Gifts of the Season

Harry & Mike #0.5

by Jenna Hilary Sinclair

Elaine and her son Danny are stranded when their car runs off the road during a snowstorm. Their rescuer, Mike, is one half of the openly gay couple that owns a ranch nearby. Fascinated each for their own reason, Elaine and Danny learn about their neighbors and discover that friendship can be one of the most cherished gifts.

Genres: M M Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Gay, Contemporary, Romance

49 pages, ebook

First published December 1, 2008

About the author

For years Jenna Hilary Sinclair approached creative writing as if she were looking over the edge of a cliff—the view was terrifying but seductive. She couldn’t comprehend how anyone could compose a complex plot and have the patience to put it on the page. But one day she sat down, picked up a pen, and much to her astonishment, a novel began to take shape.

Since that day, Jenna’s been in an exhilarating free fall. She lives her own life plus the lives of her characters, searches for the answers to the most important questions—What is love? Where is courage? Why is there fear?—and has a wonderful time writing gay romance.

Jenna is fiercely in favor of GLBT rights, kindness, keeping promises, and mountains. She lives in the Great American Southwest with her beloved husband, two cats, and a hundred characters dancing in her head. Some of them dance together. She hopes the music never stops.

Visit Jenna’s blogs at http://jenna-hilary.livejournal.com and http://jenna-smiling.livejournal.com.

Reviews

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short quick holiday story. Elaine and her son Danny are stranded when their car runs off the road during a snowstorm. When Mike comes to their rescue they learn a lot about the man and his partner Harry they own a ranch nearby. This was a short quick read with no errors in grammar or spelling. This was my first time reading this author and I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really interesting, quite deep for a short story. Told from several different POV's and set in 1990, it's the story of 16-year-old Danny, his mother, Elaine, and the gay couple who help them during a snow storm.

[Lioness7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read. I think it was too short for the storyline though. I also thought the ending was kinda abrupt. I did like what the book was about though. It was interesting and made you want to know more about Harry and Mike. So, I guess as a start to a series, it made you want to try the next book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Elaine and her four children have joined her husband Gilbert at their new home in Elk Ridge. The ladies of the First Baptist Ladies' Guild visited quickly to help the family settle in, and wasted no time telling Elaine all about Mike and Harry, the two gay men living together on a nearby ranch. As a Unitarian Universalist, Elaine is open and accepting of others no matter who they are. And she is quite interested in hearing about the two men. Her son Danny is sixteen, morose, unhappy, and never talks, more so than an average teenager. Elaine worries about her son, and wonders about him. Could it be that he is like these men? Is that what he can't talk to her about, why he is so unhappy?

When a brutal snowstorm worsens sooner than expected, Elaine doesn't have enough supplies for the family if they end up getting snowed in for a week. Quickly she runs out to the store, taking Danny with her, but on the way back the white out caused by the snow causes Elaine to miss the turn and their car ends up stuck in a ditch. Mike comes to their rescue, and when they can't get the car out, Mike and Harry take Elaine and Danny back to their home to wait out the worst of the storm. Danny has his own storm of thoughts going on in his head, thoughts stirred up by meeting Mike and Harry. Thoughts he hasn't shared with anyone, even his mom.

This is a fascinating story in all respects, one that I greatly enjoyed. As soon as I started reading I was immersed in the story and wasn't let go until the very last word. I love the character of Elaine, she is a beautiful soul that is so wonderfully accepting of others. She is determined to provide an open and tolerant atmosphere for her son in hopes that he will feel comfortable enough to talk to her about what is on his mind. Danny is so perfectly written as a sixteen year old figuring out who he is and struggling with how to tell those around him. The story is set in 1990, back when it wasn't quite so easy for high school students to come out of the closet. Mike and Harry are wonderful characters as well, determined to live their lives the way they want no matter what anyone else thinks. Mike is quite perceptive and offers Danny a bit of advice and guidance, and with just a few words he makes a huge impact on the young man's life.

The story is structured in a most interesting way - it is so perfect and provides just the right insight at each part of the story, focusing the reader's attention. I loved getting a chance to be inside both Elaine and Danny, and each character is quite distinct and equally captivating. The first half of the story is told from Elaine's viewpoint while the second switches to Danny. The third part circles back around and reflects on gifts that different people of the town have received, ending with Danny, Harry, Mike and then finally Elaine. Material gifts are lovely but the gifts that Danny and Elaine receive from their new friends are much more important. It is a touching and heartwarming ending to a truly beautiful story. I am definitely looking forward to more stories from this author!

http://emily83176.livejournal.com/361...

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to hear from Mike and Harry again. The last we saw of them was in One Marriage and Three Weddings. In Gifts of the Season they are called upon to help two stranded neighbors during a winter snow storm. Being the good guys that Mike and Harry are, they gladly lend a helping hand and the neighbors get more than they expected. This is a very sweet and touching story that explores what it means to be gay, and out, in a small town. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gifts of the Season and I give it three stars.

[Melora · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ - Decent, if somewhat unremarkable.
Gentle story about a open-minded mother who worries that her son might be gay, and the son who knows he's gay, but is afraid of how different that makes him and what it all means. They get the opportunity to observe a local gay couple and realize they aren't that different than anyone else and by the end the son is ready to have "the talk" with his mom. Mike and Harry take the roll of side characters here, helping and sharing in a time of need. It seems like there are a bunch of things going on in the background that are touched on, but not really explored as this is just a brief snippet of their lives.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the prequel to One Marriage and Three Weddings. It is really the story of Danny, a 16 year old who gets stranded in a snow storm with his mother and they are assisted by the two gay men in town. Danny, who is currently trying to come to terms with his sexuality looks to the men as a curiosity of what he could be. His mother also suspects and seems to want to befriend the men. Nice story.

[melek · Rating 4 out of 5]

set in the 1990s, mike and harry live in a town quietly, one day mother and son get stuck and one helps out, they stay at there place. And Elaine son Danny starts to wonder how if his guy and how wonders things about harry and mike.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I really connect with the way Jenna Hilary Sinclair writes. This was an amazing story. Very very well done.