Alix Bekins

When two people become a couple there are lots of areas they need to find a new balance in; one is what hobbies they like, and if they have a joint one like Taj and Dan who both like the "Society for Creative Anachronism", or SCA, they are lucky. Another are they need to agree on is how to celebrate the holidays, and the December festivities are the focus of this story.

Taj, as one of six children whose father used to "drink his paycheck", has never had any real celebrations when he was younger; now, he is trying to make up for lost time, so to speak. I loved his enthusiasm, and his solution which is to celebrate all of the festivals that fall around the winter solstice. He is also happy to follow Dan's lead in other areas of their lives, including the bedroom, and even though they like to mix things up, he has no complaints. When he's made Lord of Misrule, which requires a role reversal, things start to get interesting.

Dan wants to give his lover everything. He has always had a great Christmas, and happily shares his family and traditions with Taj, but he also wants to do something extra. He is ready for a larger commitment, and in the stress of preparations for the SCA Twelfth Night celebration, that need suddenly takes on more urgency. His way of dealing with it and giving them both what they want most, even if they hesitate to admit and talk about it, was brilliant – and very hot!

The descriptions of the "anachronistic" celebrations, food, and clothing added a nice bit of exotic flair to the story and made it a little more special. In many ways very similar to a historical, but only where the setting and some of the details were concerned. If you like stories about real men struggling with the stress of daily life, if you enjoy winter holiday stories that encompass more than one tradition, and if you prefer the focus of a book to be on the people and their growth rather than lots of action, then you will probably like this book.




NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
… (lisätietoja)

This started out really slow. If you like slow and sweet, you will enjoy this. Bailey is a pretentious, cranky, egotistical adorable absent minded professor type. You might say he is a science snob. John is his boss. They are best friends. It takes them a little while while to figure out that they were meant for each other. And the way that they go about getting from point A to point B, can be hilarious at times.

This is the first book that I've read by this author, I will be adding her to my authors to be watched list, as I enjoyed this book quite a bit.… (lisätietoja)

1,5 stars.

I didn't hate it - and that is pretty much the nicest thing to say about that book. It was not funny at all and the "banter" between the two MCs was so lame it didn't deserve to be called banter at all.
I disliked Bailey, the genius, tremendously. It just grates your nerves to constantly hear how brilliant he is, how he is the smartest person in any given room, how boring all other less brilliant people are. He came across not so much brilliant but more arrogant a**. People who judge others solely based on their IQ and their knowledge of science and mathematics? Boo.
John, the other MC, was not arrogant and only boring.
The whole story with Bailey going on 12 dates (including sex with some of the guys) to proove something - whatever - was stupid. And drawn out. It was clear from the beginning who would be the couple in the HEA from the beginning, but it took 75% of that book, until they got around to it.
I do like some sexual tension and slow development. But here was no development, because Bailey spent 74% of the book with other guys.

All in all: boring. At least it was fairly well written.… (lisätietoja)