Let Your Hearts Be Light

Christmas Daddies #1

by Fae Quin, Stephen Dexter (Narrator), Liam DiCosimo (Narrator)

A stranger is just someone you haven't been forced to spend Christmas with yet.

Baxter

As a 42-year-old single father, the last thing I expected before Christmas was for my daughter to sign me up for a community matchmaking event. The Christmas Buddies program becomes a challenge I can't wait to overcome when I realize the man that has been assigned as my buddy for the holiday season is none other than Paxton Montgomery. He's massive, grumpy, incredibly gorgeous (in a lumberjack kinda way), and also—weirdly enough—the only person in town who doesn't like me.

Can I change Paxton's tune by the end of the holiday season? Or am I destined to spend yet another Christmas craving companionship and someone to hold my head up before I drown in the stress of my broken bakery?

Paxton

I'm not a people person. I know this about myself, and I am at peace with it. The only exception I have is my son. He's the most important person in the entire world to me. So I had no choice but to go along with his scheme as he rigs the Christmas Buddy drawing so we can spend the holiday season with the girl he's had a crush on since junior high. The only catch: her father is a crucial part of the bargain.

Can I survive the holiday season with sunshine golden boy Baxter bombarding me with his jokes and his too-bright smiles? Or will I succumb to my dark desires and strangle the grin right off his too-pretty face?

Let Your Heart Be Light is a standalone slow-burn holiday MM romance with high heat, a HEA, and no cliffhangers. It features a relationship between two adorable single fathers as they navigate the holiday season. Together they're warm, young, and tooth-achingly sweet. If you like funny stories with too many dad jokes, Christmas magic, grumpy-sunshine, and lots of steam, then listen on!

Genres: M M Romance, Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Contemporary, LGBT, Audiobook

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published December 3, 2022

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING 4.5 STARS

Let Your Hearts Be Light is a stand alone, MM, holiday book by Fae Quin. It’s my very first book by this author. As soon as I saw the cover for this book, I was in love. How could I not be? And the book lived up to this cover perfectly. This is a low angst, high swoon, sweet, sexy, heart warming, wonderful holiday book that will squeeze your heart and fill you with holiday cheer.



Baxter Baker is a forty two year old single father to his sixteen year old daughter, Becca. Baxter has always known he wanted to be a baker. He’s passionate about it. But he never anticipated he’d be a single father. But now, his bakery is in a shambles and he’s trying to run his business out of his home. And he’s trying to scrape together enough money to buy Becca her Christmas gift.

To everyone in town, Baxter smiles, laughs, makes jokes, and seems like their best friend. But he goes home alone. He doesn’t date and he doesn’t socialize.

“Being friends with everyone, you were never really friends with anyone at all.”

Paxton Montgomery is also a single father to his seventeen year old son, Nathan. Where Baxter and Becca are blonde haired rays of sunshine, Paxton is a huge lumber jack type of man, tattooed, grumpy and anti social. His life revolves around his contractor business and his son. He is not a people person. And one of his least favorite people is Baxter. Whenever he sees him, he’s always smiling and it irritates him.



At Nathan and Becca’s high school, they have a holiday buddy program, pairing up people that need a friend to be with over the holidays. Nathan might just have a little crush on Becca and somehow, he has rigged the program to pair up Paxton to Baxter. Paxton is not thrilled with this outcome but he’ll do it for his son. Little did he know how wrong he was about Baxter. How everything he thought he saw on the surface was just a cover up to everything he kept hidden.



This is a story of true love. Of a grumpy, anti social man who had this whole soft, romantic person inside of him he didn’t even know was there. Paxton and Baxter were the perfect match for each other. They balanced each other out perfectly. And just wait until you see the dirty talking, bossy side of Paxton he saves for the bedroom, and car, and kitchen….well, you get the picture. Should I mention their creative uses for frosting?!



Get ready to swoon, to smile, to sigh, and to want to eat lots of cookies. Because this book is full of yummy treats. I can’t wait for you all to meet Paxton, Baxter, and their wonderful children, Becca and Nathan. I hope you love them as much as I did.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[~Nicole~]

DNF at 15%. I’m sorry but I can’t.. I would have flipped Paxton off and and kicked him to the curb with a “Fuck off, asshole” . He was a jackass and he hated Baxter for absolutely no reason ..Gosh , he was so mean and freaking rude and his reason was that Baxter was too happy and kind and nice and he smiled all the time. It was only after Baxter told him he wasn’t happy at all and that he was in fact miserable ,that Paxton started to thaw a bit towards him. So he was so petty and mean that he only liked Baxter if he was unhappy and miserable (probably like himself). Nathan and Baxter were the only sweet and kind ppl in this book. Becca was annoying and she was kind of bossy, rude and demanding to her father too. I can’t go on, sorry..I wouldn’t go out with a guy like Paxton if you paid me..

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

- Small town romance
- Size difference
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Single dad(s)

Let Your Hearts Be Light is the fluffiest, coziest, and tooth achingly sweetest holiday romance I’ve come across this holiday season, and I am OBSESSED.

I’m a total sucker for the grumpy x sunshine trope and watching Baxter, the kindest and most warm-hearted person, tentatively form a friendship with Paxton, the town grump, all because their kids forced them into it for a school activity… LOVED!

Paxton was just so distrustful of anyone who seemed to be as happy and put together as Baxter, but the more he got to know him and see past that happy exterior, the more he realizes how much he misjudged Baxter (and how much of a dick he’s been 🤣). I loved their friendship, the way they forced each other outside of their comfort zones, and always comforted the other when they needed it the most. But that slow and disgustingly sweet progression of their friendship into something more… *chefs kiss* The chemistry and the spice?! 🥵🥵🥵

And that epilogue? 😭😭😭 so perfect and I loved it so much!

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Sickeningly Sweet ✨'s

Let Your Hearts Be Light is an MM holiday romance featuring single dads, grumpy x sunshine, found family, and small-town tropes. The story follows Paxton and Baxter, whose teenagers sign them up for a holiday exchange where families spend time together and engage in festive activities. While the two get off to a less-than-stellar start, when Paxton sees how much Baxter has been struggling, he begins to realize his sunny disposition may be a cover for just how lonely he is. Determined to make things right and make up for being so rude, Paxton sets out to give Baxter and his daughter a magical Christmas.

Ugh, I cannot express how adorable and cozy this book is! I absolutely loved every moment of reading it, Paxton went from a complete asshole to a downright sweetheart in a blink of an eye when he realized Baxter was not happy. The way this man was so determined to make Baxter's life easier and help in any way he could was so sweet. I loved how the two melted for each other and came together as one unit. The found family and the way the two dads grew closer to each other's children was so sweet, I loved how their family dynamics were balanced and the book focused on both families equally. Overall, Let Your Hearts Be Light is a low angst, heartwarming, sweet, charming, and fluffy holiday romance full of swoony moments, festive times, and plenty of steam!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SO MANY HAPPY TEARS SHED READING THIS!!!!!! RTC.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t like the plot, writing style, characters, romance, cover, or the sex scenes.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE IT WHEN MEN CRY AND ARE VULNERABLE AND HOLD HANDS AND GO TO THERAPY TO BETTER THEMSELVES 😭😭😭

This had so many things I love: Size difference, grumpy/sunshine, all the emotions and actual conversations about feelings, mental health rep, small town men in their late 30s, early 40s with down to earth jobs (builder x baker), wholesome Christmas vibes (but not too much), and the slow building of family without even realising they’re doing it. Ugh, so fucking wholesome.

Their dynamic was full of praise and affection and possession. You can kind of tell that Fae Quin normally writes pnr, because there was a lot of ‘mine’ and growling and sniffing and marking that gave fated mates. But it worked even in this contemp 🤷‍♀️
Their sexual encounters were lovely and very kinky. THIS IS A STEAMY ONE, FOLKS!!

I went for the audio (which is included in the audible subscription!) and thought the narrators did a solid job. Stephen Dexter’s bariton gave me goosebumps and Liam DiCosimo also had a very pleasant style - except when he tried to talk in a deep voice, then he just sounded like a guy trying to talk in a deep voice and therefore a bit ridiculous lol

I gotta get one thing off my chest though: dear authors, can we please, PLEASE, banish the phrase ‘winking butthole’ from all written language?! It gives me so much ick every single time. *shudder*
Another thing: The kids who were supposed to be around 17 both read more like 12 year olds, which threw me quite a few times.

So yeah, while this wasn’t as good as ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions’ in my opinion, it was still super fucking cute. Maybe even too cute at some points? 🙈

3,5⭐️

‘I think I deserve better than how I’ve been treating myself.’ He bit his lip. ‘I think that I deserve a chance at getting better.’ I LOVE THAT FOR YOU BAXTOR! ATTA BOY!! 😭

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm not the biggest Christmas spirit type of person, but I was feeling in the mood for a bit of Christmas in July wholesomeness and this book delivered that in spades.

Sunshine in human form Baxter Baker is signed up by his concerned daughter to a school holiday program that aims to pair up single parents to make friends. Giant grump Paxton Montgomery is signed up for the program when his son rigs the system to get matched up with the girl who he has a crush on. The only problem is that Paxton hates Baxter, having watched him bounce around town for years charming everyone he comes across with his golden boy persona. What follows is a grumpy/sunshine romance, that although doesn't break the mould, is a reliably good time, with just the right amount of seasonal cheese. I think this relationship was fairly well paced, I wouldn't say this was a slow burn, but it also wasn't insta love either. Just Paxton realising he was perhaps being a judgmental dick and willing to be open to admitting he was wrong and wanting to make amends.

I was keen to give another book by this author a go after I had such a good time with 'Cloudy with a Chance of Bad Decisions' (aka the kinky meatball book lol), and I can gladly say that this book delivered the same heart warming wholesomeness and genuine connections I hoped for, alongside some spice that was definitely on the higher end of the spicy scale. Not quite as freaky as the kinky meatball book, but still quite spicy in its own right.

It was also delightful to read about two protagonists in their early 40s, who for the most part acted like adults, insecurities, faults and all. ALSO NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP

Liam Di Cosimo and Stephen Dexter did a fun little dual narration here and I enjoyed the vibrancy they brought to the story and romance.

I didn't really expect it, but I'm glad to come out of this keen to read about the rest of the Montgomery Brothers finding love and I'll definitely be continuing with the series! ❤️

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very very good and I’d love to read another story set in the same world!! I had very high hopes because the cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The sex was SO hot. Like oh my god hi icing on the cake of a delicious romance!! It was also pretty slow burn, at least it felt that way. I think sexual things started around 50%. I really loved the grumpy/sunshine of the book and the TENSION. Wow I was hanging onto every word for dear life.

The relationship dynamic though was just a bit too daddy kink for me? Like they never said daddy but when one character is presented as so vulnerable and the other one "sweethearts" them like crazy, I choke on the sweetness just a bit. And before Paxton did a 180°, he was a bit too pointlessly grumpy, at times veering into just plain asshole for no good reason. Overall, it worked though and that only lasted for the first fifth of the book.

The rest of the book really dealt with being a parent as they were both single dads, and that did lose some of my attention. I loved their kids and how they all became a family, I just kinda glazed over the hardships of being a parent sections lol.

The writing was very good. It made for a very fluffy and very fun book, while still guiding you through complex emotions. Overall, I grabbed a few more books by the author and hope we get another story next Christmas! And other holidays too!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

The writer does have some tells that got to be a bit annoying: …fuck, …well, wobble/wobbling/wobbled/wobbles. Guys, apparently I really don’t like the word wobble. I probably wouldn’t have noticed them if I had an audiobook (yes please!!!) but reading on my kindle they were hard to miss. I also just hate the name Baxter Baker—he’s a literal puppy dog baker yes, it was just a bit too on the nose and my holiday cheer only takes me so far.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author to love? I think so!

I absolutely adored this! I couldn't put it down, didn't want to put it down. I was enraptured by Paxton and Baxter's love story.

I was just pulled in from the beginning. With Paxton's irrational hate toward Baxter, and Baxter just continuing to be kind and sweet and gentle in the face of it.

I love when one or both parties have the wrong idea about the other, treats them like shit, and sees the error of their ways when they start seeing how amazing the other is and starts falling for them and they have an "oh shit" moment.

The "hate" from Paxton to Baxter didn't last long, but it felt so natural, the transition between him hating Baxter to loving him.

I love love LOVED how this was written. I loved the the build up from nothing to everything. It didn't feel like Paxton just randomly went from hate to love.

We saw, so easily, how getting to know Baxter was changing his mind. And the more he got to know Baxter, the more he saw how very wrong he was about him, the way his tune then changed...it felt right. It felt earned.

I didn't care that we didn't get some real delicious enemies to lovers. Because I was falling for them just as much they were falling for each other. And it all just felt into place so well that I never felt like I do with other stories that end the "hate" part too soon.

In those, it feels like the author is barely trying with the "hate" part and and saying their story is "enemies-to-lovers" is just a total lie.

But this story didn't claim to be that, and it just felt like a natural progression for Paxton to make. It wouldn't have made sense if he held onto his hatred longer than he did, actually.

And then it was just...wonderful, wonderful romance.

They each have a kid, too, and they're teenagers, in their last year of high school. They all just fit together perfectly as a family.

It was like, all the sudden they were doing all this stuff together and it felt right, like they'd been a family all along.

Also, the chemistry? The steam? *fansself* it was perfection! It was sizzling between these two and was just so so hot. I felt their connection in every wonderful sex scene. Sometimes for me the romance might be wonderful, but the sexual chemistry is off with author's writing. Like they weren't trying when they wrote the sex scenes.

Not with this author, no sir. The sex scenes had just as much care put into them as the romance. I was on cloud nine reading them, and then when it focused on the romance as well.

These two were insatiable together, for each other, and it was absolutely wonderful, I was just grinning the whole time while reading them together.

I just, can't praise this book enough. I absolutely fell in love with this author because of this story.

Which, I'm declaring right now:

This is the best Christmas/Holiday story I've ever read

Bold claim, but I stand by it. It took place around the holidays, around Christmas, it was such a big part of this story, but it wasn't all this story was. It didn't feel overly cheesy or cringe or "meh" or anything like that. I felt like I was reading a really great story, where Christmas just happened to be involved. Not just a Christmas story, if that makes sense? I hope it does haha.

So, am I going to run over and check out this author's other published work? You bet your ass I am! I'm so excited to dive into it!

Because this story got me hooked. And I absolutely cannot wait to read more from this author.

👍Two MASSIVE Thumbs up from me! 👍

I can't praise this story enough. So go run and read this, now. Because I highly, highly recommend it! Absolutely loved it! 😍🥰😘

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5~

Despite reading this book after Christmas, I enjoyed every bit of the holiday spirit: Christmas market, cookies and hot cocoa, holiday movies, sledding, fuzzy scarves, and two men making magic happen.

Baxter is always cheerful, but his smiles are brittle and forced. Struggling with his run-down bakery, raising his daughter alone after her mom (Baxter's sister) and dad's passing, Baxter is an anxious mess, barely keeping it together.

Paxton isn't much happier, but he's determined to dislike Baxter on principle. Paxton is a gruff grump. He loves his son and working with his hands, but he keeps to himself.

When Paxton and Baxter are pushed into forced holiday togetherness by their meddling teens, Paxton immediately realizes he's misjudged Baxter all along and is determined to make things right.

The story is told in a dual POV, and the men's voices are quite distinctive. Baxter's inner thoughts are panicky, and Paxton is exceedingly fond of the F word.

The sex is surprisingly raunchy (cheers!) for an otherwise sweet story with a sparkling HEA.

I'm not usually a fan of kids in romance, but even though Becca and Nathan are very present here, I didn't mind one bit. I loved them both as much as I loved the MCs.

Not without angst but mostly joyful, this story is about found family, community support, and, most importantly, two men finding each other at 40 and not letting go.

One tiny complaint: Becca's floppy bun was mentioned so often, it was practically another MC. 😆

Thanks to my friend Thrudr for recommending this book! I enjoyed it very much!

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
i did not expect this. i enjoyed it so much.
grumpy turns soft like ??? yes please.
after like 60% it also took a surprisingly possessive turn, which i definitely appreciated. you know me, i’m easy. and the last part? a literal dream.

“You’re my honey bee. He can find his own fucking hive.”

[Ben Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let Your Hearts Be Light is a grumpy/sunshine Christmas romance. Two single dads are signed up to a Christmas Buddies program where families get matched up to do some fun activities together over the festive season.

Baxter is matched up with Paxton and things don't start off the best as grumpy and sunshine personalities clash. As the book progresses and the two families spend more time together, the two dads build a friendship as they dive past the surface and get to know one another.

This was such a sweet holiday read. I loved the family shenanigans and our main character's had such a nice arc. This is my first from this author and I'll definitely be checking out her other books.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and wholesome!!

I loved Baxter and Paxton. They were so sweet to each other and the way they built a friendship and turned it into more was really heartwarming.

I also liked how the Christmas aspect wasn't overwhelming!

Becca and Nathan were adorable too and I really loved the family they all made together.

[Amur Thera · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good
+ Nathan
+ Becca
+ The dad vibes. Their amusement at dad jokes was adorable, and they had such dad-like characteristics. "My heart decided to yeet itself from my body (yeet was a new word I'd learned earlier that week from Becca. I was still figuring out how to use it)"
+ The great bonds between the dads and their respective kids
+ The good communication in their relationship
+ Mutual caretaking
+ Nathan calling his new dad Small Dad

The neutral
o Small dad forgave grumpy dad for his asshole behavior much too easily. He just said he liked him, while there was no reason for small dad to even be able to stand grumpy dad back then
o The storyline with Nathan's mom didn't serve much of a purpose, and it also was a little too vague. I still don't know what she did to give grumpy dad such trust issues

The bad
- The main characters were named Baxter and Paxton... I couldn't keep them apart. They were both Baxter in my head
- The small dad came to the grumpy dad crying, because he had nowhere else to go, and he was devastated because his daughter had lied to him. Instead of offering sympathy and helping him, the grumpy dad thought about how he would "torture his sweet little nipples till he had something real to cry about". What the fuck. He had something real to cry about you dickwad
- The way sex was handled in this book didn't fit at all. First of all, you can't just call someone a slut or a whore without consent. Also, it felt really rough and impersonal in such a sweet romance
- Buttercream as lube??? Think of the sugar crystals! (Also, damn you, Adaline, for calling it exfoliating)
- The grumpy dad kept his work on the bakery a secret from the small dad, even though he knew the small dad had anxiety and was going crazy worrying about his bakery. I don't care if it was a surprise, he should have told the small dad to save him from having to suffer so much
- Those speeches at the end were so incredibly awkward and also completely out of place
- This book contained 22 instances of twitching and jerking dicks, and 15 twitching, winking and fluttering holes. At this point, it's probably a good idea to go see a doctor


It was fine. I was able to finish it, even though it took me a while. But it did not live up to my expectations, and after the grumpy dad started being nice to the small dad it started going downhill. Nathan gets five stars, Becca also deserves a lot of stars, and the dads... nah. Especially the grumpy one. I wouldn't recommend this book, as there are better ones out there.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so I am not very skilled at reviewing and this is just my opinion so....yeah

The good:
- Grumpy sunshine
- Found family & community
- The characters & The relationship between everyone, including the kids
- Representation/talk of anxiety and loss

The bad:
- I was listening to the audio and the grump was grumping to an annoying level (like for real it got on my nerves)
- The smut (just not my cup of tea ((or hot cocoa in this case?)) 🙈)
- The original "reason" for dislike is hella stupid
- Why me/Why would you care thing

[L Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I don't read that many, I'd have to say this was the best holiday romance I've ever read. 🥰 I tried reading it last year but couldn't get into it. When I saw an audiobook was available for it, I took a chance, and, oh my god, was it worth it. Stephen Dexter and Liam DiCosimo did a fabulous job, and their performance kept me listening all day.

This was a beautiful story with all of these amazing characters, it was surprisingly spicy (thank you very much! 😅), and it had a conclusion that actually made me tear up. 🥹🩵 I'm so grateful to end the year with such an incredible story.

Happy New Year, everyone. You've all made this platform my happy place. I'm so glad I share it with you. 5 stars

[JonathanSamuelReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sorry but this felt like a very gay hallmark Christmas movie but in book form? Loved the character growth between these two and all the gentleness and tenderness around mental health and seeking help with professionals was so accurate I cried a few times due to my own Daddy issues but i don’t know this book kinda warmed my dead gay heart!

-small town
-mental health rep
-grumpy/sunshine
-strict roles
-LUMBERJACK HELLO

[TrippyBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Super cute single dads 🎄 Christmas romance

Our grump tries his best to dislike the local cinnamon roll but it doesn’t last when he realizes its all a facade and hes actually quite a sad boy.

High 🌶️
Great audio

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fed the hell out of my sweet tooth. Let Your Hearts Be Light is a very steamy, cozy and fluffy holiday romance that literally made me feel like I was going to get a tooth ache.

Baxter was…sunshine. I hated sunshine. He bounced off the fucking walls, laughed at every joke spoken, harpooned around like a jester on crack. He was friends with everything that had a pulse and more giving than a charity on Christmas.

