Reviewed by Taylin
SERIES: Laurel Holidays #1
AUTHOR: V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 167 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2019
BLURB:
Can the magic of Christmas, and the soft voice of a man who has seen too much, show Bryan a future where anything is possible?
Bryan Graham is shocked to find he’s inherited a hunting cabin in north-central Pennsylvania. From his grandfather of all people; a stubborn man who went out of his way to make Bryan’s childhood miserable. He’d vowed never to go back to the small, rural community of Kutter’s Summit, not that he didn’t have fond memories of the place. It’s just that he’d rather be celebrating a quiet Christmas back in Nashville with his cat and his contracts.
A couple of weeks of hunting, cleaning, and handyman work, and he can hopefully put the place up for sale and move on with his life. He never expected to find his childhood friend Parson Greer living in the cabin. Parson is no longer a boy, but a handsome, wary man consumed by the demons of a faraway desert war. When a rekindled friendship shifts into something deeper, Bryan finds himself lost in emotions that a workaholic like him has never made time to experience before.
REVIEW:
Bryan is head of a talent agency for Country & Western Singers. Out of the blue, he gets a call that the grandfather, who made his teenage years a nightmare, had died. Bryan must return to the town of his youth to attend the funeral and reading of the will. He doesn’t expect to find his childhood friend, Parson, occupying the family cabin. Bryan discovers that Parson went into the military to be honorably discharged, suffering from PTSD. Bryan is out and proud, whereas Parson loves women, but there has always been something special about Bryan. What follows is a slow reconnecting of two men while dealing with the past in order to have a future.
The story is told in the first person, entirely from Bryan’s viewpoint. I loved Bryan’s cynical outlook – it provided variety and entertainment. Some of the phrases made me howl with laughter. There is a more serious side to the story too.
Bryan being back home is a trip down memory lane where many of his recollections aren’t good. When Bryan came out, his grandfather disowned him. But his journey rekindles some of the good times too – those that happened before it all went pear-shaped. There are parts of his past that Bryan must come to terms with and see the reasons behind his grandfather’s actions, even though they’re archaic and wrong.
The imagery is lovely and drew me into the story. The broader character base isn’t massive, but, they are effective. Without cellphone connection for most of the time, Bryan must still deal with troublesome stars. Also, his cat Aesop doesn’t have a large part, but he is a scene-stealer.
Despite everything being from Bryan’s viewpoint, Parson’s character came through. I connected to Parson more on an emotional level, whereas Bryan was entertaining with an undercurrent of hurt. Parson’s PTSD is a whole different ballgame.
Overall, I found The Christmas Oaks to be a story where the more I read, the more it grew on me. It is a slow burn, so hang in there.
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