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Minnesota Christmas #1
Let It Snow
The weather outside is frightful, but this Minnesota northwoods cabin is getting pretty hot.
Stylist Frankie Blackburn never meant to get lost in Logan, Minnesota, but his malfunctioning GPS felt otherwise, and a record-breaking snowfall ensures he won’t be heading back to Minneapolis anytime soon. Being rescued by three sexy lumberjacks is fine as a fantasy, but in reality the biggest of the bears is awfully cranky and seems ready to gobble Frankie right up.
Marcus Gardner wasn’t always a lumberjack—once a high-powered Minneapolis lawyer, he’s come home to Logan to lick his wounds, not play with a sassy city twink who might as well have stepped directly out of his past. But as the northwinds blow and guards come down, Frankie and Marcus find they have a lot more in common than they don’t. Could the man who won’t live in the country and the man who won’t go back to the city truly find a home together? Because the longer it snows, the deeper they fall in love, and all they want for Christmas is each other.
Warning: Contains power outages, excessive snowfall, and incredibly sexy bears.
Stylist Frankie Blackburn never meant to get lost in Logan, Minnesota, but his malfunctioning GPS felt otherwise, and a record-breaking snowfall ensures he won’t be heading back to Minneapolis anytime soon. Being rescued by three sexy lumberjacks is fine as a fantasy, but in reality the biggest of the bears is awfully cranky and seems ready to gobble Frankie right up.
Marcus Gardner wasn’t always a lumberjack—once a high-powered Minneapolis lawyer, he’s come home to Logan to lick his wounds, not play with a sassy city twink who might as well have stepped directly out of his past. But as the northwinds blow and guards come down, Frankie and Marcus find they have a lot more in common than they don’t. Could the man who won’t live in the country and the man who won’t go back to the city truly find a home together? Because the longer it snows, the deeper they fall in love, and all they want for Christmas is each other.
Warning: Contains power outages, excessive snowfall, and incredibly sexy bears.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2013
50 people are currently reading
1907 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Cullinan
50 books2,874 followersAuthor of over thirty novels, Midwest-native Heidi Cullinan writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because they believe there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. Heidi’s books have been recommended by Library Journal, USA Today, RT Magazine, and Publishers Weekly. When Heidi isn’t writing, they enjoy gaming, reading manga, manhua, and danmei, playing with cats, and watching too much anime.
Heidi goes by Jun when being spoken to in person or online, and Jun’s pronouns are they/them.
Heidi goes by Jun when being spoken to in person or online, and Jun’s pronouns are they/them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews
December 5, 2014
This book was like a big, steaming cup of marshmallow-fluffy, gay hot cocoa. It was just smiles the whole way through, and it made me want to snuggle down with a blanket and a big bear-man of my own. Too bad my husband is more twinky than bear... maybe a beard and some bench pressing... I digress...
This book will make you happy. It made me happy.
I'm not usually one for really effeminate MCs. I always want to like books with these kind of men, but I tend not to connect with them as much. Here, I thought that Frankie was adorable and I was immediately in tune with him. I loved him and his open, big-hearted personality. However, gruff, reticent Marcus really stole the show for me. I thought that his journey to trust and let someone in again was really realistic and very well done.
Overall, I think Heidi did a great job with this story. I also see a lot of potential for other books in this series, which I'm pumped about. I'll certainly be buying them.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
This book will make you happy. It made me happy.
I'm not usually one for really effeminate MCs. I always want to like books with these kind of men, but I tend not to connect with them as much. Here, I thought that Frankie was adorable and I was immediately in tune with him. I loved him and his open, big-hearted personality. However, gruff, reticent Marcus really stole the show for me. I thought that his journey to trust and let someone in again was really realistic and very well done.
Overall, I think Heidi did a great job with this story. I also see a lot of potential for other books in this series, which I'm pumped about. I'll certainly be buying them.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
November 13, 2013
I get grouchy when retailers start pushing Christmas on us too early.
I don’t really love the effeminate male lead character.
I was in a mood recently and if I read another cheesy M/M romance book, I was going to give up!
Thus, it was with great surprise that I SO ENJOYED THIS BOOK! I’m reading about Christmas the day after Halloween? Frankie is a sassy, self-proclaimed wanna-be-princess, hair stylist? This book is awwwww-inducing? Yes! Yes! Yes! …and I just was taken to my happy place and brought OUT of my funk!
The book has all the makings of those typical, yet endearing Winter reads. There’s snow, the couple is forced to stay together, they hate each other and then fall for each other, the small town rallies…and for that, it would be a standard 3-star read. Good enough.
But Heidi Cullinan takes it further. First off, there are layers and layers, and more hidden layers in this story waiting to be peeled back.
Frankie’s fear of bullying in small towns.
The low-income projects angle.
The “I wasn’t happy in the city” storyline.
The sick mother.
The charitable work that feeds the soul.
The “even though I’m “swooshy”, I’m still a man parts
The friends w/ benefits.
The I-like-BDSM-but-my-partner-doesn’t-seem-to angle
You’d think it all would actually be too much. But, Cullinan doesn’t use a heavy-hand with any of this stuff. The story parts all kinda feed into and intertwine with each other…and it works.
Let it Snow is a caring sweet, romantic, hot, thought-provoking read and…and though it feels like a gift, it’s one of those holiday books that actually can be read any time of the year!
November 29, 2015
4 Big Cuddly Bear Stars - snowy sweet and just adorable cute - you really need some big cozy lumberjacks sometimes
I've been looking forward to read Let It Snow after seeing some positive and happy reviews. A few days ago it suddenly landed in my Kindle. ~ May it be some romantic gay guys and a lot of yummy manloving in a snowed in cabin? I hoped and started with great anticipation to read.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
...if you also need a big cuddly Male Bear (like this one: ) some days this winter - don't miss Let It Snow.
Frankie have both bad sense of direction and hard to understand a GPS and a snowy day when he is on his way home to the big city after a visit with his parents, he runs astray. He ends up in a small village (Logan, Minnesota), almost colliding with a huge moose, end up in the ditch and seek, in the snow storm, shelter in a warm cabin.
Just like in the fairy tale is the sleeping pretty Goldilocks found by the Three Bears . Or even better - by three sexy huge lumberjacks.
The snowy tale begins...
Frankie is a slightly effeminate hairdresser (stylist) from the big city. He is nicely dressed, style conscious and like he says, no one guesses wrong that he is gay. Blonde, slender, showy, giggly and a genuine super cute Goldilocks for these three old friends. Pretty soon the heat is on and I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy (warm-hearted) story.
When poor Frankie'll try to sleep there in a bed-sofa (for two), and night after night, hear and listen to Arthur and Paul's vocal sexy moans upstairs on the loft, he can not resist but pushing him closer and closer to the big hot man who he shares the couch with. Papa Bear (..or Marcus) is perhaps a bit sulky and grumpy but he is a very attractive (caring, safe and sexy..) lumberjack in Frankie's (and my) opinion. Then it happens, (Guess where? In a barn of course...) and cozier and more steamy it gets. (My bearded Marcus pic: )
The longer it snows, and the days go, the deeper they fall in love. It is not just a winter week with great hot male sex - they want much more, they want each other (..and so did I). But the storm ends and it's time for Frankie to go home again...
For a moment I worried that it would be to cheesy & sugar sweet. - ...That it so easily becomes when all characters are kind and good and everyone loves everyone, etc, etc. You recognize the pretty common trend and pattern, right? - But I think this author still managed to balance on the right side so that it didn't fall over to a single huge big (but romantic) fluff story.
Let It Snow is a wonderfully tender winter story. It's about new opportunities and to dare to try the unknown. I giggled, laughed and enjoyed most all times of Frankie and his three new friends (plus a whole village full of pleasant small town people - more open and less homophobic than both me and Frankie thought possible).
Want to read something soft, sweet and funny in the winter darkness? Then I think you can be delightfully entertained by Heidi Cullinan's latest novel. I just hope I will get to experience a white winter with lots of snow, a warm cabin, an open fire and then I will dream about a large cuddly Papa Bear to dabbling with in a big soft couch. ...and a big cup of the Frankie-tea of course.
If I have to describe what I just read in ONE single word, it becomes: LOVELYFUNANDSWEET.
...let it snow!!
I LIKE - an enjoying and wonderfully sweet winter tale
I've been looking forward to read Let It Snow after seeing some positive and happy reviews. A few days ago it suddenly landed in my Kindle. ~ May it be some romantic gay guys and a lot of yummy manloving in a snowed in cabin? I hoped and started with great anticipation to read.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
...if you also need a big cuddly Male Bear (like this one: ) some days this winter - don't miss Let It Snow.
Frankie have both bad sense of direction and hard to understand a GPS and a snowy day when he is on his way home to the big city after a visit with his parents, he runs astray. He ends up in a small village (Logan, Minnesota), almost colliding with a huge moose, end up in the ditch and seek, in the snow storm, shelter in a warm cabin.
Just like in the fairy tale is the sleeping pretty Goldilocks found by the Three Bears . Or even better - by three sexy huge lumberjacks.
The snowy tale begins...
‘They were even three variations on the same theme: one was sandy-haired and slight, curling hair sticking out from beneth his cap, his beard subtler, suitablr to a baby bear. The one who sat next to him had carrot-red hair and guffaw of laugh that went with his stocky body. Across from them, tough, wad definitely Papa Bear, a man who was big, dark and cranky.’
...three lovely bears: Paul, Arthur and Marcus
Frankie is a slightly effeminate hairdresser (stylist) from the big city. He is nicely dressed, style conscious and like he says, no one guesses wrong that he is gay. Blonde, slender, showy, giggly and a genuine super cute Goldilocks for these three old friends. Pretty soon the heat is on and I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy (warm-hearted) story.
‘They could fix wood stoves and fell trees and drank whiskey straight from the bottle. The three bears were gay, but they were the manliest of men.’
When poor Frankie'll try to sleep there in a bed-sofa (for two), and night after night, hear and listen to Arthur and Paul's vocal sexy moans upstairs on the loft, he can not resist but pushing him closer and closer to the big hot man who he shares the couch with. Papa Bear (..or Marcus) is perhaps a bit sulky and grumpy but he is a very attractive (caring, safe and sexy..) lumberjack in Frankie's (and my) opinion. Then it happens, (Guess where? In a barn of course...) and cozier and more steamy it gets. (My bearded Marcus pic: )
The longer it snows, and the days go, the deeper they fall in love. It is not just a winter week with great hot male sex - they want much more, they want each other (..and so did I). But the storm ends and it's time for Frankie to go home again...
For a moment I worried that it would be to cheesy & sugar sweet. - ...That it so easily becomes when all characters are kind and good and everyone loves everyone, etc, etc. You recognize the pretty common trend and pattern, right? - But I think this author still managed to balance on the right side so that it didn't fall over to a single huge big (but romantic) fluff story.
“I can make you my princess for a few days. Not sure what that makes me, though. Your prince? King? Woodsman?”
Frankie laughed. “It makes you my big grumpy Papa Bear,” (...)’
Let It Snow is a wonderfully tender winter story. It's about new opportunities and to dare to try the unknown. I giggled, laughed and enjoyed most all times of Frankie and his three new friends (plus a whole village full of pleasant small town people - more open and less homophobic than both me and Frankie thought possible).
Want to read something soft, sweet and funny in the winter darkness? Then I think you can be delightfully entertained by Heidi Cullinan's latest novel. I just hope I will get to experience a white winter with lots of snow, a warm cabin, an open fire and then I will dream about a large cuddly Papa Bear to dabbling with in a big soft couch. ...and a big cup of the Frankie-tea of course.
If I have to describe what I just read in ONE single word, it becomes: LOVELYFUNANDSWEET.
...let it snow!!I LIKE - an enjoying and wonderfully sweet winter tale
November 19, 2014
“Let it snow” is an opposite attract story about two men who are learning together how to enjoy every moment, how to really live, not only exist.
Frankie is a 27 years old gay man, who’s a little effeminate. He works as a hairdresser in the big city. He has a nice life, loving his job and having some nice friends. Frankie knows how is to be judged by others because you are different. He wanted all his life to be accepted and not to be judged because he’s gay. He's scared that people will hurt him because he is who he is.
On his way back home from Tanksgiving at his parents, Frankie’s gets lost. It’s winter, it’s cold and he needs a place to stay. He leaves his car and starts walking until he finds a cabin. Nobody’s home, but he can’t freeze to death in a snow storm, right? Warming up, Frankie falls asleep. Later when he wakes up, he finds in the cabin live three man, three “bears”, all with beards. Two of the three man are very welcoming and ready to help him offering him a place to stay, but the third looks at him like he wants to kill him. He is sure that this grumpy, but very good looking beard man wants him gone.
Marcus doesn’t need to be near a man like Frankie. Not because obviously he is gay, but because he’s attracted to him and he reminds him of his cheating ex. Marcus has a lawyer degree, but he left his life in Minneapolis to come to take care of his mother who has Alzheimer. He lives now with his two friends Paul and Arthur in their cabin.
There’s some tension between Frankie and Marcus, Frankie believes Marcus hates him, but things are going to change when Frankie gets pissed off with Marcus’s rude behavior. They admit they are attracted to each other and they practically agree to pretend to be in a relationship until Frankie goes home. Soon, both of them wish they were in a real relationship and not in a pretend one.
None of them expected to find in each other what they needed or to start falling for each other. Too bad they are not ready to make compromises to be together. What will happen when the storm ends and it’s time for Frankie to go home?
This was such a sweet story. It’s sexy and at times funny too and so very romantic. It’s been a while since I read such a sweet M/M romance. Maybe because it’s a holiday/(almost)Christmas story, but I really, really enjoyed it.
Both main characters are so lovable and real. Frankie was adorable! He is funny and sweet and caring and he has such a big heart. Marcus might be grumpy at start, a grizzly bear, but later he is so fantastic. He is tender, loving and so protecting with Frankie. He wants to protect him from anything, from the entire world. Frankie brings the best in him. He is a good son, practically putting his life in hold to care for his mother and he’s a good friend. For someone who thought that he’s broken for a relationship, he’s so good at it.
I really liked how Frankie and Marcus’s relationship progressed. While everything is slow-paced, nothing felt dragged. They relationship is intense and it’s for both of them something new, but special. I also liked how they communicate with each other and how honest are with each other about their fears.
The side characters are great. Marcus’s friends, Paul and Arthur are very enjoyable and entertaining characters. They are good men, friendly and ready to help Frankie at the beginning and to give him a warm bed even if he’s a stranger. They are good friends, wanting Marcus to be happy and to take a chance to happiness. I really enjoyed how the author portrayed the small community, with people who are there for each other, caring and supportive.
If you are looking for a sweet read, with endearing characters and a great romance in the most magical time of the year, look no further and pick this one up!
December 1, 2018
Oh boy, I’m gonna say I’m not a big fan.
The first half was pretty hard to stomach for me. It didn’t work as a romance and it wasn’t erotica, either. It was more or less just awkward. But I stayed with the story, because the gay Goldilocks and the Three Bears theme does have a certain appeal…
Tell me it isn’t so, LOL.
Frankie Blackburn is a city stylist (which seems to be the political correct way to say ‘hairdresser’) who visits his parents in the countryside at the beginning of December. A snowstorm turns dangerous for him and he ends up wrecking his car in a ditch. Freezing and disoriented he walks through the storm and reaches a cabin in the woods. The door isn’t locked, so Frankie seeks shelter from the cold and falls asleep. When he wakes up, three hairy lumberjacks look at him and - once he’s done fearing to fall victim to a gay-bashing - he realizes all three are gay.
So far so good. But what went down in that cabin is so utterly crazy that I simply couldn’t enjoy this story as a Christmas romance…
The big hunky Papa Bear, Marcus Gardner, is actually a lawyer who fled from big city life (and a cheating boyfriend) to live with his high school friends Arthur and Paul, who both work as loggers in the same town they grew up in. Arthur and Paul sleep together, but they are not a couple. Despite having sex on a daily basis (for 20 years, if I interpreted things correctly), they absolutely do not match and don’t consider themselves in a relationship. It’s not even hinted that they ever intend to be in one and the later books will have both guys as MCs in their own separate stories.
So having them as fuck-buddies sharing a cabin with Marcus is the epitome of awkward.
When Frankie joins their cabin life, they try to reel him in for group sex, but Marcus makes sure that this book's love story is actually one between Frankie and Marcus only (which I was insanely grateful for).
Still the loud sex noises from Arthur and Paul in the same cabin that Marcus and Frankie slept in were so inappropriate that I couldn’t take this story seriously…
Especially when Marcus and Frankie did become intimate with each other and tried to compete with Arthur and Paul on who made the louder noises in the shared cabin…
I was ready to quit this around the 50% mark.
BUT, the second half of the story was surprisingly good. It centers around Frankie trying to socialize in the town of Logan. He starts doing the hair of elderly ladies at the local retirement home and becomes a little superstar because of it, since Logan doesn’t have a decent hairdresser, let alone one of Frankie’s caliber.
So Frankie suddenly feels welcome and appreciated in the town he was so afraid to even pass through at the beginning, which was totally heartwarming to see.
I also liked Frankie as an unusual type of romance MC.
Let’s be honest, he was a wig and a dress away from being a drag queen. The references to John Inman were so frequent that the author basically forced the image of a girly slender gay stereotype in my head.
But Frankie was a very likable guy who had lots of bad luck with love and seemed to finally have found a match in Marcus, who cherished exactly the kind of soft female side of a man that Frankie never managed to conceal sufficiently to pass off as a ‘real man’. Surprisingly enough, I never felt this story drifted off to a chicks with dicks type of story. Frankie definitely was a man at all times. I liked how Marcus and Frankie fell together like puzzle pieces and the ending was very sweet and heartwarming.
So the second half of the story saved the book for me.
Still, with Arthur and Paul throwing their (completely non-relevant) sex life in my face, I only rate this
3 stars!
The first half was pretty hard to stomach for me. It didn’t work as a romance and it wasn’t erotica, either. It was more or less just awkward. But I stayed with the story, because the gay Goldilocks and the Three Bears theme does have a certain appeal…
Tell me it isn’t so, LOL.
Frankie Blackburn is a city stylist (which seems to be the political correct way to say ‘hairdresser’) who visits his parents in the countryside at the beginning of December. A snowstorm turns dangerous for him and he ends up wrecking his car in a ditch. Freezing and disoriented he walks through the storm and reaches a cabin in the woods. The door isn’t locked, so Frankie seeks shelter from the cold and falls asleep. When he wakes up, three hairy lumberjacks look at him and - once he’s done fearing to fall victim to a gay-bashing - he realizes all three are gay.
So far so good. But what went down in that cabin is so utterly crazy that I simply couldn’t enjoy this story as a Christmas romance…
The big hunky Papa Bear, Marcus Gardner, is actually a lawyer who fled from big city life (and a cheating boyfriend) to live with his high school friends Arthur and Paul, who both work as loggers in the same town they grew up in. Arthur and Paul sleep together, but they are not a couple. Despite having sex on a daily basis (for 20 years, if I interpreted things correctly), they absolutely do not match and don’t consider themselves in a relationship. It’s not even hinted that they ever intend to be in one and the later books will have both guys as MCs in their own separate stories.
So having them as fuck-buddies sharing a cabin with Marcus is the epitome of awkward.
When Frankie joins their cabin life, they try to reel him in for group sex, but Marcus makes sure that this book's love story is actually one between Frankie and Marcus only (which I was insanely grateful for).
Still the loud sex noises from Arthur and Paul in the same cabin that Marcus and Frankie slept in were so inappropriate that I couldn’t take this story seriously…
Especially when Marcus and Frankie did become intimate with each other and tried to compete with Arthur and Paul on who made the louder noises in the shared cabin…
I was ready to quit this around the 50% mark.
BUT, the second half of the story was surprisingly good. It centers around Frankie trying to socialize in the town of Logan. He starts doing the hair of elderly ladies at the local retirement home and becomes a little superstar because of it, since Logan doesn’t have a decent hairdresser, let alone one of Frankie’s caliber.
So Frankie suddenly feels welcome and appreciated in the town he was so afraid to even pass through at the beginning, which was totally heartwarming to see.
I also liked Frankie as an unusual type of romance MC.
Let’s be honest, he was a wig and a dress away from being a drag queen. The references to John Inman were so frequent that the author basically forced the image of a girly slender gay stereotype in my head.
But Frankie was a very likable guy who had lots of bad luck with love and seemed to finally have found a match in Marcus, who cherished exactly the kind of soft female side of a man that Frankie never managed to conceal sufficiently to pass off as a ‘real man’. Surprisingly enough, I never felt this story drifted off to a chicks with dicks type of story. Frankie definitely was a man at all times. I liked how Marcus and Frankie fell together like puzzle pieces and the ending was very sweet and heartwarming.
So the second half of the story saved the book for me.
Still, with Arthur and Paul throwing their (completely non-relevant) sex life in my face, I only rate this
3 stars!
November 29, 2013
Ack! Another one to add to my everyone liked it but me shelf, which is very sparse.
I wasn't able to connect with this one. I didn't enjoy the characters, especially secondary characters Arthur and Paul. The setting was all wrong. There was no privacy, no intimacy. It creeped me out. It completely brought me out of the moment(s). The only reason this book even got 3 stars was because the HEA payoff at the end deserved a star of it's own.
That being said, I suggest folks look to all the other reviewers for help in deciding to read this one. It completely missed the mark for me but was loved by just about all of my GoodReads friends.
I truly hope you can read it for what it was intended: A fun, free spirited holiday romp meant to warm your heart.
November 30, 2013
Awww that was really lovely. Five Xmas stars for giving me not only the warm and fuzzies but also for surprising me with how tender and at times poignant enough it was to actually bring on a little misty eyed, weepy moment or two but in a satisfying way... If you know what I mean!
Frankie just up and stole my heart alongside his grumpy papa bear Marcus, the other cuddly bears Arthur and Paul and the rest of the cast of engaging characters, who all managed to worm their way in there as well especially Marcus' mum who was so lovely and instrumental in the teary department by plucking at my heartstrings. I think some of my favourite parts were set around Frankie's visits to the home she was in... Just read it and you'll see why.
Sexy but not sleazy, sweet and hot it was charming, endearing and just Christmassy enough to suit the season but thankfully never over the top sickly sweet. Just a real delight to read and I loved it!
If you're looking for a warm, fulfilling Christmas comfort read that won't have you yakking up your egg nog then this is high on the list.
" Jingle balls, jingle balls, jingle all the way.... " < singing merrily on a high!! Lol. >
Frankie just up and stole my heart alongside his grumpy papa bear Marcus, the other cuddly bears Arthur and Paul and the rest of the cast of engaging characters, who all managed to worm their way in there as well especially Marcus' mum who was so lovely and instrumental in the teary department by plucking at my heartstrings. I think some of my favourite parts were set around Frankie's visits to the home she was in... Just read it and you'll see why.
Sexy but not sleazy, sweet and hot it was charming, endearing and just Christmassy enough to suit the season but thankfully never over the top sickly sweet. Just a real delight to read and I loved it!
If you're looking for a warm, fulfilling Christmas comfort read that won't have you yakking up your egg nog then this is high on the list.
" Jingle balls, jingle balls, jingle all the way.... " < singing merrily on a high!! Lol. >
December 14, 2015
I suspected I wouldn't much like this book (based on my past experience with Ms Cullinan's work), but it's a Christmas story so I thought I'd try it. No time like the present, right? Boy, was that a mistake.
I won't dwell on the porno-movie-worthy setting of the cabin where the two snowed-in couples engaged in marathon sex sessions. I won't elaborate on how the distressing effect the secondary couple's exhibitionistic sexual activities had on the unsuspecting, terrified Frankie bordered on abuse. What I found tacky and disturbing others might find exciting.
I will however underline how, beneath the superficial stereotype-breaking, awareness-raising veneer, all this book achieves is to make sweeping generalisations and perpetuate prejudicial and stereotypical thinking not only regarding gender norms, constructions of masculinity, virility, and manhood, but also social structure, marginalized groups, and social categorisation, seeking to produce higher-order collective truths from oversimplified beliefs about specific people, social groups, and circumstances.
These lurk everywhere in the book: Small towns are chock-full of bullies and uncivilised folk. Poor people are filthy, churlish, small-minded, and undeserving of kindness. All immigrants live in impoverished areas, are extremely dangerous, and carry the prejudices of their home countries. Effeminate men aren't real men. Effeminate men are homosexuals. Big, silent, broody blokes with lumberjack beards and furry arses are real men. Lawyers are super smart. Hairstylists are super dumb. And so on.
I'm not partial to this sort of privileged, prescriptive, highly biased view of the world. Books such as Let It Snow are more deleterious than beneficial for the m/m romance genre.
No more Heidi Cullinan for me.
I won't dwell on the porno-movie-worthy setting of the cabin where the two snowed-in couples engaged in marathon sex sessions. I won't elaborate on how the distressing effect the secondary couple's exhibitionistic sexual activities had on the unsuspecting, terrified Frankie bordered on abuse. What I found tacky and disturbing others might find exciting.
I will however underline how, beneath the superficial stereotype-breaking, awareness-raising veneer, all this book achieves is to make sweeping generalisations and perpetuate prejudicial and stereotypical thinking not only regarding gender norms, constructions of masculinity, virility, and manhood, but also social structure, marginalized groups, and social categorisation, seeking to produce higher-order collective truths from oversimplified beliefs about specific people, social groups, and circumstances.
These lurk everywhere in the book: Small towns are chock-full of bullies and uncivilised folk. Poor people are filthy, churlish, small-minded, and undeserving of kindness. All immigrants live in impoverished areas, are extremely dangerous, and carry the prejudices of their home countries. Effeminate men aren't real men. Effeminate men are homosexuals. Big, silent, broody blokes with lumberjack beards and furry arses are real men. Lawyers are super smart. Hairstylists are super dumb. And so on.
I'm not partial to this sort of privileged, prescriptive, highly biased view of the world. Books such as Let It Snow are more deleterious than beneficial for the m/m romance genre.
No more Heidi Cullinan for me.
May 17, 2015
I loved this. Sweet & sexy! 5 Stars ♥ 
December 2, 2013
You know how you have different friends? Friends that you can spend time with even in a large group and you still get that connection regardless of who is around. But there is that other friend. The one that is special, so special that they need your undivided attention. It’s not that they demand it, it is just who they are. The one on one time, the alone time is how you connect, how they touch you so deep that the moments you share together become part of you. For me, with books, that friend is anything by Heidi Cullinan. Now, I am known as a massive sneak reader at work but it’s something I just can’t do with Heidi’s books. It’s not that I don’t eagerly want to read what is on the page, I so do; I just need that one on one time with me and the story. Just us, the two of us in our own world and that is all that matters.
I have to admit, Christmas makes me cringe. The holiday and what it has become turns me into a Scrooge of the Bill Murray persuasion. That being said, I do LOVE the holy hell out of Christmas stories, music and movies. They remind me that for whatever reason, this holiday, this season is a magical time and anything, even the impossible can happen. A bit of a romantic notion…did you see the blurb for this? Have you met me yet?
Frankie and Marcus, Marcus and Frankie…Where do I begin? I loved Frankie, just fell for him the instant he walked, or rather, struggled to find his way in his car, onto the page. I have thing for the boys with the swish. Their flamboyance is like a beacon that draws me to them. I want to be in their light, share in their joy and absorb their personality. Frankie was a treasure to read, to be in his head the first time he sees the bears in flannel at the café, the ones that he typically would be afraid of, I got it and I got him. His thought process was so easy to settle into and I did immediately. I connected with him in many, many personal ways.
Marcus…oh boy! You big old grumpy bear with the softest center EVER! How could I not love you and just want you to be happy? Want you to not feel the guilty over your life decisions and just find the happiness that is dropped at your feet, or actually on your couch. The love you have for your mother, your friends, your town and all the love that you have to give. Even bears need to have someone to give their hugs to. I loved your struggle, I struggled with you. I loved your kindness, I felt it. I loved your ability with snow suits, oh yeah. Damn boy!
The story is told in my favorite way with a slow burn. Goodness. I love how you get comfortable with the characters; as you get to know them, you know there is an attraction there but you put that to the back of your subconscious because the burn is so warm and cozy and then BAM! You are hit with the heat! You stumble back shocked, give your head a shake, look back at the page and dive right back in. I swear, each time I am stunned by the first kiss and this one was damn hot! Snow? Cold weather? What in heaven’s name are you talking about? The boys are HOT and that kiss was only the beginning. Only. The. Beginning.
Marcus and Frankie were wonderful to read. I got everything I needed from them. From their first meeting, to the point where they finally gave in was so good. I loved how each man brought their baggage to the table; the dirty laundry was laid out in full color. Maybe it was the confines of the cabin, the magic of the snow as it cocooned them inside and made a new world for them? I don’t know but it worked. Once they let it happen…it was wonderful. Have I said that yet? I can’t stop myself from smiling as I write this. I have over 30 highlights and notes on my Nook and I have not looked at one of them while I write this, which is so not my way of business but I don’t need to look at them. I loved them, which is why I highlighted them, but this story is so in my heart right now…*sigh*
This…this story is exactly what I needed. I was in a mood, a funk that I needed out of. I needed a book, a story, a chance to meet to boys who would make me fall so hard for them and make me believe…I got it with Let it Snow and then some.
I have to add: With each book from the author, I find something with the MC’s that I connect with on a very personal level. This was no exception. It stuns me with the realization. While the book is fun to read, there are these moments where reality sets in. Where I have to take a deep breath and absorb the emotions from the characters as I feel it with them. I am an emotional reader, the romance gets me but when those connections happen, it floors me. It humbles me and reminds me of the reasons that I read; I read to feel, I read to escape and I read to fall in love with the characters on the page as they fall in love with each other. I read to get lost in a story that hits me with every emotion, touches every bit of me from the fantasy of the love story to the realization that things to happen, that people are a certain way and when I get all of that in one book; it’s wonderful.
I have to admit, Christmas makes me cringe. The holiday and what it has become turns me into a Scrooge of the Bill Murray persuasion. That being said, I do LOVE the holy hell out of Christmas stories, music and movies. They remind me that for whatever reason, this holiday, this season is a magical time and anything, even the impossible can happen. A bit of a romantic notion…did you see the blurb for this? Have you met me yet?
Frankie and Marcus, Marcus and Frankie…Where do I begin? I loved Frankie, just fell for him the instant he walked, or rather, struggled to find his way in his car, onto the page. I have thing for the boys with the swish. Their flamboyance is like a beacon that draws me to them. I want to be in their light, share in their joy and absorb their personality. Frankie was a treasure to read, to be in his head the first time he sees the bears in flannel at the café, the ones that he typically would be afraid of, I got it and I got him. His thought process was so easy to settle into and I did immediately. I connected with him in many, many personal ways.
Marcus…oh boy! You big old grumpy bear with the softest center EVER! How could I not love you and just want you to be happy? Want you to not feel the guilty over your life decisions and just find the happiness that is dropped at your feet, or actually on your couch. The love you have for your mother, your friends, your town and all the love that you have to give. Even bears need to have someone to give their hugs to. I loved your struggle, I struggled with you. I loved your kindness, I felt it. I loved your ability with snow suits, oh yeah. Damn boy!
The story is told in my favorite way with a slow burn. Goodness. I love how you get comfortable with the characters; as you get to know them, you know there is an attraction there but you put that to the back of your subconscious because the burn is so warm and cozy and then BAM! You are hit with the heat! You stumble back shocked, give your head a shake, look back at the page and dive right back in. I swear, each time I am stunned by the first kiss and this one was damn hot! Snow? Cold weather? What in heaven’s name are you talking about? The boys are HOT and that kiss was only the beginning. Only. The. Beginning.
Marcus and Frankie were wonderful to read. I got everything I needed from them. From their first meeting, to the point where they finally gave in was so good. I loved how each man brought their baggage to the table; the dirty laundry was laid out in full color. Maybe it was the confines of the cabin, the magic of the snow as it cocooned them inside and made a new world for them? I don’t know but it worked. Once they let it happen…it was wonderful. Have I said that yet? I can’t stop myself from smiling as I write this. I have over 30 highlights and notes on my Nook and I have not looked at one of them while I write this, which is so not my way of business but I don’t need to look at them. I loved them, which is why I highlighted them, but this story is so in my heart right now…*sigh*
This…this story is exactly what I needed. I was in a mood, a funk that I needed out of. I needed a book, a story, a chance to meet to boys who would make me fall so hard for them and make me believe…I got it with Let it Snow and then some.
I have to add: With each book from the author, I find something with the MC’s that I connect with on a very personal level. This was no exception. It stuns me with the realization. While the book is fun to read, there are these moments where reality sets in. Where I have to take a deep breath and absorb the emotions from the characters as I feel it with them. I am an emotional reader, the romance gets me but when those connections happen, it floors me. It humbles me and reminds me of the reasons that I read; I read to feel, I read to escape and I read to fall in love with the characters on the page as they fall in love with each other. I read to get lost in a story that hits me with every emotion, touches every bit of me from the fantasy of the love story to the realization that things to happen, that people are a certain way and when I get all of that in one book; it’s wonderful.
December 13, 2016
***4.25 Stars***
...a small town in the middle of a snowstorm, the place that had made him feel good and right and centered for no reason except that somehow it simply had.
This was so much more than I expected it to be! I love when that happens! Equal measure of sweet and sexy.
Frankie and Marcus were such endearing characters. I loved both men's vulnerabilities. They had the same fears, but unique to their experiences.
Frankie was afraid to live...constantly paranoid about his "swishy" appearance and his effeminate mannerisms. He understood that the world would never see him as "manly," but he was all man...with manly wants and manly desires. All he wants is to one day find a place where he feels like he fits in.
Marcus was afraid to live...he grew up having to play the part of the guy's guy. Big, burly men like him weren't gay. He follows the path that he thinks he should be on, and then finally allows himself to fall in love...only to be betrayed. Having closed himself off to relationships, he's back in his home town licking his wounds.
Frankie and Marcus are about as opposite as you can get when it comes to physical appearance, but their hearts were meant to intertwine. They wanted the same things in life...the same visions for their future, the same dreams.
The evolution of their relationship was sweet and realistic and filled with understanding and attraction. While they had quite the bumpy start, once they came together it was evident that the two men simply clicked. There was a comfort between them layered with affection, intimacy, trust and desire.
I wish there was an epilogue, but I'm completely happy with where things are with Marcus and Frankie. Hopefully we'll get more of them in the series.
Grab a mug of something warm, curl under a blanket and enjoy this sweet winter read.
December 5, 2013
This story just fit my mood, something sweet but not too much sugar, with fun characters, and just enough holiday cheer for the season, without causing santa-overload. I really loved Marcus (and all the three bears, actually.) And Frankie was a man with more depth and complexity than it seemed at first. A great choice for a holiday read, and maybe a reread. And the Minnesota setting was a bonus for me. (Although seriously, Heidi - a moose? :)
November 27, 2013
4.5
This book is all kinds of adorable and I loved everything about it. I'm so glad that Heidi couldn't find a snowed-in story and wrote this one. Merry Christmas indeed. Now I'm just waiting for book 2 in the series, I just hope I don't have to wait until next Christmas to get it.
This book is all kinds of adorable and I loved everything about it. I'm so glad that Heidi couldn't find a snowed-in story and wrote this one. Merry Christmas indeed. Now I'm just waiting for book 2 in the series, I just hope I don't have to wait until next Christmas to get it.
October 29, 2014
This was sooooooo cute, I loved it! I want more, when is book two coming out. Soon I hope, I don't think I can wait until next Christmas!
:)
So no pressure.
:p
Edit: 10.29.14
YAY! Book two is coming out next month. So excited!
:)
So no pressure.
:p
Edit: 10.29.14
YAY! Book two is coming out next month. So excited!
May 13, 2019
An easy, overall feel good story of opposites attract and how they find love and happiness.
A fortuitous (?) snowstorm to rival all snowstorms hits, and poor Frankie is stuck in the outskirts of a small town, car wrecked with danger looming ever closer and closer. Luckily he finds his way to a cabin where he can wait out the weather, but there’s one caveat. There's a particular grump living there that he can’t resist despite all signals telling him to back off.
Both Frankie and Marcus have issues aplenty which makes starting something between them the worst idea ever. Frankie has never been in a long term relationship, and though he likes a tougher, bigger fellow, his past dredges up some awful memories. Marcus on the other hand has been burned badly by an ex, and really has no interest in getting entangled with someone new despite his loneliness. Somehow though, they eventually get over their fears and hangups, as being forced to sequester for several days allows them to get to know each other in more ways than one. *wink wink*
These two hedge a lot. There’s plenty of doubt, insecurity, and fear of starting something with the other, but they work it out. Fans of the tamer Cullinan won’t be disappointed. This had plenty of angst lite feels, hot interludes to keep the reader nice and toasty, and of course, a happy ending.
November 27, 2013
What a great read.
I love Frankie. He's easy to like, I thought. He's pretty clear about his shortcomings, he's aware how his surroundings perceive him. He has an image of himself, or rather an image he believes others have when they see him, but there is so much more to it.
Marcus is also a lot more than he appears. Sure he's grumpy and he's definitely more a doer and shower when it comes to his feelings, it takes a bit for Frankie to see that.
But that big grumpy bear has a really soft and vulnerable core, and jeeze how good is he to his mother.?!..I love that in a man, seriously. I always think how a man treats his mom is a good predictor of how he's going to treat people close to him. And Marcus is a gem.
There are so many more layers to these men and some really good points and thought provoking points are made by both of them.
A great holiday story and made me feel all warm and fuzzy, my only complaint is it ended far too soon for me.
I love Frankie. He's easy to like, I thought. He's pretty clear about his shortcomings, he's aware how his surroundings perceive him. He has an image of himself, or rather an image he believes others have when they see him, but there is so much more to it.
Marcus is also a lot more than he appears. Sure he's grumpy and he's definitely more a doer and shower when it comes to his feelings, it takes a bit for Frankie to see that.
But that big grumpy bear has a really soft and vulnerable core, and jeeze how good is he to his mother.?!..I love that in a man, seriously. I always think how a man treats his mom is a good predictor of how he's going to treat people close to him. And Marcus is a gem.
There are so many more layers to these men and some really good points and thought provoking points are made by both of them.
A great holiday story and made me feel all warm and fuzzy, my only complaint is it ended far too soon for me.
March 14, 2016
I love holiday stories -- maybe because I'm yearning to read anything with snow since I live in tropical country. And I love holiday romance stories. This one just fits the bill and perfect for what I want to read at this time of year. It's cute and irresistible. It is Goldilocks and Three Bears MM style.
I can't really add anything more that has been said by other reviewers. So I probably going to repeat what has already been said and try to keep it rather short. I think swishy blonde hairstylist Frankie is adorable -- he is scared of Marcus initially, since Marcus reminds him of the typical people who bullied Frankie at school. But then he is brave enough to confront grumpy surly Papa Bear, and they end up kissing, and well, you get the idea ...
I love how both Frankie and Marcus have sense of 'loneliness' and like they don't really belong in the place they live in, until they meet (so romantic *hands on heart*). I admit that I admire Frankie more, because even if he keeps thinking that he is unmanly, Frankie is fighting for the chance with Marcus. Marcus is a bit too stubborn in the end for me, but knowing that he will take good care of his Frankie makes me forgive him.
I also love the 'sense' of small town here -- especially when Frankie helps the women at senior house Logan Manor with their hair, including Marcus's mother. I always enjoy reading small town romance. It's the sense of supportive community towards the couple, you know?
I enjoyed it -- although if I have issue it will be the part with Arthur and Paul and the living situation. Knowing that there's not enough privacy between the two couples creep me out. The dirty talk that can be heard below also falls in the 'disturbing' me category. I am not sure if I want to read their stories (I am hoping they end up with someone else).
I can't really add anything more that has been said by other reviewers. So I probably going to repeat what has already been said and try to keep it rather short. I think swishy blonde hairstylist Frankie is adorable -- he is scared of Marcus initially, since Marcus reminds him of the typical people who bullied Frankie at school. But then he is brave enough to confront grumpy surly Papa Bear, and they end up kissing, and well, you get the idea ...
I love how both Frankie and Marcus have sense of 'loneliness' and like they don't really belong in the place they live in, until they meet (so romantic *hands on heart*). I admit that I admire Frankie more, because even if he keeps thinking that he is unmanly, Frankie is fighting for the chance with Marcus. Marcus is a bit too stubborn in the end for me, but knowing that he will take good care of his Frankie makes me forgive him.
I also love the 'sense' of small town here -- especially when Frankie helps the women at senior house Logan Manor with their hair, including Marcus's mother. I always enjoy reading small town romance. It's the sense of supportive community towards the couple, you know?
I enjoyed it -- although if I have issue it will be the part with Arthur and Paul and the living situation. Knowing that there's not enough privacy between the two couples creep me out. The dirty talk that can be heard below also falls in the 'disturbing' me category. I am not sure if I want to read their stories (I am hoping they end up with someone else).
September 15, 2014
I think there may be something wrong with me--why else would I wait so long to read this sweet novel? Not just sweet, but written well, which I've come to expect from Heidi Cullinan.
I really liked the two main characters, Frankie, the innocent but strong Goldilocks, & Marcus, the grumpy but vulnerable Papa Bear. Cullinan did an excellent job revealing their back stories & disclosing their respective inner conflicts that combined in such a way that made them perfect for each other. Man, I love it when that happens.
Oh, yeah, the sex was super hot too. Mmmm...sexy bears...I like. I especially like the fact that while snowed in for a week, everybody still had access to a shower. There's nothing worse than reading a hot sex scene & being distracted by a severe lack of clean naughty parts.
"You're going to lick what? There? Really? Do you at least have access to a washcloth? No? You can't possibly wait? Oh...ok, then. Carry on."
July 1, 2020
Re-read June 30, 2020
Frankie is stranded, and needs shelter, so he walks til he finds a cabin. It's unlocked. Luckily when the owners come home, they are more accepting of him than he expected. Grumpy bear, Marcus, is the one who draws his attention, and being snowed in helped them get to know each other.
Frankie is a sweet man, very pretty, feminine, and a hair stylist, as he says a "typical swishy" gay. But deep down he not swishy, he's a man who happens to look that way. Marcus is a Lawyer who left the city to work lumber in their small town where he grew up. He's hairy, burly and lonely, and Frankie reminds him of his ex who broke his heart. Marcus is not going to be hurt again. Maybe Frankie isn't like his ex, maybe he's got a good heart.
He ignores the beautiful man, but listens intently when he talks to hear about his life. Frankie gets tired of being ignored and confronts the grumpy bear, learns his attitude isn't his fault, and they get close. Sizzling sparks begin to overwhelm them, and each decides that a "snowed in affair" could be fun for both, but the sizzle turns to flames, and the guys hope for more.
Frankie helps out at Marcus's Mom's home, and the sweet Frankie is amazing to have around. A Minnesota blizzard turns out to be heartwarming.
There are two lives to meld, different needs, and what happens when the storm clears and Frankie goes home? Well written M/M romance with fun, hot sex, and deep feelings. Loved the depth of the characters.
Highly recommend, so, ENJOY !!!
=========
Frankie is stranded, and needs shelter, so he walks til he finds a cabin. It's unlocked. Luckily when the owners come home, they are more accepting of him than he expected. Grumpy bear, Marcus, is the one who draws his attention, and being snowed in helped them get to know each other.
Frankie is a sweet man, very pretty, feminine, and a hair stylist, as he says a "typical swishy" gay. But deep down he not swishy, he's a man who happens to look that way. Marcus is a Lawyer who left the city to work lumber in their small town where he grew up. He's hairy, burly and lonely, and Frankie reminds him of his ex who broke his heart. Marcus is not going to be hurt again. Maybe Frankie isn't like his ex, maybe he's got a good heart.
He ignores the beautiful man, but listens intently when he talks to hear about his life. Frankie gets tired of being ignored and confronts the grumpy bear, learns his attitude isn't his fault, and they get close. Sizzling sparks begin to overwhelm them, and each decides that a "snowed in affair" could be fun for both, but the sizzle turns to flames, and the guys hope for more.
Frankie helps out at Marcus's Mom's home, and the sweet Frankie is amazing to have around. A Minnesota blizzard turns out to be heartwarming.
There are two lives to meld, different needs, and what happens when the storm clears and Frankie goes home? Well written M/M romance with fun, hot sex, and deep feelings. Loved the depth of the characters.
Highly recommend, so, ENJOY !!!
=========
December 18, 2023
Cute stylist getting lost in a snow storm. Ending up in a cabin. With three bears. This was a really good xmas read. The story is both hot and have the perfect amount of sweetness. Which is not toooo sweet.
October 30, 2015
Hmm, not really a fan of this one.
I read Sleigh Ride last November. It was a great mix of holiday feels and kinky smut. I gave it 4 stars, and was looking forward to backtracking and reading 'Let It Snow'. But book 1 of the Minnesota Christmas series just fell flat.
The snowed-in storyline didn't work for me. I got bored with the snowstorm pretty quickly. At a certain point, I felt like I was the one eating leftover chili for every meal for a few days. I'm a fan of small-town romances, and I really enjoyed reading about Logan, Minnesota and all it had to offer in book 2. But in 'Let It Snow', we're treated to an over-crowded cabin, a depressing retirement home, and a couple of other less-than-savoury places.
I didn't feel much of an emotional connection between Marcus and Frankie. Did they really fall for each other, or was it just a side-effect of being cooped up together during a bad storm? Although the sexual chemistry was as hot as I'd expect from Heidi Cullinan.
I did like the discussion of what it meant to be "femme", and how the experiences of gay men change drastically depending on how well they can pull off acting "straight". I also liked seeing Marcus show his emotional side, despite being the big burly bear.
Overall, this is 2 stars for me. Some parts I liked, others not so much. It's possible that I didn't enjoy 'Let It Snow' as much as I thought I would because I recently read another holiday romance with a snowed-in theme, and that one knocked my socks off. Oh well, still looking forward to reading Paul's story in Winter Wonderland.
I read Sleigh Ride last November. It was a great mix of holiday feels and kinky smut. I gave it 4 stars, and was looking forward to backtracking and reading 'Let It Snow'. But book 1 of the Minnesota Christmas series just fell flat.
The snowed-in storyline didn't work for me. I got bored with the snowstorm pretty quickly. At a certain point, I felt like I was the one eating leftover chili for every meal for a few days. I'm a fan of small-town romances, and I really enjoyed reading about Logan, Minnesota and all it had to offer in book 2. But in 'Let It Snow', we're treated to an over-crowded cabin, a depressing retirement home, and a couple of other less-than-savoury places.
I didn't feel much of an emotional connection between Marcus and Frankie. Did they really fall for each other, or was it just a side-effect of being cooped up together during a bad storm? Although the sexual chemistry was as hot as I'd expect from Heidi Cullinan.
I did like the discussion of what it meant to be "femme", and how the experiences of gay men change drastically depending on how well they can pull off acting "straight". I also liked seeing Marcus show his emotional side, despite being the big burly bear.
Overall, this is 2 stars for me. Some parts I liked, others not so much. It's possible that I didn't enjoy 'Let It Snow' as much as I thought I would because I recently read another holiday romance with a snowed-in theme, and that one knocked my socks off. Oh well, still looking forward to reading Paul's story in Winter Wonderland.
December 7, 2013
Fun holiday story with great characters.
As per usual, Cullinan's characterization rocks this book. Frankie and Marcus, their respective weaknesses and strengths are surprising. Add in Marcus's mother and roommates Arthur and Paul and there is a strong contingent to carry this story.
The setup is the good old fashioned snowed in plot device, but where it goes from there is a bit unexpected. Love the humor. Really love Frankie's reaction to Arthur and Paul. Adored his reaction to Marcus' mom. And Frankie and Marcus--Woof! Yeah, pretty hot. Totally enjoyed this with the weather and frolicked with them in my mind.
Favorite quote:
As per usual, Cullinan's characterization rocks this book. Frankie and Marcus, their respective weaknesses and strengths are surprising. Add in Marcus's mother and roommates Arthur and Paul and there is a strong contingent to carry this story.
The setup is the good old fashioned snowed in plot device, but where it goes from there is a bit unexpected. Love the humor. Really love Frankie's reaction to Arthur and Paul. Adored his reaction to Marcus' mom. And Frankie and Marcus--Woof! Yeah, pretty hot. Totally enjoyed this with the weather and frolicked with them in my mind.
Favorite quote:
Which felt like he was breaking the gay honor code or something, caught in a snowstorm with three burly bears who were actually bears and not wanting to take them up on some amateur porn practice, but that was the story of Frankie’s life, not even doing gay right.
December 6, 2013
A perfect Christmas story. I really enjoyed it.
It started a little slowly for me, but once they were all shacked up together in the cabin things started moving along nicely.
Not too much angst, but enough to keep things interesting.
Oh, and a beautiful HEA too ;)
It started a little slowly for me, but once they were all shacked up together in the cabin things started moving along nicely.
Not too much angst, but enough to keep things interesting.
Oh, and a beautiful HEA too ;)
Want to read
September 25, 2013Lumberjack? 'nuff said!
August 6, 2024
(It's always nice when reviews just disappear ... I save backups you bastards!)
Awkward and a bit boring, but with soooo much potential, it’s a shame.
I really loved Frankie and Marcus. They are absolutely perfect. What I don't understand is why they spend so little time alone. The whole first half of the story is annoying because they're not alone in the cabin in the woods. Marcus' friends don't even have a locked room and their sex antics are annoying to listen to, as well as preventing Frankie and Marcus from getting really close. And when they do, the two of them are still there, in the next room.
