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Snow Way in Hell
Up To Snow Good
This Christmas, Trouble Tastes Like Chocolate
Maximillian Arthur Felstead is up to no good.
Having taken it upon himself to plan an anniversary surprise for his brother and his fiancé during their annual December ski trip, Max realises nothing happens quickly this close to Christmas. Deciding chocolate is the answer, Max accidentally incurs the wrath of chocolatier, Luca, who’s having a pre-Christmas nightmare of his own.
Luca is short staffed and short on patience, and he isn’t enamoured with Max’s clueless demands, even if he is utterly gorgeous. So when Max reaches out to apologise, Luca can’t help but be drawn in by his charm and Max’s offer of help, especially when their chemistry is hot enough to melt the ice on Mont Blanc.
With their time together running out, can a little Christmas magic help Max and Luca find what they’ve been searching for?
Up to Snow Good is a 49,000-word, low-angst MM contemporary Christmas romance featuring snow-topped mountains, Christmas market cuteness, delicious chocolate, and plenty of sweet, steamy moments.
Maximillian Arthur Felstead is up to no good.
Having taken it upon himself to plan an anniversary surprise for his brother and his fiancé during their annual December ski trip, Max realises nothing happens quickly this close to Christmas. Deciding chocolate is the answer, Max accidentally incurs the wrath of chocolatier, Luca, who’s having a pre-Christmas nightmare of his own.
Luca is short staffed and short on patience, and he isn’t enamoured with Max’s clueless demands, even if he is utterly gorgeous. So when Max reaches out to apologise, Luca can’t help but be drawn in by his charm and Max’s offer of help, especially when their chemistry is hot enough to melt the ice on Mont Blanc.
With their time together running out, can a little Christmas magic help Max and Luca find what they’ve been searching for?
Up to Snow Good is a 49,000-word, low-angst MM contemporary Christmas romance featuring snow-topped mountains, Christmas market cuteness, delicious chocolate, and plenty of sweet, steamy moments.
5 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 22, 2022
106 people are currently reading
708 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Novak
64 books595 followersCharlie lives in England with her husband and a dachshund named Biscuit. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.
She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters – because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that love comes in all shapes and sizes.
Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…
She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters – because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that love comes in all shapes and sizes.
Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
February 10, 2025
Santa buddy, a '65 convertible too, steel blue / I'll wait up for you dude / Santa buddy, and hurry down the chimney tonight (Santa Baby - The very straight Michael Bublé version).
Okay, so here’s what I think happened here: I think that originally the source of tension between Max and Luca was going to basically be Max being a full-on asshole where he unreasonably demands that Luca meet his Christmas shopping wishes and is just a complete, out-of-touch, rich jerk. Then they’d slowly become closer as Max unlearns his jerkish ways and becomes the kind of guy who’s “kind to the waiter,” so to speak. Christmas Carol style! Because, good lord, the source of early drama that we do actually get here is so bare-bones and lackluster that I didn’t even notice I was supposed to see Max as “in the wrong” in the first place! Oh, I think I got ahead of myself because I didn’t even explain what’s going on. Basically, Max (the one who’s up to snow good, presumably) is a rich dude who wants a custom chocolate order for a gift from Luca, a chocolatier. Only, when Luca says he’s too busy to fill in his order, Max, confused, asks Luca again, “if he’s sure?” thus creating an immediate dislike from both ends at the start. And… that’s it… really, that’s it. Look, I really do appreciate the attempted discussion of treating retail workers with proper respect and humanity. The holiday season is supposed to be the season of kindness and giving and many folks don’t extend the same empathy to people who work retail jobs, but the conflict portrayed here is barely anything, right? I get why Luca would be annoyed at the dude, but it’s hardly worth a chapter’s worth think-piece on the matter. It’s whatever though, I’m sure people don’t want all that nastiness in their cute and fluffy Christmas romance, and if Max was a complete monster like I stated above, it’d probably be too hard to forgive him (honestly, I probably wouldn’t). I just thought it was odd how Max’s side-characters still lectured him as if he had been the customer from hell.
I guess my hope for some heated arguments shows that I can be kind of a Grinch. I get the appeal of books with no drama, I really do. But if you have characters preaching some kind of lesson, then it better be well-deserved! Unfortunately, this is kind of why I don’t really indulge in holiday season books or movies in any meaningful way. And one of the very few Christmas things I do actually enjoy is the song “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt (hey, remember Michael Bublé’s “no homo” version called “Santa Buddy?” only, in his desperate attempts to not seem gay, he only ironically made it seem like he was having an illicit affair with Santa. Check it out, it’s really funny), anyway, it's a great song. I mean, I certainly don’t consciously go out of my way to avoid Christmas stuff, but usually by the time I’ve stored up enough energy to dive into something Christmassy, it’s almost always already July! Uh, I think I lost the thread somewhere along the way and I’m totally just ranting at random right now, so I’ll say that this was a perfectly fine holiday romance book and the characters were nice to each other and perfectly fine and nice things happened to everyone which is fine and the story had no drama and was cute and WAS PERFECTLY FINE!!! Sorry about that, I’m sure a lot of folks will love this, it’s exactly what a person who loves a contemporary Christmas story would love, only with the added benefit of being pretty gay (like the song “Santa Buddy”), which is more than fine! I was just trying to give context as to why I might not enjoy this as much despite having no real issue with it; not because it’s bad, but because I’m not big on the genre. It’s sweet and inoffensive with a sanitized sheen of wholesomeness that will either warm the heart… or make you sick. But you know what, sometimes people need a book that’s just purely on the feel-good side! That’s fine! It’s. Perfectly. FINE!
“He was sweet, soft, and biddable – the sort of man my heart ached for. My cock too.”
And they say romance is dead.
Okay, so here’s what I think happened here: I think that originally the source of tension between Max and Luca was going to basically be Max being a full-on asshole where he unreasonably demands that Luca meet his Christmas shopping wishes and is just a complete, out-of-touch, rich jerk. Then they’d slowly become closer as Max unlearns his jerkish ways and becomes the kind of guy who’s “kind to the waiter,” so to speak. Christmas Carol style! Because, good lord, the source of early drama that we do actually get here is so bare-bones and lackluster that I didn’t even notice I was supposed to see Max as “in the wrong” in the first place! Oh, I think I got ahead of myself because I didn’t even explain what’s going on. Basically, Max (the one who’s up to snow good, presumably) is a rich dude who wants a custom chocolate order for a gift from Luca, a chocolatier. Only, when Luca says he’s too busy to fill in his order, Max, confused, asks Luca again, “if he’s sure?” thus creating an immediate dislike from both ends at the start. And… that’s it… really, that’s it. Look, I really do appreciate the attempted discussion of treating retail workers with proper respect and humanity. The holiday season is supposed to be the season of kindness and giving and many folks don’t extend the same empathy to people who work retail jobs, but the conflict portrayed here is barely anything, right? I get why Luca would be annoyed at the dude, but it’s hardly worth a chapter’s worth think-piece on the matter. It’s whatever though, I’m sure people don’t want all that nastiness in their cute and fluffy Christmas romance, and if Max was a complete monster like I stated above, it’d probably be too hard to forgive him (honestly, I probably wouldn’t). I just thought it was odd how Max’s side-characters still lectured him as if he had been the customer from hell.
