Review: Not your typical Christmas story. . .
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2014
3 out of 5 stars***This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review through the Goodreads “Don't Buy My Love” program***This is the 4th book in a series, and I admittedly did not read the first 3 (which the author refers to as short stories, whereas this is novella length).  It can be read as a stand alone, because the majority of the back story is either told or implied, but I think I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read the others first.Sean and Rusty are engaged, and living on a shoestring budget in Boston.  We meet them as they are performing in a choir concert that is a fundraiser for their church – and I loved that intro for a gay romance!  They are preparing to return to New Orleans for Christmas, where they both grew up.  For Rusty, this is a much anticipated return to a loving family, but for Sean it is a dreaded return to the town where his abusive father still lives, as well as a mother and sister who have ignored him for 7 years.  Each is aware of the other's feelings about the trip, and both are trying to be supportive, but find it difficult.I know writing about established couples can be difficult, because the excitement of discovering a new love is past, and the story is just about the (hard) work of maintaining that love.  In this case, one partner (Sean) has serious trust issues due to his background, and there is a lot of talk about the fact that he is in therapy, as well as the lessons he has learned from his therapist.  Rusty is also in therapy, trying to learn how to accept Sean, and help him get through these issues.  Much of the book is focused on the themes of letting go of past injuries, learning to accept love from others, and being open and communicating.  I think there were good lessons presented.  But if a reader is looking for the anticipation and adventure of a typical romance, it is not present in the book.  Even the sex scenes feel a little forced at times, and interestingly, the times the MCs do NOT have sex (due to anxiety or interruptions) are actually a little more memorable.There was a very nice resolution – Sean finally wholeheartedly accepts the love so freely given by Rusty's family, and Rusty learns that although you can't go home again, his home in Boston with Sean is what he wants and needs more anyway.  They've both grown emotionally from one short trip home, but that ending seemed just right.There were a handful of typos and textual errors throughout that could have been avoided with a careful proofread, but overall they did not detract too significantly from reading the story.