He wished they’d consider that fucking this vocally was rude with company, and damn frustrating for their roommate who had a bit of a thing for their guest. 🙄🙄🙄
The little bit you get from Frankie and Marcus is wonderful. And it's nice how Marcus opens up and tries to help Frankie.
“Quit calling yourself unmanly. You’re your own kind of man, princess fantasy included.” 🥰🫠🥰
It's also wonderful how Frankie thrives and pursues his passion. And then we have some drama ... I don't like it, it's superfluous. Until it comes to a super short finale.
„I’m going to make you want me. I don’t care how big a growly bear you are, Marcus, I’m going to keep coming until you take me back even if only because it’s less annoying than trying to keep me away.” 😍
Awkward and a bit boring, but with soooo much potential, it’s a shame.
I really loved Frankie and Marcus. They are absolutely perfect. What I don't understand is why they spend so little time alone. The whole first half of the story is annoying because they're not alone in the cabin in the woods. Marcus' friends don't even have a locked room and their sex antics are annoying to listen to, as well as preventing Frankie and Marcus from getting really close. And when they do, the two of them are still there, in the next room.
He wished they’d consider that fucking this vocally was rude with company, and damn frustrating for their roommate who had a bit of a thing for their guest. 🙄🙄🙄
The little bit you get from Frankie and Marcus is wonderful. And it's nice how Marcus opens up and tries to help Frankie.
“Quit calling yourself unmanly. You’re your own kind of man, princess fantasy included.” 🥰🫠🥰
It's also wonderful how Frankie thrives and pursues his passion. And then we have some drama ... I don't like it, it's superfluous. Until it comes to a super short finale.
„I’m going to make you want me. I don’t care how big a growly bear you are, Marcus, I’m going to keep coming until you take me back even if only because it’s less annoying than trying to keep me away.” 😍
August 13, 2016
Heidi Cullinan has given us two characters that yearn for so much more than life has so far given them, this book is the fairy story we all dream of, where what their hearts really desire is realised, and as with all good fairy tales… there is always a happily ever after, one that will warm your heart and curl your toes… I loved this book!!! …and unlike the snow that had them secluded in a cabin in the woods, my heart was melting.
Once upon a time…. there was a golden haired boy, Frankie, who when a snow storm hits, crashes his beat up car and is stuck in freezing temperatures in the back of beyond. Stumbling across a deserted cabin in the woods he curls up on the couch and falls asleep, thankful of the warmth and shelter from the raging storm. But little does he know, the cabin is the home of the three bears, Papa bear… Marcus, Mama Bear… Arthur and Baby bear… Paul.
Frankie is a sexy little twink, totally effeminate and as hard as he had tried over the years, there was no disguising it, or the fact that he was gay… and being a hairdresser… oops, sorry, stylist, only added to the stereotype. But as cute as he is, he is not the needy type that plays for attention, he is funny and sweet and oh, so, very, charming with a little fire in his belly… adorable and I just loved him! Because of his appearance and mannerisms, growing up in a small town had not left him with happy memories, especially of the big guys that took pleasure in teasing and taunting him for something he could do nothing about… and his fear of big men had been carried over into his adult life as a result. So waking up to find three big bears looking at him, was more than a little intimidating for Frankie.
Growly, grouchy, grumpy Marcus… is attracted to Frankie but it is his fear of being hurt that makes him distance himself, he finds it hard to be personable, and his attitude to Frankie is his way of protecting his heart, and really, as big and intimidating as he might be Marcus is just a vulnerable, self conscious man, fearful of getting involved again after having been betrayed by his ex, leaving him in a mess of confusion, finding it hard to trust, not knowing how to act on the emotions Frankie seems to be stirring within him. He knows he is being unreasonable but can’t help himself, and when Frankie get’s totally pissed off with Mr Grumpy and his downright rude and confusing behaviour, because as grumpy as he is, he contradicts it with kindness in other ways… so Frankie, my little spitfire, confronts him… and Marcus is ashamed, because all he really wants to do is wrap him in his arms and kiss him… which leads to a little more than that, as they finally release all of that pent up sexual attraction… as always, Heidi knows how to turn up the heat factor in her books and does it deliciously!
Both men had struggled with their identities, Marcus trying to be the big hot shot lawyer in a city he hates and Frankie stifling his personality and every aspect of his life to ‘fit in’ because he was different… both men wanting only to be accepted for what they are, but unable to find a place within themselves that made them truly happy. But living their dream for just a little while together in a the cabin in the snow, Frankie being accepted for what and who he is and not feeling emasculated in anyway and for Marcus to understand that not all men are cold, calculated and manipulative, made them see, not only that it was what they both wanted from life, but also that it was possible to…. live the dream, where the Princess really does meet his Prince Charming.
This book is the perfect Christmas read as far as I’m concerned, it has everything… that feel good factor that sooOoo gives me the warm and fuzzies, it made me laugh, smile and of course, especially with me, the happy tears that go with it. I love Heidi Cullinan’s writing and her voice is one that sings to me as a reader… I was cheering from the side-lines for these two men and fell hopelessly in love with both of them. This book left me at the end, clutching my Kindle with a warm glow that only comes from a truly satisfying read… I wholeheartedly recommend this book and it will be one I read again and again… much like me beloved Christmas Movies that come out every year.
I love Christmas and Let It Snow is now just another of those things that make it all the more special.
- See more at: http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.co....
Once upon a time…. there was a golden haired boy, Frankie, who when a snow storm hits, crashes his beat up car and is stuck in freezing temperatures in the back of beyond. Stumbling across a deserted cabin in the woods he curls up on the couch and falls asleep, thankful of the warmth and shelter from the raging storm. But little does he know, the cabin is the home of the three bears, Papa bear… Marcus, Mama Bear… Arthur and Baby bear… Paul.
Frankie is a sexy little twink, totally effeminate and as hard as he had tried over the years, there was no disguising it, or the fact that he was gay… and being a hairdresser… oops, sorry, stylist, only added to the stereotype. But as cute as he is, he is not the needy type that plays for attention, he is funny and sweet and oh, so, very, charming with a little fire in his belly… adorable and I just loved him! Because of his appearance and mannerisms, growing up in a small town had not left him with happy memories, especially of the big guys that took pleasure in teasing and taunting him for something he could do nothing about… and his fear of big men had been carried over into his adult life as a result. So waking up to find three big bears looking at him, was more than a little intimidating for Frankie.
Growly, grouchy, grumpy Marcus… is attracted to Frankie but it is his fear of being hurt that makes him distance himself, he finds it hard to be personable, and his attitude to Frankie is his way of protecting his heart, and really, as big and intimidating as he might be Marcus is just a vulnerable, self conscious man, fearful of getting involved again after having been betrayed by his ex, leaving him in a mess of confusion, finding it hard to trust, not knowing how to act on the emotions Frankie seems to be stirring within him. He knows he is being unreasonable but can’t help himself, and when Frankie get’s totally pissed off with Mr Grumpy and his downright rude and confusing behaviour, because as grumpy as he is, he contradicts it with kindness in other ways… so Frankie, my little spitfire, confronts him… and Marcus is ashamed, because all he really wants to do is wrap him in his arms and kiss him… which leads to a little more than that, as they finally release all of that pent up sexual attraction… as always, Heidi knows how to turn up the heat factor in her books and does it deliciously!
Both men had struggled with their identities, Marcus trying to be the big hot shot lawyer in a city he hates and Frankie stifling his personality and every aspect of his life to ‘fit in’ because he was different… both men wanting only to be accepted for what they are, but unable to find a place within themselves that made them truly happy. But living their dream for just a little while together in a the cabin in the snow, Frankie being accepted for what and who he is and not feeling emasculated in anyway and for Marcus to understand that not all men are cold, calculated and manipulative, made them see, not only that it was what they both wanted from life, but also that it was possible to…. live the dream, where the Princess really does meet his Prince Charming.
This book is the perfect Christmas read as far as I’m concerned, it has everything… that feel good factor that sooOoo gives me the warm and fuzzies, it made me laugh, smile and of course, especially with me, the happy tears that go with it. I love Heidi Cullinan’s writing and her voice is one that sings to me as a reader… I was cheering from the side-lines for these two men and fell hopelessly in love with both of them. This book left me at the end, clutching my Kindle with a warm glow that only comes from a truly satisfying read… I wholeheartedly recommend this book and it will be one I read again and again… much like me beloved Christmas Movies that come out every year.
I love Christmas and Let It Snow is now just another of those things that make it all the more special.
- See more at: http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.co....
November 23, 2013
4.5 stars
Can you say Goldilocks and the Three Bears?
There’s a big ’ole winter snowstorm blowing through the northern Minnesotan backwoods. Frankie Blackburn gets lost easily, he just can’t figure out the GPS. It’s almost Christmas, and he’s on a short holiday, heading home just when the storm hits. Lost and alone on an isolated country road through the big, bad forest, he drives into a ravine to avoid hitting a moose.
Yes, all THAT and three bears.
Let It Snow follows a lost in the woods, ‘Goldilocks’ kinda theme. Slender, blond ’n fabulously swishy (‘don’t call him girly’), Frankie thinks this is the end… they’ll find his fashionably-dressed, frozen-cold body out in the middle of nowhere…
But he gets rescued by three burly backwoods lumberjacks. They welcome Frankie into their snug-as-a-bug little cabin and all settle in to wait out the killer snowstorm. They’re quite the opposite of Frankie; the three woodsmen are manly-men. When he realizes they all play for the same team, Frankie takes to thinking of them as ‘the three bears’.
“They had thick muscles and beards and knew how to wrangle generators and drive snowmobiles… fell trees and drank whisky straight from the bottle. The three bears were gay, but they were the manliest of men.”
But their bed is too small for vanilla Frankie.
What has Goldilocks… erm… Frankie gotten himself into?!! Well, he gets to bunk with stand-offish but hunky Marcus in the only available bed left, a pull-out couch.
That bed is just right.
“God, you’re just so big and sexy. So fucking male it hurts.”
The author builds a real sense of community with the secondary characters in their small-town setting. The big storm brings lots of problems to the small town and our four guys lend helping hands in some pretty creative ways. What other entertaining pursuits can our industrious guys get up to in a white-out? Lots of sweet, but with a smidge of kink to spice it up. The characters are endearing but far from perfect. Arthur and Paul have their issues, and Marcus and Frankie have their own fears to work out.
This is a light-hearted, fun-infused, snowed-in story just in time for the holidays. In the end it’s all about community; about letting go of fear and taking a leap of faith into love.
*********************************************************
A note: Don’t be put off by Frankie’s effeminacy… Cullinan writes him so well, it’s just a part of who he is, he’s such a sweetheart. Even better, Marcus digs it. AND there is no menage in this book.
A coda: The soundtrack of Paul and Arthur getting it on up in the loft while Frankie and Marcus have to listen in, downstairs… So Hot. I want more about Paul and Arthur, gotta have more!
For this review, give-aways, author interviews, and much more:
December 9, 2013
I adore Heidi Cullinan's books and this was a sweet, feel-good read with engaging leads, solid secondaries, and an unusually strong, effective sense of place. I'm a sucker for healing-and-cleaning plot lines, and I liked the way Cullinan ties those into Frankie's job as a stylist.
The main reason I gave it three instead of four stars is that I found the story talky and at times even tendentious. Like Dirty Laundry and some of her other stories, Let it Snow is interested in exploring an unexpected pairing, here a hairstylist, Frankie, who fits some of the usual cliches of "flamboyant" or "effeminate" with Marcus, a burly bear of a lumber jack. It's a terrific idea, but instead of letting the story and relationship run its course, the characters spend inordinate amounts of time debating, and really explaining, what it means to be masculine, what it's like to grow up fulfilling or departing from stereotypes of a "real man." As Frankie explains, "It's not about being homosexual, either. It's about being an effeminate gay man who does hair, whose voice is a little nasal." Marcus, for his part, tells us, "Sometimes I wish it weren't so easy to play at being the kind of man we're supposed to be, because I'm not that man either. I don't think anybody is."
The observations are sensitive and astute, but they are also indicative of the book's approach: to treat them as "issues," subjects of debate and therapeutic confession, with a hint of the afterschool special. At several points, characters actually say, "I never thought about it like that." (The spirit even infiltrates the sex scenes: more than once, Frankie and Marcus are either having sex or are heavy into fore-play, when they literally stop everything to continue their discussion of the issue.)
This rather schematic approach is not unusual for Christmas stories, which often take the form of fairy tales, something Cullinan reinforces with the continued allusions to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." However, it feels far less organic to me than, for example, the way Dirty Laundry approaches Adam's OCD or Denver's learning disabilities. Cullinan is such a strong writer, that I never found the story less than enjoyable, but I would have admired it more if the themes had been allowed to develop naturally from the characters and story line rather than hammered home for our edification.
The main reason I gave it three instead of four stars is that I found the story talky and at times even tendentious. Like Dirty Laundry and some of her other stories, Let it Snow is interested in exploring an unexpected pairing, here a hairstylist, Frankie, who fits some of the usual cliches of "flamboyant" or "effeminate" with Marcus, a burly bear of a lumber jack. It's a terrific idea, but instead of letting the story and relationship run its course, the characters spend inordinate amounts of time debating, and really explaining, what it means to be masculine, what it's like to grow up fulfilling or departing from stereotypes of a "real man." As Frankie explains, "It's not about being homosexual, either. It's about being an effeminate gay man who does hair, whose voice is a little nasal." Marcus, for his part, tells us, "Sometimes I wish it weren't so easy to play at being the kind of man we're supposed to be, because I'm not that man either. I don't think anybody is."
The observations are sensitive and astute, but they are also indicative of the book's approach: to treat them as "issues," subjects of debate and therapeutic confession, with a hint of the afterschool special. At several points, characters actually say, "I never thought about it like that." (The spirit even infiltrates the sex scenes: more than once, Frankie and Marcus are either having sex or are heavy into fore-play, when they literally stop everything to continue their discussion of the issue.)
This rather schematic approach is not unusual for Christmas stories, which often take the form of fairy tales, something Cullinan reinforces with the continued allusions to "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." However, it feels far less organic to me than, for example, the way Dirty Laundry approaches Adam's OCD or Denver's learning disabilities. Cullinan is such a strong writer, that I never found the story less than enjoyable, but I would have admired it more if the themes had been allowed to develop naturally from the characters and story line rather than hammered home for our edification.
November 26, 2013
The perfect holiday story. I loved every minute of reading this. I loved Frankie and Marcus and just everything.
<3
Perfect.
<3
Perfect.
March 25, 2016
Wow, this was good. What was I thinking to have not read it sooner...
I really should have known better I mean honestly Heidi Cullinan that right there should have told me I wanted to read it way before now. I liked 'Let It Snow' so much that I've pushed back my planned reading of Amy Lane's book 'The Bells of Times Square' so that I can read the second book in this series before it.
I loved both Marcus and Frankie theirs was a really sweet and heartwarming story and I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer to read this. I'm really looking forward to 'Sleigh Ride' which is about Marcus's friend Arthur and the man who will hopefully capture his heart. Now we just need to get Paul's story...next Christmas maybe? One can only hope.
One of the things that really touched my heart about this story was the interaction between Marcus and his mother. Alzheimer's is such a difficult disease to deal with and so hard not just on the victim but their loved ones. It is something that I unfortunately have had first hand experience with on more than one occasion. So to see the compassion and dignity that was given to Mimi but the author through her characters interactions with Mimi was truly heartwarming and made me an even bigger fan of this author.
To me this was a story about love in many forms. The love of a parent for their child, a child for their parent, friends for each other, love of community and yes the passionate love that one person can have for another...for that one person who fulfills them as no one else can and in the end the love of a reader for a well told story.
I really should have known better I mean honestly Heidi Cullinan that right there should have told me I wanted to read it way before now. I liked 'Let It Snow' so much that I've pushed back my planned reading of Amy Lane's book 'The Bells of Times Square' so that I can read the second book in this series before it.
I loved both Marcus and Frankie theirs was a really sweet and heartwarming story and I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer to read this. I'm really looking forward to 'Sleigh Ride' which is about Marcus's friend Arthur and the man who will hopefully capture his heart. Now we just need to get Paul's story...next Christmas maybe? One can only hope.
One of the things that really touched my heart about this story was the interaction between Marcus and his mother. Alzheimer's is such a difficult disease to deal with and so hard not just on the victim but their loved ones. It is something that I unfortunately have had first hand experience with on more than one occasion. So to see the compassion and dignity that was given to Mimi but the author through her characters interactions with Mimi was truly heartwarming and made me an even bigger fan of this author.
To me this was a story about love in many forms. The love of a parent for their child, a child for their parent, friends for each other, love of community and yes the passionate love that one person can have for another...for that one person who fulfills them as no one else can and in the end the love of a reader for a well told story.
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