Release Day Blitz ~ It’s Not Yule, It’s Me by Michael P. Thomas ~ (Review + Excerpt)
Title: It's Not Yule, It's Me
Author: Michael P. Thomas
Genre: Gay Romance, Holiday themed, Comedy
Length: 15,700 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Synopsis
Shannon hates Christmas. Mostly because Christmas hates him. It sure seems like it, anyway: every crummy thing that’s happened to him since high school has befallen him at the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Every humiliating break-up, every high-rise hotel fire—heck, a few years back, one guy he had the hots for up and died. Which goes a long way toward explaining why he’s a whimpering mess when he meets Ben the barista one Christmas morning at his neighborhood coffee house. It doesn’t completely excuse his using Ben’s T-shirt as a handkerchief—while Ben’s still in it—but Ben’s nothing if not a good sport. Ben’s such a bright spot that after a while Shannon wonders if maybe his Christmas Curse hasn’t been lifted. And what better place to test this theory than at Ben’s family festivities? It’s not like Christmas is actually cursed.
Is it?
Buy Links
JMS Books ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon AU ~ Smashwords
Excerpt
“I’m Shannon, by the way,” he eventually says. “Have we done that already?”
“I don’t think so. Not officially, anyhow. I’m Ben.”
“You don’t sound French.”
“You should hear me arguing on the phone with my mom.”
“I mean ‘Ben.’ Doesn’t sound like a very French name.”
“Maybe not, but Benoît is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Ben-what?”
“Exactly.”
I was born in France, but raised in Colorado; I’ve only been to France a handful of times, none of them recent. My mother was born in this country and raised in Washington, DC, but by French parents. Her mother is ethnically Gujarati, but French by virtue of being from Réunion. We’re still parsing the extent of my French-ness when Seth rolls in, only fifteen minutes late.
“Hiya, Benny-Boy” he warbles, planting a kiss on the top of my head as he swoops by; Seth enjoys flaunting his straight-but-not-narrow status. “What’s goin’ on?”
“What you get is what you see,” I tell him.
“Zis what Santa brought you?” He jerks his chin at Shannon, makes a show of sizing us up as a party of two. “You musta been a pretty good boy this year.”
Shannon groans.
“Ix-nay on the Anta-Say,” I scold Seth, although we’re all three laughing. I get up from the table and bus it clean by way of making preparations to call it a day.
“Rough trip down the chimney, eh?” Seth says, waggling his eyebrows.
“Pretty much the worst euphemism ever,” I assure him as I shrug into my jacket.
He laughs, offers me a fist bump and a “Peace out,” both of which I return.
“So ...” I say to Shannon, sidling up to him. “I’m done here. You wanna get a drink or something?”
“It’s like noon.”
“Lunch, then?”
“It’s Christmas Day.”
“Dude, how hard are you gonna make me work for this? What, you never had Chinese food?”
“It’s just, I’m supposed to go to my aunt and uncle’s ... it’s not that I don’t want to ... maybe another time?”
I shrug. “You know where to find me.”
“I don’t think so. Not officially, anyhow. I’m Ben.”
“You don’t sound French.”
“You should hear me arguing on the phone with my mom.”
“I mean ‘Ben.’ Doesn’t sound like a very French name.”
“Maybe not, but Benoît is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Ben-what?”
“Exactly.”
I was born in France, but raised in Colorado; I’ve only been to France a handful of times, none of them recent. My mother was born in this country and raised in Washington, DC, but by French parents. Her mother is ethnically Gujarati, but French by virtue of being from Réunion. We’re still parsing the extent of my French-ness when Seth rolls in, only fifteen minutes late.
“Hiya, Benny-Boy” he warbles, planting a kiss on the top of my head as he swoops by; Seth enjoys flaunting his straight-but-not-narrow status. “What’s goin’ on?”
“What you get is what you see,” I tell him.
“Zis what Santa brought you?” He jerks his chin at Shannon, makes a show of sizing us up as a party of two. “You musta been a pretty good boy this year.”
Shannon groans.
“Ix-nay on the Anta-Say,” I scold Seth, although we’re all three laughing. I get up from the table and bus it clean by way of making preparations to call it a day.
“Rough trip down the chimney, eh?” Seth says, waggling his eyebrows.
“Pretty much the worst euphemism ever,” I assure him as I shrug into my jacket.
He laughs, offers me a fist bump and a “Peace out,” both of which I return.
“So ...” I say to Shannon, sidling up to him. “I’m done here. You wanna get a drink or something?”
“It’s like noon.”
“Lunch, then?”
“It’s Christmas Day.”
“Dude, how hard are you gonna make me work for this? What, you never had Chinese food?”
“It’s just, I’m supposed to go to my aunt and uncle’s ... it’s not that I don’t want to ... maybe another time?”
I shrug. “You know where to find me.”
4.5 Stars
**copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Poor Shannon suffers from the Christmas boyfriend curse. Every year since he's had a boyfriend it's ended in disaster. After yet another heartbreaking Christmas, he heads to his local coffee shop to drown his sorrows in espresso. Ben, an employee at the coffee shop sees the sad Shannon and when he asks him what's wrong, the floodgates open and Shannon spills his guts about his Christmas boyfriend curse.
This book was hilarious!! Omg, poor Shannon really does have a Christmas boyfriend curse!! I adored Ben and Shannon. They were sweet and hilarious together. They made such an amazing and adorable couple and I absolutely LOVED this book!!
My only complaint and the only reason this didn't receive 5 stars is, while I loved the book, I didn't love the author's writing style. Too much of this book was TOLD to me. I want to see what happens through the eyes of the characters, not be told this happened or we/he did this. Show me, don't just tell me. If you'd shown me, this would have definitely been a 5 star read. I also want to say, as a cover whore, I LOVED the cover, it's adorable!!
Even with that, this was an awesome Christmas story, and I highly recommend it!! Just a piece of advice, don't read it in public.. People tend to look at you strangely when you laugh out loud for no apparent reason!
About the author
Michael P. Thomas is a flight attendant whose writing is continually inspired by his work with the flying public, who flatly refuse to be boring. The author of three novel-length gay romances and a number of romantic and erotic shorts, he writes gay fiction because when he was coming out he sure was glad to have it to read. After misspending his youth in San Francisco, he now lives in his native Colorado with his husband.
Social Links
Thanks for the great review!!!! Never seen this book before!!!!! Can't wait to read!!!
ReplyDelete