Opposites
attract as frosty business partners become fake boyfriends in this Christmas
gay romance!
Playing fake boyfriends starts their sleigh ride into love!
After an emergency forces Ashton Sellers from his apartment, all he wants for
Christmas is new lipgloss, zero contact from his abusive family, and a place to
stay for the holidays. Cue his business partner begrudgingly taking him in.
Walker’s a fuddy-duddy with no sense of fun, but he does have a safe, warm home
with four adorable dogs and delicious food on the table.
If it turns out Walker’s also a secret softy with a tender side and a hot body
beneath his endless parade of golf shirts? Great, good, cool. And if Walker
wants Ashton to pretend to be his boyfriend for his sister’s Christmas-themed
wedding? Awesome, amazing.
Could Walker be the safe haven Ashton missed out on as a child? Could they be
falling in love for real?
But when Ashton uncovers a painful mistake in Walker’s past, it hits too close
to home. As the jingle bells quiet and the snow settles, will Ashton be able to
forgive Walker, or will their relationship be over before it ever truly begins?
Mr. Jingle Bells is a gay Christmas story by Leta Blake featuring forced
proximity, opposites attract, fake dating, office romance, steamy scenes, and a
taffy-sweet happy ending. It's set in the Home for the Holidays universe, which
began with Mr. Frosty Pants, but can be read as a standalone.
Content warnings for childhood abuse, past addiction issues, PTSD episodes,
and gambling.
Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Home for the Holidays series!
For book one, Mr. Frosty Pants, click HERE.
Book
3
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
Audiobook (US) ~ Paperback (US)
~ Also Available with KindleUnlimited ~
Hearing Ashton’s name, Walker froze in place. When he looked up, he almost couldn’t breathe. Ashton wore a pair of tight, black pants that cupped his ass and package, and a soft-looking, gold blouse beneath a black, faux-military jacket covered with gold and red trim.
He carried a Starbucks cup, like every morning, and, in the winter light from the big windows, he looked stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. What with his pale skin, dark hair, and all that black, gold, and red contrasting so perfectly. He looked like a model. Or a famous actor. He looked unreal. It was maddening.
Walker wished they’d instituted a dress code back when he, Casey, Ashton, and Nicole had met with their business attorney to draft all their other office policies. At the time, he’d barely known Ashton and hadn’t realized they’d need to prohibit Ashton’s entire wardrobe due to the risk of it sending Walker into a dazed and confused state nearly every single day. For fuck’s sake! How the man dressed, how he talked with that little lisp, the way he held his hands and moved his hips… none of that was Walker’s business. Why couldn’t he stop noticing it?
“Come here! You have to draw for Secret Santa!” Kayla said.
Ashton released a soft squeal of joy and rushed forward to shove his free hand into Kayla’s proffered bowl. Walker stayed only long enough to witness the overly dramatic production Ashton made of swirling the remaining four papers around before choosing one. Without waiting to see Ashton’s reaction to the name he’d chosen, Walker stalked off, his skin prickling with unwarranted irritation.
Once safely inside his lightly cluttered office, Walker shut the door and dropped his lunch on his desk. Settling into his ergonomic chair, he folded the piece of paper with Ashton’s name on it into a tiny square and slipped it into his desk drawer. He couldn’t quite bring himself to throw it away. It felt rude somehow. Ashton might make Walker feel confused and agitated but he still deserved better than the trash can.
Hoping the spicy banh mi wrap would distract him, Walker took a bite. Unfortunately, his tension didn’t dissipate, but at least he was sweating now from the spice and not from a riot of unwanted emotions over Ashton Sellers.
Why did he feel this way?
It wasn’t as if he were attracted to Ashton. Walker could never want a man like that—all feminine and glamorous, all gut-churningly beautiful. No. Walker liked women who were stereotypically feminine, and men who were, well, stereotypically masculine. Thickly muscled. Hairy in the right places. Button-ups during the week, and Polo shirts and golf shorts on the weekends. A beer drinker. A golfer.
Always a golfer.
Walker winced. His last boyfriend had been a traveling golf pro. Sebastian had spent most of their short relationship on tour. He’d never been around when Walker wanted him, much less needed him. He’d been only so-so in bed. But he’d ticked most of Walker’s boxes of someone worthy of interest, and they’d had a good run. Until it was over. That was always the way with the men Walker dated.
Not much work but not much reward either.
Sarah
– ☆☆☆☆☆
This book is so much more than the holiday romance I expected from the cover
and blurb. While there are many light and laugh out loud funny moments in this
story, they are balanced by the beautifully drawn and wonderfully complex
characters. This story has heart and I absolutely loved it.
To the world, Walker is a solitary, slightly anti-social businessman. His
business partner, Ashton, is flamboyant, happy, and loved by everyone. But when
bedbugs force Ashton to stay with Walker during the holidays, they both learn
that the other isn’t at all what he seems. I really loved both of these men.
Walker has his dogs, his unexpected whimsy, and his overbearing father. Ashton
has overcome a horrific childhood, but he has too many people depending on him
and no one that he can depend on. Together, they are magical. Very quietly,
Ashton makes his way into Walker’s life and just fits.
This is a much darker story than I expected from the jolly cover. Themes of
addiction, child abuse, and homophobia run through the story. Conflict
surrounds these two and I love how Walker’s warm home becomes a safe refuge for
them both. There are difficult moments in this book but alongside the darker
themes is a beautiful sense of hope and possibility. I love the playfulness and
the friendship that develops alongside the attraction in this story. I’m often
ambivalent about holiday romances, so this is a truly delightful surprise.
Angie
– ☆☆☆
I don't read many holiday-themed books but I enjoyed this. Ashton is such a sweetheart;
I fell in love with him instantly! Walker, on the other hand, I had to warm up
to. These men both have crappy pasts, Ashton way more than Walker though. What
starts as a funny post on social media turns into so much more. This book was
long, I did find myself skimming at times because there were lots of pages with
no dialogue and I need that interaction. The dogs Walker has are just simply
adorable. The bumpy start and ups and downs of this book go with the story, and
even though there are some tough subjects talked about, it wasn't too much, if
that makes sense? I enjoyed watching Walker and Ashton finding their way in
this holiday book.
Author
of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain
Dreams and the fan favorite Training
Season, LETA BLAKE’s educational and professional background is in
psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for
writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up
people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance
between her day job, her writing, and her family.
Connect with Leta
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website ~ Goodreads
Facebook
Group: Leta’s Lovelies ~ Patreon
Hosted by
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided
a free copy of Mr. Jingle Bells (Home for the Holidays #3) by Leta Blake to
read and review for this tour.
