What do you think?
Rate this book
Lighthouse Bay #1
Christmas Lane
It's recent college graduate Zach Greenfeld's favorite time of the year and he's just received a temporary gig planning Lighthouse Bay's Christmas parade. Not only does it speak to his penchant for organization, it also puts him face to face on a daily basis with his unrequited crush--Holland Stone. But his new job starts off in disaster when the most important float--Santa's sleigh--gets damaged.
Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa's sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.
Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.
Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!
Holland needs to win the Lighthouse Bay Christmas parade float competition in order to grow his new dollhouse-making business. The prize is an article in a major city newspaper, and nothing beats free advertising. Except, eager to help the adorable parade organizer, he volunteers to help fix Santa's sleigh, leaving no time to work on his own float, and putting his prize at risk.
Damaged floats, snowstorms, and a last-minute parade emergency force Zach and Holland closer than ever. All they need is a little bit of Christmas magic to help them realize they belong together.
Christmas Lane is a sweet, May/December, small-town Christmas romance with an HEA!
236 pages, ebook
First published November 29, 2018
About the author
Amy Aislin
39 books944 followersAmy's lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she's read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she's been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn't at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada's largest environmental non-profit.
An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter here: http://bit.ly/AmyAislinNewsletter
An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter here: http://bit.ly/AmyAislinNewsletter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
December 11, 2018
This book was... amazing, awesome, enthralling, the cause of many many happy emotional tears, a source of much joy and many warm snuggly feelings in my chest. Zach and Holland feel so very real to me right now if it was real I would move to Lighthouse bay tomorrow and ask Mika out on a date!. Ms. Aislin has written a Christmas masterpiece that I will happily be reading every Christmas for years to come. It left me a wreck in such a good way the feels were through the roof. I could not possibly love it more!
January 17, 2023
This was so frustrating!!!! I really don't like pointless drama, and this book was full of it.
The teacher thing. I don't get why this kept being brought up! Yes, he was the guys teacher for a year when he was a pre-teen, but there was no other sinister relationship there. It was like this was trying to be controversial when really it wasn't at all. Both said they didn't notice each other until the dude returned from college aged 24! Pointless to keep mentioning it when it had zero to do with the story.
The ex! Oh my god, who in their right mind lets themself into someone's house FIVE YEARS after they broke up with you for cheating?!?! Let alone immediately kisses the guy without speaking!!!! He could have been in a long term relationship for all he knew, it was just so fucking odd I had to reread it to make sure that was actually what I'd read.
Florida 😐 if the guys sister ever just stopped to listen instead of being self-absorbed and entirely unlikeable, then the whole miscommunication would never have happened. I got to the point where I was hoping her business failed, and she ended up miserable and alone!!
Normally I enjoy a miscommunication trope, but this was just ridiculous and the guy just needed to grow a backbone and set the record straight the first twenty occasions Florida was mentioned - he kinda deserved to be sad for being so willing to be a doormat.
Really didn't like this one at all 🤦🏼♀️😂
The teacher thing. I don't get why this kept being brought up! Yes, he was the guys teacher for a year when he was a pre-teen, but there was no other sinister relationship there. It was like this was trying to be controversial when really it wasn't at all. Both said they didn't notice each other until the dude returned from college aged 24! Pointless to keep mentioning it when it had zero to do with the story.
The ex! Oh my god, who in their right mind lets themself into someone's house FIVE YEARS after they broke up with you for cheating?!?! Let alone immediately kisses the guy without speaking!!!! He could have been in a long term relationship for all he knew, it was just so fucking odd I had to reread it to make sure that was actually what I'd read.
Florida 😐 if the guys sister ever just stopped to listen instead of being self-absorbed and entirely unlikeable, then the whole miscommunication would never have happened. I got to the point where I was hoping her business failed, and she ended up miserable and alone!!
Normally I enjoy a miscommunication trope, but this was just ridiculous and the guy just needed to grow a backbone and set the record straight the first twenty occasions Florida was mentioned - he kinda deserved to be sad for being so willing to be a doormat.
Really didn't like this one at all 🤦🏼♀️😂
November 3, 2020
This book is just gorgeous. I love how Amy Aslin writes characters with quirks which make them stand out from the norm and this book does just that.
Zach is a wonderfully realised character, he's determined and ambitious and also lonely and has felt out of kilter with the world his whole life.
But Holland makes him feel like he belongs somewhere and to someone and I adored their slow burn slide from attraction to hesitant friendship because of the age gap and then into a relationship.
I also liked how both characters seemed to be on the Ace spectrum, Zach very much reading as asexual, Holland possibly touching on aromantic. Both needed the emotional connections before the sexual ones could come to fruition.
Understandably, this means the steam levels are fairly low but the narrative never suffers from the lack of sexy times. On the contrary, there is a bigger payoff emotionally when they do eventually sleep together and, in keeping with the story, it's not graphically detailed but conveys feelings perfectly.
Great world building, great secondary characters and hooks left for follow up books, what more do you need?!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Zach is a wonderfully realised character, he's determined and ambitious and also lonely and has felt out of kilter with the world his whole life.
But Holland makes him feel like he belongs somewhere and to someone and I adored their slow burn slide from attraction to hesitant friendship because of the age gap and then into a relationship.
I also liked how both characters seemed to be on the Ace spectrum, Zach very much reading as asexual, Holland possibly touching on aromantic. Both needed the emotional connections before the sexual ones could come to fruition.
Understandably, this means the steam levels are fairly low but the narrative never suffers from the lack of sexy times. On the contrary, there is a bigger payoff emotionally when they do eventually sleep together and, in keeping with the story, it's not graphically detailed but conveys feelings perfectly.
Great world building, great secondary characters and hooks left for follow up books, what more do you need?!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
December 17, 2018
Una historia de Navidad muy dulce con age gap y desarrollada en una pequeña ciudad de Estados Unidos. Personajes con encanto, tanto protagonistas como secundarios y una historia con un ritmo lento, pero bonita.
El sexo ocurre totalmente fuera de página, a mí el que haya sexo o no me resulta indiferente, normalmente me quejo cuando es excesivo. Sin embargo, en esta ocasión, creo que debido a las experiencias anteriores y sentimientos de uno de los personajes el hecho de que nos perdamos cómo se produce esa conexión le quita mucha fuerza a la historia. No era necesario que la escena fuera explícita, era suficiente con ser testigos desde un punto de vista emocional.
3.5 estrellas.
El sexo ocurre totalmente fuera de página, a mí el que haya sexo o no me resulta indiferente, normalmente me quejo cuando es excesivo. Sin embargo, en esta ocasión, creo que debido a las experiencias anteriores y sentimientos de uno de los personajes el hecho de que nos perdamos cómo se produce esa conexión le quita mucha fuerza a la historia. No era necesario que la escena fuera explícita, era suficiente con ser testigos desde un punto de vista emocional.
3.5 estrellas.
December 1, 2021
1.5 rounded down
Wow, I was shocked at how much things that I dislike that the author managed to cram into this one... Like, I actually felt like maybe I was being trolled? As if the author was challenged to write a textbook bad romance...
First off, this is an age gap romance, which the author managed to make both kind of skeevy (the older MC, Holland, was Zach's ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER. sorry, but ew.) and totally irrelevant (Holland, and all of his friends, who are allegedly 15 years older than Zach, act the exact same age as Zach, there is literally nothing to distinguish them as different ages other than we're told a couple of times and the icky references to when HOLLAND WAS ZACH'S TEACHER).
It has a small town that is overly involved, and all of the female characters are annoying. I actually appreciated that Zach and his sister aren't super close, as sometimes that just happens, but her utter disregard an lack of care towards him felt way OTT and is never resolved, which felt shitty.
At one point, Holland's ex (who moved to LA 5 years ago, cheated on him, and then comes back because he as cancer???) randomly comes back and kisses Holland in front of Zach right before their first date for ~drama~ and ~devastation~. I rolled my eyes. It was so contrived.
The miscommunication in this one was absolutely batshit insane. For reasons known only to the author, everybody seems to think Zach is interviewing for a job in Florida. Holland hears this rumor early on, and Zach corrects him, saying no, it's in Portland. This is important because Holland won't do long distance. Holland knows Zach is applying for a job in Portland, it comes up a lot. Then he gets the job in Portland, and before he can tell Holland the good news, Holland hears from the townsfolk that Zach got a job in Florida. At which point, he decides Zach must have been secretly applying for a job in Florida, loses all common sense, and breaks up with him for no fucking reason to create clearly manufactured drama. ????
The background characters were super annoying and we were clearly being set up for the next book's pairing, which I could not be less interested in.
Low steam factor and the one smut scene is blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Literally, I missed it and had to go back and reread the paragraph because it's that short and subtle.
IDK why I even finished this other than I was too lazy to find another book and was kind of curious what more the author could come up with?
Wow, I was shocked at how much things that I dislike that the author managed to cram into this one... Like, I actually felt like maybe I was being trolled? As if the author was challenged to write a textbook bad romance...
First off, this is an age gap romance, which the author managed to make both kind of skeevy (the older MC, Holland, was Zach's ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER. sorry, but ew.) and totally irrelevant (Holland, and all of his friends, who are allegedly 15 years older than Zach, act the exact same age as Zach, there is literally nothing to distinguish them as different ages other than we're told a couple of times and the icky references to when HOLLAND WAS ZACH'S TEACHER).
It has a small town that is overly involved, and all of the female characters are annoying. I actually appreciated that Zach and his sister aren't super close, as sometimes that just happens, but her utter disregard an lack of care towards him felt way OTT and is never resolved, which felt shitty.
At one point, Holland's ex (who moved to LA 5 years ago, cheated on him, and then comes back because he as cancer???) randomly comes back and kisses Holland in front of Zach right before their first date for ~drama~ and ~devastation~. I rolled my eyes. It was so contrived.
The miscommunication in this one was absolutely batshit insane. For reasons known only to the author, everybody seems to think Zach is interviewing for a job in Florida. Holland hears this rumor early on, and Zach corrects him, saying no, it's in Portland. This is important because Holland won't do long distance. Holland knows Zach is applying for a job in Portland, it comes up a lot. Then he gets the job in Portland, and before he can tell Holland the good news, Holland hears from the townsfolk that Zach got a job in Florida. At which point, he decides Zach must have been secretly applying for a job in Florida, loses all common sense, and breaks up with him for no fucking reason to create clearly manufactured drama. ????
The background characters were super annoying and we were clearly being set up for the next book's pairing, which I could not be less interested in.
Low steam factor and the one smut scene is blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Literally, I missed it and had to go back and reread the paragraph because it's that short and subtle.
IDK why I even finished this other than I was too lazy to find another book and was kind of curious what more the author could come up with?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2020
The older woodworker and the younger organizer....
This is a sweet tale of an older/younger pair, deciding if it’s real.
Silver fox, Carpenter/woodworker, Holland used to teach Zach in third grade. Zach is helping the family business after his college graduation, and actively looking for work.
Certain events are in progress for the city festivities and Christmas parade, and Zach ends up in charge of it as the event planner.
Lots of nosy small town folks, but they come together when needed.
We get Zach’s past and Holland’s, too. Our guys are attracted, but Zach doesn’t want sex, yet.
Holland and Zach get to learn more about each other, work on the floats, and more. Family and friends have roles, and the guys get along. Holland saves stranded Zach, and then finds out why Zach says no to sex.
They do end up having sex, but we get no explicit details.
Zach has loneliness issues, and Holland is afraid to be hurt again.
Very Christmassy, lots of interactions, and an HEA.
Enjoy !
=====
This is a sweet tale of an older/younger pair, deciding if it’s real.
Silver fox, Carpenter/woodworker, Holland used to teach Zach in third grade. Zach is helping the family business after his college graduation, and actively looking for work.
Certain events are in progress for the city festivities and Christmas parade, and Zach ends up in charge of it as the event planner.
Lots of nosy small town folks, but they come together when needed.
We get Zach’s past and Holland’s, too. Our guys are attracted, but Zach doesn’t want sex, yet.
Holland and Zach get to learn more about each other, work on the floats, and more. Family and friends have roles, and the guys get along. Holland saves stranded Zach, and then finds out why Zach says no to sex.
They do end up having sex, but we get no explicit details.
Zach has loneliness issues, and Holland is afraid to be hurt again.
Very Christmassy, lots of interactions, and an HEA.
Enjoy !
=====
December 1, 2018
3.5 stars This was a sweet read. Zach had a crush on Holland long before Holland really noticed Zach.
Unwilling they are both ‘forced’ into the organization of the parade... for Zach a opportunity to see Holland. Working together on the floats for the parade they develop a friendship and it’s easy going.
When Mika comes around Zach is confused.
Attraction and tension played a lot around Zach and Holland... sweet to watch.
A lot of story is going on on Christmas Lane and a lot of people we meet... and they are all nice but one!
This was a kind read, a friendly atmosphere, a sweet romance with zero steam... I have to say, that’s okay!
The pace was a bit slow... I wanted to push them together. Both main characters were adorable, they are so compatible. I loved the tumult at some point... all the feelings!
Zach is the nicest guy in town. And more important... Zach is happy !
A lovely addition to the Christmas shelf.
Read and Reviewed for A Novel Take PR
Unwilling they are both ‘forced’ into the organization of the parade... for Zach a opportunity to see Holland. Working together on the floats for the parade they develop a friendship and it’s easy going.
When Mika comes around Zach is confused.
Attraction and tension played a lot around Zach and Holland... sweet to watch.
A lot of story is going on on Christmas Lane and a lot of people we meet... and they are all nice but one!
This was a kind read, a friendly atmosphere, a sweet romance with zero steam... I have to say, that’s okay!
The pace was a bit slow... I wanted to push them together. Both main characters were adorable, they are so compatible. I loved the tumult at some point... all the feelings!
Zach is the nicest guy in town. And more important... Zach is happy !
A lovely addition to the Christmas shelf.
Read and Reviewed for A Novel Take PR
December 1, 2018
Age gap and slow burn are two of my favorite tropes. Add to that, snow and Christmas holidays and I couldn’t be happier. This lovely, sweet tale of the romance between Zach Greenfeld and his former elementary teacher, Holland Stone, is perfect in every way.
Zach is back in Lighthouse Bay after graduating with a degree that will allow him to be an event planner—a role that fits his highly organized habitual list-making life. While waiting for an interview that will get him out on his own, he’s helping his sister in the family-owned café and crushing on Holland Stone, the gorgeous older handyman who was once his third grade teacher. So what if Holland is fifteen years older? He’s hot and that’s enough to start.
Holland has started his own business making custom doll houses, and in between doing handyman work for townsfolk he’s working on his float for the annual Christmas parade competition. He hopes to draw attention to his skills but is surprised when his work on the float draws Zach to him instead. Zach has accepted the temporary position of town event planner so he gets to spend a lot of time with Holland in the warehouse where the floats are being built. And slowly, Holland begins to view Zach as more than a happy-go-lucky kid.
I loved the very slow buildup of their attraction and all the events, activities, and character interactions that happened along the way. Their chemistry was strong and their emotions high. Their sex was off page and that didn’t matter to me at all. There was so much more to enjoy on page that using my imagination for what may have happened in the bedroom was just fine.
There’s really nothing about this story I didn’t like and I think it would make an excellent gift to a best friend and/or fellow MM romance lover.
*4.5 stars*
ARC provided by the publisher through Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words in exchange for an impartial review.
Zach is back in Lighthouse Bay after graduating with a degree that will allow him to be an event planner—a role that fits his highly organized habitual list-making life. While waiting for an interview that will get him out on his own, he’s helping his sister in the family-owned café and crushing on Holland Stone, the gorgeous older handyman who was once his third grade teacher. So what if Holland is fifteen years older? He’s hot and that’s enough to start.
Holland has started his own business making custom doll houses, and in between doing handyman work for townsfolk he’s working on his float for the annual Christmas parade competition. He hopes to draw attention to his skills but is surprised when his work on the float draws Zach to him instead. Zach has accepted the temporary position of town event planner so he gets to spend a lot of time with Holland in the warehouse where the floats are being built. And slowly, Holland begins to view Zach as more than a happy-go-lucky kid.
I loved the very slow buildup of their attraction and all the events, activities, and character interactions that happened along the way. Their chemistry was strong and their emotions high. Their sex was off page and that didn’t matter to me at all. There was so much more to enjoy on page that using my imagination for what may have happened in the bedroom was just fine.
There’s really nothing about this story I didn’t like and I think it would make an excellent gift to a best friend and/or fellow MM romance lover.
*4.5 stars*
ARC provided by the publisher through Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words in exchange for an impartial review.
December 24, 2024
Normalnie o tej porze roku przynajmniej już od miesiąca czytałam świąteczne historie.
W tym roku zaczęłam bardzo późno - i źle 🫤
Książka była marna, słaba i nudna jak flaki z olejem.
Tak nudna, że nawet nie chce mi się na niej wyżywać, choć byłoby na czym.
Ale że czytałam jeszcze gorsze, to daję dwie niezmiernie nudne gwiazdki.
W tym roku zaczęłam bardzo późno - i źle 🫤
Książka była marna, słaba i nudna jak flaki z olejem.
Tak nudna, że nawet nie chce mi się na niej wyżywać, choć byłoby na czym.
Ale że czytałam jeszcze gorsze, to daję dwie niezmiernie nudne gwiazdki.
November 30, 2018
Amy Aislin is a new to me author I've seen around social media, and I'd been itching to give her books a go; Christmas Lane seemed like the perfect opportunity. The story had some positives and negatives.
Bad news first:
-Zack's sister, Alana. I hated her, and I didn't quite get the point of her character/behavior. The story could've done without.
-The pace of the story was a little slow.
Things I liked:
-The main characters. Zach and Holland were adorable and felt they fit each other perfectly.
-Great cast of secondary characters.
-The story was touching and hopeful.
-May/December romance. There's a 15 year age gap between them, but it never felt skeevy.
-Small town romance.
-Despite Alana's best effortsOverall the story was light and fluffy.
**For my fellow smut lovers: If you're looking for a steamy read this may not be the one for you. Christmas Lane has zero steam, all happens off page.
Did I love Christmas Lane? No, but I did enjoy it. It was a cute and endearing holiday read.
3.5 Stars
Bad news first:
-Zack's sister, Alana. I hated her, and I didn't quite get the point of her character/behavior. The story could've done without.
-The pace of the story was a little slow.
Things I liked:
-The main characters. Zach and Holland were adorable and felt they fit each other perfectly.
-Great cast of secondary characters.
-The story was touching and hopeful.
-May/December romance. There's a 15 year age gap between them, but it never felt skeevy.
-Small town romance.
-
**For my fellow smut lovers: If you're looking for a steamy read this may not be the one for you. Christmas Lane has zero steam, all happens off page.
Did I love Christmas Lane? No, but I did enjoy it. It was a cute and endearing holiday read.
3.5 Stars
December 2, 2018
Winter has come, and that means that Lighthouse Bay’s Christmas Parade is just around the corner. Except this year the usual organizer is unable to finish the project out, so Zach Greenfeld gets volunteered to do the job. Despite the fact that all the experience he’s had so far in organizing events are a few semesters in college. But if he can pull it off, the parade might just be the thing to push his resume to the top of the pile for the job he just applied for.
Things get off to a bumpy start, though, when Santa’s sleigh turns out to be more of a scrap pile than anything resembling a usable parade float. Luckily Holland Stone, a man Zach has been crushing on for years, volunteers to polish it up, and make something out of the mess. Which means more time spent around each other, in close quarters, in the cold, all alone… So, naturally Zach is thrilled and agrees. For the sake of children, of course.
My first holiday book of the season turned out rather well for me. As with most books around this time, Christmas Lane is a rather light and sweet tale of romance, friends, and family. It did have a sub plot that was a little on the more serious side, but that actually did a lot to help the story stand out for me, so I rather liked its inclusion.
My only real gripe is hardly anything serious. It is just that the blurb called this a May/December romance, but Holland is like 40 years old. That seems like at best a May/September romance. Maybe October of you push it. It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I just went in expecting a slightly larger age gap. Not too terribly disappointed with what I got, though.
Mostly I had a lovely time reading this. Even when the people on the bus made me want to throw my kindle at their heads. And, really, keeping me happy enough to mostly ignore idiots on public transit is quite impressive. So it you are looking to start off your holidays with something nice and Christmassy, this is a good bet.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Things get off to a bumpy start, though, when Santa’s sleigh turns out to be more of a scrap pile than anything resembling a usable parade float. Luckily Holland Stone, a man Zach has been crushing on for years, volunteers to polish it up, and make something out of the mess. Which means more time spent around each other, in close quarters, in the cold, all alone… So, naturally Zach is thrilled and agrees. For the sake of children, of course.
My first holiday book of the season turned out rather well for me. As with most books around this time, Christmas Lane is a rather light and sweet tale of romance, friends, and family. It did have a sub plot that was a little on the more serious side, but that actually did a lot to help the story stand out for me, so I rather liked its inclusion.
My only real gripe is hardly anything serious. It is just that the blurb called this a May/December romance, but Holland is like 40 years old. That seems like at best a May/September romance. Maybe October of you push it. It really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I just went in expecting a slightly larger age gap. Not too terribly disappointed with what I got, though.
Mostly I had a lovely time reading this. Even when the people on the bus made me want to throw my kindle at their heads. And, really, keeping me happy enough to mostly ignore idiots on public transit is quite impressive. So it you are looking to start off your holidays with something nice and Christmassy, this is a good bet.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
December 6, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I couldn't resist the adorable cover on this book plus the sweet storyline about the small town Christmas parade. This was my first time trying Amy Aislin and I had no clue what to expect, but I quickly realized when I started reading I was in for a sweet read.
Zach is in his early twenties and recently came back from college. He's been helping his sister run the family diner but wants to do something else with his life, so landing the gig of replacement organizer for the Christmas parade is perfectly in his lane. And that just happens to put him working in close proximity with his crush, Holland. Holland was at one point in time his third grade teacher but quickly realized teaching wasn't for him and has been working as the town's handyman for a little while. And also fighting the attraction he's felt towards Zach who is much younger than him.
CHRISTMAS LANE delivered everything I come to expect in a cute Hallmark movie. It has a sweet romance that takes some time to develop, an adorable small town setting and a fun holiday themed plot! The parade and the floats gave this a cozy vibe. Plus I really liked these two together. They really made an adorable couple.
If you want a light hearted, sweet holiday read then check this one out!
*ARC provided by publicist
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
July 6, 2024
I was actually really enjoying this until Mika showed up.
Mika is Holland’s ex from 5 years ago. He moved to LA to chase his dream of being an actor and after being in LA for a few months he posts a picture on social media of himself making out with some guy. Mika cheated on Holland and they had been no contact for 5 years.
Zach has flowers for Holland and is literally about to cross the street to join Holland for their date when Mika pops out of Holland’s house and shoved his tongue into Holland’s mouth and grabs his butt. Of course Zach sees and leaves because he thinks Holland is back with Mika since Holland had mentioned that he had wanted to marry Mika before the cheating incident.
But Holland is such a good guy 🙄
That he tells Mika he doesn’t want to get back together but would like to be friends again???? So he drives him to his parents house because ya’know, he’s such a good guy. Mika shows up again and blurts he has cancer and that’s why he’s back in town, he doesn’t wanna be alone so of course everything is forgiven and Holland wants to baby him. And then we get to them ‘clearing the air’ Mika goes “ you never asked me why I cheated on you” and then it’s “ it was because you were being distant and acting like talking to me was a chore” and Holland APOLOGIZES??? Yeah, apparently Mika cheated on Holland because Holland wasn’t honest with him about not wanting him to move to LA and was distant over phone calls. 🙄🙄
Mika tells Holland not to push Zach away and communicate with him so he doesn’t make the same mistake he made in their relationship.
Mika is a part of their friend group again, Zach also invites him along for things because he feels bad for him 🙄
There’s a stupid misunderstanding with Holland telling Zach he wants a break…. Right in front of Mika and Mika tells Holland he’s stupid for doing it.
The cheating ex was too involved in this story, and Holland apologizing for pushing Mika to cheat? WTF ?
I liked Zach enough but he wasn’t enough to safe this story for me. 🤷🏻♀️
Mika is Holland’s ex from 5 years ago. He moved to LA to chase his dream of being an actor and after being in LA for a few months he posts a picture on social media of himself making out with some guy. Mika cheated on Holland and they had been no contact for 5 years.
Zach has flowers for Holland and is literally about to cross the street to join Holland for their date when Mika pops out of Holland’s house and shoved his tongue into Holland’s mouth and grabs his butt. Of course Zach sees and leaves because he thinks Holland is back with Mika since Holland had mentioned that he had wanted to marry Mika before the cheating incident.
But Holland is such a good guy 🙄
That he tells Mika he doesn’t want to get back together but would like to be friends again???? So he drives him to his parents house because ya’know, he’s such a good guy. Mika shows up again and blurts he has cancer and that’s why he’s back in town, he doesn’t wanna be alone so of course everything is forgiven and Holland wants to baby him. And then we get to them ‘clearing the air’ Mika goes “ you never asked me why I cheated on you” and then it’s “ it was because you were being distant and acting like talking to me was a chore” and Holland APOLOGIZES??? Yeah, apparently Mika cheated on Holland because Holland wasn’t honest with him about not wanting him to move to LA and was distant over phone calls. 🙄🙄
Mika tells Holland not to push Zach away and communicate with him so he doesn’t make the same mistake he made in their relationship.
Mika is a part of their friend group again, Zach also invites him along for things because he feels bad for him 🙄
There’s a stupid misunderstanding with Holland telling Zach he wants a break…. Right in front of Mika and Mika tells Holland he’s stupid for doing it.
The cheating ex was too involved in this story, and Holland apologizing for pushing Mika to cheat? WTF ?
I liked Zach enough but he wasn’t enough to safe this story for me. 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2018
Okay, I’m going to admit, I am a big fan of fun, smart, sexy, holiday stories. I love the “cheese” factor, the easy-going nature of the romance. They’re just fun and a total guilty pleasure. And, quite honestly, Christmas Lane is easily one of the best I’ve read.
I loved the May to December romance that slowly built between Zach and Holland. Their banter and awkwardness were absolutely perfect and true to who they are. I loved how Holland dove in wherever he was needed. I loved how Zach easily took over in whipping the parade and other events into shape. And I loved Holland and Zach together—they were absolutely adorable in their thinking the rest of the world didn’t notice their lovey-dovey eyes watching each other.
I loved how the whole town was involved in bringing the Christmas Lane parade to life. I loved the nosiness of each person—that the whole town knew the gossip pretty immediately. And I loved how skewed some of the information became.
There were things that I didn’t like—some that were pretty farfetched and some of the side characters were pretty crappy too (side-eye to Zach’s sister Alana who I really struggled with) . . . but the romance between Zach and Holland is what won me over enough to put those things aside.
Christmas Lane is just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit. I really enjoyed it from start to finish and I can’t wait for more in this fun, sexy, small town series! ~ Missy, 4 stars
I loved the May to December romance that slowly built between Zach and Holland. Their banter and awkwardness were absolutely perfect and true to who they are. I loved how Holland dove in wherever he was needed. I loved how Zach easily took over in whipping the parade and other events into shape. And I loved Holland and Zach together—they were absolutely adorable in their thinking the rest of the world didn’t notice their lovey-dovey eyes watching each other.
I loved how the whole town was involved in bringing the Christmas Lane parade to life. I loved the nosiness of each person—that the whole town knew the gossip pretty immediately. And I loved how skewed some of the information became.
There were things that I didn’t like—some that were pretty farfetched and some of the side characters were pretty crappy too (side-eye to Zach’s sister Alana who I really struggled with) . . . but the romance between Zach and Holland is what won me over enough to put those things aside.
Christmas Lane is just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit. I really enjoyed it from start to finish and I can’t wait for more in this fun, sexy, small town series! ~ Missy, 4 stars
November 27, 2018
Tis' the Season! I am a huge fan of small town stories and this was definitely that. It had the whole Mayberry feel that just warms my heart. I loved this part of the story. I loved all the small town businesses and the closeness and I loved the snow! I loved the parade and the planning and the fair and just all that small town Holiday spirit.
The romance was sweet. It really was. It was a little rocky and didn't seem to make sense to me at first but it did grow on me. Both Zach and Holland slowly grew on me even though both of them read like complete insecure messes.
There were aspects of the story that I really disliked though. Mika coming back worked for me, I liked this part, I didn't like him putting the blame for his behavior on Holland and Holland accepting that and APOLOGIZING though, I wish that whole thing was handled way different.
I didn't buy for one single second that Zach would have headed out in that storm and if he did he would not have been dressed the way he was or as unprepared. He is a Maine native. Nope, nope, nope. I know this part was pivotal but it was totally unfair to have Zach come across as such a fool. I am not sure why this happened this way but it ruined this scene just a bit for me.
Zach's sister. She was a bitch. What an ungrateful, selfish, inconsiderate condescending BITCH. Why was she written like this? I could see if she was supposed to be a villain but she wasn't. Oh, and the parents forgetting to get tickets home for Christmas with their kids? I can't believe that would ever happen.
I'm going to rate this just a bit higher than I normally would because of Christmas but this would probably just fall onto my 2 stars = it was ok shelf if not for the Christmas magic. It was a very sugary sweet age gap romance with two men who find exactly what they are looking for in each other and realizing how much they have in their home town. Cute.
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
The romance was sweet. It really was. It was a little rocky and didn't seem to make sense to me at first but it did grow on me. Both Zach and Holland slowly grew on me even though both of them read like complete insecure messes.
There were aspects of the story that I really disliked though. Mika coming back worked for me, I liked this part, I didn't like him putting the blame for his behavior on Holland and Holland accepting that and APOLOGIZING though, I wish that whole thing was handled way different.
I didn't buy for one single second that Zach would have headed out in that storm and if he did he would not have been dressed the way he was or as unprepared. He is a Maine native. Nope, nope, nope. I know this part was pivotal but it was totally unfair to have Zach come across as such a fool. I am not sure why this happened this way but it ruined this scene just a bit for me.
Zach's sister. She was a bitch. What an ungrateful, selfish, inconsiderate condescending BITCH. Why was she written like this? I could see if she was supposed to be a villain but she wasn't. Oh, and the parents forgetting to get tickets home for Christmas with their kids? I can't believe that would ever happen.
I'm going to rate this just a bit higher than I normally would because of Christmas but this would probably just fall onto my 2 stars = it was ok shelf if not for the Christmas magic. It was a very sugary sweet age gap romance with two men who find exactly what they are looking for in each other and realizing how much they have in their home town. Cute.
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
December 6, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This is my first book by Aislin, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to get. Happily, this story is sweet and lovely, well written, and despite one big flaw for me at the end, I really enjoyed it. The author captures the beauty and frustration of living in a small town, and sprinkles holiday cheer throughout every page of the book.
I simply adored Zach. He’s far older than his physical years, at least in his soul, and he’s had not the easiest of lives. He’s always been a little bit different, a little bit odd, and has never really had a lot of close friends. He was bullied, but not terribly, and he’s grown into a sweet and caring man. He knows what he wants, and is willing to do what it takes to get it. At least when it comes to his profession. Holland is another matter, as Zach is convinced someone like Holland would never want someone like him. I really loved all his layers, and I loved watching them come out naturally as the story progressed. He was really well done, and as I said, I adored him.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This is my first book by Aislin, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to get. Happily, this story is sweet and lovely, well written, and despite one big flaw for me at the end, I really enjoyed it. The author captures the beauty and frustration of living in a small town, and sprinkles holiday cheer throughout every page of the book.
I simply adored Zach. He’s far older than his physical years, at least in his soul, and he’s had not the easiest of lives. He’s always been a little bit different, a little bit odd, and has never really had a lot of close friends. He was bullied, but not terribly, and he’s grown into a sweet and caring man. He knows what he wants, and is willing to do what it takes to get it. At least when it comes to his profession. Holland is another matter, as Zach is convinced someone like Holland would never want someone like him. I really loved all his layers, and I loved watching them come out naturally as the story progressed. He was really well done, and as I said, I adored him.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
December 6, 2018
There is a scene with snowmen...and one of them has nipples.
Snowman Nail Art!
3.75 stars
This is book 1 in a series, but definitely a stand alone with a bit of a set up for the characters who will get books in the future.
Do you know how much I love some sexy times in my books? LOTS. This one had none. It was slow burn without any of the burn on page. Which, considering the characters, seemed to fit with their story. But...it was still missed by this reader.
This story had a lot going on.
- Age gap
- Coming of age
- Sexuality exploration (I think Zach may be demi?)
- Shared space
- Cool, little town
- Christmas!
Zach is the nicest guy in town and can't say no. He is a bit insecure and second guesses himself in relationships because, well, he hasn't really ever had one. He is confident in pretty much all other things, a go-getter and super organized. He knows what he wants in his career and has the personality to get things done.
Holland is also insecure in a way as he was burned in a bad way by a previous lover. Plus, he is older but feels that he is in the same place as Zach is career-wise. He has spent most of his adult life trying to find that thing he was meant to do. He has finally settled into a career he loves at nearly 40, so he feels a bit behind Zach in that arena.
I do wish Zach had stood up for himself a bit with his sister, but I know how delicate close sibling relations can be. And how volatile it can get.
The story arc was a tad bit predictable and a bit slow at times, but not in an off-putting fashion.
All in all, I enjoyed the story and I can't wait for the rest in this series.
*ARC provided*
Snowman Nail Art!
3.75 stars
This is book 1 in a series, but definitely a stand alone with a bit of a set up for the characters who will get books in the future.
Do you know how much I love some sexy times in my books? LOTS. This one had none. It was slow burn without any of the burn on page. Which, considering the characters, seemed to fit with their story. But...it was still missed by this reader.
This story had a lot going on.
- Age gap
- Coming of age
- Sexuality exploration (I think Zach may be demi?)
- Shared space
- Cool, little town
- Christmas!
Zach is the nicest guy in town and can't say no. He is a bit insecure and second guesses himself in relationships because, well, he hasn't really ever had one. He is confident in pretty much all other things, a go-getter and super organized. He knows what he wants in his career and has the personality to get things done.
Holland is also insecure in a way as he was burned in a bad way by a previous lover. Plus, he is older but feels that he is in the same place as Zach is career-wise. He has spent most of his adult life trying to find that thing he was meant to do. He has finally settled into a career he loves at nearly 40, so he feels a bit behind Zach in that arena.
I do wish Zach had stood up for himself a bit with his sister, but I know how delicate close sibling relations can be. And how volatile it can get.
The story arc was a tad bit predictable and a bit slow at times, but not in an off-putting fashion.
All in all, I enjoyed the story and I can't wait for the rest in this series.
