4 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 1st Edition. 56 page. Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
Chess and Benjamin are casual lovers, each hiding his devotion to the other and his wish for more. But Chess is a wealthy playboy who—Benjamin believes—will never settle down. And Chess is sure, with the way Benjamin keeps him at arm’s length, that he can’t be interested in getting serious.
They’re destined for a head-on collision as Chess plans for a holiday escape designed to send Benjamin’s ardor spiking like the temperatures in Los Angeles, while Benjamin desperately drags his feet, wanting to cool things down to protect his vulnerable heart. But when the ghosts of Chess’s Christmas past and Benjamin’s unwelcome present converge at LAX, it’s obvious there are other forces at play and about to take over.
Drawn into their respective family dramas at a joint gathering, will Chess and Benjamin finally take a stand for each other and the relationship they both want, or will the holiday finally take its toll?
A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar
Likes:
- A multicultural and interracial couple.
- A happier ending than I expected.
- Chess’s family.
- Just enough angst.
- Told from both men’s point of view.
Dislikes:
- More side characters than necessary.
- Could have used more depth about the reasoning behind the men hiding their feelings from each other.
I really enjoyed this story, despite its faults. Chess and Benjamin are in a casual relationship and both want more. But the classic roadblock of not talking to each other made them both scared that the other would never want something more serious. It’s almost a cliché, but it works for the story.
I do wish there had been more explanation of why the men were so afraid. Sure, neither of them had ever approached the subject. After a while, that just wasn’t good enough for me. If some of the extra side characters and location changes had been cut, there would have been more time to focus on the relationship. As it was, it felt like there was more attention put on the plot than digging into the relationship.
In fact, there was so much to this story, all of it crammed in and briefly mentioned, that this could easily have been made into a longer story. I wish it had been. The material was there, and the characters were interesting enough. I loved the multicultural aspect. Not only is Benjamin English, he’s also Indian, and his family’s traditional values threaten to tear him and Chess apart.
While Benjamin’s parents aren’t the most likeable, Chess’s are hilarious, if only because they’re so kooky. The title really makes sense, and I laughed out loud several times when reading. And then I smiled at the ending. It was sweet in multiple ways.
This story was overall well told. I enjoyed reading both men’s points of view. It added a lot to the angst, as Chess tried to woo Benjamin while Benjamin tried to pull away. I’ll definitely have to read more from L.E. Franks in the future.
Find the Warmest Wishes anthology review here and the full list of stories here.
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