Day 15
Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: Last of Summer
SERIES: Dreamspinner Advent Calendar 2014 Celebrate
AUTHOR: Genna Donaghy
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 23 pages
BLURB:
Although Rowan Stormbringer was raised Wiccan, he’s never felt a connection to magic. That changes on the eve of Yule, when he encounters a magical creature, a phoenix, that needs his help getting to Stonehenge before the sun sets that day. Hiding a magical creature in the mortal world is tricky at best, but partnering with a good-looking, snarky taxi driver may be just the ticket Rowan needs. As they explore their instant attraction to each other, Rowan and Martin must learn to trust one another if they hope to deliver the phoenix home in time.
REVIEW:
Stuck in the UK during Yule, Rowan Stormbringer doesn’t expect much this holiday season. His family is all back at home, and while Rowan would not be adverse to a little male company he knows that it isn’t likely to happen. Then a phoenix crash lands into his life and Rowan, along with the help of a snarky taxi-driver, finds himself in a race against the setting sun to get the phoenix to his destination before the sun goes down on Yule’s Eve.
This was a nice Christmas story. Well, Yule story, anyways. Rowan is Wiccan, though he doesn’t seem to have a lick of power in him–unlike his sister and mother–and he sometimes has doubts that what his family sees/feels is real at all. I really enjoyed the way that the magic was used in this. It wasn’t flashy or over the top. It also didn’t require you to do more than simply let the story make you believe–which was nice since it was rather short for any extreme world building to take place.
And while the romance was more sweet than scorching between Rowan and Martin, I found that I quite liked that aspect of it. They had only just met hours before so for them to be rolling around in the grass so soon, would seem rather odd. This is very much the start of a relationship, and has more of a HFN than a HEA feel to it, but for a short Christmas story it was pretty much perfect for what it was.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
I’m intrigued by this one!
Wiccan? I haven’t read too many books focusing on that.