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andrea_author's review
4.0
Recently out, single dad Cass has hired Aussie ex-pat Jayden as chef at his B&B in a small Montana town during the holiday season. An attraction quickly develops between them. But Cass is Jayden's boss, and Jayden isn't planning to stay past Christmas. Can they find a way to stay together?
Cass and Jayden are adorable together. Cass's kids are a nice addition. If you're looking for a heartwarming, low-angst, small-town gay romance this holiday season, don't miss this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Cass and Jayden are adorable together. Cass's kids are a nice addition. If you're looking for a heartwarming, low-angst, small-town gay romance this holiday season, don't miss this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
layla87's review
4.0
Trust NR Walker to get me out of my slump!!
After reading and not enjoying several books, I go back to one author who never lets me down.
This is what reading this book felt like:
A warm hug on a snowy Christmas season #Perfection
So... Q&A!
Q: Christmas book! Yay! What are the other tropes?
A: Close Proximity, First Times, Slight age gap, Holiday Cheers and So.Much.Fluff #OhTheFluff
Q: So the quintessential Christmas book?
A: Yes! As sweet as hot chocolate and as spicy as gingerbread cookies! #ChristmasFlavors
Q: What are the characters like?
A: These characters are just THE SWEETEST!
We have Carter (Cass) who owns a newly renovated B&B. He was married, has 2 kids and had only come out a couple of years before to his family. He's a hardworker who's been all about the B&B for so long that he didn't have any time for dating and getting the #GayExperience
Then we got Jayden, the aussie native, who's a chef that moves around from one job to another. He had never wanted to settle down until he saw a Christmassy Hartbridge and laid eyes on his newest employer, Cass! #ScrewPlans
Q: Well this sounds so cute! What about the steam-o-meter?
A: It's a slowish-burn with lots of UST and a dirty talking Jayden who like to tease Cass. Needless to say Cass needed to cool himself down quite a bit.
"I think I'm gonna need to go lie down on the snow for a bit."~ Cass
Add some pretty sexy love scenes, some pretty freaking HOT kissing scenes and... #HotDayum
Q: Pheww... Ok. Angst-o-meter?
A: No angst!! No conflict. no quarrels, no misunderstanding. Just a sweet book with two sweet men who talked things out, fell sweetly in love and are just plain adorable. #AllTheFeels
Q: What about the HEA?
A: You know the how Hallmark movies have this sugary sweet ending when everyone is happy and they all live happily ever after. It's like that. #Picturesque
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
After reading and not enjoying several books, I go back to one author who never lets me down.
This is what reading this book felt like:
A warm hug on a snowy Christmas season #Perfection
So... Q&A!
Q: Christmas book! Yay! What are the other tropes?
A: Close Proximity, First Times, Slight age gap, Holiday Cheers and So.Much.Fluff #OhTheFluff
Q: So the quintessential Christmas book?
A: Yes! As sweet as hot chocolate and as spicy as gingerbread cookies! #ChristmasFlavors
Q: What are the characters like?
A: These characters are just THE SWEETEST!
We have Carter (Cass) who owns a newly renovated B&B. He was married, has 2 kids and had only come out a couple of years before to his family. He's a hardworker who's been all about the B&B for so long that he didn't have any time for dating and getting the #GayExperience
Then we got Jayden, the aussie native, who's a chef that moves around from one job to another. He had never wanted to settle down until he saw a Christmassy Hartbridge and laid eyes on his newest employer, Cass! #ScrewPlans
Q: Well this sounds so cute! What about the steam-o-meter?
A: It's a slowish-burn with lots of UST and a dirty talking Jayden who like to tease Cass. Needless to say Cass needed to cool himself down quite a bit.
"I think I'm gonna need to go lie down on the snow for a bit."~ Cass
Add some pretty sexy love scenes, some pretty freaking HOT kissing scenes and... #HotDayum
Q: Pheww... Ok. Angst-o-meter?
A: No angst!! No conflict. no quarrels, no misunderstanding. Just a sweet book with two sweet men who talked things out, fell sweetly in love and are just plain adorable. #AllTheFeels
Q: What about the HEA?
A: You know the how Hallmark movies have this sugary sweet ending when everyone is happy and they all live happily ever after. It's like that. #Picturesque
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
jamie_w's review
3.0
This was not bad at all but it was bland IMO. This just should’ve been a novella - there’s nothing here that really needed that much internal dialogue. Additionally, there was too much about renovating the B&B, and too much cooking talk. Yes these things were important but there were a lot of redundancies. Examples - how great Cass was at renovations, how easy it was for Cass to get distracted, what a great cook Jayden was, how organized Jayden was, how lonely Cass was, pages and pages of rehashing Jayden’s offer…It just didn’t add to the story and felt like filler.
Both men were very likable but there was this awkwardness in almost all of their interactions that made the chemistry feel a bit off. I just didn’t buy into. So much was made of Cass’s coming out that it actually took away from the connection between the men - almost too desperate or worried. Not sure but it didn’t read romantic for the majority of the book. I will say they did have a few very sexy moments but you have to be super patient!
I just wish the majority of the book would’ve been like the last 20% of the book - does that make sense?
Both men were very likable but there was this awkwardness in almost all of their interactions that made the chemistry feel a bit off. I just didn’t buy into. So much was made of Cass’s coming out that it actually took away from the connection between the men - almost too desperate or worried. Not sure but it didn’t read romantic for the majority of the book. I will say they did have a few very sexy moments but you have to be super patient!
I just wish the majority of the book would’ve been like the last 20% of the book - does that make sense?
potterbite's review
4.0
Maybe more of a 3.75, but this was so stinking cute I'm rounding up. Also, when can I move to this adorable town?
teresab78's review
5.0
Like a storybook
4.5 Stars!
All it needed was a pet and it would be perfect, lol. Small town charm, cosy B&B, one character with an uncertain future; One starting a new life. I loved how they just fit.
4.5 Stars!
All it needed was a pet and it would be perfect, lol. Small town charm, cosy B&B, one character with an uncertain future; One starting a new life. I loved how they just fit.
indiekay's review
DNF
Started this in audiobook and stopped around 15% in. I don't know what it is but NR Walker's writing style just is not for me - I have tried her books previously and read a lot of them in 2020 and 2021, and then decided to not read them anymore. But I know so many people who love her books so I thought I'd try picking up one of them again, and it just didn't work for me. But I could also just burnt out on Christmas romances right now.
Started this in audiobook and stopped around 15% in. I don't know what it is but NR Walker's writing style just is not for me - I have tried her books previously and read a lot of them in 2020 and 2021, and then decided to not read them anymore. But I know so many people who love her books so I thought I'd try picking up one of them again, and it just didn't work for me. But I could also just burnt out on Christmas romances right now.
thestarlesscasea's review against another edition
5.0
I've listened to Tic Tac Mistletoe thrice at this point, so I was both eager for and skeptical of the sequel. I needn't have been skeptical; this was a delight. However statistically unlikely it is that this tiny town in Montana would be crawling with gays, I would read eight more gay romances set in this town straight out of a Hallmark Christmas film (but with queer folks and sex and no weird Christian propaganda--a dream!).
This story referenced the previous book's couple exactly the right amount for me. Sometimes in romance series, those references are heavy-handed and take away from the current story and couple, and sometimes it feels like it shouldn't even be considered a series because the previous couple is apparently dead to the author now, but here it was so nice to hear from Ren and Hamish again and to see them interact with Cass and Jayden without taking up too much space.
This story referenced the previous book's couple exactly the right amount for me. Sometimes in romance series, those references are heavy-handed and take away from the current story and couple, and sometimes it feels like it shouldn't even be considered a series because the previous couple is apparently dead to the author now, but here it was so nice to hear from Ren and Hamish again and to see them interact with Cass and Jayden without taking up too much space.
bookshelvesandtealeaves's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was equally adorable as the first book. I adored both Cass and Jayden and their relationship felt so organic and was so sweet to read.
I loved the B&B setting so much! It sounded like such a beautiful place to be, I wish I could holiday there myself.
jamiesbookaddiction's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute story. It's exactly what I would expect from N.R. Walker. It was very Insta-love but also very slow-burn which is an odd combination but it dragged in parts for me. I just wanted them to get together already. It would've made the book so much better for me, because we didn't get enough time together with them and all their couple goodness because as soon as they did, the book was over. Literally. The epilogue was nice, but I still wanted more with these two.
rhe323's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5