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For the Love of Christmas! #3
The Charity Shop Rejects Live in Concert
Mikaal Sarhadi has been in trouble since the moment he met guitarist Declan Hyde. Declan treats music like religion, setting high standards for himself and his bandmates. Mikaal struggles to even step on stage. He will do anything to justify Declan’s belief in him—even if that means ignoring the powerful attraction between them.
After a chance meeting with Brandon, Declan’s estranged brother, reveals just how much Declan will sacrifice for his music, Mikaal wonders if he can even call himself a musician. Worse, drummer Hiro’s visa application has been denied. With time running out for The Charity Shop Rejects, Mikaal must conquer his stage fright or lose music—and Declan—entirely.
After a chance meeting with Brandon, Declan’s estranged brother, reveals just how much Declan will sacrifice for his music, Mikaal wonders if he can even call himself a musician. Worse, drummer Hiro’s visa application has been denied. With time running out for The Charity Shop Rejects, Mikaal must conquer his stage fright or lose music—and Declan—entirely.
- GenresHolidayM M Romance
ebook
First published December 18, 2017
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 23, 2017
Was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this story.
I really enjoyed it.
There's some drama and high emotions with a strong dose of friendship. Mikhaal's anxiety is vividly on page and felt real. The story doesn't feel like standard schmaltzy Christmas fare, it' a story of a band, of friendship, of being brave that's set at Christmas time, rather than Christmas being the focus.
New secondary characters are interesting; the rather droll Hiro will win many fans while there's somebody else we'll need persuasion to like.
Guest appearances are great: Jake was a sparkly burst of Christmas colour, nice to see how good him and Dan are together. And Aston; well he's still very much Aston! He made me laugh. Liked that their appearances felt a natural part of the story rather than contrived.
Having found my own hubby in a Charity-Shop, I love the idea of these guys being undervalued but coming together to form something really good. And now on with my Christmas jumper, let festivities begin.
I really enjoyed it.
There's some drama and high emotions with a strong dose of friendship. Mikhaal's anxiety is vividly on page and felt real. The story doesn't feel like standard schmaltzy Christmas fare, it' a story of a band, of friendship, of being brave that's set at Christmas time, rather than Christmas being the focus.
New secondary characters are interesting; the rather droll Hiro will win many fans while there's somebody else we'll need persuasion to like.
Guest appearances are great: Jake was a sparkly burst of Christmas colour, nice to see how good him and Dan are together. And Aston; well he's still very much Aston! He made me laugh. Liked that their appearances felt a natural part of the story rather than contrived.
Having found my own hubby in a Charity-Shop, I love the idea of these guys being undervalued but coming together to form something really good. And now on with my Christmas jumper, let festivities begin.
Want to read
November 25, 2017The Charity Shop Rejects Live in Concert is my 2017 Seasonal Story. It's also the third story in the For The Love of Christmas collection, which began in 2015 with the Ugliest Sweater, although it can be read separately.
I think the series has come a long way. I loved writing Mikaal and Declan, and getting to return to Dan and Jake (Ibiza fans, if you're worried about Aston-bashing, don't be! You can read this one safely). The Charity Shop Rejects is a celebration of ugly sweaters, of commercial radio, and the power of being yourself.
I think the series has come a long way. I loved writing Mikaal and Declan, and getting to return to Dan and Jake (Ibiza fans, if you're worried about Aston-bashing, don't be! You can read this one safely). The Charity Shop Rejects is a celebration of ugly sweaters, of commercial radio, and the power of being yourself.
December 31, 2017
This story gave me anxiety, because I could see the betrayals coming from a mile away, so I just sat there in sick dread waiting for them to happen. I didn't find either Mikaal or Brandon to be forgivable. Declan deserves better.
December 19, 2017
The latest installment in the Gillian St. Kevern's holiday For the Love of Christmas! series is a pleasure to read by the fire with a marshmallow-filled cup of cocoa to match the sweetness of the story. Maybe some schnapps to match the spicy. This time we follow some younger bucks who are making their way into the music world and into each other's hearts. Mikaal is an anxious vocalist who has some serious hots for lead guitarist Declan in their amateur, haven't broken the seal-yet musical trio. With his love for music and the object of his affections vying for priority in his life, let's just say he has some things to figure out.
The pacing of this story is perfect and I think Kevern has really begun to feel out this world. Each character has purpose, drive, and conflict (both new and old!) and all are trying to find their place in this crazy winter wonderland. Charity Shop Rejects is a bit more angsty than previous installments in the series, but what else can you expect from musicians? Conflict is well constructed however, and often results in realistic tension and appreciatively avoids soap operatic levels of drama.
One thing that I've noticed about GSK as a writer is that she is not afraid to wholly embrace her creations and all of their faults. Mikaal's anxiety is a truly crippling force to be reckoned with, not just some cute stammers for a boyish appeal. Even some "cooler" characters begin to show endearing and heartfelt cracks in their perfect-seeming personas. This approach to mental and emotional struggles is a refreshingly honest one and I appreciate spending time with such well-rounded characters.
Unfortunately, it's not all angels and halos for the band. I found the main couple a bit bland and honestly too similar to each other. Compared with the previous Jake/Dan and Astin/Nik dynamics, the chemistry between Mikaal/Declan is a bit subdued. Perhaps Mikaal is a bit too in his own head for us to get a better picture of the two men separately, but it's difficult to bring separate pictures to mind for either lover or personality.
This is particularly obvious when the drummer gets involved. I'm really hoping that GSK is setting up something with Hiro, because for me, he took the spotlight from the two main guys easily. I suppose I'll have to wait until next year (sigh).
The "guest appearances" however kept me happily turning the pages. Delving more into the previous Xmas relationships adds depth and weight to the potential of Mikaal and Declan's forays into romance.
Additionally, the antagonistic force seemed a little flat. True, we don't get much of a chance to analyze motivations or intentions, but when compared with previous stories where the primary issue has been circumstances, or even just life in general, it's hard to pare that down to a narrower influence on the characters.
For anyone that has enjoyed the series so far, this is a great continuation of GSK's world of bad holiday sweaters and questionable decisions. It has a bit of something for those who have been Nice and a little something for those who have been Naughty~
The pacing of this story is perfect and I think Kevern has really begun to feel out this world. Each character has purpose, drive, and conflict (both new and old!) and all are trying to find their place in this crazy winter wonderland. Charity Shop Rejects is a bit more angsty than previous installments in the series, but what else can you expect from musicians? Conflict is well constructed however, and often results in realistic tension and appreciatively avoids soap operatic levels of drama.
One thing that I've noticed about GSK as a writer is that she is not afraid to wholly embrace her creations and all of their faults. Mikaal's anxiety is a truly crippling force to be reckoned with, not just some cute stammers for a boyish appeal. Even some "cooler" characters begin to show endearing and heartfelt cracks in their perfect-seeming personas. This approach to mental and emotional struggles is a refreshingly honest one and I appreciate spending time with such well-rounded characters.
Unfortunately, it's not all angels and halos for the band. I found the main couple a bit bland and honestly too similar to each other. Compared with the previous Jake/Dan and Astin/Nik dynamics, the chemistry between Mikaal/Declan is a bit subdued. Perhaps Mikaal is a bit too in his own head for us to get a better picture of the two men separately, but it's difficult to bring separate pictures to mind for either lover or personality.
This is particularly obvious when the drummer gets involved. I'm really hoping that GSK is setting up something with Hiro, because for me, he took the spotlight from the two main guys easily. I suppose I'll have to wait until next year (sigh).
The "guest appearances" however kept me happily turning the pages. Delving more into the previous Xmas relationships adds depth and weight to the potential of Mikaal and Declan's forays into romance.
Additionally, the antagonistic force seemed a little flat. True, we don't get much of a chance to analyze motivations or intentions, but when compared with previous stories where the primary issue has been circumstances, or even just life in general, it's hard to pare that down to a narrower influence on the characters.
For anyone that has enjoyed the series so far, this is a great continuation of GSK's world of bad holiday sweaters and questionable decisions. It has a bit of something for those who have been Nice and a little something for those who have been Naughty~
December 28, 2017
Ein bisschen aufgerundet auf 4 Sterne.
Darum geht's:
Mikaal, Hiro und Declan haben eine Band, die Charity Shop Rejects. Als sie versuchen, dem berühmten Londoner Radiomoderator Jake Boss ihre CD zu geben, blockt der genervt ab. Viel gemeinsame Zeit haben die Bandmitglieder nicht mehr, denn Hiros Visum läuft ab und er muss bald das Land verlassen. Vorher wollen sie noch live auftreten und nicht nur Coversongs spielen, sondern auch ihr eigenes Lied präsentieren. Trotz des Zeitdrucks - Mikaal ist nicht bereit für die große Bühne.
So fand ich's:
Mikaal, Hiro und Declan sind gute Freunde und harmonieren als Band perfekt. Doch als sie die Chance auf Erfolg sehen, geraten sie ins Straucheln. Besonders Declans Bruder Brandon, der als Solosänger erfolgreich ist, bringt Unruhe in das eingespielte Gefüge der Charity Shop Rejects. Und dann sind da auch noch die immer stärker werdenden Gefühle zwischen Mikaal und Declan.
Das ist inzwischen der dritte Band aus der Reihe "For The Love of Christmas", die alle lose zusammenhängen. Es hat mich gefreut, Jake und Dan aus dem ersten Band wiederzutreffen. Und natürlich spielen auch im aktuellen Band wieder hässlich-bunte Weihnachtspullover eine kleine, aber entscheidende Rolle.
Neben einer problemlosen Liebesgeschichte bekommen wir einen Blick hinter die Kulissen des Musikbusiness und der aufstrebenden Band Charity Shop Rejects und erleben Familie und Freundschaft in ihrer besten und schlechtesten Variante im vorweihnachtlichen London. Gute Unterhaltung, gehüllt in einen bunten Weihnachtspullover :-)
Darum geht's:
Mikaal, Hiro und Declan haben eine Band, die Charity Shop Rejects. Als sie versuchen, dem berühmten Londoner Radiomoderator Jake Boss ihre CD zu geben, blockt der genervt ab. Viel gemeinsame Zeit haben die Bandmitglieder nicht mehr, denn Hiros Visum läuft ab und er muss bald das Land verlassen. Vorher wollen sie noch live auftreten und nicht nur Coversongs spielen, sondern auch ihr eigenes Lied präsentieren. Trotz des Zeitdrucks - Mikaal ist nicht bereit für die große Bühne.
So fand ich's:
Mikaal, Hiro und Declan sind gute Freunde und harmonieren als Band perfekt. Doch als sie die Chance auf Erfolg sehen, geraten sie ins Straucheln. Besonders Declans Bruder Brandon, der als Solosänger erfolgreich ist, bringt Unruhe in das eingespielte Gefüge der Charity Shop Rejects. Und dann sind da auch noch die immer stärker werdenden Gefühle zwischen Mikaal und Declan.
Das ist inzwischen der dritte Band aus der Reihe "For The Love of Christmas", die alle lose zusammenhängen. Es hat mich gefreut, Jake und Dan aus dem ersten Band wiederzutreffen. Und natürlich spielen auch im aktuellen Band wieder hässlich-bunte Weihnachtspullover eine kleine, aber entscheidende Rolle.
Neben einer problemlosen Liebesgeschichte bekommen wir einen Blick hinter die Kulissen des Musikbusiness und der aufstrebenden Band Charity Shop Rejects und erleben Familie und Freundschaft in ihrer besten und schlechtesten Variante im vorweihnachtlichen London. Gute Unterhaltung, gehüllt in einen bunten Weihnachtspullover :-)
December 16, 2017
ARC provided by author
If you like grit and realism with your Christmas stories, you’ll really like this one. It’s sweet but there’s no fluff. Gillian St. Kevern’s writing is so strong that I felt like I was there, in the small apartment, on the stage, waiting in the cold in front of the building. I could feel the hope, the sadness, the poverty, the hopelessness and most of all, the absolute joy.
This isn’t a typical holiday story but it’s a good one and I really don’t know how to describe it. The band is definitely blue collar and working hard to make it. They’re good and finally get a break but a very nasty relative steps in and messes everything up. Everything works out very well, even though I’d still like to string that relative up by the toes. Then there’s Hiro. He’s not a main character but he’s my favorite, hands down. He’s the humor and heart of the story. I’d love to read more about him.
I wish this could have been a lot longer, with more depth but in all honesty, I wish that for everything I read by this author. She could write a 1k page epic and I’d still wish for more.
If you like grit and realism with your Christmas stories, you’ll really like this one. It’s sweet but there’s no fluff. Gillian St. Kevern’s writing is so strong that I felt like I was there, in the small apartment, on the stage, waiting in the cold in front of the building. I could feel the hope, the sadness, the poverty, the hopelessness and most of all, the absolute joy.
This isn’t a typical holiday story but it’s a good one and I really don’t know how to describe it. The band is definitely blue collar and working hard to make it. They’re good and finally get a break but a very nasty relative steps in and messes everything up. Everything works out very well, even though I’d still like to string that relative up by the toes. Then there’s Hiro. He’s not a main character but he’s my favorite, hands down. He’s the humor and heart of the story. I’d love to read more about him.
I wish this could have been a lot longer, with more depth but in all honesty, I wish that for everything I read by this author. She could write a 1k page epic and I’d still wish for more.
December 4, 2022
4.5 stars
There's so much tension here, between Mikaal and Declan, Declan and Brandon, Mikaal and his self-confidence, Jake and his sense of what's cool. I loved every second, even if I had to run off and bite my nails in private while I read the last 20 minutes of the story. Wish I could see the next holiday season with all these guys!
There's so much tension here, between Mikaal and Declan, Declan and Brandon, Mikaal and his self-confidence, Jake and his sense of what's cool. I loved every second, even if I had to run off and bite my nails in private while I read the last 20 minutes of the story. Wish I could see the next holiday season with all these guys!
December 20, 2022
I didn't like this as much as the other two. Despite being the longest, it was missing all the struggle of Mikaal winning back Declan. Declan forgave Mikaal unbelievably easily. I don't even understand why Declan stayed with the band after Mikaal's announcement.
January 5, 2018
I've enjoyed all three of the Ugly Christmas sweater stories. In addition to the new couple, we get to see Jake and Dan again. The two stories meshed very well and were sweet and fun.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews