Forever Moore: A Gay Fairy Tale by Riley Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a delightful spin on Snow White and the Huntsman!

Ansil Eirwin is within months of turning 21, and thus earning his seat as the duke of Ravenswood. But his evil stepfather has nefarious plans. He's asked his brother, the Huntsman, to have him killed so that he can take his place.

Orien Moore has done some bad things in his life, but he's also taken in quite a few needy souls. It's here, in a cabin in the woods that the 7 members of his 'family' dwell and take care of Ansil during his 'kidnapping'.

I loved this fresh take on a classic story. I loved how the apple made an appearance, as well as a mirror. It was a retelling that spoke from the heart. The relationship that blossomed between captive and captor was slow and sweet and the dialogue between the two made my heart ache.

I had so much fun reading Orien and Ansil's story. It was cleverly paced and delightful.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

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Redeem by Christina Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This just really hit me hard. These boys were both so broken. Gah. Unbelievable story of love and hope and belonging.

Michael has a solid job, enough money to throw around, and a new-found proclivity for men. His last relationship was...unhealthy. But, he's taken the time to look at himself and realize if he doesn't do something, he's going to turn into his father.

Stewart is a barista. He's happy with where he is professionally, but his personal life is a mess. With repressed anxiety from his upbringing, his nightmares have returned, he's gone through a relationship crisis, but he's seeing a professional now. The meds are working. He's had less panic attacks, but he's not ready for anything serious. So, when a quickie in the bathroom on New Year's Eve won't leave his mind, he's surprised to see Michael show up again at his work.

From the start I was loving the fact that both Michael and Stewart were seen as the bad guys in past relationships. It's so difficult to pull a jerk into a new role as someone you want to see end up happy and Christina Lee pulls this off so well.

Both boys were so broken and working so hard to get better and I just loved how intuitive they both were at finding what the other one needed and just being there. There was so much honesty in this and love.

Christina Lee writes with so much emotion and just has a way at getting under your skin with the raw honesty of her characters and their dialogue and desires. I loved this story. I loved her interpretation and gift for hurt/comfort and couldn't recommend this book more.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/ *

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Beautiful Dreamer by Christina Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great read! And all about families and close friends getting together for the holidays.

Garrett Coleman had a crush on his best friend's brother for most of his life. Sure, there were some awkward phases since Finn was a few years older, but he was Garrett's hero. Until something happened and they hadn't really spoken in 6 years. During which time, Garrett's mom battled the long road of cancer and recovery and finally beat it.

So, this was the first Christmas in 6 years that both families were getting together again at a cabin in the mountains to re-establish their holiday traditions.

Finn Sweeney still couldn't believe that he hadn't reached out to Garrett in all these years. He was hoping things wouldn't be awkward between them after all this time, but bringing a friend with benefits to this family reunion of sorts may not have been the best idea he'd ever had. Especially after seeing Garrett for the first time in years and realizing what he'd missed.

Things I loved:

*Garrett held a grudge, with good reason, and didn't forgive easily just because he had a crush
*Finn was willing to lay it all out there and put his heart on his sleeve, even asking for forgiveness
*The love and respect that the two families had for one another
*The gift exchange
*The slow burn and the anxiety over what would happen between Gar and Finn
*The sexy times, of course
*The final scene when Finn was leaving...omg I literally screamed in joy (which was mortifying for my family)

Things I didn't love:

*When it ended... because it was over.

Seriously, this is a great little heartfelt story, perfectly written with an epilogue, HEA and lots and lots of feelings. It's the perfect holiday romance.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/ *

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