I guess my hope for some heated arguments shows that I can be kind of a Grinch. I get the appeal of books with no drama, I really do. But if you have characters preaching some kind of lesson, then it better be well-deserved! Unfortunately, this is kind of why I don’t really indulge in holiday season books or movies in any meaningful way. And one of the very few Christmas things I do actually enjoy is the song “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt (hey, remember Michael Bublé’s “no homo” version called “Santa Buddy?” only, in his desperate attempts to not seem gay, he only ironically made it seem like he was having an illicit affair with Santa. Check it out, it’s really funny), anyway, it's a great song. I mean, I certainly don’t consciously go out of my way to avoid Christmas stuff, but usually by the time I’ve stored up enough energy to dive into something Christmassy, it’s almost always already July! Uh, I think I lost the thread somewhere along the way and I’m totally just ranting at random right now, so I’ll say that this was a perfectly fine holiday romance book and the characters were nice to each other and perfectly fine and nice things happened to everyone which is fine and the story had no drama and was cute and WAS PERFECTLY FINE!!! Sorry about that, I’m sure a lot of folks will love this, it’s exactly what a person who loves a contemporary Christmas story would love, only with the added benefit of being pretty gay (like the song “Santa Buddy”), which is more than fine! I was just trying to give context as to why I might not enjoy this as much despite having no real issue with it; not because it’s bad, but because I’m not big on the genre. It’s sweet and inoffensive with a sanitized sheen of wholesomeness that will either warm the heart… or make you sick. But you know what, sometimes people need a book that’s just purely on the feel-good side! That’s fine! It’s. Perfectly. FINE!
“He was sweet, soft, and biddable – the sort of man my heart ached for. My cock too.”
And they say romance is dead.
April 8, 2024
Didn't realise this follows on from Snow Way In Hell and is the older brother's story!
Max and Luca are so cute, and there's so much chocolate. This book also has me wanting to go to a Christmas market which is something I usually avoid because they're always so crowded 😂
Max and Luca are so cute, and there's so much chocolate. This book also has me wanting to go to a Christmas market which is something I usually avoid because they're always so crowded 😂
December 24, 2023
Was hoping for a bit more as the title, cover, and synopsis sounded like this would be a homerun for me. But Up To Snow Good was just an okay read; it didn't do anything wrong, it just didn't do anything to excite me.
December 25, 2024
Ok perfect Christmas book I loved this
February 23, 2025
There is absolutely nothing groundbreaking about this book, but it was short and sweet and Max was adorable and Luca had no hope whatsoever to resist it.
Just no angst and good feelings.
3 ⭐️ for the story and 1 ⭐️ for their sausage dog fleur 🐶
Just no angst and good feelings.
3 ⭐️ for the story and 1 ⭐️ for their sausage dog fleur 🐶
December 10, 2023
Adorable!
And hot!!
And easy to see their fierce attraction. I enjoyed how tender they were with each other. Even when Luca was overwhelmed and stressed, he found Max's presence soothing. I enjoyed every moment! Sometimes there's insta-love and sometimes it's just insta-right.
So thrilled Max got his HEA. And it was fun catching up with his brother and bestie too.
Loved the little village, the chocolatier, and all the secondary cast.
Bravo!
*4.5 stars*
And hot!!
And easy to see their fierce attraction. I enjoyed how tender they were with each other. Even when Luca was overwhelmed and stressed, he found Max's presence soothing. I enjoyed every moment! Sometimes there's insta-love and sometimes it's just insta-right.
So thrilled Max got his HEA. And it was fun catching up with his brother and bestie too.
Loved the little village, the chocolatier, and all the secondary cast.
Bravo!
*4.5 stars*
November 26, 2022
Loved this even more than the first one
Charlie Novak writes great Christmas stories and this one's even better than it's predecessor.
I adored Max when he was a secondary character in Quinn and George’s romance, so I was eagerly waiting for this book.
It didn't disappoint, Luca was a perfect match for him and together they were the ultimate blend of spicy and sweet.
Charlie Novak writes great Christmas stories and this one's even better than it's predecessor.
I adored Max when he was a secondary character in Quinn and George’s romance, so I was eagerly waiting for this book.
It didn't disappoint, Luca was a perfect match for him and together they were the ultimate blend of spicy and sweet.
December 17, 2022
This was so fun! I really really enjoyed this one and it is a perfect holiday romance. It is full of delicious chocolates and himbo energy.
This is a companion novel to Charlie Novak's previous holiday but you can definitely read it as a stand-alone. Basically this guy goes on vacation with his brother and his best friend who are a couple and ends up falling for the local chocolatier. He's kind of an asshole and then he has to apologize to the chocolatier and then the things go from there.
I'm such a sucker for a romances that do bakery well and this is one of those. I loved the characters I love the cover It's a very good feel-good fluffy book.
Reread via audio December 2022
Once again we have Dan Calley as the narrator and he just doesn't bring anything to the story. I loved this when I read it and it was fine as an audiobook but it wasn't as dynamic. I'm going to start a petition to get Joel Leslie to start narrating Charlie Novak's audiobooks again. Just kidding I'm probably not because I have ADHD and I'm going to forget about it but anyway.
This is a companion novel to Charlie Novak's previous holiday but you can definitely read it as a stand-alone. Basically this guy goes on vacation with his brother and his best friend who are a couple and ends up falling for the local chocolatier. He's kind of an asshole and then he has to apologize to the chocolatier and then the things go from there.
I'm such a sucker for a romances that do bakery well and this is one of those. I loved the characters I love the cover It's a very good feel-good fluffy book.
Reread via audio December 2022
Once again we have Dan Calley as the narrator and he just doesn't bring anything to the story. I loved this when I read it and it was fine as an audiobook but it wasn't as dynamic. I'm going to start a petition to get Joel Leslie to start narrating Charlie Novak's audiobooks again. Just kidding I'm probably not because I have ADHD and I'm going to forget about it but anyway.
December 8, 2024
No drama, just love, fluff, steam, and lots of chocolate!
November 29, 2023
RECENSIONE A CURA DI ELYXYZ
Siete in cerca di una deliziosa storia natalizia? Ecco qui quello che fa per voi!
Non conoscevo quest’autrice, ma il suo stile si è rivelato piacevole e coinvolgente, una perfetta coccola natalizia con la giusta dose di spicy e cioccolato per farci sognare.
Luca è un cioccolatiere di origini italiane che vive in Francia e ama il suo lavoro alla follia, anche se ha ritmi difficili e responsabilità non indifferenti.
Max è un inglese che lavora nel settore bancario, è abituato a cose belle e costose e si permette un tenore di vita alto, ma è al contempo una persona dolce e semplice, d’animo buono e generoso.
Assieme al fratello e al suo migliore amico si concede una vacanza in Francia per sciare prima di Natale, ma Max non sa che incontrerà l’amore nel cioccolatiere Luca.
Il primo incontro non è affatto dei migliori, ma la voglia di scusarsi e un’offerta un po’ particolare li farà unire giorno dopo giorno, in una settimana che vale una vita intera.
Continua sul nostro blog!
Siete in cerca di una deliziosa storia natalizia? Ecco qui quello che fa per voi!
Non conoscevo quest’autrice, ma il suo stile si è rivelato piacevole e coinvolgente, una perfetta coccola natalizia con la giusta dose di spicy e cioccolato per farci sognare.
Luca è un cioccolatiere di origini italiane che vive in Francia e ama il suo lavoro alla follia, anche se ha ritmi difficili e responsabilità non indifferenti.
Max è un inglese che lavora nel settore bancario, è abituato a cose belle e costose e si permette un tenore di vita alto, ma è al contempo una persona dolce e semplice, d’animo buono e generoso.
Assieme al fratello e al suo migliore amico si concede una vacanza in Francia per sciare prima di Natale, ma Max non sa che incontrerà l’amore nel cioccolatiere Luca.
Il primo incontro non è affatto dei migliori, ma la voglia di scusarsi e un’offerta un po’ particolare li farà unire giorno dopo giorno, in una settimana che vale una vita intera.
Continua sul nostro blog!
July 7, 2025
That was cute :). Not sure I've read anything by Charlie Novak before, but I enjoyed Up to Snow Good. There's some nice scenes with the brother and fun descriptions of the French Alps. There's a bit too much s*x for me, but that's why I love audiobooks (yay x2 speed).
The audio version of Up to Snow Good is nicely performed by Dan Calley.
The audio version of Up to Snow Good is nicely performed by Dan Calley.
December 7, 2022
Up to Snow Good is a standalone but also follows Snow Way in Hell. It’s an instalove, instant attraction story that hooked me and didn’t let me go until the end, left me smiling!
November 24, 2022
For his brother and his fiance (who happens to be Max's best friend), Max takes it upon himself to plan the perfect anniversary getaway just before Christmas. He knows that the couple does not want anything over the top, but he's determined to make it an anniversary to remember thanks to the local culture. He ventures to a chocolaterie to find the perfect gift for his sweets-loving best friend.
But when he gets there, he doesn't get off on the right foot with Luca, the chocolatier. Max has a hard time recognizing his privilege, so he presses too much when Luca tells him no. But, he's determined to make amends with the cute chocolatier, and Luca realizes that Max isn't that bad of a person. As they start spending more time together, Luca finds himself ultimately drawn to Max, but they both know their time together is short.
It took me a bit to get into this one, but I really enjoyed it! I read that it was low on angst right before I started it, and I was not sure how I felt about that. I like some angst in my romance books, but it was actually really nice reading this one with very low angst. It had enough intrigue and angst to keep me reading, but not enough that it stressed me out. Max and Luca were great MCs, and it was nice reading from the perspective of characters in their late 20s and early 30s instead of college aged. This was my first book by Charlie Novak, and I am excited to read more of her work!
But when he gets there, he doesn't get off on the right foot with Luca, the chocolatier. Max has a hard time recognizing his privilege, so he presses too much when Luca tells him no. But, he's determined to make amends with the cute chocolatier, and Luca realizes that Max isn't that bad of a person. As they start spending more time together, Luca finds himself ultimately drawn to Max, but they both know their time together is short.
It took me a bit to get into this one, but I really enjoyed it! I read that it was low on angst right before I started it, and I was not sure how I felt about that. I like some angst in my romance books, but it was actually really nice reading this one with very low angst. It had enough intrigue and angst to keep me reading, but not enough that it stressed me out. Max and Luca were great MCs, and it was nice reading from the perspective of characters in their late 20s and early 30s instead of college aged. This was my first book by Charlie Novak, and I am excited to read more of her work!
January 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Definitely cute! I think I just found myself wishing for a little more substance. I really did love the relationship between Luca and Max but it all felt a little to easy for me - if you are in the mood for something holiday themed with spice and zero risk then I’d recommend.
Definitely cute! I think I just found myself wishing for a little more substance. I really did love the relationship between Luca and Max but it all felt a little to easy for me - if you are in the mood for something holiday themed with spice and zero risk then I’d recommend.
November 25, 2025
Er wordt hier serieus in 1 zin gesproken over een pijpbeurt en Oorlog en Vrede. Dat gaan we dus echt niet doen.
Dnf @32 %
Dnf @32 %
December 21, 2023
3,5 ⭐️
RECENSIONE:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1FS3yPs8...
RECENSIONE:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1FS3yPs8...
December 16, 2024
This was good, but didn’t felt realistic for a Christmas M/M romance. Also I felt the relationship between the two men were rushed. Would kinda recommend if you want a quick read.
December 5, 2022
Cute and sweet but I don't know why it just didn't work for me. I usually like Novak's work, but in this instance the writing style wasn't my favorite. I think maybe it should've been cut down a little.
November 9, 2023
This was a decent little Christmas romance. I especially enjoyed the setting (a little Christmas village in the Alps) and the main character’s relationship with his brother and his brother’s boyfriend. A quick, satisfying read to kick off my Christmas reads this season.
December 18, 2024
Up To Snow Good wasn’t a book I planned on reading this month. But I had some extra time and I’m so glad I did because this was by far my favorite Christmas read this year. Max is so fun and caring and kind. He’s definitely misunderstood. Then he meets Luca he’s a bit of an ass, too. Luca is stressed and working hard to make ends meet. He’s also kind and when Max and Luca start to spend more time together, it’s clear they’re too damn cute together. I love them together. I loved their dynamic and their cute little dates. Oof, and the sexy time? Yes yes yes. And then the epilogue?! Gah, it was just too perfect. I loved it all. This is one of those Christmas stories I definitely plan on reading each year.
December 7, 2022
❄️Mini Review❄️
“I can’t believe I fell in love with a man who wears Christmas jumpers.”
I can always count on Charlie Novak for a sweet and spicy love story!! ❤️
Up To Snow Good is a quick, fun, and sexy holiday read that is perfect to add to your December TBR. ❤️❄️
Highlights:
❄️sexy chocolatier
❄️sunshine banker
❄️insta-connection
❄️mild praise kink
❄️delicious food (seriously, this book made me hungry…in many ways)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“I can’t believe I fell in love with a man who wears Christmas jumpers.”
I can always count on Charlie Novak for a sweet and spicy love story!! ❤️
Up To Snow Good is a quick, fun, and sexy holiday read that is perfect to add to your December TBR. ❤️❄️
Highlights:
❄️sexy chocolatier
❄️sunshine banker
❄️insta-connection
❄️mild praise kink
❄️delicious food (seriously, this book made me hungry…in many ways)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
November 20, 2022
Up to Snow Good by Charlie Novak is about Max and Luca. Max is on a pre-Christmas vacation with his brother and best friend (their story can be read in Snow Way in Hell). Luca is a chocolatier with his own shop that is short staffed.
I loved their story. It was sweet, sexy, full of feels and very well written.
I loved their story. It was sweet, sexy, full of feels and very well written.
November 22, 2022
3.5 stars
January 1, 2024
Divertente, dolcissima, come il cioccolato, e meravigliosa storia natalizia con Max e Luca.🤩
💖💖💖💖
💖💖💖💖
November 21, 2025
3.5 B-
This isn't breaking any new ground, but it's an enjoyable holiday romance between a chocolatier and a Englishman on a skiing holiday. The characters were pretty well developed and the story is sweet but not too sappy. They start as a hook-up but feelings get involved.
This isn't breaking any new ground, but it's an enjoyable holiday romance between a chocolatier and a Englishman on a skiing holiday. The characters were pretty well developed and the story is sweet but not too sappy. They start as a hook-up but feelings get involved.
December 5, 2025
3.5 stars
September 1, 2024
Recensione pubblicata su Cronache di Betelgeuse
Un’incantevole cittadina nelle Alpi francesi ci porta un pizzico di dolce romanticismo. La storia ruota attorno a Max, un allegro banchiere in missione per pianificare un anniversario a sorpresa per suo fratello, e Luca, un appassionato cioccolatiere.
La trama è spensierata e divertente. Dal loro imbarazzante incontro tra i due protagonisti sboccia in una storia d’amore appassionata. Il ritmo della trama è sostenuto, rendendola una lettura veloce e piacevole. Il dialogo è naturale e spiritoso e i momenti spensierati e umoristici sono bilanciati da attimi di dolcezza. La storia ha un’ambientazione romantica, con i suoi mercatini di Natale, le montagne innevate e il delizioso cioccolato, che ci scalda il cuore ad ogni pagina.
Max è un personaggio accattivante, pieno di calore e buon umore. È un po’ goffo e impacciato, il che lo mette in contrasto con il comportamento più serio di Luca. Max si fa subito riconoscere per una serie di decisioni impulsive, ma la sua determinazione nel creare una memorabile celebrazione dell’anniversario per suo fratello mette in mostra la sua generosità. Il suo arco narrativo implica lasciarsi andare all’inaspettato e aver fiducia nella possibilità dell’amore.
Luca è un cioccolatiere appassionato e dedicato, inizialmente un po’ burbero e facilmente irritabile a causa dello stress delle festività natalizie. Tuttavia, sotto questa facciata si nasconde un cuore gentile e premuroso.
Max e Luca hanno personalità molto diverse. Le loro interazioni, almeno all’inizio, sono tese poiché Luca è frustrato dalle continue richieste di Max. Solo trovando un terreno comune riusciranno finalmente a parlarsi e a scoprire i loro sentimenti.
