REVIEWED by Jay V.
TITLE: Christmas Kitsch 
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press, 2nd Edition
LENGTH: 220 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 7, 2018
BLURB:
Sometimes the best Christmas gift is knowing what you really want.
Rusty Baker is a rich, entitled, oblivious jock, and he might have stayed that way if he hadn’t become friends with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. When Oliver kisses him goodbye before Rusty leaves for college, Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.
But nothing can help Rusty survive a semester at Stanford, and he returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. But with Oliver’s love and the help of Oliver’s amazing family, Rusty realizes that failing college doesn’t mean he can’t pass real life with flying rainbow colors.
REVIEW:
I pride myself on having read almost everything of Amy Lane. Somehow I had always missed reading Christmas Kitsch before the holidays, so then I’d wait for the next year. When the book came up to be re-released, I jumped at the chance to read and review it before the big season.
Much to my surprise, the book is not initially set during the holidays and is a very different story than most Christmas books. Centering around two young men in high school, Rusty Baker and Oliver Campbell, the book is a story of their growing up and learning how to navigate a changed life. Told from Rusty’s point of view, it’s the Thanksgiving holiday that kicks off dramatic changes in Rusty’s and Oliver’s lives.
It wouldn’t be a typical Amy Lane book without some angst and tears, and this one has some heartbreaking scenes as Rusty is thrust out in to the real world much sooner than he should. Lane here is at her contemporary best, creating characters that are fully fleshed out, with all their joy and flaws. Her characters always feel grounded and there’s a true sense of family and the relationships that occur between each member that she captures brilliantly. The MCs are both such sweet guys you are rooting for them the entire book. Even though Rusty is not always the brightest, you just can’t help but falling in love with the character. As good books are meant to be discovered, I won’t be giving much more away of the story as the joy of this book is in the journey.
I’ve heard so many people talk about the virtues of this book and I’m glad to have the chance to finally read it myself and recommend it to everyone that hasn’t been to the world of Rusty & Oliver. Happy Holidays.
RATING: 
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