A Little Christmas: Blake, W. Rathbone

The focus of the story was on the tenderness, the sweet feelings of something unexpected and everything you hoped for but thought could never be yours. There were two sides here that actually got a good amount of balance between them giving the overall feel of the story a satisfying evolution. Between the self discovery on Eliot's side and the self-acceptance on Blake's I felt a lot of newness, raw, honest vulnerability, and a childlike wonder.

While I very much enjoyed those things and seeing both men blossom under one another's care and acceptance, the story was very simple. The length of the story didn't allow for delving into anything other than their connection. Keeping things simple and uncomplicated on the side of Eliot's work and family situation, not revisiting Blake's awful boss, and nothing major to keep the men apart all worked to keep the short story focused, it just also didn't delve too deep.

There was also something about their dynamic that was kept almost a little too simple. I'm of two minds about this one because on the one hand it could have been problematic to have both men jumping into a lifestyle neither one had really looked into, researched, or learned much about at all. On the other hand by keeping both men's preferences perfectly aligned and giving it an almost "fated mate" feel to their connection on both the romance and keenk (yes, I know that's not how it's spelled...) it kept it from seeming unhealthy, uninformed, and potentially damaging.

So did I like the book? Definitely. Was it everything? No. Would I read more from this author's new-ish penname? Yep!

*$3.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Can a Christmas miracle make Blake’s secret dream come true?

Blake has no one. His boyfriend cheated on him and left without a word taking almost everything in the apartment. His boss fired him. He’s behind on the rent and Christmas is coming.

But there is one man, Eliot, always impeccably dressed, always with a nice word, who keeps running into him. Blake knows him as a regular at the diner where he used to work. The man was a great tipper.

Eliot asks him out. Blake accepts. When his date shows up in a gleaming Rolls Royce to pick him up and Blake is wearing only his best jeans and an old sweater, shivering in the new falling snow, he realizes Eliot is way out of his league.

He can’t possibly go on this date now. He’s not good enough. Worse, if Eliot were to ever find out his secret, that Blake has a little side and an impossible dream to one day call a lover “daddy” and not get smacked or laughed at for it, Eliot would probably never want to see him again.

But it’s Christmastime, and Eliot is a surprisingly persuasive guy, not to mention full of his own sweet secrets. This is the time of year when things have a way of working out, but can Blake let down his barriers long enough to see the special truth between them?

Contemporary holiday gay romance, age gap, billionaire, rescue, comfort from the cold, HEA. This is an MM daddy/little Christmas twist on The Little Princess Classic tale. Each age play romance book in this multi-author series can be read as a standalone.

Single and Ready to Jingle, Piper Rayne

With no recourse but to be thrown together to make things work Mackenzie makes the most of Andrew's predicament after a rather disastrous meet-insult instead of a blind date of the meet-cute variety.  Coercing a grinch to participate in Christmas activities to save his pride and possible promotion is just icing on the cake for the holiday-loving elf.  This is absolutely not a recipe for disaster, is it?  More than likely it's the attraction of a forever with their complete opposites that neither of them are willing to admit to...

I have to admit, however, that I was prepared to be annoyed by Mackenzie.  Often I find holiday-loving characters go over the top and are the types of people even those of us who love the same holiday go out of our way to avoid.  But in the case of Kenzie I found myself drawn to her, her indomitable spirit, her brightness and positivity.  She wasn't over the top and she most certainly wasn't annoying or pushy either.  Unless it was for the right grump that needed the push.

It was Andrew that I was more annoyed with on occasion though.  He was unnecessarily secretive and the justifications were thin and more or less ridiculous.  His need for transparency once things started progressing completely mocked his own need for secrecy when the hesitations were his own.  But when he began coming out of his shell and reluctantly enjoyed the things Kenzie planned for them, when he started to thaw and find joy through her eyes and revel in her just being her, that was when I joined his team.

The big conflict moment that came wasn't entirely unexpected, but it felt like a juvenile write-in rather than something truly organic to the story.  What I will say for the moment was that the circumstances allowed the hurt to be less deep and severe, something that made the big gesture sufficiently appropriate for an apology.  The fallout from the moment was hurtful, for sure, but there were other elements that allowed it to not be truly devastating.  And then the epilogue was a short, sweet moment that really wrapped things up pretty well for being a quick read overall.

This was far better than I hoped for and has swayed me more in favor of this author, who I haven't read much from.  It could have gone the way of formulaic and cliche but it didn't cross that line and I was thoroughly delighted throughout the couple hour read time it took to enjoy Andrew and Mackenzie's story.

*$3.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU

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Masters of Romance, Emma Alcott

Side Character

https://amzn.to/3to2Oc2

Quick and dirty, that's what I was expecting and that's what we got.  What I didn't expect was the subtle cuteness or the awkwardness or the two-way pining that happened.  Sawyer's friends were hilarious and I had no idea they'd even play a role, but the role they played actually made this short story much better.  I have to admit, the synopsis really turned me off, but since I like this author I was willing to give it a shot and I'm actually glad I did.  The set up for what's to come was the tiniest thread so I'm not sure what we'll get with Bad Boy, but if there are moments of cute like here in Side Character, I'm all in.  There was a lot of depth missing as well as an actual promise of transition from crush to real, but if you only focus on the funny side characters and the awkward cuteness that was endearing, then I think you'll probably like this prequel just fine.  3 stars.

Bad Boy

https://amzn.to/3xS3Lww

A tattooed reclusive ex-con and an imaginative, skittish, young man...on paper neither of them belong together, unless that paper is in a romance novel, then all bets are off and they're a match made in literary heaven.  I liked Colton and Russ together when the moments were good and not awkward and I mostly enjoyed Russ' POV.  Aside from that, the story was hit or miss for me and I'll be back because the group of authors are more intriguing than this particular coupling ended up being.

I think what bothered me the most was Colton's reactions and thoughts.  There were so many moments that I rolled my eyes and either skimmed through or longed to skim through his portion of the story.  Juvenile can be appropriate and amusing and endearing, but in Colton's case it was inconsistent and made me uncomfortable.  Especially the jumping in the sack thing right away...way too soon and on the heels of some disturbing thoughts racing through Colton's brain.

It's Russ that saved it for me and while I wasn't a fan of everything he did, thought, or said, he was the character that I gravitated to from the very beginning.  I like a bit of redemption with my romance and while I believe Russ had nothing to prove to anyone, he needed to show for himself exactly the type of man he was; a good man deserving of the young man that captured his attention and his heart, not to mention other bits of his anatomy.

There was some contrived drama that pushed the story forward but was honestly overkill and inappropriate, so I feel that could have been beta-read out of there, but I can't say I didn't understand why the author went in that direction.  It was kind of an easy road forward conflict-wise and seemed ready-made for overreactions and prejudice to overcome.  I wish it had been less predictable and more organic though.  Other than that, I enjoyed reading this story and am definitely coming back because my curiosity has been piqued with the group of authors that deserve their own HEAs.  3.5 stars.

Quick Reads, Quick Reviews: Nell Iris

As with all their stories, the endings always seem to come too soon.  They get me hooked on the men, their story, their romance, and I never seem to want their stories to end where we're left.  There's tenderness, sometimes a little steam, but always so full of just the right amount of fluff and drama to make for truly enjoyable reads that never fail to hit me in the feels.

His Steady Heart

Friends to lovers, self-imposed protector falling in love with his charge, opposites attract...  For such a short story there's a whole lot of stuff packed in and while it could have been overwhelmed by it all it was all a subtle journey of eye and heart opening moments to help both Buck and Pippin grow together.  There was a lot of honesty and only getting Buck's POV was both just right and not enough at the same time.  He was the steady presence, the foundation Pippin needed, but it was Pippin's growth, Pippin's change that unlocked the door to the more Buck was always secretly hoping for.  I would have liked to see Pippin's growth through his own eyes.  4 stars.

ARC received from Signal Boost Promotions

Team Luker

This was such a tender story of an established couple that has already forged their path.  We come into their story in the middle-ish where they've walked together years and years and years and are just as much in love as they were in the beginning.  They have time, devotion, and growth under their belts.  But they also have past hurts still lingering in the background that are only now rising to the fore because of a medical scare.  Watching Ellery go through his memories of how they began and his fears for the present was more touching than I would have anticipated.  Instead of reading like a journal of moments, I almost felt and experienced his apprehensions.  And to end it the story with one simple message...it was triumphant and full of relief.  4 stars.

ARC received from Signal Boost Promotions

Resolutions for an Arbitrary Holiday

Not instalove, but an immediate connection does spark and with a little bit of holiday, read liquid, courage, two men find something more than arbitrary.  Petter and Isak are the kind of men that might not have met without a little cosmic help but absolutely needed to, thus the circumstances combining to bring them together.  Their evolution was sweet, realistic, and lasting.  It's the kind of sweet story that sucked me in and didn't let me go.  I still think of moments of the story I wish were drawn out and that it were longer.  Both men were real and likeable and inspired me to root for them.  As with every other story by this author, I didn't want to let them go.  4.5 stars.

ARC received from Gay Book Promotions

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GOODREADS

Dances Long Forgotten: Winsford Green Book 1, Ruby Moone

I truly enjoyed where we ended up with this story, but I will warn that it took more heartbreak and secrets badly revealed before we got there.  Speaking of the story within the story (pretty much the main story since it was pretty much the only one we got in depth), both men were charming, but as we only get one POV, it's a bit skewed in favor of feeling more strongly for Hugo than for Lyndon.  There was a sweetness to where they began as children and a satisfaction to where they ended up once all the chaos settled, it just hurt a lot in between.

One thing to note, in my opinion, was that the story, though well-written, was unnecessarily complicated.  It was secret after secret, reveal after reveal, heartbreak after heartbreak, and was just far too much for a shorter story.  At least one or two could have been dropped and we would have had a much more engaging story.  With a total of three couples being featured in varying degrees it made for too much to bring together at the end.  That being said, if it had been simplified, I would have adored the whole thing.  Each couple was interesting enough with their own complications and hearts to sort out and they all got their HEA in the end.

The "main" couple that we started out with served as a vehicle more than a feature point and that was another missed opportunity.  There were quite a lot of little details that needed some fine tuning and an objective eye, but the overall story had excellent bones and a wonderful ending full of family, feels, and forgiveness.  It was worth the read.

*$2.99 on Amazon

On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.

In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school.

As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.

Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?

Quick Reads, Quick Reviews 45

  

• The Prince and his Bedeviled Bodyguard: Book 1, Charlie Cochet
• Evergreen, Geneva Vand
• A Swants Soiree, E.J. Russell

Short, sweet, and full of snarky feline and sappy wolf. Owin began as quite grating for me with his constant arrogance and prickly nature. It went beyond normal feline prickliness and I wasn't a fan. I immediately loved Grimm's general happy, wolfy attitude that was a perfect foil for Owin's more annoying traits. But it was Owin's turnaround that seemed so genuine because of his self-reflection that had me changing my mind about him. Everything was on a truncated timeline due to the story length, but that didn't bother me one bit. For such a short story I think it was well-rounded in the character growth and development department. It had enough sweetness, passion, and humor to give me everything I really needed from the genre and promise in the premise. What really drew me in besides Grimm was the obvious story we'll be getting about the King and the Earl. That's one I'm definitely sticking around for. And to know that the next story will be about a semi-reclusive bear? Those are my favorite. So yeah, this story's ability to make me change my mind so completely about a character combined with all the good stuff that's being hinted at makes me a happy camper and an eager reader of the series.  4 stars.

Fantastical and sweet, this story was full of heart and magic set in a simplistic world.  Aside from being overly descriptive at times, there was incredible detail that brought the world to life for me.  There was a lot to be charmed by when it came to the relationship between Kym and Gabe.  They were soft, sweet, and a little awkward which made their slower-build romance quite endearing and believable despite this being a fantasy story.  Their affection was built on a whole lot more than attraction and magic and went far deeper than I expected.  When it came time to face the real world I felt both of their tentative natures worked to their detriment and was extremely glad when a solution was found.  Even better was that it was Ashley who came up with the plan to end the moping.  She went from being a stubborn patient to the problem solver and I could really see her independence and growth.  Her role wasn't merely one to bring Gabe to the presence of a dragon, but to set in motion everything necessary to keep them together.  Strong women abound in this short tale and it rounded out this wonderfully sweet story.  4 stars.

We get Brent's POV in this incredibly short, yet sweet story.  There are only hints at desired steam along with some vivid flashes of fantasy, but otherwise this is an incredibly tame tale.  With swants to bring them together, there's a very cute story to go with their meet-cute, but I definitely didn't get enough.  I didn't really find their connection to hold any weight and with Jonathan's evasions and virtually no confessions of feels, it was barely a romantic novella at all for me.  I love this author so I can really see this story going father and becoming something really awesome though, so it's something I'd be willing to hold out for in the future because the MC's really did have a ton of potential as did the cute story line.  4 stars.

Hot Chocolate Kisses: A Snow Globe Christmas Book 9, Jackie North

First impressions are not always correct, especially if you're coming from a place of past hurt and current frustration.  Alex and Cory both have their own demons to fight before they can feel the magic of Christmas and a love neither man was expecting.

Cory was interesting right from the start.  He had a whole life that wasn't always synonymous with trouble, but grief and being alone spelled out a whole lot of it.  I love the idea of a second chance at life when you're really trying to become the best version of yourself.  While he sees himself as worth so much less than everyone else he's still trying.  Attempting to do it independently is admirable, though a bit unwise as he learns that support and love are more important than pride.  His evolution is one of subtle changes as he tries to give another lonely man what might cheer him up and possibly open a path for more between them.

Alex is far less open to the idea of more as his own pride and hurt color his every interaction with Cory until he truly sees the man beneath the "bruiser" appearance.  I had a far harder time connecting to Alex because he had an annoying inability to sincerely apologize.  He never tried to make amends for his crappy attitude and hurtful words to Cory.  Sure, we could see a little flicker of remorse every once in a while, but no action was made to correct his uncharitable behavior.  Only when he opened his home to a very hurt Cory did we see that things could get better for him, and them by extension.  His icy edges were slowly thawed under the constant warmth of Cory's gigantic heart.

They were a good pair and my frustrations with Alex were overshadowed by how much I enjoyed Cory in all of his vulnerability and seeming flaws.  The whole community gave the idea of living in a small town merit, where perhaps everyone knows everyone else's business but they use that information to find ways to love and serve instead of gossip and judge.  I loved the warmth of the setting and the essence of what the holiday spirit really is as it was apparent in so much of we saw and experienced in this story.

*$3.99 on Amazon

Alex had to leave the mean streets of Chicago in a hurry. Now he's weathering his first Christmas in a small town in Colorado.

Cory had a boyfriend and now he doesn't, which means the Christmas holiday is turning out to be the loneliest he's had in years.

When they meet at a Holiday Fair, Alex finds himself being drawn into Cory's world. A world where there is grace to be found in a simple, home-cooked meal, books read out loud by firelight, and the golden glow of welcome.

Alex has never wanted anything as tame as hearth and home. Now that he wants it, it's not anything he can have. Nothing feels he deserves, at any rate.

Can Cory and the Spirit of Christmas Present prove to Alex that love is love?

The Snow Dragon's Mate: Lonely Dragons Club Book 2, Silvia Violet

The amount of steam in this short story is incredible.  Sometimes it pulled focus from the romantic build, but these kinds of stories generally follow the same romantic formula by starting with the lust and ending with the love.  It's not a bad or ineffective approach, it's just a bit predictable.

Holden is a sassy omega who has a heap of hurt to heal if he's really going to chase after his HEA.  Kymar is a dissatisfied playboy (play-dragon?) who wants a mate but isn't sure how to go about finding one of his own.  Together they are an incredibly sweet pairing with crazy amounts of chemistry.

I liked the simple evolution of the story and especially Kymar's guileless love of the snow and commitment to his mate.  Both of those traits sold me on him as an individual.  While Holden's emotional reaction to getting stuck in the snow is a little much for me, I do extremely appreciate his forthright honesty instead of a typical response of defensiveness.  I can't say I was captivated by the characters, but I did quite like them on a surface level.  I think they had massive potential on their own and together but were hampered by the length of the story.

The other dragons are quite interesting and I'd be interested to see more from the Lonely Dragons Club because the ones I met here are sweet, toppy, and so very eager to find the partner of their souls.  On its own, this story does stand, though I will probably say that for enjoyment of the club on the whole, reading the other books in the series sure wouldn't go amiss.

*$2.99 on Amazon

Best Christmas gift ever: Finding out dragons exist and one of them is your fated mate.
Kymar
Weary from centuries spent searching for my mate, I hid away in a mountain cabin until an offer from a friend leads me to the most exquisite omega I have ever seen. From the moment our eyes meet, all I want is to make him mine. A well-timed storm leaves him stranded in my lair, but when the snow melts, he insists on returning to his human life. I’m convinced we’re fated for one another. Can I make this stubborn young man believe it too?

Holden
I rode on a dragon’s back. A real, live dragon. In his human form, Kymar is so gorgeous I can hardly breathe around him. I’m drawn to him by a force too strong to ignore, but, magical creature or not, I can’t get involved with him. Happiness never lasts. I’ve learned that lesson again and again. After I walk away, my longing to return grows worse every day until I start to wonder if I can find to courage to believe what my heart and my dragon say is true—Kymar and I are meant to be together.

Gay Romance Holiday Collection, Keira Andrews

Eight Nights in December: 4 stars

Both MC's were soft and sweet as was their passion.  It was immature because of their age, but not in the way it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Both characters had a lot of growing to do and it's clear that they're given the best possible start with foundations of love, good family, and a faith system that provided tradition and community.  I do wish there had been an alternating POV, but Nate's issues and feelings were relatively obvious so I could forgive that.  Theirs was free of any external angst and the internal issues were rectified really quickly by well-meaning family so the overall feel of the story was light and fluffy.  The epilogue was absolutely perfect for them and showed an immense amount of family love, connection, and happiness that would be anything anyone could hope for.

In Case of Emergency: 3.5 stars

With a slow start and an unnecessary amount of meddling and ridiculousness from the would-be boyfriend, this wasn't my favorite of the bunch.  But then things started deepening and progressing between the MC's and then a whole load of sweetness came rushing in and really brought the story to a better place.  I think the demi bit was slightly contrived and simplistically explained, but other than that, the rest of the story flowed well and gave a great sense of connection between the men.  The ending was very sweet and just right for the MC's.

Santa Daddy: 4 stars

This was a cute story that had a lot of steam and I liked it all.  Getting to know both men and seeing how they changed and grew to become better men by the end as well as more settled was an absolute pleasure.  I even liked the interjected thoughts from Eric's perspective that helped Nick to come to terms with all that stretched him beyond his comfort zone.  It was snarky, tempting, and quite amusing at times.  With a couple of solid side characters to add depth and breadth to the story I was completely sold.

Where the Lovelight Gleams: 3 stars

Another family for the win.  These two MC's really need the support of family being stuck in the Hollywood spotlight.  The sexual chemistry between them really works, but the emotional one felt lacking.  I would have liked an alternating POV because there was quite a bit of internal conflict, withheld feelings, aborted sentiments, and rash reactions on both of their parts.  While the ending was very sweet and brought us full-circle, the lead-up was a bit rough and didn't give me the same lovely feelings I got with all the rest of the stories in this collection.

*$4.99 on Amazon

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.

A Villain for Christmas: A Snow Globe Christmas Book 4, Alice Winters

I think I died.  Deceased.  Landon has murdered me with his brand of funny and I don't even care.  So much laughing, out loud kine too, that I practically hacked up a lung.  And I'm talkin' leg-kicking, tears-rolling, ab-tastic laughter.  I think I laughed more with Landon than with Felix and I wasn't sure that was possible.  But the best part about all of this is that the story wasn't just die-laughing funny, it had feels, complications, sweetness, and vulnerability.  For me this book has everything, is everything.

The farce of a courtship is so perfect for the characters.  And August's participation in and tolerance of Landon's shenanigans are supremely entertaining.  I love their dynamic because it's the cutest evolution of a middle-school crush amplified by amazing powers and families that live to embarrass them that I could have ever hoped for.  Seriously, "Why did you do everything but talk to me?" is the most apt question in existence for August.

The more dramatic plot elements were believable in the story's world and fit quite well, and though I wouldn't really say it was unique or original, it was tackled in such a way that it felt fresh.  The resolution is a little up in the air because we don't follow every thread to its conclusion, but the story did end in a place that gave a feeling of closure for some things and a bright, open, happy future for others.  I think the level of crazy is just right as it had to match the big personalities and funnier moments without overwhelming them.

All the side characters are fantastic, from the dopey Brandon, the inappropriate Baker, to the vulnerable Lex, and the quietly tortured Nolan.  And with memorable quotes about a hairless cat's gender, how can this not be perfection?  The world was a little confusing at first because it's pretty much the world we live in today, just so many of the humans have powers and achieve notoriety on both sides of the good/evil fence.  That wasn't exactly confusing, it was a little bit more the perception I was trying to read.   All the players were a little hard to keep track of and to keep straight, but not too far into the story I was completely sucked in and figured things out pretty quickly.

It was honestly so very easy to get sucked into this world with the level of funny, feels, and dysfunctional families.  I sped through this story so fast because I just could not put it down and it's already on my favorites and re-read shelves since I'm going to be enjoying this story over and over again.

*$3.99 on Amazon!

Despite growing up in a family of villains, I’d rather curl up and read than commit crimes. When I get coerced by my brother into helping him rob a bank, I run into August, my childhood crush—also known as Chrono, the city’s greatest superhero. He’s sexy, sweet, and suddenly he’s asking me to Thanksgiving with his parents. It’s probably because he doesn’t realize that I’m Leviathan, a villain with the power of telekinesis. And I can’t tell him because he’d never forgive me and would stop doing things like cooking for me—wait, maybe that would be a good thing, since he’s a terrible cook. It doesn’t help that my parents think they’re the ultimate villains and won’t stop getting in my way, although they can’t even steal toilet paper without getting caught.

But when real supervillains (not the wannabe kind that I grew up with) start targeting August, I might be forced to show everyone who I truly am: a slightly warped and snarky man who’d really rather read a book than save anything… besides August. I’ll tear this world apart just to get another glimpse of him in those glasses and spandex suit. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even though it means exposing my true identity. Luckily, August still cares about me, proving that even a villain and a hero can fall in love. Hopefully, we’ll be able to save the world in time for Christmas