Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Frosty former friends get a steamy second chance in this Christmas gay romance!
Can true love warm his frozen heart?
When Casey Stevens went away to college four years ago, he ghosted on his straight best friend, Joel Vreeland. He hoped time and distance would lessen the unrequited affection he felt, but all it did was make him miss Joel more. Home for the holidays, Casey hopes they might find a way to be friends again. But Joel’s frosty reception reminds Casey of just how hard he had to fight to be Joel’s friend in the first place. It’s going to take a Christmas miracle to get past that cool façade again.
Joel isn’t as straight as Casey believes, and his years of pining for Casey have left him hurting and alone, caring for his abusive father and struggling to get by. Unable to trust anyone except his rescue dog—and with no reason to believe Casey is interested in him for more than a holiday fling—Joel’s icy heart might shatter before it can thaw.
Can Casey and Joel’s love overcome mistrust, parental rejection, class differences, and four long years apart?
Mr. Frosty Pants is a stand-alone, Christmas gay romance by Leta Blake featuring a virgin hero, childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and romantically steamy scenes.
Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake is one of those stories that got better for me in the audio format. I have to admit that I like my holiday stories to either be unusual in content (i.e., Nordic mythology, twists on Christmas fantasy, etc), or heartwarming contemporary stories. For me, the holidays aren’t really the time for angst, angst, and yes, more angst which is how this read for me for one character when I dived into it in eBook form. I liked it but didn’t enjoy it if you know what i mean.
Then came the opportunity to revisit the story in its new audio format and as I have found in the past, this can sometimes present the book in a new light for me. And it did for Mr. Frosty Pants because John Solo did such an excellent job of bringing Leta Blake’s layered characters to life. He gave them a voice that made Joel Vreeland’s angst filled struggles realistic and connectable, I “saw” Joel more this time around, I felt for him more this time around, and somehow, maybe my frame of mind has changed, what had felt unrelenting, now became believable and heartbreaking.
Same goes for Casey Stevens and his nouveau riche family with their high expectations and overbearing ways. I understood Casey and his battles better this time around. John Solo’s choice of voices for all the family members highlighting the strained family dynamics so well that it elevates Leta Blake’s narrative and characters, just as it should. A great partnership in every way.
Mr. Frosty Pants has it share of interesting side characters that I wanted to get to know better and a location that felt real as well. This author’s touches are everywhere that I have come to expect from her writing! That includes a heartwarming ending, perfect for the holidays. Oh, and there is a sweetheart of a dog too.
If you love audiobooks and Christmas stories, put Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake and John Solo (Narrator) on your list of books to listen to. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too.
Cover art is adorable and perfect for the characters for the story.
Audio Book Details:
Audible Audio, 11 pages
Published November 11th 2019 by Leta Blake Books (first published November 7th 2018)
ASINB08176KCZM
Edition Language English
Series Home for the Holidays #1
setting Tennessee (United States)
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 