REVIEW BY: Christie
TITLE: Once in a Snowstorm
SERIES: Nortown, Book 1
AUTHOR: Ofelia Gränd
PUBLISHER: Beaten Track Publishing
LENGTH: 95 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2015
BLURB:
Daring a snowstorm might not be the smartest thing Aiden has ever done, but he can’t stand being in his flat a moment longer. With only three days to Christmas, he doesn’t want to be alone. He wants a place to belong, wants people around him who won’t look down on him. He might not find all that at his mother’s place, but at least it’s better than being alone in the city. If he can make it there, that is.
Tristan is looking forward to a quiet night in front of the TV, but instead, he has to save an idiot in designer clothes from freezing to death in his forest. Tristan tries not to notice the man’s good looks, just like he has tried not to notice any man’s good looks for the last seven years. He knows where relationships go and is far better off living alone, with his dog, in his cabin.
Aiden is driving Tristan mad with his bratty comments and irresponsible ways, and Aiden is going crazy from Tristan’s judgmental attitude. Luckily, in a few days, the weather will clear up, and the two men won’t have to be together any longer. But will a few steamy nights with the grumpy lumberjack change Aiden’s mind about wanting to leave? And will Tristan still want to go back to his peaceful, predictable life without fear of getting his heart broken?
REVIEW:
Upon seeing the blurb for Once Upon a Snowstorm, I simply *had* to snatch it up. I am a sucker for this type of romance story. Seriously. And, this one did not disappoint.
Aiden lost his job, has little money, and will be losing his apartment at the end of the month. To top it all off, it’s only a few short days to Christmas, and he is on his way home to see his estranged, homophobic mother in order to beg her for a place to live until Aiden can get back on his feet. Then, he spins out in his little yellow smart car and can’t get it running again. So, what does our intrepid traveller do? He decides to hoof it to the nearest city, whereabouts unknown, in the middle of a snowstorm with near white-out conditions. While wearing Chuck Taylor All-Stars (thin sneakers, for anyone unfamiliar with this brand), designer jeans, and a thin coat. Needless to say, poor Aiden does not make it very far in the frigid temperatures, and basically passes out while trying to find shelter.
Tristan just got back to his cabin from seeing to something in town. After letting his dog Og run around outside for a little exercise and to do his business, the dog disappears, forcing Tristan back out into the cold wintry night in search of his canine companion. Well, he eventually finds said pooch hovering over the still form of Aiden, and decides to bring him back to the cabin in order to revive and send back on his way after a small recovery.
As we all know, things don’t always go as planned. And, people are not always what they appear to be. To Aidan, Tristan looks like your stereotypical straight as an arrow lumberjack. He even has the dog and log cabin. To Tristan, Aidan looks like the quintessential rich, entitled party boy. He also thinks Aiden is a bit dimwitted to be dressed as he is and out in the middle of a snowstorm.
As Tristan revives and cares for Aiden thru a quick recovery from, he begins to see how wrong his first impressions were. And as Aiden recovers, he starts to see beyond Tristan’s gruff exterior, to the man he truly is.
But, will Aiden recover and move on quickly in order to arrive at his mother’s place before Christmas, or is there something about his lumberjack hero that makes him throw caution to the wind and stay to see if anything can happen between himself and Tristan? Is Tristan really straight? Does he find Aiden attractive even in the least? Well, all I can say is that I love a happy ending, and this one is very sweet indeed.
It’s a cute, sweet story. I wish it were a bit longer in order to flesh things out a bit better, but that is mostly selfishness on my part. If you like rescue stories, or stories that leave a strangers stranded in a storm, you will like this one. Would I read it again? Oh yes, definitely. And, if it ever came out in audiobook, I can see this being one of those stories I listen to several times over. Final synopsis? Pick the book up and give it a chance. You may just like it. I know I did.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: