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The Curse Before Christmas: A Holiday MM Rom-Com
When game developer Patrick Bocker receives a Krampus figurine in the office Secret Santa exchange, he doesn’t think much of it. Then the accidents start happening. The absurd calamities mount, and Patrick becomes a repeat offender at the Emergency Room. By his third visit, Patrick starts to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Krampus figurine is cursed. There is, however, one silver lining – a super hot ER doctor.
Dr. Gray Reynolds is prepared to ignore his attraction to the striking young man in bay two. But by the third time Patrick shows up with new injuries, Gray starts to fear for the cute redhead’s life. He’s determined to drive Patrick home, make sure he’s safe, and get to the bottom of this string of bad luck.
To lift the curse, Gray and Patrick have to find out which of Patrick’s co-workers gifted him the Krampus and return it, all while evading livestock, a criminal Santa, and general mayhem.
Oh—and fall in love. Is that too much to ask of one crazy Christmas Eve?
THE CURSE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a wild romp set in Chicago with a hot doctor, cute patient, cursed figurine, game developer hijinks, stranded-in-a-car-in-the-snow, uber Christmasy, MM rom-com story that has plenty of giggles and a touch of magic.
Dr. Gray Reynolds is prepared to ignore his attraction to the striking young man in bay two. But by the third time Patrick shows up with new injuries, Gray starts to fear for the cute redhead’s life. He’s determined to drive Patrick home, make sure he’s safe, and get to the bottom of this string of bad luck.
To lift the curse, Gray and Patrick have to find out which of Patrick’s co-workers gifted him the Krampus and return it, all while evading livestock, a criminal Santa, and general mayhem.
Oh—and fall in love. Is that too much to ask of one crazy Christmas Eve?
THE CURSE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a wild romp set in Chicago with a hot doctor, cute patient, cursed figurine, game developer hijinks, stranded-in-a-car-in-the-snow, uber Christmasy, MM rom-com story that has plenty of giggles and a touch of magic.
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First published October 31, 2025
77 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Eli Easton
83 books2,804 followersHaving been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
November 20, 2025
~2.5~
At noon on December 24, Patrick is suffering through a work Christmas party and Secret Santa gift exchange. Patrick is a brilliant coder, but he's also a lonely workaholic who keeps people at arm's length.
Some 20 hours later, on Christmas morning, Patrick has a concussion, a broken arm, and a crushed foot. He's been stomped on by a horse, robbed at gunpoint by a drunk Santa, and met the man of his dreams: an ER doc named Gray who, aptly, has gray eyes.
A wooden figurine that's both a curse and a blessing serves as a supernatural element. Essentially, the one who owns it must suffer greatly before their wish comes true.
Patrick has a spiritual awakening of sorts and realizes his colleagues are people with their own hopes and sorrows (shocking!). He makes out with Gray in the back of a freezing car, and the two fall head over heels in love.
Patrick is clearly superhuman because he does all this while concussed, on crutches and pain meds, his foot in a boot, and arm in a cast.
The MCs are about as animated as the wooden figurine. It's fated love or whatever, so there's no relationship development to speak of.
The ending is lukewarm at best; no epilogue, no HEA. I guess, like Virginia, we're just supposed to believe.
Not to be too pedantic, but:
1. just because you drew person X's name in a Secret Santa exchange doesn't mean person X drew yours;
2. a work roster wouldn't include home addresses, which are considered sensitive information protected by privacy laws;
3. coders make decent money - not sure why Patrick's colleague was living in a hovel;
4. ER doctors are constantly maxed out, seeing multiple patients at once, dealing with high-intensity resuscitations, but Gray seemed to have all the time in the world to chat with Patrick;
5. if you get robbed, you A. contact the police, B. disable your credit/debit cards, C. attempt to locate your phone via a find-my-device service, and if that's not feasible, D. wipe/lock your device. Patrick did none of that and was bizarrely blasé about the whole thing.
Eli Easton is a rockstar. I adore her writing, but it wasn't enough to save this underwhelming, uninspired story.
At noon on December 24, Patrick is suffering through a work Christmas party and Secret Santa gift exchange. Patrick is a brilliant coder, but he's also a lonely workaholic who keeps people at arm's length.
Some 20 hours later, on Christmas morning, Patrick has a concussion, a broken arm, and a crushed foot. He's been stomped on by a horse, robbed at gunpoint by a drunk Santa, and met the man of his dreams: an ER doc named Gray who, aptly, has gray eyes.
A wooden figurine that's both a curse and a blessing serves as a supernatural element. Essentially, the one who owns it must suffer greatly before their wish comes true.
Patrick has a spiritual awakening of sorts and realizes his colleagues are people with their own hopes and sorrows (shocking!). He makes out with Gray in the back of a freezing car, and the two fall head over heels in love.
Patrick is clearly superhuman because he does all this while concussed, on crutches and pain meds, his foot in a boot, and arm in a cast.
The MCs are about as animated as the wooden figurine. It's fated love or whatever, so there's no relationship development to speak of.
The ending is lukewarm at best; no epilogue, no HEA. I guess, like Virginia, we're just supposed to believe.
Not to be too pedantic, but:
1. just because you drew person X's name in a Secret Santa exchange doesn't mean person X drew yours;
2. a work roster wouldn't include home addresses, which are considered sensitive information protected by privacy laws;
3. coders make decent money - not sure why Patrick's colleague was living in a hovel;
4. ER doctors are constantly maxed out, seeing multiple patients at once, dealing with high-intensity resuscitations, but Gray seemed to have all the time in the world to chat with Patrick;
5. if you get robbed, you A. contact the police, B. disable your credit/debit cards, C. attempt to locate your phone via a find-my-device service, and if that's not feasible, D. wipe/lock your device. Patrick did none of that and was bizarrely blasé about the whole thing.
Eli Easton is a rockstar. I adore her writing, but it wasn't enough to save this underwhelming, uninspired story.
October 31, 2025
And, just like that, Christmas started with sirens.
Patrick desperately wants someone to really see him and love him for who he is. But he is also the type of guy who keeps his coworkers at arms length and who doesn't have any close friends. He's planning to spend Christmas all alone playing video games. After receiving a creepy Krampus figurine from his office Secret Santa, bad luck mysteriously follows him everywhere he goes (which is mainly the Emergency Department of the local hospital). Is the figurine cursed? Or is it helping him form a connection with hot Dr. Gray?
"My Christmas wish is to meet someone. Someone who sees me—and loves me for who I really am."
I really wanted to like this book because I always love Eli Easton's writing, and who doesn't love a cute-yet-calamitous Christmas novella?! I thought the writing was as good as always, and the storyline is solid. I just struggled to feel that Christmas spirit and the connection between Patrick and Gray. They jumped right from the Emergency Department into love and while of course that has to do with Krampus finding Patrick his perfect match, it just fell flat overall for me.
"Make a wish for your heart's desire. Krampus will bring it through flood and fire."
Rating: 3
Angst: 2/5
Steam: 1/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
November 1, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
This was charming, funny, and a little emotional. A cursed holiday Knick-knack, a ginger blurter, and a doctor bear with a heart of honey collide on a magical Christmas Eve. It’s quick in the best way, instalove done right, and I was reading til way past bedtime. Eli Easton knocks it out of the park again.
This was charming, funny, and a little emotional. A cursed holiday Knick-knack, a ginger blurter, and a doctor bear with a heart of honey collide on a magical Christmas Eve. It’s quick in the best way, instalove done right, and I was reading til way past bedtime. Eli Easton knocks it out of the park again.
October 15, 2025
Drawing on her previous experience as a games designer Eli Easton brings a twist to the traditional Christmas romance with this intriguing novella.
Instead of a benevolent festive spirit bestowing gifts, we get a European tradition of the Krampus, a St Nicolas adjacent figure who punishes the naughty children with a birch rod instead of rewarding them.
After moving to Chicago to take up a position at a video games company, poor Patrick finds himself on the wrong side of the Krampus when he's given one as a Secret Santa and told to make a Christmas wish.
His request to find someone who sees the real him and falls in love results in all Hell breaking loose when, after slipping on black ice on Christmas Eve, he ends up in A&E and under the care of a wonderfully handsome and kind Dr he calls Gray Eyes.
Two further accidents and visits to A&E later and Patrick and Dr Gray Reynolds are on the search of whoever the Secret Santa giftee was.
This book was so much fun. Each chapter opens with an in game puzzle to work out which mirrors what's happening to Patrick and, as the investigation continues, he realises a few home truths about himself and his relationships with his co-workers.
It's a really sweet book, in between all the painful hospital visits, as Patrick and Gray discover they're perfect for each other while also finding out a bit more about the people Patrick works with.
Loved it!
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
Instead of a benevolent festive spirit bestowing gifts, we get a European tradition of the Krampus, a St Nicolas adjacent figure who punishes the naughty children with a birch rod instead of rewarding them.
After moving to Chicago to take up a position at a video games company, poor Patrick finds himself on the wrong side of the Krampus when he's given one as a Secret Santa and told to make a Christmas wish.
His request to find someone who sees the real him and falls in love results in all Hell breaking loose when, after slipping on black ice on Christmas Eve, he ends up in A&E and under the care of a wonderfully handsome and kind Dr he calls Gray Eyes.
Two further accidents and visits to A&E later and Patrick and Dr Gray Reynolds are on the search of whoever the Secret Santa giftee was.
This book was so much fun. Each chapter opens with an in game puzzle to work out which mirrors what's happening to Patrick and, as the investigation continues, he realises a few home truths about himself and his relationships with his co-workers.
It's a really sweet book, in between all the painful hospital visits, as Patrick and Gray discover they're perfect for each other while also finding out a bit more about the people Patrick works with.
Loved it!
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
November 9, 2025
2.5
Starting my holiday reading season with Eli Easton is almost a well established routine by now. This time she's going for a Hallmark vibe with a twist and while I never watched one of their shows I suppose this light hearted, not limited by profane reality story line is exactly what she was going for and I further suppose that Hallmark shows are also not exactly created to linger after being consumed. So it's not one of her best holiday stories but the first half was entertaining and Chicago never felt like such a small town like here.
Should I be concerned that I was able to smile while all those horrible things happened to Patrick? Maybe but then I liked the riddles at the start of every chapter (I better hope I'll never find myself in front of a sphinx or troll because I seem to be bad with solving riddles) and how much thought she'd given in creating the accidents but that is also the reason why sometime in the 2nd half I was more frowning than smiling. Latest when they found the secret Santa and were told how they got Krampus and what happened to them, it stopped to be a comforting holiday read and Patrick and Gray lost my sympathy when they decided to leave that cursed figurine with its last owner. That part's the reason for downgrading what was until then a 3-star rating.
Starting my holiday reading season with Eli Easton is almost a well established routine by now. This time she's going for a Hallmark vibe with a twist and while I never watched one of their shows I suppose this light hearted, not limited by profane reality story line is exactly what she was going for and I further suppose that Hallmark shows are also not exactly created to linger after being consumed. So it's not one of her best holiday stories but the first half was entertaining and Chicago never felt like such a small town like here.
Should I be concerned that I was able to smile while all those horrible things happened to Patrick? Maybe but then I liked the riddles at the start of every chapter (I better hope I'll never find myself in front of a sphinx or troll because I seem to be bad with solving riddles) and how much thought she'd given in creating the accidents but that is also the reason why sometime in the 2nd half I was more frowning than smiling. Latest when they found the secret Santa and were told how they got Krampus and what happened to them, it stopped to be a comforting holiday read and Patrick and Gray lost my sympathy when they decided to leave that cursed figurine with its last owner. That part's the reason for downgrading what was until then a 3-star rating.
Want to read
November 29, 2025Finally, thank you to Your GR Secret Elf for the book!
October 12, 2025
While I'm usually opposed to touching anything winter holidays before December first, I cannot skip anything Eli Easton, including holiday books. Especially because Eli's holiday books are one of the few I actually feel enthusiasm over reading.
And I really did like this one too. Like last years' book, it has a different vibe than the regular "santa cheer happy family fun" vibe most Christmas centric stories have. This one doesn't have a hurricane though, it has a cursed object that will give you what you want but will very much make you suffer for it. Patrick wants love, and krampus will make him get it no matter how many bones he breaks on the process. I really enjoyed it
And I really did like this one too. Like last years' book, it has a different vibe than the regular "santa cheer happy family fun" vibe most Christmas centric stories have. This one doesn't have a hurricane though, it has a cursed object that will give you what you want but will very much make you suffer for it. Patrick wants love, and krampus will make him get it no matter how many bones he breaks on the process. I really enjoyed it
December 7, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
A lot of this was pretty cute and easy to read, but sadly the ‘main’ main character was difficult to like, and the book is full of stereotypes for who the hell knows why. I kept thinking it was to show the MC as a grinch type character and how he would realize the judgy error of his ways and let go of those stereotypes as a sort of 'christmas lesson’, but alas, nothing came of it and I liked him just as little by the end as I did in the beginning. I honestly can’t tell if the author did it on purpose or not (at least they were aware of the ‘big family’ example below).
Short and a very cute premise, but ultimately very forgettable. Some examples of the MC being a dick and some stereotypes incoming:
Sam, in the cubicle on my other side, popped up and held out a couple of action figures. "You could take Butch and Spike with you to keep you company," he offered. "Only, make sure to bring them back in January, k? They're my favorites."
I widened my eyes. "You have favorites? Is that fair, Sam?" Sam got a guilty look and sank back into his chair. His cubicle was arrayed with at least fifty action figures. If I was a nerd, Sam was at a whole other level of geek. He even still lived at home with Mom. Poor Sam looked around at his figures anxiously and whispered something under his breath. It very much looked like, I didn't mean it.
"No! No! No!" exclaimed the Uber driver. There was more incomprehensible yelling. The driver was around fifty and looked Middle Eastern.
I cleared my throat. "You guys come from a big family?" I said, hoping to ease the tension. Raphael glanced at me. "Just us two. Not every Latino family has fourteen kids, you know."
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Christmas theme
Nerd
Doctor
Cursed with bad luck
ER meet-cute
Size difference
Redhead
A series of unfortunate events
Krampus curse
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Krampus wants us to bone
Car sex
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC hospitalized (minor injuries)
Homophobic SC (mild)
Mention of terminal cancer (SC's patent)
Explicit sexual content
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Holiday romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 27 and 34/35
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 138
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
A lot of this was pretty cute and easy to read, but sadly the ‘main’ main character was difficult to like, and the book is full of stereotypes for who the hell knows why. I kept thinking it was to show the MC as a grinch type character and how he would realize the judgy error of his ways and let go of those stereotypes as a sort of 'christmas lesson’, but alas, nothing came of it and I liked him just as little by the end as I did in the beginning. I honestly can’t tell if the author did it on purpose or not (at least they were aware of the ‘big family’ example below).
Short and a very cute premise, but ultimately very forgettable. Some examples of the MC being a dick and some stereotypes incoming:
Sam, in the cubicle on my other side, popped up and held out a couple of action figures. "You could take Butch and Spike with you to keep you company," he offered. "Only, make sure to bring them back in January, k? They're my favorites."
I widened my eyes. "You have favorites? Is that fair, Sam?" Sam got a guilty look and sank back into his chair. His cubicle was arrayed with at least fifty action figures. If I was a nerd, Sam was at a whole other level of geek. He even still lived at home with Mom. Poor Sam looked around at his figures anxiously and whispered something under his breath. It very much looked like, I didn't mean it.
"No! No! No!" exclaimed the Uber driver. There was more incomprehensible yelling. The driver was around fifty and looked Middle Eastern.
I cleared my throat. "You guys come from a big family?" I said, hoping to ease the tension. Raphael glanced at me. "Just us two. Not every Latino family has fourteen kids, you know."
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Christmas theme
Nerd
Doctor
Cursed with bad luck
ER meet-cute
Size difference
Redhead
A series of unfortunate events
Krampus curse
⚠️ Spice menu ⚠️
Krampus wants us to bone
Car sex
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC hospitalized (minor injuries)
Homophobic SC (mild)
Mention of terminal cancer (SC's patent)
Explicit sexual content
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Holiday romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 27 and 34/35
Series: Standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 138
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
December 6, 2025
3.5 stars
OMG I feel so bad for Patrick!! Like… if his bones were even slightly weaker, Patrick’d probably have died in the first (or second!) accident. And sure, he says it was worth it to get his heart's desire, but still—THE PAIN. I was wincing each time it happened.
The romance wasn’t really my thing. It’s basically a one-day whirlwind, and insta-romance has never been my favorite. Even in fiction, I need a little more build-up. So overall, it’s an enjoyable novella, but not one of my top picks.
Make a wish for your heart's desire. Krampus will bring it through flood and fire
OMG I feel so bad for Patrick!! Like… if his bones were even slightly weaker, Patrick’d probably have died in the first (or second!) accident. And sure, he says it was worth it to get his heart's desire, but still—THE PAIN. I was wincing each time it happened.
The romance wasn’t really my thing. It’s basically a one-day whirlwind, and insta-romance has never been my favorite. Even in fiction, I need a little more build-up. So overall, it’s an enjoyable novella, but not one of my top picks.
October 10, 2025
"If you do give him to one of your kids, just make sure everyone in the family's got hard hats on before you do."
Every time I read an Eli Easton book it makes me happy and I can't help but smile. I haven't read a bad one yet. Her Christmas stories are wonderful and my all-time favorite is Blame It on the Mistletoe. All the books I've read or listened to, by this author, have been funny and sweet and this one is no exception.
A secret Santa gift goes awry. Next time you receive one be very very careful.
I felt a bit A Christmas Carol nostalgic as Patrick and Gray went and visited three of Patrick's co-workers. At each stop Patrick learned something about them that brought them closer together.
A Christmas rom-com, 8-year age gap, two lonely men, everything that could go wrong pretty much did, laugh out loud funny
Every time I read an Eli Easton book it makes me happy and I can't help but smile. I haven't read a bad one yet. Her Christmas stories are wonderful and my all-time favorite is Blame It on the Mistletoe. All the books I've read or listened to, by this author, have been funny and sweet and this one is no exception.
A secret Santa gift goes awry. Next time you receive one be very very careful.
I felt a bit A Christmas Carol nostalgic as Patrick and Gray went and visited three of Patrick's co-workers. At each stop Patrick learned something about them that brought them closer together.
A Christmas rom-com, 8-year age gap, two lonely men, everything that could go wrong pretty much did, laugh out loud funny
October 12, 2025
Absolutely worth every moment. This had me smiling and giggling throughout the entire book. Poor Patrick! A disaster at every turn keeps landing him back in the ER and in front of Gray. I loved that Gray grabbed hold of the chance to be with Patrick. Patrick gets to know and understand his co-workers in his quest to deal with Krampus. I really liked that it changed his outlook towards them and made him realize how closed off he had become.
Highly recommended
Highly recommended
October 5, 2025
This was so much fun 😂
Patrick is given a secret Santa gift that, through a series of unfortunate events, leads him to Gray, an ER doctor. The curse on the gift can be broken but only if they can figure out who gave it.
It was a really fun novella and had me smiling the entire time. Patrick’s wit and humour kept the bad luck in the story light and entertaining. Gray’s levelheaded nature is tested when even he can’t deny something is afoot. It goes from bad to worse until they figure out what Krampus is up to!
Upbeat, silly, and very enjoyable. Loved it.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
Patrick is given a secret Santa gift that, through a series of unfortunate events, leads him to Gray, an ER doctor. The curse on the gift can be broken but only if they can figure out who gave it.
It was a really fun novella and had me smiling the entire time. Patrick’s wit and humour kept the bad luck in the story light and entertaining. Gray’s levelheaded nature is tested when even he can’t deny something is afoot. It goes from bad to worse until they figure out what Krampus is up to!
Upbeat, silly, and very enjoyable. Loved it.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
October 25, 2025
The Curse Before Christmas is the story of Patrick and Gray. After receiving a Krampus figurine in his office's secret Santa exchange Patrick keeps ending up in the ER where he meets Dr. Gray. The two work to find out who gave Patrick the cursed Krampus figurine. I thought this was just a great story. The guys compliment each other perfectly. This was just a fun novella that had me smiling the entire time. Because of Krampus, Patrick gets to know his coworkers better and gets Gray. I would definitely recommend this book.
received a free review copy
received a free review copy
October 21, 2025
Rating: 4.5 stars
This is an absolutely ridiculous, but completely compelling holiday romance. I didn't much care for Patrick as a character at first, but he quickly grew on me. And "Dr. Gray Eyes" - *swoon*
I laughed a lot reading this, and it was a fun bit of holiday escapism. I really like that Patrick not only find a romantic relationship, but learns a lot about his coworkers (and himself) along the way, and really sets him up to change his entire life perspective around.
I liked this book so much, I immediately went and checked out a few more books from Eli Easton's backlist. I feel like that's a pretty high recommendation. :)
This is an absolutely ridiculous, but completely compelling holiday romance. I didn't much care for Patrick as a character at first, but he quickly grew on me. And "Dr. Gray Eyes" - *swoon*
I laughed a lot reading this, and it was a fun bit of holiday escapism. I really like that Patrick not only find a romantic relationship, but learns a lot about his coworkers (and himself) along the way, and really sets him up to change his entire life perspective around.
I liked this book so much, I immediately went and checked out a few more books from Eli Easton's backlist. I feel like that's a pretty high recommendation. :)
December 24, 2025
✨ 2.5 Stars ✨
Solid writing, but instalove rarely works for me, especially when I’m not overly keen on one of the MC’s.
Solid writing, but instalove rarely works for me, especially when I’m not overly keen on one of the MC’s.
December 12, 2025
I think, ultimately, I liked this audiobook, but that comes with a couple of caveats.
Basically, the plot of this one is right there in the blurb, but a guy gets a Krampus figurine at work with a little "make a wish!" attached, and he wishes he had someone who loved him and saw him as he is, and then—BAM—Krampus starts arranging that by sending him to the ER to meet a doctor. First, it’s a concussion. Then broken arm. Back to the ER. Then he gets mugged at gunpoint so he loses his wallet and phone and then his foot is broken and… back to the ER again! He and Dr. Grey Eyes have moments with each visit, and ultimately Dr. Grey Eyes decides to drive him home (because by this point, no wallet, no ID etc.)
As Christmas stories go, that’s one heck of a unique set up. The audiobook performer did an excellent job of performing Patrick (the cursed dude) as kind of cold to his co-workers, over-focused on work, but also a bit of an asshole (or, actually, quite a bit of an asshole, to the point where I didn’t much like Patrick, actually), and Grey (the doctor) as someone trying to be professional but also intrigued (but worried) about the dude landing in his scope three times over.
The whole concept is over-the-top, silly, and a bit dark in a few places—I loved Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles and Blame It on the Mistletoe, so even though the blurb was quite different, I nabbed it; And ultimately I liked it, like I said. I don’t think this one will be a yearly re-listen like the other two.
The two caveats?
First, I’d say you have to be in the right frame of mind for this one—concussions, broken bones, guns, I think the idea was intended to land in a slapstick way, and that’s totally fine and probably works 100% if you can get your mood there, but instead I was flinching while I listened (I’ve had a broken arm, and a broken foot, so that might have had something to do with it—I struggled to believe this fellow would still be upright, let alone running around the city trying to solve a curse, especially with a concussion on top of that).
Second, there’s a thread of "you made assumptions about people" revelations for Patrick (the cursed character) that included another dude at work who earlier made on-page homophobic comments at him, and we get a "he’s not actually like that" moment, coupled with a "he just said that to get under your skin" that came across as a "wow, I totally never tried to see things from his point of view, I helped build this situation" and… uh, no? Sorry, but the moment sometime tosses some queer-hate, queerfolk don’t have to get more open/considerate/empathetic/patient. At that point, minimizing contact is all you’ve got, or if you can’t, you try not to show weakness and/or fight back if that’s an option and… Well. That was a moment in the story that landed really off for me, to the point where I took a break from listening for a bit.
Basically, the plot of this one is right there in the blurb, but a guy gets a Krampus figurine at work with a little "make a wish!" attached, and he wishes he had someone who loved him and saw him as he is, and then—BAM—Krampus starts arranging that by sending him to the ER to meet a doctor. First, it’s a concussion. Then broken arm. Back to the ER. Then he gets mugged at gunpoint so he loses his wallet and phone and then his foot is broken and… back to the ER again! He and Dr. Grey Eyes have moments with each visit, and ultimately Dr. Grey Eyes decides to drive him home (because by this point, no wallet, no ID etc.)
As Christmas stories go, that’s one heck of a unique set up. The audiobook performer did an excellent job of performing Patrick (the cursed dude) as kind of cold to his co-workers, over-focused on work, but also a bit of an asshole (or, actually, quite a bit of an asshole, to the point where I didn’t much like Patrick, actually), and Grey (the doctor) as someone trying to be professional but also intrigued (but worried) about the dude landing in his scope three times over.
The whole concept is over-the-top, silly, and a bit dark in a few places—I loved Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles and Blame It on the Mistletoe, so even though the blurb was quite different, I nabbed it; And ultimately I liked it, like I said. I don’t think this one will be a yearly re-listen like the other two.
The two caveats?
First, I’d say you have to be in the right frame of mind for this one—concussions, broken bones, guns, I think the idea was intended to land in a slapstick way, and that’s totally fine and probably works 100% if you can get your mood there, but instead I was flinching while I listened (I’ve had a broken arm, and a broken foot, so that might have had something to do with it—I struggled to believe this fellow would still be upright, let alone running around the city trying to solve a curse, especially with a concussion on top of that).
Second, there’s a thread of "you made assumptions about people" revelations for Patrick (the cursed character) that included another dude at work who earlier made on-page homophobic comments at him, and we get a "he’s not actually like that" moment, coupled with a "he just said that to get under your skin" that came across as a "wow, I totally never tried to see things from his point of view, I helped build this situation" and… uh, no? Sorry, but the moment sometime tosses some queer-hate, queerfolk don’t have to get more open/considerate/empathetic/patient. At that point, minimizing contact is all you’ve got, or if you can’t, you try not to show weakness and/or fight back if that’s an option and… Well. That was a moment in the story that landed really off for me, to the point where I took a break from listening for a bit.
November 8, 2025
The Curse Before Christmas is a stand-alone holiday story starring Patrick Booker, a game developer, and Gray Reynolds, a doctor. This is told in first person from Patrick and Gray’s povs.
I like the cover. It’s different from most of the typical m/m covers currently published. And it conveys Patrick’s surprise at everything that happens to him in the story.
The blurb does a good job of explaining the plot so I’ll only add a little. There are a lot of bad accidents that happen to Patrick that get him sent to the hospital. I don’t know if it’s a large hospital or not, but I’m surprised that Gray is the only one who’s working the emergency rooms. First this story is a contemporary that bends towards fantasy because of the Krampus gift. However, since it’s based in reality, the situations that happen should be based in this reality. Instead, they also bend towards fantasy. For instance, that only Gray works in the emergency wards and that he has time to monitor and chat up Patrick when he comes in every time. Another is when Patrick is robbed. He never files a police report, and there’s no mention of him getting any of his items back. But he has time to run around searching for who gifted him the Krampus during the secret Santa gift exchange.
The next is something that is specific to me and what I enjoy. I thought this book would be a fluffy holiday read. I don’t consider it to be one because the accidents that Patrick suffers are serious. A concussion, he’s almost killed, he gets a broken arm, and an injured foot. I don’t find any of that humorous. I like corny, cheesy, dad jokes, dry humor like the British comedies. Jokes that make a person groan because they’re bad. Not the kind where someone is hurt. The funny parts were when Patrick couldn’t control what he was saying because he was drugged or concussed.
I liked Gray, he was a caring person, but he dedicated his life to his work without having close friends, just like Patrick. Patrick learned on his search for who gave him the Krampus, how his co-workers lived, and how Patrick completely misunderstood them as people because he cared more about his work than who he was working with. So, this story is more about Patrick growing as a person.
The one thing that bothered me is the ending, where a narrator comes in and part of the scene is written in italics. I didn’t like it. I would say it ruined the story for me. Throughout the story the readers never know if the Krampus curse is real, or if it’s just a series of unfortunate events that are happening to Patrick, and weird things happening to Gray. We don’t know and that is part of the magic of Krampus. Instead, the author decided to give us a scene that shows us if the Krampus curse is real or not. And I was not happy. Why spoil the mystery? The magic of Christmas is to be a mystery, not give all the answers. That omniscient narrator voice that described the answer was a huge let down. If the author had let the snow slide be natural, and miss them, then the readers would know the answer if the curse was lifted or not, or they could believe the curse wasn’t real in the first place. The choice should have been left to the readers on what they chose to believe instead. Me, I didn’t like the ending.
The Curse Before Christmas is mostly an okay book. It has a good holiday feeling and is a fast read. The editing and formatting are good. I liked Gray, not so much Patrick. This is not a fluffy story because I didn’t find the accidents humorous, they were disturbing. Most of all, I disliked the ending where we’re given the answer on whether the Krampus curse is real. I didn’t want to know. I wanted to form my own thoughts and have the answer remain magical. Therefore, I give this book, 3 Stars. I think there are probably people who will think this is funny, and it is definitely a holiday read.
I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest and unbiased review.
I like the cover. It’s different from most of the typical m/m covers currently published. And it conveys Patrick’s surprise at everything that happens to him in the story.
The blurb does a good job of explaining the plot so I’ll only add a little. There are a lot of bad accidents that happen to Patrick that get him sent to the hospital. I don’t know if it’s a large hospital or not, but I’m surprised that Gray is the only one who’s working the emergency rooms. First this story is a contemporary that bends towards fantasy because of the Krampus gift. However, since it’s based in reality, the situations that happen should be based in this reality. Instead, they also bend towards fantasy. For instance, that only Gray works in the emergency wards and that he has time to monitor and chat up Patrick when he comes in every time. Another is when Patrick is robbed. He never files a police report, and there’s no mention of him getting any of his items back. But he has time to run around searching for who gifted him the Krampus during the secret Santa gift exchange.
The next is something that is specific to me and what I enjoy. I thought this book would be a fluffy holiday read. I don’t consider it to be one because the accidents that Patrick suffers are serious. A concussion, he’s almost killed, he gets a broken arm, and an injured foot. I don’t find any of that humorous. I like corny, cheesy, dad jokes, dry humor like the British comedies. Jokes that make a person groan because they’re bad. Not the kind where someone is hurt. The funny parts were when Patrick couldn’t control what he was saying because he was drugged or concussed.
I liked Gray, he was a caring person, but he dedicated his life to his work without having close friends, just like Patrick. Patrick learned on his search for who gave him the Krampus, how his co-workers lived, and how Patrick completely misunderstood them as people because he cared more about his work than who he was working with. So, this story is more about Patrick growing as a person.
The one thing that bothered me is the ending, where a narrator comes in and part of the scene is written in italics. I didn’t like it. I would say it ruined the story for me. Throughout the story the readers never know if the Krampus curse is real, or if it’s just a series of unfortunate events that are happening to Patrick, and weird things happening to Gray. We don’t know and that is part of the magic of Krampus. Instead, the author decided to give us a scene that shows us if the Krampus curse is real or not. And I was not happy. Why spoil the mystery? The magic of Christmas is to be a mystery, not give all the answers. That omniscient narrator voice that described the answer was a huge let down. If the author had let the snow slide be natural, and miss them, then the readers would know the answer if the curse was lifted or not, or they could believe the curse wasn’t real in the first place. The choice should have been left to the readers on what they chose to believe instead. Me, I didn’t like the ending.
The Curse Before Christmas is mostly an okay book. It has a good holiday feeling and is a fast read. The editing and formatting are good. I liked Gray, not so much Patrick. This is not a fluffy story because I didn’t find the accidents humorous, they were disturbing. Most of all, I disliked the ending where we’re given the answer on whether the Krampus curse is real. I didn’t want to know. I wanted to form my own thoughts and have the answer remain magical. Therefore, I give this book, 3 Stars. I think there are probably people who will think this is funny, and it is definitely a holiday read.
I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest and unbiased review.
October 31, 2025
“The Curse Before Christmas”
Overall rating: 4.5 🌟
Story: 5🌟
Couple: 5🌟
Spice/Steam: 1🌟
Side characters: 5🌟
I cannot skip anything Eli Easton. She was the writer of my first MM book and got me hooked on reading more MM books. That book was Unwrapping Hank.
I really did like this one too. Like last years' book, it has a different vibe than the regular "santa cheer happy family fun" vibe most Christmas centric stories have. This one has a cursed object that will give you what you want but will very much make you suffer for it. Patrick wants love, and krampus will make him get it no matter how many bones he breaks on the process.
How do you imagine someone ending up in the hospital three times in the same day? And finding his love in the ER? Everybody deserves a handsome (HOT) and sweet doctor like Dr. Gray.
The interspersed riddles and the search for a solution to break this curse made it a more enjoyable story. As always, Eli excels at adding engaging side characters, that's a great achievement for a Christmas story 138 pages long.
I find the relationship between Patrick and Gray believable. Again, I think it's incredibly clever to pull this off in such a short story.
I like to finish with my review with the things I liked about the book.
🌲 Original Christmas story
🌲 The mystery element and the riddles (I liked this a lot)
🌲 The love between Patrick and Gray is believable
🌲 The side characters (chef kiss)
🌲 Writing style, pacing and structure of this story is well put together
Overall rating: 4.5 🌟
Story: 5🌟
Couple: 5🌟
Spice/Steam: 1🌟
Side characters: 5🌟
I cannot skip anything Eli Easton. She was the writer of my first MM book and got me hooked on reading more MM books. That book was Unwrapping Hank.
I really did like this one too. Like last years' book, it has a different vibe than the regular "santa cheer happy family fun" vibe most Christmas centric stories have. This one has a cursed object that will give you what you want but will very much make you suffer for it. Patrick wants love, and krampus will make him get it no matter how many bones he breaks on the process.
How do you imagine someone ending up in the hospital three times in the same day? And finding his love in the ER? Everybody deserves a handsome (HOT) and sweet doctor like Dr. Gray.
The interspersed riddles and the search for a solution to break this curse made it a more enjoyable story. As always, Eli excels at adding engaging side characters, that's a great achievement for a Christmas story 138 pages long.
I find the relationship between Patrick and Gray believable. Again, I think it's incredibly clever to pull this off in such a short story.
I like to finish with my review with the things I liked about the book.
🌲 Original Christmas story
🌲 The mystery element and the riddles (I liked this a lot)
🌲 The love between Patrick and Gray is believable
🌲 The side characters (chef kiss)
🌲 Writing style, pacing and structure of this story is well put together
December 10, 2025
it was rather brilliant, this one :)
December 13, 2025
Well this was just too cute! An amusing and engaging romantic treat - 3.5 stars.
December 12, 2025
“Please let this be real, I prayed. Because the thing about magic is, once you've accepted that it's legit, it means anything might vanish at any moment. Like the wolves. Like Cinderella's coach turning back into a pumpkin. ”
- Patrick
- Patrick
December 11, 2025
I really enjoyed this! Just don't start overthinking any of it 😄
November 25, 2025
Cute and fun.
Must be willing to suspend realism, as again serious injuries are ignored for the sake of a little sex.
But apart from that it was still an enjoyable story.
Must be willing to suspend realism, as again serious injuries are ignored for the sake of a little sex.
But apart from that it was still an enjoyable story.
December 4, 2025
Cute little instalove Christmas story.
November 3, 2025
Fun Christmas Romance 🎄
Cleverly written, this book is pure holiday escapism, packed with laughter and a sweet romance. It's just what I needed at the moment, as a distraction from all the nonsense going on in the world today.
When Patrick receives an antique looking Krampus figurine as a secret Santa gift from one of his work colleagues, life takes a weird turn. Soon after, a series of 'out there' calamities start happening, making Patrick a frequent, and injured guest to the Emergency Room. The only bright spot in all of this chaos? The dreamboat and caring ER doctor, Dr. Gray Reynolds. Patrick comes to believe that the figurine is cursed, and the only way to lift said curse is to find the one who gifted the Krampus and return it to the co worker. He and Gray decide to take matters into their own hands.
From then on the story turns into a classic holiday romcom. It's magical, wacky, and has a light, fun touch, written beautifully by Eli Easton. Despite the curse, the story really is very Christmassy, and has a sweet vibe which adds a wonderful feeling of festive cheer. All this, even as things look bleak for Patrick.
For a Christmas book that will genuinely make you smile, follow two lonely men who find love in the unlikeliest of circumstances, the worst possible Christmas Eve, during a high-stakes scavenger hunt. I loved how Patrick and Gray's journey came to a deeply warm and satisfying conclusion. Eli Easton, you never let me down. Definitely one to re read.
I received an ARC of this story, which in no way influenced my opinion.
Cleverly written, this book is pure holiday escapism, packed with laughter and a sweet romance. It's just what I needed at the moment, as a distraction from all the nonsense going on in the world today.
When Patrick receives an antique looking Krampus figurine as a secret Santa gift from one of his work colleagues, life takes a weird turn. Soon after, a series of 'out there' calamities start happening, making Patrick a frequent, and injured guest to the Emergency Room. The only bright spot in all of this chaos? The dreamboat and caring ER doctor, Dr. Gray Reynolds. Patrick comes to believe that the figurine is cursed, and the only way to lift said curse is to find the one who gifted the Krampus and return it to the co worker. He and Gray decide to take matters into their own hands.
From then on the story turns into a classic holiday romcom. It's magical, wacky, and has a light, fun touch, written beautifully by Eli Easton. Despite the curse, the story really is very Christmassy, and has a sweet vibe which adds a wonderful feeling of festive cheer. All this, even as things look bleak for Patrick.
For a Christmas book that will genuinely make you smile, follow two lonely men who find love in the unlikeliest of circumstances, the worst possible Christmas Eve, during a high-stakes scavenger hunt. I loved how Patrick and Gray's journey came to a deeply warm and satisfying conclusion. Eli Easton, you never let me down. Definitely one to re read.
I received an ARC of this story, which in no way influenced my opinion.
December 23, 2025
3.5⭐️ gladly rounding up
The Curse Before Christmas took me a bit to warm up to. For the first two or three chapters, I wasn’t entirely sure if the tone was going to click for me, and I felt a little disconnected from the story. But once it settled into itself, it became genuinely fun, and by the end, I was very glad I stuck with it.
This is a holiday novella about Patrick, a game developer who ends up with a Krampus figurine during his office Secret Santa exchange. Unfortunately for him, the figurine appears to be cursed. A series of increasingly ridiculous and painful accidents follow, to the point where Patrick becomes a repeat visitor at the emergency room. By the third ER visit, even he has to admit that maybe—just maybe—this creepy little holiday demon is more than just bad luck.
Enter the hot ER doctor, who not only keeps patching Patrick up, but eventually gets pulled into the mystery. Together, they try to track down who gave Patrick the cursed figurine in the first place, and from there the story really finds its stride. The escalating disasters are over-the-top in the best way, and the humour lands more and more as the novella goes on. Especially once they find out who the culprit was…
What surprised me most was how consistently funny and honest this became. Once the premise fully kicked in, I was genuinely entertained, and the chemistry between Patrick and the doctor added a warm, flirty undercurrent that balanced out the slapstick chaos nicely. Patrick's hunt of his colleagues was nice to witness. It never takes itself too seriously, but delivers also some depth, which works perfectly for a cursed-Christmas-object setup.
This landed at about 3.55 stars for me, mostly because I felt like it was a bit too short, but I’m rounding up to four because the payoff was worth the messy start. It’s a light, ridiculous, holiday-themed novella that leans into absurdity, minor supernatural chaos, and unexpected romance, and once it gets going, it’s a really good time.
The Curse Before Christmas took me a bit to warm up to. For the first two or three chapters, I wasn’t entirely sure if the tone was going to click for me, and I felt a little disconnected from the story. But once it settled into itself, it became genuinely fun, and by the end, I was very glad I stuck with it.
This is a holiday novella about Patrick, a game developer who ends up with a Krampus figurine during his office Secret Santa exchange. Unfortunately for him, the figurine appears to be cursed. A series of increasingly ridiculous and painful accidents follow, to the point where Patrick becomes a repeat visitor at the emergency room. By the third ER visit, even he has to admit that maybe—just maybe—this creepy little holiday demon is more than just bad luck.
Enter the hot ER doctor, who not only keeps patching Patrick up, but eventually gets pulled into the mystery. Together, they try to track down who gave Patrick the cursed figurine in the first place, and from there the story really finds its stride. The escalating disasters are over-the-top in the best way, and the humour lands more and more as the novella goes on. Especially once they find out who the culprit was…
What surprised me most was how consistently funny and honest this became. Once the premise fully kicked in, I was genuinely entertained, and the chemistry between Patrick and the doctor added a warm, flirty undercurrent that balanced out the slapstick chaos nicely. Patrick's hunt of his colleagues was nice to witness. It never takes itself too seriously, but delivers also some depth, which works perfectly for a cursed-Christmas-object setup.
This landed at about 3.55 stars for me, mostly because I felt like it was a bit too short, but I’m rounding up to four because the payoff was worth the messy start. It’s a light, ridiculous, holiday-themed novella that leans into absurdity, minor supernatural chaos, and unexpected romance, and once it gets going, it’s a really good time.
November 3, 2025
Firstly let me say I got this book from Gay romance reviews and this is me leaving my honest review.
I have got to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this Read. Patrick is very happy where he works. He’s lived in Chicago for a year now and spending Christmas alone doesn’t worry him. His sister and himself bought their parents a cruise for Christmas so he was staying in Chicago. At work on their secret Santa Patrick was surprised to get an antique Krampus figurine. No one owned up to it and if honest, Patrick wasn’t bothered anyway he didn’t really know the people he worked well and that was on him. As he leaves work on Christmas Eve, he slips on ice and the next thing he knows he’s waking up to the faces of two paramedics both called Jim. He finds himself on the way to the emergency room and this is where he comes in to contact with the very sexy doctor with grey eyes. Patrick isn’t known for flirting and the bang on their head must of knocked something because he couldn’t help himself.
Dr. Gray would be glad when his shift was over but at least he has Christmas Day off. When a patient comes in after being knocked out Gray realises there’s something about this one patient that makes him want to get to know him better, but of course he can’t because he’s his patient. I don’t wanna give too much away, but what I will say is this is the first of three emergency room meetings for these pair with Patrick ending up with new injuries but also starts an attraction between Dr Gray and Patrick. But when Patrick tries to explain that the figurine has given him bad luck, the doctor starts to worry about his mental health is he trying to hurt himself. There are so many times in this book that I just had to laugh and I found that was reading this book. I had the biggest grin on my face. Don’t want to give The the ending away, but this is a fantastic read.
I have got to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this Read. Patrick is very happy where he works. He’s lived in Chicago for a year now and spending Christmas alone doesn’t worry him. His sister and himself bought their parents a cruise for Christmas so he was staying in Chicago. At work on their secret Santa Patrick was surprised to get an antique Krampus figurine. No one owned up to it and if honest, Patrick wasn’t bothered anyway he didn’t really know the people he worked well and that was on him. As he leaves work on Christmas Eve, he slips on ice and the next thing he knows he’s waking up to the faces of two paramedics both called Jim. He finds himself on the way to the emergency room and this is where he comes in to contact with the very sexy doctor with grey eyes. Patrick isn’t known for flirting and the bang on their head must of knocked something because he couldn’t help himself.
Dr. Gray would be glad when his shift was over but at least he has Christmas Day off. When a patient comes in after being knocked out Gray realises there’s something about this one patient that makes him want to get to know him better, but of course he can’t because he’s his patient. I don’t wanna give too much away, but what I will say is this is the first of three emergency room meetings for these pair with Patrick ending up with new injuries but also starts an attraction between Dr Gray and Patrick. But when Patrick tries to explain that the figurine has given him bad luck, the doctor starts to worry about his mental health is he trying to hurt himself. There are so many times in this book that I just had to laugh and I found that was reading this book. I had the biggest grin on my face. Don’t want to give The the ending away, but this is a fantastic read.
Read
November 25, 2025B / 4 stars
Eli Easton’s standalone novella, The Curse Before Christmas, is a cute bit of undemanding seasonal fluff in which a lonely game designer finds love with an overworked ER doctor in a way that is more naughty than nice!
Patrick Bocker moved from California to take a job as lead coder at Myth Monster Games in Chicago, but several months later, he still hasn’t really made any friends among his colleagues and is basically planning to spend Christmas alone playing video games. On Christmas Eve, just before everyone heads home for the holiday, the office Secret Santa gifts are distributed – and Patrick is surprised to discover that he does actually have a gift, as the person who had drawn his name has left the company. The gift, however, turns out to be a little… strange. The elaborately painted, ten-inch-tall figurine of Krampus (in Central and Eastern European folklore, Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas on his visits to children on the night of 5th December, and while St. Nick rewards good children with gifts, Krampus punishes the naughty ones) has something written on the bottom in a different language, but there’s a card with a translation on it:
Eh. Patrick figures he’ll give it a go and quietly wishes to meet someone who will see him and love him for who he really is. And then calls himself pathetic and thinks maybe he needs to get out more.
On the way home, Patrick is trudging along the snowy sidewalk when he slips on a patch of ice and hits his head. Next thing he knows, he’s being picked up, loaded into an ambulance and taken to the local hospital to be checked out. The one bright spot in the day appears when his doctor does; he’s handsome and kind with gorgeous eyes - and Patrick is more than a little bit smitten.
A patient who may be concussed after slipping on ice is far from unusual in the ER at this time of year, but Dr. Gray Reynolds is temporarily thrown off balance by the stunning red head with the big blue eyes (and the pissed off expression) – who is definitely flirting with him. Still, he isn’t about to make a move on a patient, no matter how cute he is.
Unfortunately for Patrick, his bad luck doesn’t end there, and he’s back in the ER a few hours later after being hit by a car. He has a broken arm, but it could have been a lot worse; a concerned Gray arranges an Uber to take Patrick home and thinks that will be the end of it. Until later that evening, when one of the EMTs tells him that he’s just picked up Patrick again. Gray almost can’t believe it – surely no-one is this accident prone?
When Patrick lands in the ER for the third time that day, he’s tired and he’s hurt, and he decides he might as well tell Gray everything. He’s already begun to suspect that the Krampus figure is somehow responsible for the bad luck that’s been following him around all day, and has worked out that the way to break the curse is to return it to whoever gave it to him. Gray offers to drive him home to make sure he gets there safely; on the way, they stop off for something to eat and really start getting to know each other, discovering a mutual love of gaming, horror movies, and hiking; learning that they have similar aims and outlooks as Patrick realises that for the first time in probably ever, here is someone who gets him. As Gray and Patrick call on some of his colleagues to see if they can return the Krampus, Patrick finally gets to know something about the people he works with and realises how closed-off he’s become and that maybe he’s misjudged them. And Gray realises that he, too, has been guilty of putting parts of himself into a box in order to focus on his career and that it’s time to stop letting life pass him by. Maybe getting to grips with living life to the fullest is something they can do… together?
The Curse Before Christmas is a light-hearted, whacky and magical story about two lonely men finding their heart’s desire in the unlikeliest of circumstances. I liked Patrick’s wryly humourous voice and Gray’s quiet confidence together with the underlying message that it’s important not to lose sight of the things in life that make the difference between living and merely existing. It’s impossible not to have fun with this one – it’s silly, upbeat and charming, (and thankfully devoid of the overdone sentimentality that can creep into romances at this time of year!) and while the romance is insta-love-y, it works because of the premise, the chemistry and because it’s clear that we’re seeing the beginning of a relationship that will go the distance. Recommended when you’re in the mood for a quick but delightful festive pick-me-up.
Eli Easton’s standalone novella, The Curse Before Christmas, is a cute bit of undemanding seasonal fluff in which a lonely game designer finds love with an overworked ER doctor in a way that is more naughty than nice!
Patrick Bocker moved from California to take a job as lead coder at Myth Monster Games in Chicago, but several months later, he still hasn’t really made any friends among his colleagues and is basically planning to spend Christmas alone playing video games. On Christmas Eve, just before everyone heads home for the holiday, the office Secret Santa gifts are distributed – and Patrick is surprised to discover that he does actually have a gift, as the person who had drawn his name has left the company. The gift, however, turns out to be a little… strange. The elaborately painted, ten-inch-tall figurine of Krampus (in Central and Eastern European folklore, Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas on his visits to children on the night of 5th December, and while St. Nick rewards good children with gifts, Krampus punishes the naughty ones) has something written on the bottom in a different language, but there’s a card with a translation on it:
“Make a wish for you heart’s desire. Krampus will bring it through flood and fire.”
Eh. Patrick figures he’ll give it a go and quietly wishes to meet someone who will see him and love him for who he really is. And then calls himself pathetic and thinks maybe he needs to get out more.
On the way home, Patrick is trudging along the snowy sidewalk when he slips on a patch of ice and hits his head. Next thing he knows, he’s being picked up, loaded into an ambulance and taken to the local hospital to be checked out. The one bright spot in the day appears when his doctor does; he’s handsome and kind with gorgeous eyes - and Patrick is more than a little bit smitten.
A patient who may be concussed after slipping on ice is far from unusual in the ER at this time of year, but Dr. Gray Reynolds is temporarily thrown off balance by the stunning red head with the big blue eyes (and the pissed off expression) – who is definitely flirting with him. Still, he isn’t about to make a move on a patient, no matter how cute he is.
Unfortunately for Patrick, his bad luck doesn’t end there, and he’s back in the ER a few hours later after being hit by a car. He has a broken arm, but it could have been a lot worse; a concerned Gray arranges an Uber to take Patrick home and thinks that will be the end of it. Until later that evening, when one of the EMTs tells him that he’s just picked up Patrick again. Gray almost can’t believe it – surely no-one is this accident prone?
When Patrick lands in the ER for the third time that day, he’s tired and he’s hurt, and he decides he might as well tell Gray everything. He’s already begun to suspect that the Krampus figure is somehow responsible for the bad luck that’s been following him around all day, and has worked out that the way to break the curse is to return it to whoever gave it to him. Gray offers to drive him home to make sure he gets there safely; on the way, they stop off for something to eat and really start getting to know each other, discovering a mutual love of gaming, horror movies, and hiking; learning that they have similar aims and outlooks as Patrick realises that for the first time in probably ever, here is someone who gets him. As Gray and Patrick call on some of his colleagues to see if they can return the Krampus, Patrick finally gets to know something about the people he works with and realises how closed-off he’s become and that maybe he’s misjudged them. And Gray realises that he, too, has been guilty of putting parts of himself into a box in order to focus on his career and that it’s time to stop letting life pass him by. Maybe getting to grips with living life to the fullest is something they can do… together?
The Curse Before Christmas is a light-hearted, whacky and magical story about two lonely men finding their heart’s desire in the unlikeliest of circumstances. I liked Patrick’s wryly humourous voice and Gray’s quiet confidence together with the underlying message that it’s important not to lose sight of the things in life that make the difference between living and merely existing. It’s impossible not to have fun with this one – it’s silly, upbeat and charming, (and thankfully devoid of the overdone sentimentality that can creep into romances at this time of year!) and while the romance is insta-love-y, it works because of the premise, the chemistry and because it’s clear that we’re seeing the beginning of a relationship that will go the distance. Recommended when you’re in the mood for a quick but delightful festive pick-me-up.
November 1, 2025
Patrick got a weird Secret Santa gift- a Krampus figurine and he wishes to meet a special someone. Apparently, it's cursed because he keeps having accidents and meets a cute ER Doc Gray. His flirting with a head injury is funny and I lived some of his spoken out loud thoughts like his ability to recognize a bladder infection. Humorous, sweet and a short read, well worth it. I received a copy of this through GRR and this is my voluntary opinion.
December 14, 2025
3.5 stars
My goal was Christmas was to avoid any kind of mystical magical thing in any of my books so much good luck with Eli Easton I gave this a shot. It was by no mean of failure. It was cute. It was fun. It was light. It kept moving and I was glad it was not too long. I did enjoy the two main characters. I just wish they had come together more natural way cause I learned nothing about them.
My goal was Christmas was to avoid any kind of mystical magical thing in any of my books so much good luck with Eli Easton I gave this a shot. It was by no mean of failure. It was cute. It was fun. It was light. It kept moving and I was glad it was not too long. I did enjoy the two main characters. I just wish they had come together more natural way cause I learned nothing about them.
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