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I Wish You All the Best #1.5
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Ben has a plan for the ultimate Christmas present for Nathan. All it requires is taking a large golden retriever from one end of the country to the other. No pressure.
When a snowstorm rocks the east coast sooner than expected, though, Ben is trapped at the airport, and suddenly all their plans for a perfect first Christmas with Nathan are on the line.
When a snowstorm rocks the east coast sooner than expected, though, Ben is trapped at the airport, and suddenly all their plans for a perfect first Christmas with Nathan are on the line.
64 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2020
30 people are currently reading
6659 people want to read
About the author
Mason Deaver
14 books3,429 followersMason Deaver is a bestselling and award-winning author of young adult and adult romance novels. Their books have been awarded stars from Bookpage and Booklist, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and won the Pink News Best Young Adult Book Award.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.
They currently live in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews
December 15, 2025
And all I want from you is what you are / And even if you're right next to me, you're still too far away / If I'm not inside your arms / I get dramatic, baby, yes, I know / But I need you, I want you / Oh, man, I love you so (Rush Rush – Paula Abdul).
Hey, this is probably going to be the only Christmas book I'll read this year, and you know what? That’s fine, I think. It’s not like anything else could possibly clear the high bar this adorable little epilogue to one of the best books ever written, I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, set for the rest of them anyway, so I'm cool with just sticking with this one for the long run! Well, maybe I can make room for the Home Alone movies as well, but that's only because they fill my insatiable "action movie" need for excessive bloodshed. Really though, I’m sure you can tell by… I don't know, just the general vibe I give off… that I’m not actually all that into Christmas stuff. Shocking, I know. I love red and I love green, but together? It's too much for me! I guess I just have a visceral need to reject any kind of preaching media, and if you've ever seen a Christmas movie, then you know that preaching is their whole wheelhouse. And yes, I’m aware that I sound like that one cartoonishly cynical dude in every Christmas movie that learns to love and appreciate the holidays by the end, heart growing three sizes and all that, but the truth is that I just don’t deal sentimentality very well. Around this time of the year, you'd best believe that I'm walking around John Cusack style pretending like I don't have feelings. Somebody can be giving a heartfelt speech and I’m straight up looking for the nearest exit! “Let’s say a prayer!” …um let’s not. Get me out of here! It’s gotten bad, I know. I mean, the only Christmas song I actually like (and would listen to year round) is “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt, and that’s only because outside of the fact that it’s a bop, it’s so~oo unapologetically callous and materialistic that I can’t help but fall in love every listen. Sure, ask Santa for the deed to a platinum mine, that's a cool thing to do and totally not a Bond villain kind of wish. Of course, I hope that my John Cusack comparisons and my Grinch-like musings that I haven’t given you the impression that I don’t feel any holiday cheer, it’s just that it doesn’t really show up as clearly on my face as it would for someone in touch with their emotions. None of this means that the signs aren’t there though!
For example, even though I couldn't think of a Christmas song relevant enough to reference at the top of this review, I can still whip out the Paula Abdul lyrics. If that doesn’t adequately convince you that I'm privy to the odd feeling every now and then, then I don’t know what will! Besides, I feel like I'll Be Home For Christmas deserves a song that's super gay (complimentary), and Christmas songs just aren't generally queer enough for me... well, except for maybe Michael Bublé's "no homo" version of "Santa Baby" that somehow managed to be even more gay than the original! Nonetheless, even though I’m obviously not an expert on the topic of holiday cheer, what I will say is that the best holiday movies aren’t the ultra religious, "you should live your life like this" ones, the "non-Christmas movie movies" like Die Hard or Iron Man 3 that dudebros use as a conversation starter to avail any suspicion that they might have a heart, and they’re not even those awful Hallmark movies that are so painfully devoid of color (and people of color!) that it feels like you’ve walked straight (and straight) into an recruitment ad for the Orange is the New Black writing room… nah, the only, and I mean the only thing that a Christmas story should have for it to work is that it needs to be cozy! That’s it. If it's a vibe, then I can vibe with it! Give me the kind of story that makes you want to curl up in blankets and drink the kind of tea that’ll burn the roof of my mouth and I’ll be good where I’m at. I guess this is where I get to the point; with the powerful exploration of anxiety (through the shitty airport experience) and the several microaggressions queer folk go through in a simple social interaction, this book isn't just a heartwarming feelgood tale, but also a poignant slice of life that makes you think past all the seasonal paraphernalia. Because that's the thing, I’ll Be Home For Christmas is the perfect Christmas story because it isn’t about Christmas, but rather because it's simply about two people who will do anything to spend another hour wrapped in each other’s arms once again. And let me tell you, that’s the kind of love that'll last more than a season.
“Everything is good. It’s all good. So why do I feel so uneasy?”
Hey, this is probably going to be the only Christmas book I'll read this year, and you know what? That’s fine, I think. It’s not like anything else could possibly clear the high bar this adorable little epilogue to one of the best books ever written, I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, set for the rest of them anyway, so I'm cool with just sticking with this one for the long run! Well, maybe I can make room for the Home Alone movies as well, but that's only because they fill my insatiable "action movie" need for excessive bloodshed. Really though, I’m sure you can tell by… I don't know, just the general vibe I give off… that I’m not actually all that into Christmas stuff. Shocking, I know. I love red and I love green, but together? It's too much for me! I guess I just have a visceral need to reject any kind of preaching media, and if you've ever seen a Christmas movie, then you know that preaching is their whole wheelhouse. And yes, I’m aware that I sound like that one cartoonishly cynical dude in every Christmas movie that learns to love and appreciate the holidays by the end, heart growing three sizes and all that, but the truth is that I just don’t deal sentimentality very well. Around this time of the year, you'd best believe that I'm walking around John Cusack style pretending like I don't have feelings. Somebody can be giving a heartfelt speech and I’m straight up looking for the nearest exit! “Let’s say a prayer!” …um let’s not. Get me out of here! It’s gotten bad, I know. I mean, the only Christmas song I actually like (and would listen to year round) is “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt, and that’s only because outside of the fact that it’s a bop, it’s so~oo unapologetically callous and materialistic that I can’t help but fall in love every listen. Sure, ask Santa for the deed to a platinum mine, that's a cool thing to do and totally not a Bond villain kind of wish. Of course, I hope that my John Cusack comparisons and my Grinch-like musings that I haven’t given you the impression that I don’t feel any holiday cheer, it’s just that it doesn’t really show up as clearly on my face as it would for someone in touch with their emotions. None of this means that the signs aren’t there though!
For example, even though I couldn't think of a Christmas song relevant enough to reference at the top of this review, I can still whip out the Paula Abdul lyrics. If that doesn’t adequately convince you that I'm privy to the odd feeling every now and then, then I don’t know what will! Besides, I feel like I'll Be Home For Christmas deserves a song that's super gay (complimentary), and Christmas songs just aren't generally queer enough for me... well, except for maybe Michael Bublé's "no homo" version of "Santa Baby" that somehow managed to be even more gay than the original! Nonetheless, even though I’m obviously not an expert on the topic of holiday cheer, what I will say is that the best holiday movies aren’t the ultra religious, "you should live your life like this" ones, the "non-Christmas movie movies" like Die Hard or Iron Man 3 that dudebros use as a conversation starter to avail any suspicion that they might have a heart, and they’re not even those awful Hallmark movies that are so painfully devoid of color (and people of color!) that it feels like you’ve walked straight (and straight) into an recruitment ad for the Orange is the New Black writing room… nah, the only, and I mean the only thing that a Christmas story should have for it to work is that it needs to be cozy! That’s it. If it's a vibe, then I can vibe with it! Give me the kind of story that makes you want to curl up in blankets and drink the kind of tea that’ll burn the roof of my mouth and I’ll be good where I’m at. I guess this is where I get to the point; with the powerful exploration of anxiety (through the shitty airport experience) and the several microaggressions queer folk go through in a simple social interaction, this book isn't just a heartwarming feelgood tale, but also a poignant slice of life that makes you think past all the seasonal paraphernalia. Because that's the thing, I’ll Be Home For Christmas is the perfect Christmas story because it isn’t about Christmas, but rather because it's simply about two people who will do anything to spend another hour wrapped in each other’s arms once again. And let me tell you, that’s the kind of love that'll last more than a season.
“Everything is good. It’s all good. So why do I feel so uneasy?”
April 8, 2023
Hi! I wanted to update this review to let everyone know that after some poor business practices on Gumroad's part, the ebook version of the novella has been moved to ko-fi. There's no need to redownload the novella if you already have it, just adding this for new readers!
You can find the novella here
Wanted to edit this review to make sure everyone knows that a paperback version of I'll Be Home For Christmas is available now! You can purchase it from Amazon here!
I had the idea that Goodreads would be a good place to leave trigger warnings for readers. Trigger Warnings are available for all of my books on my website, but not everyone knows to check there, so I wanted to share them here.
They're marked as spoilers just in case!
Content Warnings For I'll Be Home For Christmas
If you notice any content or trigger warnings missing from this list please feel free to email me at masondeaverwrites@gmail.com
You can find the novella here
Wanted to edit this review to make sure everyone knows that a paperback version of I'll Be Home For Christmas is available now! You can purchase it from Amazon here!
I had the idea that Goodreads would be a good place to leave trigger warnings for readers. Trigger Warnings are available for all of my books on my website, but not everyone knows to check there, so I wanted to share them here.
They're marked as spoilers just in case!
Content Warnings For I'll Be Home For Christmas
If you notice any content or trigger warnings missing from this list please feel free to email me at masondeaverwrites@gmail.com
December 23, 2020
[December 1st, 2020]:
um this is like.. kind of personal but yeahhh...
i had picked up I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST earlier this year because i knew it had nonbinary representation (just like FELIX EVER AFTER did, which i'd read before this one), yes, but i also read it because at the time i was questioning my gender identity, not knowing exactly whether i was cis or i could possibly be nonbinary, which at the time felt like such an overwhelming feeling and it felt like such a difficult thing for me to grasp and it felt like "no way am i possibly nonbinary" and it felt like "this nagging feeling will surely pass soon", but the thing is... it didn't pass.
it persisted and persisted until i felt as if identifying as nonbinary was truly the only road forward for me, the path i was meant to take all along.
and it really was the right path for me. i've known i'm nonbinary for quite a few months now, and although it was kind of weird and nauseating and overwhelming and difficult to adjust to my gender identity (as trans and nonbinary people are still being very much alienated by society and even further marginalised by their own community, sometimes), it also started sinking in that it felt very much right.
"adjusting" to being nonbinary felt a bit like when you meet a person for the first time. for some people, it can be quite scary because you're feeling nervous and scared and you tread carefully everytime you talk to them because you don't want to scare them off, while for others it's something as easy as breathing, and you behave around that person as if you've known them your whole life because you simply feel THAT comfortable around them. but no matter which way you've interacted with your new friend, it still takes a lot of time to truly get to know them. and the thing is... even when you think you know this other person inside out, there will still probably be some small details about them that perhaps you're not ready yet to understand about them... or perhaps never will. and that's okay anyway.
my gender journey, and getting to know myself, is far from over. although in some aspects i feel like i haven't changed at all, there are still new things i learn about myself everyday. and it's wonderful experience.
and i feel like i have to thank you and ben for being part of my journey. although ben and i feel differently about our nonbinary identities [as the nonbinary spectrum contains a wide range of beautiful gender experiences (we are NOT a monolith, people!!)], some parts of their experience still resonated with me.
so i just want to thank you. for pouring your heart out into creating benjamin debacker. for showing that nonbinary people have a very much-deserved place in fiction. for showing that nonbinary people's experiences are more than worth telling. for showing that nonbinary people do deserve great love stories (whether platonic or romantic).
and, finally, thank you for showing that nonbinary people do deserve Christmas-y short story specials, i guess.
um this is like.. kind of personal but yeahhh...
i had picked up I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST earlier this year because i knew it had nonbinary representation (just like FELIX EVER AFTER did, which i'd read before this one), yes, but i also read it because at the time i was questioning my gender identity, not knowing exactly whether i was cis or i could possibly be nonbinary, which at the time felt like such an overwhelming feeling and it felt like such a difficult thing for me to grasp and it felt like "no way am i possibly nonbinary" and it felt like "this nagging feeling will surely pass soon", but the thing is... it didn't pass.
it persisted and persisted until i felt as if identifying as nonbinary was truly the only road forward for me, the path i was meant to take all along.
and it really was the right path for me. i've known i'm nonbinary for quite a few months now, and although it was kind of weird and nauseating and overwhelming and difficult to adjust to my gender identity (as trans and nonbinary people are still being very much alienated by society and even further marginalised by their own community, sometimes), it also started sinking in that it felt very much right.
