Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE: The Christmas Extra

SERIES: Laurel Holidays

AUTHOR: V.L. Locey

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 181 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2023

BLURB:

’Tis the season for a second chance at love.

Stillman King likes his life in the small rural farming community of Rockmount, Pennsylvania. It’s a different pace of life than Philly, but Philadelphia was where his heart was broken, and he was happy to leave. He might be lonely, but he’s settled and has even managed to win over his snooping neighbors. Overall, his days as a small-town sheriff are peaceful with only the occasional traffic accident, drunk and disorderly conduct, or a random meandering cow to deal with. That was until the day the mayor announced that Rockmount was going to be the filming location for a Christmas romance movie starring the popular soap opera star, Tony Gugliotti. The same Tony who’d left him right after college graduation and headed west to the bright lights of Los Angeles without even a goodbye.

Hearing his former lover’s name shatters all the merry bucolic vibes that usually fill Rockmount, at least for Stillman. He’d not seen or spoken to Tony for over twenty years and had no wish to ever again. But, suddenly, here Tony was, looking just as good as he did way back when with his killer smile and movie star jawline. Hollywood descended on Rockmount and Stillman did his best to balance keeping the peace while maintaining a polite distance from his ex. Pity it’s such a small town packed with incredibly meddlesome people. All it takes is one stake out, a night stuck in the courthouse’s basement, and one kiss wound in a lighted pine tree to reignite the passion both men thought they’d left far behind.

The Christmas Extra is a standalone small town, forced proximity, gay second chance Christmas romance with all the glitter of Hollywood, two mature men who never really got over each other, a village packed with holiday cheer as well as inquisitive neighbors, a well-meaning cast and crew, and a tinselly happy-ever-after.

REVIEW:

Stillman King is a small town sheriff in Pennsylvania.  He’s maybe not “happy” but he’s definitely content.  He’s got his house and his cat Ellery and his job and so maybe he doesn’t have anyone to warm his bed on cold winter nights.  It’s a far cry from the chaos he grew up in, so he’ll take it.  He’s even got past the side-eyes of the town when he came out ten years back.  So yeah, things are good.  Well that is until he finds out that Christmas romance movie is going to be filmed in his town.

Tony Gugliotti is a soap star and he’s the star of said Christmas rom-com.  He’s also Stillman’s ex.  They were college sweethearts but Tony left for the bright lights of Hollywood and Stillman was left behind.  Now he’s back in PA with his ex-wife starring in a movie and STAYING with Stillman.  The town is so small there aren’t enough hotel rooms so guess where Tony is staying?  That’s right.  At Stillman’s.

Stillman is determined to not let the handsome actor get to him.  But Tony is determined to get Stillman to forgive him for leaving all those years ago.  He does apologize and explain to Stillman the reason he married his ex-wife.  Tony has been out as gay for some time also now and soon everyone is assuming that Stillman and Tony are a couple.  And soon enough they are.  The love has never died for either of them and when they get locked in together, well things take their natural course 😉

Stillman still has to do his job though and things aren’t always quiet and peaceful in Rockmount.  There is a domestic abuser that keeps Stillman busy.  This brings back bad memories for Stillman and he really wants to help the family.  That ends setting off a series of events that puts Tony in danger.  But Stillman does his job and all is well in the end.

This is definitely a hallmark movie setup 🙂  A movie within a movie, as it were.  Stillman and Tony are starring in their own second chances romance 😉  Also I loved Ellery.  I was a little confused about some continuity things.  I could not figure out how old these guys were.  It seemed like were in their 40s but then there is a reference to going to a concert in ’83 after Tony went to California – which would make them more like 60s, so I couldn’t quite figure it out.  Anyway, I loved how Stillman tried to be gruff even though he really still wanted Tony and to make a life.  Tony really steps up and his apology was a really heartfelt one.  If you’re looking for a good second chances, mature characters holiday get back together story, you’ll enjoy this one.  Recommended.

RATING: 

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