Think of your favorite film or book about travel related catastrophes and shenanigans during the holidays and you can add this little offering to them. Poor Hamish from Australia, where Christmas it seems, as hard as it is to imagine, is in the summer...and if even if it was in the season that it belongs in... there evidently wouldn't be 25 feet of snow falling in one giant blizzard. As a result of the blizzard, his flight is diverted to Montana instead of Idaho. Now he's in the wrong state and has no idea how to get to Idaho except to rent a car. He's a grown man so How hard could it be? Except...he has never driven in the U.S., and he has never driven in snow, much less a blinding blizzard, and he's never even seen snow before. So, it's no surprise that he ends up in a ditch in "No Where", Montana. His first and only thought is "I'm just going to die, and my body won't be found until spring. I had to laugh at Hamish's experience with the rental car. I drove in Ireland once and was less than happy to have not remembered that not only did I have to drive on the WRONG side of the road, but I had to sit on the WRONG side of blooming car to do it!! This was problem #1 for our Hamish. Combined with everything else that had gone wrong with this trip...he is now freezing to death in a Montana ditch. Summer clothing, and summer footwear will hasten his death if he gets out...and where would he go? He doesn't even know where he is, except in the middle of nowhere! Just when he is panicking about something that he saw in a movie.... of all things, "serial killer bears", he’s rescued by Ren Brooks who lives nearby in the town of Hartbridge, Montana. Ren and his dog...who is adorable...take him home...and after he establishes that Ren is not a serial killer...he settles in. Turns out that they are only an hour and half from the Idaho state line and Hamish's sister. Ren was attracted to Hamish right away and the feeling was mutually returned. They spend a few days together and find they both like the domestic feelings that each brings. They do make it to Hamish's sister's and spend Christmas. Hamish & Ren have to decide if they want to have the budding relationship continue or just say it was fun while it lasted. Hamish is going to be in the U.S. for two years...but Ren and Hamish both want to try and see where it will go. N.R. Walker has created two masculine leading men who are beautiful and unapologetically gay. They sing along with Mariah, quote "Schitt’s Creek" endlessly, watch piles of Hallmark movies, and share a love of "Legally Blond". There’s a fabulous gay tone to this exceptional story. I found the character development to be refreshing and enjoyed meeting Ren and his dog and this lovely Australian character. This is the sweetest of all sweet stories. Ren and Hamish fall in love while enjoying simple, homegrown holiday traditions. It’s warm and wonderful and has a perfect happy ending....and any book that mentions "Snuffleupagus" from Sesame Street is okay with me. ( )

This story advertises itself as a Hallmark Christmas story and definitely lives up to it. I'm adding it to my yearly holiday lineup. ( )

4.5 Stars

This has a real sweetness about it, but not in that cloying, artificial-sweetener way. Extra points for Schitt's Creek quotes and the adorableness of Chutney! ( )