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Snow Globes #4
Catch a Falling Snowflake
The previous winter, Leon followed his twin sister Sara to a new town where she could be with her partner, Amber. There, Leon’s boyfriend Nick, friends Jeff and Daniel, and their nine-year-old daughter Abby, swiftly swept him up into their lives, a newfound family.
After a year of growing their relationship, Leon is ready to take it to the next level. Nick, however, has been stalling. When Ben, Abby’s best friend, is suddenly abandoned, Leon is excited to finally care for the children he’s always wanted. Haunted by the mistakes of his past, Nick attempts to reconcile his feelings of inadequacy as a parent with Leon’s wishes.
Against the backdrop of winter holidays filled with traditions from around the world, it is up to Leon to decide if he’s willing to stand by Nick, or if he should find his happiness elsewhere.
Catch a Falling Snowflake, the fourth story in the Snow Globes holiday series, can be read as a stand-alone, but greater enjoyment will come with reading about these characters in the order written.
After a year of growing their relationship, Leon is ready to take it to the next level. Nick, however, has been stalling. When Ben, Abby’s best friend, is suddenly abandoned, Leon is excited to finally care for the children he’s always wanted. Haunted by the mistakes of his past, Nick attempts to reconcile his feelings of inadequacy as a parent with Leon’s wishes.
Against the backdrop of winter holidays filled with traditions from around the world, it is up to Leon to decide if he’s willing to stand by Nick, or if he should find his happiness elsewhere.
Catch a Falling Snowflake, the fourth story in the Snow Globes holiday series, can be read as a stand-alone, but greater enjoyment will come with reading about these characters in the order written.
- GenresChristmas
62 pages, ebook
First published November 23, 2020
14 people want to read
About the author
Ava Kelly
23 books31 followersAva Kelly is an engineer with a deep passion for stories. Whether reading, watching, or writing them, Ava has always been surrounded by tales of all genres. Their goal is to bring more stories to life, especially those of friendship and compassion, those dedicated to trope subversion, those that give the void a voice, and those that spawn worlds of their own.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 21, 2020
A wonderful conclusion to the series! The little details in the writing make everything feel more real, the recap at the beginning was done in such a clever way, and then there were all the fun moments with the kids and the warm fuzzies. I beta-read this book in early October but was completely in the mood for Christmas by the time I'd finished the story!
December 26, 2020
Well this started of well. i liked the story line and how we have so many diverse family units within the one family. I like the idea of taking in a child but then it starts getting a little weird. The relationship starts to break down and there is no real end. You don't know what really happens. I was enjoying the story and then it was finished and I was left wanting more. Even if it was an extra 10 pages to tie up the story. The writing was good and I was sucked into the story.
November 19, 2020
2.5 stars
If you're looking for a cute Christmas book. This is not it. This one was hard to review for me because although it wasn't a bad book, there was just so much angst and drama that sometimes felt unnecessary... oh my God it was too much. That plus the fact that it felt messy with no chapters and I sometimes didn't know who's pov I was reading, made me not enjoy this.
There is also the fact that I didn't really like the main characters. I didn't find them appealing, didn't buy they were in love or why would they be in love. And because the author said things instead of showing them things got lost in the plot. I just... I didn't like it. Maybe with a better structure or editing this could be more enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you're looking for a cute Christmas book. This is not it. This one was hard to review for me because although it wasn't a bad book, there was just so much angst and drama that sometimes felt unnecessary... oh my God it was too much. That plus the fact that it felt messy with no chapters and I sometimes didn't know who's pov I was reading, made me not enjoy this.
There is also the fact that I didn't really like the main characters. I didn't find them appealing, didn't buy they were in love or why would they be in love. And because the author said things instead of showing them things got lost in the plot. I just... I didn't like it. Maybe with a better structure or editing this could be more enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
This was a good short story which I read in the one sitting, it only took me a couple of hours. I haven't ever read an LGBTQ+ book before and some of the trigger warnings as noted by the author was very sensitive and hard to think about but overall, really good read.
November 22, 2020
I liked the way this book shows that there are multiple ways to form a family, in many forms. I also enjoyed how it wove the winter stormy theme of the other parts of the series into it, without getting repetitious.
December 30, 2022
I love this series ^.^
queer found family holiday feel good vibes.
queer found family holiday feel good vibes.
December 31, 2020
This is the fourth novella in a series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Leon is a trans-man who fell hard for Nick about a year ago. Nick has more baggage than he can carry on most days, but he’s been working toward it. He was married to a woman who died in childbirth and he didn’t cope well. He essentially abandoned his daughter to his best friend, Jeff, his wife’s twin brother and grieving uncle to young Abby. In previous novels in this series Nick returned to his old town, to check in on Jeff and Abby, and made a bit of a hash of it. Jeff is married to Daniel, a child psychologist and math teacher. They have a loving home with Abby, and they have embraced Nick and Leon. Leon’s twin sister Sara is Jeff’s current bestie–and her wife, Amber, is trying to conceive so they can have a child.
Leon has asked Nick to move in, and Nick has refused to answer. Nick still struggles with his self-worth, though medication and therapy have helped. He has a need for silent time, even though he and Leon are almost always sleeping together. Leon, who also teachers, gets a call to help out with a domestic issue. Ben, who is ten, is best pals with Abby–and well-known to the extended crew of Jeff and Daniel’s friends. Ben was in the foster care of his deceased mother’s sibling, who is married. This couple never intended to adopt him, and now that one of them has a new job opportunity, they’ve decided to leave him and Child Protective Services with a suitcase while they move across the country days before Christmas. Ben is heartbroken, as much as he will let on. He’s glued to Nick, as he’s a man whom he recognizes from all the time they’ve both spent with Abby at Jeff’s home.
Leon is a prime candidate for fostering Ben, so he claims him immediately to keep Ben in familiar surroundings. Leon would adopt him in a heartbeat, if he knew Nick was on board. But, Nick…well, he’s already failed at fatherhood once. And’ he’s not keen on trying again. It’s the holidays and Leon fells like Nick is slipping from his grasp. It’s a bittersweet moment of perhaps having his heart’s desire, in a new home, stable relationship and raising a child with a loving partner, knowing these dreams might not include Nick.
There’s a lot going on with all the different characters and their story lines. Thing is, I was able to tumble into this complicated and loving cadre of folks who really are the sweetest and most tender and loving of people. There is a happy ending, but not with the sparkling tinsel bow one might expect of a Christmas-themed romance. That said, Ben was taken in by loving folks, Abby displayed keen insight into her bio dad’s issues and Leon and Nick came out stronger and better than ever.
Leon is a trans-man who fell hard for Nick about a year ago. Nick has more baggage than he can carry on most days, but he’s been working toward it. He was married to a woman who died in childbirth and he didn’t cope well. He essentially abandoned his daughter to his best friend, Jeff, his wife’s twin brother and grieving uncle to young Abby. In previous novels in this series Nick returned to his old town, to check in on Jeff and Abby, and made a bit of a hash of it. Jeff is married to Daniel, a child psychologist and math teacher. They have a loving home with Abby, and they have embraced Nick and Leon. Leon’s twin sister Sara is Jeff’s current bestie–and her wife, Amber, is trying to conceive so they can have a child.
Leon has asked Nick to move in, and Nick has refused to answer. Nick still struggles with his self-worth, though medication and therapy have helped. He has a need for silent time, even though he and Leon are almost always sleeping together. Leon, who also teachers, gets a call to help out with a domestic issue. Ben, who is ten, is best pals with Abby–and well-known to the extended crew of Jeff and Daniel’s friends. Ben was in the foster care of his deceased mother’s sibling, who is married. This couple never intended to adopt him, and now that one of them has a new job opportunity, they’ve decided to leave him and Child Protective Services with a suitcase while they move across the country days before Christmas. Ben is heartbroken, as much as he will let on. He’s glued to Nick, as he’s a man whom he recognizes from all the time they’ve both spent with Abby at Jeff’s home.
