Review: While not my favorite story by Ms. Maxfield, I Heard Him Exclaim definitely has Christmas cheer in spades.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 20, 2011
Steve Adams loved Christmas and, what's more, loved playing Santa Claus at Christmastime.  That all changed when he had a stent put in and was forced to get healthy.  Now a slim guy with little Christmas spirit left in him, Steve plans to head to Vegas for some gambling and holiday fling with a hot guy or two.  But on the road to Vegas, Steve meets Chandler Tracey and his niece, Poppy.  Their car is broken and Chandler - unprepared for becoming a single parent after the death of his brother and sister-in-law - is more than a bit frazzled.  Steve can plainly see that both Poppy and her uncle in need of a little Christmas magic and this former-Santa is just the one to give it to them.A man who's lost his way meets one out of his depth in I Heard Him Exclaim.  Z.A. Maxfield brings the festiveness of Christmas out in full force as Steve takes both Chandler and Poppy under his wing and brings them to his home for Christmas.  I Heard Him Exclaim is a bit slow to start, but picks up once the trio arrives at Steve's home.  The unevenness of the story also shows in the romance.  It wasn't the slow build to sexy detonation that was the issue.  Rather, it's the fact that the burgeoning relationship between Steve and Chandler is a so understated that it's sometimes drowned out by Chandler's panic over taking care of Poppy and the endearingly over-the-top approach the Adams family takes to Christmas.  While not my favorite story by Ms. Maxfield, I Heard Him Exclaim definitely has Christmas cheer in spades.Note: I Heard Him Exclaim is also available in the His for the Holidays anthology.ShaynaReviewed for Joyfully Reviewed