The
hockey has-been, the barista, and some holiday magic…
COURT
Cut from the team, fired my agent… now what?
This can’t be it for me. Unfortunately, the phone isn’t ringing. My best bet is
to head home for the holidays and regroup.
Problem: I don’t know what to do with myself. Helping out at the rink might be
my ticket out of here, but nothing is happening fast enough. And then there’s
Ivan. No, no, it’s not what you think. We went to school together. We’re
acquaintance-friends… nothing more.
But you know, I like him. A lot. He’s funny and relentlessly upbeat. I’m a
better person when I’m with him—the kind who volunteers to deck the halls and
wrap garland on lampposts and—
Whoa. What’s happening here?
IVAN
I love the holidays! But running the coffee shop on my own during the busiest
season of the year is going to be a challenge. And the sudden appearance of my
former crush is all kinds of distracting.
See, I spent my formative years mooning over Court Henderson, our high school’s
hockey phenom, even though he was out of my league. Thankfully, I grew up and
left the silly remnants of my youth behind. Or did I?
Grown-up Court is full of surprises, and under his gruff yet extremely fine
exterior, he’s a good soul with a huge heart. He’s charming, sweet, handsome,
and— Uh-oh.
My crush is back. Just in time for the holidays…
Holiday Crush is an MM bisexual, small town romance featuring a renewed
ancient crush, some mistletoe latte art, and a little seasonal magic.
Book
3
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~ Also Available with
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Court shook his head at my amazing, incredible Christmas tree on his way to the door. “I can’t get over that thing. It’s wild.”
I beamed. “I know. I love it. I buy a regular tree too, even though it’s holiday overkill. But who cares? This is my favorite time of year, and I celebrate to the nth degree!”
He shoved his arms into his jacket, a playful grin on his handsome mug. “And do you celebrate by watching scary movies and stringing candy corn and plastic spiders into garland?”
“No, smartass, but damn, that’s a great idea for Halloween next year.”
He chuckled. “So… what do you do for Christmas?”
I braced my left hand on the doorjamb and cast a quick glance at the fireplace to keep from staring at my guest. Standing a foot apart in the cramped doorway between my foyer and living room felt oddly intimate. Court took up space in my tiny abode, with his broad shoulders, towering height, and big muscles. I was more aware of him than ever. It took me a second to gather my thoughts and remember what we were talking about.
Christmas. Right.
“The usual—decorate my house, string lights outside, drape fresh garland everywhere. And yes, there’s always mistletoe. I also watch holiday movies and listen to Christmas music from mid-November till the end of the year. I bake cookies too, which always turn out to be a hot mess, but baking is festive and fun, and my family and friends are kind enough to compliment me anyway. And… I sign up for every holiday event in town, including the Skate with Santa party at the rink, caroling at Wood Hollow’s Home for the elderly, Toys for Tots Sled Fest next to the Christmas Tree Farm in Fallbrook, and of course, Holiday Bingo. By the way, all of those, including Bingo, have volunteer positions… if you’re interested.”
“I’d rather shovel snow in Siberia,” he deadpanned.
I grinned. “Your holiday spirit needs a tune-up.”
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t do holiday spirit.”
“That’s an awful thing to say!”
“Why? There’s no point. I’m usually on the road, so I’ve never bought a tree and I don’t always remember to buy gifts, either. My brother shamelessly shows me up every holiday. Oren bought our folks an oil painting of their ten-year-old golden retriever a couple of years ago. And it was really nice. I bought Mom the same gloves I bought her the previous year and the wrong-sized slippers for Dad.”
“Oh, dear. Well, I’m happy to help you this year. I’m an expert at gift-giving and—what’s so funny?”
Court’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “You’re Elmwood’s emo elf, aren’t you?”
“Ha. Ha.” I moved by him to unlock the door. “Good-bye, Grinch.”
He snickered. “Later. And thanks for tonight. It was fun.”
“Yeah. It was,” I agreed, smiling as he stepped closer.
This was where I was supposed to shuffle out of the way to give him room to slip outside without letting the cold inside, but my feet were seemingly glued to the floor. And now, we were inches apart. So close I could see flecks of gold in his blue eyes and a scar half-hidden in his left brow. I should have jumped away and laughed off this little dance before I accidentally made it awkward.
Too late.
Ugh. Now I was staring at him and he was staring at me and… his mouth was right there, hovering over mine. I could feel his breath on my lips and smell gin and something woodsy and masculine on his skin. And nope, I couldn’t resist.
I leaned in, set my palm on his chest and pressed my lips to Court’s.
And that was the match that started the fire.
Shannan
– ☆☆☆☆
Holiday Crush is the third book in the Elmwood Stories series. It can be
read as a standalone without issue – I have not yet read the first two and had
no issue with this read.
Court Henderson just lost his job and fired his agent; with no one beating down
his door to add him to another team, his only thing to do is go home and figure
out his next steps. Working with a few former hockey players at the local rink
seems like his best idea. It'll keep him on the ice and working on his skills,
what he doesn't expect is working with small kids being fun for him. Running
into Ivan, who owns the coffee shop next to his family's bakery. He finds
himself enjoying the time he spends with Ivan and wants more from him.
Ivan has had a crush on Court for as long as he could remember. Having him back
in town and finding out he's bisexual is more than Ivan ever expected. Spending
time with Court is everything he's ever wanted but he knows his time is short
lived because Court will get signed to another team.
I was so invested in this holiday read. Court and Ivan were so cute together
and had so much chemistry. I can't wait to go back and read the first two books
in this series.
Ruthie
– ☆☆☆☆
This is the latest in this fun series – mixing hockey stars with small-town
life in a very engaging way once again!
Court Henderson has lost his playing mojo, and when his team pays him off and
he sacks his agent, he knows it is time to go home to Elmwood and regroup. He
finds a welcome from the retired stars who now coach juniors and are reviving
the hockey fortunes of his town. He also discovers that the young emo friend he
remembered from junior high is now running his own coffee shop, and making
very, very good coffee.
Ivan has never forgotten his first crush on Court, but as Court dated a girl,
Ivan's heart broke and he got on with his life. Little did he expect to see him
again rather down on his luck, but even more unexpectedly, Court's admission to
being bi. This blows his mind and annoys him greatly, given that he suffered
being interested in guys all on his own when at school. But Court wears him
down and they are soon meeting up and enjoying each other's company!
As Court rehabilitates himself, through coaching, training, and volunteering,
Ivan is wonderfully supportive and selfless. They make a great pair, and it is
such fun watching them develop a close friendship and romance, even if there is
a deadline looming... or is there?
Delicious new installment with lots of Christmas magic thrown in!
LANE
HAYES loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always
been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters.
She loves red wine, chocolate, and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives
in Southern California with her amazing husband and her fabulous pup, George.
Connect with Lane
Hayes!
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Hosted by
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided
a free copy of Holiday Crush (The Elmwood Stories #3) by Lane Hayes to read and
review.
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