans is pretty major. I will definitely be doing this again next year. I read some great stories and found some new-to-me authors. This is really the only way to read in December.

Let the Christmas Lovin' Commence!!!

Read:

In Another Life - 3 Stars
In Another Life Review

The Trouble With Elves - 5 Stars
The Trouble With Elves Review Thank you Stallion - smooches

Feathers From the Sky - 5 Stars
Feathers From the Sky Review

From This Window - 3 Stars
From This Window Review

Bashert - 3 Stars
Bashert Review

Worth It- 3.5 Stars
Worth It Review

Heart of the Pines - 3 Stars
Heart of the Pines Review

Blah, Humbug! - 4 Stars
Blah, Humbug! Review

Celebrating You - 3 Stars
Celebrating You Review

Gaudete - 5 Stars
Gaudete Review

Holly and Oak - 2 Stars
Holly and Oak Review

Gift-Wrapped - 2 Stars
Gift-Wrapped Review

Holiday Invasion - 2.5 Stars
Holiday Invasion Review

Last Leap of the First-Foot - 4 Stars
Last Leap of the First-Foot Review

Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf - 3 Stars
Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf

Alaska - 4 Stars
Alaska Review

The Lawyer Under the Tree - 4 Stars
The Lawyer Under the Tree Review

A Lion in Tails - 3 Stars
A Lion in Tails Review

A Prairie Dog's Love Song - 4 Stars
A Prairie Dog's Love Song Review

Santa Gets His Man - 3 Stars
Santa Gets His Man Review

Rebound - 4 Stars
Rebound Review - off to read Rebound: Bonus Chapter - Thank you Chris Scully for more of Sky and Emmett!

The Healing Power of Eggnog - 3.5 Stars
The Healing Power of Eggnog Review

Scanty Santa - 2 Stars
Scanty Santa Review

A Solstice Journey - 3.5 Stars
A Solstice Journey Review

Wrapped Up In You - 3.5 Stars
Wrapped Up In You Review

Toy Run - 4 Stars
Toy Run Review

A Swift Herd for Solstice - 3 Stars
A Swift Herd For Solstice Review

The Promise of Snow - 4 Stars
The Promise of Snow Review

Goosed - 3 Stars
Goosed Review

Snow Globe - 4 Stars
Snow Globe Review

AND FINALLY!!!!

Change of Fortune - 3.5 Stars
Change of Fortune Review

[Nikyta]

Day 1 - In Another Life by Cardeno C.*
Day 2 - From This Window by Diana Jean*
Day 3 - Last Leap of the First-Foot by Ari McKay
Day 4 - Bashert by Gale Stanley*
Day 5 - Scanty Santa by Troy Storm - 2 stars
Day 6 - A Lion in Tails by Andrew Grey - 4 stars
Day 7 - Goosed by Sasha Payne
Day 8 - Gaudete by Amy Rae Durreson
Day 9 - Worth It by Kris T. Bethke*
Day 10 - Holiday Invasion by Elle Sommers
Day 11 - A Prairie Dog's Love Song by Eli Easton*
Day 12 - Heart of the Pines by Jon Keys*
Day 13 - Blah, Humbug! by Dawn Flemington
Day 14 - Gift-Wrapped by Sam Hill*
Day 15 - Holly and Oak by J.L. O'Faolain*
Day 16 - The Trouble With Elves by Therese Woodson*
Day 17 - Celebrating You by Grace R. Duncan
Day 18 - Feathers From the Sky by Posy Roberts*
Day 19 - Santa Gets His Man by Julian Balfour*
Day 20 - Toy Run by Charley Descoteaux*
Day 21 - A Solstice Journey by Felicitas Ivey*
Day 22 - The Lawyer Under the Tree by Meg Harding
Day 23 - Rebound by Chris Scully*
Day 24 - Wrapped Up In You by Lucy Whedon*
Day 25 - Alaska by Kim Fielding*
Day 26 - Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf by B.G. Thomas*
Day 27 - A Swift Herd for Solstice by Andi Van
Day 28 - The Healing Power of Eggnog by Jamie Fessenden*
Day 29 - The Promise of Snow by Elizah J. Davis*
Day 30 - Snow Globe by L.E. Franks*

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Alaska by Kim Fielding - 5 stars, review here

2. Toy Run by Charley Descoteaux - 4 stars, review here

3. Santa Gets His Man by Julian Balfour - 4 stars, review here

4. Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf - 5 stars, review here

5. A Solstice Journey by Felicitas Ivey - 4 stars, review here

6. From This Window by Diana Jean - 4.5 stars, review here

7. Bashert by Gale Stanley - 4 stars, review here

8. Gift-Wrapped by Sam Hill - 4 stars, review here

9. Rebound by Chris Scully - 4.5 stars, review here

10. Scanty Santa by Troy Storm, - 3.5 stars, review here

11. In Another Life by Cardeno C. - 5 stars, review here

12. The Healing Power of Eggnog by Jamie Fessenden - 5 stars, review here

13. Holiday Invasion by Elle Sommers - 4 stars, review here

14. Blah, Humbug! by Dawn Flemington - 3 stars, review here

15. A Lion in Tails by Andrew Grey - 5 stars, review here

16. Goosed by Sasha Payne - 4 stars, review here

17. Last Leap of the First-Foot by Ari McKay - 4.5 stars, review here

18. Holly and Oak by J.L. O'Faolain - 2 stars, review here

19. Gaudete by Amy Rae Durreson - 5 stars, review here

20. A Prairie Dog's Love Song by Eli Easton - 4.5 stars, review here

21. Feathers From the Sky by Posy Roberts - 4.5 stars, review here

22. The Trouble With Elves by Therese Woodson - 4 stars, review here

23. Celebrating You by Grace R. Duncan - 4 stars, review here

24. A Swift Herd for Solstice by Andi Van - 3.5 stars, review here

25. Worth It by Kris T. Bethke - 4.5 stars, review here

26. Wrapped Up In You by Lucy Whedon - 3 stars, review here

27. The Lawyer Under the Tree by Meg Harding - 4.5 stars, review here

28. The Promise of Snow by Elizah J. Davis - 3 stars, review here

29. Change of Fortune by A. Morell- 4 stars, review here

30. Heart of the Pines by Jon Keys - 4 stars, review here

31. Snow Globe by L.E. Franks - 4.5 stars, review here

[Kazza]

Three reviews to come for -

Scanty Santa by Troy Storm

A Prairie Dog's Love Song by Eli Easton

A Solstice Journey by Felicitas Ivey

In Another Life by Cardeno C already reviewed https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Chris Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really stellar collection this year. There were too many to review individually, but highlights for me included:

The Healing Power of Eggnog - Jamie Fessenden
Alaska - Kim Fielding
Wrapped up in You - Lucy Whedon
Gaudete - Amy Rae Durreson
Bashert - Gale Stanley
From this Window - Diana Jean
In Another Life - Cardeno C.
Worth It - Kris T. Bethke

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ari McKay's Last Leap of the First-Foot (4 stars)

Iain and Bran have been best friends since they were kids. Iain and Bran both secretly love each other. Iain has his suspicions that Bran likes men and him in particular. When Hogmanay comes along Iain decides he's going to tell Bran he loves him and wants to be together. At first Bran thinks Iain is teasing him but then when he believes him he gets worried his parents will disown him. Bran's mother has a heart to heart talk with him and things look better. When Iain shows up at midnight to keep his promise to First-Foot them, Bran lays his heart out with a special gift.
This is a short, quick read. There is chemistry between Iain and Bran but the romance is luke-warm. I was hoping for more and if it was longer it might have delivered.

[Elizabetta]

More reviews to come: (spoiler tags added to save space)

Wrapped Up In You by Lucy Whedon (read 12/16/13, contemporary/holiday/friendship, HFN; 2.5 stars)

Norris, finds out last minute that his ex (who he hasn’t gotten over) is at his friends’ annual Christmas party. So Norris hides in the bathroom...

“I give up,” he said. “I’m not over him, I’ve never been over him and I’m hiding in here until he leaves or there’s an earthquake or something. I’m reverting to my fifteen-year-old self, thanks very much.”

And revert he does. Actually, Norris comes off as a drama queen, he was the one who broke it off with Danny, after all. And Danny seems to be doing all the work at trying to reconcile.

Luckily, their caring friends don’t seem to have chosen sides and conspire to help the couple along.

This is well written. I felt Norris’s hurt and confusion, though Danny remains a bit of a mystery, and yet, I think I like him better. It’s not clear at the end how the guys will fare down the road.

For me, this is more about the gift of all those caring, supportive friends than the struggling romance)

Gaudete by Amy Rae Durreson (review to come)

Feathers From the Sky by Posy Roberts (read 12/13/13; contemp/holiday/coming out/family drama; 4.0 stars)

The house may be on the shabby side and too small, bursting at the seems with fifteen people stuffed into it, but it’s Cal’s family home and everyone is back for Christmas week in the snowy countryside.

There are a lot of changes for twenty-six year old Cal this Christmas with the family. He’s finally ready to come out to them, and his boyfriend, Phillip, the love of his life, is coming to meet them too. And Cal’s parents have some news of their own.

I loved this. The author captures the feel of a noisy, active family, close-knit and loving, all up against each other for the holiday get-together. Cal, the middle kid, and an introvert, deals with all the bustle of his large family with long solitary walks in the snow, waiting for Phillip’s arrival. His six siblings, some with kids of their own, and his warm and supportive parents know he’s bisexual but he’s never brought a boyfriend home. He just knows they’re expecting him to marry a nice girl and add to the family flock.

And there’s the rub. They don’t know about Phillip, Cal’s lover of three years. He and Phillip are madly in love and are not interested in taking on any kids.

“He held my hand… and I could hear the quiet sound of his thumb brushing over my palm in tiny figure eights. Infinity… He was telling me he’d love me forever.”

Interesting thing… his family may be more understanding than he gives them credit for.

There is a fun, competitive snowball fight, lots of camaraderie, and the cozy, good feeling of people who care about each other. This is perfect for the holidays, full of love but never sticky sweet. As Phillip says during a walk with Cal in softly falling snow…

“Feathers from the sky,” he whispered as he looked up… “It looks like feathers falling from the sky.” I studied the flakes as they drifted down… (they) made the the air seem magical.”


Alaska by Kim Fielding (read 12/19/13; contemp/holiday/coming of age/friends to lovers/bittersweet/homeless/no sex; 4.0 stars)

Well, this sure tugged at my heart. Two good friends, young boys living in the fringes, support each other through hard and harder times. Scott is a foster kid with an alcoholic mom. Marco struggles to keep himself and two sisters out of foster care by putting up a good front-- he works after school to feed and clothe his siblings and invalid granny.

The story is told in five year increments over the span of twenty years starting when the boys are twelve and thirteen years old, and ending with them in their mid-thirties. As kids, they meet each Christmas eve on Marco’s roof to share some quiet moments and dreams of a better future. Marco has no gift to exchange with Scott but promises him ‘rescuing’, he’ll take him away from it all someday, they’ll both go to Alaska. Why Alaska, isn’t clear but it’s far, far away from all their troubles.

We watch as the years test the guys together and apart through some very tough and lonely times. The author does a good job of engaging our empathy without becoming overly sentimental or preachy.

This is a tougher one to read especially for the holidays but it’s always good to be reminded that there are others much worse off than yourself. And that the power of love can see you through most anything.


(Note: these stories provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review)