ARC Review: The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert

“Having a more mature relationship made the festive feels that much better to me.”
~ Under the Covers

Whew, have a fan on the ready because I was not prepared for how hot and steamy this m/m holiday romance got, in the best way! Having only read Annabeth’s YA/New Adult titles before picking up this book, I was excited to get to read one of her adult books. She left the door WIDE open in this one, with plenty of sexy scenes (there’s a joke there about roasting chestnuts + an open fire, but alas, I’ll leave those kinds of things up to the authors’ LOL) that will definitely light up your Christmas TBR.

I LOVED Albert’s True Colors series and the way she captured each of the same-sex relationships in each book, so I was thrilled that the writing style of her characters also translated so well in this adult romance. This grumpy/sunshine trope worked SO well for these two main characters, it was like it was MADE for a holiday title with Mr. Christmas spectacular himself, Gideon Holiday + Paul Frost, resident Grinch. For me, this was a unique read for this time of year, and one I really enjoyed.

One thing I just adored was the age of these two! It was refreshing and fun to read about a couple in their forties, somehow the emotions and life experiences made each moment feel so more real to me. Having a more mature relationship made the festive feels that much better to me, as the two men went from enemies to lovers and quickly found the holiday spirit as they simultaneously fell for each other. It was cute without being overly Christmasy, and while the plotline remained upbeat and moving, each of their personalities gave us a lot of depth and emotion as well, especially about communication within a relationship.

The community feel really added to the story for me in a way that made me giggle and think about my own neighborhood. The message board kickoffs to each chapter tied in with the storyline and read just like posts I would see in my own town, and that small-town feel is just so charming and cozy, especially in a holiday book! It just fit so well with neighbors sharing their wants, woes, and complaints, with those scenes adding a lot of character to the story from the town meeting to the trades for furniture and work as Paul prepared for his brother’s arrival.

Pick this one up if you love romantic holiday moments, with enough steam to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night while you wait for Santa to come!