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Cayuga Cougars #5.5
A Star-Crossed Christmas
(Previously published in the Hockey Holidays Anthology)
Being the new man in the crease can be tough. Mitch Adams, former back-up for the Cougars is now the main man in goal, replacing August Miles, who was recently called up to the pros. There are lots of new things happening in Mitch’s life and not everything is because of hockey.
Two years ago, he shared an explosive kiss with his childhood friend, Olympic snowboarder, Shaun Sandbeck. Since then, Mitch has been more than a little confused about a multitude of things pertaining to who he is, his sexuality, and the fact that he can’t stop thinking about that kiss and how he wants more.
For Mitch, going home for Christmas is a chance to find his focus and face the man who caused all this confusion. Is it possible for the two men to untangle lust from love, and find a future together that works?
Being the new man in the crease can be tough. Mitch Adams, former back-up for the Cougars is now the main man in goal, replacing August Miles, who was recently called up to the pros. There are lots of new things happening in Mitch’s life and not everything is because of hockey.
Two years ago, he shared an explosive kiss with his childhood friend, Olympic snowboarder, Shaun Sandbeck. Since then, Mitch has been more than a little confused about a multitude of things pertaining to who he is, his sexuality, and the fact that he can’t stop thinking about that kiss and how he wants more.
For Mitch, going home for Christmas is a chance to find his focus and face the man who caused all this confusion. Is it possible for the two men to untangle lust from love, and find a future together that works?
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2018
31 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
V.L. Locey
211 books726 followersV.L. Locey loves worn jeans, Dr. Who, Torchwood, belly laughs, yoga, reading and writing lusty tales, walking, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, fresh cup of java in hand.
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://vllocey.com/Newsletter
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, fresh cup of java in hand.
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://vllocey.com/Newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 3, 2023
Mitch is just too cute! I'd love more of these two 🥰
December 23, 2018
Loved this wee Christmas novella in the Cayuga series
This is a truly sweet peek at how new goalie Mitch got together with his snowboarding best friend.
Lots of lovely moments and a guest appearance by Victor doing what he does best - being a smart mouth!
This is a truly sweet peek at how new goalie Mitch got together with his snowboarding best friend.
Lots of lovely moments and a guest appearance by Victor doing what he does best - being a smart mouth!
March 20, 2022
GFY, 1sts, M/M... It's Christmas !
They grew up together, then went their separate ways. Now, at 23, after a kiss two years ago, Mitch wants to see Shaun to see if the attraction is still there.
Christmas with Mitch is a woman fest, and he hangs with his athletic niece, while they have fun on the slopes, they find Shaun in the snow.
* Mitch is the back-up goalie for the Cougars Hockey team, with short hair and blue eyes.
* Shaun is an Olympic gold medalist snowboarder, brown eyes, thick black hair and a slight beard.
When they meet again, they are honest and get right into the conversation about the "kiss" that gave Mitch his realization, and how they feel now.
There is snowballs, fun, presents, with warm hearts, a hockey rink, and more.
After kiss #2... they are going to do it right and have a first date, and Mitch comes out to his Mom, she's great !
The guys talk about old friends as they caught up, ate and tried to figure out how to make this work with their crazy schedules.
We can continue with Vic, Dan and Jake's story in REBOUND.
A delightful tale.
ENJOY !
======
They grew up together, then went their separate ways. Now, at 23, after a kiss two years ago, Mitch wants to see Shaun to see if the attraction is still there.
Christmas with Mitch is a woman fest, and he hangs with his athletic niece, while they have fun on the slopes, they find Shaun in the snow.
* Mitch is the back-up goalie for the Cougars Hockey team, with short hair and blue eyes.
* Shaun is an Olympic gold medalist snowboarder, brown eyes, thick black hair and a slight beard.
When they meet again, they are honest and get right into the conversation about the "kiss" that gave Mitch his realization, and how they feel now.
There is snowballs, fun, presents, with warm hearts, a hockey rink, and more.
After kiss #2... they are going to do it right and have a first date, and Mitch comes out to his Mom, she's great !
The guys talk about old friends as they caught up, ate and tried to figure out how to make this work with their crazy schedules.
We can continue with Vic, Dan and Jake's story in REBOUND.
A delightful tale.
ENJOY !
======
January 22, 2019
Very sweet story of second chances and taking a childhood friendship to another level.
Read in the Hockey Holiday Anthology before I started reading the Cayuga Cougars books. This fact didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
Read in the Hockey Holiday Anthology before I started reading the Cayuga Cougars books. This fact didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
December 26, 2020
I originally read this as part of the Hockey Holidays Anthology a few weeks ago and loved it, as a matter of fact I loved Mitch and Shaun's story so much I re-read it already. Now I haven't read the author's Cayuga Cougars series but I was by no means lost, if anything its made me want to bump this series up on my TBR list a few notches. Sweet, sexy, and sassy: my favorite s-words when it comes to reading and being a holiday setting just makes it that much better.
December 6, 2018
I'm not a big fan of fast food, but every time I ate a hamburger it is always the same guilty pleasure. This short story has the same taste of not enough.
December 12, 2018
I loved it so freaking much. Mitch is a sweetheart, Shaun in adorable, and that scene with Vic and Dan was everything. Enough said
December 6, 2019
This was cute; I liked the deliberate work to set it in a much more inclusive version of the hockey world, and childhood besties to boyfriends is usually a solid trope in my books.
February 24, 2020
This is my favorite of they Cayuga hockey books. I love Mitch and Shaun tegether
December 13, 2018
4.5*
A Star-Crossed Christmas - A Cayuga Cougars Holiday Short
I really liked the story, although it was very short. But there was imo a big logical mistake in the story that really annoyed me.
MM, childhood friends to lover, out for you, bi, professional athletes (snowboarding, ice hockey):
"Two years ago, Mitch shared an explosive kiss with his childhood friend Shaun. Will Christmas be the time for the two men to find a future together that works?"
A Star-Crossed Christmas - A Cayuga Cougars Holiday Short
I really liked the story, although it was very short. But there was imo a big logical mistake in the story that really annoyed me.
MM, childhood friends to lover, out for you, bi, professional athletes (snowboarding, ice hockey):
"Two years ago, Mitch shared an explosive kiss with his childhood friend Shaun. Will Christmas be the time for the two men to find a future together that works?"
January 13, 2019
Very cute
I wondered when Mitch would be the main character and this novella did a fine job of finding him a partner. Friends to lovers is always a sweet trope. Very real-feel too, as we get enough background and history to back up the new phase they move into. A long ago kiss already had Mitch past questioning his sexuality, accepting himself as bisexual. There’s no angst and no parental trauma. Just a super little novella, heartwarming and romantic and a believable HEA.
I wondered when Mitch would be the main character and this novella did a fine job of finding him a partner. Friends to lovers is always a sweet trope. Very real-feel too, as we get enough background and history to back up the new phase they move into. A long ago kiss already had Mitch past questioning his sexuality, accepting himself as bisexual. There’s no angst and no parental trauma. Just a super little novella, heartwarming and romantic and a believable HEA.
January 6, 2019
Lovely short story.
Only complaint was that it was too short. Such a sweet book, giving us a window into the lives of Mitch and Shaun, one of my favourite couples in this series. Ms Locey has written with her usual panache, a delightful short story, which is certainly worth a read if you've followed the series.
Only complaint was that it was too short. Such a sweet book, giving us a window into the lives of Mitch and Shaun, one of my favourite couples in this series. Ms Locey has written with her usual panache, a delightful short story, which is certainly worth a read if you've followed the series.
January 9, 2019
Hockey love
An amazing story of friendship to love! Terrific families that make you laugh out loud and love and support for each other making this story that much more emotional. Excellent!
An amazing story of friendship to love! Terrific families that make you laugh out loud and love and support for each other making this story that much more emotional. Excellent!
December 3, 2018
Awww Vicki...I loved a A Star-Crossed Christmas ( A Cayuga Cougars Holiday Short)...Can totally be read as a standalone. Such a sweet, sexy, friends to lovers hockey short!! I love your writing!
January 6, 2019
I love the hockey series by this author. She writes it so well. This short novella is no different, although I only got a HFN. I absolutely needed more to this story.
January 6, 2019
I just loved Shaun & Mitch's story!! So sweet and heartwarming. Thank you for taking my suggestion, Vicki, and writing an awesome story! **big hugs** And...thanks for the Victor & Dan appearance!
January 17, 2019
😍
No no no I want more ugh it was so good I wish there were more of it. It was a great short story must read!
No no no I want more ugh it was so good I wish there were more of it. It was a great short story must read!
November 15, 2019
I read this last year, no idea why I hadn't updated my Goodreads, love the Cayuga Cougars and this was a lovely sweet addition :)
November 17, 2019
4.5 stars
March 19, 2020
Loved
Loved Mitch and Shawn! Even though I read this one out of order it still fit. So happy to see to lifelong friends find each other romantically.
Loved Mitch and Shawn! Even though I read this one out of order it still fit. So happy to see to lifelong friends find each other romantically.
April 17, 2022
A little bit of hockey but no half-pipe
This is enjoyable--a little flat, but enjoyable. The characters are developed only just enough. The side characters are fun! To really enjoy this, you have presume a lot and put aside your disbelief. I couldn’t burn through this novella; I had to take breaks to reconcile my thoughts. Also I had a little difficulty with the two-dimensional imagery.
This is told from Cayuga Cougars goalie Mitch Adams's perspective. Because the other half of this romance is world-class/Olympic snowboarder Shaun Sandbeck, there is only about one page of a semi-pro hockey game. There is only 'farting around' snowboarding lessons described. These two are very much twenty-something years old men.
I wonder how this story would be if this was a novel, not a novella. A few of the regular Cayuga Cougars series characters make an appearance.
This is enjoyable--a little flat, but enjoyable. The characters are developed only just enough. The side characters are fun! To really enjoy this, you have presume a lot and put aside your disbelief. I couldn’t burn through this novella; I had to take breaks to reconcile my thoughts. Also I had a little difficulty with the two-dimensional imagery.
This is told from Cayuga Cougars goalie Mitch Adams's perspective. Because the other half of this romance is world-class/Olympic snowboarder Shaun Sandbeck, there is only about one page of a semi-pro hockey game. There is only 'farting around' snowboarding lessons described. These two are very much twenty-something years old men.
I wonder how this story would be if this was a novel, not a novella. A few of the regular Cayuga Cougars series characters make an appearance.
December 1, 2019
?????
Im not sure what this was supposed to be. Yes, I read the blub for the overview but it was just sooo bland.
Im not sure what this was supposed to be. Yes, I read the blub for the overview but it was just sooo bland.
August 30, 2024
Very very short but cute af, i love childhood friends to lovers!!
Read
January 22, 2019read in the anthology.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews