Dean is a Scrooge who not only insists the pharmacy he manages is perfectly decorated for Christmas, but he also personally makes sure everything is “just so”. Sounds pretty interesting as a starting point for a Christmas story, right? Pair him up with Tony, a man who loves Christmas with all the passion he can muster, and the challenge is on – will they or won’t they be able to find common ground? In fact, Tony puts it slightly differently – he wants three dates to convince Dean that Christmas is the best thing ever.

There are more differences between Dean and Tony than their attitude toward Christmas: Tony is a nurse who wears his tattoos with pride. He also wants to show Dean a good time, and needs the Christmassy dates to be perfect. After all, there is a lot on the line for him. Dean is a responsible store manager who is pretty lonely and has decided that his lack of friends is not a problem. Yes, he is attracted to Tony, but that is no reason to sacrifice his principles, right? He doesn’t even think it is a reason to date the man – not even just three times - but Dean’s curiosity wins out and he agrees to face the challenge.

The dates go from “almost didn’t find the location” to a surprise romantic gesture to some more holiday-themed fun, each of which are just a little quirky and delightful in their own way. And as the reasons for Dean's hatred of the season emerged, I began to understand his attitude – and my hope that Tony would succeed grew stronger by the page. There are a lot of wonderful little details about Toronto strewn in as the men get to know each other better, and it made the story very entertaining.

If you like Christmas stories with a bit of a challenge, if you enjoy watching a Scrooge-like character change his mind - even just a little bit – about the holiday season, and if you’re looking for a read with an unusual setting, two guys who are very cute together, and a great ending, then you will probably like this novella.


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