Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Christmas Spirit: An Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Age Gap MM Christmas Romance
AUTHOR: A.E. Ryecart
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 182 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2020
BLURB:
Forced together, can past and present enemies become future lovers?
A lowly kitchen boy, looked down upon and despised by all, sweet-natured Georgie’s a modern day Cinderfella. Roland’s an award-winning chef. Arrogant, frosty, and a silver fox in the making, he’s also Georgie’s boss. The only thing the two have in common is a mutual loathing — and a mutual attraction neither will admit to.
Cornered into taking a car journey together, they’re soon lost in a sudden, violent blizzard. Their only hope of shelter is to follow a series of signs leading to an isolated hotel… a hotel with a mysterious proprietor, no other guests, but only one vacant room with one very big bed.
As the snowstorm rages, will the warmth of Christmas Spirit melt the ice between them?
REVIEW:
The Christmas break isn’t starting off too well for Georgie, the kitchen boy. He doesn’t have a ride to town to catch the train to London where he’ll be spending a lonely Christmas flat sitting for an old friend. His job at Pendleton Manor has been difficult to say the least. He’s been humiliated, abused and made to feel less than the dirt beneath the feet of nearly everyone he works with. He’s desperate for a ride and when his one hope is dashed, the one kind person, Julia, manages to wrangle him a ride with none other than Roland Fletcher Jones, the Executive Chef who has made his life a living hell these last months. However, snow is starting to fall and there is no way he can walk to town, so he reluctantly accepts the ride.
Sadly, these two really don’t get on at all. Roland is one his way to his townhouse and he’s got a dinner reservation along the way. He also leads a rather lonely existence, unknown to Georgie. He’s none too thrilled to be giving Georgie a ride, but Julia has strong-armed him into it and a deal is a deal. As he and Georgie set off, the weather deteriorates a lot more quickly than anticipated. As they are on the road moving very slowly, things come to a screeching halt when the get to a Road Closed sign and have to take a diversion. One diversion leads to another and after hours of driving, they manage to make it to a sign pointing them to a hotel. Hallelujah!
When checking in, they find the place warm and cozy with blazing fires and beautiful Christmas decorations, but there only seems to be one member of staff. He regrets to inform them that there is only room available and there is only one bed. Well Roland is furious and insists that there must be something – a portable cot, something – that can be done. But alas there isn’t. Georgie is feeling more and more miserable at this point. There is no mobile service and no land line and they seem to be stuck for the night. Tea arrives at their room and Georgie digs in – since he’s missed both breakfast and lunch. Roland feels a bit guilty that he didn’t even notice that Georgie hadn’t been at the luncheon he’d served for the staff. They enjoy dinner in the lounge of the hotel – again seeming to be the only guests.
When they retire for the night, the bed becomes and issue. There are no extra linens or blankets and the chairs available are like rocks. Georgie eventually joins Roland on the bed. Both men have strange and erotic dreams. The next morning Roland is desperate to leave. But as they try to drive away, they instead come upon a herd of deer and end up crashing the car. Luckily the proprietor comes to their rescue, but they are effective trapped at the hotel. It wouldn’t matter anyway because the roads are still closed.
As Christmas draws closer, Roland and Georgie do begin to thaw a bit. Georgie reveals that no one is waiting for him for Christmas. While he doesn’t go into details for Roland, he gives just enough info to reveal that his life has been pretty rough to this point. Roland again feels guilty that he hasn’t paid any attention to Georgie to this point, or if he has, it’s been negative – largely owing to an incident in his own past that has him project motivations onto Georgie that do not exist. And then he does something that really hurts Georgie. Luckily he gets some very good advice that sets him on a different course – one that just might bring them both some happiness and a very merry Christmas.
Ultimately, this is a sweetly magical and romantic story about two hurt and damaged individuals. They are both afraid – one because all he’s ever known is disappointment and rejection and one who is carrying such a deep wound that he doesn’t even trust himself. When they are forced to look at the other with fresh and honest eyes, they reveal themselves truly each other. Roland is a blowhard who has vowed not to let anyone get close to him again so that he doesn’t risk hurt, humiliation and heartbreak. Georgie is just looking for someone to give him a hand. He’s never had that and it’s hard to keep making his way on his own. He’s to the point that one more disappointment might just break his will entirely. Luckily the magic of this particular Christmas hotel is just the thing to transform both of them. I enjoyed each layer of magic and discovery that Roland and Georgie experience during their stay and I particularly enjoyed the outcome 🙂 Recommended.
RATING:
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