Advent Calendar Review: Notes from Home (2019 Advent Calendar – Homemade for the Holidays) by Dirk Greyson

Like the last few years we at Love Bytes are reviewing the whole DSP advent calender

There will be a review posted each day (except Sundays and Holidays so some days will have two reviews instead) throughout the month of December.

Let us know what you think of the reviews and the stories and have a chance to win a fabulous giveaway.

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Third Prize: 3 Dreamspinner Press ebooks (winner’s choice)

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Notes from Home

SERIES: 2019 DSP Advent Calendar

AUTHOR: Dirk Greyson

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 22 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2019

BLURB:

While deployed on a covert mercenary assignment, Johnny doesn’t have much in the way of holiday cheer. But the mysterious notes from Dex that somehow appear in his bunk—reminding him of the gifts, cookies, celebrations, and most of all, love, waiting for him back in Wisconsin—help him get through the long, hot days. Will they be enough to keep his spirits up when the rest of his unit goes home to their families and he’s left alone?

REVIEW:

This might be one of the cutest stories that I’ve read this year!

Johnny met the love of his life in Wisconsin while on leave from his mercenary job. Dex was a sassy handful who had no trouble drawing Johnny under his spell. But after only a few months together Johnny was recalled for a mandatory mission half a world away, and with Christmas fast approaching Johnny’s desperately missing Dex. When notes from Dex begin appearing in his room, Johnny latches onto the letters of love to get his through the holidays alone.

This short story is told exclusively from Johnny’s point of view, however as Johnny reads the letters from Dex we glimpse just how much both men love each other, despite their brief time together. The use of the letters worked really well, in that it allowed for the characters to vocalise their emotions without feeling as though it was included simply to rush the short story along.

Johnny and Dex are one of those ‘opposites attract’ couples who are both actually adorable, despite Johnny being a big, badass mercenary. The story has that classic Christmas Hallmark movie feel, so even though Johnny and Dex are sad and lonely and desperately missing each other you just know by virtue of what this story is that there’s going to be an absolutely heart-warming ending. And really, I’m not exactly hanging out for dramatic twists in my Christmas stories. I’m just here for those warm, fuzzy feelings, and this story delivered those in spades!

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Dreamspinner Press – Single Story

Dreamspinner Press – Complete Set

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