Recent Release Book Review: The Christmas Mittens (Laurel Holiday #7) by V.L. Locey

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE: The Christmas Mittens 

SERIES: Laurel Holidays

AUTHOR: V.L. Locey

PUBLISHER: Perky Rooster Books

LENGTH: 307 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2025

BLURB:

Fate is about to knit two men’s hearts into holiday joy.

Mitchell Baxter is a hardworking single dad trying to give his daughter the best Christmas a small engine repair shop owner can. Times are hard in the small town of Grouse Falls, jobs are scarce, and Christmas is just a month away. Mitchell is ever hopeful that the projected bad winter will blow in soon. Then he’ll be up to his elbows in snowblower repairs.

Until Mother Nature cooperates, he’ll keep busy fiddling with lawnmowers to sell next spring and crocheting mittens and scarves for the yearly town outerwear drive. Life is quiet, funds are tight, and he’s content for the most part. He’s had the love of his life, he has his little girl, and he has a mediocre income. He’s not looking for anything more. As long as his daughter is happy, then so is he.

When a striking stranger walks into his shop for mittens every morning for a week, Mitchell is more than a little intrigued. Especially since the drifter leaves a thousand-dollar donation every visit. Anders Becken isn’t at all what he seems. What is Anders running from, and will his mysterious past extinguish the attraction both men are feeling?

The Christmas Mittens is a standalone, small town, prince/commoner, insta-love, gay Christmas romance with a hard-working single widower, a mystifying newcomer, a clever young miss, a struggling but caring rural community, a ribald group of yarn enthusiasts, lots of classic TV detective references, a tiny dog with a big personality, and a warm as a homemade sweater happy ending.

REVIEW:

Mitchell Baxter is a widower bisexual single dad of soon to be teenager Gilda.  He’s lost his wife years before but he and his daughter are doing OK.  He’s got the business he inherited, a house that is partially paid off and a good community around him.   Like many towns built on one employer/one industry, his little PA town has seen better days.  But he’s doing alright.

It’s a few weeks before Christmas and his daughter’s 13th birthday and he’s been knitting mittens along with the rest of his knitting group (the Woolverines – FABULOUS name).  One morning, a very handsome man comes in and takes two pairs and leaves $1000.  Say what???  Mitchell is gobsmacked.  Especially since the man returns the next day.  Pastor Pete is incredibly grateful for the donations.  This goes on for a week.  Finally the introduce themselves.

It turns out that the “baby” he’s been taking the mittens for is a dog, not a human baby (much to the worry of the townspeople).  So Mitchell and Gilda visit Anders at his tricked out camper.  Gilda falls in love with Della, Anders dog.  There are some big guys in suits there when they arrive, but they leave and Anders is all smiles.  While Gilda is walking Della, both men admit that there has been a spark there all along.

So Mitchell starts spending his lunch hours with Anders 😉  Lets say more than “eating” is going on.  But he’s trying to keep this a bit private.  That doesn’t work too well in a small town.  Luckily Gilda and everyone else seems to be ok with Mitchell dating a man.

Then there is a party mixup, a fabulous gift and the truth of Anders real identity.  It shakes things up a bit!

I absolutely adored this very sweet story of two very disparate men who find their way together in very unexpected circumstances.  The small town setting is beautifully written.  Mitchell and Anders are two very lovely guys and their connection if forged in the week before Christmas.  It was pretty fast, but this is romance 😉  I loved the Christmas vibes and Mitchell’s daughter Gilda.  Della the tiny dog is also a cute addition.  Pastor Pete and Woolverines were really supportive of Mitchell and Anders relationship – even if they are a bit nosy.  I loved Anders sweetness with Gilda and his generosity.  When his identity becomes known, things get a title tense, but all’s well that ends well.  There is so much humor and heart in this story as well as fabulous holiday trappings.  Absolutely this is one of my favorite holiday stories this year.  Highly recommended.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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