Frost and Fire

Christmas at Hall Farm #1

by Ana Ashley

After decades of sold-out stadiums and never-ending tours, coming home to run my family's Vermont dairy farm was supposed to be peaceful. Instead, I'm being terrorized by my devastatingly attractive neighbor who's apparently declared war on me—one "gift" at a time.

A goat that won't leave my side. A rooster with a Napoleon complex. A hive of bees with serious attitude problems. The boy I remember as my best friend's sweet little brother has grown into a man with a serious grudge and zero intention of making my homecoming easy.

When a crisis threatens our small town's Christmas celebrations, we're forced to work together. Fighting our attraction while saving the holidays should be simple, right?

Too bad Taylen James has always been my greatest weakness.

Frost and Fire is a brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers Christmas romance with an age gap, small-town charm, and enough sexual tension to melt Vermont snow.

Genres: M M Romance, Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Holiday, Audiobook

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2025

About the author

Meet Ana Ashley, your friendly neighborhood romance author!
Ana has been lost in the pages of books for as long as she can remember, taking a few amusing missteps with her childhood writing attempts. But everything changed when she discovered the magical world of LGBTQ+ romance—cue the confetti!


Ana's books offer sweet and sexy romance with a charming mix of humor and heart. Getting her guys together wouldn't be the same without the meddling but well-intentioned cast of secondary characters, who always insist on having their own story.


When she’s not crafting heartfelt tales, you can find her indulging in her favorite pastime of baking delicious treats, enjoying quality time with friends, or staying up late immersed in the pages of a good book.

You can find out more about Ana and her works-in-progress by joining her Newsletter. To sign up visit Ana's website anawritesmm.com

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING 4.5 STARS

Frost and Fire by Ana Ashley is the first book in the series, Christmas at Hall Farm. I love Ana Ashley’s writing. This was a beautiful story but it was quite emotionally heavy, way more than I anticipated. It is full of cuteness as well, though, with a goat that acts like a dog, and plenty of other farm animals.



Sebastian “Bastian” Hall is forty five years old. He is the lead singer of a world famous rock group, Hall of Fame. He grew up on his family’s farm in Winterberry, Vermont but as the group grew in fame, he was able to get home less and less. They have been together successfully and touring now for twenty five years and they are all tired. With his father getting older, Bastian has been trying to split his time as much as possible between the farm and his music which is also taking a toll on him. They have now declared that the group is on an indefinite hiatus and Bastian is coming home for good.



Taylen James is thirty three years old and lives at his neighboring farm to the Hall’s. He has apple orchards and has grown it into a successful business. Bastian was the best friend to Tayalen’s now deceased older brother. He has had a crush on him since he was a kid, probably been in love with him just as long. Having him home is a constant thorn in his side because he can’t let his feelings show. If he knows anything, it’s that Bastian might be here now, but he’ll leave again. Staying isn’t a skill he possesses.



Bastian has also been fighting his feelings for Taylen and when he tries to make his attraction known, all he gets in response is anger. And, a series of strange gifts, including the cutest little goat you’ve ever seen that won’t leave his side.



When the town’s huge Christmas festival is in trouble, the two neighboring farms of Bastian and Taylen are proposed for a new site. So, they are forced to work together to make it happen. Bastian is determined to wear Taylen down and prove that he is staying.

“Sometimes the complicated things are worth fighting for. Sometimes they’re the only things worth fighting for.”

This really was such a beautiful story. The festival sounded absolutely wonderful. And when these two let their guards down, it was so obvious how perfect they were for one another. I adored Bastian’s wooing efforts. The ending seemed quite abrupt, though. The goat really was the most adorable of the story. I loved meeting the band mates and I can see several future story possibilities. I can’t wait to see who the next book will be about. For now, I’ll be thinking of these two for quite awhile.

[Notagingerninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Audiobook 🎧
Narrator: Alexander Cendese

🎸 Brothers Best Friend
🎸 Small Town
🎸 Age Gap
🎸 Slow Burn/Yearning

Easy listen audiobook, relatively entertaining.

HEA

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself struggling to feel the connection between the two MMCs until quite late in the book — around the 80% mark when they start to get to know eachother and ‘talk’. The premise of a long-held crush on his brother’s best friend, mixed with the hurt of him leaving to pursue a successful music career, had so much potential. But with twenty-five years of distance, it was hard for me to fully feel their chemistry.

Their history is marked by twelve years of no contact, followed by a single kiss at a club seven years ago, and then more silence. One character remaining celibate for seven years because of those unresolved feelings felt a bit difficult for me to connect with, simply because their relationship hadn’t really developed on the page.

I think I kept hoping to see more moments that showed where and how they fell in love. Their first date (although mentioned as ‘not a date’)doesn’t happen until the end of the book, after several intimate encounters, and much of their emotional conflict revolves around the fear of being left again. When they finally say “I love you”, it felt quite sudden to me, as though their deeper connection hadn’t had enough time to blossom. Actually they say ‘i love you’ before they get to know eachother.

Sorry i skimmed the last 30% just to finish it.

That said, I truly enjoyed the goat. Three stars, with a lot of that love going to Gouta.

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed]

Frost and Fire is a push and pull story that unravels years of desire and crossed wires. It's a brother's best friend story complicated by the death of Taylen's brother several years ago and the unsaid words that revolve around multiple missed opportunities and miscommunication. It's full of angsty goodness, lots of tension and feuding with farm animals... It was a fun and festive read that made me have all the feels.

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frost and Fire is the first book in the Christmas at Hall Farm series by Ana Ashley. This is the story of Bastian and Taylen and I loved it. Their story was sweet, sexy, full of feels and very well written.

[Steve , M.D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before you read this — a quick apology from me. This is a very long review. I don’t enjoy giving two‑star ratings to books I finished, and there still aren’t enough M|M romance novels out there. But this book has major structural issues that are difficult to ignore. I usually tell you to read the book before reading my review, but since you already know this is an HEA romance, the spoilers here might actually spare you the frustration of navigating a story that’s harder to follow than it should be. The choice is yours.

Always assume my reviews have many spoilers. Come back after you’ve finished the book.

Frost and Fire by Ana Ashley is a book I wanted to enjoy far more than I did. It has a sweet premise, a world-famous boy-band singer coming home to Vermont and falling for his late best friend’s younger brother, but the execution is padded, uneven, and structurally chaotic. There are bright spots, but they’re buried under goats, hens, filler chapters, and a third-act misunderstanding that collapses under even mild scrutiny.

The setup is strong. Bastian Hall, the lead singer of the globally successful boy band of twenty-five years, Hall of Fame (an uninspired name based on his last name), has come home for an indefinite period to help his ailing father and figure out what he wants next. Taylen, his late best friend Jackson’s younger brother, is still grieving, still rooted in Vermont, and still harboring a crush he never outgrew. The early chapters establish a believable small-town setting, a gentle slow-burn attraction, and a genuinely lovely family dynamic. And then there’s Sylvie Hall — Bastian’s and Finn’s mother — the book’s single best character. Warm, grounded, emotionally intelligent, and the only person in this novel who consistently speaks like an adult, she is the emotional center of nearly every scene she appears in.

The emotional arc of the romance is uneven. Act I frames them as enemies, but they are not truly adversaries. They are two men avoiding grief, history, and attraction. Act II is passionate but confused, full of desire, fear, and emotional volatility, and it is where Bastian’s unfounded reactions begin to stand out, because the text never builds the emotional foundation that would make his intensity feel earned. Act III is emotionally incoherent, skipping the necessary reconciliation and jumping straight to declarations the text never earns.

Once the book settles into its middle, the pacing begins to wobble. We get a goat with more personality than half the cast, a pair of nuisance hens who apparently roam freely through the cabin as though they don’t molt, shed dander, or crap everywhere, a rooster who becomes a running joke long after the joke stops being funny, a cow birth that leads directly into a tonally bizarre hookup, a Christmas festival that takes up a third of the book, a studio subplot that never quite gels, and a “not a date” joke that is charming the first time and teeth-grinding by the tenth.

The author clearly loves Winterberry, but the worldbuilding leans heavily on Hallmark tropes, cinnamon-scented everything, small-town gossip, and a community that exists primarily as a warm, supportive backdrop rather than a source of conflict. It is cozy to the point of unreality, a postcard town where tension is decorative and livestock function as recurring side characters.

And then there is the biggest worldbuilding leap of all: the idea that a gay boy band has been the biggest band in the world for twenty-five years. It is not just unlikely; it borders on fantasy. The book was published in 2025. If Hall of Fame went on tour in 2000, the cultural landscape they would have entered was hostile in ways the novel never acknowledges. In the United States alone, George W. Bush was president, and states were passing constitutional amendments banning gay marriage at an accelerating pace. Those amendments would continue to pass, one after another, until Minnesota became the first state to reject one in 2012. For more than a decade, this band would have had to fear for its safety in half the country. And that is only the U.S. Worldwide, the picture was even bleaker. There are still many countries where homosexuality is illegal or where LGBT artists are censored, banned, or barred from performing, which would make the global dominance the book describes literally impossible. The novel never acknowledges any of this, instead presenting a world where universal acceptance is treated as a given rather than a deliberate alternate reality. Again, almost pure fantasy.

There is exactly one line in this book that I highlighted, because it is genuinely wise and beautifully delivered. Sylvie, speaking about the years Bastian spent touring, says:

Worrying doesn’t change anything except how much joy you can find in the moments you have together.

It is the one moment where the book stops, breathes, and says something true. I wish the rest of the novel lived up to it.

The third-act misunderstanding is where the story stumbles hardest. Taylen overhears Bastian’s agent talking about recording schedules, touring, studio time, and “six months.” Because Taylen has abandonment trauma the book never fully explores, he spirals into believing Bastian is leaving him. Except the call was not about Bastian at all. It was about a local band from Thanksgiving, a Chekhov’s Gun the author planted early (a detail introduced with the expectation it will matter later) and then never reinforced. The reveal is anticlimactic, too easily resolved, and structurally unsatisfying because the misunderstanding could have been cleared up with one sentence. Worse, the chapter before the reveal is pure filler: more cow births, a rooster cameo, a shower, breakfast, and a shrine to a dead brother that borders on unsettling. None of it advances the plot.

Once the misunderstanding is cleared, the book rushes to tie everything up. Bastian announces the band is going independent. He is staying in Vermont. He is expanding the studio. He sings Taylen a song with truly unfortunate lyrics about goats and roosters. They have an oddly voyeuristic scene in the studio. They talk about marriage and kids. The town gives them an award. Everyone has been betting on their relationship. Sylvie and Henry start hinting about grandchildren. And this is where the book’s logic falters again. Grandchildren are wonderful, but the assumption that two gay men in their early thirties and mid-forties will “just have some” soon is unrealistic. Surrogacy takes time, money, and planning. Adoption is a long process. And Bastian is forty-five. If he wants “lots of kids,” as he says, he will be close to fifty when the first is born and around seventy when they graduate high school. Not impossible, but the book treats it like a casual inevitability instead of a serious life decision.

The characters are a mixed bag. Bastian is likable but inconsistently written and prone to emotional overreactions that the text never earns. One of the clearest examples is the tattoo scene, which happens right after Bastian spirals over not reaching Taylen and shows up emotionally overcommitted, leading him to get a matching tattoo during Taylen’s annual grief ritual — a level of intensity the story never earns. Taylen is sympathetic but often overwhelmed by his own fears. Sylvie is perfect, the book’s heart. Henry is allegedly declining, though we never see it. Finn is Bastian’s younger brother, solid and supportive, and often more emotionally grounded than Bastian himself.

Bastian’s bandmates — Mik, Fox, and Stone — are mostly sequel setup. Mik is the only one who feels like a real person, and his partner Tyler and Mik’s teenage daughter Kay add a small but notable glimpse of gay family life that the main romance never fully explores. Fox is present but has almost no lines, functioning more as a placeholder for a future book than a character in this one. Stone, meanwhile, is quietly pining after Hunter, the hot vet, and their dynamic is telegraphed so clearly that it may as well have a blinking “Book Three” sign over it. Hunter himself is not a bandmate; he’s the local veterinarian whose primary narrative function is to deliver calves, be attractive, and blush. Jackson, though dead, is a constant emotional presence whose memory shapes nearly every choice Bastian and Taylen make. And the goat is omnipresent and increasingly irritating.

The writing itself is uneven. The prose swings between charming, clunky, overwritten, under-edited, and occasionally unintentionally funny. Ellipses are used incorrectly. Grammar slips in and out. Scenes repeat emotional beats. The sex scenes are especially weak, written as though aimed at heterosexual women rather than reflecting how gay men actually communicate and connect. More research seems to have gone into cow births than into how gay men have sex or talk about sex, and the men often read like straight characters with the serial numbers filed off. The author’s attempts at song lyrics do not land.

There is a sweet romance buried in here. There is a lovely family. There is one genuinely excellent line. And there is a world the author clearly loves. But the book is overlong, padded, structurally uneven, tonally inconsistent, and reliant on a weak misunderstanding. Sylvie deserved a better novel. So did the romance.

And yet, I want to acknowledge something important: the author wrote two gay men with living parents who love and accept them for who they are. That is incredibly rare in this genre, and I am genuinely grateful for it. I wish the rest of the book had risen to meet that foundation.

I will read Finn and Fox’s book out of curiosity, but I am taking a break from Winterberry first.

[Brooke Greathouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive! It was the same conflict over and over again. And way……..way too many similes!

[Theodore · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 39%

There are a LOT of named characters here for something not explicitly labeled as part of a series.

I'm finding it a little hard to believe that Bastian's band manager was acting all hurt that the band was going on a hiatus and that he didn't know what he was supposed to do afterwards. Taking a break wasn't a spur of the moment decision, so him suddenly crying about not having a plan was dumb.

Finn was an ass for bringing up Bastian AND trying to talk him up to Taylen when he explicitly knew they had history. If a friend started glazing an ex if mine that I wasn't on good terms with, I'm not sure we'd stay friends for much longer, let alone stay in conversation. The audacity he had asking for Tay to help his brother was astounding. The author trying to use Finn not knowing what went on between Bastian and Tay as some sort of pass was not an excuse.

Also, the character relationships were a bit confusing. So Tay and Finn are best friends and Finn is Bastian's brother. Bastian was best friends with Jackson, who was Tay's brother. So I assume the big brothers were best friends with each other and the little brothers were BFs with each other too. It wasn't that complicated or super convoluted, but having two pairs of brothers be best friends with one from the other was just confusing (particularly when the blurb only mentions Tay as Bastian's best friend's brother, but it's Tay's POV that we see first and find out that Bastian is also his best friend's brother). Basically both Bastian and Tay are each of their respective best friend's brother.

The author overuses the "flash of something in his face" expression. It happens at least three times in 50 pages (which doesn't sound like a lot, but since it's an uncommon description it stands out)

Not sure I was a fan of the numerous hints at other characters' stories. I didn't particularly care for why Finn or Fox were being dodgy (clearly because they were in a secret relationship). One or two instances of it should've been enough, but it felt like they got mentioned every other chapter.

Idk why Tay didn't just get rid of the stupid rooster that was keeping him up. Surely he could've found some place to drop it off at given it was affecting his sleep enough for literally everyone around him to notice.

I'm not sure how I feel about Tay and Bastian's first reconciliation. The way Bastian proves to Tay that he's someone who knows how to commit by using his agricultural stuff as evidence was fine, but I think we should've seen that from Tay's POV given how he was the MC that needed his mind changed. On top of that, having them shift their attitudes about each other happened way too early imo (28%). I feel like there could've been so many more scenes where Bastian tries to prove that he wasn't going to leave but Tay doesn't believe him beforehand. I guess it was fine that the conflict changed from Tay not believing Bastian was going to stay to Tay not believing Bastian even belonged in the first place, but I feel like the author could've just stuck with the first conflict and developed it further rather than abruptly solving it then replacing it with a similar issue (especially when Tay begins accusing Bastian of not belonging just because Bastian didn't immediately offer to help for the town festival).

Also, I disliked Finn for forcing the topic of Bastian onto Tay when he clearly didn't want to talk about it, but I hated him for forcing the idea of Bastian hosting the town festival when Bastian wanted to stay away from media stuff and keep his land safe as a personal haven. Then everyone just begins countering his complaints by saying it's possible to hold the festival on his land when the problem wasn't whether it was possible, the problem was whether or not Bastian was OK with it even happening in the first place (and he had every right to not want it).

I did not like it when Bastian's mom cornered him with some out of nowhere "your dead best friend would've wanted you to be friends with his brother" (which is so tactless for freaking mother to say). Then we get some expo dumping about what happened when Jackson died and the very rich line where Bastian suddenly goes "I don't know how to be around him [Tay] without seeing Jackson." See that line would've been sweet and romantic if it had actually happened more than once. Outside of Bastian apologizing to Jackson's memory for checking out Tay's ass, there was literally zero other times that Taylen specifically reminded him about Jackson. The time he brought Tay home when he was drunk, it was Tay's house that reminded him about Jackson, not Tay himself. He doesn't think about Jackson when he's complaining to the goat about Tay not believing him about staying; he doesn't remember Jackson when he sees Tay drop off his produce at the bar, or when he's showing Tay his agricultural stuff and they end up falling asleep next to each other. So when exactly was the "he reminds of me Jackson every time" thing happening? Off screen? I understand it would've been repetitive to have that thought, but it should've been better shown if that was going to be part of his mom's heart-to-heart.

Having Mik essentially give the same spiel as Bastian's mom a chapter later was repetitive. Also, I thought they were on a hiatus? Why was the band writing songs?

I DNFED when Bastian and Tay kissed and Tay challenged Bastian to stay and despite all the signs pointing to Bastian actually needing to stay he freaking leaves for NO SPECIFIC REASON. Did I miss a chapter or paragraph explaining why Bastian couldn't stay? Was I reading the "I can't bring myself to care about anything else [other than Tay's touch]" line incorrectly? Because to me, that entire exchange seemed like it was supposed to be Bastian proving that Tay meant something to him. For him to say "Not tonight" in response to Tay asking him to stay, without a clear reason, was such a big WTF moment for me. Was it because he was drunk? Couldn't he have stayed the night without sleeping with Tay and they still could've talked in the morning after? Tay wasn't asking for sex to prove Bastian's affection wasn't he? (and if he was, then that's problematic for a different reason)

Just pure melodrama and artificial conflict. Between that and the lazy characterization done via two separate heart-to-heart conversations, I just could not read more.

1.5 stars rounded down.

[Fabigail Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. Big rock star comes back to the family farm, works things out with the boy he left behind. It's a best friend's brother, only the best friend is dead. Over a decade of guilt and anger and longing that could have been prevented if they Just. Talked. To. Each. Other. Not my favorite trope. But there's a goat, so I'll probably read the next book in the series too.

[Ammandareadsdark · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC REVIEW***
Rating if 1/2 stars were a thing on here would be 4.5

“How do you fix what’s broken when you’re not even sure where the cracks started?”

Hall of Fame are done with their latest tour. They have been going for 25 years and now it is time for them to get a break. Sebastian or Bastian as he is known, is going home to Vermont to run his family’s dairy farm, to help out his father who is getting up there in age and can’t run the farm by himself anymore.

