Scan barcode
gillianw's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Office romance, forced proximity, fake boyfriends...did Garrett Leigh write this just for me? ‘Cause she rolled all my romance wants into one sexy, sweet, holiday-themed package and presented it like a gift. There’s a little less angst and a little more light than what you might find a typical Leigh book, and the MC’s aren’t quite so damaged, but this did nothing to lessen my enjoyment of watching two confirmed bachelors fighting against falling in love and failing badly. Or goodly, rather, because their failure is our delight.
Another hit from one of my faves.
Office romance, forced proximity, fake boyfriends...did Garrett Leigh write this just for me? ‘Cause she rolled all my romance wants into one sexy, sweet, holiday-themed package and presented it like a gift. There’s a little less angst and a little more light than what you might find a typical Leigh book, and the MC’s aren’t quite so damaged, but this did nothing to lessen my enjoyment of watching two confirmed bachelors fighting against falling in love and failing badly. Or goodly, rather, because their failure is our delight.
Another hit from one of my faves.
zaza_bdp's review against another edition
4.0
Ahlalala j'ai complètement craqué pour ce nouveau roman de Garrett Leigh, et j'avoue que j'ai méchamment craqué pour Sacha ... :rougircoeur: :wahou:
Alors bon, sur le papier, cette histoire n'a franchement rien d'original ni de bien excitant, et il faut bien la patte unique de Garrett Leigh pour faire toute la différence. Pour une fois avec elle, on n'est pas dans la tristitude/souffritude habituelle, mais pour autant, on n'est pas complètement non plus dans le doudou bien sucré. En effet, vu la personnalité un brin tourmentée, ou plutôt taciturne de Sacha, ça change un peu la donne.
Sacha ... Hé bien voilà le genre de personnage pour lequel mon cœur soupire ... L'autrice a fait un superbe travail avec ce mec, qui a un charisme et un charme dingue, malgré sa froideur et ses manières brusques. Sa façon tout à fait spécifique de s'exprimer contribue énormément à son charme et donne un côté vraiment authentique à son personnage (et là on sent que l'autrice a travaillé avec quelqu'un parlant le russe, elle ne s'est pas contenté de mettre ici et là 2-3 mots en russe, non, elle a recréé toute une syntaxe qui paraît par ailleurs tout à fait réelle). Sacha, c'est le genre de mec qui souffle le chaud et le froid, qui peut se montrer brutal de par sa franchise et sa façon de dire les choses sans enrobage, mais pourtant, on ne peut pas s'empêcher de toujours revenir vers lui, à l'instar de Jonah.
Ce dernier est un personnage lui aussi réussi, et s'il est plus doux et moins frontal que Sacha, il a tout de même une belle personnalité lui aussi. C'est un mec foncièrement gentil et tendre, bref, un vrai petit cœur ! J'ai été agréablement surprise que concernant sa famille, l'autrice ne tombe pas dans le cliché habituel.
Le couple Jonah/Sacha fonctionne à merveille, ils se complètent bien tous les deux, et j'ai été frustrée de les quitter si vite, car je n'ai pas vu passer ce roman, et j'en aurais voulu encore plus ...
Alors bon, sur le papier, cette histoire n'a franchement rien d'original ni de bien excitant, et il faut bien la patte unique de Garrett Leigh pour faire toute la différence. Pour une fois avec elle, on n'est pas dans la tristitude/souffritude habituelle, mais pour autant, on n'est pas complètement non plus dans le doudou bien sucré. En effet, vu la personnalité un brin tourmentée, ou plutôt taciturne de Sacha, ça change un peu la donne.
Sacha ... Hé bien voilà le genre de personnage pour lequel mon cœur soupire ... L'autrice a fait un superbe travail avec ce mec, qui a un charisme et un charme dingue, malgré sa froideur et ses manières brusques. Sa façon tout à fait spécifique de s'exprimer contribue énormément à son charme et donne un côté vraiment authentique à son personnage (et là on sent que l'autrice a travaillé avec quelqu'un parlant le russe, elle ne s'est pas contenté de mettre ici et là 2-3 mots en russe, non, elle a recréé toute une syntaxe qui paraît par ailleurs tout à fait réelle). Sacha, c'est le genre de mec qui souffle le chaud et le froid, qui peut se montrer brutal de par sa franchise et sa façon de dire les choses sans enrobage, mais pourtant, on ne peut pas s'empêcher de toujours revenir vers lui, à l'instar de Jonah.
Ce dernier est un personnage lui aussi réussi, et s'il est plus doux et moins frontal que Sacha, il a tout de même une belle personnalité lui aussi. C'est un mec foncièrement gentil et tendre, bref, un vrai petit cœur ! J'ai été agréablement surprise que concernant sa famille, l'autrice ne tombe pas dans le cliché habituel.
Le couple Jonah/Sacha fonctionne à merveille, ils se complètent bien tous les deux, et j'ai été frustrée de les quitter si vite, car je n'ai pas vu passer ce roman, et j'en aurais voulu encore plus ...
hellishlyawkward's review against another edition
3.0
Love a good fake boyfriend story, but was hoping for a little more of that with this one. Not much of a fan of office romance situations as offices are kinda boring, it was still a sweet story though.
bookpimpfairy's review against another edition
5.0
I look forward to Garrett Leigh's Christmas stories because you know their will be sweet, passionate characters with just the right amount of angst to keep you intrigued . And yet again, it does not disappoint with this addition. We have opposites attract office romances where two men who share a building finally meet and everything changes from that moment on. Loved both characters and so happy to see that they worked for their happiness and didn't waste their shot .
mini_elsa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
writtenechoes's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this but my god I was thrown off every time Sacha called Jonah by his full name … Jonah Gray. IYKYK.
layla87's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fluffiest book I have read by Garrett Leigh... and I don't think she could do fluffier than this. she is one #AngstQueen that I will happily read every time, because her MCs are always real and faulty. By the end of the stories, her men are still faulty, but are always trying hard to become better versions of themselves. there is no quick fix, magical dicks or love miracles. the MCs works hard to get their HEA and by the end they deserve it.
Granted, in this book, the MCs didn't fight as much, because Ms. Garrett chose not to torture them a lot. #NewApproachFFW … she just gave Sacha intense migraines but hey.... you gotta keep your TM!
What I loved:
1. The MCs:
Sacha Sacha Sacha.... this character is such a ball of contradictions. a vulnerable, insecure, confused man who is wrapped up in a scowling cold façade. this is the type of character you just want to bundle up and protect, because you can see through all true bullshit. He needs warmth and love and Jonah was the man to do it! #ReadBetweenTheLines
Jonah Gray... he was just what the doctor ordered to break down Sacha's walls. he is lovable and bright and and honest to a fault. from the get-go. He felt the need to protect and to care for Sacha. #Luchik
2. The Plot:
After being stuck in the elevator, they somehow end up being pretend boyfriends and attend a ball together... que lust and they end up FWB. all through that, both men are working hard, and trying desperately to keep their relationship NSA. #YourEffortsAreFutile
3. The Romance:
Transitioned fluidly from fuckbuddies to lovers. Both men knew they were in too deep after that first time. But there was no way to stop those feeling from evolving to something more. #RunawayTrain
4. Th Heat...
Holy shit it was STEAMY! Ms. leigh never disappoints with her love scenes, even though some intimacies took a while to take place. It was the prefect tease. #Edging
5. The Dialogue:
It was HARD! damn these men talked in circles but each phrase had a hidden meaning that you could pick up flawlessly, even though it was HARD! But it fit their relationship because it showed how they were both avoiding talking about what mattered. #ListenToWhaYoureNotSaying
Slight niggles:
I wanted an epilogue dammit! I needed that HEA into the future, something to let me know how they were doing, what they have been up to... some progression of their relationship. I felt robbed of this part. #WhyYouDoMeLikeThat .... hence the 4 star rating.
All in all.... A great Christmas story and love love love these men. #BravaMsLeigh
This is the fluffiest book I have read by Garrett Leigh... and I don't think she could do fluffier than this. she is one #AngstQueen that I will happily read every time, because her MCs are always real and faulty. By the end of the stories, her men are still faulty, but are always trying hard to become better versions of themselves. there is no quick fix, magical dicks or love miracles. the MCs works hard to get their HEA and by the end they deserve it.
Granted, in this book, the MCs didn't fight as much, because Ms. Garrett chose not to torture them a lot. #NewApproachFFW … she just gave Sacha intense migraines but hey.... you gotta keep your TM!
What I loved:
1. The MCs:
Sacha Sacha Sacha.... this character is such a ball of contradictions. a vulnerable, insecure, confused man who is wrapped up in a scowling cold façade. this is the type of character you just want to bundle up and protect, because you can see through all true bullshit. He needs warmth and love and Jonah was the man to do it! #ReadBetweenTheLines
Jonah Gray... he was just what the doctor ordered to break down Sacha's walls. he is lovable and bright and and honest to a fault. from the get-go. He felt the need to protect and to care for Sacha. #Luchik
2. The Plot:
After being stuck in the elevator, they somehow end up being pretend boyfriends and attend a ball together... que lust and they end up FWB. all through that, both men are working hard, and trying desperately to keep their relationship NSA. #YourEffortsAreFutile
3. The Romance:
Transitioned fluidly from fuckbuddies to lovers. Both men knew they were in too deep after that first time. But there was no way to stop those feeling from evolving to something more. #RunawayTrain
4. Th Heat...
Holy shit it was STEAMY! Ms. leigh never disappoints with her love scenes, even though some intimacies took a while to take place. It was the prefect tease. #Edging
5. The Dialogue:
It was HARD! damn these men talked in circles but each phrase had a hidden meaning that you could pick up flawlessly, even though it was HARD! But it fit their relationship because it showed how they were both avoiding talking about what mattered. #ListenToWhaYoureNotSaying
Slight niggles:
I wanted an epilogue dammit! I needed that HEA into the future, something to let me know how they were doing, what they have been up to... some progression of their relationship. I felt robbed of this part. #WhyYouDoMeLikeThat .... hence the 4 star rating.
All in all.... A great Christmas story and love love love these men. #BravaMsLeigh
valerieullmerauthor's review against another edition
5.0
This is a surprisingly sweet story with little angst, although there is plenty of denial on Sacha's part, especially when you see his developing feelings for Jonah shine through. And Jonah is a ray of sunshine and the two men spark off each other, even from the moment they met. I enjoyed how their relationship developed, the scenes where they got to know each other in bed and out of it, strengthened what Sacha at least thought was sex. A great story with wonderful characters!!
writtenechoes's review
4.0
I enjoyed this but my god I was thrown off every time Sacha called Jonah by his full name … Jonah Gray. IYKYK.
alexisisreading's review
4.0
This was so cute!!! I loved the meet cute and the dynamic between the two characters.
I loved Sacha full stop. I mean:
Incompetence irritated Sacha more than the stupidest person ever could. Stupid people were stupid, they couldn’t help that. But the spectacle of a perfectly intelligent individual being monumentally moronic incensed him beyond belief.
PLEASE???? He's perfect. It's that Ivanov charm. Jonah was perfect too, I loved how thoughtful he was and how he worked hard at his job even though it wasn't necessarily the job he wanted. I thought his family dynamic was interesting too as they all seemed to be supportive and want the best for him. I also didn't realize there is an epilogue in Garrett's holiday collection that has an Alexei cameo which I am running off to read right now. But overall this was very enjoyable and I liked it a lot :)
“That I will be there, Jonah Gray, wherever you are, because I do not want to be anywhere else.”
also, alicia is right and the Jonah Gray name took some getting used to lmao iykyk.
I loved Sacha full stop. I mean:
Incompetence irritated Sacha more than the stupidest person ever could. Stupid people were stupid, they couldn’t help that. But the spectacle of a perfectly intelligent individual being monumentally moronic incensed him beyond belief.
PLEASE???? He's perfect. It's that Ivanov charm. Jonah was perfect too, I loved how thoughtful he was and how he worked hard at his job even though it wasn't necessarily the job he wanted. I thought his family dynamic was interesting too as they all seemed to be supportive and want the best for him. I also didn't realize there is an epilogue in Garrett's holiday collection that has an Alexei cameo which I am running off to read right now. But overall this was very enjoyable and I liked it a lot :)
“That I will be there, Jonah Gray, wherever you are, because I do not want to be anywhere else.”
also, alicia is right and the Jonah Gray name took some getting used to lmao iykyk.