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This Christmas

J.R. Hart (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · Rating details · 29 ratings · 22 reviews

Alex Ross can’t catch a break when it comes to Christmastime. With a long history of bad holiday experiences—like getting rejected under the mistletoe or playing referee to his mother’s divorce—he’s just trying to survive it.

New in town and a stranger to everyone, he plans on ignoring the holiday altogether. That would be easier if his ridiculously cheerful new neighbor w ...more

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ebook, 209 pages

Published December 9th 2019 by NineStar Press

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Average rating 3.90 ·

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· 29 ratings · 22 reviews

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Dec 02, 2019 Jennifer☠Pher☠ rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-release, arc, indigo, lgbtq, m-m, tis-the-season

I think I try to read Christmas stories a little bit differently than I do my every day reads. You have to account for the magic. You have to account for the spirit and mostly, you have to account for the over the top feeling of joy.

This book was pretty much missing all of that and I really had the most difficult time reading it and more so, finishing it. No, wait. I guess there was spirit from Nicholas but, well, I just don’t know.

I’m very glad I kept going though because it all changed around I think I try to read Christmas stories a little bit differently than I do my every day reads. You have to account for the magic. You have to account for the spirit and mostly, you have to account for the over the top feeling of joy.

This book was pretty much missing all of that and I really had the most difficult time reading it and more so, finishing it. No, wait. I guess there was spirit from Nicholas but, well, I just don’t know.

I’m very glad I kept going though because it all changed around the 70% mark. That’s when I started liking this book and feeling the Christmas magic. Up until then, I didn’t really like this. I didn’t understand who either guy was really and that makes for a difficult read when you keep being told things about them in memories but you don’t know why or how. This mostly just didn’t feel good. It wasn’t cohesive and the story jumped. I couldn’t judge their ages and really, I just struggled.

But enough of that.

Since this is the most wonderful time of the year and I have seriously become one of those Christmas crazy people in the past couple years I’m not going to focus on the first 70%, I am going to focus on the last 30%, which to me, should have been the story.

These boys together over the, I think two week time period of Christmas break were cute. Blanket forts and movies, breakfast and sweets. All very cute. Once they acknowledged each other and actually had a conversation I was over the moon happy with their sweetness. I felt very happy for them both, I honestly just wished it had been a Christmas miracle.

I really loved the year later Epilogue.

So, mostly a fail as my first Christmas read of the year. It read almost depressing and just didn’t make me feel good until very close to the end. The storytelling was just odd.

I’m going to add a star just because of the feel-good Epilogue though, and well, because of Christmas.

**This book was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.** ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Ann rated it really liked it

Shelves: boymeetsboy-review-books, higher-learning, merry-jizzmas, miscommunication-station

3.5 Stars

This Christmas took a little time to get off the ground for me. It’s not a light hearted holiday read you think you might get based on the cover and the blurb. Alex has some pretty heavy issues and he’s not the most likable character for quite a while. And I get that the schtick was he was supposed to be somewhat of a grinch, but his issues and history were a little much for just that.

Nicholas loves Christmas excessively and it’s meant to be charming. Nicholas was a really sweet and ap 3.5 Stars

This Christmas took a little time to get off the ground for me. It’s not a light hearted holiday read you think you might get based on the cover and the blurb. Alex has some pretty heavy issues and he’s not the most likable character for quite a while. And I get that the schtick was he was supposed to be somewhat of a grinch, but his issues and history were a little much for just that.

Nicholas loves Christmas excessively and it’s meant to be charming. Nicholas was a really sweet and approachable character and he’s immediately fascinated with Alex. His side of the story is the light hearted Christmas tale.

I think my issue with the first half of the book was the lack of balance. It almost read like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be so it tried to be everything. Some focus and a more sucinct direction would have made a world of difference. There was a lot of page time spent on Nicholas’ baking and love of all things Christmas. A. Lot. Of. Page. Time. It got a smidge distracting. Alex is unhappy for a lot of reasons, but for a long while he was just angry, but we didn’t really know why, so I was getting ready to stop caring.

