Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Jonty’s Christmas

AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg

SERIES: Unfinished Business #1.5

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 90 pages

RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2020

BLURB:

Have you ever had something that you’re really looking forward to but dreading at the same time?

Jonty’s always longed for a traditional family Christmas, and his boyfriend Devan thinks it’s the perfect time for Jonty to meet his big, boisterous, Christmas-loving family. But Jonty’s sure Devan’s parents aren’t going to think he’s good enough for their son. He probably isn’t. But he is good for Devan and the arrival of an unexpected guest gives him a chance to prove it.

Jonty never backs down from a challenge. His mouth won’t let him. But his brain is telling him that if he interferes, he might wreck any hope of acceptance. On the other hand, could his reward be the best Christmas present ever?

REVIEW:

Jonty is darling and so is his Christmas book. It’s the perfect holiday novella: warm, cheery, and sweet. Jonty is the lovely, high spirited man we know and love from The Making of Jonty Bloom. He’s an incessant chatterbox with an irrepressible sense of humor that often veers to innuendo (to the point of making a dick joke when Devan says I Love You.) I’d say he can’t keep his mouth shut but he’d turn that into a joke. 

It’s their first Christmas together and Devan wants to take Jonty home to meet his large, very affluent, highly educated family. They’re successful in every professional field imaginable, it seems. And, as it turns out, they’re very opinionated and rude. Jonty is the opposite: he has no family, has never celebrated Christmas, and works as a hotel concierge, but he’s exceedingly loyal and kind. He would rather have a full body waxing than go with Devan, but of course he goes. (And there’s a great scene with a cop on the way there.) 

The initial introductions with Devan’s mother are a disaster. Let’s say she’s a royal bitch who is condescending and treats Jonty abominably. Devan’s dad is her antithesis, though, making the effort to help Jonty feel comfortable despite his formidable wife. Cato, one of Devan’s brothers – and one of the best characters – is also kind and finds Jonty delightful. (I hope there’s a Cato love story down the pike in this series.) For the most part, though, the family judges Jonty superficially and is very hurtful.  

The grand Christmas celebration complete with all the holiday trimmings and festivities provides lots of warm fuzziness, IF you’re anyone other than Jonty. The amount of courage this young man exhibits in his attempts at kindness and patience when dealing with the family is stupendous. The realities of his truly horrendous childhood and his heartbreaking memories of Christmas come to light. Make sure you have tissues handy, it’s very sad. I got a lump in my throat realizing how fortunate I am. 

Devan, for his part, never falters in his love and support for Jonty. He bestows him with the most thoughtful gift ever. Outsiders might be surprised that Devan “tolerates” Jonty’s wacky personality, but in truth, for Devan it has nothing to do with tolerance and everything to do with affection, amusement, acceptance, and love for the wonderfully unique man that is Jonty. 

Many books claim they’re standalone, but this one truly is. Barbara Elsborg has carefully written it so new readers won’t feel alienated by past characters or plot points not adequately explained. Feeling lost or left out can really ruin a reading experience. Everything referenced from Jonty’s first book is clarified anew. Having read the first book, this didn’t affect me, but I much appreciate the author making this effort. It’s so often overlooked.  

Every year brings a bounty of new holiday reads to choose from. Jonty’s Christmas should go to the top of your ”Nice” list for Christmas stories. I definitely recommend this one. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon