Hello everyone!
This is, as the Grinch would say, an audacity!
I've somehow missed one or two holiday books by Keira Andrews, despite the fact I've done reviews during separate years where ALL I've focused on were her books.
It's a mystery how this happened!
But as I like to occasionally dig through and pull out stuff I haven't poked at yet, this year seems to be the catch-up kind of year.
I may not have done Booktober BUT my goodness, I'll be doing these Christmas ones right!
So without further ado, let's have a look at a really cute novella, shall we?
Eight Nights in December is absolutely adorable.
I'll be linking other holiday-themed book reviews AND Keira Andrews' book reviews (for the holidays, of course) down below, as always.
Now what have Nate and Lucas been up to?
Lucas is studying premed, as a sort of desire to appease his father, who couldn't get into the university that his son was accepted to, despite the fact that he really isn't all that into it, but as his father unfortunately passed away from cancer in the autumn, well, he feels it's fulfilling his last wish.
This is how he ends up rooming with Sam, a star basketball player, whose mother comes to pick him up for the holiday break and thus meets Lucas while she's at it.
Seeing that the kid is going to be all alone for Christmas AND staying in the dorms, she decides nope, that's not how I roll, and packs him up to spend the break with their family, which is how Lucas meets Nate - he's going to be bunking in the same room as the guy.
And well, seeing as Lucas is kind of acknowledging the fact that he prefers men, overall, and Nate is VERY good-looking ... you get the idea.
Luckily for all of us - because poor Lucas, being a virgin, is also kind of socially awkward - Nate takes the lead here and sort of sets a trap for the guy (nothing mean, obviously, but he leaves the bathroom door cracked open when he goes to shower one time, and Lucas falls for it, spying on him) which leads to some very steamy kisses in the dark room.
Oh, I forgot to mention, Nate would love to be a photographer, but his parents kind of think this is a little hobby for him, so he's in prelaw at the moment.
But he does have Lucas for the holidays now, so there's that, which certainly escalates as the pair of them continue to discover just how much they're attracted to one another, and how much emotional support they lend to the other, namely Nate for Lucas, when the death of his father comes home to roost, and Lucas for Nate in simply encouraging him and supporting him.
There are, of course, setbacks, but very minor, since occasionally every couple WILL fight, but Nate and Lucas always reconcile (usually with some steamy makeup sex, while they're at it!), and after a visit to a gay club, it becomes fairly obvious that they only want each other, not anyone else.
Here's the thing though, Nate isn't exactly out to his family, and considers it might be best that way, until Sam, of all people, leads the conversation in that direction when he asks point-blank if Nate and Lucas are a thing. This then leads to Nate's parents admitting they suspected, but on the counsel of their Rabbi (the family's Jewish, mind you) waited to allow Nate to come to them when he was ready.
Seeing as Nate thought his mom considered homosexuals vulgar, that wasn't going to happen - and to clarify, no she doesn't, she objected to any kind of swimwear on display, not the sexuality.
All's well that ends well though, and the family reconciles; Lucas transfers to New York (since even clueless Sam could see he was miserable at the other school) and Nate switches to photography, plus the two of them move in together and at the very end buy sort of promise rings for each other ... before being surprised by Nate's entire family in their tiny apartment to light the Menorah on the first night of eight.
And wouldn't you know it, we get that happily ever after!
Cute, sexy, and still heart-wrenching and heart-warming all the time, Ms Andrews finds the right balance between the steamy and the emotional scenes, and this one in particular hit home for me as my own father is currently battling that Battle, like Lucas' was. Maybe that's why I connected to Lucas so much, but honestly though, these books of hers for the most part always tug at my heartstrings. There's no doubt about it.
Plus it's a short and sweet novella, so why not pick it up and have a look for yourself? I can guarantee you won't be disappointed!
xx
*image not mine
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