Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Under the Christmas lights strung outside a snowy Minnesota cabin, Ryker and Jacob face a future where nothing will be the same again.
Fortunate timing means that Ryker and Jacob can spend a few days together over Christmas in a cabin on the family farm. What’s better is that Scott and Ben are coming as well, with Hayne and Ethan in tow. Ryker can’t imagine a better way to spend time with the man he loves, and the friends he misses, and somehow he knows that this Christmas will be the best one ever. Hockey on a frozen pond, kisses under Christmas lights, and sharing time with Jacob are the best gifts he could ever receive.
Long distance relationships are brutal, Jacob can attest to that fact. So, when Ryker gets a few days off over the Raptors’ Christmas break, the hard-working Minnesota farmer is beyond thrilled. When they find out that their buddies from Owatonna U. are making the trip as well, the holidays are looking to be just about perfect. Jacob has a question for Ryker burning in his heart, and he isn’t asking for much—just a few fun-filled days with old friends and a yes from the man of his dreams.
The authors brought all the couples from the Owatonna U series together in a cabin at Christmas, and focused the short holiday tale on Ryker and Jacob, the effects their long distance relationship is having on them, the realistic hardships of running a small family farm, the combination isn’t the glowy, glittery Chrismassy story you might expect.
Instead, from this short heartwarming addition to the Owatonna series, you get an unexpected window into Jacob’s family and a farm in trouble, two men who desperately love each other and are separated for most of the time, and hard decisions so painful that a box of tissues will seem inadequate.
It is oh so wonderful. Because as you watch Ryker and Jacob grapple with the realities of their situation, the support (realized and not) that swirles about them, well, the authors bring the true spirit of the season and strength of family out in force.
This isn’t a standalone story. The reader needs to have read the other books in the series to understand all the relationships casually mentioned here and all the dynamics at play. Those stories are listed below. Happy reading as I recommend them all as well as this wonderful holiday story.
Cover Design: Meredith Russell. Happy and bright, a perfect cover.
Book Details:
Book #1 – Ryker – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Book #2 – Scott – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 