Sleigh Ride

by B.G. Thomas, Dirk Greyson, Rob Rosen

The course of true love can be a bumpy, up-and-down, and sideways ride, but the end-of-the-year holidays are perfect for happy endings! Whether they’re finding a new romance or rekindling an old one, the men in these stories get some help from the magic of the season. Some of them might need a miracle to muddle through the conflicts and confusion that arise, but luckily for them, ‘tis the season. From naughty fun, to heartfelt and heart-wrenching reunions, to out-of-this-world adventures, these guys are in for quite a ride.

Holiday reading fun! Sleigh Ride is a package of 31 stories:

An Assassin's Holiday by Dirk Greyson
The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever by B.G. Thomas
Best Laid Trap by Rob Rosen
Blame It on the Fruitcake by Pat Henshaw
A Certain Kind of Holiday by Andi Van
Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce by Brandon Witt
Elf on the Beach by T.J. Nichols
Fireworks and Resolutions by Leandra Dohman
Four Alternative Christmas Presents by Tam MacNeil
Grateful by Kim Fielding
Hapless by Therese Woodson
Hearth and Home by E.T. Malinowski
Holiday Hotel Hookup by Jeff Adams
Home Is Where The Christmas Trees Are by CJane Elliott
Kismet by Cassie Decker
Leap Through Eternity by Sara Stark
Loving and Loathing Vegas by Lex Chase
Menorahs and Mistletoe by Jess Roth
Mission Mistletoe by Jessica Payseur
Northern Lights by Asta Idonea
Not the Best Day by Brynn Stein
Nøtteknekkeren by Felicitas Ivey
Old Acquaintance by Avon Gale
Somewhere to Be by Amy Yip
Son of Santa by Kate Sands
Talk Turkey by Bru Baker
Teddy Bear Christmas by C.C. Bridges
A Trip to Remember by Meg Harding
Unto Us the Time Has Come by Sean Michael
Whispers of Old Winds by George Seaton
Worth the Wait by Caitlin Ricci & Cari Z.

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies, Holiday, Romance

1306 pages, ebook

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

B.G. Thomas lives in Kansas City with his husband for nearly fifteen years and was legally married in 2014. Ehey have a fabulous little dog, Sarah Jane. He sees his wonderful daughter just often enough to miss her when she isn't there! He has a romantic soul and is extraordinarily lucky to have many friends.
 
He loves science fiction & fantasy, horror, romance and more, has gone to SF&F conventions his entire adult life, and been lucky enough to meet many of his favorite writers. He is a “Star Trek” and Joss Whedon fan from way back!
 
He has written all his life, it is where he finds his joy. In the 90’s, he wrote for gay magazines, but stopped because they wanted him to cut out story and romance, and write only sex.
 
Then through a few friends, he discovered the growing market of M/M Romance and was thrilled beyond words. FINALLY, a way to write the stories he always wanted to write. Adventure, romantic comedy, science fiction, and more, but with gay characters. And he wouldn't have to fade to black! People wanted to read the erotic as well. Plot and sex! HURRAY!
 
B.G. Thomas very much believes in The Law of Attraction and that "thoughts become things." A lot of things all started happening at once. He heard the words, "Leap, and the net will appear," and something re-kindled inside. He sent out a story and was thrilled when it was almost immediately accepted.
 
He believes that we are divine expressions of the Universe, each and everyone. "It is never too late!,” he states. “Pursue your dreams! They will come true!"

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read five of these stories as part of a massive group review by the lovely reviewers over at My Fiction Nook. Some of these stories were good, others... not so good.

Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce- 4 stars

When I saw that this story was only 25 pages, I was sure that not even Brandon Witt could write a romantic, well-done short at that length. Combined with the fact that these long anthologies of stories tend to be notoriously uneven, I was ready for something underwhelming. Boy, was I surprised when Brandon Witt really delivered. This one was funny, interesting, and smart with characters that were fully fleshed-out. That is no easy task for a short story.

Paxton is uptight and type A, with a skinny-fat body and a penchant for being over-prepared. When he gets hit by Logan's snowmobile while walking in the woods, Paxton discovers that even though Logan appears reckless and impossibly handsome, they might have some things in common after all.

Paxton was by far my favorite character. He was slightly neurotic and really endearing, and I was rooting for him to land his level-11 hotness man. For such a short story, we really got a sense of Paxton's personality, and I loved how Brandon Witt imagined him.

My first story in the Sleigh Ride anthology, and I'm super excited that it got off with a bang!

Son of Santa- 2 stars

I hate to give a low rating to a newbie author, like Kate Sands, but this story was hard for me to get through. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't at all to my taste.

First of all, the plot was sort of a mess. It felt unfocused and rambling, and I didn't love the cupid side character. The storylines with the missing Santa, and Noel and Fannar dancing around each other, didn't work for me. I found it to be really slow, and I almost DNFed, though it was only 50-something pages.

There is zero heat in this book, which is fine for a novella, but it felt like everything was leading up to something and then it just fizzled out. I also wasn't feeling the chemistry between Noel and Fannar. It was all very blah.

Not the holiday story for me.

Whispers of Old Winds- 3.5 stars

Woah, this is a hard story to describe. Mystical, interesting, well written. However, it was also sort of... odd, and it wasn't the most romance-y romance.

I honestly don't think I could describe the plot without retelling the entire story, and even then I don't think I could explain it well! It revolves around Native American mythology and some magic elements, and it also has some police/military themes. The author manage to combine these aspects into a cohesive story, which was extremely impressive.

This was my first story by George Seaton, and I would definitely read more from him in the future. He has a very poetic, lyrical way of writing that is unlike most authors. Each word feels very deliberate, and I get the sense that he is very connected to his stories.

However, I also had trouble with a few aspects. There was a weird time jump/tense change in the beginning of the story that I didn't quite understand, and I think the author tried to do too much with too short of a story. It also didn't read as a romance to me, more of a magical realism story with romantic elements.

Despite some niggles, I was pretty impressed with this short. For sure check it out if you are looking for an off-beat holiday romance.

Loving and Loathing Vegas- 3 stars

A cute story about two sex demons falling in love...while working at a diner...

This was not your typical holiday story (in fact, it barely felt holiday enough for the Advent Calendar collection), but I think that Lex Chase did a nice job with it.

Basically, the plot is about two incubi who both have had other boyfriends off and on for centuries but haven't made the moves on each other. It takes an abandoned baby, lots of sexual tension, and some healthy competition to make these demons see what's right in front of their faces.

While the story was well-written and easy to read, I had some niggles that detracted a bit from my experience. The novella uses miscommunications as a main element of the plot, which is one of my least favorite plot devices. If these guys just talked frankly to each other, it would have all been SOOO easy! I also didn't get the whole side story with Cillian and his ex. What was the deal there?

Lastly, the guys find a newborn baby (so they say, but they then describe her as cooing and babbling, so obviously the baby is closer to 1), and they start off feeding her pears mashed up?? Milk, boys, milk! Or formula! For a baby described as a newborn, to give her solids... I was like wha??? I know that seems minor but the inconsistencies with the baby just bugged me.

Overall, this was a cute paranormal story with a hot sex scene at the end of it. Despite my small issues, I was pretty pleased with this one.

Holiday Hotel Hookup- 2 stars

Was this really only 38 pages?? It felt like 500+ pages the way it dragged on. Can you believe something this short took me days to finish?

This was my first time reading Jeff Adams, and I don't think that this was a good story to start with. I found the romance between Martin and Jose to be totally flat and lacking any connection. I just never felt anything between them.

Also, the story had too high of a ratio of sex to plot for my taste. Now, I can get into a dirrrty novella that is mostly sex, but the sex has to be HOT, like really hot, or else I need more substance to keep my interest. I needed more substance with this story.

This was not the holiday story for me. Not a stellar way to end my reading of the Sleigh Ride anthology.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.3~

I read FOUR of these stories as part of a larger mass review of the anthology that will be posted on My Fiction Nook. My overall rating is an average of these four stories only.

See Todd's review for more story ratings.

Heather K (our dentist), Rosa, Sandra, and Arielle will be posting reviews too.

What I like about this collection is that it's not Christmas-centric. One of my stories was set during a New Year's eve celebration, and another featured Hanukkah.

No steam, angst, or drama, just feel-good holiday fluff.

Individual story reviews:

Talk Turkey
Bru Baker
~4.25~

I cannot even with the cuteness. Seriously, I CANNOT. So damn sweet, this one, and FUNNY, with myriad adorable, laugh-out-loud moments.

Carson does not know his way around a turkey. Enter Tom, he of the Turkey Hotline. The turkey conversations are ridiculous but speak volumes.

Both men are lonely; neither is willing to admit it.

What do you do when you get your hand stuck in a turkey cavity? Call the Turkey Hotline after hours, of course! Snow storm (and Tom) to the rescue!

This story is seriously charming with a promising HFN.

I can so see Carson and Tom together next Christmas. Who needs the Turkey Hotline when you have your own turkey expert at home?

Grateful
Kim Fielding
~4~

Nate Roth, clumsy and impulsive, is my kind of Jew: the kind who likes his latkes with a side of ham. Nate's Hanukkah is not off to a great start. He's bruised and in a cast thanks to a cycling *ahem* accident. He gets a speeding ticket on the way home AND forgets the gifts he bought for his family.

Epic. Disaster.

Until Nate meets Gio at the gas station. Gio is, well, pretty much perfect. He has a great dog, an interesting career, and plenty of money. Nate doesn't think he's in Gio's league, but Gio disagrees.

I love Fielding's holiday stories. They are low-key and charming, brimming with family and sweetness.

Nate and Gio are dang cute together. The story gives us a peek into their future, and it's BRIGHT! Piles and piles of kisses & smiles, and a tentative HEA to boot.

Worth the Wait
Caitlin Ricci & Cari Z.
~2.5~

Tate sacrifices an afternoon to get a book signed for his little niece. He just doesn't anticipate the crowd or the line snaking three blocks past the entrance ... or the rain.

Thankfully, cute Brandon lends Tate his umbrella and brings him coffee. Things are looking up.

Happily cruising along, I turned the page and it was ... OVER? How could it be over? It had barely began!

This story is well written and sweet but very truncated, like half a story. My rating would have been higher if it weren't for the non-ending.

Fireworks and Resolutions
Leandra Dohman
~2.5~

Short (@250 locations), a bit bland, too much telling, no steam.

An IT hottie is reduced to stammering around the new hot guy at the office. In an alcohol-induced haze, said hottie proclaims his true feelings at a Christmas party. He just doesn't remember the KISS.

Fast forward a few weeks to New Year's eve. What will IT hottie do when he's trapped in a bathroom with his Big Bearded Crush?

So. No one actually gets trapped in a bathroom. Like ever.

Cue *eye roll*. Moving on ...

This is a cute enough story. I liked the joint New Year's resolutions list. It was adorkable.

This is a VERY short read, so everything feels rushed, but the ending is a sweet HFN (cue mostly fade-to-black blow job in the office).

[Dalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blame It on the Fruitcake by Pat Henshaw - 3.75 stars



Sam McGuire, a motorcycle mechanic, finds a fruitcake and an invitation to a holiday party from his new neighbor, Jay Merriweather, on his front door mat. He attends the party only to get more of the delicious baked good and he certainly doesn't expect to be attracted to the host.

Sam likes Jay a lot, but he doesn't understand why would someone well-educated like Jay want him, and he thinks that what they have is just a dream. Thankfully, there's always hope that the magic of the holiday season will help them get together for good.

This is an enjoyable and warm story with, sadly, fade to black steam.

Old Acquaintance by Avon Gale- 3.75 stars



A short sexy read. The ending is a strong HFN. I want more!

Elf on the Beach by TJ Nichols- 4 stars



Real Christmas magic. Loved it!

The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever by B.G. Thomas - 2.5 stars
A beary tale. This didn't really suck me in and the whole miscommunication didn't do it for me. Bummer. It's cute, though.

Grateful by Kim Fielding - 3 stars
Sweet shorty.

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I'm reading only 5 of these stories, as part of a larger mass review of the anthology to be done on MyFictionNook by all of our reviewers.