Baxter is our small town sunshine, who is a baker and also a single father. I just wanted to wrap him into the warmest hug and provide him with all the hot chocolate in the world (But don't worry, Paxton definitely fulfills this 😏). Although he is all sunshine, with his golden blonde hair and a wide smile, not everything is as it seems. Then we have Paxton, the town grump. He’s the rugged, HOT, lumberjack type with big muscles and tattoos. Paxton and Baxter have been acquainted with each other for a while, but never really interacted. Paxton sees Baxter as the person who is always happy and everyone loves him, and Paxton doesn’t like that. Both of their kids want to sign up themselves and their dad for the Christmas buddy program. Becca (Baxter’s daughter) sees that Baxter is very lonely and sad and thinks this program can help him get out there and make friends. Nathan (Paxtons’s son) has a little bit of a crush on Becca so he rigs the draw so they end up being partners LMAO. So with this buddy program, Paxton starts to see the different layers of Baxter and starts to realize what he thought is not correct....

“You smile too much,” Paxton finally said.
The words were so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh. He continued.
“You’re nice to everyone. You do…things for people. You laugh at fucking everything. You’re always happy. Even now you’re fucking smiling at me.”
“You hate me because I’m always happy?” What a…ridiculous thought.
“Yes.”
Wow. Wow. I laughed.

Come on now Paxton, we know you secretly love it… 😏 Every grump needs their sunshine duo.

He’d remembered.
Jesus.
It was a small thing.
But the fact that he paid attention to me, that he was here—surprising me. Solid and sure. Reliable. Affectionate, considerate. I couldn’t—
Wait.
Oh god.
Baxter was dressed as an elf. An elf.

The sweet gestures these two did for each other will warm your heart to the max. Their chemistry was on point. There was no over the top drama, and angst, no other women or men drama. It's literally a book about two lonely souls finding each other and falling in love. Not over the top anything. There is definitely some underlying sadness in this story but it’s very realistic and relatable. The SPICE? I didn’t realize I had a thing for handy man lumberjacks! Paxton was so freaking sweet to Baxter, and Baxter was just the cutest. He loves the movie “Elf” and even dresses up as an elf, like COME ON SO CUTE! 🥺

“I’m going to take care of you,” I swore, my voice wobbling.
“I know you will, Paxton.” Baxter laced a gentle kiss against my lips that had my pulse fluttering and a hot tear slipping down my cheek. “I’m going to take care of you too.”

These are the type of characters your know will last forever as a couple because you can just feel how deep their connection runs. I JUST CAN’T GET OVER HOW FREAKING SWEET AND SEXY THEY ARE TOGETHER. So if you enjoy a light holiday read with grumpy x sunshine, single dads, small town romance and some 👌 spice, you will enjoy this.

Also, I just want to mention how awesome both of their kids are. Nathan and Becca are just so precious.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

Sometimes growing up meant growing apart and that was the hardest pill to swallow as a father who didn’t know how to be anything but… Dad.

Y’all. I don’t remember the last time I read something this charming and sweet, that still has emotional depth. For a (spicy) Hallmark-y christmas book, the plot was also refreshingly original. The only reason I didn’t read it in one sitting was because I had to sleep.

Jesus. I wondered what he sounded like in bed? All… gruff and… grrrrr. Like a big bear. I bet he had chest hair. Fuck, I loved chest hair.

I’m a bit of a Grinch in real life, but I’m glad I picked this up after hearing about Paxton’s ‘pipe laying’ skills, as it were. Not only was that comment entirely accurate (I might need a cold shower), but it actually gave me a bit of christmas cheer. If christmas happened every four years like the olympics, I would be okay with that, yet this book put me in a really good mood even while I’m anxiously procrastinating everything I’m supposed to be doing, lol.

“Sweet little thing, aren’t you, sugar?” Paxton murmured, one of his hands slipping beneath the hem of my shirt.

The family vibes were immaculate, and made even sweeter because of the overarching themes of loneliness. A fantastic represantion of the grumpy/sunshine trope, with two adorkable teenagers who love their parents unconditionally. I really do love single dad books, but don’t often see teenagers. Fae really pulled this off. The kids were somehow very real and exactly like teenagers, but without being annoying at all. They were just utterly charming and added a wonderful element to the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Apparently I’m in a christmas mood.

“I can’t promise everything will go right. That’s not in my power. But I can promise you—whatever happens—I’m gonna be right by your side.”

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Single dads
Holiday setting
Hurt/comfort
Small town
Lonely parents
Meddling teens
Grumpy/sunshine
Size difference
Dad jokes
Dirty talk
Eating pie 🥧
Anxiety rep
Creative use of icing
A touch of exhibitionism/voyeurism

⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Brief mentions of drug use (side character, past)
Vague reference to homophobia
Explicit sexual content
Parental neglect (side character)
Anxiety attack
Mentions of the death of family (past, off page)
Mentions of past car accident
‘Slut’ (not used in a degrading manner)

Most of this list and more can be found on the author’s website:
faelovesart.com

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MCs age: 42 and 42

“You know, if all you do is smile, the smiles stop meaning shit.”

He was thick. Capable. With curly, nearly red, chest hair that danced between the massive swell of his delicious pecs. God. I wanted to bite them. Suck on them and smash my face between them till he smothered me with his lovely chest.

It wasn’t lost on me how excited I was to cream-pie my baker.

Nathan hopped his way over to the car, giving me his brightest smile right before he stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. I cocked my head in concern, only for him to pop up a second later, his grocery bags held high in triumph.

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So sweet, even Santa would get cavities 😅

I knew it was going to be a Hallmark worthy romance, but this was a bit much, even for my romantic heart in desperate need for some wholesome Christmas miracle.

I would have actually rated it with 4 stars nevertheless, if not for the sex scenes. Honestly, there was so much growling and purring and needy whining and eyes flashing golden and helpless whimpering and wanting to mark and bite and possessive posturing involved, I had to double check if by chance I missed the shifter/omegaverse side plot somewhere along the way 😂 And the dirty talk… uh. I felt a bit second hand embarrassment 😂

Just to illustrate what I mean:

(…)he was humping my hand like a bitch in heat, his voice a needy warble as he hiccuped greedily for more.
(…)
“Look at you,” I purred, grinding up hard just to hear the way he cried. “Such an eager little slut, aren’t you, sugar?”
(…)
Both of us were aware of the kids that slept in the adjoining rooms, but were unable to help our carnal desire as Paxton sank inside me and I saw stars dance behind my eyelids. The way the fat head of his cock ground against my prostate had my toes curling and my hard cock leaking eagerly against the bed covers. When I came Paxton caught my pleasure in his palm, saving the sheets. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I’d already made a mess of them. When he came I squeezed him tight enough I heard his breath catch and felt his rhythm stutter.

I mean… Carnal desire? Who talks like that nowadays? 🤣

Oh, and

When I looked up I caught a glimpse of his face. He was bright red, tears slick down the sides of his cheeks, his eyes scrunched tightly shut as he caught his bottom lip in a tortured dance between pearly white teeth.


I don’t think that me bursting into laughter while listening to the book was the effect the author was going for 🤣

Annnnnywayyy. Maybe I just don’t gel with this authors writing style….

So yeah. It’s a Christmas romance, where a underfucked full time growly dad is thrown together in a school project with his arch nemesis, sunny Baxter Baker, who’s a baker (not even kidding), and who’s - thankfully - also underfucked due to reasons (one staying away from relationships because the mother of his son was a bitch, the other because his niece (adopted daughter?) was his sole focus.)

It was… nice (apart from the sex scenes). Not particularly well written, the characters a bit too cliche, but at least well narrated by Stephen Dexter and Liam DiCosimo.

2.5 stars rounded up because… hey… Christmas, right?

[♡ cal ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly when I thought about it, Paxton had been nothing but a total dick to me the entire time I'd known him. He was, however, super hot. Unfortunately, being hot didn't excuse dickery though.

i fucking loved this. not a favorite obviously because i'm forever leaning to the darker/unconventional/angsty type of mm romance books, but i can definitely say that this was great read! love love how the characters have this golden retriever x black cat energy and somehow their personalities just.. sync. very swoony and steamy! a big win. will read the next one asap!

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this!
Cute, sweet, and sexy.
I loved both MCs, and their kids (late teens) were awesome, too.
I think this was my first book by this author, but I'll definitely be reading more.

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had sweet characters and a cute premise, but it was way too long and I could not vibe with the writing style at all.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, that was adorable!! This ticked boxes I didn't even know I had.

-grumpy × sunshine
-single dads
-Christmas fluff
-hurt/comfort
-steamy
-gorgeous MCs (Baxter and Paxton) and side characters (Nathan ans Becca)

I think Fae Quin has become a standout author for me this year. Her writing just hooks me in and it never feels like a chore reading. She creates MCs with so much depth and beautiful relationships between ALL the characters. I loved every minute of this book.

If you're in the mood for a MM romance that has the fluffiest of the fluff Christmas story with some very, very steamy scenes, then this one is for you. P.S. even the epilogue was perfect (and I'm always complaining about those).

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I know we haven’t known each other long,” Paxton said softly. “But I’m the kinda guy who doesn’t give up when he finds something he wants.” I kissed his thumb again. “I want you, Baxter. I want you when you’re sad, when you’re happy, when you’re worried, when you’re old and gray and covered in wrinkles.”

What you'll get:
Christmas Romance
Single Dads of Teenagers
Baker x Handyman
Grumpy x Sunshine
Small Town Romance

This was an absolutely adorable Christmas romance set in small town Vermont. Their teenagers set them up with a school program that pairs up single parents over the holidays and away we go. Paxton is repulsed by Baxter's consistently cheery personality and they take a minute to learn about the other. What happens afterwards is completely lovely. I can't get over how cute the teenagers were and how much I swooned when the heroes started thinking of the other one's kid as theirs.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart is indeed very light. Actual footage of me reading this book:



This may be my favorite holiday romance of all time, I am NOT exaggerating. If you want something cozy, sugar-sweet, and delectably spicy, you need to stop what you're doing and read this book . I'm not even kidding - I am really fighting the urge to go right back to beginning and read it again immediately.

Baxter and Paxton are the ultimate grump-sunshine duo and I love every single thing about them. And omg, Becca and Nathan, those sweet little angels. My heart is quite literally full to bursting and I want to squeal and cry just thinking about the adorable scenes in this book. Listen, this book is VERY sweet. Like make-an-appointment-with-your-dentist-immediately-after-reading sweet. You could make every child in the world a teddy bear from the fluff in this book alone. AND I WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. It's the absolute max-level cheesiness that you get from a Hallmark Christmas movie but WITHOUT ANY OF THE CRINGE. UGH, IT'S JUST SO GOOD.

And listen, this needs to be said - Baxter's struggle with anxiety? THE. REALEST. SHIT. I'VE. EVER. READ. As someone who struggles with anxiety fuckin' DAILY, some of these scenes were so accurate and so real, I was in literal tears cause I FELT THAT SHIT. And the balance between the angst, the sweetness, and the SPICE? UTTER PERFECTION. Guys, this spice is a fucking off-the-charts. 11/10.

UGH, this book just makes me SO HAPPY. FUCK IT, I'M GONNA GO RE-READ MY FAVORITE PARTS. END REVIEW.

[Cesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so out of pocket with how good it was. I knew I was going to love the tropes since everything here is what I live for. Grumpy/Sunshine, size difference, single dads, HOLIDAY ROMANCE. What I wasn’t expecting was how much I fell in love with these characters. I laughed a lot with these characters and I know I was reading this book with the dumbest smile on my face.

Paxton is our grumpy softie and although we don’t get a ton of his backstory it’s okay because he has SO MUCH character development and is just extremely likeable. I love him.

Baxter is our sunshine with the brunt of the conflicts in the story. He also gets so much character development and I was just so proud of him every time he overcame any of his obstacles.

These characters have such amazing chemistry and I just want to read more and more and more about them and their life to the end. Their love for each other was so cute and there is nothing better than characters that know exactly what they want and can just accept their feelings. I love how they supported each other and their kiddos. This HEA was the sweetest thing.

On another note the spice is proper and everything I wanted it to be. It didn’t need more or less it was just perfect. *chef’s kiss*

All in all this book was so amazing and it is now officially my favourite holiday read. I need all of the physical copies of it.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[frannilys · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Ok, first of all: why is Paxton not wearing a shirt on the cover?! There is snow!
And why were the names so similar? I often got them mixed up. But maybe that was a me-problem.
I think the whole book was a me-problem because it’s not bad but I really didn’t like it.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style. It was kind of bumpy and repetitive. I know this was sometimes intentional but it felt random and not fitting. Why repeat so many words or sentences three times? There was no logic behind it.
And I think the book tried to be poetic but failed in my eyes.

Also the smut was really of the claiming and pornographic sort. It felt caveman-y.
Nothing wrong with that but not my cup of tea. I just felt uncomfortable reading the sex scenes and started to skip them at the end.
There was just a lot of slut calling and a lot of dirty talk. It felt like a weird power play. Not really fitting for the cute Christmas story I expected but maybe that was just me being ace.

[h o l l i s · Rating 2 out of 5]

This maybe could've worked for me if not for the intense tone shift for the sexy times and how the characters behaved as they progressed from friendship to more. I enjoyed the kids (a shocking statement, I know) and appreciated the differences in both the single dad situations but.. everything else? Meh. But maybe I'm just a Grinch. So don't take my word for it.

Not sure I would try this author again.

1.5ish?