Amy Yip

Friends and family can be particularly insistent on seeing “their own” happy, particularly around Christmas. In this story, Jamie has just been through a bad breakup, has had to move back home and work in the family restaurant, and a lot of people worry about him. His parents and mother’s British family know he is gay, but his father’s Malaysian/Chinese family are not yet aware. So when Jamie meets a potential new boyfriend just before his aunt and grandmother fly in for a visit, he is a little worried. It almost seems as if Fate steps in on his behalf, and I loved the “solution” the author came up with to ensure things go a lot more smoothly than expected.

Jamie is very hesitant to date again. His “meddling” friends have different ideas and introduce him to Nick. While Jamie is still wondering whether to be upset or not, Nick is being so nice about the whole situation, that all worries quickly vanish. Not to mention what happens when snow begins to fall and it becomes apparent that most of the UK does come to a standstill - just when Jamie’s relatives need picking up from the airport.

If you like short, fun stories about the blossoming of a new romance, if you want to read about a man who has suffered an overbearing boyfriend, and if you’re looking for a read that is entertaining and sweet, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (more)

As a collection of stories, I think the 2015 Advent Calendar was one of the best of its kind. I have been following these since 2009, but the number of stories I totally adored has never been this high. And even though I had my ten favorites (see individual titles for my reviews and ratings), I really liked the vast majority of the remainder as well. Each story had something to contribute, and that included (as it does every year) stories of winter traditions other than Christian. I had a ball reading these and already look forward to the 2016 collection.


NOTE: The stories in this collection were provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of reviews on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (more)