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Hartbridge Christmas #5
Deck the Fire Halls
Doctor Robinson O’Reilly is burned out. Exhausted, jaded, and disillusioned with the bureaucracy of his profession, he’s ready to throw away his entire career. Convinced to take a part-time position in a small town instead, he packs his medical bag for Hartbridge, Montana.
Who knows, maybe the change of pace and mountain air will do him good.
Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva moved to Hartbridge two years ago. He loves the town, the people, his job. What he doesn’t like is the lack of queer men. Well, the lack of available queer men. There are a few queer couples in town whom Soren can only look at with envy.
He wants what they have.
There’s a new doctor in town; not Soren’s usual type, but there’s something about him that Soren can’t ignore. A friendship sparks between them and Soren can’t help but wonder if that Hartbridge Christmas magic the others joke about is real.
Because a spark leads to flames, and this is not a fire Soren wants to extinguish.
Who knows, maybe the change of pace and mountain air will do him good.
Firefighter Captain Soren De Silva moved to Hartbridge two years ago. He loves the town, the people, his job. What he doesn’t like is the lack of queer men. Well, the lack of available queer men. There are a few queer couples in town whom Soren can only look at with envy.
He wants what they have.
There’s a new doctor in town; not Soren’s usual type, but there’s something about him that Soren can’t ignore. A friendship sparks between them and Soren can’t help but wonder if that Hartbridge Christmas magic the others joke about is real.
Because a spark leads to flames, and this is not a fire Soren wants to extinguish.
Audiobook
First published November 22, 2024
308 people are currently reading
440 people want to read
About the author
N.R. Walker
133 books5,271 followersAuthor also writes as A. Voyeur
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
November 27, 2024
What a boring book: mundane, no real plot, with the previous MCs butting into every scene.
Rob, an ER doc, has a serious case of burnout. He moves to Hartbridge to escape the grind of big city life and immediately meets Soren, a sexy fire fighter who lives next door and drives a very loud Harley.
That's it. That's the story.
Hamish (MC from book 1) is loud and obnoxious and more involved in playing matchmaker than any adult has a right to be. It's weirdly obsessive and not amusing.
Soren constantly discusses sex with his coworkers (which is actually considered sexual harassment in America, but whatever).
Tired social media memes are recycled (teenager: "You don't get it because you were born in the nineteen hundreds" hahaha).
Rob has a pair of flamingo Pride pajamas, which become a running inside joke - cute the first couple times, not so much the nth time they're mentioned.
Rob's assistant, Katie, has Down syndrome, and everyone treats her with kid gloves. Soren is besotted because Rob is nice to Katie, like you're some kind of hero if you treat a differently abled person like an actual human being. So fucking patronizing.
The MCs decorate a tree and have sex. They have nothing in common and no chemistry (imo anyway). It's like Rob could have been any new queer man in town because Soren is desperate for a boyfriend (he hit on the school teacher, but the deputy beat him to it).
Rob, who must have seen hundreds of serious injuries and deaths caused by motorcycles, casually shrugs and rides bitch on Soren's Harley because you only live once, amirite? (I'm sure there's an ER doc somewhere who rides motorcycles, but Rob is portrayed as careful and fussy, so this felt entirely unbelievable.)
Feel free to ignore my grumpy ass, but I can't bring myself to give this book another star.
Rob, an ER doc, has a serious case of burnout. He moves to Hartbridge to escape the grind of big city life and immediately meets Soren, a sexy fire fighter who lives next door and drives a very loud Harley.
That's it. That's the story.
Hamish (MC from book 1) is loud and obnoxious and more involved in playing matchmaker than any adult has a right to be. It's weirdly obsessive and not amusing.
Soren constantly discusses sex with his coworkers (which is actually considered sexual harassment in America, but whatever).
Tired social media memes are recycled (teenager: "You don't get it because you were born in the nineteen hundreds" hahaha).
Rob has a pair of flamingo Pride pajamas, which become a running inside joke - cute the first couple times, not so much the nth time they're mentioned.
Rob's assistant, Katie, has Down syndrome, and everyone treats her with kid gloves. Soren is besotted because Rob is nice to Katie, like you're some kind of hero if you treat a differently abled person like an actual human being. So fucking patronizing.
The MCs decorate a tree and have sex. They have nothing in common and no chemistry (imo anyway). It's like Rob could have been any new queer man in town because Soren is desperate for a boyfriend (he hit on the school teacher, but the deputy beat him to it).
Rob, who must have seen hundreds of serious injuries and deaths caused by motorcycles, casually shrugs and rides bitch on Soren's Harley because you only live once, amirite? (I'm sure there's an ER doc somewhere who rides motorcycles, but Rob is portrayed as careful and fussy, so this felt entirely unbelievable.)
Feel free to ignore my grumpy ass, but I can't bring myself to give this book another star.
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December 12, 2024
Deck the Fire Halls is the fifth book in the Hartbridge Christmas series by N.R. Walker. N.R. Walker is one of my go to authors for heartwarming, low angst romance and she did not disappoint with this book. I’ve loved the previous books in the series although you don’t have to read them before this one. But if you haven’t, I think once you meet some of the characters, you won’t be able to help yourself and go back to read their stories.
Dr. Robinson “Rob” O’Reilly has had enough. He is thirty six years old. He’s burned out with all the bureaucracy of the medical profession in the big city. He’s exhausted, often working ninety hour weeks. He’s ready to walk away. But his friend convinces him to try one more thing first. He sells his apartment and moves to the small town of Hartbridge, Montana to be a small town doctor.
Captain Soren De Silva (I love his name) is a firefighter and has been living in Hartbridge for two years. Soren is twenty eight years old. He’s good friends with the other gay couples in town and looks at their relationships longingly. He wants that for himself, someone to love and be loved by, to share his life with.
These two had a bit if a meet cute. And that instant attraction was there! Soren is the wear his heart on his sleeve type. Rob is the cutest blusher. But of the two, he was a little more cautious. He’s just starting a brand new life and doesn’t even know if he’ll like small town life. But what they felt for each other couldn’t be denied.
I felt so bad for Rob and all he’d been through. I loved experiencing the beauty of Hartbridge through his eyes. And Soren couldn’t have been more perfect for him. He was so patient. He was determined that he would do this right, not rush things, woo Rob. Because he was in this for the long haul!
“If perfect for me was a person, I was beginning to think it was Robinson O’Reilly.”
This whole book was pretty much angst free and full of so much swoon. I loved getting glimpses of the other characters from the previous books. Hamish was so funny. I loved watching Rob find his place, and find his person. What a wonderful Christmas romance. I’ll never get tired of this series. I hope the books keep coming, year after year.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Dr. Robinson “Rob” O’Reilly has had enough. He is thirty six years old. He’s burned out with all the bureaucracy of the medical profession in the big city. He’s exhausted, often working ninety hour weeks. He’s ready to walk away. But his friend convinces him to try one more thing first. He sells his apartment and moves to the small town of Hartbridge, Montana to be a small town doctor.
Captain Soren De Silva (I love his name) is a firefighter and has been living in Hartbridge for two years. Soren is twenty eight years old. He’s good friends with the other gay couples in town and looks at their relationships longingly. He wants that for himself, someone to love and be loved by, to share his life with.
These two had a bit if a meet cute. And that instant attraction was there! Soren is the wear his heart on his sleeve type. Rob is the cutest blusher. But of the two, he was a little more cautious. He’s just starting a brand new life and doesn’t even know if he’ll like small town life. But what they felt for each other couldn’t be denied.
I felt so bad for Rob and all he’d been through. I loved experiencing the beauty of Hartbridge through his eyes. And Soren couldn’t have been more perfect for him. He was so patient. He was determined that he would do this right, not rush things, woo Rob. Because he was in this for the long haul!
“If perfect for me was a person, I was beginning to think it was Robinson O’Reilly.”
This whole book was pretty much angst free and full of so much swoon. I loved getting glimpses of the other characters from the previous books. Hamish was so funny. I loved watching Rob find his place, and find his person. What a wonderful Christmas romance. I’ll never get tired of this series. I hope the books keep coming, year after year.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
December 21, 2024
So wholesome it made my teeth ache.
I’ve read good books by N.R. Walker. I’ve read bad ones. I’ve read ok ones. But damn if I know how to rate this one.
I got the audio because of her Christmas deal (50% off), and I thought I can’t go wrong listening to a Christmas romance by her while pottering around with my Christmas decorations. And while the narration by Glen Lloyd was ok, the content made me roll my eyes so hard at times that I started to grow afraid they might remain stuck.
And don’t get me started about the repetitive vocabulary 🙄 80 times “hot”. 79 times “great”. 42 mentions of “chest” or “chest hair”. And 238 smiles, mostly bright, sometimes shy, or even obscene.
And the characters.
I mean. I live in a small town. I get the appeal. But EVERYONE is so cheerful, understanding, funny and forthcoming. There’s only one slightly grumpier side character, but even he has a heart of gold under a grumpy exterior.
And the gay community, all characters from past books. They keep popping up, joking and teasing and being… happy 🙄
One of the main characters is a fire fighter, named Soren, with a Harley named Harley (I wish I was joking), but ofc he drives safely. His house is tidy, Christmas decorations in place. And the other one, Rob, is a doctor from Seattle, 36yo but behaving either like 15 or in the next scene like 50. Soren is so incredibly patient and understanding with him, as if he’s suffering from PTSD and needs to be handled with care.
Uh. The Hartbridge series isn’t for me. I dnfed at around 60%, I just didn’t care any more.
2,5 stars rounded down because the wasted potential makes me mad.
I’ve read good books by N.R. Walker. I’ve read bad ones. I’ve read ok ones. But damn if I know how to rate this one.
I got the audio because of her Christmas deal (50% off), and I thought I can’t go wrong listening to a Christmas romance by her while pottering around with my Christmas decorations. And while the narration by Glen Lloyd was ok, the content made me roll my eyes so hard at times that I started to grow afraid they might remain stuck.
And don’t get me started about the repetitive vocabulary 🙄 80 times “hot”. 79 times “great”. 42 mentions of “chest” or “chest hair”. And 238 smiles, mostly bright, sometimes shy, or even obscene.
And the characters.
I mean. I live in a small town. I get the appeal. But EVERYONE is so cheerful, understanding, funny and forthcoming. There’s only one slightly grumpier side character, but even he has a heart of gold under a grumpy exterior.
And the gay community, all characters from past books. They keep popping up, joking and teasing and being… happy 🙄
One of the main characters is a fire fighter, named Soren, with a Harley named Harley (I wish I was joking), but ofc he drives safely. His house is tidy, Christmas decorations in place. And the other one, Rob, is a doctor from Seattle, 36yo but behaving either like 15 or in the next scene like 50. Soren is so incredibly patient and understanding with him, as if he’s suffering from PTSD and needs to be handled with care.
Uh. The Hartbridge series isn’t for me. I dnfed at around 60%, I just didn’t care any more.
2,5 stars rounded down because the wasted potential makes me mad.
December 8, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes dazed. “I think I’ll die if you don’t.”
Although I’m starting to think christmas books just isn’t my thing, N.R. Walker strikes again with the holiday charm. This book really was super sweet and filthy hot. It’s also always refreshing to read books where the characters are intelligent, mature and good at communicating their needs and wants.
It wasn’t the most memorable book, but a good time was had, and Glen Lloyd did well with the audiobook as per usual.
Side note: the scenes I remember most of are the sex scenes, which never happens. First-time prostate orgasm that leaves the MC a shaking and twitching mess after? More, please.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Firefighter MC
Small town
Holiday romance
Doctor MC
Canadian x American
Vocal in bed
Dominant top
Dirty talk
Pulling hair
Prostate orgasm
Found family
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mentions of fighting fires
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of death of parent (past, cancer)
SCs house burns down
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 36 and 28
Series: Interconnected series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 288
Happy ending: Yes
I wanted someone to hang out with, to cook with, to cuddle on the couch with. Sure, intimacy and sex would be awesome, but honestly, the intimacy of doing everyday things together, of sharing my life with someone, that was what I wanted.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes dazed. “I think I’ll die if you don’t.”
Although I’m starting to think christmas books just isn’t my thing, N.R. Walker strikes again with the holiday charm. This book really was super sweet and filthy hot. It’s also always refreshing to read books where the characters are intelligent, mature and good at communicating their needs and wants.
It wasn’t the most memorable book, but a good time was had, and Glen Lloyd did well with the audiobook as per usual.
Side note: the scenes I remember most of are the sex scenes, which never happens. First-time prostate orgasm that leaves the MC a shaking and twitching mess after? More, please.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Firefighter MC
Small town
Holiday romance
Doctor MC
Canadian x American
Vocal in bed
Dominant top
Dirty talk
Pulling hair
Prostate orgasm
Found family
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Mentions of fighting fires
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of death of parent (past, cancer)
SCs house burns down
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 36 and 28
Series: Interconnected series
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 288
Happy ending: Yes
I wanted someone to hang out with, to cook with, to cuddle on the couch with. Sure, intimacy and sex would be awesome, but honestly, the intimacy of doing everyday things together, of sharing my life with someone, that was what I wanted.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
December 16, 2024
Very lovely very Christmassy 🎄
December 28, 2024
So, I guess the Christmas Cupid is real.
There is no big drama in this story at all. Just two people, the firefighter Soren and the town’s newbie, Dr. Rob falling for each other. It was just a sweet love story that takes place in the magical town of Hartbrige.
I loved being back in Hartbridge and catching up with the gang, especially Hamish, who still makes me laugh. If you are looking for a sweet Christmas love story, I highly recommend this series.
There is no big drama in this story at all. Just two people, the firefighter Soren and the town’s newbie, Dr. Rob falling for each other. It was just a sweet love story that takes place in the magical town of Hartbrige.
I loved being back in Hartbridge and catching up with the gang, especially Hamish, who still makes me laugh. If you are looking for a sweet Christmas love story, I highly recommend this series.
December 12, 2024
I hate to say it, but this book was boring. There was no plot, and the dialogue was extremely repetitive (we get it, they both think the other is hot). While I felt the sexual tension at the start, it all fizzled rather quickly with no real emotional moments. I started skimming about halfway through.
Read
December 1, 2024DNF at 10%
A reminder that I hate small towns and cheesiness.
A reminder that I hate small towns and cheesiness.
December 24, 2024
Definitely enjoyed this pairing because neither of them was planning on leaving after a week or so, which made it different to all the other pairings (except Gunter and Clay but they had a different conflict). It made the characters feel more like they were developing a romance than rushing something because of a time constraint too.
I loved how Soren was so enthusiastic and ready to go full steam ahead, but was also trying to be super respectful as well. Rob was an interesting character and I kind of wish we'd gotten to see more of him decompressing and realising that the life he had been living previously wasn't healthy or good for him in any way. This kind of scratched the surface, but I would have liked a longer time period I guess!
Soren was really cute with his romancing of Rob though, and I loved Hamish trying to help things along in his overly invested way!
I am hoping there'll be another visit to Hartbridge next year, but I'm not sure who it would be about as no one else has really been mentioned. I just feel like it was left unfinished because I need to know more about all of these guys 😂
I loved how Soren was so enthusiastic and ready to go full steam ahead, but was also trying to be super respectful as well. Rob was an interesting character and I kind of wish we'd gotten to see more of him decompressing and realising that the life he had been living previously wasn't healthy or good for him in any way. This kind of scratched the surface, but I would have liked a longer time period I guess!
Soren was really cute with his romancing of Rob though, and I loved Hamish trying to help things along in his overly invested way!
I am hoping there'll be another visit to Hartbridge next year, but I'm not sure who it would be about as no one else has really been mentioned. I just feel like it was left unfinished because I need to know more about all of these guys 😂
November 26, 2024
This was absolutely exactly what I needed right now. It’s an adorable, cozy, sweet Hallmark-Christmas-movie-type book that had me grinning the entire book and kicking my feet because it was so cute.
This is very slice of life, minimal plot, and zero angst. Rob and Soren have chemistry out the wazoo and I loved how they communicated and spent time together.
Best of all, there were no kids and after my last few books I’m riding that win.
This is very slice of life, minimal plot, and zero angst. Rob and Soren have chemistry out the wazoo and I loved how they communicated and spent time together.
Best of all, there were no kids and after my last few books I’m riding that win.
November 25, 2024
Better than the last two addition to this series, but only just.
This was just... boring. There was no tension, jut fluff, and everything moved crazy fast. The other couples were annoyingly present, which was particularly annoying because they all kept going on about how Christmas cupid had struck again -- that's a really fucking weird thing to be telling a guy you just met about how the *other* dude he just met is definitely his soul mate. The characters here weren't particularly interesting, and honestly this just wasn't worth the read.
This was just... boring. There was no tension, jut fluff, and everything moved crazy fast. The other couples were annoyingly present, which was particularly annoying because they all kept going on about how Christmas cupid had struck again -- that's a really fucking weird thing to be telling a guy you just met about how the *other* dude he just met is definitely his soul mate. The characters here weren't particularly interesting, and honestly this just wasn't worth the read.
December 3, 2024
Hartbridge sweetness.
This one fell short of the first four books in the Hartbridge Christmas series, in my opinion. The characters were great, the writing was excellent. NR Walker is one of my favorite authors. The problem was that there was almost no plot. There was insta-lust. There was insta-love. There was Hartbridge Christmas magic. But there really wasn’t much plot to get the two characters together other than the fact that they constantly thought about how hot they each thought the other was. It was almost like a Hallmark porno 🤭😅😂 anyway… 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Jayden is still my favorite Hartbridge character.
This one fell short of the first four books in the Hartbridge Christmas series, in my opinion. The characters were great, the writing was excellent. NR Walker is one of my favorite authors. The problem was that there was almost no plot. There was insta-lust. There was insta-love. There was Hartbridge Christmas magic. But there really wasn’t much plot to get the two characters together other than the fact that they constantly thought about how hot they each thought the other was. It was almost like a Hallmark porno 🤭😅😂 anyway… 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Jayden is still my favorite Hartbridge character.
December 12, 2024
I liked this. A bit too insta but that's the charm of Hartbridge at Christmas. There's no angst here, and very little in the way of a forward plot, but I liked these guys a lot. Sometimes, just because you're desperate (Soren) and very out of practice (Rob), it doesn't mean you're just falling for the first guy to show up, which is what a lot of reviewers are suggesting here.
The previous cast members in the series show up a good bit, especially Hamish, who is really annoying here and obnoxious. I get the sense that there is a community here and how important it is to Rob to learn about other queer couples as he makes his new home in their small town. Nevertheless, Hamish really comes off as a prissy drama queen and ain't nobody got time for that.
Easy read.
The previous cast members in the series show up a good bit, especially Hamish, who is really annoying here and obnoxious. I get the sense that there is a community here and how important it is to Rob to learn about other queer couples as he makes his new home in their small town. Nevertheless, Hamish really comes off as a prissy drama queen and ain't nobody got time for that.
Easy read.
November 28, 2024
Was there a plot in here? The narrative was more like scenes with tropes. The burned out, big city doctor moves in next door to extremely attractive and younger firefighter. It’s a small town where everyone knows each other.
The firefighter wants to be in love and it seems like he was just waiting for a new gay man to show up. He throws himself at the doctor who is standoffish and awkward because he is burned out, which is mentioned often.
There is a core group of gay couples who I didn’t remember from previous books. They are an attentive and vocal audience to this new couple. Supposedly, every Christmas in the town there will be a new couple getting together in true love.
There wasn’t much emotion or depth to the book to draw me in. I didn’t finish it.
The firefighter wants to be in love and it seems like he was just waiting for a new gay man to show up. He throws himself at the doctor who is standoffish and awkward because he is burned out, which is mentioned often.
There is a core group of gay couples who I didn’t remember from previous books. They are an attentive and vocal audience to this new couple. Supposedly, every Christmas in the town there will be a new couple getting together in true love.
There wasn’t much emotion or depth to the book to draw me in. I didn’t finish it.
November 27, 2024
A very adorable, homey, beautiful addition to this festive series.
November 29, 2024
I was excited when I found out that Captain Da Silva got his own story.
But then, it was like, where's the actual story except a bunch of sexual innuendos, a non-stop admiring how sexy Rob/Soren is, like aaaallllll the time. It was cute in the beginning, but it got boring fast.
The real plot was the one probably everyone's prediction, a fire. Of course,
This series is a hit and miss for me.
So probably, hopefully, next year if there's another Hartbridge story, is going to be a hit.
But then, it was like, where's the actual story except a bunch of sexual innuendos, a non-stop admiring how sexy Rob/Soren is, like aaaallllll the time. It was cute in the beginning, but it got boring fast.
The real plot was the one probably everyone's prediction, a fire. Of course,
This series is a hit and miss for me.
So probably, hopefully, next year if there's another Hartbridge story, is going to be a hit.
November 22, 2024
Heartbringe Christmas stories are what brought me to NR Walker as an author, so they will always have a magical place in my heart. I look forward to each installment to see what the Christmas Cupid is up to this season, and wow, does this one not disappoint.
Dr. Robinson O'Reilly moves to Heartbringe to decompress from overwork and just live a relaxed life for once. Soren, a local firefighter captain, barrels in Robs life and doesn't let go. They build a foundation for a beautiful friendship that leads to them giving each other a chance. The chemistry is off the charts and undeniable, and when they let it out, just wow. They build an everlasting friendship that alone will make your heart melt, and as they join our previous couples, you can't help but see they fit perfectly in this beautiful group. Loved seeing our past couples get up to their mischief and striving in their small hometown life.
Dr. Robinson O'Reilly moves to Heartbringe to decompress from overwork and just live a relaxed life for once. Soren, a local firefighter captain, barrels in Robs life and doesn't let go. They build a foundation for a beautiful friendship that leads to them giving each other a chance. The chemistry is off the charts and undeniable, and when they let it out, just wow. They build an everlasting friendship that alone will make your heart melt, and as they join our previous couples, you can't help but see they fit perfectly in this beautiful group. Loved seeing our past couples get up to their mischief and striving in their small hometown life.
December 8, 2024
Cute, sappy sweet instalove. This is your angst free peppermint mocha holiday novel special. For me it was exactly what I wanted to be reading.
Avoid if cheesy scenes, prior book MCs, and OTT small town perfection would be annoying to you in any way. 😂
Avoid if cheesy scenes, prior book MCs, and OTT small town perfection would be annoying to you in any way. 😂
April 1, 2025
There’s a new doctor in town; not Soren’s usual type, but there’s something about him that Soren just can’t ignore. A friendship sparks between them and Soren can’t help but wonder if that Hartbridge Christmas magic that some others joke about, maybe really is real. The small spark leads to larger flames, and this is certainly not a fire Soren wants to extinguish.
Rob is the town's new doctor who is recovering from a bad case of "too much work and not enough play". Burn-out has left him with very little opportunity for any kind of life away from his job. It’s become so bad that he was considering just walking away from medicine all together. Then a good friend suggests that he move to the small town of Hartbridge, Montana, and work there as a general practitioner. He could probably even set his own hours...have some complete days off...maybe even get a dog. It sounded like something that would be so-o-o perfect without him having to leave the occupation that he loves.
Hartbridge, Montana is one of those picture-perfect small towns where everyone is incredibly friendly. Rob meets his next-door neighbor, Soren, who happens to be a muscular, sexy firefighter. Even though the last thing Rob wants is to jump into a relationship so soon, he thinks that he really wouldn’t mind jumping Soren!
Soren has never been attracted to an older man before, even a slightly older one...but Rob drives him crazy. He has lived in this little town for two years and really loves that there is an actual gay community, but there has not thus far, been anyone for him...that is until now...until Rob’s arrival.
The more time Rob spends getting to know the town, the more he falls in love with it. There's something, or rather someone else that he's falling in love with also. The sparks of attraction are hot enough to set the whole town up flames. While each of them has said that they want to take things slow to see if it's something real, see if it will develop, it’s becoming impossible to resist simply giving in. You know that they can't and won't do anything else. Get the fire extinguishers ready!
I love the setting of this series and all of its lovely, zany characters that call this small western town, home. The banter is sometimes loud, sometimes silly, and often times just plain funny. Their circle of friends are people you would like to know, and... for lack of a better description, entirely, "something else". This is a steamy story but it’s also a "happy ever after", romantic one.... but then, it IS, N.R. Walker.
Rob is the town's new doctor who is recovering from a bad case of "too much work and not enough play". Burn-out has left him with very little opportunity for any kind of life away from his job. It’s become so bad that he was considering just walking away from medicine all together. Then a good friend suggests that he move to the small town of Hartbridge, Montana, and work there as a general practitioner. He could probably even set his own hours...have some complete days off...maybe even get a dog. It sounded like something that would be so-o-o perfect without him having to leave the occupation that he loves.
Hartbridge, Montana is one of those picture-perfect small towns where everyone is incredibly friendly. Rob meets his next-door neighbor, Soren, who happens to be a muscular, sexy firefighter. Even though the last thing Rob wants is to jump into a relationship so soon, he thinks that he really wouldn’t mind jumping Soren!
Soren has never been attracted to an older man before, even a slightly older one...but Rob drives him crazy. He has lived in this little town for two years and really loves that there is an actual gay community, but there has not thus far, been anyone for him...that is until now...until Rob’s arrival.
The more time Rob spends getting to know the town, the more he falls in love with it. There's something, or rather someone else that he's falling in love with also. The sparks of attraction are hot enough to set the whole town up flames. While each of them has said that they want to take things slow to see if it's something real, see if it will develop, it’s becoming impossible to resist simply giving in. You know that they can't and won't do anything else. Get the fire extinguishers ready!
I love the setting of this series and all of its lovely, zany characters that call this small western town, home. The banter is sometimes loud, sometimes silly, and often times just plain funny. Their circle of friends are people you would like to know, and... for lack of a better description, entirely, "something else". This is a steamy story but it’s also a "happy ever after", romantic one.... but then, it IS, N.R. Walker.
November 27, 2025
3.5⭐️
This one felt a bit different from the others. Neither of the characters had plans to leave, so it felt more like a normal match than the Christmas Cupid magic. I think this was a good thing because it mixed things up a bit, making it a tiny bit less predictable. However, I do feel like the way it was written made Chuck right in a way. It came across like Soren was just waiting for any gay man to come along.
I feel like that was a little bit of a disservice to Soren because he was a gorgeous character who was patient, respectful, excited, loving, and all in.
With Rob, we don’t get to learn much about him at all. The story about his burnout is repeated several times, but other than knowing he has a sister back in Seattle, we learn nothing.
There just didn’t seem to be much story compared to the others, and for the first half of the book, it felt like a lot of it was on repeat. The second half was much better, and that’s when the Hartbridge romance and group friendship all came together, and it was lovely again.
In the end, I don’t think this book got its fair chance. I think we needed more time with just those two developing their relationship because there was no conflict or time constraints; there was nothing else but sex.
Cute but it felt unfinished. Nothing in the beginning then the good part too rushed.
This one felt a bit different from the others. Neither of the characters had plans to leave, so it felt more like a normal match than the Christmas Cupid magic. I think this was a good thing because it mixed things up a bit, making it a tiny bit less predictable. However, I do feel like the way it was written made Chuck right in a way. It came across like Soren was just waiting for any gay man to come along.
I feel like that was a little bit of a disservice to Soren because he was a gorgeous character who was patient, respectful, excited, loving, and all in.
With Rob, we don’t get to learn much about him at all. The story about his burnout is repeated several times, but other than knowing he has a sister back in Seattle, we learn nothing.
There just didn’t seem to be much story compared to the others, and for the first half of the book, it felt like a lot of it was on repeat. The second half was much better, and that’s when the Hartbridge romance and group friendship all came together, and it was lovely again.
In the end, I don’t think this book got its fair chance. I think we needed more time with just those two developing their relationship because there was no conflict or time constraints; there was nothing else but sex.
Cute but it felt unfinished. Nothing in the beginning then the good part too rushed.
February 5, 2025
Cute fluff series. 😊 Sometimes an uncomplicated and easy are just what you need!
December 12, 2024
I do love a small town, cosy romance, especially at Christmas.
Still finding this series adorable.
Still finding this series adorable.
December 11, 2024
Tropes: small town, neighbors, instalove, Christmas romance
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: PTSD/burnout from being a doctor/firefighter, fire and medical emergencies
3.5 Stars
Rob is 36 and he's a doctor. He has been dedicated to his work at the expense of his personal life for years and years, and he is burned out. He worked in the ER at a very busy hospital. He was on the brink of quitting medicine, when a friend convinced him to try a different pace, and be a part-time doctor in a small town that had an opening. Rob decides to give it a year or two and at the end of November he moves. His first day there, his piece is disturbed by a noisy Harley-Davidson, his neighbor coming home. Rob confronts his neighbor about the noise and he's instantly attracted to him.
Soren is 28 and he is a fire captain. He usually doesn't do relationships because he's in a small town and there aren't a lot of single gay men. He goes out of town from time to time to hook up. The small town has a bit of a reputation for newcomers coming to town around Christmas and quickly falling in love with someone in town. Soren wouldn't mind being the Christmas Cupid's next victim. He's attracted to Rob too and they start spending time together and quickly form an attachment. They are saying I love yous within a month and basically cohabitating.
This was a decent book. The characters were mature emotionally and they communicated. They seemed like nice people and they fit each other. The side character Hamish was the best thing about the book though, he shipped them together hard and he always wanted to hear the gossip about their developing relationship. He added some nice comic relief and stole the scenes he appeared in. Chuck and Katie were also nice side characters, that added some positive vibes. I appreciated the representation in seeing Katie, a character with down syndrome, being such a capable and respected take charge kind of person! That was really representation done well.
A couple things I didn't like a book about the book... the romance was a little awkward. I didn't like the premise, that there were so few queer single folks, that they didn't have much of a choice but to fall for each other. It kind of took away the specialness when there wasn't much of a choice. When they were talking and getting to know each other, I found some of their conversation awkward, a bit dispassionate, a bit cheesy and do gooder ish. The dancing of the waltz at the fire hall was a little over the top for me, I would have just enjoyed the bringing the pizza moment without that. In a weird way, their emotions for each other were a little too tepid, too slow (I didn't feel the chemistry from the start) while at the same time being too insta-love for me (it was so fast for them to be in love and living together within a month).
Still enjoyable though, very much a Christmassy read.
Some notable moments:
"Then a very high-pitched keening sounded nearby, which I realized was Hamish. I broke the kiss and glanced over at him, slightly concerned for his well-being, Soren keeping me close with his hand now burning into my neck. Hamish had his hands to his face, doing a little skippity dance. “Now that is BDE.” But then Clay came over and dragged him away. “I want to watch,” he tried. “See ya, guys,” Clay said with a wave as he basically threw Hamish into the cab of his truck."
"Chuck looked at me and shook his head with a long sigh. “I’m happy for you, bro. I know you’ve been wanting someone of your own for a while now. I hope it works out. I really do. I mean, he brought you a pizza. A whole-ass pizza.” Then he shrugged. “If you decide he’s not as perfect as you thought, put a good word in for me.” I shoved him so hard he almost fell off his chair."
"Hamish looked at the supplies he shoved into my arms. “I thought I could guess what you were going to make, but the food-safe sealant is throwing me off. Any clues?” “No. You’ll need to be as horrified as everyone else when they open it.” “I think you mean surprised.” “No. I didn’t.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 1.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: PTSD/burnout from being a doctor/firefighter, fire and medical emergencies
3.5 Stars
Rob is 36 and he's a doctor. He has been dedicated to his work at the expense of his personal life for years and years, and he is burned out. He worked in the ER at a very busy hospital. He was on the brink of quitting medicine, when a friend convinced him to try a different pace, and be a part-time doctor in a small town that had an opening. Rob decides to give it a year or two and at the end of November he moves. His first day there, his piece is disturbed by a noisy Harley-Davidson, his neighbor coming home. Rob confronts his neighbor about the noise and he's instantly attracted to him.
Soren is 28 and he is a fire captain. He usually doesn't do relationships because he's in a small town and there aren't a lot of single gay men. He goes out of town from time to time to hook up. The small town has a bit of a reputation for newcomers coming to town around Christmas and quickly falling in love with someone in town. Soren wouldn't mind being the Christmas Cupid's next victim. He's attracted to Rob too and they start spending time together and quickly form an attachment. They are saying I love yous within a month and basically cohabitating.
This was a decent book. The characters were mature emotionally and they communicated. They seemed like nice people and they fit each other. The side character Hamish was the best thing about the book though, he shipped them together hard and he always wanted to hear the gossip about their developing relationship. He added some nice comic relief and stole the scenes he appeared in. Chuck and Katie were also nice side characters, that added some positive vibes. I appreciated the representation in seeing Katie, a character with down syndrome, being such a capable and respected take charge kind of person! That was really representation done well.
A couple things I didn't like a book about the book... the romance was a little awkward. I didn't like the premise, that there were so few queer single folks, that they didn't have much of a choice but to fall for each other. It kind of took away the specialness when there wasn't much of a choice. When they were talking and getting to know each other, I found some of their conversation awkward, a bit dispassionate, a bit cheesy and do gooder ish. The dancing of the waltz at the fire hall was a little over the top for me, I would have just enjoyed the bringing the pizza moment without that. In a weird way, their emotions for each other were a little too tepid, too slow (I didn't feel the chemistry from the start) while at the same time being too insta-love for me (it was so fast for them to be in love and living together within a month).
Still enjoyable though, very much a Christmassy read.
Some notable moments:
"Then a very high-pitched keening sounded nearby, which I realized was Hamish. I broke the kiss and glanced over at him, slightly concerned for his well-being, Soren keeping me close with his hand now burning into my neck. Hamish had his hands to his face, doing a little skippity dance. “Now that is BDE.” But then Clay came over and dragged him away. “I want to watch,” he tried. “See ya, guys,” Clay said with a wave as he basically threw Hamish into the cab of his truck."
"Chuck looked at me and shook his head with a long sigh. “I’m happy for you, bro. I know you’ve been wanting someone of your own for a while now. I hope it works out. I really do. I mean, he brought you a pizza. A whole-ass pizza.” Then he shrugged. “If you decide he’s not as perfect as you thought, put a good word in for me.” I shoved him so hard he almost fell off his chair."
"Hamish looked at the supplies he shoved into my arms. “I thought I could guess what you were going to make, but the food-safe sealant is throwing me off. Any clues?” “No. You’ll need to be as horrified as everyone else when they open it.” “I think you mean surprised.” “No. I didn’t.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2024
Was this one a little slow? Was it a little boring from time to time? Did the last 25% save the day? The answer to all of these questions is YES!!! 🤦♀️🥰
I totally loved the MCs. Rob (love his full name) and Soren were so mushy and adorable together, but storywise... we needed a plot... a concept of a plot, one could say! Now, I always say, no matter how the story went, if a book makes me cry, I will give it 5 stars, so... 🤷♀️
Also, am I the only one that thinks they know who next year's book will be about, but can't actually say for sure? 🤔
I totally loved the MCs. Rob (love his full name) and Soren were so mushy and adorable together, but storywise... we needed a plot... a concept of a plot, one could say! Now, I always say, no matter how the story went, if a book makes me cry, I will give it 5 stars, so... 🤷♀️
Also, am I the only one that thinks they know who next year's book will be about, but can't actually say for sure? 🤔
December 31, 2024
Another Christmas, another Hartbridge Cupid couple. In this book, we meet Dr. Rob who just moved to Hartbridge from Seattle, and Soren, Captain of the local fire station.
Attraction is instant, thanks to a pair of adorable flamingo pajamas and a loud Harley Davidson, but the romance is real and it burns as brightly as the lights on the town Christmas tree.
Fun to revisit with the previous books' couples, and quite lovely to see Rob's and Soren's romance unfold.
Always a pleasure to visit this fictional town at Christmas time.
Attraction is instant, thanks to a pair of adorable flamingo pajamas and a loud Harley Davidson, but the romance is real and it burns as brightly as the lights on the town Christmas tree.
Fun to revisit with the previous books' couples, and quite lovely to see Rob's and Soren's romance unfold.
Always a pleasure to visit this fictional town at Christmas time.
January 23, 2025
This was cute and sweet. I enjoyed it like the rest of the series, but I do feel like this series has hopefully run it's course. I mean, when you start reading the series you quickly realize everyone is basically the same. The couple falls in love within weeks of meeting because of the holiday magic in town. So you know exactly what you are getting.
This one was the town's fire captain and the new part-time Dr. The do fit together well. I loved Soren. He is just so friendly and open and just a great person.
I was mad at the ending though. I wanted more with these two I guess since the majority of the book they were skating their feelings.
This one was the town's fire captain and the new part-time Dr. The do fit together well. I loved Soren. He is just so friendly and open and just a great person.
I was mad at the ending though. I wanted more with these two I guess since the majority of the book they were skating their feelings.
November 23, 2024
First of all I liked a lot of this, but ...
I realize I'm an old fogey when I say this: Hamish has got to chill the fuck out and be more subtle!!! He keeps ruining organic moments! And he isn't even the main character FFS Just stop and fucking Christmas Cupid Hallmark magic will happen if he just shuts the fuck up for once in 4 books!!! Aaaargggh!!
Also there is no goddamn way a former burnt out ER physician would ever EVER get on a motorcycle as a passenger!!! Ask any US ER doc!!
Btw it's SECRET SANTA not "Kris Kringle gift exchange" 🤦♀️
This was ultimately boring. Rob is boring. It's just a rehash of manufactured tension and I was fine for 3 books but by 5 it's officially boring. The five couples all have the exact same sex over and over. Each of them insist on missionary with eye contact that makes each of them have the epiphany of love that can't be uttered for an additional 2 chapters. EVERY TIME! 5 couples, no vers, not even minor kinks, all copy cats in the bedroom. It's monotonous.
I realize I'm an old fogey when I say this: Hamish has got to chill the fuck out and be more subtle!!! He keeps ruining organic moments! And he isn't even the main character FFS Just stop and fucking Christmas Cupid Hallmark magic will happen if he just shuts the fuck up for once in 4 books!!! Aaaargggh!!
Also there is no goddamn way a former burnt out ER physician would ever EVER get on a motorcycle as a passenger!!! Ask any US ER doc!!
Btw it's SECRET SANTA not "Kris Kringle gift exchange" 🤦♀️
This was ultimately boring. Rob is boring. It's just a rehash of manufactured tension and I was fine for 3 books but by 5 it's officially boring. The five couples all have the exact same sex over and over. Each of them insist on missionary with eye contact that makes each of them have the epiphany of love that can't be uttered for an additional 2 chapters. EVERY TIME! 5 couples, no vers, not even minor kinks, all copy cats in the bedroom. It's monotonous.
January 17, 2025
DNF at 45%
I love NR Walker's books, but this series... i can't anymore.
I love NR Walker's books, but this series... i can't anymore.
December 19, 2024
Still enjoyed it a lot, but it isn't my go to book in this series. Rob had to grow on me unlike Haemish & Wren. Soren was quiet adorable in his atempts to make Rob feel at home in the small town community.
December 24, 2024
could have used a bit more substance but still Hallmark cuteness.
in retrospect it did feel less like the characters were falling in love and more like they felt obligated to
in retrospect it did feel less like the characters were falling in love and more like they felt obligated to
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