A Magically Delicious Christmas

by A.E. Madsen

Thomas
It’s been years since I divorced and became a single dad. We’ve adjusted, and I thought things were good until I got a call from my son’s school. My fourteen-year-old made a dating profile. For me. His mom’s upcoming marriage has made him realize that I don’t really date, and maybe he’s right. The problem is my ex and I married right out of high school, and times have changed. I’m not sure I know what I’m doing when it comes to online dating and apps.

Angelo
My days are spent teaching, grading papers and indulging in the occasional medical drama. When I ran into a student’s father at my weekly book club, I didn’t expect him to ask me out for coffee. The more time I spend with him, I realize we’re skirting the line of friends and something more. Is it wrong of me to ask him to be my date for my faculty Christmas party?

A Magically Delicious Christmas is part of the Single All the Way multi-author series and it can standalone. Features a teacher/ student’s father MM romance featuring a veterinarian learning to date for maybe the first time in his adult life and a teacher who wasn’t looking for love until it fell into his lap.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Christmas

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2025

About the author

A. E. Madsen(they/them) is a stay-at-home parent and loving spouse. They live in California with their three children. A. has degrees in culinary arts and business management that have nothing to do with writing gay romance. They started writing gay romance in an attempt to better understand their gender identity and sexual orientation as a teenager, and it grew as a hobby from there. A. spends most of their time writing and reading stories about men falling in love with other men, but they also have ADHD and are easily distracted by social media and various topics of research that often have little relevance.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Magically Delicious Christmas by A.E. Madsen is part of the Single Dads All the Way, multi author series of novellas. These can all be read as stand alones. I’ve only read one other, the first one, A Sugar Pine Christmas, by A.D. Ellis, and loved it. This one, though, I struggled with a bit. I never really liked either of the main characters or felt a connection to the story.



Thomas is the single dad of his fourteen year old son. He is bisexual. It has been three years since his divorce from his son’s mom. They have a good relationship and she is about to remarry. When his son is caught making a dating profile for his dad, it becomes obvious that it’s time for him to try to re-enter the dating world.

Angelo is one of Thomas’s son’s teachers. Angelo’s school holiday party is coming up and he is not looking forward to all the comments about his lack of a date. When he and Thomas run into each other at a book store, and attend a book club meeting together, Angelo asks Thomas to be his fake date for the party. But the fake part doesn’t last long. They start a friends with benefits relationship which quickly grows to more.



I just didn’t enjoy these two. Their connection never felt real. I didn’t like all of the dishonesty. I felt there was no reason for Thomas to let his son think the book club meetings were dates. I did think of stopping early on but the story is short enough that I went ahead and finished. It always makes me sad to have to say I didn’t enjoy a story.

[Thurman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an ok book. Angelo and Thomas make a cute couple. This book was kind of boring. I like low angst books, but there was no angst. They started fake dating, and everyone accepted them. They don't even agree to date for real before the epilogue starts. One discussion about them dating for real would have helped this book.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
angst -1/5
heat 2.5/5
story 1.5/5
POV dual
brak up no

[Edga · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK read. Angelo and Eric begin fake dating, and fall for one another over the festive season. There's no angst, all happens very quickly. The story is very superficial, no depth to the characters. A little disappointing.

[Jimbo · Rating 2 out of 5]

a short, quick story with little romance, just jumping bones and not dealing with the teenage son's feelings. Kind of slim story.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

How the hell do you manage to make a romance feel ridiculously fast and rushed and simultaneously incredibly tedious and boring? Especially in 89 kindle pages? The whole thing was quite impressive.

I have read this author before and enjoyed them so was looking forward to this short, but it really didn't land for me. For a single dad book, the kid was barely present, and when he was he might as well not have been. Preternaturally well-behaved 14 year old. Barely raised an eyebrow when he saw his actual teacher coming out of his dad's bedroom.

Also, the Hispanic rep was strange. I'm used to reading romance with all kinds of rep, but something felt a bit off with how Angelo Gutierrez was presented. Maybe it's just the comparison to Alex from RW&RB that's throwing me, but it felt like the author had a specific type they wanted to convey, except as a teacher in his thirties. Felt like it was more about how he looked than who he actually was as a person.

The details in this book were beyond tedious. Random details on all sorts of irrelevant information, from what they were reading for book club to breakfast cereal. And yet somehow the things that mattered were glossed over. Like I kept forgetting the dad was a vet because he's never shown as a vet, even though showing an MC saving adorable animals-- or even breaking down when he can't save them-- is a fantastic way to automatically get readers on his side. There wasn't much character development on either MC, unfortunately. But at least we know they were hot, right?

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas, a divorced single dad, has settled into life with his son until a surprise call from school reveals that his fourteen-year-old created a dating profile for him. With his ex remarrying, Thomas realizes he hasn’t dated in years and feels out of touch with modern apps and romance. Angelo, a dedicated teacher who spends his days grading papers and unwinding with medical dramas, never expected love to find him at his weekly book club. But when Thomas — his student’s father — asks him out for coffee, their friendship begins to blur into something more. As Christmas approaches, Angelo wonders if it’s wrong to invite Thomas as his date to the faculty party, while Thomas navigates the unfamiliar world of dating and the possibility of opening his heart again.

I really enjoyed this story about finding love when least expected, learning to take chances again, and discovering that the holiday season can bring both magic and romance. I loved how this story explored how love requires balancing multiple identities without losing authenticity and explored how love often arrives when least expected, offering renewal after loss or stagnation. A sweet holiday romance which was easy to understand and feel. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, cute read, full of tropes and usuals, and what else could you expect. This is like those holiday romance movies that only change the title, and sometimes the actors, and call it a brand new movie. It was cute that the son decided to make his dad a dating profile, but the whole thing felt forced. Why can’t you be happy being single? What’s with everyone saying that you need to be in a relationship to be happy? And the guy is young enough to wait if he feels like it. And his son is old enough that he doesn’t need another parent around, specially since mom is still around and they seem to have a good relationship. It fell flat for me. Yes, it was cute, but basing happiness on being in a relationship turned it sour. I like romance quite a bit, but I like it when it’s true and heartfelt, this was more of a “I need to get a novella out for the holidays” than anything else. But it was a cute, fast read, and would be more enjoyable if the author took away the whole “wouldn’t you be happier in a relationship?” And simply say “I want a relationship because I feel like it, but I’m happy either way”. That’ll be the day though! It was fun, and if that part wasn’t so blatantly displayed, I’d give it more stars. But as it is… well, it’s the holiday season. Let us be gay!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

This story was just okay. There were a few things that didn't land well with me. Thomas, a veterinarian with a 14-year-old son, is called into school by Angelo, his son's teacher. The boy was caught using a school computer to make a dating profile for his dad, though after that, we hardly see the boy again. That embarrassing meeting leads to them bumping into each other outside of school and moving on to fake dating. By this point, I began to withhold my faith in this story. Two grown men, one of them close to wo, pretend to date to help the younger one escape uncomfortable questions at a school party. Really?

When it blows up in their faces via the school grapevine, they choose to continue the charade while "catching feelings" for each other. It was just incredible. And the speed with which they moved from strangers to friends with benefits while still fake dating is equally unbelievable. I was also not a fan of Angelo's family. I'm not sure what the title of the story has to do with the events, aside from Angelo's love of cold breakfast cereal. The only reason I rounded it up to 3 stars is that I got to see Angelo in his job enough to believe he's a teacher, and I like the idea of men joining a book club that reads romance.

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thomas is called to his son Eric's school concerning misuse of school property (a sweet reason IMO). There he meets Eric's teacher Angelo. They meet again at a book store and Angelo asks Thomas to join his book club. Angelo ends up asking Thomas to pretend to be his boyfriend at the school employee's Christmas party. They are soon hooking up and real dating quickly follows.

This book didn't work for me. They were hitting the sheets fast and saying "I Love You" even faster. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two MCs or any of the supporting characters either. Nothing felt like real relationships or true emotions with any of the characters. Thomas didn't have a proper, satisfying conversation with Eric about what he did at school and his reasons behind it. Thomas didn't seem to connect at all with his son. This is not a Christmas book. It is a short, uninspired romance written during the Christmas season. I won't be reading this book again, in fact I already deleted it from my kindle library. Not sure I'd try this author's other books. Sorry I can't recommend this book for anyone to read.

[Bluemoonchild · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a cute read that I really wanted to love. The premise is sweet: single dad realizes it might be time to start dating when his kid makes him a dating profile, only to enter into a fake dating arrangement with said kid's teacher. All of that is right up my alley, but I just didn't fall in love with this story.

A few things missed the mark for me. The Lucky Charms references felt oddly random, like they were dropped in to justify the title, and it pulled me out of the story just a little bit. I also wanted more resolution to the fake dating - not a single mention of deciding to date for real. And there's not a chance that a 14 year old boy wouldn't have way more of a problem with his dad dating his teacher.

That said, this was still a warm, no-angst, low-stress holiday romance. Thomas and Angelo were both likeable guys, though a little drama or angst between them would have been nice. It's a quick, easy read if you're in the mood for something light and fluffy, or if you need a quick read to meet your reading challenge numbers.

[I received an advanced copy of this book. All reviews and ratings are my own.]

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short read with the father of a teenage son getting involved with his son’s teacher after spending time together in a book club, then doing a fake dating thing for a faculty party. There was an attraction there to begin with or the fake dating couldn’t have been convincing. I felt that Thomas was actually a bit more invested in the relationship becoming more real than Angelo was, but I thought Angelo was also protecting himself from getting too invested in the relationship in case it didn’t last. I could totally see a teenager doing something like setting up the dating app, and it was interesting to me that he was pretty accurate with info about his dad. I don’t feel many teens today would be paying that much attention to their parents over their own interests at Eric’s age. With a short novella, it is hard to spend too much time on background details, but I felt most of what was needed was there. I found this to be a short, entertaining take on the fake dating trope, one that worked for these two characters.

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

[Amanda Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Magically Delicious Christmas is a cute, low-angst holiday romance about taking chances and letting love sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Thomas is a divorced single dad who hasn’t dated in years… until his teenage son helpfully (and hilariously) makes him a dating profile. Angelo is a devoted teacher and book club regular who definitely wasn’t expecting to fall for one of his student’s dads. As Christmas approaches, a coffee date turns into something more, and suddenly both men are navigating feelings they didn’t plan on catching.

I really liked the themes of second chances, rediscovering yourself, and opening your heart again after life has settled into routine. Thomas and Angelo were both likeable, and it’s an easy story to follow and feel your way through. That said, I didn’t quite love it as much as I wanted to. Some elements felt a bit forced, and I would’ve liked more payoff with the fake dating turning into something real.

Overall, this is a light, fluffy, no-stress Christmas read. If you’re in the mood for something short, sweet, and Hallmark-movie-adjacent, this will absolutely hit the spot, even if it didn’t completely win me over.

[Deb Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a warm, easy-to-love Christmas romance. Thomas is a very relatable character – a devoted single dad who’s so focused on his son that dating has quietly slipped off his radar. Watching him try to figure out modern romance, with a little push from his well-meaning teenager, was both funny and endearing.

Angelo is equally charming. His calm, thoughtful nature balances Thomas perfectly, and I loved how their connection grew naturally from shared conversations and small moments rather than instant sparks. The teacher/student’s father dynamic is handled respectfully, and the story keeps its focus firmly on two adults learning to open up again.

What really stood out for me was the gentle exploration of second chances and self-confidence later in life. It’s a reminder that love doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful, and that the holidays can bring quiet, unexpected joy.

Overall, this is a cosy, heartfelt MM Christmas story that left me smiling and feeling very festive.

[LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Magically Delicious Christmas
Single Dads All the Way
By A.E. Madsen

Who doesn’t want to find love at Christmas time? These two, Angelo and Thomas, live out the pretend boyfriend rom-com trope in real life after a chance meeting at the bookstore. Angelo may be his son Eric’s teacher, but it is pretend until feelings become real for both men.

I like the happy for now ending. I used to believe that every romance needed a happily ever after, but if books echo real life then a happy for now is perfect too. Author A.E. Madsen brought dating into the forefront after Eric got caught creating a dating profile for his Dad at school. I loved the meet cute at the bookstore that ended with an invite to book club. I have very fond memories of my covid online bookclub. The book ended on a high note for me with everyone happy even teenage Eric. It doesn’t get much better than that!!

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A MAGICALLY DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS is a sweet Christmas story about Thomas, Eric's dad, and Angelo, Eric's teacher, who meet when Angelo has to inform Thomas that Eric has made a dating profile for him. Throw in a book club, Christmas parties, interfering families, and two men who are definitely NOT dating for the majority of the book, and you can already see the fun happening.

This was a quick and easy read that was well-written and paced. I loved how there were no real unnecessary miscommunications. A good Christmassy read that I definitely enjoyed and can recommend.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 12, 2025

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I should make it a New Year's resolution to read the blurb. Not to fall for a cute cover or an interesting title. Because there was little magic and no food. Angelo and Eric start fake dating. Mainly to keep Eric's fourteen year old from worrying. Oh, and that brings up the single dad trope. Other than "your son created a dating profile for you" (and why in the heavens is that a school problem), his son was pretty much relegated to a background character.
This is your standard fake dating to falling in love, story. Nothing to see here. It was pleasant. The characters were sweet. And it had little angst. But it also didn't have a real zing.
I received an advanced copy of this ebook from GRR and this is my review.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet couple built from fake dates👥

3.5🌟 stars
Likable couple of guys in their thirties, one bi and the other gay, who find each other through a fourteen year old who's worried his divorced dad is letting life and love pass him by. I found the plot a bit spare, wished there had been a bit more about Thomas and his veterinary practice. But despite the brevity of the story, I liked the series of outings together as they gradually get to know each other and figure out that a fake relationship is really what neither Thomas nor Angelo wants or needs. No angst, includes some spice.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the novella; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Anne Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, let me say I got this book from gay romance reviews and this is me leaving my honest review.
This is a really cute story
First the book is about a guy called Thomas whose son Noah had been caught doing an online dating application for his dad at school. His parents had been divorced for awhile and it was the kickstart that Thomas needed to start living again but he finds it joining a Book club with Angelo who is also his son‘s teacher.

This is an extremely cute read Just in time for Christmas and I’ve got to say I thoroughly enjoyed it couldn’t put it down. It’s a short read and it just leaves you with a very happy feeling.

[CatOnABlueBackground · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, quick romance between a teacher and a student's dad. It starts out as fake in order to get everyone off their backs about dating, and becomes real by the end.

It was short, but it could have been shorter - lots of detail about every single thing the characters did. Don't really like stories where the parent dates a teacher - when the child is still in their class. There were several spicy scenes, but as far as I could tell that's all the characters really saw in each other - the story wasn't long enough to show any real deep attraction, just surface fooling around.

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. The story starts with Thomas getting a call from his son’s school as he set up a dating profile for him. He met the teacher and told him that he would talk to talk to him. The reason of the profile was that since his mother was getting married, he wanted his dad to start dating. When Angelo, Eric’s teacher, saw Thomas again, he asked if he would be his fake boyfriend at a school function. This starts the story of how their fake dating became real. Great chemistry and heat between them.

[Vols77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though there were some gaps, this book filled my heart in all ways. A slow, sweet lovable romances that moves slowly on an emotional level, even those physically the two men connect easily. Thomas has been single for a while, when suddenly his son, Eric, creates an online profile for his dad. Angelo is the teacher who is content being a good teacher, never looking for love. Well it seems love finds him. I love the instant connection these two have, love the spice and love the low angst. A nice story that left me smiling.

[Traci S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the book; here is my honest opinion:
Rounded up. Admittedly, fake dating is not a favorite trope of mine, but Thomas’s teenage son making a secret online dating profile was a fun twist. I quite liked the premise of Angelo and Thomas’s romance. Overall, this was a nice, light read. The two MCs are easy to root for, and I appreciated there wasn’t too much focus on the kid (Eric ) in this single dad holiday romance. I maybe was missing a little development on the real relationship front, as this felt a bit superficial, but easy and quick read with good holiday atmosphere.

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
This is a very short story from the multi-author series Single Dads All the Way. I'm not sure if it was the short length, but I never fully connected to either of the MC's. Additionally, they don't agree to date until basically the epilogue. I imagine it's hard to figure out pacing when stories are this short (some feel like they get to things way too quickly, others not quick enough), but this one didn't work as well for me. However, it was enjoyable, and I do like this author's work overall.

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a sweet romance with a fun start.

I love a meddling teenager, though I would had love to see a bit more of it, teens having access to computers opens up a whole world of fun ideas.

I also enjoyed the fake dating, mixed with real dating that they don’t realize is dating until they are dating dating. It was a great blend of awkward and natural!

A nice addition to the Single Dads All the Way series.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little story. Thomas doesn’t really feel ready to dip his toes into the dating pool again, but even his son is creating him dating profiles. The connection between him and Angelo is instant and unexpected. These two may not want to admit they are dating, but they really kinda are. This is honestly a short bit of fluff with no angst and only slightly oblivious adults. If you have the chance and are looking for a light read, give it a whirl.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute fake dating short read, it doesn’t cover much emotionally but has lots of bedroom action!
For me the connection wasn’t explored enough, the son’s feelings weren’t covered enough and it all felt a bit rushed and lacking.
I love AE Madsen’s other books so make sure you grab a full length book to check them out but for me this wasn’t quite enough, and wasn’t really much to do with Christmas either!

[stardragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas a divorced father of a fourteen year old and local vet, just found out his son set up a dating profile for him during school. His son’s teacher informed Thomas of the deed and had the son erase the profile. Angelo, the teacher ran into Thomas at a local bookstore, and suggested joining a romantic book club at the local shop. This is a cute, funny, romantic, fake dating beginning to a wonderful relationship.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well played! Thomas, is a divorced single Dad. Angelo, is a teacher who has to tell Thomas his son created a dating profile for him. Thomas realizes his life is a social desert and he tries to do something about it. Thomas and Angelo start out fake dating and try to keep it from his son. The adults tap dancing is fun to watch. I enjoyed this fun story, nicely done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Metz874 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review
A fun and sweet christmas romance.
I love a good single dad read and this one was very much to my liking. Eric is a creativ son who wants to help his dad back into the dating pool. The fact that Thomas and Angelo met in a bookstore and the start of their relationship was slow, felt like a very natural way to ease into their new life together.
A sweet, cozy short christmassy story that will warm your heart before we move into the holiday.

[Molly Otto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those not great yet by all means not bad holiday reads. I believe it needed to be longer to really see how yhe relationship played out. Mix in it is a single dad romance yet the kid wasnt really a major player for me and wanted for more of him to see how he reacts to the relationship. You dont fully get that from this story so again not great not unreadable.