In fondo bisogna rischiare con l’amore come fanno i due protagonisti, anche quando le circostanze sembrano tutt’altro che ideali.
Un’incantevole cittadina nelle Alpi francesi ci porta un pizzico di dolce romanticismo. La storia ruota attorno a Max, un allegro banchiere in missione per pianificare un anniversario a sorpresa per suo fratello, e Luca, un appassionato cioccolatiere.
La trama è spensierata e divertente. Dal loro imbarazzante incontro tra i due protagonisti sboccia in una storia d’amore appassionata. Il ritmo della trama è sostenuto, rendendola una lettura veloce e piacevole. Il dialogo è naturale e spiritoso e i momenti spensierati e umoristici sono bilanciati da attimi di dolcezza. La storia ha un’ambientazione romantica, con i suoi mercatini di Natale, le montagne innevate e il delizioso cioccolato, che ci scalda il cuore ad ogni pagina.
Max è un personaggio accattivante, pieno di calore e buon umore. È un po’ goffo e impacciato, il che lo mette in contrasto con il comportamento più serio di Luca. Max si fa subito riconoscere per una serie di decisioni impulsive, ma la sua determinazione nel creare una memorabile celebrazione dell’anniversario per suo fratello mette in mostra la sua generosità. Il suo arco narrativo implica lasciarsi andare all’inaspettato e aver fiducia nella possibilità dell’amore.
Luca è un cioccolatiere appassionato e dedicato, inizialmente un po’ burbero e facilmente irritabile a causa dello stress delle festività natalizie. Tuttavia, sotto questa facciata si nasconde un cuore gentile e premuroso.
Max e Luca hanno personalità molto diverse. Le loro interazioni, almeno all’inizio, sono tese poiché Luca è frustrato dalle continue richieste di Max. Solo trovando un terreno comune riusciranno finalmente a parlarsi e a scoprire i loro sentimenti.
In fondo bisogna rischiare con l’amore come fanno i due protagonisti, anche quando le circostanze sembrano tutt’altro che ideali.
December 26, 2022
Don't judge a book by its cover. But when it comes to romance novels the rule of thumb is: a cute drawn cover has little to no sex scenes, a photographic cover has some sex scenes. This book however is the exception to that rule. Contrary to its cutesy cover is the most sex packed book I've ever came across. Nothing wrong with this, and it's not even unrealistic like that. It's just not what I expected.
I really liked the story in the beginning. The French alps, Christmas time, a London banker and a local chocolatier, one is frustrated from his job, the other short staffed, both are lonely, a match made in heaven. But soon the cute romantic plot fades into obscurity because of all the sex. Usually in romance novels the romance and drama is the main plot and the sex is just the bonus, fan service for a certain group of readers. So if you skip the sex you still have a good and complete story. Here it is just the other way around. If you skip the sex scenes there's no so much left.
There's also a huge discrepancy between the way the characters are depicted from the outside and the way they actually are in the inside. Max is described as impulsive but in his first-person-POV chapters he is more like an overthinker. This adds to the sex-scenes-overshadowing-everything-else misery, because the rough dom/sub sex comes out of left field. It's all a little bit odd.
I liked the premise of the book. It's a typical Christmas story. I just wish it was more like what you would expect from a cutesy drawn cover like that. I did enjoy it though. I especially liked the European setting in the French alps with an Englishman and an Italian as main protagonists.
I really liked the story in the beginning. The French alps, Christmas time, a London banker and a local chocolatier, one is frustrated from his job, the other short staffed, both are lonely, a match made in heaven. But soon the cute romantic plot fades into obscurity because of all the sex. Usually in romance novels the romance and drama is the main plot and the sex is just the bonus, fan service for a certain group of readers. So if you skip the sex you still have a good and complete story. Here it is just the other way around. If you skip the sex scenes there's no so much left.
There's also a huge discrepancy between the way the characters are depicted from the outside and the way they actually are in the inside. Max is described as impulsive but in his first-person-POV chapters he is more like an overthinker. This adds to the sex-scenes-overshadowing-everything-else misery, because the rough dom/sub sex comes out of left field. It's all a little bit odd.
I liked the premise of the book. It's a typical Christmas story. I just wish it was more like what you would expect from a cutesy drawn cover like that. I did enjoy it though. I especially liked the European setting in the French alps with an Englishman and an Italian as main protagonists.
January 15, 2023
**2.5 Stars**
Gah!!! I'm in the minority again and dammit I seem to be on a roll of picking books that, in my opinion, have more sex than story. This one surprised me it turned out to be not at all what I was expecting. The cover is absolutely adorable, the blurb also made me think it would be a really sweet story. It turned out to be a lot of sex with very little happening outside the bedroom between these two. There were a few paragraphs here and there that gave a hint as to how sweet this story could be but there weren't enough of them for me.
This is totally on me.
QUICK THOUGHTS
** Holiday/Christmas
** Sunny Banker/all work Chocolatier
** One night turns to more
** Insta lust/Love not long after
** A lot of sex
** Very mild kink
** Glimpses of a sweet story
** Low angst/high heat
** Likeable MCs... Max & Luca
** Sadly couldn't really connect to the MCs or their story
** Satisfying enough ending
** Haven't read the previous book Snow Way in Hell
** Can definitely be read as a stand alone
Gah!!! I'm in the minority again and dammit I seem to be on a roll of picking books that, in my opinion, have more sex than story. This one surprised me it turned out to be not at all what I was expecting. The cover is absolutely adorable, the blurb also made me think it would be a really sweet story. It turned out to be a lot of sex with very little happening outside the bedroom between these two. There were a few paragraphs here and there that gave a hint as to how sweet this story could be but there weren't enough of them for me.
This is totally on me.
QUICK THOUGHTS
** Holiday/Christmas
** Sunny Banker/all work Chocolatier
** One night turns to more
** Insta lust/Love not long after
** A lot of sex
** Very mild kink
** Glimpses of a sweet story
** Low angst/high heat
** Likeable MCs... Max & Luca
** Sadly couldn't really connect to the MCs or their story
** Satisfying enough ending
** Haven't read the previous book Snow Way in Hell
** Can definitely be read as a stand alone
November 7, 2023
I don't care it's 80 degrees, it's Christmas reading time!
On holiday planning, Max decides to plan a dinner for best friend and his fiance's anniversary. He stumbles upon a chocolate shop where he meets Luca and makes an ass of himself. He later meets Luca again his apology leads to the two hitting it off. Max starts helping Luca out at his chocolate shop and the two can't keep themselves from falling for each other.
The Good
I really liked the setting, there's something about a ski trip and a chocolate that screams hallmark and holiday romance. This book was spicier than I would predict from the cover. Max and Luca had great chemistry that I didn't expect and I really liked them together. This story was quite short but very sweet!
Tropes:
— Holiday Romance
— Rich man x Poor man
— Low/no angst romance
Horn Level: 4/5🌶️
Format: Audiobook
The Rating
I give this book a 3/5🌟 rating. This was short, sweet, and steamy! So delightful!
Check out my socials here for more reviews!
On holiday planning, Max decides to plan a dinner for best friend and his fiance's anniversary. He stumbles upon a chocolate shop where he meets Luca and makes an ass of himself. He later meets Luca again his apology leads to the two hitting it off. Max starts helping Luca out at his chocolate shop and the two can't keep themselves from falling for each other.
The Good
I really liked the setting, there's something about a ski trip and a chocolate that screams hallmark and holiday romance. This book was spicier than I would predict from the cover. Max and Luca had great chemistry that I didn't expect and I really liked them together. This story was quite short but very sweet!
Tropes:
— Holiday Romance
— Rich man x Poor man
— Low/no angst romance
Horn Level: 4/5🌶️
Format: Audiobook
The Rating
I give this book a 3/5🌟 rating. This was short, sweet, and steamy! So delightful!
Check out my socials here for more reviews!
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