Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Holiday Experiment 
SERIES: Mayberry Holm
AUTHOR: Rhys Everly
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 340 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 23, 2022
BLURB:
Enzo
After failing big in Boston, I’m back home with my tail between my legs.
And then somehow I rope myself into getting Carson’s dating life in order.
We make a bet. Get him a boyfriend before Christmas or I lose and I have to do what he says.
Only considering the feelings I still harbor for him, losing may not be such a bad idea.
Carson
Everyone tells me I’m a workaholic.
What I really am is a man with a broken heart.
Until I get the wind knocked off my feet by my brother’s best friend. Under the mistletoe. Because apparently my life is anything but subtle.
He’s hell bent on getting me a boyfriend that is not him, but he’s all I can think about.
This little holiday experiment between us is going to end up in disaster. I know it.
I just hope it doesn’t leave me with more pieces to pick up.
The Holiday Experiment is a Christmas standalone and contains a young musician trying to find his place in the world, an almost forty-year-old workaholic that can’t catch a break, an adorable goddaughter that seems to repeat all the bad words and a witchy mom that loves to bake magical cakes and solve problems.
REVIEW:
Enzo is a young guy who left home for the big city and has had a super disappointing situation happen to him in his professional life and he’s left with basically nothing and has returned to his home and his small town. He struggles with feelings of worth because of what happened and he feels like he’s a naive idiot. He is happy to see his mother even though he’s not thrilled at 23 to be back living with her. He also reconnects with his best friend Cole and Cole’s daughter – his goddaughter Ella. Ella’s mother is deceased and Cole is a single parent who could use the help. However, it’s Cole’s older brother Carson who has been the subject of Enzo’s desire since he was a teenager. He’s never pursued Carson who is now single because reasons.
Carson owns a restaurant and he’s super busy. He has let his business take over his life except for where he helps out his much younger brother with his niece. His last boyfriend left him and the island and told him he was a boring workaholic. Carson hasn’t gotten over that sting and he’s basically not dated since. Enzo and Cole are giving him crap about it and his moaning about being old and washed up and boring and chronically single so Enzo and Carson make a bet that Enzo can find him a boyfriend before Christmas. If he wins, Carson has to give him $1000 which is about $990 more than he has now. If he loses, he has to do whatever Carson tells him to do for a day.
Enzo takes an adorable picture of Carson with a rescue dog that the gets coerced into taking home and sets up a new dating profile for him. He gets hits right away and Enzo helps him talk to the guys. He goes on some dates, but there is no spark and it seems like every time he turns around Enzo is in the room too. But the real date he wants is with Enzo – but he’s worried about their age gap. Turns out that Carson is lusting after Enzo right back.
Eventually after several less than stellar dates, Carson gives in to his lust and he and Enzo kiss. But then Enzo tries to ignore it. Carson won’t let him. They end up doing more but Enzo is convinced that he can never be enough for Carson because he’s vowed to never fall in love and be devastated like his mom was when his dad died. Carson tries to convince him. Others try to talk to him, but Enzo sees what he wants to. It’s almost Christmas and it’s really not clear who is going to win this bet when Enzo misinterprets what he sees and Carson has to go after him 😉
Full disclosure that this is the first book I’ve read by this author. This was a cute story with minimal angst about two guys who have obviously feelings for each other but struggle to find their way to each other. There are a lot of cute moments with kids and dogs and coworkers. The guys in this story have to figure out how to communicate with each other. Cole and Enzo struggle as well with their changed relationship and Cole still recovering and trying to be a single dad. Cole’s situation further convinces Enzo that he’s made the right decision to forsake love as he watches Cole throw himself into work to keep from dealing with his loss. Carson and Enzo’s mother are hilarious together. She’s a tough cookie who calls it as she sees it and is there for her son. She has to talk to some sense into him as well and their heart to heart served up some realness about what it’s like to lose a spouse/father and how everybody struggle and no things don’t go easily or perfectly with grief. There are plenty of tender and revealing moments a well between Caron and Enzo when they are finally honest about things. I really enjoyed this story and watching these two guys figure out their path despite some baggage and obstacles. Enzo grows up a lot and realizes he’s holding on to things are really going to hold him back – but only if he lets them. Carson needs to more on as well and he really wants that with Enzo. All in all, a nice HEA. Recommended.
RATING: 
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