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likes2explore's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this beautiful journey. Great story for the New Year.
Second Chances and lessons learned.
Lots of tears but lots of joy too! So happy I picked this one up :)
Second Chances and lessons learned.
Lots of tears but lots of joy too! So happy I picked this one up :)
so_many_books's review
4.0
Thank you @netgalley, and @evemorton for the copy.
Holidays in Blue was my first story that was set at Christmas time. I quite enjoyed the setting and the trope but I have ambivalent feelings.
Holidays in Blue is forced proximity M/M novel. Cosmin and Eric (former childhood neighbours) meet by chance at Cosmin's office Christmas party and then not long after back at their parents' house. When an ice storm hits they are forced to stay put and they only have each other's company.
The story:
I quite liked that this book was mostly an emotional jouney and private growth. We mainly get to see how both characters put their past into new perspective because of their meeting and whirlwind affair.
Cosmin just lost his radio show and with his father's passing over his head he is extremly under the weather.
Eric who works two jobs to remain above water thinks he's a looser and he still tries to figure out what to do.
Their chance meeting is just what they seem to need at the time. And so they spend the icestorm together but what comes after the sky clears reamins hidden for both of them... though they seem to hope for the same thing.
The Characters:
Cosmin's story was quite relatable for me. He's a rather successful teacher/writer/radio show host but he's alone at 44. He is educated and smart, he loves literature and talking about literature. He's also kind of stuck in the past after a family tragedy. His relationship with his father has been distant that bothers him and now that he's gone he feels he's been left without answers.
His journry to grief and letting go was very interesting.
Eric is basically the stellar opposit of Osmin. He's younger, he's an actor, less stuffy but much more insecure.
His failed marrige and career make him feel like a looser and he constantly thinks he's not good enough. The meeting with his teenage crush again after so long brings out memories in him and also he wants nothing more than to help the man who seems stuck in thr past. I liked his personality and how it balanced out Cosmin's quiet resolve.
Both the story and the characters were interesting and kept me reading. I really liked how much the two characters grew individually and together as well.
The ambivalent feelings come from the writing. It was stuffy and boring sometimes. I kept putting down the book to do something else because it was too dry sometimes. But also somehow it managed to describe so many things at the same time. The voices of the characters were fitting and I could see their inner turmoil inside their heads.
All in all, it was a pretty great book. I would've loved some more lightness and ease to the story but the characters development throughout the story made up for the dry writing. And maybe it wouldn't have the same imapct if it was written otherwise.
To put in a few words, Holidays in blue was the sttruggle of minds putting past hurts and mistakes into new light giving a chance to move on to something new and hopeful.
Holidays in Blue was my first story that was set at Christmas time. I quite enjoyed the setting and the trope but I have ambivalent feelings.
Holidays in Blue is forced proximity M/M novel. Cosmin and Eric (former childhood neighbours) meet by chance at Cosmin's office Christmas party and then not long after back at their parents' house. When an ice storm hits they are forced to stay put and they only have each other's company.
The story:
I quite liked that this book was mostly an emotional jouney and private growth. We mainly get to see how both characters put their past into new perspective because of their meeting and whirlwind affair.
Cosmin just lost his radio show and with his father's passing over his head he is extremly under the weather.
Eric who works two jobs to remain above water thinks he's a looser and he still tries to figure out what to do.
Their chance meeting is just what they seem to need at the time. And so they spend the icestorm together but what comes after the sky clears reamins hidden for both of them... though they seem to hope for the same thing.
The Characters:
Cosmin's story was quite relatable for me. He's a rather successful teacher/writer/radio show host but he's alone at 44. He is educated and smart, he loves literature and talking about literature. He's also kind of stuck in the past after a family tragedy. His relationship with his father has been distant that bothers him and now that he's gone he feels he's been left without answers.
His journry to grief and letting go was very interesting.
Eric is basically the stellar opposit of Osmin. He's younger, he's an actor, less stuffy but much more insecure.
His failed marrige and career make him feel like a looser and he constantly thinks he's not good enough. The meeting with his teenage crush again after so long brings out memories in him and also he wants nothing more than to help the man who seems stuck in thr past. I liked his personality and how it balanced out Cosmin's quiet resolve.
Both the story and the characters were interesting and kept me reading. I really liked how much the two characters grew individually and together as well.
The ambivalent feelings come from the writing. It was stuffy and boring sometimes. I kept putting down the book to do something else because it was too dry sometimes. But also somehow it managed to describe so many things at the same time. The voices of the characters were fitting and I could see their inner turmoil inside their heads.
All in all, it was a pretty great book. I would've loved some more lightness and ease to the story but the characters development throughout the story made up for the dry writing. And maybe it wouldn't have the same imapct if it was written otherwise.
To put in a few words, Holidays in blue was the sttruggle of minds putting past hurts and mistakes into new light giving a chance to move on to something new and hopeful.
mommasaystoread's review
4.0
I somehow ended up reading a few more holiday romances than I usually do. They tend to be a bit too similar to each other and while I'm all for holiday cheer, it can get to be too sugary sweet. So, color me completely surprised by Holidays in Blue. It is a holiday romance as the title suggests, but this story could have taken place during any part of the year. Yes, the snowstorm is what forces the proximity, but again, anything that forced the two together would've worked. What impressed me most was the depth of this one. It's about so much more than just another holiday romance. I won't go into it all to avoid spoilers, but I will say that Eve Morton has penned a story that gets you right in the feels. The characters are wonderfully flawed and I was surprised at the growth even in a relatively quick read. This one is most definitely not just another holiday romance, and it may be my first read by this author, but it won't be my last.
xanthe87's review
3.0
A good story overall though I didn't really feel a connection between the characters that was building from when they reconnect.
Cosmin has recently lost his father though is struggling with it due to how bad their relationship had come and is now about to lose his radio show. Eric has struggled the last few years with not having constant work and the breakdown of his marriage. Both have regrets and things to work on in their life but aren't sure how to move forward. They get stuck together when an ice storm shuts them in Cosmin's father's home together and they soon act on the attraction that they share but neither know how to move forward once they return to "normal" life.
Cosmin's character I found quite hard to like, not very relatable and very.....wordy in his thoughts and ideas. Eric is very tough on himself for his past but is sure of how he feels towards Cosmin but both are afraid of the possible rejection. Eve does write wonderfully descriptive scenes, I really saw how she described the setting especially when the ice storm shuts down the area. The gradual development of the relationship goes at a good speed as they have an intense few days together and then the time to think on what they truly want.
A good story overall though I found it a little hard to get into. There are some lovely moments with friends and family as well, especially for Cosmin as he reminisces about his past and spends quality time with his best friend and her daughter at their time of need.
I received an ARC via NetGalley and am happily giving a review.
Cosmin has recently lost his father though is struggling with it due to how bad their relationship had come and is now about to lose his radio show. Eric has struggled the last few years with not having constant work and the breakdown of his marriage. Both have regrets and things to work on in their life but aren't sure how to move forward. They get stuck together when an ice storm shuts them in Cosmin's father's home together and they soon act on the attraction that they share but neither know how to move forward once they return to "normal" life.
Cosmin's character I found quite hard to like, not very relatable and very.....wordy in his thoughts and ideas. Eric is very tough on himself for his past but is sure of how he feels towards Cosmin but both are afraid of the possible rejection. Eve does write wonderfully descriptive scenes, I really saw how she described the setting especially when the ice storm shuts down the area. The gradual development of the relationship goes at a good speed as they have an intense few days together and then the time to think on what they truly want.
A good story overall though I found it a little hard to get into. There are some lovely moments with friends and family as well, especially for Cosmin as he reminisces about his past and spends quality time with his best friend and her daughter at their time of need.
I received an ARC via NetGalley and am happily giving a review.
pam_h's review
3.0
This was very different. I appreciated the complexity and the change of pace, but the writing tripped over itself quite a bit and there were several lifelong challenges overcome in a pretty short period of time. They were interesting and thought-provoking and I enjoyed some of the conversations around them, but it was too many things tied up too neatly, too quickly in the end.
I really liked the way the MCs differing personalities complemented each other, so I bought into the romance in theory, but for a good chunk of the book I couldn't *feel* it. Which made sense for Cosmin, but not so much Eric, whose focus was often more on the idea of the Cosmin of his past crush than the present reality (even though they weren't that different).
If the themes appeal -- a general examination of past mistakes and how to move forward, with Cosmin's exploration relating to his now-deceased family, particularly a disconnect with his father -- and you appreciate an attempt at a higher degree of difficulty in a solid romance novel, go for it. If sticking the landing is all the matters ... it's not my favorite.
**This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**
I really liked the way the MCs differing personalities complemented each other, so I bought into the romance in theory, but for a good chunk of the book I couldn't *feel* it. Which made sense for Cosmin, but not so much Eric, whose focus was often more on the idea of the Cosmin of his past crush than the present reality (even though they weren't that different).
If the themes appeal -- a general examination of past mistakes and how to move forward, with Cosmin's exploration relating to his now-deceased family, particularly a disconnect with his father -- and you appreciate an attempt at a higher degree of difficulty in a solid romance novel, go for it. If sticking the landing is all the matters ... it's not my favorite.
**This book was provided for free by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**
lenoreo's review
4.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/12/07/holidays-in-blue-by-eve-morton/
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4 stars — This one went a lot better than I was anticipating in some moments. I’m scurr of “litrature” as Eric would say. I am low brow…so very far from high brow. And I think I can be intimidated by books that have a more high brow feel. This wasn’t quite that though…it was more like Cosmin was high brow, and Eric was more my speed, and while there were elements that were too much for me, all in all I came away feeling more open or something. I still don’t feel like “quotidian” needs to be used that often though.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4 stars — This one went a lot better than I was anticipating in some moments. I’m scurr of “litrature” as Eric would say. I am low brow…so very far from high brow. And I think I can be intimidated by books that have a more high brow feel. This wasn’t quite that though…it was more like Cosmin was high brow, and Eric was more my speed, and while there were elements that were too much for me, all in all I came away feeling more open or something. I still don’t feel like “quotidian” needs to be used that often though.
twiceuponabook's review
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Carina Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would recommend if you're looking for
-holiday romance
-m/m
-age gap
-close proximity
-elements of only one bed
-childhood crush
-a sweet romance
This was very instalove which is not my favorite trope. I had a hard time connecting with both MCs and found them both bland. Neither had much of a personality. This book dealt with quite a few heavy topics, but the romance was rushed. It made it very difficult to connect with the characters and the anorexia storyline at the end came out of left field.
I enjoyed the emphasis on found family and adoption and wish the emotion had been delved deeper. The foundation for more was here.
Rating: 2.5
Steam: 2.5/3
CW: adoption, parental abandonment, grief, anorexia
I would recommend if you're looking for
-holiday romance
-m/m
-age gap
-close proximity
-elements of only one bed
-childhood crush
-a sweet romance
This was very instalove which is not my favorite trope. I had a hard time connecting with both MCs and found them both bland. Neither had much of a personality. This book dealt with quite a few heavy topics, but the romance was rushed. It made it very difficult to connect with the characters and the anorexia storyline at the end came out of left field.
I enjoyed the emphasis on found family and adoption and wish the emotion had been delved deeper. The foundation for more was here.
Rating: 2.5
Steam: 2.5/3
CW: adoption, parental abandonment, grief, anorexia
annarella's review
5.0
Loved, loved, loved. It's a complex, poignant and well written novel that moved me and kept me hooked.
I loved the well developed characters, the tightly knitted plot and the great style of writing.
I was expecting a cozy and light Christmas novel and I got an excellent novel full of emotions.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I loved the well developed characters, the tightly knitted plot and the great style of writing.
I was expecting a cozy and light Christmas novel and I got an excellent novel full of emotions.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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