Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
When Uriel gets woken up by his best friend, Joe, to deal with a crisis with the lampposts (that Uriel and his cousins caused, by the way), he’s grumpier than usual. Nevertheless, he helps put the town to rights and joins everyone for breakfast afterward. But when Joe’s ex-boyfriend shows up and Joe panics and claims Uriel is his current boyfriend, Uriel has no problem rolling with it. He wants to keep Joe safe, and if pretending to date will help that, then he’s good with it.
But the last thing Uriel expects when they kiss is his magic sparking and a connection with Joe to snap into place. With Joe out of town for a couple of days, they can’t discuss it immediately. But when Joe returns and they spend some time together, it’s clear they were meant to be. Uriel recognizes Joe as his mate, and Joe doesn’t know when he fell for Uriel, but he’s happy they’re together.
Of course, Uriel must figure out a way to tell Joe the truth. With plenty of holiday puns, fun banter, and honest conversations, Joe will find out just how magical Uriel, and their love, is.
This is the second book in Yule Lads series, and the books are best enjoyed in order. While there’s not much of a continuing through plot, there are minor details that carry over and others that set up the rest of the books in the series. For me, this story was a bit of a mixed bag. While it has the trademark humor of the series (and of the Christmas Sprites from last year), it also felt a little rushed and unfinished. I enjoyed both Uriel and Joe, their friendship and they way they relate to each other, and the ease with which not only do they realize they are in love, but that they move into their happily ever after. The hijinks are harmless and a bit amusing, the puns over the top, but it all gives it a playful feel that really works well for the series. The MCs work well together on every level, and I really enjoyed their connection. So that went a long way for me in this book.
But otherwise, there wasn’t a ton of substance. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the point is for a playful, fun, finding-your-mate type of story. My problem was with the fact that a fairly serious point was mentioned with the ex-boyfriend, but not explored in the least. The fake dating wasn’t even exactly that, just moments in front of said ex-boyfriend in an attempt to make him go away. Because of all of this, it felt a bit contrived, which didn’t really work for me. And the fact that the ex-boyfriend was enough of a threat for serious concern, but then there was none of that concern shown left me feeling dissatisfied with this particular turn of events. I felt that the ultimate goal of Uriel and Joe ending up together could have been accomplished without this, while at the same time wishing it had been explored more in depth and given the weight it deserved.
That being said, what I liked about this book, I really liked. The MCs carried this book for me, and I really enjoyed their connection and chemistry. If you’re reading along, then you’re definitely going to want to pick this one up.