Taylen, the little brother of Sebastian’s best friend and the best friend of Sebastian’s little brother, lives next door and holds a grudge against Sebastian. Although I wasn’t too clear on why that was exactly, it makes for some funny passive aggressive “gift” giving. Don’t let that fool you into thinking Taylen won’t confront things head on if need be, but these interactions were great. One of these “gifts” comes in the form of my favorite character named Gouta who is a goat that pretty much thinks she is a lap dog.

In the midst of these two fighting, something is going wrong with the town's Christmas festivities and now these two have to work together to pretty much help save Christmas. These two have quite a bit of sexual tension to begin with, and now that they are made to interact one on one more, that ramps up until it pretty much explodes. Ana Ashley sure knows how to write some spice with feelings. “Unlike the first two, this kiss is all teeth and tongue and years of wanting compressed into a single point of contact”

There were times in this book that I just wanted to smack them both upside their heads, especially Taylen, and there were times you just wanted to give them a hug. Honestly this book, to me, is like an emotional romantic comedy.. We get a few comedic things happening and we get quite a bit of romance happening and we also have very complicated feelings going on. “I can’t voice how wanting him feels like falling without knowing where the ground is, like driving too fast on icy roads, like every reckless choice I’ve ever tried to stop making.”

Honestly the reason this review is so long is because I have so many good things to say about this book. If you let me, I would go on and on about it. It has just enough tension and conflict to make me a little anxious at times, but it also has a well earned HEA. I love that they don’t immediately hop into bed, I love that when we eventually get to the spice, it doesn’t magically make everything perfect. There are still complications that we are having to navigate. “But sometimes the complicated things are worth fighting for. Sometimes they’re the only things worth fighting for..”

Frost and Fire is a brother's best friend, enemies-to-lovers Christmas romance with an age gap, small-town charm, and enough sexual tension to melt Vermont snow.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Bastian Hall is coming home..for good this time to help his parents run their dairy farm in their Winterberry. He has been on the road with his popular band for over twenty years living his dreams but also running from past pain and his own feelings. He is loyal, patient, responsible, and ready to do what needs to be done for the farm and is done running. And that also means facing the boy...now man...next door.

Taylen Howard is the little brother of his best friend and is also best friends with Bastian's younger brother. He is deeply entwined with Bastian's family and they share past pain and some unresolved history and feelings. He is also hardworking, sarcastic, playful, and stubborn. He is finding new joy in torturing Bastian with special welcome gifts while also trying to avoid getting close. He has had a crush on Bastian since he was young and does not trust that Bastian would ever really stay. So he is guarded and runs hot and cold. He is also good at running and making Bastian chase him.

They are definitely fire and ice. There is so much sextual tension, passion, and unresolved feelings between them. There are misonceptions, misunderstandings, fears, angers, pain, and guilt. The light up but then Taylen ices him out. Bastian has to prove that he is ready to stay and Taylen has to learn to trust. But there is a lot of push and pull along the way. I did really like these two together. Their past was painful and complicated. Their choices affect more than just themselves since their family and friend groups are so close. Taylen has to be convinced that he is enough for someone like Bastian to really stay.

This is an age gap, former rock star/farmer and apple orchard owner, coming home, best-friend's-little-brother, enemies-to-lovers, shared loss, hurt/comfort, small town, holiday romance.

I loved this small town farm environment. The animals even have big personalities. The side characters of the band and their brothers add depth to the story. It makes you want to just hang out in his Mom's kitchen and the Christmas festival. I am looking forward to other stories with these characters and a couple were already teased.

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[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bastian and his band, Hall of Fame, have reached the end of their tour and have decided on a much needed hiatus. They’ve been going strong for 25 years and a lot has changed since then. Most are ready to settle down a bit more and while music will always be part of their lives, they can still do other things. For Bastian, it means coming home and helping run his family farm. His dad needs the help and Bastian had always planned to be back. He’s made plans and he is ready. But coming back means facing things he has run from. Like Taylen James. The little brother of his best friend who died twelve years before. When Taylen looks at Bastian he sees the hurt and anger and the unspoken attraction between them. But Bastian is tired of running. He’s here to stay and he’ll prove it to Taylen. Losing his brother broke Taylen in a way that will never be truly mended. But on top of that? Losing his friend and his longtime crush didn’t help either. Because Bastian never stays long enough for Taylen to ask him to stay. And why should this time be any different? So he’ll guard his heart, he’ll keep his walls up. But saying and doing are two different things. And the more Bastian proves his words, the more Taylen’s walls are chipped. But can he fully put his trust and heart on Bastian who was born to play his music? Loved this book! Taylen and Bastian had great chemistry and banter. Especially when they got into their so called gift giving war. But alongside that was this deep and raw love that has been with them for years. And now there is a chance for them if they are brave enough to take. Great start to this new series! I spied some potential couples and I am hoping to be proven right and get their books one day! I can’t wait for more in this series.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elle Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastian Hall, a retired vocalist for the popular band Hall of Fame, is trying to enjoy a peaceful life running his family’s Vermont dairy farm. Taylen Howard has other ideas.

