Sweet Anticipation by Andrew Grey – Homemade for the Holidays

Greg Hansen’s pregnant sister is on bed rest, so it falls to Greg to finalize the arrangements for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Little does he know he’s in for a sweet surprise. When he arrives at the bakery recommended to him, he comes face to face with the man he never should’ve let get away—Rhys Denning.

Rhys’s business is booming with the holidays approaching, so he can’t agree to cater the party without help—and that means Greg getting his hands dirty in the kitchen, where the two reconnect over sugar, spice, holiday goodies of all kinds, and even some penis-shaped baguettes! But the most satisfying treat might be the second chance they never thought they’d get.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M Second Chance Romance

Greg loves his sister and with her on bed rest due to her pregnancy, Greg is charged with making their mutual friend Cynthia's bachelorette party a hit. There's one problem... Greg knows nothing about throwing a bachelorette party.

When the bakery that his sister wanted is unavailable, Greg seeks out another one that was recommended to him. What he didn't expect was to find an ex-boyfriend.

Rhys is an amazing baker. When he sees Greg again, he immediately apologizes for being young and immature in his relationship with Greg. He also agrees to help Greg pull off an amazing bachelorette party.

These two have sweet, almost young adult chemistry. They make each other laugh and allow themselves to see if they can rekindle their young love relationship. This book was sweet, funny, and had the added bonus of hilarious bachelorette food.


Veronica – ☆☆☆
Sweet Anticipation is a quick enjoyable read. Gregory and Rhys had a brief romance in college and get a second change when Gregory hires Rhys to help him prepare the food for a bachelorette party. This is easy-to-read fun story. I really enjoyed the time the men spent in the kitchen. Sweet Anticipation really put me in the mood to do my Christmas baking.

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and now writes full time.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Homemade for the Holidays: Sweet Anticipation by Andrew Grey to read and review.

For Joy by Crystel Greene – Homemade for the Holidays

When college athlete Chad comes out to his parents and gets a nasty reaction, sparkly twink Joaquin “Joy” Acosta offers him shelter in his tiny apartment. Joy’s the sweetest, most beautiful roommate on the planet, and every day, Chad falls in love a little bit more. The problem is, Joy will never know since his banter-loving hipster friends make bear-sized Chad feel all hulking and tongue-tied.

Joy is a sucker for anything handmade, though, and eventually Chad decides to tell him he loves him with a self-knitted pair of gloves. But it turns out knitting is way harder than Chad expected. Fortunately, Joy knows just how to save the day…

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

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Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
After coming out to his parents doesn’t go well, Chad’s hairdresser, Joy, takes him in. Chad is such a good guy and the reaction of his parents when he comes out is awful and had me in tears several times. But the romance with Joy is so sweet and full of love, it made me so happy.

I loved reading novellas at Christmas and For Joy is wonderful. I read it in one sitting and it just made my heart sing and the ending is perfect!

The first man Crystel fell in love with was Beauty's Beast. Next came Robin Hood, then Mr. Darcy. Two decades of married life later, she still loves fictional men – especially when there are two of them who are meant to be! She likes it best when she can create their plights and fights herself, and she can always be counted on to throw in some sizzling hotness and a lot of feels. Here's her author promise: no fade-outs when things get steamy or emotional, and an ending that will leave you smiling.

Crystel is a lawyer by training, a lover of pastry, and a believer in Happy Ever Afters. Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, and a North Sea girl at heart, she lives in the beautiful Austrian Alps with her big, noisy family.

Crystel Greene. MM romance. Sweet, star-crossed, and NC-17.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Homemade for the Holidays: For Joy by Crystel Greene to read and review.

Rainbows in Sea Glass by Kim Katil – Homemade for the Holidays

Kyle has loved James, his best friend’s older brother, for as long as he can remember. Unfortunately James is a player, and Kyle has no desire to be his latest conquest. When James suddenly turns the full weight of his charm on him, Kyle flees to Cape May Point to collect sea glass and Cape May diamonds to make a St. Nicholas Day present for his aunt.

James has always taken Kyle’s presence for granted and he’s shocked to find how integral Kyle is to his life and future happiness. Braving his family’s well-meaning attempts to help and a sudden winter storm, James heads to the shore to convince Kyle that the most precious thing they’ll find on the beach is each other.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

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Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/M Friends to lovers romance

Kyle, Maria, and James have known each other since they were kids. It was James who kept Maria and Kyle out of trouble and made sure nobody bullied them while in high school. Maria and Kyle have stayed very close friends, but lately, Maria has noticed Kyle start to pull away from her and her family. Not really sure why, she tells him that no matter what, she's dragging him out.

After James and Kyle share a heated dance, Kyle really isn't sure what to make of it. James has always been a player and Kyle knows that his heart couldn't take any rejection from the one man that he's had a crush on always. Plus, Kyle isn't willing to risk losing the family that he's been part of for so long.

Honestly, while this is a cute story, I didn't really get the chemistry between Kyle and James. Molly and Stan had more chemistry in their short part of the story than the main couple had throughout. While this had great potential to be a cute holiday read, it just didn't really work for me.

Kim Katil patrols the Universe with her dignity of dragons during the Harvest Moon. The rest of the time, Kim lives in the mythical and contentious territory known as Central Jersey. Originally from South Jersey, she is still unsure if Central Jersey is a real place or a Fae construct. Her movement from the lower to middle band of the state was interrupted by time spent living in Ireland, Boston, Uzbekistan, Maryland, Trinidad, and Florida. So far, she has only been asked to leave one country. She currently shares a house with two other adults, three teens, two dogs, and four snakes.

While Kim would love to have a writing cave, she is content to make due with an imaginary yurt that she brings with her for use in airports, on planes and trains, and in hotels. Work-related travel is an unfortunate side effect of the day job but allows her to meet new and interesting people along the way. She has been known to have dinner with random strangers in airports and at street fairs. This level of “peopling” has caused shock and horror in her writers’ group.

A happily ever after is a necessity. Kim loves to give her characters a fun adventure to get them there and a plethora of family and friends to help them along the way.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Homemade for the Holidays: Rainbows in Sea Glass by Kim Katil to read and review.

The Fairy Shop by Tara Lain – Homemade for the Holidays

When Nate Hawthorne meets Asher Dane, the huge, tattooed hunk is the personification of Nate’s dreams. But Nate knows there’s no future, because Asher is also the personification of his beloved five-year-old daughter Delly’s nightmares. She’s frightened of big men. Things turn around for both of them, however, when Delly goes Christmas shopping at the Fairy Shop and begins her quest for a wand that will make her brave. Neither of them guesses that the Fairy Shop will be the source of far more than Delly’s courage. On Christmas Eve, under the influence of a very unusual fairy, Nate’s life will change forever.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar collection Homemade for the Holidays.

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
M/M Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Nate and Delly are finding their way. Delly has had some trauma from her mom's abusive boyfriend and is skittish and nervous around large men. Nate is doing his best to help her heal, but being a young father, he also knows that he should have some alone time.

Asher is living his life the best he can. After alluding to some potential PTSD issues, he loves his life.

Nate and Asher meet at a bar and have an immediate attraction. These two characters are sweet, funny, and ready to find love.

When Delly's mom and her boyfriend show up and scare Delly again, Nate thinks there is no way that she'll ever be okay around Asher. He's a mountain of a man. But it's Christmas and with Delly trying to choose her wand that's made by the Fairy Master, they all could use a Christmas miracle.

Delly will win your heart and Nate and Asher will show you that sometimes, all it takes is a little faith and a willingness to take a leap of faith. This is a perfect short holiday story.

TARA LAIN writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Erotic Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, and Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. Readers often call her books “sweet,” even with all that hawt sex, because Tara believes in love and her books deliver on happily-ever-after. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. Her love of creating book titles comes from years of manifesting ad headlines for everything from analytical instruments to semiconductors. She does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog (who’s a little jealous of all those cat pictures Tara posts on FB) in Laguna Niguel, California, near the seaside towns where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says that on her tombstone, it will say “Yes!”

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Homemade for the Holidays: The Fairy Shop by Tara Lain to read and review.