A Holiday Tradition

by Chrissy Munder

A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar

Paul Carpenter has his life all planned out. Or at least his father does. The right school, the right degree, the right job. Paul is on track, until a bus accident has him sitting out a coveted internship, babysitting, or being babysat, by a grandfather he barely remembers during his holiday stay in a Florida RV park. His father’s reasoning? How much temptation can Paul find around a bunch of senior citizens playing bingo? There’ll be nothing to distract him from his studies.

It’s hard to muster his holiday spirit when Paul is used to snow and cold, not sun, surf, and plastic flamingos in Santa hats. But then Paul meets Kevin Lombardo, who offers to show him some new holiday traditions. Suddenly Paul’s fast track hits a curve.

Genres: Holiday, M M Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Gay, Romance, Friends To Lovers

58 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2018

About the author

Chrissy Munder writes light and sometimes erotic contemporary LGBTQ+ romance filled with everyday people and extraordinary passion to transport readers into their personal world of love, laughter, and desire

She is an avid reader, a wanderer of Michigan’s wilderness, and, while not in any particular order, a lover of lists, legally blind, and a certified crazy cat lady. There are those who might tell you she started writing as a way to justify her office supply addiction, but shhhhh! don’t listen to them.

After too many jobs in too many states she’s eagerly awaiting her chance to become a full-time Lake Michigan beachcomber. Until then, she’s excited to share her love of romance, laughter, and happy-ever-afters.

Reviews

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰]

My kind of Christmas fluff!

I gotta be honest, this story was virtually assured raining hearts on it, over it and above it from me when I read that ole Grandpa Louie has a Mt. Dew addiction, obsession let's just call it a hearty appreciation for the neon green nectar of the gods and call it a day, shall we? Cuz I can relate.

Nothing says 🎶 Christmas Time is Herrrreeee 🎶 like unapologetically horny grandpa Doing The Dew with the promise of pinochle and shuffleboard on the horizon which is bearing down on you at a whopping 45 mph in an RV that doesn't quite fit your full leg cast, now, does it?

See, I really couldn't have asked for much more out of my Christmas fluff onaccounta it being heartwarming without being schmaltzy and all but also because it was funny and didn't take itself too seriously.

Paul and Kevin slow burn into their romance and it was angst free and unfussy with good relationship development that had me rooting for them early on. They are good together and, I believe, good for each other which is always a win in my romance book.

Another win is "A Holiday Tradition" isn't overly reliant on the miracle of Christmas thing and the geriatrics are a hoot. They're enjoying their golden years to the fullest. Walkers be damned!

Munder made the ending realistic rather than going all hearts and flowers which I appreciated. In so doing, I was even more convinced of their longevity, though I wouldn't mind catching up with them were the author so inclined to write more about them in the future.

Great holiday fun is in store for you in this uplifting little story!



A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Sushi (寿司)]

I fucking loved this story. 💖

[Karen]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and because rounding down for this once since it defied the law of probabilities for me and I really liked it would just be wrong.

Let’s consider a little thing called ‘the law of probability’…

which takes more time to explain than I have so let’s just say that in simple terms it’s the formula that determines the likelihood of something actually happening…so, what do you think the probability is of an attractive 30ish gay man managing a trailer park largely frequented by seniors being the trailer park where another said 20 something gay man ends up with his grandfather for the Christmas holidays would be? I’m betting fairly slim now what do we think the probability of me enjoying said story would be…well, before I read I it, I would have told you the odds were fairly slim. So, all of this just goes to show you that even the best guess is never more than just that…a guess.

‘A Holiday Tradition’ was a cute, funny, holiday story about a young man trying his best to earn his father’s approval by being what he thought his father wanted rather than what he truly was and it takes someone who’s already been there to help him see that more important than being what someone else wants, is being who we truly are.

Paul Carpenter’s father has his life mapped out and Paul desperately wants his father’s approval so he’s determined to follow that plan even if it includes ‘babysitting’ his grandfather over the holidays. Spending the holidays with a bunch of seniors in a trailer park sounds like the ideal, distraction free location for him to catch up on his studies and complete the paper that’s going to keep him from loosing his year at school. Of course, no one told Paul that the owner/manager of said trailer park wasn’t a senior but smoking hot, gay man only a few years older than Paul.

Kevin Lombardo is a sexy, confident man who knows himself and what he wants out of life and one look at Paul and he knows what he wants for Christmas…at the very least.

Where this one fell short for me was in relationship to the ending. There was a time gap of about a year between the ending and the epilogue and it gave me a bit of a jolt. What I got as a reader was a few sentences…maybe, 3 or 4, explaining very briefly what transpired during that time and while I’m pretty sure that I didn’t want to relive the entire year I think maybe a little more detail would have kept me from feeling like things were suddenly being rushed along and easily taken my 3.5 stars and turned them into at least a solid 4 star read.

Once again, I enjoyed watching these two men get to know each other as they became friends. Paul’s determined to stick to his father’s plan, but Kevin’s equally determined to get to know Paul and to make sure he also has some fun. I enjoyed their conversations and the fact that while there was a definite attraction, they didn’t just fall into bed right away. While there was definite attraction and a kiss or two, what there wasn’t was any on page sexy times and that’s ok because after all it’s a Christmas story.

Chrissy Munder is a new to me author and for me this one held a lot of potential and I’m hoping to see what else this author has to off that I might enjoy as much or more than ‘A Holiday Tradition’.

*************************

A copy of ‘A Holiday Tradition’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[CrabbyPatty]

"A Holiday Tradition" focuses on a young man who has to decide if he is going to truly live his life doing what he wants, or let his controlling father force him into an unwanted career. Spending the holidays with his grandfather in a Florida RV park, Paul slowly realizes:

The things Paul had been persuaded were important and would give his life meaning and structure didn't apply. Life here wasn't about getting ahead or even getting by. It was about finding peace in your values, priorities, and enjoying the company of those around you.

There's a lot to like about this story - a sweet, not steamy, romance between Kevin (the young RV park owner), an interesting cast of older quirky park residents, a light plot that nicely moves along - and at just under 60 pages, it's a sweet holiday treat to enjoy. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.


I liked the execution of this plot, and loved the hot chemistry between Benjamin and Chess although I could have done without the miscommunication situation. 4 stars.

[Ruthie Taylor]

~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~

This is a really fun, and very cute short story. I love that we get the background to Paul's life as he is travelling with his grandfather to Florida. So we are completely on board when we get to meet Kevin and imagine how Paul's life could be.

If you need a chuckle, then the fun times at the RV park over Christmas will definitely get you in right mood. Old people and romance are always fun - and the much younger Paul and Kevin give the heat that warms the heart.

[Ann]

D’awwwwwwww

Every year I look forward to Chrissy Munder’s holiday stories and A Holiday Tradition was yet another annual treat. I felt for Paul and the pressure he was under to make his father proud and the broken leg he suffered on a return trip from an art showing ends up being a blessing in disguise. It gets him off the fast track to unhappiness and while he doesn’t see it for awhile, or I should say, he doesn’t see it until he sees Kevin, it’s still a blessing.

The road trip to Florida with Paul’s maternal grandfather is actually adorable and the RV park with all the snowbirds is the perfect place for Paul to convalesce and write the paper he hates writing. He becomes friends with the park owner, dreamy Kevin, and Kevin is a welcome distraction. The flirting, banter and friendship the two share is my absolute favorite thing in this story and something the author excels at. It’s why I look forward to her stories every year. The relationship they built up made me believe in an HEA for them with every fiber of my holiday loving heart.

His father sends him on a roadtrip to Florida with his maternal grandfather and since Paul’s mother passed years ago, his father has done his best in the way he knows how to do it. It’s not what makes Paul happy, but he loves his dad and so he does the college path his father has laid out for him. Paul’s passion isn’t finance, but he’s practical enough to know that his art isn’t going to



**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

[Christy]

I was intrigued by the blurb for ‘A Holiday Tradition’ as a holiday season spent with a grandpa in the state with the most retirees and elderly seemed as if it might provide some humor. I thought Paul had a story to tell and I couldn’t wait to read the romance he and Kevin would develop.

I wasn’t feeling too favorably towards Paul’s father just a few pages into this story. I understand that Paul is a new adult and thus can make his own decisions, but I truly felt that Paul was just going along with his dad’s outline for his life in order to make the man happy. It didn’t come across that way immediately but I sensed undercurrents in Paul and his Grandpa Louie’s conversation on their drive from Michigan to Florida for the holidays. I loved his grandpa, by the way – he is an incredible secondary character.

Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews

[Becca]

When you have a good family, traditions can be fun. When it steeped in tension or you don't have family anymore, it's hard. That's when you stand up and make a change. Follow the path you want to take and make it yours. Make your own traditions. You're own family and you're own life

[Serena Yates]

Planning is not everyone’s strength, but when you have to follow someone else’s design for your life, it can be much more difficult to stay on course. This is the challenge Paul faces in this story, and he does an admirable job of it despite a ton of temptation – until he meets Kevin while spending time at his maternal grandfather’s RV park over the holidays. Nothing there is like what Paul is used to, his grandfather has different ideas than his father and isn’t shy about mentioning them, and writing a paper about a financial topic Paul couldn’t care less about gets harder by the day.

It was clear to me from the start that Paul wasn’t going to be happy with a degree (and career) chosen by his father. Paul is a talented budding artist but feels it is his duty to fulfill his father’s ambitions. The reasons go beyond financial dependence, and as they emerge, I understood better why Paul is so determined to do whatever his (very controlling) father wants. But getting to know his maternal grandfather better, meeting Kevin, and seeing a life very different from his own makes Paul reconsider more than one decision.

If you like stories about young men who need to figure out what they want to do with their life, if you think celebrating the holidays with a bunch of seniors in an RV park in Florida could be surprisingly fun, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read with a sweet romance and way too much information about what, exactly, those seniors get up to, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

[Monika]

**3.5 Stars

[Ali]

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I feel bad because a lot of the holiday stories aren’t really connecting with me this year, while I like them they aren’t blowing me away. This one has done better than the others so far. Paul is trying to make his father proud but it’s so hard when it makes him unhappy while Kevin is supporting Paul he wants him to be happy. I was easily able to connect with Paul and could feel his frustration and unhappiness throughout his ordeal and was glad when Kevin finally knocked some sense into him. I liked that they were able to work everything out and see them happy together in the future.

[Penumbra]

A Holiday Tradition is part of the ‘Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar’. The story is told in third person through the eyes of Paul Carpenter, a Finance student.

The blurb does a good job of describing the plot so I won’t go over it again.

This is a very low-key book. There’s no roller coaster ride of emotions. A lot of this book is Paul’s monologue over his internal debate on how much he doesn’t what to go into Finance, and how miserable he is. I found it to be repetitive after a while.

Paul’s romantic attraction is, Kevin Lombardo, who’s the manager/caretaker of the Florida RV park where Paul and his grandfather go to vacation for the Christmas holiday. Both Paul and Kevin’s voices were similar and I wish there was more distinction between the two.

The writing is smooth and if there were any grammar errors, they were so minor I didn’t notice them. A Holiday Tradition is a fast, easy read. I don’t find the characters memorable so I probably won’t read this story again. However, if anyone wants to read a book that has no tension and to pass the time, you’d probably like this. I give this book. 3 Stars.

[Suze]

3.5* A lovely holiday story - taking stock of where life is taking you and reassessing priorities.
Paul is on enforced hols with Grandpa, who is a hoot. Paul’s broken leg has forced him to chance plans and is now in a Florida RV park but still under his Dad’s thumb.
Enter Kevin the RV park owner, a slow burn friendship turned romance and we have a hot Christmas thrown in too!
Fits the series Warmest Wishes title well.

[Katy Beth Mckee]

I like the fact that even with an insta-attraction Paul uses it to find the balance he needs in his life. He doesn't drop everything but finishes up what he has started. It makes the HEA at the end seem so much more believable.

[Michael]

I really liked this one. The build up to the romance was handled well, and the apparent solidity of the relationship was nice. I only wish it had one more chapter to put a holiday bow on all the good feelings.

[Ro]

I wish we could have seen a little more of Dad's evolution but I loved the idea of following your bliss, not what you thought you wanted.

[Anita]

Another odd holiday story that is more of a 3.5 but I bumped it up because of the secondary characters. Paul is a college student who travels from Michigan to Florida with his grandfather at Xmas. Paul has had some turmoil in his life - his mother recently died, he has a broken leg, he was in rehab and his relationship with his father is tense. Paul meets Kevin who is the manager of the trailer park Paul and Grandpa Louie are staying in. Paul is struggling with what he wants and pleasing his father by writing a paper to satisfy the requirements for an internship he had to leave because of the accident that led to the broken leg. So the development of the relationship between Paul and Kevin is somewhat uneven and for me, I couldn't connect with them. I wasn't invested in their HEA. What I loved though, is the characters who live in the trailer park, especially Grandpa Louie. He was a hoot! I've got older relatives who live in Florida and could relate to the antics carried out by the characters in the book. So sort of a sweet yet odd book.