Title: A Boyfriend for Christmas
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 218 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Holiday Romance
At a Glance: I know tons of readers will love this one, even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite. But, at the end of the day, A Boyfriend for Christmas is another heartwarming Christmas story from Jay Northcote that I know many people will enjoy.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Blurb: Archie’s posh parents want him to meet a nice girl—how can he tell them he’s fallen for a bad boy instead?
Closeted, innocent and lonely, Archie Arandale longs for someone special in his life. A Christmas party organised by his wealth management company is the last place he expects to meet the man of his dreams.
With his leather jacket, tattoos, and piercings, Cal Turner turns heads the moment he walks through the door. He definitely isn’t looking for a boyfriend, but Archie’s hesitant charm captures his attention, and sneaking off during the party to have a little fun can only make a dull evening more interesting.
After their reckless and thrilling encounter, Archie is keen for more experience and Cal is happy to oblige. The need for secrecy means this can only be a casual fling, yet as they spend time together in the run up to Christmas, their feelings become more intense than either of them had bargained for. How can Archie find the courage to tell his family about Cal, when Cal’s the exact opposite of the ‘nice girl’ they’ve been hoping for?
Review: I love me a Jay Northcote Christmas book. And I love the cover to this year’s book like whoa. But, while I did like Archie and Cal’s story, I didn’t love A Boyfriend for Christmas quiiite as much as I’ve loved a couple of his others. Was it cute? Hell yes. Did it have likeable MCs and a good supporting cast? Absolutely. It was an enjoyable read, no doubt; I just didn’t totally connect with it as much as I would have liked. That being said, there were plenty of things I truly did like and appreciate about the story, so I’m going to spend most of the time here focusing on those things, and then I’ll touch briefly on why it didn’t fully resonate.
First, and speaking of the cover, let’s talk about Cal. Despite his sort of rough exterior, Cal was a big ol’ softy inside. He came across as a very sweet guy overall, which I loved. He was a loyal friend, a good son, and a hard worker. And, he was super kind to Archie, even in their steamy bathroom encounter at the party when they first met. He always put Archie’s comfort and safety first, and I also liked how he pretty much wore his heart on his sleeve. Sure, he said he wasn’t looking for a relationship in the beginning—but, when he started developing feelings for Archie, he didn’t try to stuff them down, or put up walls or anything. He just went with it.
Second, the supporting cast was great. I loved Fiona, and adored Danny. When bromances are well-written, they can be such a fun and integral part of a story, and Cal and Danny fit that mold for sure. I loved their friendship so much. I also loved Cal’s relationship with his mom. She was such a wonderful and supportive parent, and Northcote did a nice job portraying their closeness. Also, Fiona was a giant kick in the pants. She was such a straight shooter, and so much fun. It was fabulous how she was immediately down to trick the parents into thinking she and Archie were dating. And, though they weren’t likeable by any stretch, even Archie’s parents were portrayed fully and realistically. They were obnoxious in their snobbery, but not cartoonish, or over the top, which was good.
And finally, Northcote’s style is just really smooth and easygoing, which I totally dig. His stories are typically pretty low angst (at least the ones I’ve read are), and have a relatable quality that readers enjoy. He’s also great at humor. It’s not slapstick-y, and maybe not the laugh-out-loud banter that some authors are so good at, but he definitely throws out some witty dialogue and gets his characters into funny situations. And, there’s just something about British humour, isn’t there? 😉 I love it so much.
So, like I said, lots of good stuff here. If I were to quickly try to put a finger on the things that didn’t work as well for me, I’d have to say that the main thing was I thought the romance itself was under-developed. There was plenty of sex, and there was a definite and obvious fondness between Cal and Archie—there was one point in my notes and highlights where I typed, “Cal is a smitten kitten”—but I didn’t feel like enough time was spent with them just getting to know each other, and really developing a connection. Also, one sort of silly little peeve I had was that Fiona, who really was such a funny, scene-stealing secondary character, dropped out for a huge portion of the story. Not a huge deal by any means, but I noticed the absence.
I know tons of readers will love this one, even though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite. That’s the great thing about books, and how they’re personal for everyone. No book is perfect for every single reader. But, oh! *smacks forehead* You know what is basically perfect in this book? The epilogue! I can’t believe I almost forgot…The epilogue was so, so lovely, you guys. Northcote did do a nice job tying it all together at the end. Unlike me with this review. Ha! At the end of the day, A Boyfriend for Christmas is another heartwarming Christmas story from Jay Northcote that I know many people will enjoy.
You can buy A Boyfriend for Christmas here:
[zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B081S7RK42?d” style=”black” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon/Kindle Unlimited [/zilla_button]