My Fake Boyfriend Christmas

Miles & Kieran #1.5

by Gaia Tate

This Christmas novella is set between Books 1 and 2 of the Miles & Kieran MM romance series, following an unlucky wannabe singer and a world-famous actor who decide to pose as boyfriends and end up on a rollercoaster adventure of crime and mayhem. It’s a story full of false impressions, slow burn, and sizzling tension.

Author's note: You must read Book 1 before reading this story.

Miles Rivera gets an unexpected call. Old family friends invite him, his parents, and his older brother to spend Christmas at their lake house. The problem? The family friends are the Callahans―parents of Kieran Callahan, Miles’ long-time unrequited crush.

That same guy who pretended to be Miles’ boyfriend to make him feel better. The guy who makes Miles’ insides melt with a sheer look and drives Miles mad with his fake kisses and touches.

Kieran is not planning to show up at the lake house―until he does, and the tension between them spirals to a new level.
And by the way, who are those suit-clad people following them around the snowy town?

Genres: Novella, Christmas, Contemporary, M M Romance, Queer, LGBT, Friends To Lovers

81 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2023

Reviews

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were Miles, I’d be going crazy with confusion. The only thing Kieran does is send mixed signals.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!
I mistakenly picked this up thinking it was a standalone, but you need to read another book before this one. I liked all the characters and will look up the other book, so I know what’s going on! Miles & Kieran had me intrigued.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay little novella. Nothing bad or special but keeps me interested in the next book.

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun story with a bit of heat and a family/friends get together that has your head spinning. Add it a crush that keeps getting stalled at every turn and you can help but fall in love with Miles ad Kieran.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Meet Up

This is a quick holiday meet up that brings the guys back together again months after their traumatic weekend. I enjoyed reading this and I can't wait for book two to see what happens next.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the Miles and Kieran series a few months has passed since book one and they meet up again, this time it’s fake holiday boyfriends an enjoyable read, looking forward to reading what happens next.

[Emily Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella! Same characters as in MENBIAM, but the plot is super cozy and Christmas-y. Just what I needed!

[Ane Ellasdatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a continuation of the first and a setup for the next book than a book in itself. It in no way works on its own. I enjoy the characters though.

[Ona Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Wow, love this now I need book2. Love the easy flow of the story and the tension between them. The Mom scare me a bit but with a smile. Can’t wait to read more

[Hira Chaudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Miles and Kieran ended up together for Christmas after everything that happened during Miles' ex's engagement party. It killed me how their families talked to them about that weekend, because it felt like this was supposed to be some funny thing that they both experienced, but it was like... a traumatic we-almost-died kind of thing, so that didn't entirely make sense to me. Clearly, both their parents are a little off. But even Chloe was being so weird about the whole thing.

I died over them running from the people chasing them and it turning out to be the FBI there to ask them for help in their next case. Not really sure why they would turn to an actor and a civilian for something so big, but it's going to provide for a fun next book, for sure.

I'm still just dying over the fact that these two won't admit to each other how they really feel about one another. I need them to just confess their feelings and get together already!

[Ellie (On a break, mostly rereading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Fake Christmas Boyfriend is a short story, and the second (or ?) in the Miles and Kieran series. This is one of those series that you need to read from the start. This short story picks up immediately after the events of book one, where Miles and his best friend's Hollywood star brother pretended to be a couple for Miles' ex's engagement party weekend. Things turned sinister when Miles, and then Kieran, suspected his ex's new fiancé as a killer.

Some months after the events of book one, it's now Christmas. Miles and his family have been invited for a Christmas getaway with the Callahans (Kieran's family). Things are understandably strained between Miles and Kieran after the traumatic event. But there's a lot going on here to set up for future storylines, including Miles' family disparaging his burgeoning career and a couple strange people showing up.

I can't wait for more of this story and where it takes them!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun! Kieran and Chloe are brother and sister. Miles and Chloe are besties. The Callahans invite the Riveras to their lake house for the holidays. Kieran is not expected to attend, so Miles is a bit relieved. During a previous gathering, Miles and Kieran had a bit of a miscommunication and haven't spoken for awhile. The holiday visit is an opportunity for many things. This is a fun story where things can be said and lives can change. There is a bit of adventure that opens another path for Kieran and Miles. Way too short and I look forward to reading more about Miles and Kieran. Nicely done, but we are left with a cliffhanger. Looking forward to the next story. I received and ARC and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miles and Kieran are a cute pair of guys figuring themselves out both individually and as a potential pair. Things get a bit muddled with them pretending to be fake boyfriends and with Miles having nursed a long standing crush on Kieran. They also now have what happened during that crazy weekend - see book one - as a part of their history as well. And it seems to be not so resolved. I am hanging in there with this pair to see where this is all going.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amanda Grange · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little novella. Peter is HORRIBLE and I love that Kieran defended Miles. I'm so confused about Kierans feelings for Miles which is how i imagine that Miles, himself, feels. I wish this was dual POV but I get it. The writing is beautiful and the story is intriguing. I have tons of unanswered questions though so I am desperate for the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this saga and was looking forward to the continuation of Miles and Kieran's journey. You need to read this first as this book catches up with them a few months later and they enact another fake boyfriends drama. The tension between them soon escalates and the chemistry is hot. Looking forward to the next one to see what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fredicka · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has the same issues as the first book. Really good plot, not good writing. I really don’t understand how the author is able to write these books without conveying any emotions. I think that’s what makes them so hard for me to read. It’s like you’re just reading an outline of what happens to the main character, but it comes across without any kind of emotion, despite the fact that the character is going through some pretty dramatic things. It’s very discombobulating.

[Jonathan Ziatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Fake Boyfriend Christmas was a cute, festive read with cozy holiday vibes and a fun fake-dating trope. I enjoyed the chemistry, but I was a bit disappointed by how short it was—it felt rushed just as the story was getting good.
Kieran also put Miles on an emotional rollercoaster, which was sometimes frustrating and took away from the sweetness. Overall, it’s a quick holiday romance that’s enjoyable, just a little underdeveloped. 🎄✨

[A🦄🌻🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

[facu · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOOOOOOOO, ¿cómo me vas a hacer esto?

[Conner]

It's Christmas and time to do Christmas BL stories. I'm not going to rate this one because I started to skim midway through it. At the beginning I was a little confused. I hadn't read the first one and had gotten this book on Kindle for a Christmas read thinking it was a full story. It started midway without much explanation and ended before anything was resolved. Not my favorite thing in the world. Going to give this series a pass.

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the two planned short stories in this series and it helps bridge the story between books one and two. It brings closure to the events of book one, while highlighting the changes in Miles and Kieran’s characters and teasing the events of book two. Definitely an interesting approach to using short stories and one I personally liked.

Miles is still an absolute sweetheart and I’m glad the events of book one didn’t impact him greatly. Though I despise his family and wish the Callahan’s adopted him. However, the family dynamics help explain why Miles had low confidence and insecurities. It makes me feel so sad because he was getting physically bullied as a child and had no one to rely on. That said, I love how Miles now follows his passion and is both comfortable and confident with himself. He also continues to try and break free of his feelings for Kieran as a responsible adult who believes they won’t be reciprocated.

Kieran needs to be clear! After the events of book one, Kieran and Miles went separate ways and it seems like Kieran had a lot of time for reflection. And yet, he hasn’t clearly put into work his feelings with Miles. Everything he does in this book can be interpreted in two different ways and the lack of communication is making a mess. I’m hoping the next book doesn’t continue with this miscommunication trope and it gets cleared early on. Honestly both of them need to get together already!

Like every other short story by this author, I enjoyed how it’s written. It always amazes me how the author is able to capture an event in a small time frame, with a good balance of details all in under a hundred pages. The many emotions expressed in both recurring and new characters; their relationships mixed; past references and the well-paced flow are some of the things I love about reading this works from this author.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read but it also doesn’t show growth in Kieran and Miles’ relationship. Instead it shows growth in Kieran and Miles individually and how they’ve changed after the events in book one. Personally, I didn’t like how Kieran left Miles hanging and I want him to genuinely feel what Miles went through during the time they were apart. Though that’s not to say there aren’t any intense moments between the two, because there were, and yes I loved them. Anyways, I’m looking forward to the next book as this one ended with a very random and suspicious ending.

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Far too blunt, no nuance whatsoever