A Christmas Inn, Maine: A Feel-Good, Queer Holiday Rom-Com

by Aaron Kyte

A sparkling queer holiday rom-com about a former book editor determined to save his family’s failing inn… and the infuriatingly charming contractor he can’t seem to cut from the narrative.

Freshly dumped and jobless, Adam Wheatley has a list of personal failures as long as his arm. Forced to move back to his sleepy Maine hometown, he feels completely without purpose… until he learns that his aunt Rose has been keeping a secret: her beloved inn is failing, and she’s just weeks away from losing her home and her livelihood.

Adam has a brilliant idea to save the business: he’ll take charge of renovating the inn, and organize a grand re-opening on Christmas Eve. Then, victorious, he’ll move back to the city to rebuild his life and his career in publishing.

But when the renovation proves more “flop” than “flip,” Adam realizes it will take a Christmas miracle to turn things around. Enter Graham—the maddeningly competent, ridiculously attractive contractor who offers to help… in exchange for a place to stay. He’s talented, patient, kind, and far too easy to like, which is inconvenient, because Adam has sworn off romance. Permanently.

As the inn’s future becomes even more uncertain, and his feelings for Graham grow more confusing, Adam finds himself rewriting more than just his to-do lists. Because the future he thought he wanted—and the one he’s starting to build with Graham—might not be the same story at all.

And this time, there’s no easy edit.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Contemporary, Queer, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Aaron Kyte grew up on the East Coast of Canada and graduated from The University of New Brunswick. He then moved to Toronto where he went to theatre school, worked as an actor, did terrible temp jobs, planned weddings, hosted television, and starred in way too many Swiss Chalet Commercials.

He currently lives in a small town in Ontario with his partner and their rescue dog. A Christmas Inn, Maine is his first novel.

Reviews

[Jo B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am constantly on the hunt for a cozy, sweet Christmas romance for my best friend who has started a tradition of reading one around the holidays every year.
I think I got about 12 pages in and was texting him that I had found this year’s book.
This was so lovely and heartwarming - it’s like this author mixed all the best parts of a Hallmark movie with an episode of Gilmore Girls, and I was delighted.
These characters were sweet, flawed, and relatable. Adam’s anxious, list making, perfectionist self speared me right through the heart. Graham definitely surpassed the cliche “Hallmark hometown love interest” with layers of depth all his own.
I know some people aren’t a huge fan of miscommunication as a plot point, but I thought this was done really well (or maybe this was lack-of-communication). I feel like those elements work when they’re done in line with the characters’ personalities, and the way almost everyone in this story put off talking about hard things for various reasons felt really in character for all of them.
Overall, just a really lovely story. I’m going to end up rereading this come Christmas.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this eARC!

[aribooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book won me over so so much….this is the perfect book for winter and Christmas period !!!! (I know we’re far from it right now hahahah but this was really really good). I literally devoured this book in few hours, and damn Graham and Adam? Forever in my heart.

I loved Adam, maybe because I could relate a lot to him and I think I lot of people can too, but he was a really REAL character, and I loved how he developed through the story, how he went from this insecure person to someone more confident about himself but also about his future.
And Graham ? Such a green flag please !!!! A whole green garden HAHAHA, I loved him so much and how he treated Adam, always so patient, but he also was very real with him and reminded him that his actions also impacts people around him…They were so so perfect for each other!!!

There was banter, small town vibes, Christmas setting (I’m a goner for that), but also some emotional scene, romance…this was ABSOLUTELY perfect.

Also I saw that this is the author first novel and let me tell you for a first novel this was really really good!! I’m definitely tun in for more !!!

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc !

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the EARC. It was a blast.

To start out, I will admit that I live near the general area that this book takes place, so I went into it with a grain of salt about location. But I know this place. It's the small town by where I live. It's the small town just outside Ellsworth. It's where my cousin lives. It's the quaint quintessential small New England Town where life just is. Although there is more flannel.

I have never read a debut novel as put together as this one is.

Adam and Rose annoyed me, until I realized that I do the same thing and not tell people things or ask for help. So really I annoy myself and don't want to be called out like that when I'm reading my fun little romance novel thank you.

[maddie's reading]

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the arc!

Rtc

[m✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon / Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest reviwe

I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn't — my thoughts whilst reading this were not as nice as I am going to articulate them, but here we go...

To put it simply, adam is the reason I didn't enjoy this book. This man doesn't know how to:

1) apologize
2) ask for help
3) accept said help

The proble is that, occasionally, this can be portrayed as quirky and cute, but in this instance, it wans't. In fact, I spent the entire book not rooting for him to get together with graham because that man deserved better than a person who, until the last minute, thought he could get back together with his cheating ex when said cheater eventually apologized.

He spent the entire book getting constantly mad about people not telling him things when he was doing the exact same thing in reverse. He was also so emotionally stunned that someone had to literally force him to ask for help, because he was incapable of giving even an inch.

I think what ultimately put the final nail in the coffin for me was that, when he eventually gets a call from his ex-boss (who'd wanted to replace him with someone's nepo baby and asked him to train said nepo baby) he jumps at the chance of going back, even when he's had thoughts (mind you, since right after he quits) of that company not actually being right for him as he'd been feeling underappreciated for quite some time.

He made it terribly difficult to root for him, when he spent the entire time being his own worst enemy.

[MM Romance Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron Kyte delivers one of the strongest debuts I've read in a long time with A Christmas Inn, Maine. Hallmark meets queer romance in this witty, entertaining, and heartfelt novel. The writing style was immensely satisfying, and the third-person point of view worked wonderfully. Adam's internal dialogue was consistently on point, establishing a strong sense of his character that made him both lovable and incredibly relatable. His growth from beginning to end felt genuinely earned. Graham served as the perfect counterpart, and their dynamic was refreshing to read. The only real criticism I have for this book is that we didn't get enough of Graham and Adam truly together after Adam's return. I would've thoroughly enjoyed a few more chapters of them at the end. Fingers crossed for a sequel! The best aspect of this book is the fact that love didn't suddenly fix all of Adam's problems and insecurities. He had to do the work himself in order for the love to truly find him. That choice made the story feel authentic and rewarding. I will, in fact, be reading this again when the holidays come around, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a festive, heartfelt Christmas love story.

[Katie Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and cozy Christmas romance - very hallmark-esc (but make it queer).

I really enjoyed the writing itself - it was immersive and enjoyable. The word choices and ramblings within Adam’s brain were both good at capturing his anxiety and internal spiraling, as well as cute at capturing the way an editor or word-lover would think about well…word choice.

My guess is some readers won’t like Adam, he is flawed in a really human and real way, but that’s what I thought made the book so good. Adam is stubborn, reactive, deeply insecure, and struggling (but doesn’t want to show it). His actions throughout the book were consistent with his characters, and it was fun to watching him fluctuate between self-sabotaging and growing/improving. The entire story is like one big miscommunication. And while I really enjoyed that from the consistency-to-Adam’s-character perspective, I also just wanted to shake some sense into him.

All in all, a great debut; I look forward to future stories from Aaron Kyte!

Thank you to Aaron Kyte, Avon, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this. The amazing atmosphere was very transporting. On the one hand, it's got small-town during Christmas Hallmark-style vibes. On the other hand it's got Property Brothers fix-it vibes-- but imagine if they were a gay couple instead of brothers. I know a few other advanced readers have been frustrated because Adam wasn't willing to ask for help, but this didn't bother me at all, because Adam is going through an especially hard time in the book and he feels like he needs a win. I think it's understandable that he's a bit reluctant to ask for help with the thing that he wanted to be his needed win. Yes, it's true that the main character sometimes has "I'm a mess" energy. However, isn't it nice when the guy who is a bit of a mess finds love in a believable way? Gives hope to the rest of us, doesn't it? The world has enough depictions of perfect people finding other perfect people and living perfectly. I like it when people who feel real find happiness.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam is working his way through his list of life achievements when he hits a very big snag that sends him off to his aunt’s Maine inn. Graham is the handy contractor who can give the inn a much-needed facelift before Christmas is upon them. The two of them slowly stumble through a series of almost-communicating what they want in this slow-burn romance.

It seems withholding the truth is something Adam comes by honestly, as his aunt suffers from the same affliction. This is a good story for those interested in a character who needs to rediscover what he wants in life and how to communicate those wants. If you love a miscommunication trope, this book is definitely for you.

I so would have loved to see Silver Falls fully come to life as its own character. There is something wonderful about small towns during the holidays all decked out.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn between four and five stars on this, and I kind of feel as if I should round up simply for the proper use of "forgo." Still, I remain stingy with five-star ratings.

That said, I enjoyed the heck out of this story. It skillfully balances the predictability of a holiday rom-com with enough unexpected twists to keep readers on their toes. It's true that Adam makes some big mistakes along the way, and I understand why some reviewers got fed up with him, but I was willing to forgive and move on. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Aaron Kyte and NetGalley for the ARC! 📚

As someone else stated in their review: Hallmark, but make it queer!

I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars, but it was almost a 3. I really enjoyed the storyline, but the characters and setting fell short. I was missing the cozy, atmospheric vibe that I expected from the description. I also felt that the character Aaron didn’t have enough growth throughout the book, resulting in a miscommunication/relationship challenge near the end of the book.

That said, I am eager to read more of Kyte’s books- there is a lot of potential there! ❄️

[cattolyst · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started as something heartbreaking ended up as something heart-warming. There was something cozy about the way this book was written, something that made me not want to put it down. I really loved Adam because I personally relate to him. Navigating life, career, and relationships is never easy for me, so I found myself in Adam’s shoes. There are just so many things I love about this book that I can’t say because it would spoil too much.

🧾 Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet! There were definitely times I wanted to smack Adam upside the head for being an OTT reactionary idiot, but overall there's a lot more to like here than not. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[BookishKB]

🎄🏡 A Christmas Inn, Maine 🏡🎄

📖 Bookish Thoughts

A full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• MM Romance
• Holiday Romance
• Small Town
• Renovating an Inn
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Forced Proximity
• Christmas Magic
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: October 13, 2026
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Kale · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun, it's fluffy, and it's queer. It's also one giant miscommunication trope but forgiven because of the mix of characters who mostly feel like real people.

It's also closed-door which was less fun. Guess I've been ruined by hockey smut.

[Annee Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little read. Made me want to move to a small town where everyone knows each other, but not really😅

[Bookevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet second-chance romance set in a small town with a lot of heart. The romance is quiet, with a fair bit of pining and a lot of kissing. Excellent. Full review to come.

[Stephanie Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute! Sometimes with stories like these (very Hallmark-y in concept), I worry they are going to be too cheesy for me, but this one totally delivered. The author did a great job portraying Adam’s anxious internal monologue and thought process. Questioning implicit biases? Obsessive list making? Trying (and failing) grounding techniques? (This one especially was fun/relatable to read, as a mental health professional.) The character arc was satisfying, the setting was adorable, and the chemistry between the two MC’s was 🔥. It was also really funny - I laughed out loud a few times, which is rare for me. Overall, a really impressive debut, and I’ll definitely keep an eye on this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Aaron Kyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly I'm incredibly biased, but as Rupaul kinda said once, 'if you can't love your own book, how the hell you gonna love somebody else's?'