Stolen Christmas

Camp Bay Christmas #2

by Marie Sexton

Located on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Northern Idaho, Camp Bay Chalet is a discreet and cozy B&B, popular with both locals and minor celebrities for its fabulous holiday weekends. Eric, an ex-con who lives and works at the Chalet, does his best to keep his head down and his nose clean, hoping the inn’s upscale clientele never learn about his past.

For years, pediatrician Max and his husband Wilson spent every Christmas at Camp Bay Chalet. After Wilson’s death, Max returned to Camp Bay. He and Eric had one perfect night together, but afterward, Max panicked and fled before morning. Now, he hopes to make up for lost time, but will he change his mind when he learns Eric’s darkest secret?

Genres: M M Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery, Contemporary Romance

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2022

About the author

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!


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Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. This story was okay, but there wasn't anything that really thrilled me about it.

And the side plot of the jewelry theft, with fingers being pointed toward the ex-con MC, went absoluuuuuuutely nowhere and felt like an "Add More Drama Here" bullet point in a generic story outline template.



I'd rate it at around 3.25 stars, but would've much rather spent the time re-reading the author's "Winter Oranges" story, which was all kinds of freaking awesome.

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[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just reread one of my favorite M/M romance novels of all time: Winter Oranges.

Marie Sexton is writing a follow-up (featuring Jason's best friend, Dylan), which comes out at the end of this month (November 2022).

I was stoked to read Stolen Christmas, and it pains me to say I was uber disppointed with this story.

This book read like an advert for Sexton's main characters, past and present. The name dropping was out of control.

The mystery (who's stealing all the jewels??) was a throwaway. There was no suspense, no investigation. The way the cops handled the entire thing was so ridiculous, I fear I sprained my eye balls. The whole thing was a setup for the big reveal related to Eric's past.

And the way Max reacted wasn't pretty.

Max's and Eric's romance happens off-page. We're told they met years ago and then banged the previous Christmas after Max's husband passed away.

What we get is a couple rushed conversations and some unexciting sex. I wasn't feeling the connection at all.

I was so letdown, I skimmed the epilogue.

Please excuse me while I have a good cry under the misteltoe.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely 😊​

I would've loved to read more about the background before Eric and Max shared their first night of passions (and before Max ran away). BUT, I also realized that it wasn't completely necessary. I loved that the people in Camp Bay Chalet were rallying behind Eric to get his man.

Not sure about the thievery plot though. I first thought it would add an additional complication to Eric and Max's story, but it wasn't, really. So what was the point? 🤷​

[Achim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
How to start the Holiday reading season better than with a book that takes place during the season but is not the usual Holiday romance. Eric would surely say that him getting the man of his dreams is a Christmas miracle and one he doesn't deserve but I'm certain Max would have seen him at any other month of the year regardless.

While it feels like it's as short as its little cozy mystery which is solved without further ado it's also a lovely read and nice appetizer for the days to come.

[Andi]

DNF @ 28%. Couldn't get into it. Ugh.

[Love Is All Around · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENSIONE A CURA DI ELYXYZ
Ho letto di seguito i due libri che compongono questa dilogia natalizia. Dopo i protagonisti di Leta Blake, stavolta il testimone passa a Marie Sexton e torniamo nel medesimo resort a Camp Bay Chalet.
Premetto che i due libri si possono leggere autonomamente. Per chi invece ama trovare riferimenti e cammei, intravediamo qui Liam e North, perché le due storie scorrono nello stesso momento e si intrecciano un po’, però i nuovi protagonisti sono due personaggi diversi e già scorti: il tuttofare Eric e il pediatra vedovo Max.
Max ed Eric hanno avuto una sola notte di passione l’anno prima, finita in modo brusco, e quest’anno i due non sanno bene come rapportarsi, benché si sentano attratti reciprocamente.
Continua sul nostro blog!

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 rounded up

Underwhelming.

I enjoyed a recent holiday read from this author, so I figured I'd give this one a go, but damn, this felt hella phoned in. There are a bunch of really obvious, clunky, and excessive references to characters/pairings from this author's other books which was incredibly distracting, the mystery was stupid and pointless, and the romance lackluster.

[Caipi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, an okay story I think....?
The characters were nice, though I would have liked to get to know them better, deeper. I couldn't really relate to their romance, I missed the path to it. It was more a telling of a fact than a showing of the development.
And the mystery was also far too short and superficial in my opinion.

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A cute story featuring likeable characters set during Christmas time at a resort where one of them, Eric, works. The other, Max (a widower), used to spend Christmases there with his husband, who died three years earlier, and has continued to return there alone.

Eric has had a crush on Max for years, and the previous year, they hooked up on Christmas Eve - but Max then left abruptly, so Eric is anxious about seeing him again. Fortunately, misunderstandings are cleared up quickly, and the two of them sort of pick up where they left off, but on a much firmer footing this time. There's a needless plotline about someone who is stealing from the guests which doesn't really go anywhere, and which, I imagine, was included in an attempt to create some tension and maybe to make readers think that Eric would be suspected, but it just fizzles out and I'm not sure why it was there at all.

I liked Eric and Max and the romance, though. I believe this is part of a series that features stories for some of the other couples featured here, so I might check some of them out.

[1000storie1000vite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una storia che mi ha colpito molto, delicata ma dalle tematiche forti. Due protagonisti dolcissimi, che si imprimono nel cuore. Uno dei due, però un po' di più. Eric e il suo passato mi hanno commosso profondamente. La bellezza di certi animi non è facile da narrare, ma in questo l'autrice è maestra.

L’ambientazione è vivida, i personaggi secondari ben delineati e il rotmo avvincente.

Una bella novella natalizia.
4 stelle e mezzo
Hugs&kisses

[Ashley GR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute and definitely made me want to read the other books in this series.
Eric is haunted by his past mistake and doesn’t feel worthy of Max’s attention. Max is overcoming the death of his husband and has always felt an attraction to Eric. This quick read shows how they come together over Christmas.

[Valentina Campi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, solid holiday story. Max could have used a little fleshing out, but Eric was a great character. There were quite a few appearances of characters who obviously star in other stories I haven't read, but it wasn't too egregious. I'll definitely have to go back and check out the first book in the series, since I skipped ahead.

[Penumbra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stolen Christmas is part of the ‘Camp Bay’ series. It stars Eric, ex-con and maintenance man, and Max, a pediatrician. This is told in first person from Eric’s pov.

I don’t know what to make of this story. I felt like I got dropped into the plot and romance midway. It starts with Eric anxiously awaiting the return of Max to Camp Bay Chalet for the Christmas holiday. They had a one time fling the year before and Max left without speaking to Eric. But the two got to know each other for years before their fling when Max and his then husband, Wilson, visited every Christmas holiday. So, Eric and Max already had a talking relationship. But us readers never get to see that growing relationship happen; it happens off page. We’re dropped into Max’s return and the men trying to establish a connection but there are misunderstandings. They’re still attracted to each other, but there’s always a cloud between them because Eric is afraid that Max will despise him when he finds out that Eric is an ex-con.

Besides the abrupt plunge into Max and Eric’s ‘relationship,’ there was also someone stealing items from the other guests. That scenario reminded me of Dirty Dancing. Anyway, it didn’t really add anything except temporarily move the pace of the story a bit and create a scene about Eric’s past. Maybe the author’s writing style isn’t for me, but in my opinion, this story plodded along. It was a lot about Eric’s guilt, how he tried to avoid other guests, how he wanted to be with Max but feared how Max would see him once Eric told him what he’d done in the past. There wasn’t any excitement, it was kind of blah. But maybe that’s the way it was meant to be since it's all from Eric’s pov.

As to the characters, Eric is guilt ridden. He still believes he should be punished for a past crime, even though his probation is over and he’s been a model citizen. He sleeps in a basement room with no windows or decoration. It’s like a cell, and I hadn’t noticed the symbolism until Max brought it up. For me, that’s the one interesting item in this book. Nothing else stood out. Eric can’t move past his past, he is stuck. Max is Eric’s bright spot. Even though, when Max found out what Eric did, his immediate reaction was unkind. Max is cheerful, giving, and he tries his best to get Eric to give their relationship a go. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough romance to make me believe in Max and Eric as a couple.

I wasn’t convinced about the logic used at the end of the story about Eric leaving the Chalet to feel like he was reborn or set free. The Chalet was a new freedom from prison. Eric chose to punish himself, not his bosses or the other workers. Eric punished himself probably because he was an innately good person, knew right from wrong and tried to be a good person, but had ended up making some mistakes through association.

Overall, this was an okay story. Dropping readers into a relationship that happened off page and into a plot involving people from what felt like some other book, didn’t work for me. Eric’s voice was dull as was his emotions. This was frankly a kind of depressing story and the mystery of the stolen items wasn’t that much of a mystery. I don’t know if it was just this book, or if the author’s writing style isn’t for me, but I wouldn’t recommend this. I give, Stolen Christmas, 2 Stars.

[Debbie]

DNF at 30%
This was my 1st Christmas read of the season, but it didn't feel overly Christmas-y (at least to the point I got). I didn't feel any chemistry between the 2 MCs. Their dialogue felt cheesy and I gave up when Max walked out in a bathrobe and there was some line that made me roll my eyes. I skimmed a bit to find out about the missing items but that felt like a bit of a letdown.

[Silkeeeeeereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book set in this world. Characters. It always come down to them and Eric just does something to my heart.

[Zane Kage · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Elyxyz Elyxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rece su copia arc

Ho letto di seguito i due libri che compongono questa dilogia natalizia. Dopo i protagonisti di Leta Blake, stavolta il testimone passa a Marie Sexton e torniamo nel medesimo resort a Camp Bay Chalet.
Premetto che i due libri si possono leggere autonomamente. Per chi invece ama trovare riferimenti e cammei, intravediamo qui Liam e North, perché le due storie scorrono nello stesso momento e si intrecciano un po’, però i nuovi protagonisti sono due personaggi diversi e già scorti: il tuttofare Eric e il pediatra vedovo Max.
Max ed Eric hanno avuto una sola notte di passione l’anno prima, finita in modo brusco, e quest’anno i due non sanno bene come rapportarsi, benché si sentano attratti reciprocamente.
Purtroppo i nostri protagonisti hanno un vissuto doloroso che li condiziona anche nel presente, soprattutto Eric, pur avendo pagato il suo debito con la Giustizia, si ritiene sempre indegno di felicità e amore. Vive autoimponendosi una sorta di esilio, senza interagire con i clienti né cercando una relazione, ma solo fugaci momenti di sfogo sessuale. Pur essendo capito e amato dal personale del resort, Eric sembra scontare la sua colpa in eterno e teme che il dolce dottore di cui è innamorato da anni non lo voglia, sapendo la verità.
Max, dal canto suo, vive sì una vedovanza recente, ma deve anche rielaborare il suo legame, non proprio idilliaco, col marito defunto.
Questa novella natalizia è molto dolce, con la giusta spruzzata di angst, prevedibile ma necessario, prima del meritato lieto fine. Le parti che raccontano l’intimità di Max e Eric sono gradevoli, coinvolgenti al punto giusto ed efficaci nell’economia della storia.
C’è anche un piccolo giallo da risolvere, che rende accattivante la trama e che chiude anche la curiosità che mi era rimasta dall’altra storia sul colpevole.
Avrei voluto però che la parte finale non mettesse in ombra lo chalet com’è accaduto, mi è sembrato quasi un discorso un po’ ingrato, perché personalmente credo che sia stato per Eric un porto sicuro con persone sinceramente affezionate a lui, ma questo è solo il mio giudizio personale.
Nel complesso resta una lettura piacevole che vi consiglio.

[Dona DeSy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il Natale rubato- Marie Sexton
( Camp bay n. 2)

Secondo della dilogia iniziata dalla Blake ; della Sexton non ho mai letto nulla che non mi sia piaciuto, l'unico "dispiacere " che al massimo mi provoca e' che mi dura sempre poco . Ma la colpa non è certo sua , ma mia dato che divoro i suoi libri e poi passo un paio di giorni in hangover dopo averli letti...
Questo lavoro può preso anche da solo però Eric che Max vengono comunque introdotti nel libro precedente e i personaggi già visti nel primo capitolo li ritroveremo comunque in questo, quindi consiglio sempre l'ordine di Lettura previsto dalla pubblicazione .
Se nell'altro libro abbiamo incontrato personaggi giovanissimi e alle prese con problemi piuttosto fatui, qui abbiamo due uomini maturi con un passato alle spalle . Max, ospite abituale del Camp Bay è un pediatra, vedovo. Eric lavora al cottage, e ha un passato del quale ancora si vergogna e si colpevolizza , punendosi al punto di essere convinto di non meritarsi ne una vita ne la felicità. Max ovviamente non è dello stesso parere, intuisce la bontà d'animo di Eric e fa di tutto perché possa concedersi una seconda chance. In questa storia la magia del Natale si mischia alla speranza di una nuova possibilità, tutti gli elementi della storia d'amore sono perfettamente bilanciati; la sensualità, la tenerezza,la speranza, i momenti commoventi... tutto è come deve essere.
A guardare il pelo nell'uovo forse avrei aggiunto una manciata di pagine per raccontare meglio Max , ma è perdonabile dato che il vero protagonista è Eric. Bellissimo per chi come me,ha letto gli altri lavori dell'autrice trovare citati personaggi che abbiamo già amato in altri libri. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very heartwarming holiday story set at the Camp Bay Chalet where Eric is handyman and Max, a widower, returns to not only spend the holidays but to win Eric's heart.

Eric has a record from his late teens when he inadvertently participated in an armed robbery but he's done his time in prison and on probation. Now if he could only forgive himself he might be able to see his value. Max and Eric had a one-night stand last Christmas Eve but Max, guilty over finally having sex after becoming a widower darted out before Eric awoke the next day. This made a terrific setup for the story at the chalet where North and Liam (North's Pole) are staying and where guests have noticed valuable items have been stolen. Yes, there's a mystery and a love story wrapped up in this holiday goodie.

All I can say is I couldn't stop reading and I fell in love with these characters. The host of secondary characters have either already been seen in other stories or are sure to get their own in this Camp Bay universe. I, for one, can't wait.

[Romanticfairiesblog · Rating 3 out of 5]

RECENSIONE A CURA DEL BLOG ROMANTIC FAIRIES

Voto 3 stelle e mezzo

Questa deliziosa novella in stile natalizio, ambientata nel nord dell’Idaho, ha come protagonista principale Eric, un trentenne tuttofare che lavora in una locanda sulle rive del fiume Pend Oreille. Ritengo solo lui il protagonista principale in quanto l’intera novella viene raccontata dal suo punto di vista. Eric vive da anni nella locanda, lontano dal resto del mondo, contento di ciò che ha, non ritenendosi degno di nulla di più a causa di ciò che ha fatto undici anni prima e che lo ha portato in prigione, nonostante abbia terminato da tempo di scontare la sua pena. Ogni anno incontra Max, quando l’uomo viene a trascorrere il periodo natalizio alla locanda, per anni con il marito e poi da single. Tra i due scoccherà una scintilla che potrebbe venir spenta dalla sparizione di oggetti preziosi di alcuni ospiti della locanda stessa. Nonostante la brevità della storia, c’è tutto, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, sia il principale che i secondari e la perfetta descrizione sia dei loro sentimenti e pensieri che dei luoghi di cui si narra.

Novella godibile per passare un paio d’ore sul divano con un buon the.

Consigliato.

[Minaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aveva capito che ero l'eccezione alla regola di non fraternizzare con gli ospiti. Se fossi stato come Jerome, che flirta con qualsiasi cosa respiri, sarebbe stato diverso. Ma tu parlavi solo con me.

Marie Sexton ha la capacità di far commuovere grazie ai suoi personaggi "problematici" ma allo stesso tempo sensibili ed empatici, in grado di toccare le corde del cuore.

Dopo "Il ragazzo delle case mobili", della stessa autrice, che mi ha fatto piangere tutte le mie lacrime beccandosi cinque stelline, questo romanzo ci è andato davvero vicino, purtroppo però, non ha avuto lo stesso impatto.

Abbiamo il pov di Eric, un personaggio molto dolce che pensa di meritare una vita di duro lavoro e una semplice stanzetta dell'albergo senza nemmeno una finestra: troppo è forte il suo senso di colpa per ciò che gli successe in passato. In una particolare scena mi ha commossa purtroppo però, nonostante questo, non sono riuscita ad affezionarmi troppo a lui.

Malgrado le tematiche tristi del romanzo sa essere anche divertente. Il modo con cui Max attira l'attenzione di Eric e le battutine dei colleghi di quest'ultimo, mi hanno fatta troppo ridere.

Il Natale Rubato è ambientato nell’universo del Camp Bay Chalet, ma può essere letto singolarmente. North’s Pole di Leta Blake racconta altre storie della stessa ambientazione.

Non lo consiglio a chi ha una sensibilità particolare per i contenuti di questo romanzo.

[Ashley D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max and his husband had been coming to Camp Bay Chalet for years; Eric has appreciated Max from afar for several years. When Max shows up the Christmas after his husband is killed, they grow closer, but Max runs away after one night together. Now Max is back, and Eric isn't sure how to act, but his attraction to Max has never faded.

I loved Max and Eric in the small doses I saw them in North and Liam's book, so I was glad to see a whole book about them, and it just made me fall in love with them more. I felt for Eric and how he saw himself, but I was glad that Max could show him that no one else saw him that way. I wished Max had stood up for Eric at one point in the book, but I also understand why he didn't. Eric needed to see that even though his past came out, no one there blamed him or thought less of him for it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun story. Eric works hard as the go-to handyman for the hotel. He keeps his head down and doesn't want to be a burden on anyone. Over the years he got to know one of the guests, Max, who always came with his husband. But one year he came alone and they spend an incredible night together. Max is widowed and that first Christmas, in a vulnerable moment, spent the night with Eric. But he left abruptly leaving Eric worrying about that night for the past year. Max is back and hopes to see if he and Eric could possibly have more than that one night. It was adorable all the ways Max used to get Eric alone. These two were really sweet as they explored their relationship but a string of thefts have everyone on edge. I liked the mystery of the thefts and I loved the epilogue.

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance part of the story was sweet but this really wasn't very Christmas-y and the "stolen" part of the story line, well, I'm not sure why it was there. I was expecting more.

QUICK THOUGHTS

** Holiday/Christmas (more of just a winter background)
** Quick easy read
** Doctor/ex con pairing
** Second chances
** A secret
** A B&B and it's guests and employees
** Some really sweet moments
** Really likeable MCs... Eric & Max
** It did feel like something was missing
** Satisfying enough ending
** Part of a Multi Author Series
** Can be read as a stand-alone

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet Christmas story.

Also, a few months ago I read Marie Sexton's "The Well" with Haven & Pierce, so all the references to them in this story made me smile. But if you hadn't read The Well, then those references/guest appearances might have been a little "WTF is this?"

Minus half a point for the manner in which both characters cavalierly mentioned they don't want kids. That's a Big Discussion for any committed couple to have, and the throwaway nature of it in the HEA epilogue of a romance book irked me. Especially when one character is a pediatrician (IRL, name one pediatrician you know who doesn't have kids or want them someday).

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

It pains me to say this but I did not enjoy this book. I read it. It just felt like not enough of anything. There was a mystery but it wasn’t mysterious enough.
If it was a holiday book it wasn’t holiday vibe-ish enough.
The romance wasn’t romantic enough.
I felt like it didn’t take enough time to flush out any one of the ideas and concepts this incredibly talented author was aiming for.
With all seriousness go pick up almost any other one of her books and I promise you you will be incredibly happy. It’s okay, you can’t win them all.

[Nessie Reads MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10 ⭐

~^~

This was my first Marie Sexton book and I really enjoyed her writing style. However I wish this story was much longer. We're told at the beginning of the book that Eric and Max had a one night stand the previous Christmas but we don't really see their relationship develop on paper. I loved Eric's character and would have liked to read more about his previous encounters with Max.

The secondary plot of the stolen goods also didn't add much to the story, it was just a thing that happened and then was forgotten, which was strange.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Eric and Max intrigued me when I read North’s Pole, so I’m glad they had a story. I really enjoyed watching Max and Eric interact with each other before they truly got comfortable and watching Max help Eric finally forgive himself and start to see that he deserved a real chance at life, one that got stolen from him, made my heart so happy! This was just a cute, but kinda steamy Christmas short that didn’t have too much drama and was easy to read in a couple hours! Definitely just what I needed!

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story of Eric and Max. They had known each other for years when Max and his husband would come to the B&B that Eric worked at. After his husband died, Max and Eric had a night together, but it fell apart quickly. A year later, Max keeps up with his annual tradition and comes to the B&B for Christmas and to reconnect with Eric. There wasn't a lot of angst, but it wasn't pure fluff either. There were things that Eric had to work through in order to feel ready for a relationship, but they worked through it quickly. I liked them together. This was sweet.