Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Solstice Surprise

AUTHOR:  Gabbi Grey

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  175 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 15, 2021

BLURB:

A blizzard, an urgent plea, a desperate journey, and the most important moment of their lives.

Action movie star Peter Erickson is spending the Christmas holidays ensconced with his in-laws and his new husband. In the wilds of Northern British Columbia, they are as far away from the bustle of the
city as they can get.

Thomas Walsh and his famous husband are deeply in love. Although he prefers the intimacy of their city house, he’s come home to face the reason he left ten years ago, and to finally tell his parents the truth.

A desperate phone call has the couple scrambling. Will they get back to Vancouver in the middle of a snowstorm in time for their solstice
surprise?

REVIEW:

In this continuation of Thomas and Peter’s love story, the focus is on Thomas healing from his brother Luke’s death a decade before and the circumstances leading up to Luke’s tragic accident. We also ride along (literally) with the men as they embark on the next stage of their life together – the eponymous solstice surprise. As I mentioned in my review of Catch a Tiger by the Tail, this book’s predecessor and the origin of Thomas and Peter’s love story, theirs is a rapid-fire relationship with all the milestones – dating, moving in together and buying a house, engagement, and marriage – all happening in the blink of an eye. While I was able to put my dislike of such a quick progressing aside in the earlier book, I was less satisfied this time. Had Solstice Surprise picked up a year or two later rather than six months, it would’ve felt more realistic, especially with what occurs at the end of this book.  

While I have seen reviews from folks who read this as a standalone book, to fully comprehend the beauty of Thomas and Peter’s relationship – their affinity and the inevitable nature of them falling in love – I strongly recommend reading Catch a Tiger by the Tail first. I just don’t feel this current book will have the same emotional impact without the previous read. 

Thomas and Peter are the epitome of warm, loving characters. Thomas’ family provides empathy and support during Thomas’ struggles. The cast is rounded out with a handful of memorable side characters, most notably, Codi the truck driver, who saves the day when Thomas and Peter must embark on an emergency road trip in a brutal winter storm. 

I won’t detail the story any further so the surprise isn’t spoiled. Suffice it to say, I utterly adored Catch a Tiger by the Tail and this book provides a rewarding continuation of Thomas and Peter’s story that anyone who enjoyed Catch should read. 

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon