Nessa L. Warin

There were moments when I felt like this was an ode to Dragon*Con than anything else. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it did make it more difficult to really connect to the story. The timing was also a challenge--the pacing is a bit choppy throughout and there are jumps in time that I found hard to follow. And the relationship seemed to jump around a bit too. Overall, this probably could have been 20-30 pages shorter and hit its target more effectively. It really just seemed to drag at points throughout the book.… (plus d'informations)

A sci-fi tale with a difference, this was a fun book to read. The whole idea of having an entire planet dedicated to growing and selling Christmas trees made me laugh, and the two men who tell the story were quite cute, both individually and together.

Corbin is the serious type, dedicated to his job of selling Christmas trees all over the galaxy and used to a regulated environment and things going as expected. He doesn’t trust easily and tends to over plan. He is also delightfully dedicated to his sleep and coffee; two requirements I can totally relate to on a personal level. Neal is a lot more adventurous, taking his ship all over the place to deliver things. He is used to improvisation, getting up early and loves visiting different planets.

The contrast between these two came out quite clearly, but the longer they know each other, the more each one learns from his partner. I had fun watching that happen, as I read about how they met and started dating via a few flashbacks. I must admit that the constantly switching point of view threw me and took away some of the enjoyment, but if that doesn’t bother you, you’ll probably enjoy this story.

If you like cute stories about characters at opposite ends of the spectrum, if a sci-fi story that isn’t focused on lots of technology (or aliens) attracts you, and if you’d like to find out more about ‘Christmas in space’, you will like this story.




NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online… (plus d'informations)

When Shawn races into Royce's Portland wine shop on Christmas eve to grab a couple of bottles of wine for the family dinner, little does either one know that this bump on a snowy winter night will be the start of something big. At least it's the start of a gentle gay romance with only a few hiccups along the way.

Royce has started All Corked Up with money he inherited from his grandfather who used the term when he was ready to go home from a bar. Royce has worked hard to make the shop with its periodic wine tastings a success, so he's had little time for romance, instead making his employees his friends and nearly family. His best friend Clint who works in the shop wants much more for Royce.

So when Shawn comes in and Royce feels a spark between them, Clint's ready to play matchmaker, as is Shawn's best friend Anastasia, who must often leave Shawn alone when she ships out for her Navy job. Learning that Shawn is interested in Royce, however, she's ready to attend wine tastings with him.

Shawn's life dream is to buy Henry, the restaurant in which he works, from its 80-something owner when the man retires. He's been saving for the down payment and has gotten a verbal promise from Henry that the eatery will be Shawn's soon.

But when Henry learns that Shawn is dating a man, Henry confronts Shawn and says he can't sell to a man who flaunts his sinful sexuality because it will disgrace the restaurant and drive away the loyal customers. It's not that Henry didn't know Shawn was gay, but rather, it's that Henry doesn't want to look as if he condones it. Reluctantly Shawn decides to date Royce in secret in order to keep his dream alive.

Read the rest of my review at AAR (All About Romance): http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=9850… (plus d'informations)