Rating: 4🌈⛄️
The Wishing Tree is a sweet, heartwarming holiday tale of a long time wish come true as two friends find their way to love and HEA at Christmas.
Once again, the snowy, beautiful state of Vermont serves as the backdrop for Scott’s holiday romance. I honestly don’t know what narrative pheromones Vermont is throwing off these days but.it seems as though every other book I pick up lately is located there. Not that I’m complaining, it is picturesque and perfect in so many ways that I get it.
And it works just as great as a location for the small town of Wishing Tree, it’s annual Christmas festival and it’s close knit community. Including that of the Buchanan family and the Haynes clan, all four brothers of which Bailey is the youngest.
It’s Bailey Haynes who as a young teenager, wrote his wish on the Wishing Tree about his deepest feelings for Kai, the fact the Bailey was gay and hadn’t told anyone yet. Everything poured out on a card years ago.
The story moves forward through past important events to arrive at the present and our meeting with the man of Bailey’s dreams.
That’s Kai Buchanan, soon to be ex hockey player of the Harriers. It’s been a tumultuous time for both Kai and Bailey, although neither knows the true extent of each other’s feelings and current situations.
I liked Bailey. He seems young, with a need for quiet and a certain amount of solitude. Extremely artistic, as a jewelry designer, Bailey also has held within himself a secret love of silk and a way of wearing beautiful undergarments like corsets.
The author balances Bailey’s fear of rejection over how he sees himself, dressed as he wants to be, and Kai’s inadequacies in expressing his feelings upon not only his return but prior to that.
Like Bailey, I was a tad unimpressed by Kai’s announcement of love as it seemed to pop out of nowhere, with absolutely zero foundation.
The story earnestly moved forward past this section and got much better and believable.
All the families, siblings, many nieces and nephews were all adorable. They helped ground the couple in a loving strong environment.
With the Christmas decorations and festivities, the relationship got the wonderful elements we look forward to in a holiday story, full of snow, starry nights, and wishes granted for a HEA.
The Wishing Tree by R.J. Scott is a lovely holiday friends to lovers story! A sweet romance I’m definitely recommending.
https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Wishing Tree by R.J. Scott – Goodreads
Synopsis:
It takes an impossible Christmas wish for Bailey to find forever love with his brother’s best friend.
Turning twenty-five and still a virgin, Bailey has barely dated, let alone acted on the private fantasies featuring his brother’s best friend, newly retired hockey star, Kai. All he wants is for Kai to love him, but after a summer when Kai’s anger drove them apart, love doesn’t seem possible at all.
When Kai goes home to Wishing Tree, he knows he owes everyone an apology, not least of all to the man he loves. He’s convinced he can be the man that Bailey deserves, and he needs to show Bailey how much he’s changed.
The only problem? Bailey has secrets that he’s scared will drive Kai away, and Kai is running out of time to convince Bailey that falling in love starts with a wish and can end up in forever.
The Wishing Tree is a standalone small-town Christmas MM romance with perfect snow, twinkling lights, a first real kiss, a shy virgin with a silken kink, a retired hockey player, and all the Christmas feels.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 