Review: Very good!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2011
I know the holidays are over, but I felt like reading some feel-good Christmas stories and this one seemed to be a fun one. Luckily, it was. :)Owen McKenzie is about to start a new chapter in his life as St. James' newest veterinarian, but he needs to survive Christmas with his meddlesome family first. Tired of being ambushed with surprise set-ups and mysterious guests at every family event since his ex-boyfriend Keith walked away months ago, he put his feet down with his well-meaning mother the last time he was home. He thinks he's finally safe from her matchmaking, so imagine his surprise when he arrives at the inn where they're going to spend the holidays and finds Caleb Black playing the piano while Owen's mother bangs out "Jingle Bells".Caleb is Owen's "one that got away", his first lover, his first love... and his first heartbreak. Now, 15 years later, Owen realizes he's never gotten over Caleb but is wary of getting involved with him again. He's been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it, so thanks, but no thanks. That's what Owen says to himself, but what does Caleb say? Does he see Owen as his "one that got away" too?This was my first read by Ms. Gregg and I'm glad to say that I enjoyed it very much. The story is narrated by Owen and I'm not too keen on first-person narratives, but I liked Owen's "voice". He was an overall nice guy with a few shortcomings - like his unwillingness to let himself open up - and I felt myself drawn to him. I didn't connect with Caleb on the same level, though. I liked him - or what I got to see of him, I should say. The "problem" is, Owen's family was as interesting as Caleb and I'd dare to say they had as much screen page time as him. Owen's mother made me laugh and want to bang my head on the table at the same time, his father tugged at my heart and his brother was just crazy enough to be the best brother ever. I even liked Owen's ex-boyfriend Keith, which was refreshing considering how Romancelandia is full of despicable and hateful ex-lovers, LOL.Besides the first-person narrative, I had a bit of a struggle with the way flashbacks were inserted into the story. I liked seeing how Owen and Caleb met and fell in love when they were in their late teens and coming to terms with their sexuality, but some of the flashbacks came out of nowhere and hit me right in the middle of a scene. All things considered, that was just a minor issue I had because I did like Ms. Gregg's writing and had a fun time reading this story. Oh, and I loved the Christmas gifts Owen and Caleb exchanged. Sweet!