Reviewed by Susan65
Title: ‘Tis the Season
Author: Alex Jane
Narrator: Michael Fell
Heroes: Aaron/Dylan
Genre: MM Holiday
Length: 2 Hours, 57 Minutes
Publisher: Alex Jane
Release Date: October 13, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Aaron has spent the past 10 months alone. When he meets a sad, yet strangely familiar man on a cold Halloween night, he impulsively invites him home. But the intimate connection they share lasts only until morning. Aaron wakes up alone – wracked with guilt and devastated to have lost his chance. Or so he thinks.
Thanksgiving brings Aaron another shot at happiness, but letting go of an old love and accepting a new one isn’t as easy as everyone keeps telling him. And by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, it becomes clear that Aaron’s not the only one struggling to let himself love again.
Christmas miracles are all well and good, but it’s going to take more than the Holiday Spirit for Aaron to get his happy ever after.
A story of grief, sadness, and letting it go; and finding love when you least expect it.
Review: So, this story went in a completely different direction than I’d expected. From the get go, I was thinking to myself, “Okay, I see what’s happening here”, when in reality I was so far off base it was ridiculous. Lesson kiddies: don’t assume. This short holiday-themed novella encompasses three holidays from Halloween to Christmas, and some very heavy subject matter: death of a loved one, grief, suicidal thoughts, and domestic emotional abuse.
Aaron and Dylan have the cards stacked against them. They meet in the most disturbing of scenarios, but then they lose contact before they run into each other again. This is a story of second chances, and moving on. Not so easy to do. I really liked this story, but I think it would have been so much better had it been a little longer and a little more fleshed out. I also struggled a bit with the Clarence and George nicknames. It makes sense in the context of the story, but I had to backtrack a couple times.
Even though this is not your traditional cheery and merry ho ho holiday story, it was still full of hope and ends on a great note. I kind of loved that Dylan was okay with Aaron needing to visit the cemetery. You can’t expect someone to just shut off their heart when someone so significant is not around anymore, and I am glad it was not glossed over in this story. So, all in all, it was a pretty good story and even though I am not normally a holiday-themed story lover, I enjoyed this one and I am glad I read it.
Overall Impression: I really liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
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