"adjusting" to being nonbinary felt a bit like when you meet a person for the first time. for some people, it can be quite scary because you're feeling nervous and scared and you tread carefully everytime you talk to them because you don't want to scare them off, while for others it's something as easy as breathing, and you behave around that person as if you've known them your whole life because you simply feel THAT comfortable around them. but no matter which way you've interacted with your new friend, it still takes a lot of time to truly get to know them. and the thing is... even when you think you know this other person inside out, there will still probably be some small details about them that perhaps you're not ready yet to understand about them... or perhaps never will. and that's okay anyway.
my gender journey, and getting to know myself, is far from over. although in some aspects i feel like i haven't changed at all, there are still new things i learn about myself everyday. and it's wonderful experience.
and i feel like i have to thank you and ben for being part of my journey. although ben and i feel differently about our nonbinary identities [as the nonbinary spectrum contains a wide range of beautiful gender experiences (we are NOT a monolith, people!!)], some parts of their experience still resonated with me.
so i just want to thank you. for pouring your heart out into creating benjamin debacker. for showing that nonbinary people have a very much-deserved place in fiction. for showing that nonbinary people's experiences are more than worth telling. for showing that nonbinary people do deserve great love stories (whether platonic or romantic).
and, finally, thank you for showing that nonbinary people do deserve Christmas-y short story specials, i guess.
December 16, 2020
Just reflecting on the journey I've had with this book, from first reading it without knowing I'm non-binary yet, to being able to revisit it when I've gained so much understanding of my own identity. It feels so special.
I also still love Ben with all my heart and I want them to have all the happiness in the world.
I also still love Ben with all my heart and I want them to have all the happiness in the world.
January 21, 2024
rep: nonbinary mc with anxiety & depression, Black bi li, Bahraini pan nonbinary Muslim sc
what a way to start 2021!
what a way to start 2021!
July 6, 2021
I called I wish you all the best soft, sweet and vulnerable and for I’ll be home for Christmas I’m also adding fluffy and cute because of the ending. For a short moment I was back in Ben’s and Nathan’s world, and I love that Alice Oseman made the cover of this novella!
December 25, 2020
This was truly the perfect Christmas novella. I'm so very happy this is the story I spent my Christmas Eve reading.
TW: anxiety, misgendering
TW: anxiety, misgendering
April 7, 2022
I went through so much to feel comfortable with myself—other people’s discomfort with who I am is no longer my problem. It’s theirs.It was so peaceful seeing Ben after such a long time. Felt like meeting a long lost friend. Ben and Nathan are happy and it's blissful.
April 08, 2022
December 15, 2020
Mason Deaver once again made me tear up at the end of their book!! This was so, so adorable and hurt my poor, gay, separated across the country from my girlfriend due to covid, heart!!
Read for the 12 Days of Queermas Readathon!
Read for the 12 Days of Queermas Readathon!
December 24, 2020
This was such a sweet and adorable Christmas novella! I'm so glad I read it before Christmas, reading about Ben and Nathan just warmed my heart. If you loved I Wish You All the Best and you want to see more of Ben and Nathan's story, then you really cannot miss out on this one!
June 19, 2021
cuuUUUUTE
I love them
And totally respect the author for not wanting to just write more of Ben and Nathan for the sake of it and simply giving us this sweet short Christmas story!
I love them
And totally respect the author for not wanting to just write more of Ben and Nathan for the sake of it and simply giving us this sweet short Christmas story!
December 18, 2020
cute! i missed ben and nathan so it was good to be back!
December 9, 2022
My only complaint is that it was too short! I loved this sweet Christmas story and loved another look in on the lives of Ben and Nathan! ❤️🥰❤️
December 29, 2020
Whatever Nathan wants to give me, I'm prepared to take.
4.5 stars. This was so adorable, it just about laid me the fuck out. It felt so good to be back with this sweet kid, and all their relatable anxieties and hopefulness and their love for Nathan. It was so cute, and this is just what I would imagine their first Christmas to be like. Ben's so determined to make Nathan happy, and I love that for them both! They deserve each other so much!
Also @ Mason Deaver: I can't believe you made me cry with the same line twice in a row lol fuck.
January 1, 2022
Me after reading I'll Be Home For Christmas:🥺😭😍
Gorgeous.
Gorgeous.
June 25, 2021
this is adorable my heart is full
December 18, 2020
CWs:
Brief descriptions of anxiety, brief instances of being misgendered (challenged), some allusions to parental estrangement and trauma related to parental estrangement
Want to read
December 15, 2020HOW did I not know about this??? My alert system has failed me
July 13, 2021
Loved me some Ben finally being truly happy content.
I need more. 60 pages was way too little. (ALSO HANNAH! I LOVE AND MISSED HANNAH AND WAS SO GLAD THIS WASN'T JUST A BEN/NATHAN STORY!)
I need more. 60 pages was way too little. (ALSO HANNAH! I LOVE AND MISSED HANNAH AND WAS SO GLAD THIS WASN'T JUST A BEN/NATHAN STORY!)
December 26, 2020
So. Damn. Adorable!! I love it!!! A Christmas novella with a dog!? Perfection!
December 16, 2020
Every author should give us a holiday novella. That’s the rules.
December 16, 2020
PMS and reading sappy storys doesn’t mix well for me!!!
I cried like three times and it’s just a shortstory!!!
This was beautiful. Poor anxiety ridden Ben.
Thomas, Hanna and Nathan are such sweethearts, bless them all. Especially Thomas who cries over the Grinch. 🤣🙏🏻🧡
I loved it! Super super cute!!!
I cried like three times and it’s just a shortstory!!!
This was beautiful. Poor anxiety ridden Ben.
Thomas, Hanna and Nathan are such sweethearts, bless them all. Especially Thomas who cries over the Grinch. 🤣🙏🏻🧡
I loved it! Super super cute!!!
November 20, 2021
"Hannah claps her hands together, a wild smile on her face. And I breathe, in and out.
It's going to be fine.
Everything will be fine.
Everything is decidedly not fine."
Review:
I don't know which is better. That I finished this book in an hour or less, or that I got to read this book in the first place. The author of the book was generous enough to make it accessible to everyone, and I received the book on my kindle. I think I would have enjoyed the book even more if I was reading it during Christmas, but it's more Thanksgiving time right now.
This was a cute, fun, and light read. Nothing that would really make me think, or feel too much. That isn't a bad thing; you can't do much in 60 pages. I did like the book, but since there was almost no plot, I'm not going to give it 5 stars. I did miss Ben and Nate though, so it was nice to see them again.
Rating: 3.5 stars
It's going to be fine.
Everything will be fine.
Everything is decidedly not fine."
Review:
I don't know which is better. That I finished this book in an hour or less, or that I got to read this book in the first place. The author of the book was generous enough to make it accessible to everyone, and I received the book on my kindle. I think I would have enjoyed the book even more if I was reading it during Christmas, but it's more Thanksgiving time right now.
This was a cute, fun, and light read. Nothing that would really make me think, or feel too much. That isn't a bad thing; you can't do much in 60 pages. I did like the book, but since there was almost no plot, I'm not going to give it 5 stars. I did miss Ben and Nate though, so it was nice to see them again.
Rating: 3.5 stars
December 16, 2020
WHAT. I. JUST. NEED. FOR. CHRISTMA.
Ikke for julet
Ikke for sød
men stadig utrolig magisk og varm!
awww
#QueerChristma <3
Ikke for julet
Ikke for sød
men stadig utrolig magisk og varm!
awww
#QueerChristma <3
October 29, 2022
A nice short novella
December 25, 2020
this was just fun and sweet and the perfect thing to curl up with on Christmas Eve
December 26, 2020
A dog, a cute Christmas story by an author I enjoy (who is going to give every income they get from this story to charity) and a cover by Alice Oseman is exactly what I want on Christmas eve. So yeah, I own a copy of the story, but I won't read it until the 24th. Probably along with a couple Alice Oseman short stories (This Winter? Hells yes). Christmas can't come soon enough.
AFTER READING;
Awwww, yes, that was nice, and made me feel accomplished by actually doing something Christmas-ey on Christmas because sobbing over The Burning God is a little anti climactic and not a very happy activity.
AFTER READING;
Awwww, yes, that was nice, and made me feel accomplished by actually doing something Christmas-ey on Christmas because sobbing over The Burning God is a little anti climactic and not a very happy activity.
December 15, 2020
so soft. i don’t want to say i forgot how much i love ben and nathan because it’d be rude to forget. so i guess i’m just so glad to be reminded about how much i love them both, you know??
December 24, 2021
So precious! Everything about them is so precious!
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