Reviewed by Ami
Title: A Holiday Homecoming
Author: Liv Rancourt
Series: 2019 Advent Calendar | Homemade for the Holidays
Heroes: Jon & Bo
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 62 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 1, 2019
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Ten years ago Jon’s passion for the piano took him across the country to New York, where a demanding concert career consumed his life and left him no time to look back. His father’s stroke is the only thing that brings him home to Seattle. The sickroom makes for a dreary holiday until Jon runs into Bo, whose inner light can make anything sparkle.
Bo loves the holidays: the food, the crafts, the glitter! A fling with an old school friend—who grew up to be his celebrity crush—makes a good thing better. The season turns sour, though, when Jon is offered a gig he can’t refuse. He wants Bo to share the moment, but Bo doesn’t fly. Anywhere. Ever. Is this goodbye, or will a handmade ornament bring Jon home to Bo?
Review:
This is another case where I liked the blurb more so than the story. Maybe it’s the length limitation. Maybe I just don’t feel connected to the author’s writing. In any case, I thought the story didn’t carry the emotion I needed.
The blurb mentioned “Jon’s father’s stroke” and that “Bo doesn’t fly anywhere”. At least Jon’s turmoil about coming home and helping his mother versus the demanding life of musicians that travel a lot was there. But I still found the “conflict” of Jon and his father – I think it’s more likely that there’s big miscommunication / misunderstanding here, that Jon thinks his father really doesn’t care about his love for music, unlike his mother – not very resolved on page.
Same with Bo’s fear of flying. It’s mentioned near the end … but for me it’s not enough. I thought it could be a very good exploration of Bo as a character.
It’s a nice and quick read, Bo is likeable… heck, even Jon’s parents quickly love him. Unfortunately it’s not memorable enough for me in the long run.
Overall Impression: It was good
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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