Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Death to Christmas Sweaters
SERIES: 2018 Advent Calendar – Warmest Wishes
AUTHOR: LE Franks
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 56 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2018
BLURB:
Chess and Benjamin are casual lovers, each hiding his devotion to the other and his wish for more. But Chess is a wealthy playboy who—Benjamin believes—will never settle down. And Chess is sure, with the way Benjamin keeps him at arm’s length, that he can’t be interested in getting serious.
They’re destined for a head-on collision as Chess plans for a holiday escape designed to send Benjamin’s ardor spiking like the temperatures in Los Angeles, while Benjamin desperately drags his feet, wanting to cool things down to protect his vulnerable heart. But when the ghosts of Chess’s Christmas past and Benjamin’s unwelcome present converge at LAX, it’s obvious there are other forces at play and about to take over.
Drawn into their respective family dramas at a joint gathering, will Chess and Benjamin finally take a stand for each other and the relationship they both want, or will the holiday finally take its toll?
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar “Warmest Wishes.”
REVIEW:
This was a cute Friends with Benefits/Lovers book. I really enjoyed the author’s use of the inner thoughts of her characters. For that part, I could see/feel where the characters were coming from. Where their conflict lay.
The blurb actually gives a great overview of what this story is about. That these two men who are exclusively dating and really don’t even see it. That they both want the forever relationship with each other, but they both say nothing to the other. Benjamin thinks that Chess is the playboy/man-child who will never settle down and Chess thinks that Benjamin isn’t in it for the long haul.
Benjamin is from England and is the only child of traditional parents, his father is a doctor and his mother is a homemaker. He moved to America and is straddling two cultures. This causes a slight hiccup when his parents arrive unexpectedly.
Chess, I really liked him. I loved his relationship with his family. That they truly loved each other but they spent the holidays apart since his father’s death. Chess is the extroverted, fun guy who knows everyone and everyone loves to be around.
Their families made great secondary characters and gave the story some added volume and depth. They had some good, snarky lines that had me giggling.
The only real niggle for me where with the friends bit…not really needed and some of the writing was slightly choppy and really made no sense to me.
Overall, this was a cute, sweet holiday story that I enjoyed and would read again.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Ah, loving the sound of this story already. Many thanks for the review.
I agree, that story was very nice.
Thanks for the review. This sounds like one I will have to read.
Read the blurb of this one a day or two ago and I know it’s the story for me!!! Thank you for the review, it cemented what I thought of the story from its blurb!! 🙂
Liking the sound of.this.one – catchy title and cover too
Love the cover and intrigued by the premise. It sounds like a fun read.
I was already going to check this one out just based on the title alone.
Looks like a fun one!