Book 36: Santa Daddy by Keira Andrews

My third Christmas romance of 2022! This one was right in the middle of the pack - it was a novella, so it didn't suffer in the same way that the second book did, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't quite hit my tropes the same way the first one did. This is about an older man finding love again 8 years after the death of his husband, and the guy who helps break him out of his shell again, and a lot of that is very good for me but I didn't quite buy the chemistry between these two characters in particular? Also I don't particularly have any feelings about sexy santa, which may help with this book, lol. 

Grade: C

Book 35: Merry Cherry Christmas by Keira Andrews

Okay, so the first Christmas romance I read this year was a novella, and then I picked up this one by the same author, and it's a novel, and man. I think it's just trying to be too much? The pace of the book is off, and the two big things that both characters are struggling with are both too slight and too significant to be dealt with in a book this size, and idk. Jeremy is a freshman in college who's been somewhat disowned by his family for coming out as gay, he's socially awkward, and he's never even kissed a guy. Max is a popular senior who plays football and is openly queer and confident, and they have a meet cute and then Max offers to be his no strings friends with benefits. Would you believe that feelings happen? Then Max invites him home for Christmas, and there are plot obstacles and a poor dude who gets in the middle and idk, it just doesn't quite work the way I wanted it to. Not a bad read, just not as good as other books by this same author. 

Grade: C

Book 34: Where the Lovelight Gleams by Keira Andrews

The first of my yearly gay Christmas romances! I enjoyed this one a lot, which is a tight little novella - frankly my preferred length for most Christmas romances - about two actors who are costars playing characters in love who end up spending Christmas together at a family cabin in Canada. One of the guys is out and knows he's in love with the other one, and the other guy is dating a woman but coming to terms with the fact that maybe he's not actually straight. He and his girlfriend break up, he comes to spend Christmas with his costar in Canada, and shenanigans ensue! The required third act conflict is a BIT over the top for me, but the classic hurt/comfort reconciliation is great, so overall I had a great time with this one. 

Grade: B