Make the Yuletide Gay

by Nicky Spencer, Nell Iris, Stephen Hoppa

Sleigh bells ring—are you listening?
It’s that time of year again, and we have the perfect way to get you in the mood: A free anthology! Five holiday stories that are guaranteed to warm your heart, heat up your cold nights, and most importantly: Make your yuletide gay.

A Christmas Party to Remember by Nicky Spencer
Last Christmas, Cory and Wes made a connection that left them both thanking Santa. But when Cory doesn’t show up for their first date, Wes swears he won’t make that mistake again. This year, can Santa’s magic find a way to bring them back together?

Let’s Not Go Crazy by Stephen Hoppa
The holidays are stressful enough without Ethan’s boyfriend Nate trying to kill him with Christmas cheer. But Nate’s found a whole new way to torture Ethan when he reveals that he wants kids. Will their conflicting desires tear their relationship apart, or will they find a way to ring in the new year stronger than ever?

Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright
Two men determined to win the same treasure at a charity silent auction, a wayward kitten, grumbling tummies, and a dilemma: what’s the correct gift-giving etiquette for a first date that’s mere days before Christmas, and what could possibly go awry with this merry combination?

The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris
One rainbow Christmas tree in harm’s way and an afternoon spent eating far too many cookies, equals two men with changed holiday plans. But how does that translate into a date?

The Year of the Monkey by Amy Tasukada
The last thing Aoi wants to do for New Year’s is spend it with his boyfriend’s parents. They were far from thrilled when their son came out. Can Aoi warm their hearts making traditional mochi or will they end up in an even stickier situation?

Authors Note: This anthology is FREE! Do not buy it for $0.99 at Amazon - we are working on fixing that! Currently available for free at Smashwords and soon at all other retailers.

Genres: Anthologies, M M Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2017

About the author

Nicky Spencer is a romance writer of all pairings. Nicky is a firm believer that love conquers all–that’s why her favorite theme is forbidden love. If two (or three!) people shouldn’t be together, Nicky will find a way to get them there. When you love someone, nothing else matters.

Nicky lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with no husband, no kids and a part-time dog. She loves to read, write, listen to podcasts, watch baseball and waste time on the internet. She is firmly anti-oxford comma.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doh!
I tried but most were a miss.
I did enjoy Nell's addition. But the rest were just...okay.

[Cadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting mix of festive stories, some of which work better than the others.

My favourite was Nicky Spencer's A Christmas Party to Remember, which saw Wes and Cory really connecting when they met at a party held for Wes' best friend's work.
An unforseen event occurs and the story picks up 12 months later. I thought Nicky did really well to convey all the emotions in a very short story.

I also really liked Addison Albright's submission about a pair both trying to win the same poster at a charity auction and I liked Nell Iris' The Christmas Day Date, which was super sweet.

Unfortunately Stephen Hopper's Let's Not Go Crazy really didn't work for me. The whole feel of the story was a bit off for a festive read and the 'solution' to what was a potential relationship ending issue really didn't work for me at all. I just didn't believe that something so fundamentally different in priority for each man who'd be solved as it was.

And the final story, about Aio and his troubles with his boyfriend Sato's family again just got wrapped up a bit too neatly given how much dislike and unfriendly behaviour there had been.

I liked Mr Ken trying his best to accept Aio but Sato's mother turned around too quickly just because they made some food together. It may be that I simply didn't get the nuisances of the Japanese food they made being responsible for the change of heart.

Overall the set of stories is a 3/5.

#ARC received from the publishers in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Len Evans Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christmas Party to Remember by Nicky Spencer

I really loved this story it is so sweet and so touching.  Love the use of the tie as well.  Cory & Wes are awesome!

Let's Not Go Crazy by Stephen Hoppa

Wow...   Ethan and Nate are amazing, confusing, a hot mess yet perfection in every way!  I definitely now have to read the rest of the books about them, they are just so completely fascinating.

Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Allbright

This story was all about lucky chances, adorable kittens and two sexy men getting a chance at happiness.  I enjoyed it immensely!   What a fun read!

The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris

Have to say this was just incredible.  Hot and sexy, yet so very touching is had me crying like a baby by the end.  Two beautifully crafted characters who connect and find out they might just be just what the other needs for happiness!  Awesome read!

The Year of the Monkey by Amy Tasukada 

This is a New Year's story set in Japan with a couple spending their first New Years with one's parents.  It is beautifully written with amazing characters that I definitely want to read more about.  Awesome story!  Loved it!

Loved all five of these stories, however if I had to pick a favorite it would hands down be The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris!

[Nicky Spencer]

Since we haven't been able to get Amazon to change the price, we have decided to donate all proceeds from Amazon sales to the Trevor Project.
The anthology is still free at all other retailers.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Christmas Party to Remember by Nicky Spencer Rated 3
This is the story of Wes, attending a Christmas party with his best friend for moral support, who has the “…most adorable meet-cute ever…” with the owner of the catering company, Cory. They have an awesome night together, make plans for the next day and Wes is stood up. What’s a man to think? This is a case of is it meant to be and it was very cute, if needing just a little more.


Let’s Not Go Crazy by Stephen Hoppa Rated 3
Okay, I am not sure what to think of this one because it is a huge issue that was dealt with in a non-deal with it way. If that makes sense. It turns out boyfriends Ethan and Nate have entirely different ideas about kids and this comes out just before Christmas. Nate has been trying to make Christmas happy for Ethan, who assumes Nate was just being annoying. But I felt like kids was an important thing and something Nate really wanted and he was feeling really resentful about it. Workaholic Ethan has reasons for not wanting kids. How do they compromise something like this? I liked this aspect a lot because I felt it was a dilemma many people find themselves in. But then the resolution to it dropped my rating some because workaholic Ethan just didn’t get it. It’s not the same and I felt Ethan slammed the door on the whole idea with his “compromise”. So while I enjoyed the story, I didn’t feel that was a resolution at all.


Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright Rated 4
Very cute and I liked that Gordie and Kenton, who have a friendly-ish animosity at the silent auction, run into each other later and get to know each other better.


The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris Rated 4
First off, I want to see the rainbow tree. That sounds so amazing and as someone who has difficulty decorating, I could use the ideas. Second, I want to slap JJs parents upside the head. It makes me absolutely crazy that parents can be like that. Yes, I know some are. But the story itself is sweet and the inability to eat Rudolph cookies made me smile. Lenny and his miserable past and JJ and his miserable parents come together to hopefully be something beautiful. The last two sentences of this story were absolute perfection. Loved it.


The Year of the Monkey by Amy Tasukada Rated 4
This might have been my favorite one because it was that happy ending that many people don’t get. Bringing around a parent who blames you because their son is gay is a daunting task and Aoi is trying his best, even as barbs and hostility are thrown his way. I was happy Sato’s father was able to see his son was more important than anything and you see the love Aoi has (even as he is remembering his own parents tossing him out at 16 for being himself) for Sato with how hard he tries. Lovely.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEWED BY DONNA

A Christmas Party to Remember by Nicky Spencer

Last Christmas, Cory and Wes made a connection that left them both thanking Santa. But when Cory doesn’t show up for their first date, Wes swears he won’t make that mistake again. This year, can Santa’s magic find a way to bring them back together?

REVIEW:

This quick little tale has everything you could want in a Christmas short story.

The only reason Wes is attending his friend’s work Christmas party is to act as a shield against her recent ex-boyfriend. He certainly isn’t expecting to make an instant connection with the gorgeous caterer named Corey. But after a hot night together, that Wes thought was more than a one-night stand, Corey disappears with only a note asking Wes to meet him at a certain café for brunch. A brunch that Corey doesn’t show for, and with his texts and calls unanswered, Wes concludes that Corey isn’t interested.

I’ve gotta admit, I didn’t know how the author was going to pull tis off. Because what possible reason could Corey have to not show up, not answer calls, not even send a text? For a whole year? But the author had an excuse for Corey that soothed my annoyance. And yeah, it was a bit farfetched and over the top, but hey, it’s a Christmas story. I like ‘em a little on the corny, ultramushy, OTT side. There’s nothing wrong with accepting that a Christmas miracle story could actually happen!

RATING: 4Hearts



REVIEWED BY DONNA

Let’s Not Go Crazy by Stephen Hoppa

The holidays are stressful enough without Ethan’s boyfriend Nate trying to kill him with Christmas cheer. But Nate’s found a whole new way to torture Ethan when he reveals that he wants kids. Will their conflicting desires tear their relationship apart, or will they find a way to ring in the new year stronger than ever?

REVIEW:

Let’s Not Go Crazy is actually a short story that features the main characters from Stephen Hoppa’s full length novel Everything Between Us. I was unaware of that fact until I began reading the story and was rather concerned that not having read the novel would impact my enjoyment of this tale. That wasn’t the case at all.

To be honest, I don’t even know what it was but there was just something about this story that struck all the right chords. Part of it was the way that the author was quick to make me care about Ethan and Nate. I actually felt a little distressed at the impasse they found themselves at regarding children. It’s says something of an author’s skill that they can make you care so swiftly for the men they’ve created. And while I thought both men’s reactions were a little childish and over the top, I love – LOVED – the way the author used the conflict between them to show the reader how all consuming their love for each other was. I’m not usually a fan of full sex scenes in stories this short, but here the author again used them to spotlight Ethan’s and Nate’s love.

You definitely don’t need to have read the story of Ethan and Nate becoming a couple, but after getting a peep into their lives here, I’m pretty sure I want to go right back to their beginning.

RATING: 4.5Hearts



REVIEWED BY DONNA

Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright

Two men determined to win the same treasure at a charity silent auction, a wayward kitten, grumbling tummies, and a dilemma: what’s the correct gift-giving etiquette for a first date that’s mere days before Christmas, and what could possibly go awry with this merry combination?

REVIEW:

This short story was all kinds of cute. What would a Christmas story be without a fluffy little kitten?

Gordie and Kenton first meet at a silent auction, where Gordie makes a horrible impression when he almost has a tantrum over Kenton out bidding him for a Captain Jack Sparrow movie poster. They meet again when Kenton brings his kitten in to the vet clinic where Gordie works. This time Gordie manages to make a better showing and he’s quick to agree to a date when Kenton asks. But now he has another problem. What’s the etiquette on Christmas presents if your first date is a week before Christmas? To gift or not to gift? How much should you spend?

What I liked most about this story is that this is exactly the sort of thing that I’d agonize over. Because you just know that whatever you choose to do, it’s going to be the wrong decision, and it’s going to be awkward. On top of that we have two adorable men at the very start of their relationship and an adventurous puffball named Captain Jack. I love men who get mushy over their pets, and when it comes to Christmas stories, my tolerance for sweet can reach embarrassing heights.

RATING: 4Hearts



REVIEWED BY CINNAMON


The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris

One rainbow Christmas tree in harm’s way and an afternoon spent eating far too many cookies, equals two men with changed holiday plans. But how does that translate into a date?

REVIEW:

Writing short stories is a very unique kind of art form and doing it right is a very special talent. Nell Iris possesses this talent big time. CHRISTMAS Day Date is a lovely, heartwarming holiday read which allows us a few glimpses to the lives of two guys who have been neighbors for a year and beside a few quality conversations didn’t really know each other. As it happens fate and a few rotten family members bring them together for Christmas.

The power of the writing here is in the form of showing much more than is written down. To make us get to know two characters and their backgrounds in such a short period of time. The hints we get, the few flashbacks are enough to get an idea of who these guys are and where they are coming from.

The Christmas date is wonderful, and we get the promise of something more to come.

The holiday cheer, the rainbow Christmas tree and the delicious feast is woven together with bittersweet past, painful and life altering family roots our MCs had to overcome. They seem to be a great match and I personally know that they find their happily ever after with each other.


RATING: 4.5Hearts



REVIEWED BY CINNAMON

The Year of the Monkey by Amy Tasukada

The last thing Aoi wants to do for New Year’s is spend it with his boyfriend’s parents. They were far from thrilled when their son came out. Can Aoi warm their hearts making traditional mochi or will they end up in an even stickier situation?

REVIEW:

Amy Tasukada’s short story is actually part of an ongoing series of a truly adorable couple, Aoi and Sato. If you sign up for her newsletter you get a new story every month. So this one is a holiday episode and it reads exactly like that.

As I haven’t read the previous stories I knew nothing about these two guys. That being said this episode can be read, enjoyed and understood on its own. We get to know quite a lot during this story about Aoi and Sato, and their relationship with their parents. Their love for each other is palpable and their emotions though understated are truly present with tender moments, meaningful hugs. If you are a yaoi fan, you will definitely appreciate the writing style.

We also get some cultural background and information about life and New Year’s customs in Japan. This part is very fascinating and informative.

The Year of the Monkey is a sweet read full of hope and tells us two days’ events of this couple’s life. New Year’s Eve and Day are here and Aoi and Sato get invitations to two parties. I felt a bit left out of the previous details but decided to focus on the now and then, so I tried not to be hung up on missing information and had fun reading this short story.

RATING: 4Hearts


Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/11/2...

[Rachel]

12/27/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...

and Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review available at: https://optimumm.blog/2018/02/25/revi...

Rating 4.5*s

Make the Yuletide Gay is a collection of five short holiday stories by some of my favorite authors and to make it even better the collection is free. So why not take a chance on this cute collection of holiday stories and enjoy the holiday happy feelings that they inspire. I especially liked how this collection was put together. At the beginning of each story is the blurb and at the end, there is a little bit about the author and a few links to some of their other books or social media. It makes it very easy to find more books by the authors if you liked the story that you read or if they had other books with the same main characters like Stephen Hoppa and Amy Tasukada’s stories. They both have multiple books with the same characters that are in the short stories here.

A Christmas Party to Remember by Nicky Spencer – This was a cute story about Cory and Wes who meet at a Christmas party and plan to meet up later for drinks. However, Cory never shows up or responds to Wes’ text messages. Wes vows not to let that happen again. So when Cory shows up again at the same Christmas party and wants to explain what happened the year before, Wes doesn’t want to hear it, but his best friend convinces him to listen to him. How was he supposed to know that Cory had been in an accident on the way to meet him and his phone had been destroyed leaving him no way to contact Wes since he didn’t know his last name or where he worked? There wasn’t a lot of depth or background, but the characters were entertaining and loveable. I would read a longer book about them. 4 OptimuMMs

Let’s Not Go Crazy by Stephen Hoppa – This Christmas story was cute. I haven’t read the other three installments of Nate and Ethan’s relationship yet, but it’s on my to-do list since I found them to be an interesting set of characters. I loved the addition of Ethan’s puppies, but I have only one thing to say, and that’s puppy training classes for the destructive but loveable mutts. 3 OptimuMMs

Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright – Another cute short Christmas story about Kenton and Gordie and the ornery kitten, Captain Jack. Kenton and Gordie don’t get off to the best start when they both bid on a signed Captain Jack Sparrow movie poster at a silent auction at a charity ball fundraiser. And even though Gordie was outbid in the end by Kenton, when they run into each other again it won’t stop Gordie from going out on a date with him. However, when their first date is derailed by the disappearance of Kenton’s kitten, aptly named Captain Jack, the men make the best of a silly situation and have a night in at Kenton’s place while they look for the kitten. 3 OptimuMMs

The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris – Awe, I loved this short holiday story about Julius and Lenny. I would love to read more about them and their next date. I loved how bubbly and emotional Julius is and how honest Lenny is about his past. And the make-out scene was hot! 5 OptimuMMs

The Year of the Monkey by Amy Tasukada – I enjoyed getting to see Aio and Sato as they celebrated New Year’s Day with Sato’s family. Aio is a mess of anxiety and nerves over Sato’s parents not liking him, and so he decides to make homemade mochi. I loved getting to see how they make mochi and how much work it is. 4 OptimuMMs

***I would like to thank the author for the privilege and opportunity of reading this ARC. My review is an honest opinion of the book ***

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s very rare that I love every story in an anthology, and, unfortunately, that holds true here, but I do like to sample them on occasion, if for no other reason than it’s a great way to get a quick taste of new-to-me authors. And, let’s face it, the holidays? I’m a sucker for a holiday short. I’ll be completely transparent, though, and confess I picked this one up because of Stephen Hoppa’s contribution—I needed another shot of Nate and Ethan in my life—but I ended up adoring Nell Iris’s The Christmas Day Date, making this collection a mixed bag of sweet, a little angsty, and a good bit of charming too.

Author Nicky Spencer kicks things off with her lovely and touching A Christmas Party to Remember, combining a love-at-first-dance romance with a couple of my favorite tropes—the meet-cute and second chances.

Cory and Wes run into each other, literally, at a Christmas party, and their connection is immediate. There’s something there that just clicks between them, and in the space of a short time, Spencer captures that intangible thing we call chemistry well enough that I believed they were destined for each other every bit as quickly as they felt it themselves.

The author doesn’t make it easy, though, so it isn’t all cocoa with marshmallows in front of a cozy fire, but she doesn’t drag out the dramatic arc either, the way it might have been in a longer novella/novel.

The promise of happily-ever-after was the cherry on the sundae of this sweet holiday story about compassion, forgiveness and do-overs. – 3.5 stars

I’m going to be honest: if you haven’t read Stephen Hoppa’s Everything Between Us, this next contribution to the collection, Let’s Not Go Crazy, won’t hit the right notes for those unfamiliar with Nate and Ethan. They’re two of my favorite dysfunctional characters, ever, and ::spoiler alert:: their novel is going on my Best of 2017 list this year. Not to mention the title of this short story—taking all things into consideration—is some ironic perfection because going crazy is sort of what these guys do.

In order for this story to work, readers have to know everything this couple has gone through since Nate saved Ethan from a gay bashing outside a dive bar and brought him home to stay. Every bit of what might seem atypical behavior in this short story is, surprisingly, their special brand of functional, and the way the conflict unfolds and then resolves itself is healthy enough—for them. In fact, this vignette shows how far they’ve come since their early days together, so if you read this story and think, ‘…how are they even a functioning couple?’, know that you’ve missed out on a ton of history.

I loved seeing these two still together (trust me, if there were any two people I wouldn’t have put money down on to make it for the long-haul, it’s Nate and Ethan). Their style of love and commitment might not encompass the definition of conventional, generic romance, but if there are any two frayed-at-the-seams characters who are more perfect for each other, I haven’t read them yet. Nate and Ethan might not work in the real world, but they work on paper, and Hoppa’s contribution is about as sweet as these two will probably ever be. – 4 stars

Next up is author Addison Albright and Captain Jack and the Snack Attack, which is every bit as delightful a story as that title would suggest, and it thoroughly warmed my heart.

It’s funny how I don’t need a whole lot of backstory on a man once I find out he’s an animal lover (my dad always said he didn’t trust a man who didn’t like animals, so it’s kind of an ingrained stamp of approval here). Gordie being a vet tech and Kenton having a brand new kitten was a slam dunk in the affection department, and Albright’s sense of humor also shines in this story, which upped the enjoyment factor as well.

Gordie and Kenton getting together was not only a meet-cute, their story is a flat out cute-cute, and while the sexy times almost felt a little incongruous in the story, the case of the disappearing kitten and Kenton’s commitment to finding the little fur muffin, even if it meant possibly breaking his first date with Gordie, was endearing. – 3.5 stars

Nell Iris’s The Christmas Day Date came in guns hot and hijacked my heart for the holidays. I absolutely adored this sweet and surprising little story. And I say surprising not because I’m surprised I loved it but only because Lenny and Julius aren’t your everyday romantic leading men, and darn it, I adore a love story with characters who are real and relatable and approachable, and don’t all have perfect bone structure and eight-pack abs.

Lenny and JJ have been neighbors for years, but it’s not until Lenny hears JJ having a bit of an emotional meltdown with his Christmas tree in the hallway of their building that things begin to change for these two unassuming and gentle and kind men.