*ARC provided*
December 5, 2018
3.75 stars rounded up
I love this time of year -- well, in terms of reading materials, though. Holiday romance stories are being released, and I love them! Christmas Lane caught my eyes because of the cover, and then the blurb mentioned May/December and small-town romance. I'm such a sucker for those!!
This is a sweet one for sure!! I loved the relationship development -- how it focuses on the development part rather than the sexual part. Heck, the sexual part is minimum at best because 24-years-old Zach Greenfeld is an old soul who wants long-lasting relationship rather than just sex. So despite the 15-years age-gap between Zach and his crush, Holland Stone (who used to be Zach's third grade teacher), they actually connect in one of the most fundamental ways.
Of course, I also loved how the author describes Zach's quirks and insecurities. It's cute because at the same time, Zach is also this guy who is meticulous and knows what he wants, and well, when Zach takes charge, he rocks!
This, of course, in comparison with the older Holland -- who despite being patience towards Zach, and nurturing, and observant, but his own version of insecurities near the end makes me want to clock his head by one of his tools of trade!! But at least it provides a nice grand gesture from Holland.
I'm very much interested reading the secondary characters too -- Holland's cousin, Dev, and Holland's best friend, Clark. I assume when both decides that they want to act on their 'thing', it will be fire-cracking. I also want to get more updates on Holland's ex-boyfriend (who cheated on Holland but then in this book, is welcomed back, because of... reason).
I enjoy this small town created by Aislin. So I'll look forward to the next book in this series.
I love this time of year -- well, in terms of reading materials, though. Holiday romance stories are being released, and I love them! Christmas Lane caught my eyes because of the cover, and then the blurb mentioned May/December and small-town romance. I'm such a sucker for those!!
This is a sweet one for sure!! I loved the relationship development -- how it focuses on the development part rather than the sexual part. Heck, the sexual part is minimum at best because 24-years-old Zach Greenfeld is an old soul who wants long-lasting relationship rather than just sex. So despite the 15-years age-gap between Zach and his crush, Holland Stone (who used to be Zach's third grade teacher), they actually connect in one of the most fundamental ways.
Of course, I also loved how the author describes Zach's quirks and insecurities. It's cute because at the same time, Zach is also this guy who is meticulous and knows what he wants, and well, when Zach takes charge, he rocks!
This, of course, in comparison with the older Holland -- who despite being patience towards Zach, and nurturing, and observant, but his own version of insecurities near the end makes me want to clock his head by one of his tools of trade!! But at least it provides a nice grand gesture from Holland.
I'm very much interested reading the secondary characters too -- Holland's cousin, Dev, and Holland's best friend, Clark. I assume when both decides that they want to act on their 'thing', it will be fire-cracking. I also want to get more updates on Holland's ex-boyfriend (who cheated on Holland but then in this book, is welcomed back, because of... reason).
I enjoy this small town created by Aislin. So I'll look forward to the next book in this series.
November 6, 2018
Another sweet heartwarming holiday romance, and it's May - December! What's not to love?
This is the seasons after all :)
Christmas lane is a light, no angst and enjoyable read romance. I really liked Holland and Zach chemistry. It's a slow burn but not too frustrating, just the right portion for a holiday romance.
This is a reason why i love holiday romance, it's always fun and usually, the authors put some sweet adorable sweet and a little spice in it.
Recommended!
December 7, 2020
Zach has always felt different from his peers. And also he had the strongest crush on Holland the town handyman, and also his former primary school teacher. A few hiccups shown them age was not factor when it comes to going through challenged together. It's about understanding and communicating with each other. Christmas Lane is a warm to your fingertip in a thundering snow storm kind of read.
November 27, 2018
CHRISTMAS LANE (Lighthouse Bay #1)
•
•
• ⭐:4,5/5
•
•
💬: The fluff and cuteness of this book is AMAZING! It’s been so long since I read something Christmas themed and with a cute romantic plot, without that much angst (only the occasional misunderstandings). The development of the relationship was so real and the obliviousness of Holland and Zach regarding that they liked each other was so funny (the slow burn that was slow and perfect crafted here). I kept anticipating when they would finally realize what they felt for each other, but everytime something seemed to almost happen...something blocked them. The return of an ex-boyfriend, something get destroyed, a storm...many things happened to difficult their relationship but everything was resolved fast because the characters actually talked with each other (communication is the key of any kind of relationship).
Seeing Zach and Holland finding their happiness not only with each other but also individually, showed me that it’s never too late to go out and look for what truly makes you happy. A job or even a place. And that you shouldn’t waste your life doing something you hate.
•
•
• ⭐:4,5/5
•
•
💬: The fluff and cuteness of this book is AMAZING! It’s been so long since I read something Christmas themed and with a cute romantic plot, without that much angst (only the occasional misunderstandings). The development of the relationship was so real and the obliviousness of Holland and Zach regarding that they liked each other was so funny (the slow burn that was slow and perfect crafted here). I kept anticipating when they would finally realize what they felt for each other, but everytime something seemed to almost happen...something blocked them. The return of an ex-boyfriend, something get destroyed, a storm...many things happened to difficult their relationship but everything was resolved fast because the characters actually talked with each other (communication is the key of any kind of relationship).
Seeing Zach and Holland finding their happiness not only with each other but also individually, showed me that it’s never too late to go out and look for what truly makes you happy. A job or even a place. And that you shouldn’t waste your life doing something you hate.
June 8, 2024
**3.5 Stars**
This was a really sweet, easy to read holiday story, not focused on Christmas but it takes place around Christmas. I love small town stories. 🥰
● Contemporary
● Holiday/Christmas
● Age difference (15 yrs)
● Small town
● Light and easy
● Super sweet
● No angst or drama
● A couple of Exes that are now just friends
● Little to no sex (pretty much all off page)
● Loved the MCs
● Loved the secondary characters
● Satisfying enough ending
This was a really sweet, easy to read holiday story, not focused on Christmas but it takes place around Christmas. I love small town stories. 🥰
● Contemporary
● Holiday/Christmas
● Age difference (15 yrs)
● Small town
● Light and easy
● Super sweet
● No angst or drama
● A couple of Exes that are now just friends
● Little to no sex (pretty much all off page)
● Loved the MCs
● Loved the secondary characters
● Satisfying enough ending
November 25, 2018
Zack has a crush on Holland. He doesn’t care that Holland was his third grade teacher or that there’s fifteen years between them. Holland also seems to have a crush on Zack which he is afraid of acknowledging. When they have to work together to get floats ready for the annual Christmas Parade, their attraction becomes evident to everyone around them but Zack and Holland are a little dense.
Christmas story about two men discovering their surprising interest in each other. That interest slowly turning into love. Sweet May/December romance with a slow burn. In a small town everyone knows everyone else’s business and most of the supporting characters are delightful. I liked the story and am looking forward to more stories in the Lighthouse Bay world.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
Christmas story about two men discovering their surprising interest in each other. That interest slowly turning into love. Sweet May/December romance with a slow burn. In a small town everyone knows everyone else’s business and most of the supporting characters are delightful. I liked the story and am looking forward to more stories in the Lighthouse Bay world.
Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.
December 2, 2018
Cute Christmas read alert!
Yup, this book is definitely cute and definitely centered around Christmas. One of the MCs, Zach, gets roped into planning the final (and the most stressful) stages of the town's Christmas parade. Holland is one of the many people who are making a float for the parade. Zach has had a crush on Holland for months and Holland likes Zach too. Only, neither of them make a move.
When the Santa float gets damaged and Zach is freaking out over it, Holland offers to help, even though he has his own float to focus on. And since they're working together, things can finally do something about the mutual interest, which they do. And in a great way.
This book is very low on angst and both the characters are all nice and stuff, with copious amounts of shy glances and goofy smiles. And though there are some complications and personal hang-ups, the romances develops pretty naturally. They aren't prone to dramatics and honestly, with all the shit they need to do, they don't have the time to be dramatic. In fact, if they didn't work together (temporarily, though it is) they would barely get to spend any time together at all.
This is an easy and enjoyable read, but not necessarily one that I'd call interesting. I guess if I'd been more interested in the parade or Christmas decoration stuff, or if we'd gotten some details about Zach's planning process (I like planning), it would have been more gripping, but that wasn't the case.
That's not to say the book was boring. The author interjected minor conflicts at the right times so that book never became dull, but the conflicts were easily resolved so it also didn't create angst. It was a good balance. The only time I was annoyed was with the conflict toward the end. It was a classic case of misunderstanding and refusal to communicate—seriously, why get a phone if you aren't going to pick it the fuck up?—that went on a few pages longer than it needed to. Also, I wanted to slap Zach's sister so badly.
Overall, a nice holiday read with subtle writing choices that gave it a festive tone.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Yup, this book is definitely cute and definitely centered around Christmas. One of the MCs, Zach, gets roped into planning the final (and the most stressful) stages of the town's Christmas parade. Holland is one of the many people who are making a float for the parade. Zach has had a crush on Holland for months and Holland likes Zach too. Only, neither of them make a move.
When the Santa float gets damaged and Zach is freaking out over it, Holland offers to help, even though he has his own float to focus on. And since they're working together, things can finally do something about the mutual interest, which they do. And in a great way.
This book is very low on angst and both the characters are all nice and stuff, with copious amounts of shy glances and goofy smiles. And though there are some complications and personal hang-ups, the romances develops pretty naturally. They aren't prone to dramatics and honestly, with all the shit they need to do, they don't have the time to be dramatic. In fact, if they didn't work together (temporarily, though it is) they would barely get to spend any time together at all.
This is an easy and enjoyable read, but not necessarily one that I'd call interesting. I guess if I'd been more interested in the parade or Christmas decoration stuff, or if we'd gotten some details about Zach's planning process (I like planning), it would have been more gripping, but that wasn't the case.
That's not to say the book was boring. The author interjected minor conflicts at the right times so that book never became dull, but the conflicts were easily resolved so it also didn't create angst. It was a good balance. The only time I was annoyed was with the conflict toward the end. It was a classic case of misunderstanding and refusal to communicate—seriously, why get a phone if you aren't going to pick it the fuck up?—that went on a few pages longer than it needed to. Also, I wanted to slap Zach's sister so badly.
Overall, a nice holiday read with subtle writing choices that gave it a festive tone.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2020
I know I joke and say I want to move to some of these fictional towns I read about, but there's no joking when I say I want to move to Lighthouse Bay, like right now. It sounds like the most wonderful little town. And I don't recall a bookstore being mentioned, so right there I've got my in!
I love when a location plays as much of a part in a book as the characters do. Sometimes it can overshadow the story, too, but that's not the case with Christmas Lane and Lighthouse Bay. Amy Aislin did a really terrific job giving this town its own personality.
Speaking of personalities, I adored Zach! He was so precious and I just wanted to scoop him up in my arms and protect him from all the hurts in his past. He's so open and loving, I wanted all the good things for him. The way he and Holland would watch each other, hoping the other wouldn't notice- so sweet. Even with the age difference I thought Holland and Zach were so good together- they balanced and complemented each other so well, filling a void that they each had.
I did get frustrated with Holland at one point and wanted to reach through my Kindle to bop him upside the head. But thankfully he came to his senses before too long, so we didn't have to suffer long!
Christmas Lane was such a sweet, feel good read- perfect for this time of year. It had a bit of a hurt/comfort feel to it, just because of things that happened in Zach's past- he wanted to be loved for who he was so badly. He really was so darling, and I was so happy he and Holland found each other.
I've only recently discovered Amy Aislin and I'm looking forward to reading her back list. I'm actually in the middle of reading an arc of book two in this series, Gingerbread Mistletoe, and I want to move to Lighthouse Bay even more now!
***KU
November 28, 2018
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Lane by Amy Aislin. It was a wonderful beginning to her new Lighthouse Bay series.
Holland is 15 years older than Zach but that doesn't stop Zach from crushing on him whenever he's near. Little does he know that Holland has similar feelings of attractions for him. When they find themselves spending a lot of time together for the Christmas parade they decide to take a leap and see how things go.
Zach has always felt like he doesn't belong and has trouble making friends with his OCD like quirks. He thinks Holland is way out of his league and is afraid to be tossed aside like he has been by men in the past. Holland can't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that Zach, a guy who seems to have it all together and always have a plan could want a mess like him. He's older than him and has just recently decided on what he wants to do with his career. Holland has been in love before and is afraid of having his heart broken again.
Zach's quirkiness is adorable and the way Holland takes care of him and is protective of him is swoon worthy. They both have insecurities that made their characters real and relatable. I loved the way they interacted with each other and the little things they would do just to put a smile on each others faces.
I am definitely looking forward to more books in the Lighthouse Bay series. Fingers crossed that Dev and Clark are next !!
I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Lane by Amy Aislin. It was a wonderful beginning to her new Lighthouse Bay series.
Holland is 15 years older than Zach but that doesn't stop Zach from crushing on him whenever he's near. Little does he know that Holland has similar feelings of attractions for him. When they find themselves spending a lot of time together for the Christmas parade they decide to take a leap and see how things go.
Zach has always felt like he doesn't belong and has trouble making friends with his OCD like quirks. He thinks Holland is way out of his league and is afraid to be tossed aside like he has been by men in the past. Holland can't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that Zach, a guy who seems to have it all together and always have a plan could want a mess like him. He's older than him and has just recently decided on what he wants to do with his career. Holland has been in love before and is afraid of having his heart broken again.
Zach's quirkiness is adorable and the way Holland takes care of him and is protective of him is swoon worthy. They both have insecurities that made their characters real and relatable. I loved the way they interacted with each other and the little things they would do just to put a smile on each others faces.
I am definitely looking forward to more books in the Lighthouse Bay series. Fingers crossed that Dev and Clark are next !!
"To date, Holland’s kisses had been sweet. Nice. Sometimes sensuous. But this… This was an inferno, a bomb going off. Zach moaned into Holland’s mouth and gave as much as he took."
"How was it possible to want to melt into a puddle of goo and kiss someone senseless, all at the same time"
4/5🌟
November 29, 2018
Have yourself a merry little Christmas and buy this book pronto. It will warm your heart, even in the coldest weather. This was such an amazing, wonderful book. Two pages in and I couldn’t put the book down. I read it in one sitting with a smile on my face, tears in my eyes, and a warm feeling all over.
Zach and Holland wormed their way into my heart. They are beautiful. Beautiful alone, but even more beautiful together. Twenty-four-year-old Zach, who always felt the odd one out, who always felt that he didn’t belong. But now, with Holland, he definitely belongs. Holland, who is fifteen years older than Zach, but never lets Zach feel he is so much younger. No, he makes Zach feel safe and protected and cherished and loved. Holland understands Zach as no other. He is so sweet and accepting.
It had everything I love in a book. The witty dialogue, the sweet and heartfelt moments, the endearing characters. And no, there was no sex. Did I miss it? Not in the slightest. It was so in tune with the entire story it would have been a dissonant. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the attraction between Holland and Zach. It was always there. In every little word and gesture, the connection was palpable.
The author set this book in a small town in Maine, and I really felt part of the town. With all the small-town gossip and rumors that you really don’t need, but you can’t get away from. But also with all those people teaming up at a minute’s notice to help each other out. I loved the secondary cast with Mika, Clark, and Dev. I wonder if we get one of their stories as well. I sure hope so.
Zach and Holland wormed their way into my heart. They are beautiful. Beautiful alone, but even more beautiful together. Twenty-four-year-old Zach, who always felt the odd one out, who always felt that he didn’t belong. But now, with Holland, he definitely belongs. Holland, who is fifteen years older than Zach, but never lets Zach feel he is so much younger. No, he makes Zach feel safe and protected and cherished and loved. Holland understands Zach as no other. He is so sweet and accepting.
It had everything I love in a book. The witty dialogue, the sweet and heartfelt moments, the endearing characters. And no, there was no sex. Did I miss it? Not in the slightest. It was so in tune with the entire story it would have been a dissonant. That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the attraction between Holland and Zach. It was always there. In every little word and gesture, the connection was palpable.
The author set this book in a small town in Maine, and I really felt part of the town. With all the small-town gossip and rumors that you really don’t need, but you can’t get away from. But also with all those people teaming up at a minute’s notice to help each other out. I loved the secondary cast with Mika, Clark, and Dev. I wonder if we get one of their stories as well. I sure hope so.
November 25, 2018
I was given a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This small town Christmas romance is full of festive cheer. Focusing on the build up to Lighthouse Bay’s annual Christmas parade, this is a simple, feel good read.
Like most recent university grads, Zach is underemployed and itching to find a job in events planning. Planning his hometown Christmas parade offers Zach a chance to build his CV while he looks for a long-term job. I really enjoyed Zach’s character. He is sweet and funny and self-deprecating. He reads much older than early twenties - but this is deliberate and Zach does talk about his struggles to fit in with his peers.
I love Holland. He’s kind, capable and creative. I love his midlife career change and his calm confidence. Together, Zach and Holland probably shouldn’t work as well as they do. The hot for teacher thing pushed at the boundaries of my comfort with age gap relationships. I never quite got over the fact that Holland taught Zach in primary school. However, by the midpoint of this story I had pretty much forgotten about the age gap. Zach does feel older than his years and Holland’s career change makes him feel younger.
Beyond Zach and Holland are a host of quirky small town characters. I kept thinking of Stars Hollow and Gilmore Girls holiday specials when Zach and Holland interacted with the town and I really loved the characters in Lighthouse Bay.
This is an oddly low heat romance. One of the main characters is possibly grey ace or demisexual and while I like the departure from the typical romance sex tropes, I didn’t feel like this issue was ever properly talked about or fully worked through. Holland and Zach’s sexual connection feels like an afterthought in this story.
This is a sweet and fluffy Christmas read. I enjoyed the small town Christmas good feels and both of the leading men are immensely likeable.
This small town Christmas romance is full of festive cheer. Focusing on the build up to Lighthouse Bay’s annual Christmas parade, this is a simple, feel good read.
Like most recent university grads, Zach is underemployed and itching to find a job in events planning. Planning his hometown Christmas parade offers Zach a chance to build his CV while he looks for a long-term job. I really enjoyed Zach’s character. He is sweet and funny and self-deprecating. He reads much older than early twenties - but this is deliberate and Zach does talk about his struggles to fit in with his peers.
I love Holland. He’s kind, capable and creative. I love his midlife career change and his calm confidence. Together, Zach and Holland probably shouldn’t work as well as they do. The hot for teacher thing pushed at the boundaries of my comfort with age gap relationships. I never quite got over the fact that Holland taught Zach in primary school. However, by the midpoint of this story I had pretty much forgotten about the age gap. Zach does feel older than his years and Holland’s career change makes him feel younger.
Beyond Zach and Holland are a host of quirky small town characters. I kept thinking of Stars Hollow and Gilmore Girls holiday specials when Zach and Holland interacted with the town and I really loved the characters in Lighthouse Bay.
This is an oddly low heat romance. One of the main characters is possibly grey ace or demisexual and while I like the departure from the typical romance sex tropes, I didn’t feel like this issue was ever properly talked about or fully worked through. Holland and Zach’s sexual connection feels like an afterthought in this story.
This is a sweet and fluffy Christmas read. I enjoyed the small town Christmas good feels and both of the leading men are immensely likeable.
November 29, 2018
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I am so happy that this is the first in a new series, as I have become quite attached to the men of Lighthouse Bay, and there are plenty of them due an HEA ... plus I will be happy to read more of Holland and Zach's progress.
This is a lovely Christmas story, which does a great job of brightening up the season with its feel good vibe and romance. I really enjoyed getting to know both Zach and Holland, and how their pasts affected their current behaviour. It was both touching and encouraging, and made their interest in each other much more poignant. Whilst there were moments of drama, overall it was a a story which just gave me a warm and happy feeling as I read it.
Can't wait to see who gets their chance at love next.
I am so happy that this is the first in a new series, as I have become quite attached to the men of Lighthouse Bay, and there are plenty of them due an HEA ... plus I will be happy to read more of Holland and Zach's progress.
This is a lovely Christmas story, which does a great job of brightening up the season with its feel good vibe and romance. I really enjoyed getting to know both Zach and Holland, and how their pasts affected their current behaviour. It was both touching and encouraging, and made their interest in each other much more poignant. Whilst there were moments of drama, overall it was a a story which just gave me a warm and happy feeling as I read it.
Can't wait to see who gets their chance at love next.
November 30, 2018
Engaging, sweet, hopeful, and inspiring story about finding love where you least expect it. I loved the small town atmosphere and the many really cool characters that were created as background in this story. I feel that i have a vested interest in this group of friends and i will be looking for their stories too.
Zach and Holland are such cool characters, very different men but they really fit together so well. I enjoyed the age difference and their personalities were really complementary to each other. You could feel their connection and i loved the details that made them become so real for me.
This is a Christmas story and i must say that all the details about the floats and the coordination of the parade was really important to the feel of the story.
i highly recommend reading this delightful story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews