Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Cozy: Holiday Stories 
AUTHOR: Kim Fielding
PUBLISHER: Tin Box Press
LENGTH: 202 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2025
BLURB:
Five stories of holiday
Dear Ruth
Fire Marshal Bryce might be able to take over his late mother’s advice column, but who will advise him when he finds love at Christmastime?
Saint Martin’s Day
Years after a breakup, Toby travels to Croatia and discovers Saint Martin’s Day—and his old love, Neno.
Alaska
Across many years and countless struggles, childhood friends Marco and Scott reconnect on Christmas.
Anyplace Else
In Hawaii for his brother’s wedding, Grant learns that the solstice can bring unusual surprises.
Exit through the Gift Shop
A holiday-time theme park vacation brings Alex more thrills than just the rides.
REVIEW:
Dear Ruth – 4.5 hearts
Bryce has just lost his mother. He’s the assistant fire marshall and he’s moved back to his home town after a bad breakup. Now he’s got a bit of a crush on his new neighbor. His neighbor’s daughter is completely enamored of Bryce and swears she will be a fireman when she grows up. She’s adorable! Noah, her dad, has relocated from California. Bryce is super attracted, but he assumes that Noah is straight and so he is a bit standoffish.
Alma, Bryce’s second mother really, convinces him to take over his mother’s advice column in the local paper. She’s really been a rock for him and so he does it. The letters are a good distraction for Bryce and he feels like maybe he’s doing a good thing with them. I loved his advice to the townspeople.
While working on Christmas, Bryce is confronted with a dilemma concerning his new neighbor. Will he take a chance ?
Bryce and Harper and Noah and Alma, and even the dearly departed “Ruth” are great characters. A wonderful story that will definitely put you in the holiday mood!
Saint Martin’s Day – 4.25 stars
Neno works in a library in his hometown in Croatia. One day while he’s sorting some donated books, his former lover, Toby, from California appears. They had a great relationship but when Neno’s grandfather was ill, he left his graduate program and returned to Croatia. He did not keep in touch, so when Toby appears 5 years later, it’s a huge surprise.
Toby has tried to move on, but things were unfinished with Neno and he still loves him. Neno has basically accepted his life with his parents and hasn’t even tried to date. In fact he’s never come out to his parents since there wasn’t anyone and things in Croatia are better, but still problematic for gay men. Toby takes Neno to get coffee and they talk but Neno doesn’t think that there is anything for him with Toby anymore.
On Saint Martin’s Day, Neno is melancholy. And he drinks a lot of wine 😉 Toby is there and they spend more time together, but Neno is drunk. Will they be able to move on from this reunion?
Neno and Toby have not been in contact for 5 years but it’s clear that both feel that the other is “the one that got away” due to circumstances. Toby would really like to rekindle their relationship, but a lot has happened for Neno and he’s unsure about his family. There is a nice explanation around this holiday in Croatia and a few surprises for Toby and Neno.
Alaska – 4.75 hearts
Bittersweet story of the connection of two boys who grow up in not the best circumstances and even though they are apart for long stretches manage to connect on Christmas repeatedly. Scott and Marco share a bond that isn’t broken by distance or lack of contact but they both have tough roads to go in growing up.
Marco has the responsibility of caring for his sisters and his elderly grandmother or else they will be broken up by CPS. Scott’s mother has substance abuse issues and a string of men that mean a complete lack of stability and a series of separations and reunifications via CPS as well. Finally Scott is going to run away rather than be pulled in and out of the system. But he gives Marco a Christmas gift that Marco cherishes and hangs on to through the years.
Each time they are reunited at Christmas, Scott is grateful that Marco remembers him and has kept the watch. Scott is sad that Marco has spent his life taking care of others at the expense of his own life. Scott has spent most of the time sleeping rough and doing what he has to in order to get by. And Marco worries each time that he will never see Scott again.
I liked this story the first time I read it, but it really hit home this year. The fact that so many people are living in unstable situations and that so many kids have to shoulder adult responsibilities is heartbreaking. There is sadness in this story for the boys that had to deal with so much, but in the end, there is happiness too.
Anyplace Else – 4.25 hearts
Grant is in Hawaii for his twin brother’s wedding. He loves his brother and his fiance Filip. He’s feeling a bit sorry for himself because he feels like his life isn’t going anywhere. He hasn’t found anyone to share his life with and his job is nothing special and he wishes it were different. He goes for a walk in the rainforest area next to the hotel. While there he finds an oak tree – say what? But more than that he finds a man there who definitely isn’t a local. And that man tells him some pretty fantastical tales about being one person then another, then being killed and then coming back as yet another. All of this sounds pretty wild to grant. These seem to be very old myths/stories tied to the solstice and very old gods too. He really feels comfortable with this man and he’s really shaken up when the man tells him what will happen. He feels a connection and doesn’t want to let it go, but he does have a wedding celebration to attend. The man seems resigned to his fate – as it has always been this way.
The wedding celebrations continue forward and Grant shares his tales with his brother Uly and Filip. Uly is skeptical, but Filip is intrigued as these stories are part of his culture as well. Then someone at the resort asks Grant what’s wrong and he tells her about his conversation and she knows exactly who and what he is talking about. Again, what??
As the solstice approaches, Grant is nervous. He know what the man told him will happen and he’s gravely concerned. He goes back to the forest as things start to unfold and he is devastated by what he witnesses. But the man appreciates Grant’s actions.
The wedding takes place and Grant is happy for his brother. But he knows he needs to make a change.
This is a fantastical story with elements of myths and magic and old legends and solstice practices. I really wasn’t expecting the ending, but it fit. Grant. There are many surprises in this one also and the myths and legends shared across the ages and cultures were so interesting. Grant gets a very unusual happily ever after for sure.
Exit through the Gift Shop-4.5 hearts
This is a really sweet story!
Alex and his family – mother, father, younger college age sister, older married sister and her husband – take a trip every year at the holidays. They don’t want to spend a lot of money, but they all go together as the treat of the parents. This year they are at a cut rate Disney like park based around oceans and Poseidon in Florida. Ales is 27 and a house painter. Art school didn’t work out for him and he hasn’t found anyone he really clicks with either. His parents are supportive and want him to find someone.
While at the park in a gift shop after a ride, Alex meets Rory. Rory is older than Alex, but he’s a very positive and helpful employee who is maybe flirting with Alex?? They run into each other again and have another nice conversation. The Rory texts Alex with the phone number he left with a gift item to be picked up. Not really kosher, but Alex is glad because he has regretted not finding out more.
Alex ends up back at the park the next day and they agree to meet for Rory’s two hour break. It seems they might miss each other but they don’t! Rory is such a nice guy and they have a really important conversation sharing their hopes and dreams. So Alex invites him to the family Christmas the next day and Rory says yes.
This was the perfect family Christmas to end this collection. Rory and Alex are both really good guys who luckily find each other at the right time and place. Alex’s family is so lovely and so relatable and funny! I really really loved this story.
This is just a really lovely collection of holiday short stories from Kim Fielding. They are all very different but all have that holiday feeling of blessings and good things. From second chances after a separation, to finding love later in life after loss, to magical connections, to holding on to hope for one that appeared to be lost, to finding a real connection while on a family vacation, there is something for everyone here. I’m a huge fan of this author and these holiday stories are a great place to start if you haven’t read her before or if you are a longtime fan. The holidays can be a rough time of year for many people and this collection of stories acknowledges that. It’s also a super busy time of year, so if you have a short amount of reading time, these individual stories are a nice change of pace with a full holiday HEA in a low page count. Highly recommended.
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