Reviews

His Holiday Crush by Cari Z

sandrareilly513's review

4.0

Thoughts: This book was just so sweet! I adored the friendship between Max and Hal, and I loved how Max cared so much for Hal's two little girls and wanted to be there for them during Christmas. He gets more than he bargained for when he crashes his car on the outskirts of town and ends up being rescued by Hal's younger brother, Dominic. Dominic's childhood crush on Max is still very much intact, and as the two spend more time together they find they can't deny their mutual attraction.

Spoiler

And Hal was totally here for it, which I absolutely loved!

The dynamic between Hal and Max is too cute, and the way Dominic and Max take care of the girls was an adorable additional element. The chemistry between Dominic and Max was amazing yet so tender at the same time. There are some heavy topics weaved into the story - divorce, alcoholism, PTSD, to name a few - but none are delved into too deeply so they don't bring the mood of the story down at all. That sounds cold and callous, but my point is that this is meant to be a holiday romance and therefore the author clearly was trying to keep things light despite the heavier issues that people have to deal with in real life. All in all, I thought this was a cute, light-yet-serious-at-times holiday romance that was perfect for reading next to the Christmas tree or a warm fire.

***Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.***

nixbix_reads's review

4.0

This was such a cute read - plenty of feel good emotional moments mixed with a good amount of spice! The spark between Max & Dominic was obvious from the start & I really liked how their relationship grew over the week that Max was in town. Even though this story was on the short side, it never felt rushed or cramped. I thought it was well paced, and the background Max being Dominic’s brother’s best friend (and teen crush) meant that their shared history worked for them.

piperclover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Easy, most sweet, slightly angsty. Typical big city lawyer goes to his tiny hometown and falls in love and realizes he has to move back. Dominic is a really interesting character and Max was a serviceable love interest. 

mehsi's review

5.0

I received this book from Grey’s Promotions in exchange of an honest review.

I just HAD to read the book when I saw the blurb and the cover. It looked (and sounded) so romantic. Plus, I have been looking around for some more Christmassy books to read.

Meet Max, a lawyer who is just wayyyy to busy with getting a promotion. He hasn’t been to his old town for a decade (for good reasons that we find out later on) but for Christmas he decides to visit as he just can’t say no to the cute daughters of his best friend, Hal. I loved Max from the start but with each new thing that we learn about him I loved him more and more. He could cook some delicious foods, he works hard, he is great with kids, he can get some raccoons out of your home should that be required (and it is if you live in Dominic home of raccoon), he knows how to help with your home, and there is more.

Then there is Dominic, brother of Hal, and just fresh out of the army with a big case of PTSD (poor guy). He just started with his new job at the police and that is also how he meets Max again when he has to rescue him from a snowbank crash. Dominic is such a sweet guy and as we learn more about him and what happened to him in the army I just wanted to hug him so much. I loved seeing him around the girls and how much he loved them.

The love is a bit fast for me, but given how sweet and swoony it was I could forgive it. Plus, the sex scenes were just WOW and hot and steamy. Just thinking of them makes me warm again.

toshi21's review

4.0

Max and Dominic are so sweet in this holiday from the normally action packed Cari Z.

I loved the story as Max tries to do right by his best friend’s family and still manages to find time to fall in love with his best friend’s brother, with Hal’s blessing.
They are absolutely adorable in the way that Max cares for the family while professing he doesn’t need to be there all the time, when you can see he needs to be there and he wants to be there.

There is so much love in this book, familial love, friend love and lover love and it’s beautiful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a feel good holiday read.

I received a copy for an honest review.

jordb1213's review

4.0

* Many thanks to Engtangled Publishing for giving me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *

As a long time fan of Christmas romance movies, I was excited to finally dip my toes into holiday romance novels. His Holiday Crush follows Max, an career-centered lawyer, on his trip to his small, quirky hometown for Christmas. When he accidentally gets snowed in, his one day trip becomes much longer, letting a new relationship form and leaving Max time to rediscover his priorities and home.

I really enjoyed the romantic aspects of this book, and Cari Z writes with a perfect balance of sexual and romantic attraction. The conflicts in the third act were some of the few romance conflicts that didn't frustrate me or feel forced. Max and Dominic's relationship also played into their character arcs well. It did feel a little insta-love, especially at the beginning of the book, but considering it's a novella, that's to be expected.

In addition to being a delightful romance, the side characters were lots of fun and the setting was cute. It felt very reminiscent of Stars Hollow in it's particular brand of quirkiness. I would love to read more stories in this universe.

His Christmas Crush was the epitome of a self-care romance novel for me. I could just get lost in the story and enjoy the ride. It felt like the book equivalent of a mug of hot cocoa and a fuzzy blanket, which coincidentally, would go perfectly with this book.

AO3 tags: m/m, small towns, returning home, lawyers, veterans, puppies, nsfw, caught in the snow, found family, best friend's brother, PTSD, one of them has to rescue the other, multiple times, comfy reads

readingkitten's review

4.0

This was cute! Could have done without the snide comments on veganism though. I'm seeing it more and more in random books. It's annoying and I'm not even vegan.

kle105's review

4.0

This is a sweet m/m romance that brings a sharp NYC lawyer back to his hometown. He hasn’t been back in a decade, due to some family drama. When he comes back for the holidays he ends up in a snowbank. Little did he know he would be rescued by his best friends little brother. Although he isn’t so little anymore.

Max and Dominic seemed to always have an attraction but after being snowed in together realize they have a lot in common.

I loved that they were both very supportive of each other. While there were some hiccups along the way I liked how their story progressed. Not a lot of angst but more figuring out what they wanted out of life, and each other.

Overall, a sweet small town, holiday read with some best friends brother romance, with some steam thrown in for good measure.

I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

thebookishren's review

5.0

I was not expecting such an emotional, sweet, swoon-worthy MM holiday romance!

Complete honesty? I LOVED this book. Max was a NYC lawyer with a big promotion in his near future. Dominic was an ex-military turned small-town police officer fighting his PTSD while helping out his brother, Hal, with his 2 girls after their mother ran off. Hal, who also happens to be Max's best friend (and their bromance was adorable).

When Hal convinces Max to return home after 10 years, he ends up running in to a snowbank. When a sexy-as-sin officer comes to the rescue, imagine his surprise finding out it's his best friend's younger brother. They had a spark from the first moment and while it was steamy, it was also SUPER sweet. I seriously loved their interactions, their sexy times, and their innocent, yet deeply developed love in such a short time frame.

What follows is a tale of discovery, truth, festive spirit, forgiveness, and acceptance. With an amazing supporting cast from the diner to the police force, two adorable girls, a well-behaved dog, a house in need of repair, and some insane sexual tension, this book was a PERFECT holiday escape.

doseofromance's review

5.0

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a quick and fun holiday read. I absolutely loved it. It's light but with enough depth to make it interesting and give it substance. Dominic is so sweet and shy and Max complements him so well by being more outgoing and experienced. There's also a nice amount of steam ;) This is the perfect book for curling up in the holiday season and believe in happily ever after. Highly recommend!