Sunday, December 9, 2018

Holiday Island by A.D. Ellis – Warmest Wishes


No peacocks were harmed in the making of this story.

Rafa’s nautical skills are less than stellar. He’d rather be a full-time artist, but he has a duty to the family business and a fear of standing up to his father and brother.

Carpenter Lucas is determined to rebuild his business after a lover’s betrayal nearly destroyed it. But he runs into a snag when he misses the last boat to the job site.

Rafa offers to take him, but Rafa isn’t much of a sailor.

When they end up on the wrong island, fears for survival gradually give way to an appreciation of the beauty around them—and each other. Rafa insists a holiday miracle will save them, and he teases Lucas for being a Scrooge.

In the end, Rafa’s miracle might come from the last place he expects: inside himself.

Add to Goodreads –


Advent Calendar Day 9

Buy Links

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Dreamspinner Press



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela☆☆☆☆
No peacocks were harmed in the making of this story. Now that’s one of the most bizarre disclaimers I’ve ever encountered in a book. So obviously, I had to find out why it’s a disclaimer. And I literally laughed out loud once I realized just why peacocks had the potential of being harmed. It certainly gives new meaning to the phrase cock block.

In addition to the humor, A.D. Ellis has packed a lot into Holiday Island. Granted, stranding two, strapping young gay men on a deserted island and giving them complementing baggage to lament and bond over made for a fast yet believable connection – particularly as the author avoided declarations of love. I liked that Rafa’s youthful optimism worked its way under Lucas’ skin, enabling the man to move past his disappointment at missing out on the construction job and embrace the opportunity to slow down and enjoy what the island had to offer. In the same vein, I liked that spending time with Lucas and the plans they made gave Rafa the courage he needed to excise the toxic familial relationships that were holding him back while making it clear that he would not be cutting off contact with his supportive family members. Like many of the advent calendar stories I’ve read, Holiday Island serves as the start of a relationship, and in this case, it’s the start of a business relationship and a friendship that both men would like to see become more. It was a sweet story with just the right amount of drama, heat, and sand and sun to make Rafa’s holiday miracle come to pass.



A.D. ELLIS is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana teaching alternative education in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing school-aged children, and laughing at two precocious cats. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.

She loves chocolate, wine, pizza, and naps, along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework, much to the chagrin of her husband of nearly two decades. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.

Connect with A.D.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram


https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Warmest Wishes: Holiday Island by A.D. Ellis to read and review.

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