Leon is a prime candidate for fostering Ben, so he claims him immediately to keep Ben in familiar surroundings. Leon would adopt him in a heartbeat, if he knew Nick was on board. But, Nick…well, he’s already failed at fatherhood once. And’ he’s not keen on trying again. It’s the holidays and Leon fells like Nick is slipping from his grasp. It’s a bittersweet moment of perhaps having his heart’s desire, in a new home, stable relationship and raising a child with a loving partner, knowing these dreams might not include Nick.
There’s a lot going on with all the different characters and their story lines. Thing is, I was able to tumble into this complicated and loving cadre of folks who really are the sweetest and most tender and loving of people. There is a happy ending, but not with the sparkling tinsel bow one might expect of a Christmas-themed romance. That said, Ben was taken in by loving folks, Abby displayed keen insight into her bio dad’s issues and Leon and Nick came out stronger and better than ever.
September 5, 2021
3/21 of my 2021 Christmas Reading goals.
Being a reader who is completely influenced by covers and not ashamed to say it, this beautiful cover sold me on this read. Unfortunately, this is one of those times that I should have looked a little deeper at what the story was truly about and maybe read some reviews before putting my hands on this one. The cover does not match the story, in my opinion.
I would HIGHLY suggest that these books be read in order. I read this as a stand-alone and was very confused simply by the sheer number of characters talked about on the first 2 pages. There were so many confusing connections between them that I had to read the first few pages 3 times and I still was confused. So tip #1 to enjoy this book would be to start on Book 1.
Also, this book is filled with DRAMA. And I mean the heavy kind. It's not a sweet, Christmas themed story. There is a lot going on and Christmas is really just the backdrop, not the feature. This was a bit of a let-down for me as the cover is super cute and it looks like it will be a cutesy, holiday short story. Tip #2 is that you should be ready for angst and sadness when you pick this one up.
The very nature of a short story is getting a quick peek in to a setting or characters lives that is usually pretty surface level and wraps it's story up within 100 pages or so. While this story fit the page goal, the ending was so rushed for me that I was left with so many questions. I didn't really like feeling like so many items weren't resolved and since this is touted as being able to be read as a stand-alone, the ending really missed the mark for me. Tip #3 for enjoying this book is loving short stories without a fully closed ending.
Overall, this one really missed the mark for me. If you like some heavy, not cutesy, drama with your Christmas reading and can invest your time over all 4 books, then you are the right reader for this series.
Thank you to #NineStarPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Being a reader who is completely influenced by covers and not ashamed to say it, this beautiful cover sold me on this read. Unfortunately, this is one of those times that I should have looked a little deeper at what the story was truly about and maybe read some reviews before putting my hands on this one. The cover does not match the story, in my opinion.
I would HIGHLY suggest that these books be read in order. I read this as a stand-alone and was very confused simply by the sheer number of characters talked about on the first 2 pages. There were so many confusing connections between them that I had to read the first few pages 3 times and I still was confused. So tip #1 to enjoy this book would be to start on Book 1.
Also, this book is filled with DRAMA. And I mean the heavy kind. It's not a sweet, Christmas themed story. There is a lot going on and Christmas is really just the backdrop, not the feature. This was a bit of a let-down for me as the cover is super cute and it looks like it will be a cutesy, holiday short story. Tip #2 is that you should be ready for angst and sadness when you pick this one up.
The very nature of a short story is getting a quick peek in to a setting or characters lives that is usually pretty surface level and wraps it's story up within 100 pages or so. While this story fit the page goal, the ending was so rushed for me that I was left with so many questions. I didn't really like feeling like so many items weren't resolved and since this is touted as being able to be read as a stand-alone, the ending really missed the mark for me. Tip #3 for enjoying this book is loving short stories without a fully closed ending.
Overall, this one really missed the mark for me. If you like some heavy, not cutesy, drama with your Christmas reading and can invest your time over all 4 books, then you are the right reader for this series.
Thank you to #NineStarPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 23, 2020
CATCH A FALLING SNOWFLAKE is Book 4 in the SNOW GLOBES series by Ava Kelly. The series is best read in order, but each book can stand alone. I hadn't read the other three but was able to enjoy this book anyway.
I really liked the author's writing style. It's calm and contained and effortless to read. At the same time, there's a lot of strong emotion in this book. It's just presented in an understated way.
The opening includes a lot of exposition to cover the things the reader needs to know from the previous three books. I thought it was handled well, though. As a result, the action doesn't really start until about a quarter of the way through the book. But because it's a novella, it doesn't take long to get there.
At first, the family relationships take precedence over the romance. Nick and Leon are already together when the book begins. But once the cracks in the relationship start to show, everything starts to make sense. It's a quiet story, but there's a lot of emotional drama.
I love family sagas, and that's what this is. It's abbreviated—a story in a small package, like a snow globe—but definitely worth the read.
Thanks, NetGalley and NineStar Press, for the ARC I received.
I really liked the author's writing style. It's calm and contained and effortless to read. At the same time, there's a lot of strong emotion in this book. It's just presented in an understated way.
The opening includes a lot of exposition to cover the things the reader needs to know from the previous three books. I thought it was handled well, though. As a result, the action doesn't really start until about a quarter of the way through the book. But because it's a novella, it doesn't take long to get there.
At first, the family relationships take precedence over the romance. Nick and Leon are already together when the book begins. But once the cracks in the relationship start to show, everything starts to make sense. It's a quiet story, but there's a lot of emotional drama.
I love family sagas, and that's what this is. It's abbreviated—a story in a small package, like a snow globe—but definitely worth the read.
Thanks, NetGalley and NineStar Press, for the ARC I received.
November 25, 2020
I fell in love with these from the earlier books, but there's something special about this one for me.
In particular I've been fascinated with Nick's growth and development - he's a traumatized character who's fallen down time and time again but he's trying so hard despite it, and you can't help but root for him despite the mistakes he's made in the past. It's difficult to make a controversial character (referring to his actions with his niece and wife's death, and his relationship with her brother and his partner) genuinely likeable, but I do like him. And I love that he's not instantly "fixed" or ready for the whole 'two kids, picket fence' deal in this one; he's still struggling with his demons, yet he's making an effort.
And Leon's always going to be great. (I did get a lil emotional when they were talking - I mean, isn't that what we all want? Someone's who's going to try for you, because they love you?) Yeah. I love 'em.
Ava's books are always a delight, and this is no exception.
In particular I've been fascinated with Nick's growth and development - he's a traumatized character who's fallen down time and time again but he's trying so hard despite it, and you can't help but root for him despite the mistakes he's made in the past. It's difficult to make a controversial character (referring to his actions with his niece and wife's death, and his relationship with her brother and his partner) genuinely likeable, but I do like him. And I love that he's not instantly "fixed" or ready for the whole 'two kids, picket fence' deal in this one; he's still struggling with his demons, yet he's making an effort.
And Leon's always going to be great. (I did get a lil emotional when they were talking - I mean, isn't that what we all want? Someone's who's going to try for you, because they love you?) Yeah. I love 'em.
Ava's books are always a delight, and this is no exception.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2020
Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of: Catch a Falling Snowflake for an honest review.
This book just did not do anything for me. Poor character development to where I just didn't relate to any character. I didn't feel anything reading this book.
This book just did not do anything for me. Poor character development to where I just didn't relate to any character. I didn't feel anything reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews