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A Very Lighthouse Christmas
A Christmas-themed short story that takes place after the events of AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT following Simon and Bruce as they go to Bruce's ex-wife's house for the holidays.
Unknown Binding
First published December 12, 2023
3 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Olive J. Kelley
9 books89 followersOlive J. Kelley (they/them) is a mid-twenties non-binary, autistic lesbian who writes hopepunk, realistic romance for queer and disabled adults. When they're not writing, they can be found playing video games, watching TV, or working as a barista. They have a bachelor's degree in creative writing and currently live in Louisville, Kentucky with their wife, dog, and three cats, 3/4 of which are named after Star Wars characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 7, 2024
Dnf 48%. The only thing worth reading about in the book was the landscape, the setting ..It’s amazingly atmospheric. The characters are creeping me out. Simon is bland and Bruce comes across as creepy and slimy with his “Did you clean up real nice?” (his tushy, in case it’s not clear)question , his condescending attitude and his aggressive come on..They barely know each other and the sex scene came out of nowhere. Went to the end and there’s an I love you there and I wonder when could that happen in 100 pages when we’re at 50% and not only I as a reader don’t like them but they don’t even like each other. They fuck because they have nothing else to do and Bruce apparently had something to prove 🙄
I didn’t like this book, sorry.
I didn’t like this book, sorry.
December 25, 2023
"I think we have a good thing going,” Simon murmurs back. “He’s patient with me, and that’s all I can ask of him.”
.
.
4.25 ⭐
Bruce and Si are relationship GOALS!❤💓
.
.
4.25 ⭐
Bruce and Si are relationship GOALS!❤💓
March 24, 2024
Rating: 3.5
Sweet novella about Simon who impulse buys an old lighthouse, and Bruce, the previous caretaker of said lighthouse.
Great queer and mental health rep, Bruce is trans and bi (I believe), and Simon is gay and has bipolar disorder and severe ADHD
Sweet novella about Simon who impulse buys an old lighthouse, and Bruce, the previous caretaker of said lighthouse.
Great queer and mental health rep, Bruce is trans and bi (I believe), and Simon is gay and has bipolar disorder and severe ADHD
May 7, 2024
I fell in love with Caerlloyd, as well as Simon and Bruce, immediately. I was rooting for them the whole time and felt so connected to these two men even after this short time of knowing them. I may be biased, being Ollie's friend, but they consistently write love stories that make your heart soar, and I can't wait to read more of their work.
August 30, 2023
Set on the idyllic bluffs of Caerlloyd, As the Light Goes Out is a captivating novella about two men finding a renewed passion for life through each other. The story is equal parts tender and sensual, sure to warm your heart from the darkest of storms.
March 25, 2025
I wanted to like this book so badly. It had all the ingredients I typically love: beautiful, atmospheric setting, an interesting small-town conflict, a mysterious LI. However, NONE of it was developed. I’ve read well-developed novellas before and this wasn’t one. It needed 200 more pages. Which is a bummer because I think this could have been fantastic. The writing is beautiful. But the character development, especially the romantic development, was so abrupt and unbelievable. And I didn’t appreciate how Simon’s neurodivergence was handled. All of a sudden the answer for why he wanted to renovate the lighthouse was his BPD and ADHD??? What?? DEVELOP THAT. Gah.
Read
December 11, 2023
"I don't think anyone really understands anyone, but it's what we got. Empathy. Optimism. Tryin', you know?"
First off, any book that starts with a Noah Kahan quote is already winning. It's so fitting for Mr. New England himself to set the mood.
The actual novella is what Hallmark movies would be like if they had the guts to be steamy, gay, and real. On the surface, it follows the same premise Hallmark movies follow: city-slicker in desperate need of a reality check visits small town for some creative endeavor or another. Meets the townfolk. Falls in love. But deeper down, it's a story about being understood, finding a healthy way to heal, and appreciating that the simple things of the world can be enough. That's a big task for a novella length book, but I think it worked just fine.
I love the characters, that they're still authentic and complex even though the book is short. I especially relate to poor Simon, who (without getting into spoilers), struggles the same way I do. I love that there's really no homophobia/transphobia in this small, Maine town. I love that this story reminds me of my own book and the places I grew up. I hope eventually Kelley will take us back to this New England paradise one day!
Overall, this book is perfect for someone looking for a quick read, but a story that will touch your heart nonetheless. 💛
First off, any book that starts with a Noah Kahan quote is already winning. It's so fitting for Mr. New England himself to set the mood.
The actual novella is what Hallmark movies would be like if they had the guts to be steamy, gay, and real. On the surface, it follows the same premise Hallmark movies follow: city-slicker in desperate need of a reality check visits small town for some creative endeavor or another. Meets the townfolk. Falls in love. But deeper down, it's a story about being understood, finding a healthy way to heal, and appreciating that the simple things of the world can be enough. That's a big task for a novella length book, but I think it worked just fine.
I love the characters, that they're still authentic and complex even though the book is short. I especially relate to poor Simon, who (without getting into spoilers), struggles the same way I do. I love that there's really no homophobia/transphobia in this small, Maine town. I love that this story reminds me of my own book and the places I grew up. I hope eventually Kelley will take us back to this New England paradise one day!
Overall, this book is perfect for someone looking for a quick read, but a story that will touch your heart nonetheless. 💛
October 2, 2023
3.5 up to a 4
I got an ARC (yippie!) and overall enjoyed the cozy vibe of the small town and the lighthouse.
I must say, I fairly new to the romance genre and I think it doesn't really work in Novella form for me, because I like to spend more time reading about the devolpment of relationships, the buildup etc. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the romance duo, the way they could openly talk about their struggles, and the way their friends were there for them, and how just everyone was there for each other. Just for my personal taste, the romance felt a bit rushed, hence why I think romance doesn't really work for me in novella form, but I could see how Simon and Bruce make Greta partners, and that is for me the most important part about a romance.
For me, it helped there was some sort of time limit, a ticking clock in the background, creating tension and making the reader question about the ending. It also helped to show the difference between the main characters, and how they live/view their life.
All by all, it did what it said it would deliver, a cozy small town romance with characters that all have their own struggles but still love each other, and are willing to help each other through tougher times.
Oh and there is a cat, and I love every cat.
I got an ARC (yippie!) and overall enjoyed the cozy vibe of the small town and the lighthouse.
I must say, I fairly new to the romance genre and I think it doesn't really work in Novella form for me, because I like to spend more time reading about the devolpment of relationships, the buildup etc. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the romance duo, the way they could openly talk about their struggles, and the way their friends were there for them, and how just everyone was there for each other. Just for my personal taste, the romance felt a bit rushed, hence why I think romance doesn't really work for me in novella form, but I could see how Simon and Bruce make Greta partners, and that is for me the most important part about a romance.
For me, it helped there was some sort of time limit, a ticking clock in the background, creating tension and making the reader question about the ending. It also helped to show the difference between the main characters, and how they live/view their life.
All by all, it did what it said it would deliver, a cozy small town romance with characters that all have their own struggles but still love each other, and are willing to help each other through tougher times.
Oh and there is a cat, and I love every cat.
September 8, 2023
This was lovely. I got an ARC of the book from the author (thank you!), requesting it because 1) gay trans romance and 2) lighthouses, and it did not disappoint. The descriptor ‘cozy’ genuinely fits this story, but the story also doesn’t shy away from more serious topics like mental health and commitment.
As a trans guy, I really liked the way Bruce was written - a gruff but kind hearted fisherman who I’d definitely be very gay for irl lol. For the lack of better words, I find that a lot of the time trans male characters in fiction kind of end up falling into one of a few predictable patterns, but Bruce felt very fresh as a character. Also the way sex scenes were written - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trans guy topping a cis guy in trans m / cis m erotica, which 👏👏👏 yes please, more of that.
I would have perhaps liked the romance to be a little more drawn out, especially towards the end, but that’s mostly just personal preference. Definitely recommend checking this novella out when it releases!
As a trans guy, I really liked the way Bruce was written - a gruff but kind hearted fisherman who I’d definitely be very gay for irl lol. For the lack of better words, I find that a lot of the time trans male characters in fiction kind of end up falling into one of a few predictable patterns, but Bruce felt very fresh as a character. Also the way sex scenes were written - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trans guy topping a cis guy in trans m / cis m erotica, which 👏👏👏 yes please, more of that.
I would have perhaps liked the romance to be a little more drawn out, especially towards the end, but that’s mostly just personal preference. Definitely recommend checking this novella out when it releases!
September 2, 2023
A cozy, sweet, at times sad, and very sensual romance that takes place in a New England lighthouse. The story is short but immediately captures the sea salt-and-smoke atmosphere, and it explores themes of loneliness and running away, as well as trust when you let someone in. Also, Bruce is so very... 👀👀👀
November 1, 2023
Happy publication day!!!
BRB I need to buy a lighthouse, find a fisherman and settle in a cozy town too.
The author send me an arc, all thoughts are mine.
This was fucking lovely. It’s short, well written, and cozy. It’s the perfect autumn story.
Simon and Bruce were just so soft and so perfect with each other. Loved it. 100% recommend everyone to check this out.
BRB I need to buy a lighthouse, find a fisherman and settle in a cozy town too.
The author send me an arc, all thoughts are mine.
This was fucking lovely. It’s short, well written, and cozy. It’s the perfect autumn story.
Simon and Bruce were just so soft and so perfect with each other. Loved it. 100% recommend everyone to check this out.
dropped-dnf
January 24, 2024DNF @ 15%
My fault for not reading the tags. The writing was ok; this story is just not for me.
My fault for not reading the tags. The writing was ok; this story is just not for me.
Read
August 6, 2024i wouldn't kick Bruce out of bed for smoking and that's saying something!!!
April 13, 2025
2.75⭐️but gladly rounding up!
When the Lighthouse Glimmers, but the Light Doesn’t Quite Reach the Shore.
I love 2025's Trans Rights Readathon. It’s helped me discover authors I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise—and As the Light Goes Out by Olive J. Kelley is one of those tender reads I found thanks to TRR and a dear friend!
Genuinely lovely set-up. There’s a melancholic grace to how this is told—gentle, searching, emotionally honest. Simon’s mental health is the emotional core of this novella, and it’s dealt with raw compassion. It hurts in that specific way good neurodivergent rep should—not performative, just deeply seen. That alone makes this worth reading.
And the epilogue? Stunning. One of the most beautiful I’ve read in a long time. The Christmas bonus scene was also tender and warm—a winter hug in book form.
But not everything worked. The premise—three days to convince someone not to turn a lighthouse into an Airbnb—had much potential. But Bruce didn’t give me real emotional or nostalgic or even rational reasons to care about the lighthouse. No real interactions with others, except Cricket.
And the romance itself? Too fast. Too lusty. It didn’t feel fully earned. And when Bruce explains his choices, it often sounds more like a Pinterest quote than something grounded in character depth.
There’s also a passing mention of suicidal ideation that isn’t truly handled. It’s dropped instead of explored—and that was jarring, especially in a story that handles other emotional moments with such care.
Still, there’s so much potential here. Olive J. Kelley writes pain and softness beautifully. I just think this story needed more space to breathe. Maybe not just a novella. Just… more.
When the Lighthouse Glimmers, but the Light Doesn’t Quite Reach the Shore.
I love 2025's Trans Rights Readathon. It’s helped me discover authors I probably wouldn’t have found otherwise—and As the Light Goes Out by Olive J. Kelley is one of those tender reads I found thanks to TRR and a dear friend!
Genuinely lovely set-up. There’s a melancholic grace to how this is told—gentle, searching, emotionally honest. Simon’s mental health is the emotional core of this novella, and it’s dealt with raw compassion. It hurts in that specific way good neurodivergent rep should—not performative, just deeply seen. That alone makes this worth reading.
And the epilogue? Stunning. One of the most beautiful I’ve read in a long time. The Christmas bonus scene was also tender and warm—a winter hug in book form.
But not everything worked. The premise—three days to convince someone not to turn a lighthouse into an Airbnb—had much potential. But Bruce didn’t give me real emotional or nostalgic or even rational reasons to care about the lighthouse. No real interactions with others, except Cricket.
And the romance itself? Too fast. Too lusty. It didn’t feel fully earned. And when Bruce explains his choices, it often sounds more like a Pinterest quote than something grounded in character depth.
There’s also a passing mention of suicidal ideation that isn’t truly handled. It’s dropped instead of explored—and that was jarring, especially in a story that handles other emotional moments with such care.
Still, there’s so much potential here. Olive J. Kelley writes pain and softness beautifully. I just think this story needed more space to breathe. Maybe not just a novella. Just… more.
January 15, 2024
This was adorable and had me kicking my feet. Loved the romance and the story and now i want to live in a lighthouse 🥰
August 27, 2023
Um? Hello!? I did not ask to SOB today 👀👀
This story is absolutely beautiful. It’s poetry. Every word is really just filled with love and I don’t know if that makes sense, but it just feels like love ya know?
Short and sweet, I loved meeting Simon and Bruce. I loved a little look at small town Maine. Queerness, transness, mental health goodness galore, this story doesn’t shy away from real life hardships.
I adored this so so so much and I can’t wait for everyone else to love it too!
(This ARC was provided by the author but all opinions are my own 🥰)
This story is absolutely beautiful. It’s poetry. Every word is really just filled with love and I don’t know if that makes sense, but it just feels like love ya know?
Short and sweet, I loved meeting Simon and Bruce. I loved a little look at small town Maine. Queerness, transness, mental health goodness galore, this story doesn’t shy away from real life hardships.
I adored this so so so much and I can’t wait for everyone else to love it too!
(This ARC was provided by the author but all opinions are my own 🥰)
August 1, 2023
Better review to come soon, but PLEASE go preorder this book. It is so, so good, I went through about 7000 emotions reading it.
January 8, 2025
reread for a cozy winter read and it’s still as fantastic as I remember 🥰
February 17, 2025
L’histoire était bien partie, mais il y a eu trop de choses rebutantes pour moi. Notamment le fait que tout soit atrocement rushé et survolé sur autant de sujets sensibles et importants. (À peine trois lignes pour dire que Bruce a traversé un syndrome post-partum?!😒).
Le personnage principal est un citadin qui arrive dans un petit village de bord de mer avec l'ambition candide de rénover le phare pour en faire un Airbnb.
L’accueil des habitants est d’instinct hostile et le love interest fait plus tard des révélations qui indiquent un comportement digne d’une secte et à la limite de la xénophobie (même si le terme est un peu fort car ils n’aiment juste pas les étrangers à leur communauté, ni que de nouvelles personnes visitent le village, ou qu’elles restent trop longtemps…👀)
Mon plus gros soucis a été le love interest lui-même.😭 Je l’adorais… jusqu’à ce qu’il ouvre la bouche.
Bon sang, pour quelqu’un qui veut faire changer d’avis un citadin sur son projet de rénover de phare, il devrait lui balancer moins d’insultes.
Il rejoint le comportement agressif des autres habitants en le traitant de privilégiés et de fainéants (parmi d’autres clichés) parce qu’il habite dans une grande ville mais personne ne le connaît, ni ne le laisse s’expliquer sur ce qui l’a fait acheter un phare au milieu de nul part.😤
C’est l’effet miroir des citadins élitistes qui débarquent à la campagne et traitent les habitants de cul-terreux.
Je pense que la romance aurait été plus crédible si elle avait pris un peu plus de temps pour se construire. (Simon décide de déménager pour un type qu’il a rencontrer littéralement deux jours plus tôt).
Ils ne se connaissent pas du tout et Bruce lui a littéralement dit qu’il ne l’aimait pas et le traite comme de la merde mais Simon a l’air d’aimer ça donc la seconde d’après ils ba*sent.🤷 Le pauvre Simon se fait basiquement cracher dessus mais a oublié d’avoir de l’estime de soi donc allons-y!🙄
Pardon mais ça m’a plus donné la nausée qu’autre chose, ça ressemblait juste à un mec qui utilise une poupée gonflable. Même niveau de respect.
Le dernier clou dans le cercueil a été que Bruce a osé comparer le fait qu’il n’avait pas le courage de voir sa fille au fait que le trouble bipolaire/TDAH de Simon l’empêchaient de terminer un projet.
Lutter avec la chimie de son cerveau pour ne serait-ce que prendre une douche et qui l’empêche de vivre aussi pleinement qu’il en a désespérément envie, ce n’est absolument pas la même chose que de ne pas avoir les couilles d’affronter ses déficiences parentales.😡
La banalisation de la souffrance de Simon et la condescendant de Bruce sont vraiment écœurantes.
Le personnage principal est un citadin qui arrive dans un petit village de bord de mer avec l'ambition candide de rénover le phare pour en faire un Airbnb.
L’accueil des habitants est d’instinct hostile et le love interest fait plus tard des révélations qui indiquent un comportement digne d’une secte et à la limite de la xénophobie (même si le terme est un peu fort car ils n’aiment juste pas les étrangers à leur communauté, ni que de nouvelles personnes visitent le village, ou qu’elles restent trop longtemps…👀)
Mon plus gros soucis a été le love interest lui-même.😭 Je l’adorais… jusqu’à ce qu’il ouvre la bouche.
Bon sang, pour quelqu’un qui veut faire changer d’avis un citadin sur son projet de rénover de phare, il devrait lui balancer moins d’insultes.
Il rejoint le comportement agressif des autres habitants en le traitant de privilégiés et de fainéants (parmi d’autres clichés) parce qu’il habite dans une grande ville mais personne ne le connaît, ni ne le laisse s’expliquer sur ce qui l’a fait acheter un phare au milieu de nul part.😤
C’est l’effet miroir des citadins élitistes qui débarquent à la campagne et traitent les habitants de cul-terreux.
Je pense que la romance aurait été plus crédible si elle avait pris un peu plus de temps pour se construire. (Simon décide de déménager pour un type qu’il a rencontrer littéralement deux jours plus tôt).
Ils ne se connaissent pas du tout et Bruce lui a littéralement dit qu’il ne l’aimait pas et le traite comme de la merde mais Simon a l’air d’aimer ça donc la seconde d’après ils ba*sent.🤷 Le pauvre Simon se fait basiquement cracher dessus mais a oublié d’avoir de l’estime de soi donc allons-y!🙄
Pardon mais ça m’a plus donné la nausée qu’autre chose, ça ressemblait juste à un mec qui utilise une poupée gonflable. Même niveau de respect.
Le dernier clou dans le cercueil a été que Bruce a osé comparer le fait qu’il n’avait pas le courage de voir sa fille au fait que le trouble bipolaire/TDAH de Simon l’empêchaient de terminer un projet.
Lutter avec la chimie de son cerveau pour ne serait-ce que prendre une douche et qui l’empêche de vivre aussi pleinement qu’il en a désespérément envie, ce n’est absolument pas la même chose que de ne pas avoir les couilles d’affronter ses déficiences parentales.😡
La banalisation de la souffrance de Simon et la condescendant de Bruce sont vraiment écœurantes.
March 1, 2025
Sweet as a blueberry pie, Kelley's "As the Light Goes Out" is the perfect novella for a stormy afternoon best spent under a blanket and sipping a mug of tea. In this little story we meet Simon, a big city young man who's decided to buy a lighthouse in a small seaside town so he can renovate it and rent it out on AirBnB. He thinks it's going to be a fairly easy process, but that notion vanishes the moment he meets Bruce. Rugged, grumpy, and melancholic, the town's best fisherman isn't happy about Simon's plans to attract tides of tourists to the small and quiet haven that is this village, so he asks Simon for three days to change his mind.
Atmospheric enough that I could taste the sea salt on my lips and hear the waves crashing against the rocky cliff upon which the lighthouse stands, this novella offered a beautiful prose. There were many turns-of-phrase and metaphors that made me teary-eyed with their loveliness, and at times I got so lost in the story that the world seemed to melt away. Even though there was relatively little time to get to know the characters, I nonetheless loved them all. Snarky but loving Cricket, free-spirited Mo, quiet and strong-headed bruce, and restless yet caring Simon - they came together in one beautifully heterogeneous cast of very human characters.
My copy included a short story as well, in which Bruce and Simon spend their Christmas day away from the lighthouse, and that one made me bawl my eyes out! There was so much sweetness in every single line that it just made me happy. Besides, I appreciate how normalised all the rep is, and it was particularly wholesome to read trans sex scenes that were handled with so much nuance.
Still, I cannot leave out the ADHD rep, because it hit me like a truck. Nowadays it's relatively common to have characters that are canonically diagnosed with ADHD on the page, but it's not so frequent to read about the darker sides of ADHD. When Simon talks about how awfully impairing his ADHD is, particularly regarding executive dysfunction and a lack of social skills with which to make and keep friends, it sends a shiver down your spine. As someone who was diagnosed as an adult partly due to how impairing my own executive dysfunction is, it made me feel truly seen somewhere other than on ADHD Tumblr blogs for the very first time ever. We need more stories like this one! Will be reading "As the Sun Comes Up" ASAP!
Atmospheric enough that I could taste the sea salt on my lips and hear the waves crashing against the rocky cliff upon which the lighthouse stands, this novella offered a beautiful prose. There were many turns-of-phrase and metaphors that made me teary-eyed with their loveliness, and at times I got so lost in the story that the world seemed to melt away. Even though there was relatively little time to get to know the characters, I nonetheless loved them all. Snarky but loving Cricket, free-spirited Mo, quiet and strong-headed bruce, and restless yet caring Simon - they came together in one beautifully heterogeneous cast of very human characters.
My copy included a short story as well, in which Bruce and Simon spend their Christmas day away from the lighthouse, and that one made me bawl my eyes out! There was so much sweetness in every single line that it just made me happy. Besides, I appreciate how normalised all the rep is, and it was particularly wholesome to read trans sex scenes that were handled with so much nuance.
Still, I cannot leave out the ADHD rep, because it hit me like a truck. Nowadays it's relatively common to have characters that are canonically diagnosed with ADHD on the page, but it's not so frequent to read about the darker sides of ADHD. When Simon talks about how awfully impairing his ADHD is, particularly regarding executive dysfunction and a lack of social skills with which to make and keep friends, it sends a shiver down your spine. As someone who was diagnosed as an adult partly due to how impairing my own executive dysfunction is, it made me feel truly seen somewhere other than on ADHD Tumblr blogs for the very first time ever. We need more stories like this one! Will be reading "As the Sun Comes Up" ASAP!
November 18, 2024
My Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐
❤️Bipolar and ADHD rep
❤️Trans, queer MCs
❤️Moody, coastal New England setting
❤️Insta lust
❤️Small town guy, city boy
❤️Short and sweet
❤️They both have black cat energy
I have really conflicting feelings about this one. It could have easily been a two star read if I had based my rating on the characters alone but I settled on four stars because the writing style really stuck with me and the setting and general vibe were beautifully moody.
I thought the first sex scene came in far too quickly and it threw me off because they hadn’t had any time to even get to know each other. I wouldn’t even say this was insta love, because it wasn’t but the sex scene so soon after they had met felt strange. This book made me sad - not in an I don’t like it kind of way just in a these are very sad lonely characters kind of way but the last half and epilogue were incredibly heartwarming and wonderful.
I would recommend it if you love a small town, moody setting and a sweet, gentle queer romance.
Amount of spice:🔥🔥🔥🔥 5-6 scenes
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door & explicit
❤️Bipolar and ADHD rep
❤️Trans, queer MCs
❤️Moody, coastal New England setting
❤️Insta lust
❤️Small town guy, city boy
❤️Short and sweet
❤️They both have black cat energy
I have really conflicting feelings about this one. It could have easily been a two star read if I had based my rating on the characters alone but I settled on four stars because the writing style really stuck with me and the setting and general vibe were beautifully moody.
I thought the first sex scene came in far too quickly and it threw me off because they hadn’t had any time to even get to know each other. I wouldn’t even say this was insta love, because it wasn’t but the sex scene so soon after they had met felt strange. This book made me sad - not in an I don’t like it kind of way just in a these are very sad lonely characters kind of way but the last half and epilogue were incredibly heartwarming and wonderful.
I would recommend it if you love a small town, moody setting and a sweet, gentle queer romance.
Amount of spice:🔥🔥🔥🔥 5-6 scenes
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door & explicit
November 12, 2024
🪵Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
🥵Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌈Review: I really enjoyed this book! The cover is what drew me in (and of course the queer representation) and I am so happy to have discovered this author. When I started this book and read the content warnings I was a little concerned because some of the topics were close to me, so I was curious how the author was going to handle them, especially in a short novella. But I was incredibly pleasantly surprised! I think that the setting of the story was absolutely gorgeous and the author was very descriptive allowing you to really put yourself in that location. I loved Bruce and Simon together, I loved that there was immediate chemistry and even though it was quite uh let’s say fast paced with their connection and of course the sex, it all felt quite genuine. There were funny moments, heart felt moments, and moments that just made you happy. I loved their story together and I loved their acceptance of eachother as they were. Beautifully written book and I can’t wait to read another!
✨
🥵Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌈Review: I really enjoyed this book! The cover is what drew me in (and of course the queer representation) and I am so happy to have discovered this author. When I started this book and read the content warnings I was a little concerned because some of the topics were close to me, so I was curious how the author was going to handle them, especially in a short novella. But I was incredibly pleasantly surprised! I think that the setting of the story was absolutely gorgeous and the author was very descriptive allowing you to really put yourself in that location. I loved Bruce and Simon together, I loved that there was immediate chemistry and even though it was quite uh let’s say fast paced with their connection and of course the sex, it all felt quite genuine. There were funny moments, heart felt moments, and moments that just made you happy. I loved their story together and I loved their acceptance of eachother as they were. Beautifully written book and I can’t wait to read another!
✨
January 4, 2025
This was sweet and short, two things I love in a book. I also wasn't expecting one of the characters to be trans (I did not read the blurb before I started reading), so I was absolutely delighted. And a fat hairy trans man? My favourite trans representation!
Also really liked the little surprise bonus Christmas scene, which was very sweet.
There's 2 things I didn't understand about this: 1) what does Simon do to make money? Maybe it was explained at the beginning and I missed it, but how did he afford a light house in the first place? And 2) I don't really understand how Bruce's plan for showing Simon their town didn't need an AirBNB, or how tourism would be bad. Like I expected there to be more of Bruce showing Simon things around town that would be negatively affected by tourism but all they really did was fuck and pick blueberries. And like, I dunno just don't tell tourists where to find blueberries and then they won't pick the blueberries.
Also really liked the little surprise bonus Christmas scene, which was very sweet.
There's 2 things I didn't understand about this: 1) what does Simon do to make money? Maybe it was explained at the beginning and I missed it, but how did he afford a light house in the first place? And 2) I don't really understand how Bruce's plan for showing Simon their town didn't need an AirBNB, or how tourism would be bad. Like I expected there to be more of Bruce showing Simon things around town that would be negatively affected by tourism but all they really did was fuck and pick blueberries. And like, I dunno just don't tell tourists where to find blueberries and then they won't pick the blueberries.
March 24, 2024
“I love you,” Simon says simply, like that’s all it is.
And maybe it is. Maybe it is that simple.
“I love you too,” Bruce answers, and it sounds a lot like, “stay.”
I received a digital copy of the book from a Storygraph giveaway and I’m really happy I did. Also, such a coincidence that I read this during the #transrightsreadathon week🏳️⚧️
I adore stories about lighthouses. I adore stories with cats. And I absolutely adore stories set in cozy towns by the sea. And this book has all three! I really loved the characters, the gender and mental health representation, and the way the relationship between the characters flourished. I think the ending was perfect. I do wish it was a little longer though, so everything could really be elaborated. Nevertheless, I still really liked reading this and I wish to read more of this author’s works.
And maybe it is. Maybe it is that simple.
“I love you too,” Bruce answers, and it sounds a lot like, “stay.”
I received a digital copy of the book from a Storygraph giveaway and I’m really happy I did. Also, such a coincidence that I read this during the #transrightsreadathon week🏳️⚧️
I adore stories about lighthouses. I adore stories with cats. And I absolutely adore stories set in cozy towns by the sea. And this book has all three! I really loved the characters, the gender and mental health representation, and the way the relationship between the characters flourished. I think the ending was perfect. I do wish it was a little longer though, so everything could really be elaborated. Nevertheless, I still really liked reading this and I wish to read more of this author’s works.
March 26, 2025
This book gave me whiplash. One minute they're having a tour of the lighthouse; grumpy boat captain and city slicker aren't really getting on etc. then the next minute they're having sex. I feel like I missed at least 100 pages of relationship development in between. The next day they're baring their souls and telling each other things they've never told anyone else. The characters are both throwing out secrets and life facts, it's a big info-dump with not much context or relevance. It's weird. The next day they're talking long term relationship.
I did like: the descriptions of the scenery and environment. Trans representation which was just part of that character's background, not “a big deal” or the conflict of the story. I think overall the story could have worked better in a longer book with a slower burn and more character development.
I did like: the descriptions of the scenery and environment. Trans representation which was just part of that character's background, not “a big deal” or the conflict of the story. I think overall the story could have worked better in a longer book with a slower burn and more character development.
February 24, 2024
This was a short and sweet story of queer love in a lighthouse that I really wished I liked more than I did.
The writing style was stilted as if describing steps in a recipe instead of following movement from one scene to another. Physical details were tossed in almost begrudgingly like there was a word count to reach.
It’s a novella so we can’t afford to savor a slow burn, but the instant love was thrown at us without much reasoning other than proximity.
While I recognize that everyone experiences mental health differently, this book had an off-putting “another person can fix you” vibe.
I don’t mean to be entirely negative as it was a cute story and I respect the author’s effort, but I don’t think it was for me.
The writing style was stilted as if describing steps in a recipe instead of following movement from one scene to another. Physical details were tossed in almost begrudgingly like there was a word count to reach.
It’s a novella so we can’t afford to savor a slow burn, but the instant love was thrown at us without much reasoning other than proximity.
While I recognize that everyone experiences mental health differently, this book had an off-putting “another person can fix you” vibe.
I don’t mean to be entirely negative as it was a cute story and I respect the author’s effort, but I don’t think it was for me.
March 20, 2025
After what felt like an uncertain start this quickly became an amazing tale and I was blown away. Simon buys, sight unseen, an old obsolete lighthouse with the idea to renovate it into a kind of BNB. But his welcome to the small coastal community is chilly to say the least. Then Simon meets the lighthouse care-taker and an idea/deal is hesitantly made. From there things get intense and downright sexy. These two men make a connection, not just sexually but emotionally, they both have tragic pasts leaving them with scars, guilt and pain. It's a deep and touching tale, a wonderful read.
We also get a little extra, a little Christmas tale where Bruce's past comes back into his life.
We also get a little extra, a little Christmas tale where Bruce's past comes back into his life.
November 20, 2024
This novella deals with heavy topics, so beware of trigger warnings.
Itight try to do too much in it's short 80 something pages, but it also throws in some nice quotes in along the way.
Content warnings (from the author):
Sexual content, discussion of mental health and manic/depressive episodes, self destructive behaviour, suicidal thoughts, implications of past self harm, post partum depression, mentions of past trans pregnancy.
I was generously gifted this from a Storygraph giveaway.
Itight try to do too much in it's short 80 something pages, but it also throws in some nice quotes in along the way.
Content warnings (from the author):
Sexual content, discussion of mental health and manic/depressive episodes, self destructive behaviour, suicidal thoughts, implications of past self harm, post partum depression, mentions of past trans pregnancy.
I was generously gifted this from a Storygraph giveaway.
July 21, 2025
I really like the romance between the two MCs, and I also loved the premise and the setting.
I only wished we spent more time with them before things picked up, but that's basically my only complaint.
Definitly strong conversations about identity and mental heath.
I don't know why but I didn't expect the sex to be open door. That's not a complaint, I probably should just stop reading romance books at work 😅
I only wished we spent more time with them before things picked up, but that's basically my only complaint.
Definitly strong conversations about identity and mental heath.
I don't know why but I didn't expect the sex to be open door. That's not a complaint, I probably should just stop reading romance books at work 😅
April 2, 2025
4.5
What a delight! This was a sweet little novella featuring a bit of a disaster city boy who thinks he can buy and renovate a lighthouse, only to run into the grumpy lighthouse caretaker Bruce who does not love the idea of Simon “ruining” his village. It’s short and very queer Hallmark movie but I ate it up and I loved the queer and neurodivergent rep.
What a delight! This was a sweet little novella featuring a bit of a disaster city boy who thinks he can buy and renovate a lighthouse, only to run into the grumpy lighthouse caretaker Bruce who does not love the idea of Simon “ruining” his village. It’s short and very queer Hallmark movie but I ate it up and I loved the queer and neurodivergent rep.
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