Paralegal Matt Kennington has had his heart broken too many times and is considering staying single forever. One morning in December, a handsome stranger sits beside him on the Metro, and Matt starts to think swearing off men might be a little extreme.
Aaron Roth, a first-year associate at a large law firm, has been looking for the right guy, and when he sees Matt on the Metro, he’s immediately interested. Aaron sits down and introduces himself.
Matt and Aaron are instantly smitten, and by the time they get to their stop, they’ve traded numbers along with promises to talk later. Things soon take a crazy turn when Matt realizes Aaron is one of his new bosses. Their firm has a strict policy against romances between employees, and although they try to resist each other, working together all day makes it impossible.
Unfortunately, someone is watching the two men get closer, and as Matt and Aaron’s relationship heats up, so do things at the office. Will they be able to survive their Chrismukkah crisis and find the love both have been searching for?
This full-length holiday book features new adults, a forbidden workplace romance, instalove, sizzling sexy times, and an extraordinarily happy ending.
Fresh out of college and new to "adulting" we see new lawyer, Aaron. He's tall, brown hair and amber eyes, and perfection in his fitted suit. Also in Washington D.C. on the Metro, we have Matthew, auburn hair and hazel eyes, a paralegal on his way to work. The two 25 yr. olds, chat and are very attracted to each other.
It's an instant spark, which both men feel is the real thing. Shortly after, they discover that Aaron is the new lawyer Matthew will be working with. It's a problem right away, because their stuffy firm adheres to the staid rule of no employee fraternization. So, we learn more about them as they continue to be sneaky and talk, walk, and hang out together, falling for each other every minute. There are a few evil co-workers, and we watch the devastation they cause. Meanwhile our men are in love, and trying to get Matthew transferred.
Their togetherness is profound, meeting families, bonding deeply, with this amazing relationship. Both feel their true love and passion is heaven sent. Aaron is Jewish and Matthew is Catholic, so their holidays meld, and the families are mostly wonderful. Their sexy times are sizzling episodes.
Later, when the dust settles from the twisted upheaval, we get a heartwarming ending and epilogue. ENJOY !
I loved this book it was so sweet and made me long for christmas and I thought the title was genius so all in all a sweet fluffy holiday Romance that Will make you feel warm on the inside
A holiday for everyone! What a warm and wonderful-- yet believable--book! These authors have done it again by enlarging their universe of characters. Our heroes, like all good romantic figures, have to battle the world around them to stay together once change (some call it "insta-love") brought them together. The machinations of a "Big Law" law firm can't be stopped, though. Won't indulge in any spoilers, but a fine and fitting end to a well-written (some call it literary) book. These two guys (the authors, I mean) just keep getting better and better!
I was also glad to see Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood enabled the Kindle X-Ray feature; I use it to keep track of characters and places, and sometimes find that authors use it to share insights with their readers.
I definitely recommend this book to get that happy holiday glow!
Matt and Aaron are such well-written, gorgeous characters, that you can't help swooning at their instalove and rooting for their HEA from the very beginning. Their law firm's rule forbidding employee fraternisation does provide some drama working against couple but mostly, this is a sizzling sweet holiday romance about following your heart for true love. It is perfect for this time of year - or any time you want to feel all warm and gooey inside!
This is the perfect Christmas read. Low on angst although I did hold my breath a few times. Matt and Aaron are two characters you can’t help but fall in love with and be wanting them to get their HEA no matter what. Despite their law firm’s rules, these two follow their hearts even when the odds are against them. True love is always the winner and Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood have truly done justice to their story.
The Chrismukkah Crisis stars Paralegal Matt Kennington, and Lawyer Aaron Roth. The story is narrated through both Matt and Aaron’s eyes.
The blurb does a good job of describing the plot so I won’t rehash it. As with all books, there are things I like about this story and things I don’t. I’ll alternate the things I liked with the things I didn’t for comparison.
First, the title of this book is clever, Chrismukkah. I don’t think there was necessarily a crisis, but Chrismukkah is a good word.
The first half of the book seemed to be about Aaron and Matt meeting, flirting, joking around, and dating. This ‘getting to know you’ phase is very sweet, I mean really sweet. I like cute scenes and I enjoyed the beginning part of the two guys learning about each other, but for me, and this is personal preference, it went on too long and was too sugary. I could only read a little at a time before I had to put the book down because it had too much sweetness. However, I believe other readers will enjoy the level of high fluff because this is a holiday story.
My quick thoughts on the main characters. Aaron is immature. He doesn’t respect rules or boundaries, pushing until he gets his way. He convinces himself that Matt says yes…eventually, so it must be okay. He refuses to accept Matt’s worries, caution or Matt saying no at the beginning. I didn’t like him as a character. His actions didn’t come across as someone who means, ‘I really like you,’ but as a person who wouldn’t respect his partner’s choices or decisions. I liked Matt better. His insecurity seemed real. His reasoning about following rules was legitimate, but he was a pushover because he wanted to belong to someone and to be loved by someone. He therefore gave into Aaron.
Anyone who reads my reviews knows I’m not a fan of first person narration because the pov doesn’t pull me into the story. However, in this case, the authors did a good job of the characters presenting their feelings and describing their environment so I felt pulled into what was happening in their lives. I also liked that the authors used the character names to differentiate a change of view. That was a plus.
Saying that, the name indicators were necessary. In the beginning the characters’ voices sounded different, especially Matt’s insecure internal monologue. As the story progressed, both Aaron and Matt’s voices grew more alike and I had difficulty figuring out who was talking, even after I read the pov name. The narration sounded like one character until I realized it wasn’t. I’d have to stop reading and search back to see whose pov it was. This of course pulled me out of the story.
I enjoyed the second half of the story more because there was more variation on what was happening in the plot compared to the first half. Interesting events occurred at the law office, and family situations came into play. Secondary characters were introduced, who I also found interesting.
I want to mention one thing that bothered me a lot in this story. It may be an, ‘it’s me, not you’, but I’ve never run into this in a book before, except maybe in BDSM. There’s a lot of face slapping and smacking going on between Aaron and Matt. I’m guessing it’s meant to be a funny or affectionate gesture, but I don’t consider slapping or smacking a face to be affectionate or funny, unless the couple is into it as a kink. Sure, sports players slap each other’s backs, asses and arms, but a date slapping your face? If a date slapped me, they’d have crossed a line and I’d give them an angry piece of my mind. It would be a definite deal breaker. All the face slapping, and the way it’s phrased in the story it’s not a light tap, but smacking, is disturbing.
My overall impression of The Chrismukkah Crisis, is that it fits the holiday genre and is very sweet. I’m sure many readers will enjoy the sweetness. The authors did a good job pulling me into the story. However, I found it difficult to differentiate the characters’ voices as the story progressed. That still didn’t bother me as much as the overabundance of face slapping and smacking. I give this book, 3 Stars, taking off one star each for the similarity between the characters’ voices and the face smacking/slapping.
I received a copy of this book through Booksprout for an honest and unbiased review.
I'm sorry to say that this did not work for me at all. From over the top metaphors - erupting lava anyone - to declarations of love and marriage proposals when the two people clearly do not trust each other. There's the sheer sense of entitlement of one of the MCs who seems to feel that rules do not apply to him. I get that there must be obstacles even in a romance, but going full-steam ahead and creating avoidable obstacles for someone you only met the previous day broke my suspension of disbelief. It's well-written and one of the MCs is at least somewhat likeable. but the story went from the highest highs to the lowest lows and back to the highest high again with no pauses to take a breath. At no point did this feel even slightly realistic and one of the MCs annoyed me so much that I almost did not finish it and I always finish books I start.
So nice to go back and read Ryan Taylor's backlist to get the origin stories on some characters I've heard about in their later Bethesda Barracudas books.
This was a terrific story. So glad I went back and delved into Taylor's older books!
4.5☆ sweet and entertaining This story has wonderful characters and clever writing with great descriptions that really pull you in and keep your interest. I enjoyed the internal dialogue and the dual pov. Matt and Aaron meet while on their way to work and the instant spark of attraction surprises them both, but not as much as learning they work for the same company. They have struggles, both individually and together that they need to work through, as well as nasty people to deal with, twists, angst, and doubts. Matt and Aaron are so sweet, but they are also funny, share a quick but genuine connection, and a whole lot of steamy sexy times before they accept their love "for keeps" and earn their sweetly satisfying HEA. Tiny spoiler: The only thing I did not like in this story was all the face slapping, even if it was done in a sort of playful way.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love a hot, sexy, but sweet M/M romance and this one did not disappoint. It was super sexy, super sweet, and super fun to read. It is awesome when the "switch things up" every once in a while.
Great story line, awesome characters, fantastic detailed descriptions, and engaging dialogue. However......I am a HUGE Multi pov fan, but even for me...this was too much. Multi times in a chapter the pov would switch. Yes we were told who was up, but going 1 or 2 pages, then switching it up, then going back again only a few pages later in the same chapter, is way too much. I felt like I was in a bouncy house being jostled around way too much.
Written as a 1st person, like I said multi pov, with a HEA.
Would I recommend this book? Yes
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Sassy Beta Reading and Review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Matt and Aaron met on the metro they had no idea how much their life was going to change. Instantly attracted to each other, they are looking forward to seeing each other again. But when Matt finds himself transferred to a new department, they find they work for the same law firm with a strict anti-fraternization policy. Although I really liked the developing relationship between Matt and Aaron, I did have some issues with the way they ignored the company policy. Even having been warned about their behavior they continued to flirt and kiss at work. I think ultimately they have a good relationship. They do have some issues beyond the company policy, but there was a real sweetness to how they treat each other that I enjoyed.
Started of great, I enjoyed the alternate povs between Aaron and Matthew it was interesting to see the relationship develop along with the complications how they each handled the situation. However it slowed down quickly for me and I struggled until about halfway through where plot picked up again with interesting plot points, I loved the side characters of Aarons family and friends. Its super sweet the combination of Christmas and hannukah, the ending was lovely and it all worked out perfectly - I adore a hea.
It got a bit confusing with the povs after a while as switched between so often, I sometimes lost track of who I was reading from until names mentioned. However I still enjoyed this book as a whole as a sweet romance and holiday theme. Aaron and Matthew have incredible chemistry, they balance each other out and it was just so feel good to see them fight for their relationship.
Is it the most DC story ever to meet on the metro and realize you work at the same law firm?! I love it.
This is a sweet read that has more depth and (a little family darkness) than I was expecting - in a good way. It was such an awesome surprise to start a new book and realize it's based here in DC! And includes what is definitely the first reference to my hometown in a novel that I've read (Springfield, VA). This is the first book I've read from these authors, we meet another couple (Liam and John) whose own story is referenced vaguely, and I found after the fact that they have 2 books of their own - I'll be reading those next, and looking forward to anything else to come.
I have never had as fruitful a ride on the Metro. Matthew and Aaron met on the Metro in instant lust with each other. Then thtey learn they work at the same lawfirm and Aaron is in Matt's chain of command. The company has strict rules against fraternization. What can they do? Discretion? Deception? Blatant rule breaking? Relationships are challenging enough, without it affecting your livlihood. Both Matthew and Aaron are lovable characters and you just want to jump in and help them. Not everyone at work is compassionate or supportive. Family and friends are supportive, welcoming and inclusive. What changes will Matt and Aaron need to make? Delightful story, well done! I received an ARC from Booksprout for a review.
