Zac never had a family of his own, but Rudy has enough to share.Shy, inexperienced Rudy has a crush on Zac from the moment his new colleague walks through the door. On an office night out before Christmas, Rudy finds the courage to make a move, and they form a tentative bond. When he discovers Zac will be alone at Christmas, he invites Zac to come home with him.Zac prefers to keep people at arm’s … keep people at arm’s length. Yet when Rudy offers him a family Christmas it’s impossible to resist. With no parents of his own, Zac is pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by Rudy’s. The only drawback is that everyone assumes they’re a couple. Unwilling to disappoint Rudy’s mum and make Christmas awkward, they decide not to deny it.
It’s not a chore for Zac to pose as Rudy’s boyfriend, but the pretence makes him want things that scare him—things like a real relationship with Rudy. Zac’s suffered enough rejection in his life already and is afraid to risk his heart. If he can get over his past rejection and let Rudy inside his armour, he might get more for Christmas than he ever imagined.
This story is a standalone book with a satisfying happy ending.
44,000 words approx
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A really sweet tale with plenty of family craziness. Loved the audio and really enjoyed getting wrapped up in the story – even outside of the holiday time.
I love this seasonal story which is long enough to allow a real relationship to develop. Rudy and Zac begin a tentative friendship which sees trust grow, particularly in Zac. This then turns to love.
I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a family Christmas with its moments of gentle humour (the game of Sardines!) and an atmosphere that lets Zac flourish. The introduction of a kitten into the mix is masterful.
Mark Steadman delivers his usual sterling performance with this narration. His choice of voices is similar to those in another audiobook I have listened to recently, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment.
A Family for Christmas is a standalone novella that is perfect the holiday season. Rudy has had a crush on his coworker, Zac, but does not know how to make the first move. A work party soon leads to Rudy inviting Zac to his family’s home for Christmas—cue the fake-dating-turning-into-a-real-relationship trope. The entire plot is centered around the developing relationship between Rudy and Zac and the personal growth each man experiences. There is some angst, but it is very low level and soon replaced by fluffy sweetness and cute romance. This is the perfect book to read with a cup of hot chocolate for a dose of holiday cheer.
The audiobook was narrated by Mark Steadman who does a great job. I really like Mark’s voice and thought he did a great job with the character voices. The audiobook production was well done and overall it was a really enjoyable listening experience.
I genuinely loved this story.
Zac and Rudy are so precious that I wanted to hug them both and just keep them with me forever!
I love how Jay Northcote can write characters that have so many facets to them, they are so complex and well-rounded that you cannot just sum them up in two words.
Rudy for example, is quite insecure, very shy and inexperienced in the romance department, and even being a couple of years older than Zac he often comes across as the one following other people’s lead. But he’s also the one who realizes Zac has triggers and hang-ups and so he starts a slow dance to step around those to get closer to him.
Zac has spent his life trying to keep people at arm’s length, but sweet Rudy barrels through all his defences, taking him home for Christmas, showing him a glimpse of the family life he’s never had and making him want things he never thought he deserved.
Low-angst but very emotional, this sweet romance really gave me all the Christmas feels!
3.5 stars-
I read this as part of The Christmas Crackers collection. A Family for Christmas is a nice office place romance between two men that uses a bit of the found family dynamic paired with a fake relationship trope. The story was very sweet and gentle, and I’d recommend to those who like softer holiday romances.
All the good Christmas feels and trappings
I loved the cozy feeling of this holiday MM romance. Poor Zac is a loner, thanks to a rough upbringing, and lucks out when he falls in with his new office colleague Rudy. Rudy is generous, warm and attracted to him, plus he’s got a super family that draws Zac into their picture-perfect country Christmas. Traditional British food and party games pull Zac into their circle. I liked that the author made Zac a neophyte at the traditional celebrations and forced the family to explain things: a big help for non British readers.
As to Zac and Rudy, they morph from distant colleagues, to an awkward friendship and end up steaming up the windows of their frigid farmhouse bedroom!
The story left me feeling all warm and happy.
I read a complimentary copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Not bad, but I think this either needed to be a little longer to develop the relationship or just fluffier.
This was a cute, short read but way more sexual than I’d expected going in (was expecting soft fluff). The second half was great and I liked the characters, especially the kitten the MCs find in the woods; she’s precious~
Anything by Jay Northcote.
I liked this book. It’s was a different twist on the Christmas romance scene
It was a sweet story that worked on the relationship of the two main characters. The sex scenes weren’t completely ridiculous, which was a nice bonus.
Enjoyed the character. It tugged at your heart, especially at Christmas. Liked the ending especially.
It was set in England in the Bristol/Wales area which I know as I am from England. I could imagine this story being real life. I haven just finish a second book by the same author. I look for a Christmas story to read over the Christmas period.
Charming and fun well written story