Wishing On a Dream: A Snow Globe Christmas Book 2, Michele Notaro

From start to finish there was magic everywhere. I enjoyed that it played a central role and to balance it out we got Alaric and Grady who really were ideal partners for one another.

I had no idea what to expect of Alaric, whether he would be the softer embarrassment or tender spot for the cruel father we first opened with or if he would be just as hard as his father. And after centuries locked in the snow globe of a cruel, vindictive witch, I had definitely expected him to be a jaded, hard man. What we were gifted with instead was a soft-hearted man who felt powerless and helpless stuck in an unfair prison. He was tender and sweet where he could have been callous and unfeeling. I loved that surprise.

As a partner for Alaric I think Grady was a good match. He was a little quirky, but so eager and deserving of love and care that he was what Alaric needed. A couple times I thought he was a little immature and dismissive, but those moments were so fleeting that they didn't stick as negative character traits. Grady was a good man on his own and was dealt a hard hand in love so he was ripe for the kind of affection Alaric could provide.

The drama in the story felt pretty focused and I appreciated that. With the exception of a couple other mages that distracted and pulled unnecessary focus at times yet also brought the chance of both healing and complications, the story remained on Alaric and Grady and the turmoil that ultimately brought them together. That that turmoil could tear them apart is where the difficult part of their journey came into play. I wish there had been more research on the part of the MC's and the grimoire or even just a bit more in seeing the thought processes going on so it didn't feel like the waiting was more like time dragging on with a decided lack of tension.

Despite that middle bit that didn't fit the general flow of the story, I quite enjoyed seeing the two men come together and build something uniquely theirs and so very deserved. Finding a life together that worked with the challenges of Alaric's legal and residency issues was something that could have proved unbelievable or difficult, but they navigated this quite well and seeing them blossom together throughout both the calm and the strain was wonderfully sweet. Their story was entertaining and had the feels to back it all up.

*$3.99 on Amazon

I can’t really complain about my life; I have a job I love and a best friend that fills the void of my nonexistent family, but sometimes I’m lonelier than I like to admit. Especially with the holiday season approaching, I can’t help but wish I had someone special to share it with. 

My friend gives me a snow globe with a man and a snowy owl inside, and for some bizarre reason, this man starts showing up every night when I close my eyes. It’s… not real, but I can’t seem to get the guy out of my head. It probably shouldn’t surprise me that my brain conjures up the perfect man in my dreams… well, almost perfect if he’d stop claiming to be a warlock. But the crazy thing is that all of it—that he—feels so real. 

When I start falling for the man, the warlock, I can’t help but wish that what we have in my dreams could be a reality. I know it can’t, but at least when I’m asleep, I can be with him—with Alaric.