Roll out the red carpet for Liz Jacobs! Why is this the first time I hear about this author? I can't believe this is FREE !

Amazing writing, great narrative and very good rep. This is a relatively short, Christmas, New Adult story. No fluff, it's mostly on the heavy side with a big dose of family. So good.
holidays10 s ~?~D?ni(ela) ? ?? love & semi-colons~?~3,137 710

This is not your typical fluffy holiday story. Christmas at the Wellands is rather depressing. Kev's mindset was realistic, and I didn't need all the rainbows, but a less abrupt ending would have been appreciated. bisexual-ofy college-boys-new-adult comfort-healing ...more10 s Skye KilaenAuthor 14 books344

After reading Abroad by Jacobs, which was *amazing*, I was unsurprised that I enjoyed this new adult M/M friends to lovers holiday story. Kev, a Black college student, lost his mother and almost lost his life to depression (suicide attempt), pulling through with the help of his white roommate Andrew. Who Kev has a crush on. Which makes it complicated when Kev agrees to spend Christmas with Andrew's family. This is happening after Kev is back on a more even keel than when he was dangerously ill, but his recent past is a big presence in the book, underlying the Wellands' family shenanigans. By the end, though, I felt confident that these two adorable kids are on a good path. Definitely recommended for that vibe of "it's the holidays, we're trapped with the slightly dysfunctional family, someone has a secret."

Additional content warning on 2023 re-read: on-page racist behavior by one of the relatives, not author endorsed. I also don't know that today, I would buy a book by a non-Black author with a Black POV character.0-genre-romance kobo-plus romance-faves-novellas4 s Terri Jones2,416 44

2023: What I didn't say last time is that this is a novella, the leads are roommates who are attending the one's family home for Christmas, and the MC has been in love with him for awhile, but is also struggling after enduring illness and loss. They are white and Black, in college, but what got to me is the prose. It's just exceptionally well-written.

However, it now appears to be unavailable on amazon, so I don't know what's up with that. And,
apparently Goodreads didn't record the last read date, when I wrote the original review below? It has to have been four or five years ago, since I didn't remember any of it on this re-read, but it was every bit as enjoyable this time, and I wish I could do this with every story I've loved, enjoy them again for the first time!

Original review,
THIS IS SO GOOD. Sorry for yelling but go read it! It's currently inexplicably free but I'd have happily paid for this one. There are a couple typos but I don't care, it doesn't matter. It's a delight all the way through to the last word.special-ones4 s2 comments Katie139 6

I did some editing for this, but I found I then had to re-read it immediately it was released. This is a very cute Christmas novella about mental health, other people's families being weird, and what love might mean.

The characters really stuck with me. This isn't a surprise - Liz is very good at characters - but it's hard to do in a short, where every word counts. I found this very quietly moving. The characters do learn and grow here, but it's much more about that stage of becoming an adult where you're dealing with the aftermath of your life so far, and figuring out what it means to deal with that as an adult. Here, they do, together, and it's adorable.3 s Daphne241 25

#readathon18 ??? ???????

This was such a lovely and comforting story, a fluffy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate in story form. Short, sweet, immersive and moving. An LGBTQ+ setting, with family relations and mental health at its core, handled with care and humanity and tenderness. A simple story but told with love, and it shows.
I had read many good things about Liz Jacobs and I wanted to give her work a try. I'm very happy that I did and this was also free! I can't wait to read her other books. readathon183 s Rafa Brewster257 23

I finally read this book after a year on my Kindle, and it's definitely jumpstarted ny Christmas spirit. It's sensitive and sweet with the loveliest slow burn. I enjoyed the large family setting which seems a nice departure from a lot Christmas romances - it really painted a warm and cozy picture, complete with all the chaos and the usual bad egg in every family. I particularly loved how nuanced Kev's POV was as a young Black man from the city out of his element having a very white suburban Christmas. Kev and Andrew were incredibly sweet and surprisingly hot.3 s Pam867 31

2.5 stars

Basically I'm a sucker for UST with a supposedly straight best friend. And this BF is adorable. I would have preferred more focus on the two guys, although I wouldn't say the family stuff was too much. It's just a little short to do both parts full justice on top of Kev's internal struggles with depression/anxiety. His voice rang true enough that I'll be interested to see what the author does with a full-length novel, though. christmas read-2021 scribd2 s jaxnsmom771 90

3.5 stars5000-books holiday kindle-owned ...more2 s Jax945 34 Read

DNF @43%. The writing is fine, but it's just not grabbing me. Maybe because the thought of spending days with a friend's extended family at Christmas seems awful to this introvert. *shudders*dnf freebie holiday ...more2 s Xan RooyenAuthor 39 books118 Read

I rarely read contemporary stories this, but this was a refreshing slice-of-life short that would appeal to older YA and NA readers looking for a feel-good LGBT read. lgbt-reads2 s Fritz421,394

Kev had suffered a loss and a devastating depression. So when his best friend and roommate convinced Kev to come home with him, Kev still wasn't sure it was a great idea, but it was better than sitting alone in their dorm room.

I loved this different type of Christmas story. Considering how many people, suffering from depression, struggle with the holidays, Kev's thoughts and initial struggles felt realistic. Even though Andrew's family was the exact opposite of Kev's , I loved how being around them with Andrew watching over him, helped turn the corner for Kev.2018-books fiction holiday-christmas-stories ...more2 s Novel Ninja159

Very sweet novella

Generally, I find novellas too short to really tell a story well, but this one came as close as any to have plot, issues of belonging/acceptance, and some character development. I prefer novels where I can really get to know the characters, but this was sweet and satisfying. And asks the right questions about Titanic.2 s Cat M170 29

Yes, I realize it’s March, but I wanted a not-too-long, not-too-angsty bit of HAE and I knew Liz Jacobs would deliver.

This is sweet, but not cloying. With a realistic level of imperfection and seriousness without too much angst.

Kev, our pov character is recovering from a dark depression and a suicide attempt, but the narrative handles his health well, without dwelling on it unduly or turning into inspiration porn. And the way Kev approaches his first encounter with white, suburban, family holiday togetherness kind of an anthropologist encountering an unfamiliar culture is delightful.

cw: reference to past suicide attempt and death of a parent. That one racist/homophobic uncle who always shows up for Christmas.acquired1 Midia151

The story start with Kev and Andrew already being friends but i didn't felt the friendship, i felt they barely knew each other and were not necessarly at ease with each other and then the big revelation Andrew is bi but never said it to Kev and explained why... despite his explanation i don't understand why he didn't said it before Kev's mom died and then they are together... but the family doesn't know about them yet so i don't know but it's a cute story i guess but i felt no connection with the MCs so...1 Earlyn663 2

Christmas miracle

This was touching and heart breaking at the same time.
Kevan is recovering from depression and trying to take his life. His best friend Andrew invites him to spend Christmas with him and hisfamily.
The emotions Kevin goes through is so heart breaking. You just want to hug him and say it's going to be ok.
Andrew the fixer you got to love him, is there for Kevin whether he knows it or not.
Just a sweet romance of discovery and joy.1 Leyna312 11 Shelved as 'not-interested-or-lost-interest'

Free on Amazaon 01/12/2018

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-at-W...freebie lgbtqia m-m1 Merythapy84 1 follower

So charming and cozy and sweet and exactly what you want to read at Christmas! yes-please1 Anita1,811 27

OMG, what a goodie!! It's so hard to convey a compelling story in a few short pages but this book does it well. Kevan and Andrew are roommates in college. It's clear through some cleverly placed hints that something traumatic has happened to Kevan. Andrew is going to his parent's home for Christmas and he's bringing Kevan. Kevan is wary for several reasons and there's an element of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" about the situation (yes, you'll have to Google that to find out what I mean). Andrew's family is cool but there is some drama. The writing is quite good and you find out in a few short sentences just what's going on. The family drama drops a few more hints and we have a beautiful Christmas story that opens Andrew's and Kevan's hearts to each other. My pet peeve and it is mine - do we always have to stereotype the POC as being disadvantaged, growing up needy, etc whose eyes widen at the opulence of the white family that lives in Connecticut. That set-up grows tiresome after a while. It doesn't take anything away from the story but for me, a WOC, it saddens me to see that so many authors depend on that description for POC. Broaden your horizons, authors!!001-january-2018 5-freakin-stars 5-stars-2018 ...more1 Racheal1,015 93

3.5 stars probably? This is totally my jam since I love romances about good people who struggle with mental health issues finding happiness and security. I also ones that don't shy away from tensions created by differences (class, race, etc.) so I didn't see this as depressing some people seemed to. I love love stories but I can only read so much shiny happy Hallmark stuff.

I thought the moments after the characters get together were very sweet and super hot. It nails that overwhelming, urgent, crush-finally-fulfilled thing that is, to me, the most essential element of a good friends-to-lovers story.

I will say that the structure as a Christmas story with a narrow time focus (a college guy goes home with his best friend/roomate/crush for Christmas) is a bit of a detriment, since all of their relationship building is in the past, and I do think there is a bit of an abrupt ending, but overall I really d it :)bisexual-rep casually-queer cinnamon-rolls ...more1 Tracey99 2

Liz asked me to beta this for her and it was a quiet day at work, so I said sure. It was kind of long, so I figured I'd edit ten pages at a time, between working. I started and was at 20 pages before I noticed. "Okay," I thought. "25 pages at at time." But I couldn't stop - I just kept going. The characters were so true to life and compelling - obviously Kev and Andrew in particular, but honestly the whole family as well. I could SEE the house in my mind's eye, I could feel the revelry and frantic holiday prep and family nuttiness, and I loved Kev & Andrew SO MUCH that I couldn't stop until I found out how it ended.

This is a lovely, satisfying, comforting holiday read. I know I'm going to be going back to it next Christmas, just to revisit the feeling of it. 1 K.K.48 3

This is a moving, sensitive friends to lovers story. Not the typical fluffy holiday read, this one addresses the subjects of loss, depression, self-harm, and the culture shock of being immersed in a large, Caucasian, suburban Connecticut family Christmas through the viewpoint of a struggling inner city black college student whose roommate/best friend/secret crush invites him home for the holidays. But, in spite of all that, this is not a dark, depressing story. It's a story of friendship, family, acceptance, and love. The writing is strong, the storyline is compelling, and the characters are vibrant and realistic. I really enjoyed this novella. It left me feeling warm, comforted, and filled with hope.christmas college-romance contemporay-m-m ...more1 Antonella1,412

3.5
I d to be in Kev's head and his thoughts sounded very believable. Even though Kev is fighting depression, the story is quite sweet (I know other people have a different opinion). On the negative side: it is just quite short and with too many descriptions of Christmassy/family stuff.
I recommend Abroad: Book One of the same author.

Warning: past suicide attempt, depression.1 Ina Reads778 3

I will officially read anything Liz Jacobs writes.

My only regret about this story is that it’s not a full length book — it doesn’t need to be, as the story stands on its own at this length, but I loved Kev and Andrew enough that I want more of them.

The epilogue was wonderful, funny, and unexpected — I want more epilogues to be that, in fact. Other writers take note.contemporary ebook-kindle lgbtqia ...more1 Mae HanleyAuthor 2 books7

This was a solid short story that I would have given 4 stars to except for some grammatical errors that pulled out of the story in order to decipher what was actually meant.

I did find myself feeling a little off while reading Kev’s thoughts, but this would probably have been clearer if I’d reread the synopsis prior to starting the story. But, I went in blind, and it wasn’t enough to stop reading in order to find the clarification.

Andrew is steadfast in his resolve to stand up to his racist, homophobic uncle (by marriage) and yet he confronts the issues with respect to all of those around him (grandparents, aunts, parents, cousins, siblings).

Overall, a very solid short.
m-m short-story2 s Gavin Stephenson-Jackman1,279

Kevan has not had a good year. He's suffered deep depression since losing his mother and its only been thanks to his roommate and best friend Andrew that he's been recovering. Andrew has invited him to spend Christmas with him at his family home in Connecticut, how could he refuse. The house is full of everything Kev has not had, noisey children and curious adults and he truly stands out in this very white world. When one of the children casually reveals Andrew's secret at dinner Kev's world tilts. He always assumed that Andrew was off limits but there may be a chance now. Is it possible that his desire for Andrew could be returned? Will this turn into the best Christmas ever? Charles Cohen33 1 follower

Long delayed love

When his roommate invites him to his family’s luxurious home in Connecticut for Christmas, Kev is uncertain what to expect. Kev is black and openly gay - very different from Andrew, his privileged best friend. During their stay with Andrew’s family, the two learn a lot about themselves and each other, bringing the friends closer together. Very well written and quite memorable. Dee697 4

Sweet, and not just for Christmas

I enjoyed reading this. It's a bit sad - Kev lost his mum and is dealing with depression. Funny, as we meet Andrew's family - 'terrifying twins', kooky aunt Sandy. And sweet, when Andrew and Kev finally realise that they have feelings for each other.
Lovely story. Lotta Andersson57 15

So much love for this book. Adorable couple.

I've reread the ending a few times and keep coming back to it for the warm fuzzy feeling I get. As I do with the author's other books.

Love love love. Nicole2,548 10

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