5 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 130 pages. Published November 8th 2019 by Smoking Teacup Books
Blurb:
There’s not enough Yuletide spirit in the world to fix this holiday disaster…
Eben Sypeman’s world is falling apart. It’s two days before Yule and his business partner is dead, leaving behind empty accounts and looming bankruptcy. And if that isn’t bad enough, his patron goddess is irritated with him. It seems she’s tired of his tendency to mince words and avoid conflict. She’s insisting—quite forcefully—that he start being totally honest with everyone, including himself. Divinely enforced honesty couldn’t have come at a less opportune time, especially when his clerk’s tall, dark and distractingly handsome son enters the picture.
The last thing on Tim Pratchett’s mind is romance. All the former soldier wants is to fill in for his sick father at work and recover from his war wounds in peace. But there’s something about the grumpy Eben that confounds and entices him in equal measure. Their timing couldn’t be worse. They’re complete opposites. And yet…none of that matters when he’s with Eben.
But if Eben and Tim have any hope of finding their very own happily ever after, they’ll have to survive a dickens of a truth curse and the machinations of a trickster goddess—all while searching for enough yuletide treasure to save them all.
A joyous, relaxing Yule indeed. Bah, humbug.
This is an M/M romance with explicit scenes, a voyeuristic pagan goddess, and an odious nephew. Despite any other possible similarities to A Christmas Carol, there are neither ghosts nor geese, but readers can expect a happy ending and at least one use of the word “dickens.”
Likes:
- My favorite book of the series.
- A new goddess.
- Yule instead of Christmas.
- Hot smut.
- Eben and Tim, separately and together.
- The non-romantic plot.
- The epilogue.
- Quick, easy read.
Dislikes:
- Frank.
- How Eben treated Bob Pratchett in the beginning.
This is hands down my favorite book of the series. Whereas the first two books have a lot of emotional angst surrounding the romance, this one didn’t have much. Instead, Eben’s worry and anxiety was directed towards the threat of bankruptcy, which provided a very entertaining side plot to the romance.
Also in contrast to the two previous books, I liked both main characters equally. Eben starts out worn down by life, which is incredibly relatable. It’s easier for him to give in than cause a fuss, which I also relate to. Tim struggles a lot – with his limp, with taking the family’s troubles on his shoulders, and with being seen as a complete person.
The change both men go through during the book is heartwarming. I genuinely feel like they’re better together than they were separately, and I don’t just mean romantically. Eben sees Tim as a man, not just a cripple. Tim sees that Eben needs someone to lean on when he can’t be strong anymore.
The epilogue shows just how much they’ve both changed. I don’t mind that Althyone, the goddess who marked Eben, is responsible for putting everything in motion. She was right – it was entertaining. And Eben and Tim would never have gotten together without her intervention. Plus, I was happy to see another goddess mentioned.
Grayson’s books always have good smut, and this one is no exception. What was unusual is that I don’t think there was any penetration. Which I actually really like. Sex isn’t all about penetration. Tim and Eben’s feelings were conveyed just fine without it.
I have few complaints about the book. Frank is odious, but he’s meant to be. Eben’s treatment of him in the epilogue made me laugh. I also enjoyed Eben’s treatment of Bob Pratchett in the epilogue, but for the opposite reason. Eben was more than a little classist about Bob in the beginning of the book, and I was glad to see Eben treating Bob with more respect in the end.
Like the other books in the series, this was a quick, easy read. I almost didn’t catch the fact that they were celebrating Yule instead of Christmas. It makes sense, of course – the book is centered around pagan goddesses. I would love if the series continued, perhaps introducing more goddesses and expanding the world building.
Find the reviews for the first two books in the series, The Replacement Husband and The Reluctant Husband.
Love is Love Reviews 