Magic for You

Love and Family #3.5

by Anyta Sunday

Will this Christmas gift, with its hint of “magic”, win the love of his crush?

In the middle of the festive season, gardener Jase finds himself renting in a new neighbourhood, tending yet another garden that won’t belong to him. But when a boisterous golden retriever brings Robin into the yard, something magical in Jase wakes up.

Jase wants to gift his new neighbour the Christmas tree of his dreams—a real live fir, grown in Robin’s own back garden—and win his heart in the process. From young sapling to fully-fledged Douglas fir in less than a year? That would be magic.

He has a plan to make it happen, and it all seems to be coming along well . . . until ‘awesome, amazing’ Lyle shows up. Lyle is also crushing on Robin, and he has the most annoying advantages: He’s smart. He’s witty. He’s ridiculously good-looking.

And he got there first.

The race to Robin’s heart is looking tough; Jase must outdo Lyle at every romantic opportunity. So that, this Christmas, he’ll share the tree with the one he loves.

~ ~ ~

"Magic For You" is a slow burn Christmas novella. This rivals-to-lovers, surprise love story is the fourth book in the "Love & Family" series, set in Wellington, New Zealand.
The books in the Love & Family series are standalone romances, and can be read in any order.

TABOO FOR YOU: Sam & Luke’s story
MADE FOR YOU: Ben & Jack’s story
HAPPY FOR YOU: Felix & Mort’s story
MAGIC FOR YOU: A Love & Family Christmas novella

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Novella, Family

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2023

About the author

Specialising in slow-burn romances where emotions reign, intimacy lingers, and chemistry sizzles—stories that leave you holding your breath and cheering for love, with just a splash of spice to sweeten the journey.

Check out my website:
Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/?page_id=386

Für deutsche Leser:
http://www.anytasunday.de/

In italiano:
http://www.anytasunday.it/

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a shorter book I absolutely loved how the slow burn was so, so good.

This is the only book in this series that made me cry too.

I loved the twist in this romance, even if I started to suspect it pretty quickly. I enjoyed how all of the relationships played out and the dedication to friendship was heart warming.

My only complaint is that this book isn't longer!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Anyta doing, what Anyta does best.
Loved the ‚magic‘ tree, loved the slow burn, loved the rivalry, loved the sense of place.

That said, I couldn’t help but wish it were longer. The novella format left me wanting more depth in the main characters' backstories - particularly the swimming trauma and Jordy’s storyline - which felt a bit underexplored.

Still, Anyta Sunday’s books give me something, that no other author is able to give me. I don’t know what it is, but I just love her and her writing.

Just a heads up though: If you’re looking for a Christmassy holiday read, this is not it, despite what the cover might suggest. The story spans a whole year, so Christmas takes up just a tiny portion of the book - which, honestly, I really loved about it 😅

[Jackbees · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute, I enjoyed the slow burn. I couldn't quite determine why Robin was so popular. Did he have beer flavoured nipples or something?

*Spoilers ahead
For a book with a plot sort of about a "magic" tree, zero seconds were spent on Robins reaction to the fact that Jase had put so much effort into the whole ruse. This whole plot seemed utterly pointless.

The book finishes with the main couple in bed....lead up to them getting it on....and one of them says "Let's go get our tree", like you are just going to get up in the middle of this and go?? Like don't you have boners that need to be taken care of?? And this is supposed to be a happy ending??? Nonsense.

[Sully (sulliedjedi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3ish stars.
This has everything I enjoy in Sunday's books, but it was also missing something. I think it's the length and it also felt like we jumped right into a plot and a neighborhood we knew nothing about.

The magic tree project was perfectly sweet, although a tad on the strange side for a project for a basic stranger. Made the MC appear a little too desperate for love. I did enjoy the faux enemies to friends to lovers angle, but too much time (it wouldn't have felt like too much if it had been a full-length book, I think) was spent on pining after a straight guy.

The swimming trauma and the secret reveal about the younger brother deserved more fleshing out. If this had been one of her full-length books, it would have been a definite 4+ star rating. I've missed reading Sunday's books, so it hit the comfort spot, I just wanted more depth and a longer book!

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had to have been the least Christmassy Christmas book I've ever read. There's a "magic" tree involved, which was a really cute idea, but that poor tree never wore even one ornament. And while I liked the interesting take on a love triangle, I think the romance fell victim to it. As in, it was borderline non-existent. I didn't feel like I knew any of the characters. I spent a lot of time confused and wondering if I'd somehow missed something. I also misunderstood an entire scene, which completely changed the context of what happened afterwards. I'm really tired so maybe I'm just not firing on all cylinders right now, but this novella was just kind of meh for me.

[Jazer (catching up on TBRs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories no matter how short feels satisfying. I liked this and knowing it's a novella, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much since length made for some interesting cramming of info. I am not familiar with the story that inspired this though but I think that worked in my favor since I read it with no pre-conceived ideas on the story. I liked it.

I got lost a little at first but I got curious to find out who he'll end up with and when the rivalry started, things got really interesting. 🤭

Overall, an enjoyable short read. 😏😁

[Mina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. I really enjoyed the plot twist halfway through.., it kept me guessing. However I wish this hadn’t been a novella, the slow burn is compressed in a short story and the ending felt very abrupt.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Been a while since I read Anyta Sunday's stories - and OMG the way she writes clueless and hopeless boy 😍​. I took a slight break from Sunday because I read too many of her clueless boys *LOL*

Anywya, I was a bit surprised that this is one of the stories in which the protagonist (Jase) didn't end up with the boy he was aiming for (Robin) and instead he fell with the other boy (Lyle). I thought it was nicely done; this switch of feeling. Especially since Jase and Lyle did see each other NOT in their very best (like Jase when he had his trauma flashback, or Lyle when he was having problem with Jordyn)

BUT, I wasn't too happy with Sunday re-using the plot of The Douglas Fir - maybe because I read that already A DECADE AGO (heck, it even had the same protagonist name!), and I felt it was a bit cheated. Sunday did mention this story grew from that short story, but still, I thought it would only had small likeness.

[Love Is All Around · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voto: 3.5
RECENSIONE A CURA DI SLANIF
Jase ha quasi trent’anni e fa il giardiniere. Ama il suo lavoro e quando si trasferisce in una nuova casa dove il giardino è incolto e trascurato, decide di sistemarlo al meglio.
Mentre è lì che riflette a riguardo, incrocia quelli che poi diventeranno gli altri due protagonisti della storia: Lyle, il vicino dalla puzza sotto e il naso; e Robin, il vicino alla mano e amante degli animali.
L’animo buono di Robin fa subito breccia nel cuore di Jase; peccato che lo abbia fatto anche in quello di Lyle, dando così vita a una disputa che li farà inevitabilmente avvicinare…
Continua sul nostro blog!

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve loved every book in this series. I read the short story this was based on, but this was so much better.

[Bekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't know how it happened. I guess it's been...growing? Since I met you, really. So gradually I didn't realise, and then suddenly it's right there in fron t of me, eight feet tall.
A whisper, "What is?"
"Magic. Our magic." (p. 120)

This was a delightful novella à la Anyta Sunday with a trope I have not read yet:
- competing for the same guy who turns out to be straight and you also realise it was a front and you were really interested in the guy you were competing with the entire time

It also had Christmas magic with the addendum that most magic needs some help to grow which I found absolutely delightful. I wasn't left hanging, the novella felt complete but I felt like I would not mind having more time with the MCs nonetheless :)

Pet peeve alert: "an old camera, the kind that has real film in it" (p. 16) - as opposed to fake film huh?

More quotes

"hormone-fuelled suit-off" (p. 59)

"We can be friendly, right? You can stay to chat."
I eye him suspiciously. "Are you testing my emotional maturity?"
He looks up with an arch of his brow. "What if I am?"
"Honestly, I might fail." (p. 76)

"It's easy to think magic is the surprise, the wonder, the breathlessness of all the firsts. But isn't there something more remarkable about knowing the hard work that goes into the seconds, thirds, tenthousandths? Breathlessness turning into contentment. That's true magic." (p. 77)

NSFW infos:
- kiss
- fade to black

[Kassu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-⭐

Wait a month to review and try to pick the score... I was thinking about 3.5 because I remember liking it, but I didn't immediately even remember what this was about. After reading the blurb again, and thinking back to this, it actually had a lot of delicious things going on like the fun idea, love-rivals-to-lovers, and actually being a friend even after being turned down by one.

Sunday's love interests are always so lovely, they're almost too perfect. It's contemporary mush which isn't usually my jam but I've enjoyed pretty much every Anyta Sunday story. I like the clueless protagonist trope though the author definitely overuses it. She does lovely slow burn and it's present here too, though maybe in a less-than-perfect form because it's a shorter story.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - I’m not sure this actually improved in being expanded from her shorter story The Douglas Fir. It shifted things and maybe made them more balanced, but that dulled the surprise a bit. Or the possibility of surprise, perhaps.

Also, I can't recall if the reason Jase didn’t want to swim was the same, but it felt like a heavy pall over those scenes in this book in a way it didn’t have time to be in The Douglas Fir. But it also didn't feature prominently enough to make as much sense as a plot point.

Finally, Anyta Sunday’s writing has always had an enigmatic quality to it, but I feel like it’s being compounded in her more recent releases, to the point where I often really don’t get what she’s on about. I still had a nice time with this book, but might prefer to revisit the original story in future holiday seasons. And who knows, maybe if I'd never read the original, I would have enjoyed this more.

[Graziella · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENG: A very sweet story; a cute and reassuring story like a blanket when it's cold outside... in short, a perfect story to read during the holidays. I must say that despite being quite short (about 130 pages) the author manages once again to recreate a good "Slow Burn Romance".
I'll be honest, it's not one of the best books by this author (who I personally adore) but I feel like recommending it to those who want to escape from reality for a few hours.

ITA: Una storia molto dolce; una storia carina e rassicurante come una coperta quando fuori fa freddo... insomma un racconto perfetto da leggere sotto il periodo delle feste. Devo dire che nonostante sia piuttosto breve (circa 130 pagine) l'autrice riesce ancora una volta a ricreare un buon "Slow Burn Romance".
Sarò sincera, non è uno dei migliori libri di questa autrice (che personalmente adoro) però mi sento di consigliarlo a chi si vuole evadere dalla realtà per qualche ora.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really...

I looked it up and I read The Douglas Fir in 2014 - that was a while ago. I totally didn't remember the story except the part about the switching of the trees, that plot definitely stood out. I glanced at the blurb to see if I would remember anything and nothing so it felt like I was going blindly into this one and now I want to read that first book and compare.

This is typical of this author and I usually love it but I don't know. It was ok and I liked it but maybe it would have been better longer? Who knows... (I liked Mr. Cole. :) )

[Jenny 💗 (Life is lifen’ but I’m trying….🤣😩) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve said this before with this series, but I once again felt like I was dropped in chapter 5. There seemed to be so much missing and I felt a little rushed in how things were moving or how we got here. That left no time to feel any real connection. I don’t know why both Lyle and Jase had feelings for Robin or how Lyle, being friends with Robin for 2 years, didn’t know he was straight? And then when focused switched to Jase and Lyle, I didn’t feel much of a connection there either. They had moments, but then everything was off page.

This could have been a lot better for me if things were flushed out and it was a bit longer. Smut would have been nice too!

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 4 out of 5]

story of Jace and Lyle

This is a rivals to friends to more Christmas romance, featuring Jace and Lyle, and book four in the Alice & Family series. This is a novella.

This is a very sweet, low angst, slow burn novella about two men who have a crush on the same person and become rivals for his affection.

Jace and Lyle’s rivalry was pretty funny, along the way though, they end up crushing on each other.

Things to expect in this book are:
4th book in series
Christmas Novella
MM romance
Set in NZ
Low angst & slow burn
Rivals to friend to more
Neighbours
Gardener x Game developer
Competing for attention
Secret Crush
Both admit feelings
HEA

[Elyxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jase è un giardiniere alla soglia dei trent’anni che si innamora di Robin, il nuovo vicino dal cuore d’oro e dal sorriso costante. Il fatto che anche il migliore amico di Robin, Lyle, sia segretamente innamorato di lui fa scattare nei due uomini una sorta di gara che dovrebbe avere Robin come premio finale… ma le cose non vanno come i due sperano e personalmente ho apprezzato molto questa svolta, anche se c’è un pizzico di dolore che in una novella natalizia non mi aspettavo. Avevo dimenticato come con Anyta le cose non siano mai facili o ovvie.
Il libro è breve ma ben strutturato, si legge con vero piacere e fa apprezzare tutti i personaggi.
KU

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and sweet as our MC Jase, after being dumped, meets his new neighbor Robin, a man he finds himself falling for quickly. Two problems - he's not sure how Robin feels about him - Robin is friendly and warm but nothing more. And their other neighbor, Lyle, is clearly also interested in Robin and seems to have himself much more together than Jase does. Lyle is smart, hot, quick on his feet, and generally wins the day. Add in a couple of younger-brother teens, a smidge of traumatic past, an effort at magic, and you have a warm holiday story.

[Sunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is based on the same premise as the older story "The Douglas Fir".
But - it felt completely new. Different. I really have to take a look at the old version when I have time. I found it very "Anyta Sunday" - it's this emotional level that she brings to her books that makes them really special. The metaphors are lovely. My new favorite part is:
“Will it be a magic?”
“Yes.”
“Will it grow very fast?”
“No.”
“What will be magic?”
“Getting to see it grow.”

[Erin]

I didn't know if she was going to pull this off, because both protagonists are SUPER into their mutual friend for a good long while, but dang this was a good slow burn. Totally got the stomach drop when Jase overheard Lyle say he'd found someone more suited to him than the friend. Ugh. A good slow burn is just the best.

[joani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet!

Both competitors over the same man. Both with brothers that they are trying to steer on the right path in life. Both men struggling with their demons and finding that the magic is about the layers and the faults and the time they use to fix it. The first tree was the gift of friendship and family.

[Golden Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jase & Lyle

Loved the theme of the magic and the tree. I enjoyed the story of how these two got together but found the story a bit disjointed at times. The story was good and did keep me reading and wanting to know how these two figure it out.

[Robazizo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars. This was a weird book that was all over the place. It felt like it started halfway through, the segways the story took were weird and both a very serious and what was supposed to be the major plot line were thrown in haphazardly with no real conclusion.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have made a fantastic full length novel. I really liked the rivals/enemies to lovers in this one, I wasn’t expecting it since it diverted the typical insta-love trope. I just didn’t love the execution. It was missing so much story.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 - shorter.

[Jimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just fun Christmas story.

[Pinar · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Smutty Sully said.

[GlamLawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read Anyta since a while and I really enjoyed that one. The right book close to Christmas.

[Kobie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters, but the start felt clunky.