Title: Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce (Sleigh Ride: Advent Calendar 2015)
Author: Brandon Witt
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 26 Pages
At a Glance: What a fantastically hilarious and fun read this was!
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Paxton Peterson’s favorite day of the year is his annual Gay Boy Christmas dinner. He’s checked and double-checked his to-do list, because nothing stresses him out like the unexpected. Confident everything will run smoothly, Paxton embarks on his yearly snowshoed hike through the Rocky Mountains near his home. His perfectly planned evening is cut short by Logan Charles’s careless enjoyment of his brother’s snowmobile, and Paxton is stranded in the woods. It’s the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened to him—or maybe the best.
Review: What a fantastically hilarious and fun read this was! In fact, it was so cute, I read it twice! Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce was such a treat for a couple of reasons. First of all, having previously only read one book by this author – Then the Stars Fall – I knew the beautiful words Brandon Witt was capable of producing. Words like this:
Snowfall is indistinguishable from starlight when you’re in the forest at night and peer up at the sky through heavy evergreen branches. You don’t even need to squint your eyes. Against the unpolluted Rocky Mountain sky, with the steam of your breath wafting in front of your face, the stars seem to drift lightly down from the heavens, glistening and magical, landing around you like so many jewels.
Having had the pleasure of meeting Brandon Witt in person, I also knew how fun, and funny, he was, but still wasn’t prepared for how much this story made me laugh. Paxton, in all his Type A glory, was completely fabulous. And Logan rolled right in there – or, should I say, screamed right in there on his snow machine of death – and not only put up with Paxton’s neuroses, but completely charmed and undid him. There were so many great quips and unexpectedly hilarious, awkward moments. I’d love to share a few with you, but since it’s only twenty-six pages, I think you should discover the fabulousness for yourselves.
Which leads me to my second point. Short stories, one-shots, these little vignettes that are pulled together for these anthologies, they can be tricky things to master, but the author has done such a fine job here. This story is tight and well-paced, packing a perfect blend of humor, romance, and those pretty words he is so good at, into those precious twenty-six pages. Did I want more? Of course! You’ll want more of Paxton and Logan, too! But, it didn’t leave me wanting because there wasn’t enough to make it work, or because there was no clear ending, or the ending was too quick or tidy. Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce was totally satisfying and absolutely fun. I’m so glad it was in this year’s group of Advent Calendar stories!
You can buy Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce here:
