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iamrainbou's review
4.0
I was worried about this being a novella that I wouldn't believe in the story or root for the characters, but it works so well. Adriana is not showing us how they fell in love, this is their everyday kind of love. So domestic and wholesome. I feel like this is just the perfect way to do a holiday romance.
And to see the rest of the characters! It just makes me so happy, exactly what I needed to read.
And to see the rest of the characters! It just makes me so happy, exactly what I needed to read.
beautifullybookishbethany's review
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
American Christmas is a sweet and steamy m/m holiday romance novella featuring side characters from the American Dreamers series, with appearances from the main characters in the series. It plays with the tropes of Gifts of the Magi, but with a really great twist that emphasizes working through issues in a relationship, recognizing your own value as a person of color, and the importance of a vibrant community.
Yin and Ari are both American immigrants, in love and spending their first Christmas together. They both want it to be perfect, so they secretly plan over the top gifts for each other, not realizing things are about to go very wrong. Early on we get a lot of backstory on Yin and Ari, which is interesting but feels a bit rushed an info-dumpy. Because it's a novella of course, but I would have liked to see that woven into the narrative a bit more smoothly. The back half of the novella was just lovely though.
As always, Adriana Herrera brings in great diversity. Yin spent his early childhood in a refugee camp in Myanmar and still feels the need to prove himself worthy of the second chance he got in America. Ari is Afro-Latinx and also struggles with not feeling good enough. They feel like real people dealing with real relationship issues, but who care deeply for each other. This is a great holiday story filled with love and friendship. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
American Christmas is a sweet and steamy m/m holiday romance novella featuring side characters from the American Dreamers series, with appearances from the main characters in the series. It plays with the tropes of Gifts of the Magi, but with a really great twist that emphasizes working through issues in a relationship, recognizing your own value as a person of color, and the importance of a vibrant community.
Yin and Ari are both American immigrants, in love and spending their first Christmas together. They both want it to be perfect, so they secretly plan over the top gifts for each other, not realizing things are about to go very wrong. Early on we get a lot of backstory on Yin and Ari, which is interesting but feels a bit rushed an info-dumpy. Because it's a novella of course, but I would have liked to see that woven into the narrative a bit more smoothly. The back half of the novella was just lovely though.
As always, Adriana Herrera brings in great diversity. Yin spent his early childhood in a refugee camp in Myanmar and still feels the need to prove himself worthy of the second chance he got in America. Ari is Afro-Latinx and also struggles with not feeling good enough. They feel like real people dealing with real relationship issues, but who care deeply for each other. This is a great holiday story filled with love and friendship. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
mxphoebesviewpoint's review
4.0
I do not know who is sweeter: Ari, Yin, or their “family” in American Christmas. I do not know if Adriana Herrera named this book aptly because, I may be biased here, Americans are just not that loving. (Rainbows don’t hit me!!! I can only offer my words based on my experience in the world.)
Luckily for us we have Herrera to create a world where self-love is not placed first and partnership is applauded. Ari and Yin look out for each other’s needs and end up creating quite a conundrum in their goal to make the other happy during their first live-in Christmas together.
Will the pressure get to the two of them? Will the sex give out before make-up sex can even be put on the table? You will have to read this delightful tale of an American Christmas.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Luckily for us we have Herrera to create a world where self-love is not placed first and partnership is applauded. Ari and Yin look out for each other’s needs and end up creating quite a conundrum in their goal to make the other happy during their first live-in Christmas together.
Will the pressure get to the two of them? Will the sex give out before make-up sex can even be put on the table? You will have to read this delightful tale of an American Christmas.
I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent, sweet and festive Christmas romance that made me smile and root for the characters.
I liked the tightly knitted plot that kept hooked, the well thought characters and the festive atmosphere.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the tightly knitted plot that kept hooked, the well thought characters and the festive atmosphere.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
kennethwade's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
3.0
Without reading the other books in the series, this novella is cute but meaningless. I didn’t have any connection to the characters, and I thought the plot was kind of boring. I’m only giving it 3 stars because I think I would enjoy it if I had read the prior books in the series.
beckyreadsitall's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
[Disclaimer: I received a free eARC of this Christmas novella from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Everything.👏 Adriana.👏Writes.👏Is.👏Gold.
I'm always amazed at how much Herrera can pack into a story, much less a novella, and this is no different. You can read this as a stand alone, but if you have read Herrera's Dreamers series, you'll appreciate Yin and Ari so much more - plus you get fun cameos from past characters!
Yin and Ari are so sweet and earnest together - trying to go out of their way for each other for Christmas, but even nice gestures can sometimes have baggage attached to them, and I loved seeing them work through that together. Ari and Yin have miscommunication in the story, but not in the way you typically see characters in romance novels - where it's almost a rom-com "whoops" of not explaining things well. Ari and Yin aren't sharing reasons of why they do what they do because they have to be honest with themselves about why they are insecure, or feel like they don't fully trust the happiness they've found.
" 'It's some of that underlying racial trauma, of being men who live in the bodies that we do. It's hard to see the news sometimes and not falter in believing we're worth what we know we are. There is so much out there sending us a different message. But we can't let them strip from us our joy and our dreams. Our right to have someone who looks at us like we are the most important thing in the world. To let ourselves believe that we can be that.' "
This was such a lovely story - I would highly recommend it!
Everything.👏 Adriana.👏Writes.👏Is.👏Gold.
I'm always amazed at how much Herrera can pack into a story, much less a novella, and this is no different. You can read this as a stand alone, but if you have read Herrera's Dreamers series, you'll appreciate Yin and Ari so much more - plus you get fun cameos from past characters!
Yin and Ari are so sweet and earnest together - trying to go out of their way for each other for Christmas, but even nice gestures can sometimes have baggage attached to them, and I loved seeing them work through that together. Ari and Yin have miscommunication in the story, but not in the way you typically see characters in romance novels - where it's almost a rom-com "whoops" of not explaining things well. Ari and Yin aren't sharing reasons of why they do what they do because they have to be honest with themselves about why they are insecure, or feel like they don't fully trust the happiness they've found.
" 'It's some of that underlying racial trauma, of being men who live in the bodies that we do. It's hard to see the news sometimes and not falter in believing we're worth what we know we are. There is so much out there sending us a different message. But we can't let them strip from us our joy and our dreams. Our right to have someone who looks at us like we are the most important thing in the world. To let ourselves believe that we can be that.' "
This was such a lovely story - I would highly recommend it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
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