Blog Tour ~ A Collection of Christmas Stories by RJ Scott ~ (Reviews + Giveaway)

Blog Tour ~ A Collection of Christmas Stories by RJ Scott ~ (Reviews + Giveaway)

"It's the most wonderful time of the year" and I LOVE it! There's something special about Christmas stories and as you can see, I also love writing them :)

In no particular order here they are:

Note: *** All books were provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author for our reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

The Christmas Throwaway The Christmas Throwaway, was my first Christmas themed book. Written as a short story for someone who was poorly in J2 fan fiction, I extended it from two thousand short words to over forty and so Ben and Zach were created. The book, a story of a young man thrown out of his house at Christmas for being gay, did really surprisingly well. It was All Romance's best selling book of 2010 and also spent a lot of time in the top 300 of all romance novels on Amazon. It's now available in Audio and has been translated into Spanish, Italian,  French and now German. I love this little book that could so much. The Christmas Throwaway Sweet and feelgood, but to make it a 5 Star read, it needed just that little bit more of an epilogue, a little later down the line. This is a tale that takes place over two years, starting when one lead, Zach, is just short of his 18th birthday, and the other is a 24yo rookie cop who comes across him sleeping rough. It's the season of goodwill and the cop, Ben, takes him home, where Zach ends up finding family, love and acceptance - all the things that were missing at home. It's a sweet tale with hints of sadness for Zach and for his family situation, but all works out well in the end, with him and Ben in the start of their HEA. Ben did the 'noble, responsible thing' due to his job, position and age, so the romance element took a bit of a backseat to the rest of the happenings, and what romance there was, was low-key, but very heartfelt and sweet. For me, this would have been a perfect read had the author given us epilogue part 2, perhaps another 5yrs or so down the line, with the leads on more of an equal footing and living and cementing their HEA. Still, it was a very worthwhile read as it was. The Christmas Throwaway  4.5 Stars!  I enjoyed this story and I am happy and relieved that it takes place over a longer period of time than I originally expected. While this is not exactly an insta-love type story I was wary of the fact that it seemed like it might head in that direction.  Zachary's character is a few days shy of his 18th birthday and Ben is 24 when the story starts. It just seemed a little wrong for there to be an attraction.  The situation, though, was handled quite well and respectfully, in my opinion. It definitely made the story better to me. It was sweet and with a small amount of angst it made it a great holiday-themed read. Short (although I think it would have made a great full-length book) and easy with laughs and just the right amount of steam. I recommend The Christmas Throwaway.  The Road To Frosty Hollow I love the concept of a road trip, particularly when you fall in love on that journey. Add in two men who have known each other a very long time and this is a story written with Meredith Russell that ticks all the boxes for a Christmas Romance.	Jesse's Christmas This was my second Christmas themed book and spent some time with an old publisher before I was lucky enough to get it back.  As soon as I got it back I doubled it in size! The story of someone who doesn't really like Christmas landing in a town that won an award for best Christmas Town made me smile the entire time I was writing it. I couldn't fail to love Gabriel who showed Jesse what Christmas could be about and how it is possible to love again. Jesse's Christmas  3.5 Stars! I liked Jesse's Christmas, however, admittedly, I didn't love it. I liked Gabe (how can I not love a male teacher of the 5-7 year olds) but I just didn't feel much for Jesse. I didn't dislike him in any way I just didn't love him. I do believe though, that had the story been longer and maybe have a little more as far as what happened with Jesse's ex and the FBI investigation, the aftermath and Jesse dealing with it, that I might have felt more for his character. This was a story where I needed more angst and drama, more conflict. That being said, I'm glad that Jesse and Gabe didn't just jump into bed together. They actually got to know one another and that was refreshing. I like the idea of this picturesque little town and it's love of Christmas. The little romance between Diana and Austin was entertaining as well. Definitely recommendable. Snow & Secrets One of my favourite storylines in a romance book at Christmas is the idea of a snowy cabin, enforced isolation, and two men falling in love.   Snow, secrets, some danger, one hot tub, Christmas decorations, and family. Snow & Secrets After an embarrassing public scandal, Tyler Hart needs to lay low for a bit, and there doesn't seem to be a better place than a quiet cabin in the Stanford Creek.  The last thing Garrett Campbell expected was to share his brother's cabin with Tyler Hart, who he's had a crush on since he listened to his band's first album. Unfortunately, it's not the best time for this to happen, as Garrett is hiding after a job gone wrong. Now he's trying to get past being wounded in the line of duty, finding out who the mole in their team is and fighting his feelings for Tyler, something that proves harder to do when his attraction is reciprocated by the singer.  I loved Garrett and Tyler! Their attraction was instant, although, in Garrett's defense, he'd been crushing on Tyler ever since he heard his band's first album and his training mates had put a poster of Tyler in his room as a joke. They just fit together so well and helped each other through some of the things that had led them to wanting to be in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere. While they were both attracted to the other, it wasn't like they gave into it as fast. It didn't feel rushed, they took their time to decide that it was what they both wanted, even if it had an expiration date.  I loved the dynamics with Garrett's family and their friends, it gave depth to their story and I adored that even if Garrett was somewhat bound to secrecy, when the time came he knew he could count on his brother Justin to have his back no questions (or just the bare minimum) asked. This was an action-packed, fast-paced romance, with an intriguing plot that will keep you guessing almost until the very last moment. Very recommendable!  Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!
New York Christmas Awwww, my boys in New York.  I loved writing this book. It started life as a J2 fanfiction twelve days of Christmas type short story. When I rewrote it I wanted to keep that idea of the days before Christmas, although of course the book starts just before Thanksgiving and ends in the New Year. There is also a free short story following on, available at Amber Kell's blog here New York Christmas Christian is working in his friend's coffee shop after being forced out of his teaching job from a private school. He loved being a teacher, it's all he's wanted to do, but now he has to figure out the next step in his life. Does he move on from teaching and find another career, or does he stick with teaching and run the risk of being fired due to being gay again. He's licking his wounds and just existing right now. One day while working, he recognizes the man at his counter, Daniel Bailey, his crush from college. Daniel is working as a police officer and has finally settled into his life and is ready to pursue Christian. He didn't just have a chance encounter with Chris, he went out of his way to find out where Chris is now so that he could make sure they run into each other again. It turns out that Daniel, who slept with anyone and everyone except Chris while in college, knew Chris was special even then. He waited until his life was settled and he was in the position to properly woo Chris. The love between the two happened quickly, but it felt natural because of their history together. Daniel is able to provide the support Chris needs and is able to help with a difficult situation that happens. Overall, this was a sweet, instalove, quick read story that I really enjoyed! Rating: 4.5 stars Snow In Montana  My newest Christmas book, the fourth story in the Montana series is a look at Justin and Adam, alongside a whole new romance between a B list actor and a Sheriff.  I love Christmas movies, and this novel is set against the March backdrop for filming *Snow In Montana* starring The King Of Christmas (TM) Jordan Darby. Meeting Ryan Carter, the local sheriff, is way too tempting for Jordan. How long can he stay in the closet?	Angel In A Book Shop The story of an angel and a man set in a book shop. I mean, how could I not enjoy writing this, it had a bookshop, a man with wings, and an angsty sad hero. Win/Win. It was based loosely on a short I wrote for Dreamspinner way back in 2010 (a bit, not much really, it was supposed to but it kind of grew like topsy and became something else). The short story I had written was my first ever accepted work for publishing and it HAD to be extended and become something else. Angel in a Book Shop  3 Stars! This story of Josh and Michael was something I had pretty high hopes for. I have a love of books about Angels falling in love with humans and being forced to give up their wings or immortality or whatever the story calls for. So I was super excited for this one and sat down ready to devour it. Unfortunately, I found myself not really liking it and somewhat bored. Josh in the beginning is hard to really understand. I got this impression of someone weak and inexperienced at life when in reality that wasn't true. He had, however, had a stressful job and lifestyle and it let him to being hospitalized. Now it's important to keep him from taking on too much. Michael is an angel and has always known he'd find his true love who'd be a man. Once in love he'd be walking away from his Angelic duties and live a normal life. I wanted more angst about it, I think. I'm not sure exactly what happened but it just didn't resonate with me. While I liked the bond they formed and thought they were good together, there was just nothing I found outstanding or gripping about this story. And while I wanted more I also wanted something just a tad different and more emotional. Texas Christmas Writing the Texas series was a labour of love, and I had to put in a Christmas story for Jack, Riley, and their extended family. There is of course drama with the Campbell-Hayes, including a terrifying car trip home with the Christmas Tree. Add in the boy's new family and this ends up being a very interesting Christmas for them all. Texas Christmas 4 Stars!!! So glad that I've picked up this series again and dived straight in without any continuation issues. Lovely and heartwarming. I read book 1 some years ago and then seemingly never got round to picking up the rest in the series, but I recently read book 2 and remembered what had drawn me to book 1. It's been great catching up with these guys, and even though I've been reading slightly out of order, I've not felt lost or as if I don't know the characters. This tale deals with the Campbells and Campbell-Hayes mainly, with the addition of some newer leads in the form of various ranch hands, and some danger pertaining to one of the latter, but it's still a real feel-good tale at heart, with family - family you're born into, family you find and family you make - at its heart. It's brilliant to see that despite being 'old marrieds' now, Riley and Jack are still as passionate about each other and as hot for each other as ever, and that they still find daddy&daddy time, despite all the demands on them. When I think of how they started in book 1, I didn't ever imagine seeing them as parents of 4, but RJS has done this pretty brilliantly.
The Case Of The Sinful Santa End Street Detective Agency Book 4, written with Amber Kell How could we not explore the idea of a Klaus family in this series of books featuring vampires, demons, angels, dragons and one kind of human, along with a cast of many other paranormals? In this book we explored what it must be like born into the Klaus family but not wanting to be a Santa... And of course, we introduced our very own Angel just to shake things up. The Case of the Sinful Santa This book was a bit different from the others in the series. It was a bit darker, less fun, with less Bob and Sam as true protagonists. I guess when you're dealing with necromancers, zombies and dead angels, there's not much to do there. Still, the story was intriguing and while I didn't realize who the bad guy was until they pointed it out to me, it also gave the case closure, even if there still are a few loose ends there. I wasn't too sure of Zeph at first, but he won me over with his devotion for Nick. And Nick was sweet and shy, and I liked seeing him gain confidence the longer he was with Zeph. The bit with Santa at the end was a bit odd, but other than that, I ended up liking the story, perhaps not as much as the others, but it was still a good read for me. Rating: 4 Stars!!!	Christmas in the Sun The Sapphire Cay series comes to an end with book 6. I have loved writing this series with my very close friend Meredith Russell and we had to give the boys a Christmas book in 2013. We bought back a wedding planner with OCD decorating tendencies and his sexy Marine, Lucas and Dylan and a stray dog, and gave all of our boys a Christmas Day they wouldn't forget. Christmas in the Sun This is one of those books that you just need to read the previous books in the series or you'll have no clue what's going on, which was what I did and it kind of backfired on me. The book was interesting enough, but there's a lot of history between these guys that I, as a new reader of the series, wasn't privy to, so I was a bit lost. Still, the writing was great and the characters were likable, so if you're already a fan of this series, I'm sure you'll love this book! Rating: 3.5 Stars!
The Journal Of Sanctuary One (Sanctuary book 6) Jake and Sean, with their love/hate relationship stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere for Christmas. Of course the Bullen storyline features but mostly this is me ticking ALL of my Christmas boxes. Two men, a cabin, stranded, anger, hate, love, sex and gratuitous use of a running machine. Sighs. I loved writing this book. The Journal of Sanctuary One Jake isn't doing all that great after discovering that Sean had double-crossed them, putting some of the Sanctuary men in danger. The last thing he expected was to find Sean outside of their vacation cabin bleeding from his shoulder, with a light concussion and bordering on hypothermia. Only there's more to Sean's story than what Jake's team had already uncovered and it might change things between them all over again. I can safely say this was my favorite of the books I read. While I hadn't read any of the previous Sanctuary books, RJ Scott provided enough backstory regarding both Sanctuary and Jake and Sean and even the rest of the guys, that I didn't feel confused. What it did make me was eager to read the rest of the series, so it's win-win in my book! Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!	Deefur and the Mistletoe Incident A free short story Christmas gift This was part of a huge Christmas Anthology that I pulled together in 2013 featuring some 25 new authors. It is the sequel to Deefur The Dog, featuring a Manny, a widower, a sweet child, and of course a Great Dane called Deefur. This year it is being published with it's own cover and wont cost you a penny! Deefur and the Mistletoe Incident Cameron and Jason have been living together for a while, and Cameron is finally ready to ask Jason to marry Emma and him. However, Cameron hasn't been able to find the right time to ask him. Jason is perfect for them and they both love him, but Jason feels he can't measure up to Cameron's late husband. Could Cameron convince him that he is more than enough? This book was such an adorable, sweet read. I just fell in love with Deefur, Cameron, Jason and Emma. For such a short read, it packed some angst and felt very complete within itself. Very recommendable! Rating: 4 Stars!!!
Texas Winter (Texas #2) The book that was never supposed to be written...  Did you know The Heart Of Texas was supposed to be a stand alone? ROFL... I couldn't leave it though and so Texas winter was born. Snow doesn't fall a lot in Texas but this story centers around a freak one-day snowfall. Add in a daughter Riley didn't know he had and the Campbell-Hayes have their first real Christmas. Texas Winter 4 Stars! Nice to catch up with Riley, Jack and extending family/ies. A bit of drama, a bit of danger, a big surprise and more HEAs!! This tale technically can be read as a standalone, but you'll enjoy it best if you've read book 1, as a whole host of previous characters, not just the leads, make appearances and it's great to see them happy and well, and to know and see how Jack and Riley have matured as a couple. Beth is well, her daughter's growing and now Eden's on the way to making her own happiness, as is Donna. Donna's budding romance sparks some flames and I loved seeing Jack go all protective of her. I wasn't quite so OK with the 20-yr age gap that made her fiancé practically the same age as her son, but hey, the guys were happy and it's the season of goodwill, so...! In this tale, there's a few unexpected things, some good, some bad, some dangerous, but all ends well with the Campbell-Hayes's family expanding, and with everyone happy and with lives going in slightly differing directions to where book 2 left off. It's a feelgood tale and it's rekindled my interest in the series and I'm off to read more.	The Party - A blog story from six authors Written in 2012... Henry and Jack had thought nothing could ever drive them apart. They were wrong. Three months have passed since Jack had walked out of the home they shared, and Henry had been too stupid to take back the hurtful things he'd said. Both assured by their respective parents that the other would not be present at Henry's mother's annual Christmas gathering, they attend. Finding they have been duped into seeing each other, Henry realizes that this may be his only chance to try and make things right. But will he be able to convince Jack to come home? The Party  4 Stars! Six authors writing a chapter of one story, what a wonderful idea. I really like it and thought it was sweet and unique. I just wish it could have been longer, I feel like there was so much that could be done with these characters and this idea. *Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Author Bio: 

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing. 

RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

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