Reviewed by Cinnamon

TITLE: The Power of Peppermint

AUTHOR: L.D. Blakeley

PUBLISHER: self published

LENGTH: 68 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 13, 2016

BLURB:

When Jamison Pritchett is roped into replacing the mall photographer at Santa’s Village a week before Christmas, he’s certain he’ll be spending the holidays recovering from a nervous breakdown. A throng of sugar-frenzied kids might be enough to send this uptight photographer back into the darkroom permanently. Inappropriate thoughts about his far-too-attractive—and far-too-young—assistant aren’t helping fight that urge to hide, either. For Noah Hawkins, adulting is a snap. Too bad relationships aren’t. With his business temporarily closed for repairs, he’s happy to help his sister out of a jam, even if the costume he’s given to wear borders on obscene. Constantly being mistaken for a teenager is no treat either, especially when he discovers his temporary new co-worker is sexy as hell and 15 years his senior. Can Noah convince Jamison that age is just a number? Or will Jamison resist the gift Santa seems to be handing him on a platter? ❆The Power of Peppermint is a 19k word standalone short story with no cliffhanger and a bonus holiday cocktail recipe!❆

REVIEW:

What better way to brighten the gloomy days of the new year, to bring back a bit of holiday cheer and enjoy the holiday spirit again than reading some Christmas stories in January. I decided to do just that and unexpectedly found a new gem. L.D. Blakely is a new author for me and I always have a special excitement when I read someone for the first time.

The Power of Peppermint is a truly charming short story that brings back all the warm and fuzzy feels without the overused holiday cliches. This is a perfect combination of heartwarming, cheerful, and charmingly sexy.

Writing a good short story is a special kind of art. Grabbing the readers’ attention, giving an intricate, well-built story with enough base and strong characters in such a short read is never an easy feat. The Power of Peppermint is a wonderful example of how to do it correctly. I enjoyed the pace, the whole atmosphere, the way we got to know our MCs, their stories and loved the occasional laughs.

Noah and Jamison are both lovable characters with a sweet and hot chemistry. The problematic age difference was well written, and their seemingly instant attraction and desire of a relationship is surprisingly believable. However, I would have liked to see more of their deepening connection. I’m glad we got a bit of background information about Jamison as well at the end. As they say “it’s always the quiet ones…” I loved how Jamison came out of his shell for Noah and not only in the bedroom…

This story got its rightful place among my holiday rereads. Recommended!

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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