More Than Christmas

Michigan Seasons #1

by Lane Swift

Keeping life simple can be a complicated business... On a two-year assignment to America, young British auto executive Nick Harris is interested in only one thing—boosting his career—until he meets his hunk of a next-door neighbour, and landlord, Dale Hepburn.The problem is that Dale’s interest in Nick seems to be more changeable than the Michigan weather. One day they’re training in Dale’s garage gym and he’s giving Nick smouldering looks from under the barbell. The next, Nick’s attempts to turn up the heat on their friendship get the cold shoulder.Dale finally claims he’s holding out for love that will last, and Nick’s stay in America is only temporary. But a neighbour’s accidental remark suggests otherwise. Humiliated and hurt, Nick confronts Dale—with disastrous consequences. Now, with painful truths revealed, and hearts bruised, Nick must find a way to convince Dale they can be more than Christmas.Follow a Brit’s romantic journey, through his first Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in Michigan, including a costume party, a blizzard, and a family crisis, to a heart-warming HFN.

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

131 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2016

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one...being a Michigander myself.
But sadly, it was pretty lackluster.
Not sure if it was the characters, the story or the writing. Could be all three??
May try Swift again in the future...which I suppose is telling in itself.

*2.5 not-all-bad-but-not-all-great stars*

[Line]

Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/More-Than-Ch...

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this as a freebie at some point, and finally got around to reading it. The premise itself was not bad, but the romance was lackluster. Nick is needy and often sounded like a teenaged girl, and Dale blows hot and cold and gets to the point of complete asshole (though we only see him through Nick's eyes, and Nick isn't a reliable narrator). And we're told of feelings, not shown. I was interested enough to finish.

The other two books in this series are about this couple too, and while I've put them on my TBR, I'm not sure yet whether I'll read them.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. From the blurb, it seems Nick is a total dick. But I found him a nice, sweet and actually family oriented guy. He makes his mistakes but so does Dale so we'll call it even.

[Mateo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a romantic story, no too much drama, no too much sugar.

[Lane Swift]

With the final installment coming in Spring 2019, 'More Than Christmas' has been revised and re-edited for 2018, and is now FREE!

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness for KU and not owning this book!!
True rating: ZERO stars and trust me, that's a compliment :-/!! What is up with all these new(ish?) authors churning out the most ridiculous M/M books on the planet?!!? Let there be no mistake, this WAS ridiculous, and I've had enough :-/!! Nick was obnoxious; Dale seemed like a nice guy but since this was narrated in singular POV, I didn't get much of a feel for him because Nick is an idiot, and pretty unreliable narrator (and NOT in an intentional or even remotely successful way).
Most importantly, there was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much telling and not even close to enough SHOWING. There was no rhyme or reason to anything here and the ending left NO closure or direction whatsoever.
I could go on and on about what was wrong with this "book", but I'll save myself and you, the torture. I cannot recommend this. In fact, I suggest skipping this story entirely!! Consider yourself forewarned. The only thing this book accomplished is my having added yet another author to steer clear of. I am done.

[Tiferet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing with Lane Swift's stories is that even if they're set in the most fantastic of worlds there's always so much emotional realism and honesty to them. The characters are human and beautifully flawed. It turns out that the same goes for her Christmas fluff. The story is fun, it's sexy, it's sweet, but it's not silly or saccharine even for a moment. The characters are so loveable I can't wait to read the sequel and see them again (especially Dale, because come on... :)). Bonus points for the cultural differences aspect, because that rang 100% true.

[Rachel]

12/15/18 Currently FREE at most book retailers

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/More-Than-Ch...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
BN:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more...

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm pretty ordinary- ended up flicking

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story. Looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, low angst story. Terrific characters with just enough spice.

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 Stars

Haven't run across too many holiday interracial romances so a few bonus points for that. Otherwise, Meh.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nett, aber nicht wirklich weltbewegend. Wird nicht lange im Gedächtnis bleiben.

[Jesslan Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free book off Amazon and I love Christmas so I thought I'd give it a try. For a book supposedly taking place at Christmas time Christmas wasn't a part of it until the end unfortunately which was a bit disappointing.

Nick is Korean but lives in England. He moves to America for a 2 year contract on a job and rents a home. His landlord, Dale, lives next door. The book is written in Nick's POV though there finally comes a time when Dale shared his true thought process on why he behaved the way he did and yeah, like all romance novels you know in the end they wind up together. However this is a 3 book series. So it's just a HFN. (Hate those.)

I was just disappointed all around with it. Yes, it was a good read, kinda angsty, but I wasn't left feeling really happy in my heart at the end. I went back and forth trying to decide between 3 or 4 stars and I can't seem to get past 3. (My rating of good for one read only.) I'd planned on reading the next book seeing as it was written in Dale's POV and I wanted to finally peek at his emotional thought process and get where he was coming from, but then discovered it's not a KU book and you have to pay for it. Frankly, to me, it just isn't worth paying $3.99 to continue the series after I wasn't that touched in the heart about the first one.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Lane Swift's More Than Christmas, even though 'Christmas' was just the backdrop for the end of the story, and not really the focal point. I wouldn't consider this a M/M holiday romance, if that is what you are looking for. Still, it's an enjoyable story in any season.

The story is told from Nick's POV, the sexual tension and intrigue moving in both directions (between Dale and himself). I thought the premise and plot line worked well and was believable. Though it has its moments, I wouldn't call this a steamy romance.

I liked the characters and the way they interacted and worked through their situations realistically without too much angst. Overall, this is a pleasant M/M Romance with a happy ending. Part of a series, this can be read as a standalone book.

[Janis Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Very Sweet!

This story was sweet and and a great read! The love between Nick and Dale grew from a friendship they both shared. Hidden truths and life's own scary turns make you realize who in your life will stand by you. Not everyone comes out without scars, but its these scars that make us who we are. Its always sweet, when laden with scars, people find true beauty in each other! A beautiful story that brings a smile and hope into your life! I loved it and cant wait to read more of Nick and Dale!

[Quentin Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read. Standard romance fare. The mains are a little stereotypical for the genre, but I did enjoy that it was an interracial romance. There’s some dialogue that the author has the American saying that is very clearly British English, but nothing too jarring. The book’s biggest issue is that nothing happens. For a book like this, there either needs to be a lot of drama or a lot of sex. This has neither.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love reading a book set in my home state, especially when it's obviously written by someone who knows it well (rather than just saying "Detroit" and calling it a day). This was a cute, and I'll probably continue the series, it was just one of those books where I didn't always understand why the MCs weren't working it out.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly well written love story of two men who are greatly attracted to the other and assumptions of the other that gets in their way. At the core, it's a story about taking a chance and seeing what will be. Loved the size dichotomy of the two MC's, as well as the cultural and ethnic differences

[Helke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a nice read but nothing to write home about. I liked it well enough to fonish it but will definitly not read it a second time. There are no big crisises or mysteries. You get to enjoy the development of the relationship without angst or suspence.

[wordsandblankspaces · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's alright

I thought this was an ok read. I personally think Dale is a hypocrite and doesn't deserve Nick. I don't know how rest their story will go and I don't care enough to find out. Well written though and probably zero editing issues.

[Jeanine Beaulieu St Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

communication

I enjoyed reading about this couple they had such a hard time coming together at first because of missed communication that after they got that straightens out they still have a way to go

[Furio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A light-hearted, pleasant novella is all I expected from this work, but I did not get it.
Writing is flat, situations uninteresting, the romance underwhelming.
Sorry but no.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

👬🎄

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was wondering about Dale, but after the talk I felt sad for him. Loved the happy ending 😍

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun holiday read

More Than Christmas was a fun holiday read about two men finding love. The characters were well developed and interesting, the storyline fun and entertaining.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Very good read would highly recommend it for anyone . Very intense and also riveting to hold the suspense to the end

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read. Nothing over the top but the characters were likeable and you come to care about them by the end.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good

Such a sweet story! I loved every character that was introduced and can't wait to read more about them all.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

free from Kobo