ARC Review: Elf on the Beach by TJ Nichols

This short 39 page story was completely magical, full of cynicism, longing and a healthy dose of hope.

It was also by far my favorite of the 5 anthology stories that I read for our group blog post.

From a very early age, Australian surfing instructor Kyle's life was less than ideal, growing up in foster care, hoping that one day his mother would get clean and reclaim him, giving him a real family.

Now at 25, Kyle doesn't believe much, especially something as crazy as magic. Or even more unlikely, the thought of someone being able to have actual feelings for him.

But when Kyle meets 20 y.o. Roone, a young elf traveling the human world for a year to decide if he will return to the North Pole or live in our world, Kyle begins to see the world through different eyes.

Well, the same eyes, if you're being literal, but he begins to see other possibilities. One of which being magic. And another being, possibly, love. A love both given and returned.

If this story were any cuter, it would have probably put me in a permanent sugar coma, with a perma-grin on my face that no amount of "bah humbug" could ever wipe away.

The slow-burn read was a little angsty and a little sexy, with tons of tingles and feels. And if this short story ever gets expanded to full novel length, I will most definitely be reading, and savoring, every single one of those pages.

This, people, *this* is what a Christmas story of magic and elves and possibilities is all about, so I'm giving this one a very full, heart-felt 5 stars for this adorable and entertaining read.


ARC Review: Unto Us the Time Has Come by Sean Michael

Sweet, merciful Christ.

Men. Are. Such. Idiots.

That's really the moral of this ' second bite at the apple ' story, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I've read some Sean Michael stories that really didn't work for me, side-eyeing you "The Bohemians," but thankfully this was not one of them.

This short 56 page read is the story of how artist Kenn gave his workaholic husband of 14 years, Chris, an ultimatum, which effectively ended their relationship.

Spend more time with us and less at the office or we’re leaving.

He’d never expected Chris to say, “Then leave.”

So almost a year later, Kenn, their 8 y.o. son and 6 y.o. daughter are living on their own, with Kenn working 2 jobs to afford a crappy apartment.

Kenn and Chris' relationship, other than seeing one another when swapping off the kids for visitations, is non-existent and neither man is happy. They both desperately miss their best friend and other half of their soul.

However, Kenn's pride is still firmly intact, despite the long, tiring hours to provide a roof for his kids, but fortunately Chris' resolve in that he needed to work so much to be the sole breadwinner has crumbled.

Like the old saying goes, "You can be right or you can be happy. Pick one."

Well, this time around Chris is determined to make the necessary changes and the right choice. The right choice from them all.

The story was well-paced, without any hysterical theatrics, which I genuinely appreciated.

The two kids, Micah and Sarah, were present, but not omni-present, thank God. They were actually written realistically and weren't 'too cute for words' in your face 24/7, allowing the focus to remain firmly on their dads.

There were also tons of feels, so you might find yourself tearing up a few times, especially when both me are at the end of their ropes and their defensive walls are lowered, finally allowing the other inside for the first time in a year.

The sexiness was there as well, but didn't overwhelm or feel unnecessary.

Overall, this short Christmas story just really worked for me, so I'd rate it around 4.25 stars and definitely recommend this one.


ARC Review: Somewhere to Be by Amy Yip

I found this short 39-page Christmas tale utterly charming.

Jamie is a UK-born half-Chinese man, who's been burned by a controlling cheater and has been reluctant to date since his last relationship ended, nearly a year ago.

Then his roommate sets him up on a blind date, pronounced "ambush", without telling Jamie what he's done.

Nick is a strawberry blond rugby player, with no family to speak of, who's been missing the recently-departed grandmother who raised him. He's also a hulluva nice guy.

As the evening at the pub ends, Jamie and Nick go for a walk, which ends up with the two spending the night together and tentatively agreeing to date.

But asshole ex's are called assholes for a reason and with one short call to Jamie, as he's stuck in traffic driving to pick up his Auntie and grandmother at the airport, major seeds of doubt about Nick are firmly planted, so Jamie calls things off, hoping to avoid the heartache.

However, while snowed in for the night at the airport, Jamie receives a call from the very persistent Nick that changes everything.

To only be a short story, this one was very heart-felt and a bit steamy. It made me smile and I see many more family Christmas's together for Jamie and Nick.

So a solid 4 stars for this anthology story.


ARC Review: Menorahs and Mistletoe by Jess Roth

Coming in around 50 pages, this short holiday story was extremely cute and flowed well.

After a year and a half of being single, 32 y.o. single, Jewish dad Martin is lonely, but hesitant to date again after his last boyfriend yelled at his now 6 y.o. daughter.

Sara knows that her dad is lonely, so while shopping at the mall, she befriends one of Santa's elves, then proceeds to ask Santa for a little help.

Sara went silent for a moment, perfectly still on the man’s lap.

“Can you bring a friend for Daddy?”

Oh, no.

“He used to have a friend,” Sara continued, blissfully unaware of her father’s growing mortification. “They were gross and kissed a lot. But then one time he was mean to me and so Daddy told him to go away, but I could tell he was sad.”

Martin winced. Next to him, the elf was turning crimson to match his hat.

“Well,” Santa said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to find a friend for your daddy, but I’ll do my best.”

But Mr. Elf has designs of his own for her dad, so he quickly hatches a plan with Sara for Martin. One disguised as a 'gift' for each day of Hanukkah.

As the days pass and Martin receives his pieces of the gift, he meets Tim, the receptionist at work, and thinks about him more and more, which leads to a few short lunch dates.

Then when Martin's gift is complete, he tells "Mr. Elf" that he isn't interested in dating, which is a major cosmic screw-up.

Dumb guys are dumb, I'm telling you.

But the misunderstanding is handled well, with no unnecessary melodrama, so Sara gets her holiday wish to Santa in the end and we get our HFN.

This story was cute and fun, coming in at around 3.75 stars for me.


ARC Review: Home Is Where the Christmas Trees Are by CJane Elliott

This short 53 page read didn't work quite as well for me as the others that I read from the anthology.

When Dex's sister dies suddenly from cancer, he moves from Portland to Eugene, OR to act as guardian for his now 12 y.o. niece, Rowan.

Neither has truly moved past the death of their beloved sister and mother, so they're more existing than actually living.

But when Rowan's clarinet is stolen and Dex finally meets his niece's beloved music teacher, Ed (aka "Mr. A",) sparks slowly fly, then the two men begin dating.

This one drug on a bit for me; however, the major part of which I wasn't a fan was the instalove. It felt very premature and a bit desperate, truth be told.

They quite literally hang out once, share two kisses, then have one date and bring one another off, "unnh" *splat*, then Dex is dreaming of forever. Out loud to Ed.

“Your mother! I get to have Mrs. Alcott as a mom-in-law! Or are we getting ahead of ourselves here?”

“I don’t think so. But one step at a time. Christmas Eve at the Alcott home is next. Once you survive that, it’s all smooth sailing.”

Woah. Slow down there, Crazy Train, or I'm going to be forced to reach for my tranquilizer gun!

Sadly, this one would've worked out better for me without the somewhat out-of-place bedroom scene and the cheesy Elf endearments.

Anyway, the story just ended oddly for me, so this one comes in at around 2.75 stars for overall enjoyment.



My copy of these stories were provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the most wonderful time of the yeeeeaaaaar!

3.5 Average Rounded up for Christmas Lovin'.

Whispers of Old Winds - 5 Stars
Whispers of Old Winds Review

Not the Best Day - 2 Stars
Not the Best Day Review

Mission Mistletoe- 2.5 Stars
Mission Mistletoe Review

Old Acquaintance - 4 Stars
Old Acquaintance Review

A Certain Kind of Holiday - 3.75 Stars
A Certain Kind of Holiday Review

Menorahs and Mistletoe - 3 Stars
Menorahs and Mistletoe Review

Four Alternative Christmas Presents - 3.75 Stars
Four Alternative Christmas Presents Review

Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce - 4 Stars
Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce Review

An Assassin's Holiday - 4 Stars
An Assassin's Holiday Review

Worth the Wait - 3 Stars
Worth the Wait Review

Leap Through Eternity - 2 Stars
Leap Through Eternity

Nøtteknekkeren - 3.5 Stars
Notteknekkeren Review

Teddy Bear Christmas - 4 Stars
Teddy Bear Christmas Review

Grateful - 4 Stars
Grateful Review

Loving and Loathing Vegas - 3 Stars
Loving and Loathing Vegas Review

Best Laid Trap - 2.5 Stars
Best Laid Trap Review

Home Is Where the Christmas Trees Are - 3.5 Stars
Home Is Where the Christmas Trees Are

Northern Lights - 4 Stars
Northern Lights Review

Unto Us the Time Has Come - 4.5 Stars
Unto Us the Time Has Come Review

Fireworks and Resolutions - 3 Stars
Fireworks and Resolutions Review

A Trip to Remember - 3 Stars
A Trip to Remember Review

Somewhere To Be - 4 Stars
Somewhere To Be Review

Son of Santa - 2.5 Stars
Son of Santa Review

Hapless - 4 Stars
Hapless Review

Blame It on the Fruitcake - 3.5 Stars
Blame It on the Fruitcake Review

Hearth and Home - 4 Stars
Hearth and Home Review

Elf on the Beach - 4.5 Stars
Elf on the Beach Review

Talk Turkey - 4 Stars
Talk Turkey Review

Holiday Hotel Hookup - 4 Stars
Holiday Hotel Hookup Review

The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever - 4 Stars
The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever Review

Kismet - 3 Stars
Kismet Review

[BWT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: While I'm only reviewing four novella stories included with this year's Dreamspinner Press' 2015 Advent Calendar: Sleigh Ride anthology there are thirty-one stories available ranging from naughty fun to heart-wrenching reunions.

The course of true love can be a bumpy ride.

3.375 Stars combined for all four stories (rates posted individually below).

***********************

Old Acquaintance By Avon Gale

4 Stars! Recommended!

See the full review at Gay Book Reviews

or GoodReads

***********************

Blame It on the Fruitcake by Pat Henshaw

Enjoyable, but I wanted more.

3.5 Stars

See the full review at Gay Book Reviews

or GoodReads

***********************

The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever by B.G. Thomas

2 Stars

See the full review at Gay Book Reviews

or GoodReads

***********************

Elf on the Beach by TJ Nichols

4 Stars! Recommended!

See the full review at Gay Book Reviews

or GoodReads

Advanced Review Copy generously provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading 5 of the books in this year's Advent Calendar from DSP, as part of a group review for all of them.


Book 1 - The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever by B.G. Thomas:

This was nice, written in Ben's usual style, though I didn't like it as much as I usually like his books. The story overall, including the romance, was good, but Ron rubbed me the wrong way for the most part, and Paddy was almost too perfect to be true. Still a solid 3 stars for bears, cubs, and jolly good holiday fun.

Book 2 - Teddy Bear Christmas by CC Bridges:

Super cute short about a guy getting stuck at the airport flying home for Christmas (Tyler), and the concierge at the Lost And Found desk (Aaron), and a magical connection made via a left-behind Teddy bear. Adorable. 4 stars for Teddy bear adventures, new found friends, and Christmas love beginnings.


Book 3 - Hearth and Home by E.T. Malinowski:

Well, this was just adorable and super sexy too. Clumsy Elf Thistle doesn't think he's well-liked at the production shop where he mostly tries to stay out of the way, but he's really good at cooking, baking, and making a home - that's his magic. Bayberry, the supervisor at the production shop, has a bit of a soft spot for Thistle, and then things magically arrange themselves so the two get to spend some time together. The ILYs may come sooner than I would normally like in a romance, but whatever, it's magical. Adorable. 4 twinkling stars for elvish sexy times, baked goods, and a happy home to share.

Book 4 - Leap Through Eternity by Sara Stark:

This was cute, but a little too short for what it tried to do. There was little build-up to the end result, and while I liked Mason, I didn't care much for Cole. Didn't feel to me that he was into Mason as much as he proclaimed he was. Still, 3 stars for burned cookies, a freezing man in underwear, and a shy guy who won't be denied his prize.


Book 5 - An Assassin's Holiday by Dirk Greyson:

A paid assassin, Brick, is shadowing his latest intended victim, Robin, but is confronted with Robin's goodness, which prompts him to dig a little deeper before applying his particular skills. What he finds out puts Robin, and the "kill this guy" contract in a whole new light, and Brick has some soul-deep realizations. I liked this quite a bit, and the author did a good job to flesh out his characters in this short story. Both of them come from group homes, though there's nothing about their real parents in this book, but while Robin has the good fortune of being adopted, Brick only experienced pain, loss, and loneliness, until the Army turned him into a proficient killing machine. He has long ago turned off his emotions, and it's only because Robin's persistence shakes him into a new awareness that Brick realizes he doesn't have to live this way. Of course, it's a bit unrealistic, because I suspect that killers for hire don't get to just walk away from their jobs, and the solution to this particular contract is a bit simplistic but whatever, it's Christmas, and we'll chalk the non-realism off to that. 4 stars for hot boysecksing, a killer with a conscience, and a victim who won't go quietly into the night.


Read all our reviews in the combined post on link: My Fiction Nook.

Copies of the books were provided for free by the publisher. Positive reviews were not promised in return.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars Overall - some cute some silly

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by JLoves2Read from Alpha Book Club
and Gay Book Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating:   4 stars (out of five)  for a collection of short, escapist and soothing HEA/HFN reads

Dreamspinner compiled 31 holiday-themed short stories to celebrate the 2015 Chirstmas/holiday season.   I purchased the "pre-order" package and thereby received one story each day during the month of December.  Overall, I found them to be soothing, albeit sometimes very short escapes, providing brief relief from the craziness of a very busy time of year. I enjoyed all but a couple of them, finding the short reads to be quick and soothing diversions.

Overall, 29 of the 31 stories nicely delivered to me anywhere between 15 and 60 minutes a day of m/m romantic escapism. For most of the stories, the heat level usually runs from low to just an off-book promise, but "meet-cutes" abound.   While the bulk of the stories were contemporary, Christmas romances, the collection includes a nice range of characters, backgrounds and themes, including Chanukah and New Year's celebrations, a few "alternate" (fantasy/science fiction/paranormal) settings, raising kids as a single Dad, and a Christmas Elf fantasy or two.  Gay aliens, a bisexual or two (someone acknowledges we exist!), and super-heroes help round out diverse characteristics that really appeal to me.

Surprisingly, I postponed reading what turned out to be my favorite story as its theme (a divorced couple missing each other and their kids at Christmas) seemed to be such a downer, while one of the set-ups that intrigued me the most (courting Santa's son) was my least favorite.

Because of their brevity, I generally wouldn't buy them individually but as part of a discounted, pre-holiday collection purchase, I have enjoyed reading a different, usually engaging and escapist short every day.   Here is the order I received them over the course of the month:

Day 31: Kismet by Cassie Decker
3 stars – crushed phone crushes crush until Kismet strikes on New Year's Eve  (review)

Day 30: The Beary Best Holiday Ever by B.G Thomas
3.5 stars – Grumpy bear and the cub - with a little Death by Chocolate tastiness (review)

Day 29: Holiday Hotel Hookup by Jeff Adams
4 stars – holiday hotel smut   (review)

Day 28: Talk Turkey by Bru Baker
3.5 stars – the new Windy City transplant and the helpline guy who is definitely not a turkey (review)

Day 27: Elf on the Beach by TJ Nichols
3.5 stars - the wintry Christmas elf  and the Australian summer surfer, or the magic of belief (review)

Day 26: Hearth and Home by E.T. Malinowski 
4 stars - Santa and Mrs. C help nudge a grouchy tinker Elf to soothe a klutzy hearth Elf into a heated connection (review)

Day 25: Blame It on the Fruitcake by Pat Henshaw
4 stars - lovely, sweet holiday hook-up between the orphaned, home-raised biker and the consummate professional with the big family (and tasty fruitcake)  (review)

Day 24: Hapless by Therese Woodson
4 stars - a sweet perfectionist attempts to give his hockey-playing beau a romantic, holiday proposal to remember  (review)

Day 23: Son of Santa by Kate Sands
2 stars - alienated prodigal son tracked down by the elf he can't help but crush on   (review)
Alternate tag line: alienated prodigal son stalked by an obnoxious elf sent by meddling parents

Day 22: Somewhere To Be by Amy Yip
3 stars - jilted Chinese delivery guy is delivered to his family by the sweet but lonely fair-haired British bloke

Day 21: A Trip to Remember by Meg Harding
3.5 stars - snowed-in together, two men share a holiday (and movies and games and a bed...

Day 20: Fireworks and Resolutions by Leandra Dohman
3 stars - office Christmas kiss leads to an initially awkward but eventually fireworks-filled New Year's

Day 19: Northern Lights by Asta Idonea
2.5 stars - dumped in Iceland and rescued by a Viking (review)

Day 18: Unto Us the Time Has Come by Sean Michael
4.5 stars - utterly sappy story of two separated husbands getting back together at Christmas  (review)

Day 17: Home Is Where the Christmas Trees Are by CJane Elliott
3 stars - lonely gay bachelor uncle has a traumatic break but gets some (definitely physical and maybe emotional) relief  (review

Day 16: Best Laid Trap by Rob Rosen
2.5 sizzling, snarky stars  -  snarky New Year's Eve sex in a snowed-in cabin

Day 15: Loving and Loathing Vegas by Lex Chase
4 stars - Demonic friends-to-lovers story wrapped in otherworldly, baby-riffic style  (review)

Day 14: Grateful by Kim Fielding
4.5 stars - klutzy guy dreading another, "typical" Jewish family gathering meets the multi-talented, "to-die-for" foreigner (with a Newfie)  (review)

Day 13: Teddy Bear Christmas by CC Bridges
3 stars - a lonely Jewish guy working the holiday, a man missing his family, and the teddy that unites them  (review)

Day 12: Nøtteknekkeren by Felicitas Ivey
4.5 stars - a nicely surreal and just grim/Grimm enough Christmas fairy tale (review)

Day 11: Leap Through Eternity by Sara Stark
2.5 stars - bumbling, cutely stumbling "idiot" and the mostly naked stud in briefs (review)

Day 10: Worth the Wait by Caitlin Ricci & Cari Z.
3 stars - hot umbrella man to the rescue (and he's good with the adorable niece, too)  (review)

Day 9: An Assassin's Holiday by Dirk Greyson

4 stars - a 3.5 star dark premise/happy ending read rounded up for some reciprocal tastiness (review)

Day 8: Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce by Brandon Witt
4 stars -  Quick holiday, "meet-cute" with a white Christmas, a two men in a PG-rated one-man tent, and, of course, a requisite "Horny Elf." (review)

Day 7: Four Alternative Christmas Presents by Tam MacNeil
4 stars - yearning after one's super-hero (or lusting after the boy wonder) (review)

Day 6: Menorahs and Mistletoe by Jess Roth
4 stars - a nice present from one of Santa's elves for the lonely bisexual Jewish dad

Day 5: A Certain Kind of Holiday by Andi Van
3.5 stars - travelling with the older, cheating professor turns out to be just what the holiday ordered (review)

Day 4: Old Acquaintance by Avon Gale
4.5 stars for me (partly for the common little kink missing from most m/m romance) - Oh yes, and a semi-drunken New Year's Eve first time for a jilted middle-aged guy - with a splash ;) (review)

Day 3: Mission Mistletoe by Jessica Payseur
3 stars - gay alien Christmas in space (review)

Day 2: Not the Best Day by Brynn Stein
3 stars – the Butthead isn’t exactly Beavis (review)

Day 1: Whispers of Old Winds by George Seaton
3.5 stars – rugged veteran/sheriff in a semi-supernatural Colorado mountain setting (review)

More at the blog.

[Serena Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a collection of stories, I think the 2015 Advent Calendar was one of the best of its kind. I have been following these since 2009, but the number of stories I totally adored has never been this high. And even though I had my ten favorites (see individual titles for my reviews and ratings), I really liked the vast majority of the remainder as well. Each story had something to contribute, and that included (as it does every year) stories of winter traditions other than Christian. I had a ball reading these and already look forward to the 2016 collection.


NOTE: The stories in this collection were provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of reviews on Rainbow Book Reviews.