Matt meets Aaron on the Metro train on the way to work one morning. Matt works as a paralegal, doing research and assisting lawyers in the real estate department of a big law firm. Aaron is an associate lawyer working in the T and E department of the same big law firm. Matt gets transferred to the T & E department. Matt and Aaron try to stay away from each other but are unsuccessful. What will happen when upped management finds out about Aaron and Matt. Who will get fired? Who will quite? hat will Aaron's dad say when Aaron tells him? Can Matt find the love he is looking for? Will Aaron find the love he is looking for?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A sweet, heartwarming MM holiday romance with a interesting plot & good scene descriptions. The characters (Matt & Aaron) are well-developed & have likable personalities but naturally there is a manipulative father (Mr Roth) trying to cause problems. There is: some drama, mild twists, workplace rules & issues, mild anguish, memories, attractions, verbal banter, friendship, attempted blackmail, legal manipulations, confrontations, anger, family issues, emotional turmoil, friendship, insecurities, doubts, happiness, love, contentment & a delightful conclusion. I enjoyed reading this book & would recommend it.
I have read their previous books , No Brief Affair and Legally Bound which were written well with a great story line.
This their latest book The Chrismukkah is brilliant the whole book holds it's own .
Two wonderful guys who meet on the metro then their lives fall into place or so I thought ! Life and people get between them but ….... I won't add teasers all I want to say is this is a beautiful book written exceptionally well .. Congratulations guys ...
Normally, I don’t comment in that great detail in my reviews. Over all, this was a greats, cute Christmas/Hanukkah story. However, a few things just didn’t quite sit right with me on this one. I did feel that the one character - the attorney - should have known better about getting involved at work and was a bit naive for an attorney. Also, the second half of the story was really good - the first half dragged a bit when it was just the two of them; the other characters they added livened up the book a lot!
All in all, a good holiday story!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Such a good story! The characters are immediately likable and relatable and you immediately want to find out how the book ends! It’s funny and sweet and romantic. There are ups and downs with these guys but you have to love how they care for one another. Now my very favorite part was the holiday theme. It’s such a magical time of year anyway and the authors made good use of this as part of this tale. If you want a good weekend read to get you into the holiday spirit, order this book!👍🏻
This is the PERFECT holiday book! I was immediately drawn in and pulling for the main characters, Matt and Aaron. The story is sweet and engaging, with enough conflict to keep it interesting but not enough to make it heavy, and the ending—well let’s just say it is one of the most satisfying HEA endings to a romance book I’ve read in a long time. Taylor and Harwood’s other books are really good, but this one is great, and I can’t wait to read what’s coming next.
This book gave me all the feels that I was looking for in an emotional holiday read. It was definitely sweet but had a nice balance smoldering chemistry too. It was really well written with a great storyline that kept me reading, but I think that the blurb should include a kink warning about the face slapping so that some wont consider it as abuse.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the best holiday book I’ve read for a few years. It’s sweet and warm, but with enough meat to make it satisfying. Low angst, which I really appreciate this time of year. I’ve read all three of these authors’ books and like them all, but this one’s the best so far. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
I absolutely loved this book! This is the first book I have read from Ryan and I will definitely be reading more of his books!! Both of the main characters Matt and Aaron are sweet, kind, wonderful sweet hearted men!! I loved watching the relationship grow! It had all the feels and it had some hot scenes!! This book was Awesome!!!
The instalove aspect of the story is my only real problem with this. Otherwise, a great story with sweet characters. The senior Mr. Roth is a bit one-note, but otherwise the Roth boys are great. I hope Ben meets someone or finds and reconciles with Amy. Matt was well developed and is very realistic. His fears and insecurities are believable and the way they are dealt with feels believable.
Aaron and Matt meet on the Metro going to work. They exchanged phone numbers with a promise to talk that night. Matt gets to work and he find out he's been transferred. When he gets there who does he see Aaron. They're going to be working together so they won't be able to date because it's against policy. Will they be able to work something out? I really enjoyed this book.