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Help! I'm the Big City Boy in My Christmas Comfort Movie
Merry Christmas... FOREVER.
If there’s anyone who can help Matthew Harrington get over his broken heart, it’s the man who made him believe in love in the first place.
Unfortunately, Ben Clark, the six-foot-six Christmas tree farmer with soulful blue eyes and rugged good looks, is literally too good to be true—he’s the love interest in Mistletoe Hollow, Matthew's favorite Christmas comfort movie.
Matthew wishes he could find a guy like Ben after his ex runs off with another man, but his wish comes a little too true. When he puts Mistletoe Hollow on in hopes of raising his spirits only to literally get sucked into the movie, he's rescued by none other than Ben himself.
Is a little holiday magic really enough to bridge their worlds and give them a happily-ever-after even a cynical city boy can’t resist?
~
Author's This is a standalone holiday romance with a magical isekai twist. Filled with found family in a small town where it's always Christmas, a cursed VCR player, peppermint when (and where) you least expect it, well-meaning interdimensional interlopers, and creative uses for candy canes that are definitely not Santa-approved.
If there’s anyone who can help Matthew Harrington get over his broken heart, it’s the man who made him believe in love in the first place.
Unfortunately, Ben Clark, the six-foot-six Christmas tree farmer with soulful blue eyes and rugged good looks, is literally too good to be true—he’s the love interest in Mistletoe Hollow, Matthew's favorite Christmas comfort movie.
Matthew wishes he could find a guy like Ben after his ex runs off with another man, but his wish comes a little too true. When he puts Mistletoe Hollow on in hopes of raising his spirits only to literally get sucked into the movie, he's rescued by none other than Ben himself.
Is a little holiday magic really enough to bridge their worlds and give them a happily-ever-after even a cynical city boy can’t resist?
~
Author's This is a standalone holiday romance with a magical isekai twist. Filled with found family in a small town where it's always Christmas, a cursed VCR player, peppermint when (and where) you least expect it, well-meaning interdimensional interlopers, and creative uses for candy canes that are definitely not Santa-approved.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2023
64 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Joel Abernathy
47 books1,284 followersJoel Abernathy, also writing as L.C. Davis, is a trans author of MM romance. He enjoys writing dark and emotional romance about men loving men in all genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 26, 2023
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
“It didn't matter how perfectly our hands fit together or how sweetly he kissed me back. This thing between us could only be temporary.
Christmas magic wasn’t real.
I felt crazy for even considering it, but maybe it was worth the risk, though.
Maybe he was worth it.”
Not to feel like a complete Grinch for the holiday season, I figured that I should at least throw in one more Christmas read for the festive cheer, and Help! I'm the Big City Boy in My Christmas Comfort Movie seemed like it would be the perfect fit. Yes, that title is quite the mouthful! 😅
But, the cover was pretty cute - and so was the premise. I mean, c'mon, how many of us don't have a favorite comfort film that we love to watch so much that we envision ourselves in the set-up that the main characters find themselves in? To be the object of affection and desire of whichever character has charmed you over? Anyone??! Well, I guess I'll just raise my hand all by my lone self. 🙋🏻♀️
Of course, then there's Matthew, an aspiring screenwriter, who's nursing the tender wounds of his recent heartache when his boyfriend of five years ended their relationship, calling everything about their lives together - a mistake. Hoping to ease the pain of a lonesome Christmas, Matthew turns to that one Christmas film from yesteryear, Mistletoe Hollow that brings him comfort and joy like nothing else. But, alas, one needs a functioning VCR to make it work; cue, his trip to a thrift store to purchase one, load the film, only to be suddenly be sucked into the tv screen and land in the very world of the film, itself - and being the object of desire of the very character who is the handsome star of the film and the object of his own many fantasies - Ben Clark. 🥹
“Every line except for my love lines, at least. Those had always foretold an utterly luckless future in long-term romance.
Okay. This was definitely a dream.
These love lines promised me a happily-ever-after.”
Sounds like a dream, right? A ridiculously cheesy dream, one you wouldn't want to leave, right? I mean, the alternative is cold and lonesome nights - who would want to leave the very place that brings you such happiness? And for Matthew - the choice is quite easy - even if he can't understand the schematics of how he ended up here - he's willing to make the most of it - and well, apparently, so was I. 🥰
I admit, I was a bit thrown off-kilter when upon their very first meeting, Ben and Matthew get hot and heavy and entangled in the sheets - taking insta-attraction to the next level faster than I could expect! ❤️🔥 But, I figured, there's no time than getting right to it, especially since Matthew's already pretty much acquainted with Ben, so why not? And, once I accepted that I would just have to roll with it, it was surprisingly a very sweet read. 🩷🩷 'If this was a dream—and it clearly was, however vivid it was, because how the hell wouldn’t it be—why not enjoy it?' 😌 Matthew suffered enough heartache that I didn't mind that he was indulging himself in the very universe that he's memorized to the nines. Being around a welcoming family, swept away in the warm comforting embrace of a much larger and much warmer man who owns his own Christmas tree haul - what would ever make him want to leave this place? 🎄
Aside from the ever-present concern of how he ended up here - in a Santa-decreed town. And being stuck forever in a Groundhog Yule Tide Day. 'It was one of those ideas that sounds delightful in theory. Endless holiday cheer... But the more I chewed on it, the more it seemed less like a dream and more like a nightmare.' And while the explanation was rather a bit unclear and vague at best at how the technicalities of the constant loop would be broken, I appreciated the subtle hints that there would be other holidays in the works for this series. 👍🏻
“Everyone is staring at us," I eventually murmured, more to break the silence than anything.
Ben smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Let them stare. I only have eyes for you."
I couldn't help the giddy laugh that escaped my lips. "That was so cheesy. But also kind of sweet."
"What can I say? You bring out my romantic side.”
Matthew and Ben's relationship was very sweet. Matthew really fell for him and fell for him hard - so swoony and so smitten - totally enjoying this magical world that he'd ended up in. 🫠🫠 Ben was so much more than just the character in the film that he loved; it was nice to see that extra layer of depth to his personality - even more endearing was how Matthew loved to learn the little bits about him that he wasn't privy to - that the film didn't uncover about the emotions that he was harboring inside - feelings of abandonment, and not truly believing in the spirit of Christmas - even though, they're stuck in the forever of it never going beyond December! 🥺
'As scary as it was to accept after everything I'd been through, it felt so right. Like coming home after years spent lost and wandering.' There was also just the right balance of sweet and spice - featuring some very frisky and filthy usage of giant candy canes that I didn't see coming! 🫣 Phew, Ben was already such a lumberjack of a man that he wholly appreciated to his heart's delight, but when he was such a dirty beast in bed - Matthew definitely wasn't complaining! 😆
The writing was actually quite cute; a strange way to describe it, but it was humorous and a bit silly, but still quite fitting to the aesthetic of the situation. I haven't read anything by this author before, but it had an easygoing nature to it. Slightly whimsical, slightly charming, sometimes absolutely cheesy, but still very tender and gentle and kind. For, in the end, it was this romantic story of two broken souls who brought comfort to each other - simply by being in each other's company - who gave each other the hope to believe in love again. 🥺 'Give yourself permission to be happy, Matthew. Allow yourself to love—and to be loved in return.' It may have been a bit too unrealistic, at times, at how conveniently everything fell into place, but to feel that closure of happiness 'that just by being here with him, I was bringing light back into his world' made it all the more pleasantly enjoyable to witness. 🫶🏻
“It didn't matter how perfectly our hands fit together or how sweetly he kissed me back. This thing between us could only be temporary.
Christmas magic wasn’t real.
I felt crazy for even considering it, but maybe it was worth the risk, though.
Maybe he was worth it.”
Not to feel like a complete Grinch for the holiday season, I figured that I should at least throw in one more Christmas read for the festive cheer, and Help! I'm the Big City Boy in My Christmas Comfort Movie seemed like it would be the perfect fit. Yes, that title is quite the mouthful! 😅
But, the cover was pretty cute - and so was the premise. I mean, c'mon, how many of us don't have a favorite comfort film that we love to watch so much that we envision ourselves in the set-up that the main characters find themselves in? To be the object of affection and desire of whichever character has charmed you over? Anyone??! Well, I guess I'll just raise my hand all by my lone self. 🙋🏻♀️
Of course, then there's Matthew, an aspiring screenwriter, who's nursing the tender wounds of his recent heartache when his boyfriend of five years ended their relationship, calling everything about their lives together - a mistake. Hoping to ease the pain of a lonesome Christmas, Matthew turns to that one Christmas film from yesteryear, Mistletoe Hollow that brings him comfort and joy like nothing else. But, alas, one needs a functioning VCR to make it work; cue, his trip to a thrift store to purchase one, load the film, only to be suddenly be sucked into the tv screen and land in the very world of the film, itself - and being the object of desire of the very character who is the handsome star of the film and the object of his own many fantasies - Ben Clark. 🥹
“Every line except for my love lines, at least. Those had always foretold an utterly luckless future in long-term romance.
Okay. This was definitely a dream.
These love lines promised me a happily-ever-after.”
Sounds like a dream, right? A ridiculously cheesy dream, one you wouldn't want to leave, right? I mean, the alternative is cold and lonesome nights - who would want to leave the very place that brings you such happiness? And for Matthew - the choice is quite easy - even if he can't understand the schematics of how he ended up here - he's willing to make the most of it - and well, apparently, so was I. 🥰
I admit, I was a bit thrown off-kilter when upon their very first meeting, Ben and Matthew get hot and heavy and entangled in the sheets - taking insta-attraction to the next level faster than I could expect! ❤️🔥 But, I figured, there's no time than getting right to it, especially since Matthew's already pretty much acquainted with Ben, so why not? And, once I accepted that I would just have to roll with it, it was surprisingly a very sweet read. 🩷🩷 'If this was a dream—and it clearly was, however vivid it was, because how the hell wouldn’t it be—why not enjoy it?' 😌 Matthew suffered enough heartache that I didn't mind that he was indulging himself in the very universe that he's memorized to the nines. Being around a welcoming family, swept away in the warm comforting embrace of a much larger and much warmer man who owns his own Christmas tree haul - what would ever make him want to leave this place? 🎄
Aside from the ever-present concern of how he ended up here - in a Santa-decreed town. And being stuck forever in a Groundhog Yule Tide Day. 'It was one of those ideas that sounds delightful in theory. Endless holiday cheer... But the more I chewed on it, the more it seemed less like a dream and more like a nightmare.' And while the explanation was rather a bit unclear and vague at best at how the technicalities of the constant loop would be broken, I appreciated the subtle hints that there would be other holidays in the works for this series. 👍🏻
“Everyone is staring at us," I eventually murmured, more to break the silence than anything.
Ben smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Let them stare. I only have eyes for you."
I couldn't help the giddy laugh that escaped my lips. "That was so cheesy. But also kind of sweet."
"What can I say? You bring out my romantic side.”
Matthew and Ben's relationship was very sweet. Matthew really fell for him and fell for him hard - so swoony and so smitten - totally enjoying this magical world that he'd ended up in. 🫠🫠 Ben was so much more than just the character in the film that he loved; it was nice to see that extra layer of depth to his personality - even more endearing was how Matthew loved to learn the little bits about him that he wasn't privy to - that the film didn't uncover about the emotions that he was harboring inside - feelings of abandonment, and not truly believing in the spirit of Christmas - even though, they're stuck in the forever of it never going beyond December! 🥺
'As scary as it was to accept after everything I'd been through, it felt so right. Like coming home after years spent lost and wandering.' There was also just the right balance of sweet and spice - featuring some very frisky and filthy usage of giant candy canes that I didn't see coming! 🫣 Phew, Ben was already such a lumberjack of a man that he wholly appreciated to his heart's delight, but when he was such a dirty beast in bed - Matthew definitely wasn't complaining! 😆
The writing was actually quite cute; a strange way to describe it, but it was humorous and a bit silly, but still quite fitting to the aesthetic of the situation. I haven't read anything by this author before, but it had an easygoing nature to it. Slightly whimsical, slightly charming, sometimes absolutely cheesy, but still very tender and gentle and kind. For, in the end, it was this romantic story of two broken souls who brought comfort to each other - simply by being in each other's company - who gave each other the hope to believe in love again. 🥺 'Give yourself permission to be happy, Matthew. Allow yourself to love—and to be loved in return.' It may have been a bit too unrealistic, at times, at how conveniently everything fell into place, but to feel that closure of happiness 'that just by being here with him, I was bringing light back into his world' made it all the more pleasantly enjoyable to witness. 🫶🏻
November 26, 2024
Help! I'm the Big City Boy in My Christmas Comfort Movie is a fun and festive isekai, set in a world of perpetual Christmas.
After a finding out his ex cheated on him, Matthew takes comfort by watching his favourite holiday movie. Except things take a turn for the weird when he's sucked into the movie and transported to the supposedly fictional town of Mistletoe Hollow, and into the path of his long time crush and now very real hunk, Ben.
__
I really enjoyed this read and it's the perfect start to my holiday reads. Matthew and Ben were really cute together and along with Ben's family and the small town setting, it made for a great Christmas movie in book form.
I only had two little annoyances with the book. My first one is that they hook-up way too soon. I would've preferred there to be a bit more build up and tension first. My second issue was that the writing could be inconsistent at points. Like at one point the characters were described as sitting in bed and then the next sentence they're on the couch downstairs. But those two were easy enough to just brush off and enjoy the cheesiness to the fullest.
After a finding out his ex cheated on him, Matthew takes comfort by watching his favourite holiday movie. Except things take a turn for the weird when he's sucked into the movie and transported to the supposedly fictional town of Mistletoe Hollow, and into the path of his long time crush and now very real hunk, Ben.
__
I really enjoyed this read and it's the perfect start to my holiday reads. Matthew and Ben were really cute together and along with Ben's family and the small town setting, it made for a great Christmas movie in book form.
I only had two little annoyances with the book. My first one is that they hook-up way too soon. I would've preferred there to be a bit more build up and tension first. My second issue was that the writing could be inconsistent at points. Like at one point the characters were described as sitting in bed and then the next sentence they're on the couch downstairs. But those two were easy enough to just brush off and enjoy the cheesiness to the fullest.
December 24, 2023
Very cute. Low angst. Just the most perfect & fun Christmas read. Plus someone gets a candy cane up the bum
December 15, 2024
Cute, fun, sweet & very unserious. And also way insta.
November 15, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a cute “I’m trapped in a movie” story. Matthew was all sad with terrible self esteem, but quickly embraced the joy of bing with his dream man. Ben was jaded but a teddy bear and natural caretaker. It was almost pure fluff. There were a few inconsistencies on what technology was present and how aware the other characters were of it.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: emotionally abusive ex, isolation, mild threat of hypothermia
This was a cute “I’m trapped in a movie” story. Matthew was all sad with terrible self esteem, but quickly embraced the joy of bing with his dream man. Ben was jaded but a teddy bear and natural caretaker. It was almost pure fluff. There were a few inconsistencies on what technology was present and how aware the other characters were of it.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: emotionally abusive ex, isolation, mild threat of hypothermia
June 3, 2024
3.5 stars
It was a cute story about a city guy who gets stuck in his dream town, inside of something like a 90’s Hallmark movie. Matthew and Ben are very cute and kind. They get together quite fast, so there’s an insta-love vibe going on. The sexy times are also quite spicy. The town is magical and quirky, sort of like a Christmas fairytale. Most of it is written in Matthew’s POV but we get a few of Ben’s thoughts too.
It was a cute story about a city guy who gets stuck in his dream town, inside of something like a 90’s Hallmark movie. Matthew and Ben are very cute and kind. They get together quite fast, so there’s an insta-love vibe going on. The sexy times are also quite spicy. The town is magical and quirky, sort of like a Christmas fairytale. Most of it is written in Matthew’s POV but we get a few of Ben’s thoughts too.
December 24, 2023
An adorable escape
Having already read Bro and the Beast by the author (under LC Davis), I wasn’t sure if this would be too similar. Now I’m thinking I want EVEN MORE “sucked into a fictional world” books lolol. This was an utter delight.
Having already read Bro and the Beast by the author (under LC Davis), I wasn’t sure if this would be too similar. Now I’m thinking I want EVEN MORE “sucked into a fictional world” books lolol. This was an utter delight.
January 14, 2024
3.75
Super wholesome & cute. Low angst
Super wholesome & cute. Low angst
December 24, 2023
Now don't get me wrong, this was everything it was supposed to be. It was cute, Christmas themed, and had some good hot and steamy scenes - but it never quite reached the highs that I thought it should.
While I did like the characters I still feel like there was something missing from it as a whole. Matthew was sweet, but he still didn't end up telling Ben the whole truth of the situation at the end. Ben was every bit the strong Christmas tree farm owning hunk but he never developed past that.
I think I would have liked to see some conclusion to the Holly situation rather than an offhand comment about what happened to her after her time at Mistletoe Hollow and how it instigated the entire events of the book.
The plot and pacing was kind of all over the place at times, sometimes this worked to move the plot along but at other times it either made it feel like it was going too fast or at other point languishing a bit.
Overall I don't think this was as strong as Joel Abernathy's other books but it still ended up being a fun little book to read to get more into the Christmas Season.
Also, (light spoiler) not even a cameo of Santa at all in a literal magical-every-month-is-christmas town???
I'm still aghast.
While I did like the characters I still feel like there was something missing from it as a whole. Matthew was sweet, but he still didn't end up telling Ben the whole truth of the situation at the end. Ben was every bit the strong Christmas tree farm owning hunk but he never developed past that.
I think I would have liked to see some conclusion to the Holly situation rather than an offhand comment about what happened to her after her time at Mistletoe Hollow and how it instigated the entire events of the book.
The plot and pacing was kind of all over the place at times, sometimes this worked to move the plot along but at other times it either made it feel like it was going too fast or at other point languishing a bit.
Overall I don't think this was as strong as Joel Abernathy's other books but it still ended up being a fun little book to read to get more into the Christmas Season.
Also, (light spoiler) not even a cameo of Santa at all in a literal magical-every-month-is-christmas town???
I'm still aghast.
February 22, 2024
3.75!! so cheesy and cute and smutty. loved it!
January 16, 2024
i hate the idea of having christmas every month
December 22, 2023
"I was still in Mistletoe Hollow.
Literally still in Mistletoe Hollow.
And Ben Clark had fucked me in the ass."
Despite what my opening quote is about, this was an absolutely whimsical, Hallmarky, low angst read by Joel Abernathy. Everyone in the town of Mistletoe Hollow were absolutely lovely and completely crazy about Christmas. After all, it's always Christmas time in Mistletoe Hollow. I loved how well Matthew and Ben fit together. They were just so sweet. Their romance was like a fairytale, and in a way, I guess it almost is. It was certainly magical.
For as wholesome as the romance was, the steam was downright filthy. I don't think I'll look at giant candy canes the same way again! I'll tell you that Ben has the stamina of an ox! And he's built like one too. Lumbersexual I think it's called. I do hope Joel continues writing another book in this series. There are so many other worlds to explore and I'm hoping Ben's brother Jake can find someone of his own to love.
Literally still in Mistletoe Hollow.
And Ben Clark had fucked me in the ass."
Despite what my opening quote is about, this was an absolutely whimsical, Hallmarky, low angst read by Joel Abernathy. Everyone in the town of Mistletoe Hollow were absolutely lovely and completely crazy about Christmas. After all, it's always Christmas time in Mistletoe Hollow. I loved how well Matthew and Ben fit together. They were just so sweet. Their romance was like a fairytale, and in a way, I guess it almost is. It was certainly magical.
For as wholesome as the romance was, the steam was downright filthy. I don't think I'll look at giant candy canes the same way again! I'll tell you that Ben has the stamina of an ox! And he's built like one too. Lumbersexual I think it's called. I do hope Joel continues writing another book in this series. There are so many other worlds to explore and I'm hoping Ben's brother Jake can find someone of his own to love.
December 31, 2023
I loved Joel Abernathy's Bro and Beast series, and I was interested how a similar way of traveling worlds can be something new. But with Help! I'm the Big City In My Christmas Comfort Movie, he created this new funny world, and I'm all here for more of that! (Hello, Valentine's Day is approaching 😏)
Matthew is really depressed before Christmas, because his ex cheated on him, his writing muse didn't wanna struck him with great ideas. To get a little escape (oh and what an escape this will be) he bought a VCR Player and got his old cassette of Mistletoe Hollow, his all-time comfort Christmas movie.
If you're looking for a short, sweet, low angst Christmas read. This book is definitely worth your time.
What to expect:
- forced proximity
- true Christmas magic 😏
- Sugar Cane in usage that is not accepted by Santa
- Small Town
Matthew is really depressed before Christmas, because his ex cheated on him, his writing muse didn't wanna struck him with great ideas. To get a little escape (oh and what an escape this will be) he bought a VCR Player and got his old cassette of Mistletoe Hollow, his all-time comfort Christmas movie.
If you're looking for a short, sweet, low angst Christmas read. This book is definitely worth your time.
What to expect:
- forced proximity
- true Christmas magic 😏
- Sugar Cane in usage that is not accepted by Santa
- Small Town
December 18, 2024
4.25 stars
This was super fun and kind of ridiculous at times. The premise is super interesting. Matthew is a very well developed character, but I wanted more from Ben. Ben was super intriguing, but it felt like a lot of his stuff was super surface level. The romance and story are super cute, but the pacing felt a little rushed at times. This is super insta-lusty/insta-lovey, and there was a small time jump of sorts, and they were talking about being in love all of a sudden. I had a lot of fun with this, and I enjoyed it so much, I really ate this one up, but I really wanted more time with the story and to get more from Ben's character. That said, this is a great and unique cozy holiday read.
This was super fun and kind of ridiculous at times. The premise is super interesting. Matthew is a very well developed character, but I wanted more from Ben. Ben was super intriguing, but it felt like a lot of his stuff was super surface level. The romance and story are super cute, but the pacing felt a little rushed at times. This is super insta-lusty/insta-lovey, and there was a small time jump of sorts, and they were talking about being in love all of a sudden. I had a lot of fun with this, and I enjoyed it so much, I really ate this one up, but I really wanted more time with the story and to get more from Ben's character. That said, this is a great and unique cozy holiday read.
December 24, 2023
A dream come true
Matthew and Ben were so freaking sweet together. Their story was a fantastical offspring of a Hallmark movie and an episode of the Twilight Zone. It was a cute little holiday romance, and I wouldn't mind visiting some of the other towns.
Matthew and Ben were so freaking sweet together. Their story was a fantastical offspring of a Hallmark movie and an episode of the Twilight Zone. It was a cute little holiday romance, and I wouldn't mind visiting some of the other towns.
December 23, 2023
Inventive
This felt like a mix of Bro and the Beast and The Nightmare Before Christmas and I just loved it.
Sweet and steamy, it was a lovely Christmas story that hit the spot
This felt like a mix of Bro and the Beast and The Nightmare Before Christmas and I just loved it.
Sweet and steamy, it was a lovely Christmas story that hit the spot
December 27, 2023
Hands down one of sweetest MM holiday romances I’ve ever read.
March 26, 2024
Very cute, great for a quick read!
December 12, 2025
está es la clase de inclusión que espero: un libro lleno de clichés y sin narrativa como cualquier película dulzona de navidad PERO gay
December 26, 2023
Perfect, low angst read for Christmas
December 15, 2024
It was a short and sweet Christmassy romance with a little bit of spice.
The romance was pretty cute, with some insta-love between the two main characters. But because the story was fairly short, it meant they moved incredibly quickly with everything happening within a couple of weeks.
Alongside the romance, there was also a little mystery as to how exactly Matthew was inside his favourite Christmas movie, but honestly the reveal of this mystery was pretty disappointing. Turns out it was all just “magic”, which is a pretty unsatisfactory explanation!
There was also a very strange scene with a candy cane that I could have done without…
Overall, this was fine and a good Christmassy read.
📼🎄🌨️
The romance was pretty cute, with some insta-love between the two main characters. But because the story was fairly short, it meant they moved incredibly quickly with everything happening within a couple of weeks.
Alongside the romance, there was also a little mystery as to how exactly Matthew was inside his favourite Christmas movie, but honestly the reveal of this mystery was pretty disappointing. Turns out it was all just “magic”, which is a pretty unsatisfactory explanation!
There was also a very strange scene with a candy cane that I could have done without…
Overall, this was fine and a good Christmassy read.
📼🎄🌨️
December 31, 2023
This was a sweet, gentle, romantic escape from real life. I did keep waiting for some sort of sinister twist or darkness to creep in, but it was full on cheesy goodness from start to finish. I'd recommend if you're looking for a hallmark-y m/m Christmas romance.
January 1, 2024
Matthew, a scriptwriter dealing with a breakup, gets sucked into a world based on his favorite Christmas movie. He quickly meets the love interest of the movie, who was his gay awakening, Ben. Also, it's eternally winter and December in this town and Christmas happens every single month.
This was the perfect book to finish up my Christmas reading for the year. It was funny, ridiculous(in the best way), cute and sexy, and creative.
Ben and Matthew made a sweet couple, and an isekai of a Hallmark style Christmas movie is such a fun concept.
I hope the author writes a story set in the Halloween town that was mentioned. That's where I'd want to live!
This was the perfect book to finish up my Christmas reading for the year. It was funny, ridiculous(in the best way), cute and sexy, and creative.
Ben and Matthew made a sweet couple, and an isekai of a Hallmark style Christmas movie is such a fun concept.
I hope the author writes a story set in the Halloween town that was mentioned. That's where I'd want to live!
May 14, 2024
A bit boring
Not what I expected. Certainly a bit boring 🙄 having read other books by the same author, this one seems insufficient to me. The characters are flat and the plot is very bland.
Not what I expected. Certainly a bit boring 🙄 having read other books by the same author, this one seems insufficient to me. The characters are flat and the plot is very bland.
Read
January 5, 2024DNF @ 53% - this is lighthearted and cute for what it is, but it missed the mark for what I was expecting. I would’ve liked just a little more substance and immersion to get me invested in the characters.
December 30, 2023
2.5 🌟's
i wanted to love thiiiiis
i wanted to love thiiiiis
December 28, 2023
I felt a pang of longing in my chest. This was the kind of familial bond I'd always yearned for, the kind of connection I'd seen on screen in Mistletoe Hollow.
And now, somehow, I was a part of it.
Have you ever wished you could live inside your favorite movie? Matthew Harrington has and it looks like this Christmas he’ll get his wish when an incident with a potentially cursed VCR player ends up with him being sucked into Mistletoe Hollow and right into the arms of his longtime fictional crush, Ben Clark. Logically, Matthew knows this can’t be possible but the way it feels when Ben touches him and the looks of love in Ben’s eyes whenever Matthew is around doesn’t seem fake. Will a little holiday magic allow this city boy to find his happily ever after in the last place he expected to find it?
If someone had told me just a few days ago that I'd be having dinner with Ben Clark in Mistletoe Hollow—hell, that Mistletoe Hollow even existed—I would've laughed it off as an absurd fantasy.
Yet here I was, living an impossible dream.
This was a great book to round out my holiday reading for the season. The magical aspect was fun and Matthew’s reactions to finding himself dropped into the town from his favorite Christmas movie were entertaining. He had no clue how he got there - was he dreaming? In a coma? Something else? I loved how easily he just went with the flow, though, and figured he might as well enjoy himself while he was there.
He and Ben hit it off right away and things got steamy pretty quickly - there was a very creative use of a candy cane! Ben knew what he wanted and didn’t hesitate to take it. Things played out like they might have in a movie - Ben fell fast but it wasn’t totally insta-love because Matthew had been in love with a version of Ben for years. But I enjoyed seeing Matthew discover sides of Ben that were new to him. And it was fun trying to figure out how Matthew got there and whether or not he’d be able to stay.
The book was cozy, charming, sweet, and spicy with practically zero angst - everything I’m looking for in a holiday romance!
I'd only known Ben for twenty-four hours according to the clock on the wall, but it felt like I'd known him my entire life.
And in a weird way, I kind of had.
December 28, 2023
3.5⭐️ 3🌶️
A hilarious and sweet holiday romance. This is my second book/series from this author with this type of storyline, so I was definitely prepared for what I was getting into. It's not going to knock your socks off with the writing, there's plot holes everywhere, but I laughed multiple times and it was pretty cute.
Matthew is a recently single writer from New York City aka "the big city" who's going through a tough time. To brighten his holiday spirits he watches his comfort movie and gets transported into it, where he's saved my the movie main character Ben. Mistletoe Hollow works its magic on Matthew, completely charming him, but he's unsure how he can have a happily ever after when he's not from this world.
Matthew and Ben are a cute couple. It's insta-lovey, and they pretty much get right to it when they meet. They are a little scarred from their last relationships, but they're perfect for each other of course. Mistletoe Hollow is, expectedly, the perfect holiday romance setting and they fall in love fast and easy. Crazy and kind of kookie side characters, but good vibes all around.
Some little spoilers - there's a lot of peppermint flavored....things, and interesting uses of candy canes. I also laughed at the fact that Matthew had to go "settle his affairs" in the city and the only thing they did was order sushi and leave.
It's exactly what I was expecting from this author having read the werewolf series like this. Very entertaining, a short and silly holiday romance, perfect for a break from anything too serious.
Read if you like:
• holiday romance
• opposites attract
• insta love
A hilarious and sweet holiday romance. This is my second book/series from this author with this type of storyline, so I was definitely prepared for what I was getting into. It's not going to knock your socks off with the writing, there's plot holes everywhere, but I laughed multiple times and it was pretty cute.
Matthew is a recently single writer from New York City aka "the big city" who's going through a tough time. To brighten his holiday spirits he watches his comfort movie and gets transported into it, where he's saved my the movie main character Ben. Mistletoe Hollow works its magic on Matthew, completely charming him, but he's unsure how he can have a happily ever after when he's not from this world.
Matthew and Ben are a cute couple. It's insta-lovey, and they pretty much get right to it when they meet. They are a little scarred from their last relationships, but they're perfect for each other of course. Mistletoe Hollow is, expectedly, the perfect holiday romance setting and they fall in love fast and easy. Crazy and kind of kookie side characters, but good vibes all around.
Some little spoilers - there's a lot of peppermint flavored....things, and interesting uses of candy canes. I also laughed at the fact that Matthew had to go "settle his affairs" in the city and the only thing they did was order sushi and leave.
It's exactly what I was expecting from this author having read the werewolf series like this. Very entertaining, a short and silly holiday romance, perfect for a break from anything too serious.
Read if you like:
• holiday romance
• opposites attract
• insta love
December 27, 2023
Well this was adorable. The perfect way to finish up a season of festive reading.
Matthew is at a terribly low point when he finds himself transported into his favourite Christmas film and the arms of Ben, the owner of the town of Mistletoe Hollow's Christmas Tree Farm. Things heat up very quickly between the two in a way which you would not be seeing on the Christmas Movie Channel. Peppermint gets used. Candy canes get abused. A good time is had and the magic of Christmas does its thing.
I would have liked a bit more about the world of Mistletoe Hollow. How does Ben know that it always being December is maybe not normal? Do they undress and redress a new tree every month? I'd be buying a fake one and just letting it always be there but maybe that's just me being lazy. What happens to people that don't join in? What does Santa have to say to that? How can Santa be the ruler and yet have Ben not really believe in him (or is this a God in a fundamentalist state style situation)? Look I didn't need answers to these questions to enjoy the story, but I'd have liked them a lot.
I enjoyed this story a lot! It was super sweet and also very self aware, just what I needed after a month of Christmassy stories.
Matthew is at a terribly low point when he finds himself transported into his favourite Christmas film and the arms of Ben, the owner of the town of Mistletoe Hollow's Christmas Tree Farm. Things heat up very quickly between the two in a way which you would not be seeing on the Christmas Movie Channel. Peppermint gets used. Candy canes get abused. A good time is had and the magic of Christmas does its thing.
I would have liked a bit more about the world of Mistletoe Hollow. How does Ben know that it always being December is maybe not normal? Do they undress and redress a new tree every month? I'd be buying a fake one and just letting it always be there but maybe that's just me being lazy. What happens to people that don't join in? What does Santa have to say to that? How can Santa be the ruler and yet have Ben not really believe in him (or is this a God in a fundamentalist state style situation)? Look I didn't need answers to these questions to enjoy the story, but I'd have liked them a lot.
I enjoyed this story a lot! It was super sweet and also very self aware, just what I needed after a month of Christmassy stories.
December 11, 2025
(Sí, el título es más largo que mi lista de pendientes, pero vamos 😂)
La premisa me atrapó desde el minuto uno: un chico que se mete —literalmente— a una película navideña a través de un VHS (sí, VHS, la nostalgia ON FIRE) y termina enamorándose del protagonista de la peli. O sea… ¿cómo no leer eso? 🙌💕
La química entre Ben y Matthew estuvo deliciosa, súper bien construida, con diálogos coquetos y un spicy que… ejem, cumplió, bebés 👀🔥
Peeero… aquí viene mi pero dramático. Yo esperaba con ansias LA gran confrontación: el momento en que mi adorable Ben descubriera que en realidad era un personaje ficticio. Ese ¿qué somos? ¿qué es real? que prometía caos y lágrimas y… nunca pasó 😭
El autor se fue por otro lado: convertir la historia en un choque de mundos donde uno es “del mundo real” y el otro… también? Pero de una “dimensión navideña real” (sea lo que sea eso 😂🎁) Y aunque sí fue tierno y cute, la falta de esa confrontación le quitó un poquito de emoción y unos puntitos para mí.
Así que, para mi fue un romance súper lindo… pero quedó en mero potencial....
La premisa me atrapó desde el minuto uno: un chico que se mete —literalmente— a una película navideña a través de un VHS (sí, VHS, la nostalgia ON FIRE) y termina enamorándose del protagonista de la peli. O sea… ¿cómo no leer eso? 🙌💕
La química entre Ben y Matthew estuvo deliciosa, súper bien construida, con diálogos coquetos y un spicy que… ejem, cumplió, bebés 👀🔥
Peeero… aquí viene mi pero dramático. Yo esperaba con ansias LA gran confrontación: el momento en que mi adorable Ben descubriera que en realidad era un personaje ficticio. Ese ¿qué somos? ¿qué es real? que prometía caos y lágrimas y… nunca pasó 😭
El autor se fue por otro lado: convertir la historia en un choque de mundos donde uno es “del mundo real” y el otro… también? Pero de una “dimensión navideña real” (sea lo que sea eso 😂🎁) Y aunque sí fue tierno y cute, la falta de esa confrontación le quitó un poquito de emoción y unos puntitos para mí.
Así que, para mi fue un romance súper lindo… pero quedó en mero potencial....
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