But then, then . . . it all started coming together, the communication started, the feelings started, the sharing started and Alex became a fully fleshed out character. I’m so glad I stuck around, because he was really worth it in the end. Nicholas ended up being so right for Alex and vice versa. Alex started trying and that meant there was actual hope for him and not just frustration and loneliness that was his whole self for the first half of the book.

Alex’s efforts to woo Nicholas were really sweet to read, especially once I got to know him and his full history. Nicholas had been subtley courting Alex from the get-go, but he was wisely cautious about it since Alex was so skittish, but when Alex started courting back I was doing all kinds of celebrating and rooting for him, I finally got the hopeful Christmas story I was expecting. It was everything Nicholas and I wanted.

I really could have done without Alex’s sister showing up and the way he came out to his family was entirely too dismissive considering his history. He tortured himself for years and it felt like a big old “meh” when it finally happened. Alex deserved more satisfaction than that.

Some tweaks with editing, pacing and focus would have really bumped this story up for me, but the parts I loved, I loved really hard. I wanted to make a blanket fort, binge movies and drink cocoa for days after reading This Christmas, the author did a great job of making moments for her MCs and there is really nothing I love more than those special little moments. Once I had a chance to get to know Alex and Nicholas I was all onboard for their HEA.

a copy of this story was provided for an honest review ...more

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Dec 18, 2019 Anniek rated it it was ok

Shelves: lgbtq, mlm, 1-2019-releases, 2-adult, 3-romance

Actual rating: 2.5

I received an eARC of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for my honest review.

I mostly thought this was fun, and it definitely had a lot of Christmas spirit. I liked both of the main characters well enough.

Two things took me by surprise though, and they took me out of the story when they kept popping up. I would have really enjoyed the book if it wasn't for these issues.

I'm really done with family members acting like it's no surprise at all when the main character comes o ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Keith Chawgo rated it it was amazing

Riley’s Christmas outing is a wonderful story about two different personalities, sorting out their lives who find a way to meet in the middle. The charming tale ticks all the books in a Hallmark Christmas film treats love and the magic of the holiday season.

The characters are complex and although on the surface, you pretty much know how this is going to end up, it is still a wonderful journey to be on. Nicholas and Alex are well crafted and it is refreshing to not have a M/M romance have sexual ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Mathilde Paulsen rated it really liked it

The E-Arc This Christmas was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of the book.

I really liked this book! It features a character so over the top festive and ready for all things Christmas, and another character who is struggling with finding his cheer and is haunted by bad memories and thoughts now that the holidays are rolling around. They made such a nice contrast to each other.

I really loved the way they communicated and how different t ...more

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Dec 11, 2019 Erika rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, ebook, netgalley

Thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun Christmas love story between a peppermint-despising grinch named Alex and an all things Christmas-loving elf named Nicholas. They're apartment hallway neighbors that meet-cute in the grocery store over a box of peppermint bark.

What continues is a flirt-off that includes secret santa candy plates and notes slipped under doors, as well as snowmen delivering messages, and mistletoe first kisses. Both char ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 Amanda Loucks rated it it was amazing

I found this very easy to get into and read. Another reader said it was depressing and missed the Christmas spirit, but the point of the story is that one of the characters is struggling with the spirit of Christmas.

It also references their age as post graduates multiple times, so I'm not sure how they couldn't determine the character's ages.

So, no, it's not an immediate jump into the Christmas spirit type of story, but it does grow and develop the characters nicely. I highly recommend. ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Ro rated it really liked it

I had a bit of trouble getting into this story because Alex’s issues are deeper than the blurb would lead you to believe. He is new in town, set for grad school, but school wasn’t the main reason he’s away from home for the holidays. His mother and stepfather are going through a divorce but his mother also suffers from severe depression. His family, particularly grandparents, are big time homophobic bigots and he misread signals of his best friend, who is now an ex-friend. That last one really m I had a bit of trouble getting into this story because Alex’s issues are deeper than the blurb would lead you to believe. He is new in town, set for grad school, but school wasn’t the main reason he’s away from home for the holidays. His mother and stepfather are going through a divorce but his mother also suffers from severe depression. His family, particularly grandparents, are big time homophobic bigots and he misread signals of his best friend, who is now an ex-friend. That last one really made me sad because come on, Mike. He is way in the closet and really has some internalized homophobia.

So now he has fled from Los Angeles to Omaha in search of a new start away from it all. His plan is to get close to no one, let no one in and so save himself from having to leave again.

Nicholas, on the other hand, is a ray of sunshine. Or maybe a Christmas light show. He’s relentlessly cheerful, caring and giving. He loves Christmas and everything to do with it. He has some amazing friends and he shares Christmas joy with everyone. Naturally, he bugs the heck out of Alex.

They have a meet-cute over a box of peppermint bark, where Alex acts like a complete tool. “Alex was indifferent to peppermint. He didn’t have a personal grudge against the flavor, not really. At Christmas, however, indifference became loathing. You have to get past the times he is so rude and obnoxious before he is likeable.

In a coincidence, they end up living in the same apartment building, actually on the same floor. This gives them proximity and gives Nicholas ideas. For his part, Alex desperately wants a new friend but he is terrified that what happened with Mike will happen again. It’s very difficult for him to claw his way out of the fear. As we get to know his story, Alex was breaking my heart. “He bit his lip, rolled over in bed and tried not to cry. His cheeks burned hot with shame.”

Nicholas, despite his positive outlook, is lonely and he is bewitched by Alex, even when Alex isn’t being his best. “Looking down at his apron and socks and then across the room at the baked goods littering his apartment, he was almost ashamed of the overindulgent way he’d been acting.” Nicholas uses baking as a means to stay busy when everyone has holiday plans, so he has no reason to be ashamed. He doesn’t give up on Alex and the way the two of them flirt, via snow and baked goods, is adorable. Nicholas also teaches Alex the value of chosen family. “Alex always used to think the concept was cheesy and ridiculous. Family couldn’t be changed, he’d always thought. You were given one of them. Family was family, friends were friends and the lines were clear.” But he comes to see the difference. Family are the people who have your back no matter what, not necessarily the ones who share your bloodline.

The steps from fearful Alex to true Alex are sometimes very baby steps but he is brave and moves forward. Their date in the blanket fort was so perfect I wanted to cheer. “Here, things were private, soft and quiet. They could talk and truly get to know one another.” It was so Nicholas. The epilogue was also perfect, although I do want to know what happened with Alex’s family.

This is a sweet, low angst holiday story that will definitely go on my holiday re-read list.
...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Natalie panda eyes rated it really liked it

Received from Netgalley. Starts off strongly with one character the grinch and the other on a Christmas sugar high, slipping back and forth between them. I liked both Alex and Nick. Once the balance has settled it’s sweet how they communicate.Probably the cutest Christmas story I’ve read.

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Dec 16, 2019 Dani (ダニ ¦ 다니) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books, m-m-books, arcs

I received this book in exchange for an honest review so here we go

I wanted to read something Christmassy for this time of the year so I requested this book because it wasn't too long and it sounded cute. Cute it was. It was definitely a slower burn but it was good. Realistic for the mindsets the characters were in at that time. The plot is very simple as it should be for a Christmas related book. It's just cute, fluffy and festive with a hint of drama and there you have a Christmas story. The p ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Charlotte rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m-holiday, christmas

Alex is the embodiment of the Grinch when this story begins. He's battling the holiday shoppers for some food and everything is annoying him. He's sick of Christmas carols, holiday spirit, and peppermint... he really hates peppermint. When Alex bumps into a festive stranger named Nicholas ( oh yes, he's impressed that he's named after Santa) Alex has no idea he's meeting a neighbor in his new building.

Alex hasn't really moved to the city just for his education. He's run away from the fact that n ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 Kristie rated it really liked it

I received an ARC of this one through NetGalley, provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Alex Ross can’t catch a break when it comes to Christmastime. With a long history of bad holiday experiences—like getting rejected under the mistletoe or playing referee to his mother’s divorce—he’s just trying to survive it.

New in town and a stranger to everyone, he plans on ignoring the holiday altogether. That would be easier if his ridiculously cheerful new neighbor would c ...more

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Dec 29, 2019 Esi ✨ rated it really liked it

As a hopeless romantic and a Christmas lover, I adored this book. The plot/storyline is a bit cliche, won’t deny that, but the characters are so rich. And after all, don’t we usually read for the characters? I personally identified a lot with Nicholas, who is generally a really cheerful person -especially when it comes to Christmas- but is actually quite unhappy and lonely. Alex’s storyline about accepting his true self while also battling with anxiety and depression was also told beautifully. I ...more

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Dec 22, 2019 Tessa rated it really liked it

This was a really nice read, a bit longer than the other holiday reads I've been reading, which is nice cause you get to know the characters for longer (or at least more words :P). It did start with more angst and internalised homophobia than I expected, so it wasn't the fast cheery holiday feelgood fix I was settling in for, but that came later and was plentyful :D
I did dislike how often the characters equated their eating of nice treats to something that they had to work off again, or somethin ...more

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Dec 30, 2019 Jeff rated it really liked it

A very slow-burning M/M romance heavily steeped in the holiday season. Nicholas and Alex drastically different characters. Alex is determined to find himself (and his way) having had a difficult start in life. Nicholas, through much more self-assured, still is in desperate need of something missing in his life. Will they find it together?

There is a whole of food in this book that might tempt you. If so, you're in luck because many of the recipes in the story are at the end of the book.

I would ...more

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Dec 14, 2019 Mac Paterson rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads

Lovely Christmas romance between one guy who embodies the spirit of Christmas and another who could easily forget about the whole thing.

This is a slow burn that has a great pay off at the end. Alex is very unsure of himself and how to be, he’s just moved and is ready to start a new life he just doesn’t know how. Enter Nicholas, his Christmas crazy neighbour to lend him some kindness and show him what’s out there if he tries.

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Dec 28, 2019 Bryce O'Connor rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, lgbt

A short, sweet holiday romance. I wasn't blown away by the writing, and though I thought it was a cute story, it just ends up being okay. There isn't enough here for me, not enough personality in the writing and even in the characters - beyond mostly surface-level quirks and backstories that are never really explored. Enjoyable enough, just not much more. ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Rox rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, romance, queer

"I didn't realize Christmas was a personality trait." he mocked.

This had a sweet premise, but for me, didn't quite deliver. I would have liked more character building and slow build up of the friendship. I'm just not a fan of insta anything.
I will say that Nicholas was pretty cute with his intense love for Christmas. ...more

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Jan 10, 2020 Coltostallion rated it liked it

I'll admit I'm not generally a huge fan of holiday stories, but this was definitely one of the better ones. Maybe it's just because I could relate to a character who didn't want anything to do with Christmas nonsense at first. I wasn't really won over by the extreme Christmas love Nicholas had and I didn't really care deeply about the characters. A generally nice read for a holiday story, though. ...more

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Dec 16, 2019 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs, christmas, contemporary, fade-to-black, first-time, fluffy, m-m, standalone

Another cute Christmas story between one guy who feels the holiday sprit more than most, and one guy who is a complete grinch about the whole thing. It was a fluffy read, and fun to see the unique ways the guys wooed each other

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Dec 26, 2019 Annarella rated it really liked it

A sweet and festive story that made me smile and root for the characters.
It's well written and the characters are fleshed out.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine. ...more

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