Reviewed by Vicki

TITLE: Winter Wonderland 

SERIES: Minnesota Christmas #3

AUTHOR: Heidi Cullinan

PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing

LENGTH: 205 pages

BLURB:

Finding Mr. Right can be a snow lot of fun.

Paul Jansen was the only one of his friends who wanted a relationship. Naturally, he’s the last single man standing. No gay man within a fifty-mile radius wants more than casual sex.

No one, that is, except too-young, too-twinky Kyle Parks, who sends him suggestive texts and leaves X-rated snow sculptures on his front porch.

Kyle is tired of being the town’s resident Peter Pan. He’s twenty-five, not ten, and despite his effeminate appearance, he’s nothing but the boss in bed. He’s loved Paul since forever, and this Christmas, since they’re both working on the Winter Wonderland festival, he might finally get his chance for a holiday romance.

But Paul comes with baggage. His ultra-conservative family wants him paired up with a woman, not a man with Logan’s rainbow connection. When their anti-LGBT crusade spills beyond managing Paul’s love life and threatens the holiday festival, Kyle and Paul must fight foreveryone’s happily ever after, including their own.

Warning: Contains erotic snow art, toppy twinks, and super-sweet holiday moments. Best savored with a mug of hot chocolate with a dash of spice.

REVIEW:

This series follows a handful of gay men in a small town in Minnesota, Marcus, Arthur and Paul, three bear best friends, as they find their mates. In Let It Snow Marcus falls in love with Frankie. Sleigh Ride gives us Arthur and Frankie. Now in Winter Wonderland we finally get to see Paul, the neediest of the bunch, find his love. But first we have to have a little bit of angst and drama.

Paul is a gay man from a conservative family. In Minnesota. Right? Poor guy…. He’s a big bear, but he’s also a big mess of anxiety, lack of confidence, and a bottom. He has his friends, he’s dated, but he can’t ever seem to connect with the right man. He’s lonely but he’s so tied up in his own head that he can’t see what is right in front of him. Kyle Parks. Resident twink.

Kyle has had a crush on Paul for years. Since he was a teenager. Which he still looks like even though he’s 25. He works at the local care center, and lives with his awesome family, including his twin sister Linda Kay, who has down syndrome. He may look like a young twink, but he is not. He finally decides he’s waited long enough and he’s going to get his man. He starts by connecting via Grindr, which doesn’t work, so next he tries his specialty, snow sculptures. He leaves a lovely one on Paul’s front porch. A big penis. Yup! A snow penis. Paul is not impressed. Neither is the town gossip mill…

Kyle eventually enlists the help of resident busybody Corrina, who helps him come up with a plan of attack. Kyle gets his man, and we get a very sweet holiday story.

I loved this book, it was just what I needed to read. I finished a very intense suspenseful book with a dark storyline, then went right in to this book. It was perfect. I loved Paul and his drama, and Kyle and his strength and willpower to get his man. The small town feel was spot on. I live in a small community and am familiar with the tendency to gossip and be in each others business. I loved seeing the other two couples so involved in this story. I loved Kyle’s family, especially Linda Kay, who Paul accepts so easily.

There is some good drama here, Paul has issues and puts up a good fight. I won’t go in to it, but it made for a good story. I LOVED the sex scenes between them, they were the perfect balance of hot and sweet. Kyle was quite surprising. The plot that runs through it about trying to save this small town was a great backdrop to Paul and Kyle’s love story. Man, just lots of little details in this book that worked so well. Holiday movies, snow sculptures, cooking together, friends, food, family, it just worked so damn well.

What can I say about the writing? Well it’s Heidi Cullinan, so….. perfect. Plot, characters, connection, sex, it’s all so good. If you are looking for a sweet holiday story, this one is your choice. All three of them are great actually, so worth reading!

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Samhain Publishing

Amazon

ARe