Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Phin’s Christmas

SERIES: Holiday Sequel to the Artist

AUTHOR: Bonnie Dee

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 102 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2018

BLURB:

Doubt invades a fairy-tale holiday.

Excited to celebrate his first Christmas with his true love, Phin Abernathy searches for the perfect gift for Teddy, the artist who saved him from solitude (The Artist). But his happy holiday dreams are soon threatened.

After a year of living on his own, then with his beloved partner, Phin has mostly banished his negative view of himself. He and Teddy are happily saving toward a house they can share, when a chance encounter with a stranger raises Phin’s old ghosts of doubt, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Struggling to quell such negative spirits, Phin focuses on volunteering at a children’s shelter. But when he sees his Teddy and handsome Justin Crump (The Medium) in a suspicious situation, it is difficult to control his racing thoughts. Belief in Teddy’s love for him wars with Phin’s fear his lover wants something more.

Phin must decide how far he is willing to go to keep Teddy in his life, and truly embrace his own worth before he can ever celebrate the season.

REVIEW:

Phin’s Christmas is the holiday sequel to The Artist – where Phin, due to his deformity is mostly kept hidden from family and public. That is until he is rescued by Teddy an artist who paints Phin’s sister’s portrait.

Phin’s Christmas is a beautiful story of his second Christmas in London. Written in the first person, it details Phin’s emotional ups and downs, his changing circumstances and the people he encounters – from various walks of life. This story can be read as a standalone. However, to appreciate the book more, it is recommended that you read The Artist first. I did, and it gave me a much better appreciation of the words on the page plus added weight and meaning to some of the scenes.

Set circa, December 1903 – and after leaving his family home, Phin is an English teacher in London. He and his lover Teddy are saving up for a bachelor’s house and are spending their first proper Christmas together. The men live in a time where, lying with another of the same sex can find a person jailed, so it was nice to see this aspect reflected in some of their actions. The imagery is superb, and so is the author’s depiction of the life and times of the era.

Phin is a kind soul. More of a giver than a taker. His life has been hard. As such, he celebrates his freedom and wants to give to those less fortunate than himself. After the entrance of Justin Crump, Phin volunteers at a shelter for unfortunate children. However, Mr Crump invades Phin and Teddy’s lives in ways that make Phin’s insecurity demon’s come to the fore. To discover whether Mr Crump is there or good or ill, you’ll have to read the story. Suffice as to say Phin’s imagination runs wild with possibilities between the two, all of which reinforce his wavering image of himself. I felt Phin’s pain along with him as well as all his other emotions. It was truly delightfully written.

It wasn’t until later in the story that I realized characters from other stories written by the author crossed over into this story. At that moment, many things clicked in my head. Her novel The Medium I gave top marks to – hint hint.

Phin is such an adorable character and one who is easy to love. His and Teddy’s journey towards a life that fulfils them both emotionally and physically was a joy to read. I found Phin’s Christmas a story that left my heart expanding with Christmas spirit.

RATING:

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