Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Christmas Wishes
SERIES: Dare Me Christmas Duo (Book 2)
AUTHOR: Lee Blair
PUBLISHER: Bosta Books
LENGTH: 282 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2023
BLURB:
Say it ain’t snow!
After my bestie and I got laid off during the holidays, we drunkenly decide to plan a surprise vacation for each other. Knowing how much I hate snow, he sends me to sunny Arizona with my swim briefs and a dare. I’m supposed to finally start the beauty influencer accounts I’ve been talking about for years.
Did you know there are parts of Arizona where it snows? I didn’t. No wonder my tipsy BFF got a sweet deal on my tickets.
But I’m determined to stick it out, even if I have to endure my frigid fun in a fugly thrifted coat. And my s*x appeal must still be on point, because the hottest guy I’ve seen in ages can’t take his eyes off me.
Too bad when I go to close the deal, I find out my coat used to belong to his dead boss. Yeah, that knocks my holly jolly down a peg or two. It’s even worse when the same hottie turns out to be my Airbnb host.
But instead of a week full of awkwardness, I find out Riggs might be as quiet as a snowman, but he has the depth of the Grand Canyon.
Maybe snow isn’t so bad if you have the right person for a snowball fight.
Except the clock is ticking on my winter wonderland adventure, and Riggs hasn’t asked me to stay. And I still haven’t put up any influencer videos.
Do I dare?
Christmas Wishes is a low angst, opposites attract, forced proximity, M/M vacation romance full of small-town holiday cheer. It’s half of the Dare Me Christmas Duo, but each book is a standalone romance.
REVIEW:
Now we get Keaton’s story and it’s even better than I hoped for!
Keaton, and his best friend Arlo, have both been laid off by the publishing company they work for back in Minneapolis. In a moment of tipsiness both men booked a trip away for their bestie along with a dare. But it turns out that not all of Arizona is sunny and warm in the winter. Northern Arizona has lots of snow! And Keaton hates snow for good reason. But this quaint little town is growing on him fast. That and the grumpy owner of the B&B he’s staying at. Because that’s one hunk of beefcake he would love to climb. But is this a quick fling on a trip away or are wishes starting to make sense and become a possibility?
I loved this story. Riggs back story was heartbreaking. Jilted by his ex-fiancé. Abandoned by his family that couldn’t wait to get out of town when they were finally able and his best friend/mentor/father figure passing away was just too much in one year. How he held it together I have no idea. But watching sweet and sassy Keaton figure him out and letting him open up on his own time frame was precious. And the chemistry between these two was smoking hot. I loved that traditional/stereotypical roles of these men flew right out the window. They just fit how they needed to fit and it was perfect.
The side characters, especially Doris, Nico’s sister, made this story work. They opened their arms to the energetic and flashy young man. And they did it all without judgement. And Keaton just fit in with them like a missing puzzle piece.
I know it’s silly but I was a bit nervous to read this book. I have been reading Lee’s books since she first stated publishing and they aren’t all based in Dahlia Springs. But I have grown to love this fictional little town in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. I feel like I take a trip home to visit each time I open a new one of her stories. And I absolutely loved Arlo and his trip to meet his birth father’s family that he had recently discovered. But his meeting and falling in love with Lucas, who not only encouraged him to meet his dad’s family but stood by him to allow him to do it in his time. So I was a bit nervous that leaving Dahlia Springs would lose some of the magic. But boy oh boy could I have not been more wrong. I love Juniper Ridge and want a whole new series based there now! This is such a sweet and accepting town that you want to load up and go stay at the B&B. And hopefully get to attend one of Keaton’s private beauty classes. I loved that he was more than willing to work with the “ladies of age”. He knew the in’s and out’s of aging skin and what was best to work with those challenges. And that he embraced using smaller, new brands clenched it for me. He was the real deal.
This series has been a great Christmas treat to snuggle in with on a cold winter’s eve. I hope you will enjoy both Arlo and Keaton’s journeys to find true love and acceptance as much as I have.
RATING: 
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