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meli_thebookworm16's review
4.0
4.5⭐
Funny, witty, emotional (for all the right reasons and with very low angst levels, thank goodness!), sweet and all the good things a holiday novella is supposed to be, without falling for the most obvious clichés. I personally LOVED what Nathan Burgoine did with the and there was only one bed trope. Witty and very much realistic.
Talking about realistic, and I mean realistically beautiful, it has one of my favorite descriptions of how falling in love really feels:
“Some people don’t mouth-drop, word-stop, you know,” Danya said. “They don’t lock eyes and have the world tremble at their feet. They work together for years. Or they go to the same bar for months or volunteer together. They’re friends, or friends of friends, or even just acquaintances. And they get to know each other.” Danya waved his hand. “Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don’t even realize they’re swimming until they finish a lap.”
This latest visit to the Little Village has easily become my favorite.
Funny, witty, emotional (for all the right reasons and with very low angst levels, thank goodness!), sweet and all the good things a holiday novella is supposed to be, without falling for the most obvious clichés. I personally LOVED what Nathan Burgoine did with the and there was only one bed trope. Witty and very much realistic.
Talking about realistic, and I mean realistically beautiful, it has one of my favorite descriptions of how falling in love really feels:
“Some people don’t mouth-drop, word-stop, you know,” Danya said. “They don’t lock eyes and have the world tremble at their feet. They work together for years. Or they go to the same bar for months or volunteer together. They’re friends, or friends of friends, or even just acquaintances. And they get to know each other.” Danya waved his hand. “Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don’t even realize they’re swimming until they finish a lap.”
This latest visit to the Little Village has easily become my favorite.
metrovm's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
robinhoodreads's review
5.0
I could not put this book down. It's so sweet and has a lot of heart to it. There are dual storylines that are so well done that I was tearing up at one point because of how much you come to feel with the characters. And Burgoine did an excellent job of including things from his other stories in the same universe that you feel the connection with the other books, but you don't miss out on anything. Since this is my first one, I was worried I wouldn't understand some references or things, but he gives you enough context to understand what's going on even though those events may have occurred in a different book. And I just have to say, I need that Pride March app to be a real thing because I would be obsessed with it. Like, someone needs to design that ASAP!
nikkisbooknook's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Felix loves his job as a home care nurse. One of his favourite patients, Danya, gave him good advice last year and he is determined to act on it. Hence why he's attending the wedding of his friends and trying to be less insular.
His heart goes pitter-patter when he meets a strapping, bearded male and they have a dance. When his flight to tropical Hawaii later gets snowed off and he finds himself next to said hottie, he seizes the chance to spend more time with him - even if it does mean a farcical trip via rental car through a blizzard.
Kevin and Felix are just so perfectly sweet together. They both have issues and where Kevin has a supportive family, Felix only really has his friends, patients and puzzle club. The meetcute, interfering friends, endearing foibles of our leads are all woven together so well. The characters are fully fleshed out and none are "cookie cutter" stereotypes and I just really enjoyed dropping into their world.
Emotive, funny, heartbreaking and full of love in all varieties!
PS I sang Feliz Navidad at least ten tmes reading this book lol!
His heart goes pitter-patter when he meets a strapping, bearded male and they have a dance. When his flight to tropical Hawaii later gets snowed off and he finds himself next to said hottie, he seizes the chance to spend more time with him - even if it does mean a farcical trip via rental car through a blizzard.
Kevin and Felix are just so perfectly sweet together. They both have issues and where Kevin has a supportive family, Felix only really has his friends, patients and puzzle club. The meetcute, interfering friends, endearing foibles of our leads are all woven together so well. The characters are fully fleshed out and none are "cookie cutter" stereotypes and I just really enjoyed dropping into their world.
Emotive, funny, heartbreaking and full of love in all varieties!
PS I sang Feliz Navidad at least ten tmes reading this book lol!
james1star's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for accepting me as a pre-publication reviewer.
This book was honestly so great and I would totally recommend it. I hadn’t of read anything else by Nathan Burgoine or the ‘Little Village’ series but it can be read as a standalone - some characters (and their stories) I believe are present in previous books but I wasn’t confused or anything, it made perfect sense and just intrigued me to go away and read more into the series. It was a welcomed perk then another form of hindrance.
The basic plot of this short novella is we follow the main character Felix who is going to the wedding of his friends Haruto (Ru) and Nick but is feeling slightly removed from the merriment as he’s alone. He sees ‘hazel eyes’ (and there’s an attraction there) who turns out to be Kevin, Ru’s ex. The following day at the airport, Felix is ready to be flying out to Hawai’i but due to the weather his flight is cancelled. Whilst at the airport, he sees Kevin also has a cancelled flight and they agree to drive to Toronto together. But on the way the weather gets worse and they’re forced to check into a cabin. And yes… what will happen? That’s all you’re getting. Interjected between this storyline, Felix thinks back to the following year and his time spent as Danya’s nurse and their growing relationship - Danya is an ex-drag queen, a wise and very sweet old man and decides to give all his friends nicknames and for Felix this is: Felix Navidad (he’s adorable). The two get to know each other better, sharing lessons and advice for life and Danya is adamant on setting Felix up… will he succeed?
The characters were honestly so lovely like I just can’t. Felix is an amazing person - so selfless, kind, caring, love him. Kevin is also super sweet and rather hot too. Danya was the best. And basically all of the characters were great, shout-out to: Melissa - wish we saw more of her but I loved what I had, Kevin’s family (Amy, Wendy, Randall and Bobby) - they were just it, Nat - we love some non-binary rep, and all the rest. Despite its shortness, there is character development and nuance but mainly loveableness.
There were many super cute bits in here that warmed my heart during this freezing UK weather we currently have. I smiled so so much. Nevertheless, there were some emotional moments too and tender parts - maybe I’d prefer other things to have happened but whatever - such as the idea of ‘Snowflake wishes’ and the ‘four gifts’ idea… Lovely. Danya also dishes out some great advice like how love can develop over time, it’s not always at first sight. The main theme is how sometimes unexpected gifts turn out to be the best.
The writing is not exactly amazing or that developed but it’s very readable. I knew what was happening, it made a lot of sense and followed well. I liked the split narrative and it was wholly enjoyable reading experience. Some cute quotes ‘Nature singing us a song’, 'I think someone told you men don't cry, and I am here to tell you that is utter fu**ing bullsh*t’ and ‘Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don't even realize they're swimming
until they finish a lap.’ I found and liked.
My favourite message that stuck was actually from the acknowledgments: ‘I'm always so aware that for the vast majority of us queer folk, we don't inherit continuance of narrative or history or culture the way most other marginalized communities do. We don't know what we don't know, and the non-queer world is happy to bury, erase, or untell our stories - and even retell them in ways they find more palatable. It's a fight, and it can feel endless, but we need to make sure the queerlings know who came before them.’
I made a reading vlog/review too which you can check out if you want: https://youtu.be/WrfpR8qYTJ8
This book was honestly so great and I would totally recommend it. I hadn’t of read anything else by Nathan Burgoine or the ‘Little Village’ series but it can be read as a standalone - some characters (and their stories) I believe are present in previous books but I wasn’t confused or anything, it made perfect sense and just intrigued me to go away and read more into the series. It was a welcomed perk then another form of hindrance.
The basic plot of this short novella is we follow the main character Felix who is going to the wedding of his friends Haruto (Ru) and Nick but is feeling slightly removed from the merriment as he’s alone. He sees ‘hazel eyes’ (and there’s an attraction there) who turns out to be Kevin, Ru’s ex. The following day at the airport, Felix is ready to be flying out to Hawai’i but due to the weather his flight is cancelled. Whilst at the airport, he sees Kevin also has a cancelled flight and they agree to drive to Toronto together. But on the way the weather gets worse and they’re forced to check into a cabin. And yes… what will happen? That’s all you’re getting. Interjected between this storyline, Felix thinks back to the following year and his time spent as Danya’s nurse and their growing relationship - Danya is an ex-drag queen, a wise and very sweet old man and decides to give all his friends nicknames and for Felix this is: Felix Navidad (he’s adorable). The two get to know each other better, sharing lessons and advice for life and Danya is adamant on setting Felix up… will he succeed?
The characters were honestly so lovely like I just can’t. Felix is an amazing person - so selfless, kind, caring, love him. Kevin is also super sweet and rather hot too. Danya was the best. And basically all of the characters were great, shout-out to: Melissa - wish we saw more of her but I loved what I had, Kevin’s family (Amy, Wendy, Randall and Bobby) - they were just it, Nat - we love some non-binary rep, and all the rest. Despite its shortness, there is character development and nuance but mainly loveableness.
There were many super cute bits in here that warmed my heart during this freezing UK weather we currently have. I smiled so so much. Nevertheless, there were some emotional moments too and tender parts - maybe I’d prefer other things to have happened but whatever - such as the idea of ‘Snowflake wishes’ and the ‘four gifts’ idea… Lovely. Danya also dishes out some great advice like how love can develop over time, it’s not always at first sight. The main theme is how sometimes unexpected gifts turn out to be the best.
The writing is not exactly amazing or that developed but it’s very readable. I knew what was happening, it made a lot of sense and followed well. I liked the split narrative and it was wholly enjoyable reading experience. Some cute quotes ‘Nature singing us a song’, 'I think someone told you men don't cry, and I am here to tell you that is utter fu**ing bullsh*t’ and ‘Movies would have you believe falling in love is always like diving into a pool. Sudden, shocking. But some people wade in, and they don't even realize they're swimming
until they finish a lap.’ I found and liked.
My favourite message that stuck was actually from the acknowledgments: ‘I'm always so aware that for the vast majority of us queer folk, we don't inherit continuance of narrative or history or culture the way most other marginalized communities do. We don't know what we don't know, and the non-queer world is happy to bury, erase, or untell our stories - and even retell them in ways they find more palatable. It's a fight, and it can feel endless, but we need to make sure the queerlings know who came before them.’
I made a reading vlog/review too which you can check out if you want: https://youtu.be/WrfpR8qYTJ8
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
krin's review
3.75
This was a cute, light, sweet read. This is the first of 'Nathan Burgoine's books I have read and I will check his other books. I enjoyed the main characters. I liked the extra bit of depth we were able to get from Felix in close third-POV. And I am a sucker for forced proximity to make up for time, so that worked for me too.
Off the top, the acknowledgements/preamble were compelling and it was nice to see some of what inspired the novella to follow. Also, I thought the pandemic was subtly but ably referenced. The author is obviously taking care to be very inclusive in his writing, which I appreciate, but at times it felt a tiny bit shoehorned in. I think this is a challenge for many authors these days - it takes some art, skill and experience to find a balance of acknowledging so many varies important/difficult things in a way that feels fluid with the story.
I'm always tickled to read a book set in places I know - so the Ottawa (and Ottawa to Toronto via Hwy 7 drive) setting was fun for me. At first I had mixed feelings about the flashback device, but it added depth to compensate for the limited length of a novella. And, of course, Danya was a stand out character and I'm glad we got as much of him as we did.
Even thought I have not read the previous related books, I didn't feel like I was missing anything except I didn't totally get why Felix being impulsive was such a *thing*. But, it didn't take me out of the story so no big deal.
Ultimately I'd say this is a lovely little holiday-themed read that's definitely worth picking up.
I received a digital Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
lostboylit's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ahobbitsreadinglist's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eicart_reads's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I bumped my star rating up a bit after a reread. When I first read this, the other books in the Little Village series weren't fresh in my mind. I reread all of those books, then read this again, which was better. You don't *have* to be familiar with those, but I think it helps. Otherwise you miss lots of little tidbits about Felix's friends, main characters in the previous books. If you're not the sort of person that forgets details of a book really quickly, then this may not matter as much. But read those books anyway, because they're great!
This is a short, sweet, lovely story. It's told in alternating present day happenings with flashbacks to past events. It's interesting to see how things unfold, and even better the second time when you can see the breadcrumbs being dropped along the way!
I have to remind myself that this is a short novella, so we don't get to see the in depth character and relationship development that we would if this was a full novel. I would really like to have seen what happened as Felix and Kevin moved from crush to in love, but I guess that just means the author did a good job of making me like them! Win!
Danya was the best, and I wish I knew him so he could give me a nickname. His friendship with Felix was lovely to witness. And I loved the focus on him as a queer elder with wisdom and knowledge to impart. The author's note in the beginning was lovely and elaborates on this aspect.
This is a short, sweet, lovely story. It's told in alternating present day happenings with flashbacks to past events. It's interesting to see how things unfold, and even better the second time when you can see the breadcrumbs being dropped along the way!
I have to remind myself that this is a short novella, so we don't get to see the in depth character and relationship development that we would if this was a full novel. I would really like to have seen what happened as Felix and Kevin moved from crush to in love, but I guess that just means the author did a good job of making me like them! Win!
Danya was the best, and I wish I knew him so he could give me a nickname. His friendship with Felix was lovely to witness. And I loved the focus on him as a queer elder with wisdom and knowledge to impart. The author's note in the beginning was lovely and elaborates on this aspect.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
bookedinsideout's review
5.0
I love ‘Nathan Burgoine’s Little Village winter series of novellas, and this might be my new favourite. I teared up a little (good tears), but ended with a smile. I loved how it all came together, how it was packed with both a cozy winter story but also larger parts of the queer community and older queer community, and how sleeping in separate beds was completely normalized and no problem at all. If you liked this (and have read the other Little Village novellas), I’d recommend checking out ‘Nathan’s website where he publishes a yearly queer holiday retelling.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.