An M/M Christmas, episode 6

  

• Mine for Christmas, A.D. Lawless
• Just in Time, Jacqueline Rohrbach
• All I Want is You, DJ Jamison

Matt and Cody were friends as children but that friendship faded as interests changed.  College brings them back together and when they resume their friendship it's as if no time at all has passed.  Both are out and have supportive families behind them, a little too supportive in Cody's case.  Under pressure to accept his mother's attempts at matchmaking he blurts out that he's seeing someone and assures her she'll get to see him over Christmas.  All he has to do is get Matt to agree to play the part.  Little does he know that Matt's crush is just as real as his and by the end of their trip neither of them will want it to end.  So how do you admit you're in love with your best friend that seems happy keeping you in the friend zone?

I thought this was completely sweet and all things good about the friends-to-lovers trope.  Matt was quirky cute and has been quashing his crush on Cody for quite a while.  It gives him a little more to pull from as they fake their way through playing it up for Cody's family.  Cody's surprisingly cute-awkward about his feelings though, and the ease with which he accepts his desire for more takes the angst out of the equation.  The shock on the ice was thankfully not too dramatic and served as just the right amount of push for both of them to move their friendship into the "more" they both want so much.  And their confessions were definitely the right amount of cute to match their steamy session.  Such a great story that had me smiling on the outside.  4.5 stars.

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Evan Eazer is Scrooge personified and not even the three ghosts from the Dickensian tale of reform can influence him to change.  But maybe an unconventional ghost can do what none of the others can.  The Ghost of Imaginary Time (just call him "Phil") seizes the chance to redeem himself while redeeming Evan.  As Phil learns about the human world and bumbles his way into Evan's life he finds that Evan's pain and the possibility of being truly understood by the surly man are lures that could keep him in the human realm forever; but only if Evan will soften to the possibility of happiness and cultivating a charitable heart.

I liked this story's premise and the interaction between all the ghosts.  Phil's ignorance and naivete was cute and highly amusing at first but soon became over the top and incessant.  There was no acculturation to soften his glaring lack of social awareness.  And the coworkers conspiring with Evan for a way to report him to HR as well as Evan's blatant hatred and animosity was just too much.  The jump to something different from antagonism was extremely abrupt and didn't really make sense in the situation.  Then the development of more between them didn't really happen.  I saw some softening and feelings, but not enough introspection or confessing to make it believable.  There were quite a few loose ends that didn't really get wrapped up in Evan's endeavors to improve the world around him making this story seem like a cheap knockoff rather than a unique, modern take on a classic.  2.5 stars.

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Second chances and holiday cheer seems to soften even the most stubborn of hearts.  Eli left home almost a decade ago after some harsh words from his bigoted father and hasn't ever felt like he would be welcome at home.  Even more drilled into his heart was the rejection by his best friend after a kiss under the mistletoe.  But losing his job before Christmas gives him a chance to return home to see about mending some fences and rebuilding the love he's convinced himself he's fine living without.  Turner is shocked when Eli comes home and it turns out that his one regret might get a chance to turn into a bittersweet memory that paved the way for something infinitely sweeter.  Can he get Eli to give him another chance?

I absolutely loved the synopsis.  There was so much promise for forgiveness, changing perspectives, finding home, love, and acceptance.  What we got was some steam, some sweetness, and a lot of awkward drama from multiple sources.  Turner loved having everyone rely on him but when it came to asking for what he really wanted, opening his heart and laying it bare, he couldn't get it together.  I couldn't find myself loving him.  I kind of just tolerated him and kept hoping he would say the better things, not prolong the awkwardness, be completely honest, and be open with his decisions.  Eli wasn't much better for me either.  I do feel like he was justified in his attitude and defensiveness though, and was on his side more often than not.  His stubbornness wasn't an endearing quality and neither was his refusal to see possibilities in front of him instead of pining for something he knows doesn't exist anywhere else.  The ending was nice and the epilogue almost made up for all the unlikable stuff that came before because it was completely awesome.  That alone made reading the story worth it.  3.5 stars.

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