REVIEW: Christmas for Keeps by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

CHRISTMAS FOR KEEPS

by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

Release Date: November 1, 2023

Review

Such a fantastic holiday romance. It’s not your fluffy candy cane sweet type though, this is a second-chance romance that requires some difficult conversations and hard truths. At times you’ll want to growl at them, especially Connor who struggles with speaking emotions. But you’ll get a satisfyingly real love story that also involves some extremely sweet moments, plenty of heat and a happy ever after that will put a sappy smile on your face.

Zach and Connor were college lovers with an eye on forever, but life happened and those young men weren’t quite prepared for how to deal with it all. But thankfully fate handed them a second chance to find their way back to each other.

Christmas for Keeps also has a wonderful small-town vibe with some terrific (and one not so terrific) people to help these two along.

This was a fantastic book to start the holiday season with.

Add to your TBR List

GOODREADS LINK

Synopsis

I was supposed to be on a winter vacation with my best friend in the delightfully snowy town of Stowe, Vermont.

I was supposed to be sipping hot chocolate, staying up late, and sharing secrets.

I was supposed to be making a fool of myself on the bunny slope and sneaking glances at hot guys.

I was not supposed to be sitting in the SUV I’d just rear-ended.

I was not supposed to lose my hotel reservations because said rear-ending made me miss check-in.

And I most definitely should not be sharing the cabin of the hottest man I’d ever touched.

Oh, did I mention the SUV and cabin belong To. My. Ex?

Can you call someone an ex if you never actually broke up?

God, he looks good. The last four years have definitely been kind to him. So, would it be so bad if we shared a kiss—only one—for old times' sake?

But... What if we could make it work? What if how easy it has been to slip back into an “us” means there’s still hope?

What if this vacation isn’t just a getaway but a journey back home—for keeps this time?

Christmas for Keeps is a heartwarming gay holiday romance between a second-grade teacher who seems to make a habit out of needing to be rescued and a charming ex frat bro who’s always up for being a knight in shining armor. It also features forced proximity (only one bed), second chances, a picturesque town with the friendliest residents (minus one pesky and persistent neighbor), so much heat there’s no need to light the fireplace, and a HEA eight years in the making.

Brian & Tony FB branding icon.jpg

About Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. Currently, they split their time between Washington, DC and a home in the country, where they live with their family and a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh love to travel, and hockey is practically a religion in their house. Ryan also enjoys swimming and photography. Formerly a professional musician, Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. They began writing to celebrate the romance they were so lucky to find with each other, which developed into a passion for telling stories about other gay men finding their own “happily ever afters.” Cracks in the Ice is the debut novel of a new series, Mohegan U Hockey. Ryan and Josh have also published ten other books and six audiobooks.

Where to find them: