Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Dearest Malachi Keough
SERIES: Dearest Milton James, Book 2
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
NARRATOR: Glen Lloyd
PUBLISHER: BlueHeart Press
LENGTH: 1 hours and 21 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 21, 2021
BLURB:
Julian Pollard never believed in love at first sight. That was until he met Malachi Keogh. Well, maybe it wasn’t love at first sight, but it sure was something.
Julian had forgotten how to live, how to be happy, and Malachi changed all that. Now, together for four years, Julian wants to give Malachi a Christmas he’ll never forget.
The only problem is, Christmas at a mail distribution center is the busiest time of the year. It just might take the whole team to make it happen.
Dearest Malachi Keogh is a short story.
REVIEW:
N.R. Walker’s Dearest Malachi Keogh is a holiday short story follow-on to the charming Dearest Milton James. It’s a light, adorable, fluffy piece told from Julian Pollard’s point of view. I don’t recommend it as a standalone, though, because the context won’t make sense if you haven’t read Dearest Milton James first. Dearest Malachi Keogh is set four years after Dearest Milton James ends and reads like an extended epilogue, nicely wrapping up Malachi and Julian’s HEA.
For four years, the vivacious, exuberant Malachi Keogh has been dating Julian, his sort-of boss at the Mail Redistribution Center (aka the “Dead Letter Office”). These two men are a study in contrasts, but they work exceedingly well together. Julian’s sedate, rather bland existence was turned upside down upon meeting Malachi, whose energetic, off-center, self-deprecating kookiness coupled with his deep-seated sense of social justice and unapologetic embracing of his out and proud gay personality immediately drew Julian in. He fell hard and fast for Malachi, as did Malachi for Julian. Their lovely romance plays out in the first book.
This confection of a story shows Julian trying to give Malachi the best Christmas gift ever by proposing. He enlists the help of their found family of eclectic, quirky co-workers to pull off his creative, clever scheme.
The story isn’t complicated, but it’s fun, heartwarming, amusing, and swoonily romantic. I adored seeing Malachi having settled into himself and the family consisting of his group of coworkers/friends and committing entirely to his relationship with Julian. Julian’s proposal machinations reflect how far he has come in embracing life and love and his dedication to making Malachi happy, all while accepting and encouraging Malachi to be his true self.
As with Dearest Milton James, Walker brings her expertly drawn, colorful, multidimensional characters to life within this delightful portrayal of a found family and a solid, established relationship showing two men very much in love.
Glen Lloyd’s narration of this short audiobook is spot on. He gets his portrayals of both leads just right. He channels Malachi’s bright, effervescent, often OTT personality through his higher-pitched timbre and faster cadence and Julian’s steady dedication and generous nature through his equanimous tone and pacing. He’s emotionally connected to the characters and engaged with the storyline. It’s a pleasure to listen to Lloyd bring Walker’s sweet holiday romance story to life.
I highly recommend listening to the Dearest Milton James audiobook and immediately following it with the audio for Dearest Malachi Keogh. These are two gems you will want in your audiobook library. Expect to revisit the beloved Malachi and Julian often.
RATING: 
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