Cue a series of increasingly bizarre livestock gifts. The book has as many funny moments as you would expect, especially featuring a goat with much attitude. But the angry simmering of this enemies to lovers story is electric. Featuring brother’s best friend x 2, and an elaborate Christmas festival in an idyllic small town, this Hallmark-worthy novel is sweet and satisfying.

However, there are a slew of secondary characters that make the tale more interesting and more confusing (I almost felt the need to draw a “family tree” to keep them all straight). Most notably, guitarist Mik and his boyfriend Tyler (their story was in Ashley’s Stillwater series) & Mik’s teen daughter Kay. Then there’s bassist Fox, drummer Stone and tour manager Nikki, who’s also Fox’s brother. There’s both main character’s parents and siblings and the complicated reality that Taylen’s deceased brother was Bastian’s best friend while Bastian’s brother is Taylen’s best friend. You get the idea. It’s a bit chaotic and there were a few times I was like, “who is that again?” Or “how are they related again” where I had to consult my notes. Add in townsfolk and livestock with names and it’s a lot.

But overall the found-family aspect shines through and the town is one you wish you could visit. These men captured my hearts and their love is one for the ages. Four stars.

[Viki · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh

Good idea (rockstar and a farmer, colour me intrigued) (with some small town elements) but the execution fell flat because it was all about how the cranky neighbour is super distrustful and lonely and unwilling to open up or be open or be mature about anything involving the MC ... the constant groveling, the back and forth where the retiring rockstar was always in the wrong certainly padded the page count but it got old pretty quickly. i feel like the side content was actually more interesting simply because the romance felt so... annoying. I get it, your brother died and your crush had the audacity to pursue his dreams when you were emotionally vulnerable enough to have a relationship with him, he needs to suffer for that. sigh.

also, are you kidding me with the chickens??? the goat is already stretching the imagination but chickens??? let me tell you the real difference between a pet and a cuddly farm animal - poop. a chicken or a goat will let loose whenever they want, even into their own food, that is why they are impractical - they are pretty intelligent, they can have a personality but a dog or a cat have very specific bathroom habits other animals just don't have, ok? yes, we had chickens, we had two goats and they started doing their business more than once right when I was petting them so... no, you don't want those animals IN YOUR HOUSE and, heaven forbid, your BED!!!!!!! what a nice detail to omit for a book about a farmer

[Bill Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy. This review is submitted voluntarily

Both MCs, Bastian and Taylen, are dealing with grief due to the death of Taylen’s brother who is also Bastian’s best friend. Further, Taylen harbours resentment because his long-time crush, Bastian, is seldom in his Vermont hometown due to his membership in a super successful band. Bastian spends a lot of time trying to convince Taylen that he no longer has any intention of leaving the farm. But when the town’s Christmas Festival is threatened, they must work together toto reorganize quickly on their land.

Despite the clash between them, both main characters are really quite sweet and clearly made for each other. The storyline follows their war through gifts of farm animals, like a cute goat who ends up stealing a lot of scenes. It’s an imaginative trope that one doesn’t see very often. Both MCs are romantic and have trouble resisting each other. They are well supported by a cast that includes Bastian’s family, the band members and some of the townspeople. The author has also opened the door to future installments by having a couple of the characters be noticeably absent and another trying to charm the local “hot vet”. The plot is straightforward with no real deviations, something I enjoy.

I truly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to the next one in the series.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a new series, although if you’ve read the author’s Stillwater single dad’s series you’re already familiar with the guys in the band Hall of Fame. Bastion has finally returned to his family’s dairy farm for good after years of touring with the band and living as a rockstar. He came back to help his dad retire and take over running the farm, but he also came back for Taylen. Taylen is his deceased best friend’s little brother, who Bastion has had very distracting thoughts about for years. However, despite an interrupted kiss 7 years prior to returning home for good the two men have not been able to connect. Taylen has had a crush on Bastion for years. He just doesn’t believe it when Bastion says he’s here to stay. This rockstar is just as vulnerable in his feelings, but once he drags the truth out of Taylen he won’t stop until he woos him properly. Despite the escalation of farm animal warfare, an adorable little goat that acts more like a puppy and 2 hens that make themselves at home in Bastion’s house vs. a rooster that wakes Taylen @3am everyday, these two men find their HEA in each other and the small town they’ve always loved. If you love age gap, found family and finding your forever love in the safety of the place you call home then you will definitely love this story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

😉Necking neighbors?!🐐🐔🐓🐔

Great age gap MM romance between neighboring farmers united in their grief for Jackson, Bastien's best friend and Talen's beloved older brother. Nice background of simmering feelings finally coming to the boil when rocker Bastien comes back to take over his aging father's farm. Their games of exchanging farm animals added some humor, but this was mostly an emotional and steamy journey for the two with a local Christmas festival they both get involved in.

The characters, especially Talen and his fear of giving the relationship his all when Bastien's rock career could have him leaving again, got me on their side and looking for their HEA. I liked the hints that other band members and locals are on the verge of (or secretly already enmeshed in) their own romances. And the story started at a good pace. I just thought it slowed and became a longer read than I had anticipated.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5 stars
After twenty-five years it's time for Hall of Fame to take a break and live lives outside of the band. Lead vocalist Sebastian (Bastian) heads home to Vermont to help run his family farm, where he runs back into Taylen, his best friend's little brother who he always had feelings for but knew he had to keep secret. Taylen has held a grudge against Bastian for leaving without giving them a real chance. These two need to learn to communicate better and so much of this miscommunications and tension would have never caused such a rift amongst these men. When the towns Christmas festivities are in trouble these two need to come together and save it. Together they learn what it is to once again trust the other and this time have a chance for something lasting. Yes, they both make many mistakes, but they are human, so it is understandable and forgiven, even if you want to throttle both men at times. Throughout you get that right blend of comedy and heart that has you continue on for more and have hopes for more stories from this world in the future.

[Heather Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me some Ana Ashley at Christmas!

Small-town goodness with farm animals who don’t know they are farm animals, lots of button pushing, found family, and a side of hurt/comfort.

Sebastian has two loves: his band and his family farm. And 25 years later, it’s time to take a break from living the celebrity life and come home for good. But coming home means seeing his next-door neighbour, who also happens to be his best friend's brother.

Their age gap, loss of their brother/best friend, and secret pinning have made for a confusing relationship.

Taylen wants to believe that his crush has come home for good, but the desire to protect his heart means keeping Bastien at bay. And what better way than to make digs via ‘gifts’.

If only they could learn to talk instead of just kissing!

Honestly, they are a gorgeous couple, and I love the future they’re building and the family/friends they’ve surrounded themselves with.

The only disappointing thing is having to wait till next Christmas for book two!!

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frost and Fire is the first book in the Christmas at hall farm series. This is Bastian & Taylen’s Story. Set in Winterberry, Rural Vermont. For anyone like me that needs to look at a map to find out where they are: its below Burlington near Mt Philo State Park.

Bastian is part of the world-famous band Hall of fame. They are going on break after decades of touring. Bastian goes back to the farm he grew up on and loves working.

Taylen is the little brother of Bastians best friend and lives on the farm next door, working the orchard and making Cider and other apple products.

Taylen is holding a grudge against Bastian and starts a passive aggressive gift giving feud. My favorite being Gouta the Goat.

These to are great together but there is a fair bit of miscommunication/ Misunderstandings that need to be sorted out before they can feel secure.

An enjoyable little cameo of Mik & Tyler from Heartstrings, Dads Of still water

Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Best friends Brother
• Small Town
• Age Gap 45/33
• Mutual Secret Crush
• Rockstar/Farmer
• Christmas
• Grief

[Metz874 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review
An amazing start to this new series, Hall of Fame, from Ana Ashley. This was sweet, fun with a lot of complications. inventive
Sebastian has been a part of an successful rock band for over twenty years, but now it's time for change and he's come home to take over his family's dairy farm. To bad that trubble, aka Taylen James, his best friend's younger brother, is living next door and has declared war against him.
Taylen don't want to live next door to Sebastian. Their relationship is complicated and he absolutely don't want any kind of cooperation. Both men are stubborn and they have a lot of work to do if they want to end up with a happily ever after.
A wonderful age gap, small town romance with a large family and friend group, special farm animals, fun banter and burning hot chemistry.

[Lesetiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(⭐️) 4,5
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is the excellent start to a new series. The story is set in a small town in Vermont, where Sebastian returns. Sebastian is a famous rock star who now wants to help his father on the farm. At home, he meets his neighbor Taylen, the little brother of his deceased friend. I found both characters likable and endearing. They each have their own way of dealing with their grief over Taylen's brother, who was also Sebastian's best friend.
I enjoyed both the small-town atmosphere and the farm setting with all the interesting animals. And the two get creative when it comes to gifts for each other, because a rooster that crows very early every morning is a fantastic gift, don't you think? At least that's what Sebastian thinks, and I agree, but Taylen's dark circles are getting darker every day. And anyway, Taylen isn't particularly thrilled about Sebastian's return, as long-suppressed feelings are reawakened and who knows how long Sebastian will stay this time? Look forward to lots of crazy and interesting animals, an enemies-to-lovers story, and a happy ending. It took me a while as a reader to feel the chemistry between the two characters, but that doesn't matter. The story was entertaining, with an age gap, and the two were already cute together.

Alexander Cendese does an excellent job of narrating. His voice is pleasant to listen to, he conveys the emotions well, and he does the story absolute justice. I'm already looking forward to the next volume in the series.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful start to a new series.

This is a very enjoyable and engaging read with a wonderful cast of main and secondary characters and a beautiful age gap romance filled with plenty of elaborate gestures and plenty of steam. Set in the delightful small town of Winterberry in Vermont, Bastian and Taylin both carry baggage that needs to be recognised and recalibrated before they can get their HEA. With “not dates” and the Christmas festival bringing them closer together they learn what they truly mean to the each other and just how combustible the chemistry is between them. This is a Christmas themed age gap, enemies to lovers romance that also includes a delightful goat, chickens, a rooster and plenty of other characters needing their stories told.

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bastian returns home after his band’s 25-year run, ready to help on his family farm and finally stop running from his past—including Taylen James, the younger brother of his best friend who died twelve years ago. Taylen has been hurt by Bastian’s comings and goings before, and he’s determined to guard his heart. But Bastian is here to stay, and his steady, heartfelt efforts slowly chip away at Taylen’s walls. I loved this book! Bastian and Taylen’s chemistry is fantastic, their banter is fun (the gift-giving war was a highlight), and the emotional undercurrent of long-held love and grief adds real depth. It’s a strong, heartfelt start to a new series, and I already have my eye on a few potential future couples. Can’t wait for more!

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Bastien, who is the lead singer and guitarist for their group Hall of Fame, is back in Vermont to help on the family farm. Taylen, who owns the apple orchard, lives next door and has had a huge crush on Bastien since he was a teenager. As the story starts, there is friction and history between them that spans decades. With Taylen still mourning the loss of his brother from 12 years ago, and Bastien who was his best friend, they slowly start to talk about the feelings they kept silent all those years. If you love age gap, high heat and chemistry, you will love this one. You will also fall in love with the goat, Gouta. Cannot wait for the next book in this series to see who is next.

[Mrs.V · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new series by one of my favourite authors? Yes, please!
This is a lovely Christmas book set in small-town Vermont, where Sebastian Hall was born and where he has gone back throughout his 25 years a world-famous rockstar. With the band on hiatus, Bastian is back on the farm, amidst his beloved animals and doing the kind of grounding work that fills his soul.
Taylen, his neighbour and his best friend’s little brother, is NOT happy that Bastian’s back, as that stirs up all the feelings he’s tried to deny and suppress for years. So, his only means to deal with Bastian’s return is to engage in a hilarious animal warfare: he starts giving him passive-aggressive gifts. The first one is a goat who thinks she’s a lapdog, and Gouta is the real show-stealer of this book!

[Ana Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading holiday romances, especially when it’s about brother’s best friend with an age gap.

Though I got to admit that this one had me pulling my hair out from frustration. The back and forth between Taylen and Bastian really had me wanting to smack their heads together to knock some sense into them.

They both had feelings for each other but neither wanted to take the first step. Bastian felt guilty for not being there for Taylen and Taylen kept running from Bastian because of his lack of commitment to stay.

I could totally see why Taylen was afraid to fully give in to his feelings for Bastian. He didn’t want to get hurt by being left behind. After all, Bastian was a famous rocker who could have anyone he wanted.

Lucky for Taylen, Bastian only had eyes for him and was willing to do anything to prove to Taylen how much he loved him.

Once they got their heads straight, they truly were the best match. I’m gonna need more because that ending was totally unexpected!

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

This is a brother’s best friend romance, featuring Bastian and Taylen, and is book one in the Christmas at Hall Farm series.

Bastian comes home hoping for quiet, but his old friend’s now-grown brother, Taylen, keeps pranking him with chaotic animals. When a Christmas crisis forces them to work together, their long-buried attraction becomes impossible to ignore.

This is a fun, cosy small-town romance where Bastian comes home to chaos and chemistry thanks to Taylen’s mischievous “gifts.” Their forced teamwork and growing attraction make for a sweet, festive, and charming read.

Things to expect in this book are:
Book 1 in series
MM holiday romance
Small town
Enemies to more
Brother’s best friend
Neighbours
Age gap (45/33)
Rockstar x farmer
Childhood crush
Chaotic animals
Christmas town drama
Hurt / Comfort
Grieving
Spicy times
Marking
Possessive vibes
Admit feelings
HEA

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you could possibly want in a Christmas story - a rockstar, a small town, old and new feelings, lots of history and LOTS of chemistry, opinionated animals and all the feels your reader heart can take.
Ana Ashley has a unique storytelling style and it shines bright in this story. It's genuine, funny and emotional in just the right doses, giving you a wholesome reading experience that will only leave you wanting more.
Both MCs were beautifully created and I loved them both from the get go, stubbornness, cluelessness and all. It was a great experience to see them come together. And did I mention the opinionated animals?! Goats FTW!

[Manon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute Christmas novel with one character on the other side of 40 which is nice to see.

I love the small back-and-forth between Bastian and Taylan while they are sorting out their attraction to each other.

Taylan needs a lot of convincing that Bastian is there to stay, it got a bit annoying at some points, but understandable, he wanted stability and not being a side piece to Bastian's music.

You have all ingredients to a good Christmas story, small town, secondary characters who meddle and have their own secrets, family, found and blood, a festival in danger and plenty of animals.

I look forward to the next one.