Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Down My Chimney 
SERIES: California Christmas
AUTHOR: Spencer Spears
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 263 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2021
BLURB:
Santa, I’ve been naughty…
Henry: I never expected to fall for my best friend. Scratch that—I never expected my best friend to fall for me. Blake’s everything I’m not: popular, athletic, gorgeous…and closeted.
And I’m fine with that. Really. Sure, it means we have to keep what we have a secret. But there is something kind of hot about all this sneaking around…
Until a mix-up with me, Blake’s roommates, and a ten-inch rainbow d…evice—yeah, let’s go with device—turns everything upside down.
I’ve fallen in love with my best friend. But how do I make Blake see that he doesn’t have to hide who he is from the world?
Last Christmas he gave me his heart. Will this be the Christmas I can tell everyone he’s mine? My chimney’s ready and waiting, and a special delivery from Blake is all the gift I need…
Down My Chimney is Book 2 in the California Christmas series and the sequel to last year’s smash hit, XOXO, Santa. Down My Chimney does not stand alone. You’ll enjoy it much more if you read XOXO, Santa first!
Down My Chimney is a 60,000-word new adult gay romance novel about growing up, falling in love, and owning your truth with a little Christmas magic. It features friends-to-lovers and out-for-you themes, along with a dash of jock/nerd sweetness and some crimes against gummy bears.
REVIEW:
NOTE: This story is a continuation of XOXO Santa which was released last year. While it can be read as a standalone, I think it will be enjoyed read in order.
Henry and Blake got together over the Christmas break and now they are trying to keep things going. They are separated by distance so only get to see each other every few weeks. In addition, Blake is really struggling with school and he’s got a tutor who is helping him try to keep his grades up in order to keep his soccer scholarship. He’s got a new coach who is a real taskmaster and he’s struggling with keeping his relationship a secret from his roommates. Henry understands, but he doesn’t like it.
After a weekend visiting Blake in San Diego, things don’t go great. Blake’s roommates/teammates are casually homophobic in their language and it’s easy to see that Blake is uncomfortable and embarrassed. But they make it through. When things get to be too much though, he ends up driving home late one night. He sees his parents who have a new plan for him – summer school – so he can lessen the load during the season. He sneaks off to see Henry and finds out about Henry potentially working for his parents during the summer and applying for a semester abroad program. While it won’t be ideal for them to be separated, Blake encourages Henry to go for it.
When Henry decides on an impromptu visit to see Blake, well things to off the rails. Blake isn’t ready to come out and Henry’s not wiling to keep seeing someone who isn’t out. But they can neither one forget the other. They both buckle down with school and try to just get on with it. When Christmas time comes around again and they are thrown together, will they be able to be friends again? More? They will need to be honest in order for that to happen.
What I really like best in this story is that the characters are realistic and they didn’t handle everything perfectly. When they have time to step back and really examine their own motives, they both show a lot of maturity in owning their own part in the conflicts they experience. In the end, with some distance, they are able to communicate their own failures and unrealistic expectations when they first got together. I also liked the realistic portrayal of parents here – and how so many kids are under so much pressure to meet parental expectations even when it’s not what they are ultimately interested in or maybe even suited for. I’m no huge fan of forcing everyone into the college box and I certainly understand the pressure that a lot of college athletes are under, but so many times, that pressure ends up causing real damage that take a long time to heal from. I was thankful that Blake was finally able to share his feelings with his parents and help them to see him for who he was – not who they wanted him to be. Henry’s time away allowed him to reflect on his own past and how he also played into the “role” he was assigned by his parents in some ways. The time they spent apart was short on page, but long on reflection – and I loved it. I also enjoyed the bit about Blake’s instagram world and how surprised everyone is at how he handles it. So cute! I really like this couple and how they were able to work things out. There is a definite Happy Ending and it was well deserved. If you love New Adult romances with a holiday twist, I thin you will really like this one. Recommended.
RATING: 
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