Rating: 3.5 🌈
Home for the Howlidays, third in Cochet’s A Treemendous Christmas series, centers around the couple of Giovanni Galanos and Sacha “Joker” Wilder. Gio, his service dog, Cookie, a Golden Retriever, and Sacha, his boyfriend , and his military trained dog, Chip, a Belgium Malinois.
The month-long Christmas vacation stay at Winterhaven, has turned into a working vacation where the found family of The Four King Security agency and their significant others, The Boyfriend Collective, have been scrambling to get the town back together for its traditional Christmas celebration.
While the title may have a reader thinking that the book is dog centric, it’s more about the relationship between the Four Kings Sacha “Joker” Wilder and his extremely wealthy boyfriend, Giovanni Galanos. Each man has a different canine companion. For Gio, it’s his service dog, Cookie, a necessity after the ordeal he suffered from recent events. For Joker, it’s his working ex military partner, a Belgian Malinois named Chip. But the focus here is on their relationship and the issues that are threatening to pull them apart.
It’s Joker’s insecurity about Gio’s wealth and former globetrotting lifestyle. And Gio’s inability to see that he’s too wrapped up in his own job to notice that Joker is having trouble.
I liked the story but somehow it didn’t come together as smoothly as the other two installments. The development of the issues and the resolution was a little too disjointed, broken up by dramatic scenes that involved other characters, and the resolution was too quickly over for such complex emotional issues. All of the topics, the equality, the jealousy, the time management, the illness management, even their past history damage, and their own barriers to matrimony, to have those as storylines and attempt to give them depth and the detailed resolution they deserve , is a lot to expect of 94 pages. Especially with other characters and their story threads involved too.
So I found this an enjoyable read and a lovely addition to the series but not my favorite so far. Now onto a very exciting story next! The finale!
THE KINGS: A TREEMENDOUS CHRISTMAS
✓ Not So Silent Night #1
✓ Sleigh It Ain’t So #2
✓ Home for the Howlidays #3
◦ Rebel Without a Claus #4
Buy Link:
Home for the Howlidays (The Kings: A Treemendous Christmas Book 3)
Blurb:
Giovanni Galanos’s life took a dramatic turn after a terrifying ordeal and a newfound health condition led him home. Leaving behind his globetrotting adventures in favor of a more grounded existence, Gio finds solace in the arms of his love, Sacha “Joker” Wilder, a complex and captivating man who held Gio’s heart from the moment they first spoke. Together, along with their furry companions—Cookie, Gio’s service dog, and Chip, Sacha’s mischievous Belgian Malinois—his unconventional family forges a bond stronger than any hardship life can throw their way.
As the air teems with holiday cheer, Winterhaven unveils itself in all its enchanting glory. But a mishap has Sacha grumpier than usual. Amidst the joyous chaos that surrounds them, can the town’s holiday magic reignite Sacha’s Christmas spirit?
Join Gio and Sacha, along with their merry band of former Green Berets and their partners, as they navigate misadventures and heartwarming moments in Winterhaven, where true love and the transformative power of Christmas await.
• Publisher: (December 10, 2023)
• Publication date: December 10, 2023
• Print length: 94 pages
Welcome to the Four Kings Security Universe! The current reading order for the universe is as follows:
FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE
“STANDALONES
◦ Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts-Standalone (Spencer and Quinn. Quinn is Ace and Lucky’s cousin.) Can be read any time before In the Cards.
FOUR KINGS SECURITY
✓ Love in Spades-Book 1 (Ace and Colton)
✓ Ante Up-Book 1.5 (Seth and Kit) Free short story
◦ Be Still My Heart-Book 2 (Red and Laz)
✓ Join the Club-Book 3 (Lucky and Mason)
✓ Diamond in the Rough-Book 4 (King and Leo)
◦ In the Cards-Book 4.5 (Spencer and Quinn’s wedding.)
◦ FOUR KINGS SECURITY Boxed Set includes all 4 main Four Kings Security novels: Love in Spades, Be Still My Heart, Join the Club, and Diamond in the Rough.
BLACK OPS: OPERATION ORION’S BELT
◦ Kept in the Dark-Book 1 (Standalone series can be read anytime)
THE KINGS: WILD CARDS
◦ Stacking the Deck-Book 1 (Jack and Fitz).
◦ Raising the Ante-Book 2 (Frank and Joshua)
◦ Sleight of Hand-Book 3 (Joker and Gio)
◦ THE KINGS: WILD CARDS BOXED SET Boxed Set includes all 3: The Kings: Wild Cards books: Stacking the Deck, Raising the Ante, Sleight of Hand, and bonus story In the Cards.
RUNAWAY GROOMS SERIES
◦ Aisle Be There
◦ To Have and Witthold
THE KINGS: ROYAL FLUSH
◦ Dealing Him In
◦ Calling His Bluff
THE KINGS: A TREEMENDOUS CHRISTMAS
✓ Not So Silent Night
✓ Sleigh It Ain’t So
✓ Home for the Howlidays
◦ Rebel Without a Claus
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 