4 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 68 pages. Published December 21st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
As a beloved Rein Dear and Christmas elf for Mayor Kringle, Donner prides himself on his flawless reputation, good sense, and wise decisions. Donner never does anything until he’s thought it through properly. He’s certainly not one to get flustered, infuriated, or fall prey to romantic nonsense. At least not until the most unlikely of elves begins chipping away at Donner’s defenses.
Calder is a Dockalfar—a dark elf. He’s wicked, untrustworthy, and armed with lethal magic. At least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy for them to believe the worst and mistrust him before they’ve even spoken to him, but Calder is out to prove that he’s more than his Dockalfar blood, especially to a certain Rein Dear who has caught his eye. But it will take more than sweet words for Donner to admit what’s in his heart.
Likes:
- A good Dockalfar.
- Watching Donner loosen up a bit.
- Calder and Donner were sweet together.
- Surprising twist.
Dislikes:
- Calder was almost too nice.
- The heavy discrimination against the Dockalfar.
Even though Calder and Donner only had one quick exchange in the previous book, I wasn’t surprised that they were the main characters this time around. Another couple where opposites attract, Calder and Donner had very different personalities. That made it easy for Calder to tease Donner, but also gave them room to try new things with each other.
Their relationship was very sweet, once Donner got over his initial distrust. Of all the people in the book, aside from Cupid, Donner was the first to begin treating Calder like a person, instead of assuming he was bad news just because he was a Dockalfar. That treatment made Donner really likable.
The discrimination against Calder came from almost everyone. It was obvious to the reader that Calder wasn’t bad or evil, but I was surprised how quick to assume the rest of the characters were. Even those who’d faced discrimination themselves, like Jack, didn’t hesitate to threaten Calder. It was so prevalent that Calder’s persistent optimism and good cheer was almost unbelievable. He was a little too nice. Having him get annoyed would have made his character feel a little more realistic.
These novellas follow a predictable story ark, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ‘twist.’ It wasn’t something that I’d seen coming. While not my favorite couple, Calder and Donner were fun to read about and I’m glad that Calder was accepted in the end.
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