A review by ruthie
Let It Snow by Heidi Cullinan

3.0

this book is a little ridiculous, but in a very hallmark/lifetime-y way, which more or less is what I was looking for, so I guess I can't fault it for that.

Frankie is driving home from visiting his parents in Duluth, Minnesota, and somehow gets so lost that instead of driving south to Minneapolis, he ends up going north, and gets stuck in a tiny town called Logan. major suspension of disbelief aside - because like, literally all he had to do was go on I-35 south to go home, it's a straight shot, I looked it up - the set up was pretty cute.

Frankie ends up camping out in a cabin for a week with three bears (the gay kind, not the animal kind) because the storm's got the whole town trapped. He doesn't hit it off with Marcus right away, the grumpiest of the three, until he does, and then they are both smitten as hell. this part of the story dragged for me - normally it'd be the part of the movie where there was a montage of dates, bonding, having good ol' times, etc., but because they were snowed in and without power, the only thing Frankie and Marcus could really do was have sex. which is fine, but after a couple of times it got really boring, especially with cringey lines like "make love to me." (like, what year is it? we're still using that dialogue in 2013?)

but after a while the plot picked back up, in an enjoyably predictable way: happy times, big fight, last minute make up, fade to black. barring one incredibly rushed plotline that did not need to be included at all (and I'm just gonna say it, because don't tell me you were gonna read this, I doubt it: Frankie gets fucking mugged, in the last 20 pages of the book. it's nothing but a plot device to spur him into his "seize the day" moment, and it's dumb as hell), this was a formulaic christmas romance that was quick, cute and pretty fun to read.

I guess this is a series, but I don't care enough about the side characters to continue, and they're not available on libby anyhow. so. time to find more christmas reads!