I loved the quiet nature of this story—nothing over-the-top but all of it a real pluck at the heartstrings as we discover some things about Lenny that made me want to wrap him up and be the mom he never had. While we’re at it, let’s just add JJ in there too, because his parents weren’t about to win any awards for their skills either. When Lenny comes clean about his past, it made me want to hug him all the more, and JJ showering Lenny with cookies and hot chocolate, and them each finding a place, a home and hope, in each other’s arms was the perfect bow to top off this wonderful gift of a story. – 4.5 stars

Finally, wrapping up the collection is Amy Tasukada’s The Year of the Monkey, and while I hate to end on a down note, I’m sad to say this story didn’t quite achieve the same outcome for me as the others in the bunch. I also own that some things may have been lost in translation for me due to my own cultural ignorance, making it a ‘me’ thing. But, I also didn’t warm up to the story in spite of feeling I really could have if I’d got just a bit more time with Sato and Aoi.

There was a weighty overtone to Aoi and Sato’s story, involving Sato’s mother and her obvious animosity and disapproval of her son’s relationship with Aoi—which she seemed determined to hold Aoi entirely accountable for while absolving her son of any responsibility in the relationship. This villainized Mrs. Emi, to a degree, especially when contrasted with a husband and daughter who both accepted Aoi in Sato’s life. This conflict dictated the entire feel and atmosphere of the story, and then to have things wrapped up so simplistically after creating this tension, made it all the more difficult to embrace. I simply needed more exposition and redemption that the short story length didn’t allow for.

Like two adjoining pieces of a puzzle, I could see the shape of this story, and I could see that Sato and Aoi fit together, but there were too many pieces missing, altogether, for me to see the whole picture. If only the focus had been on them and their relationship just a bit more. – 2.5 stars

In spite of this one near miss, I really enjoyed reading this collection. I not only got a heaping dose of holiday cheer and romance, but I also got the opportunity to discover some authors I might not have otherwise read, so I’m marking this one up to an overall win.

Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach

[Altivo Overo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light and fluffy, but worth reading. For me, the standout was the last story by Amy Tasukada. Aoi was rejected by his own parents for being gay, and still suffers from his boyfriend's parents' similar disapproval until he agrees to attend New Year at their home and wins them over with his effort to be helpful and friendly. All of these stories are well done and satisfying.

[namericanwordcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Christmas Romance here is really solid and fun in a different way. Good reading!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining collection of stories- a little bit of everything Christmasy!

[Tailtiu]

Free at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of MM short reads.

Five really enjoyable reads from five different authors makes this book collection worth getting.

I found a couple of new authors that I am interested in which is good and the Christmas themed stories all have HEA endings. Definitely worth a look if you like MM books. Recommended.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good collection of short stories.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is (still?) a free collection so I'll happily recommend it, especially for the two stories list below.

Favourites of the bunch.
Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright
Sweet story. Aborted Meet cute, Meet cute, Cute (But Wicked) Kitten, messed up first date due to C(BW)K.
The Christmas Day Date by Nell Iris
Nell Iris writes the sweetest, most gentle romances. This one is just lovely.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all I enjoyed this book. Some of the stories more than others, but 4 out of 5 stars for sure!

A Christmas Party to Remember
By Nicky Spencer
4 out of 5 stars

Super quick story of a 2nd chance romance that works like fate. I really enjoyed Cory & Wes’ story of getting to know each other, losing each other and finding each other again. Holiday parties are the best for many reasons!! :)


Let’s Not Go Crazy
by Stephen Hoppa
4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Loved Nate & Ethan’s quick bite. I haven't read their novel, but after this I am adding it to my TBR. The story was sweet and very much the perfect holiday story. I loved the outcome and watching them get there was heartwarming.


Captain Jack and the Snack Attack
by Addison Albright
4 out of 5 stars

This story was cute, quick and quirky. I loved the Captain Jack references simply because my family is crazy about pirates. I wish there were more to the story. The ending was abrupt, but I still enjoyed it.


The Christmas Day Date
by Nell Iris
4 1/2 out of 5 stars

JJ and Lenny’s story is one of wanting the better future in a life you never imagined you could have. This story was sweet, short and sexy. I loved how they both helped each other with their drama and found a place with each other without giving up anything they didn’t want to.


The Year of the Monkey
by Amy Tasukada
4 out of 5 stars

This is a good story about acceptance. The family was accepting of one of the main characters - except for the mom - but watching them bring her around made for a great read.

[Denise GremoryKohta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!!

I love holiday anthologies and this one was perfect. It has a mix of authors. I had never read Nicky Spencer before but after reading A Christmas Party, I had to read her other book. I look forward to reading more. Stephen Hoppa's contribution is part of a series of his that I loved. It showcased the characters perfectly and gave us a peek on how they are doing. I love the gifts Nate and Ethan chose for each other. Captain Jack and the Snack Attack by Addison Albright had just the right lightness and sweetness to balance the others out. Nell Iris's The Christmas Day Date was so good. Really hits you in the feels with such deep characters in such a short read. Closing out the book with Amy Tasukada's The Year of the Monkey was spot on. Not only do I love the characters and series, but it also reminded us the importance of family. I'm sure most if not all of us have that in-law or date of a family member we aren't fond of, though hopefully for a better reason. This reminded me that as long as my family is happy, then that's all that matters. Plus, the proceeds of the Amazon sales are donated to the Trevor Project. Makes this the best holiday book buy and a great holiday read.

[Christopher K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

M/M Christmas ❤️‍🔥 HEA Short Story/Novellas

5️⃣ short “M/M Christmas ❤️‍🔥 HEAs, all of equal charm, lighter than most regarding the “lovemaking” ❤️‍🔥 or in instance not at all 😢. They were culturally diverse and each story was completely individual unto itself though tied in nicely to the others so the 📕 was equally balanced between it’s commonality 🏳️‍🌈 and it’s universality 🌎… Worth 📖 and a nice addition to my Kindle library as opposed to just 📖 in KU (which technically I haven’t done because the two I 📖 that way, I added back in to my “Kindle Wishlist” to purchase anytime they show up on sale… 😉‼️

[Mr Pink Ink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this for free on Stuff Your Kindle Day.

Make The Yuletide Gay is a Christmas-themed anthology of five short stories from Nicky Spencer, Stephen Hoppa, Addison Albright, Nell Iris, and Amy Tasukada

This wasn't for me; the first story confused me because it seemed like a continuation of a previous story, so I skipped to the next. Same with the second story. At this point, I wasn't feeling very optimistic - each story comes with an explanation beforehand and I just didn't have the mental capacity to put things together...

Of the little of each story that I did read I found them to be well-written so I gave it a very generic rating.

[Janova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only read Nell Iris's story so I can't speak for the whole anthology. Maybe in the future I'll read all the stories and revisit my review but that day is not today lol Anyway, I really liked The Christmas Day Date. It is short but nevertheless packed with a lot of feelings. The characters were really likable and with depth even though the shortness of the story, and the story itself was really heart-warming and sweet.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This freebie is a great way to get yourself into the holiday spirit and introduce yourself to five authors at once. A combination of new meets and established couples, this collection has a little something for everyone. I enjoyed all five stories, and recommend that you check out this collection this holiday season.

[Wayne E. McNaughton]

M/M Yuletide Stories to Enjoy Throughout the Year!

A collection of holiday short stories to spread the Cheer throughout the year. Each author provides a unique & refreshing holiday themed tale to delight their readers with hope, joy, & HEAs to add a bounce to your steps! Buy it, read it, & Enjoy it any time of the year! 😊

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good

All five stories were good. Even though they're Christmas-themed, they can be enjoyed anytime- as evidenced by the fact that I'm just reading the collection of stories now ☺

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great feel good stories.

Well written short stories, that packed a lot into a small number of pages. It flows well and never seems rushed or lacking in detail. I really enjoyed the book.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally, all stories we enjoyable - one a bit up from 3, one a bit down.
Second chances, acceptance, meet cutes, neighbourly help and learninf to live with each other but all with a huge dash of ahhh. And definitely all romance stories.

[Addison Albright]

Want more? Here are bonus scenes for Captain Jack and the Snack Attack, one of the short stories included in the anthology Make the Yuletide Gay.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection with a nice balance.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and Short

A lovely bunch of sweet short stories with a holiday theme. You may recognize some of the characters from other books.