Hiring a boyfriend for Christmas; what could possibly go wrong?
Derek is facing yet another Christmas where his life feels out of control. He has a new career that doesn’t feel like his, and parents who would just love to see him settled down. All he needs is a temporary buffer for the parties he has to attend, and for his parents to leave him alone. Enter, Luke.
Luke is twenty-thousand dollars short for the renovations on Halligans; his family’s bar in New York’s Financial District. A favor for a buddy has him agreeing to play the part of boyfriend to a guy with more money than sense.
But when the spirit of Christmas works its magic on the two men, and they begin to fall for each other, Derek runs scared, and Luke needs space.
It doesn’t matter what obstacles you throw in the way of love, or how much you run in the other direction, because, when you’re least expecting it, whether you want it or not, love happens anyway.
As Derek continues to settle into life at the top and head of the family business he also finds himself trying to fend off his mother's meddling in his personal life. In hopes of easing her off the "Derek settled down" train he's told her about Marcus, the boyfriend. Unfortunately there is no boyfriend. Luke is in need of some cash to help his family restaurant so when his friend offers him a chance to make a few bucks for the holiday season he really doesn't have the choice to turn it down. Will Luke make the perfect Marcus or will Derek find Luke to perfect just as he is? Can business turn to love?
If you follow my blog and/or reviews then you are familiar with my love for the worlds created by RJ Scott. She is the reason I found the M/M romance genre but its more than that, her love for all things romance is clear when you read her work. As for her holiday romances, well there is just something extra special about them and Love Happens Anyway is no different.
Derek and Luke's story has a little bit of everything, okay maybe there's no sci-fi element and no murder mystery but it has everything else: lust, romance, humor, and plenty of holiday heart. Sure, I wanted to grab Derek by his expensive lapels, give him a good shake, and scream things like "Tell your mom the truth", "Open your eyes", and "Luke Is Marcus" but alas, Derek never listened to me. So I just buckled up and went along for the ride. I'll just say this: despite wanting to whack Derek upside the head more than once, I loved every minute of Love Happens Anyway. As for Luke, well you can't help but love him for the way he's accepted what life has thrown in his path and kept going, not everyone would but he did.
I don't have a lot of time to do any re-reading during the holiday season, there's just so many wonderful new stories every year, so I think I'm going to have to do a Re-Read Holiday Style next summer and Love Happens Anyway will definitely be in the running for that list. I have read so many wonderful tales over the past few years that I have long ago learned to never judge a book by its cover but I would be failing in my review if I didn't mention how much I absolutely adore RJ's cover for Derek and Luke's journey. The color is eye-catching but its the snowman's cheeky smirk that really makes it perfect and once you read Love you will understand it's significance. Most of all, I think it speaks volumes to the author's understanding and appreciation for meshing romance, drama, holiday spirit and just the right amount of humor to bring to the reader that extra special fun factor.
Audiobook Review December 2018:
There's not a whole lot that I can add to my original review from last year in regards to the excellence of the story so I'll just say that Sean Crisden once again brings voice as only he can to RJ's words. That's not quite true, no, he brings life to the world RJ Scott has created in her holiday tale. RJ wrote Derek and Luke as if they were people you would meet at the store in your hometown but Sean's voice lets you feel like they are right there in the room with you. That you are witnessing firsthand their blossoming romance which is helpful because as I said last year there was more than one occasion that I wanted to whack Derek upside the head and Sean made me feel like if I just stretched out my arm I could do just that😉😉. RJ and Sean are a combo that I hope continues for years to come.
There's not a whole lot that I can add to my original review from last year in regards to the excellence of the story so I'll just say that Sean Crisden once again brings voice as only he can to RJ's words. That's not quite true, no, he brings life to the world RJ Scott has created in her holiday tale. RJ wrote Derek and Luke as if they were people you would meet at the store in your hometown but Sean's voice lets you feel like they are right there in the room with you. That you are witnessing firsthand their blossoming romance which is helpful because as I said last year there was more than one occasion that I wanted to whack Derek upside the head and Sean made me feel like if I just stretched out my arm I could do just that😉😉. RJ and Sean are a combo that I hope continues for years to come.
Audiobook Re-Read Review September 2019:
I really don't think there is anything I can add to either my original ebook review or last year's audiobook review. I may have listened to this a few months before the holidays but with RJ Scott's words and Sean Crisden's voice, I kept expecting to look up and see snow and my holiday light display outside my window. Brilliant holiday tale from beginning to end.
RATING:
RJ Scott
I really don't think there is anything I can add to either my original ebook review or last year's audiobook review. I may have listened to this a few months before the holidays but with RJ Scott's words and Sean Crisden's voice, I kept expecting to look up and see snow and my holiday light display outside my window. Brilliant holiday tale from beginning to end.
RATING:
I knew Marcus was six-two, just a little taller than me. I knew he had blue eyes, and dark hair with red tones in certain light. He had a brother, but they didn’t see each other much, being that his brother was in the Navy. His parents were retired in Florida, but they’d had Marcus and his brother Adam late in life. Marcus was twenty-nine, same as me with only a few months separating our birthdays, and he was a firefighter. Oh, and he was a good, kind man who was thoughtful all the time and treated me like a prince.
“That’s such a shame. Anyway, how are Marcus’ kittens?” Mom asked. I pulled myself back to what she was saying. It was never good to not pay full attention to anything Mom said, otherwise you’d end up agreeing to all kinds of things she’d throw at you when your defenses are down. I loved her dearly but she was sneaky like that.
Which is how I got myself into this mess with Marcus in the first place.
“They’re fine.”
“Did he find good homes for them?”
“Absolutely, the last of them went to a widowed grandmother in his apartment block.”
“Socks? The dark one?”
I glanced at my notes. “No, you remember Socks went to his uncle; Spider went to the old lady.”
“Oh yes, of course, although why someone would name a kitten Spider I don’t know.”
“There were spiders in the house where Marcus found the kittens.”
“I still don’t understand how there could be spiders in a burned-out house.”
Shit. “Spiders are hardy.”
“You said the house was razed to the ground, dear.”
Now I was losing the will to live. “Well, maybe the spider was outside. Mom, I need to go, Moira is at the door and she needs me to sign off on the new AbbaLister raisins account.”
“Of course dear, just, please tell Marcus he is welcome at any time. We so want to meet him and thought it’d be better at the house.”
“I will, I know he’s keen to meet you.”
“Oh good,” she said, and I knew I’d fucked up and somehow given her an opening. I’d never mentioned once that Marcus wanted to meet them, because that would just give them the impetus to take matters into their own hands. My worst fears were confirmed. “Oh, I’ve had the most wonderful idea.”
Oh God, what?
“Your dad and I are coming into the city on Monday; book us dinner on any night, or lunch, breakfast, anything. I want to meet this young man of yours and if it has to be in a restaurant then so be it.”
“I’m not sure—”
“Derek, he can’t be busy every night next week, and every lunchtime, goodness me, we’ll even take a quick coffee if that is all he can manage.”
Shit. Shit. And double shit.
“I’ll see what I can organize.” I kept my tone regretful, to at least give the impression I would try to organize them meeting Marcus, but that it would be unlikely.
We finished the call, and I replaced the handset in the cradle, fighting the urge to throw it against the wall, sit and cry at my desk, or maybe, less drastically, move to Montana and become a cowboy.
So many lies.
There was no Moira standing at my door. It was still closed and I’d lied to my mom.
There were no kittens, I made those up, and the spider story. The word spider came about because when I’d been talking to my mom about Marcus and the kittens, a tiny spider had crawled over my notes.
I closed the notebook in which I had the names of five kittens with their various characteristics listed.
Mom wanted to meet Marcus, any night, any lunch, anytime.
Which sucked big hairy balls.
Because that was another thing I had made up.
There was no Marcus either.
“That’s such a shame. Anyway, how are Marcus’ kittens?” Mom asked. I pulled myself back to what she was saying. It was never good to not pay full attention to anything Mom said, otherwise you’d end up agreeing to all kinds of things she’d throw at you when your defenses are down. I loved her dearly but she was sneaky like that.
“They’re fine.”
“Did he find good homes for them?”
“Absolutely, the last of them went to a widowed grandmother in his apartment block.”
“Socks? The dark one?”
I glanced at my notes. “No, you remember Socks went to his uncle; Spider went to the old lady.”
“Oh yes, of course, although why someone would name a kitten Spider I don’t know.”
“There were spiders in the house where Marcus found the kittens.”
“I still don’t understand how there could be spiders in a burned-out house.”
Shit. “Spiders are hardy.”
“You said the house was razed to the ground, dear.”
Now I was losing the will to live. “Well, maybe the spider was outside. Mom, I need to go, Moira is at the door and she needs me to sign off on the new AbbaLister raisins account.”
“Of course dear, just, please tell Marcus he is welcome at any time. We so want to meet him and thought it’d be better at the house.”
“I will, I know he’s keen to meet you.”
“Oh good,” she said, and I knew I’d fucked up and somehow given her an opening. I’d never mentioned once that Marcus wanted to meet them, because that would just give them the impetus to take matters into their own hands. My worst fears were confirmed. “Oh, I’ve had the most wonderful idea.”
Oh God, what?
“Your dad and I are coming into the city on Monday; book us dinner on any night, or lunch, breakfast, anything. I want to meet this young man of yours and if it has to be in a restaurant then so be it.”
“I’m not sure—”
“Derek, he can’t be busy every night next week, and every lunchtime, goodness me, we’ll even take a quick coffee if that is all he can manage.”
Shit. Shit. And double shit.
“I’ll see what I can organize.” I kept my tone regretful, to at least give the impression I would try to organize them meeting Marcus, but that it would be unlikely.
We finished the call, and I replaced the handset in the cradle, fighting the urge to throw it against the wall, sit and cry at my desk, or maybe, less drastically, move to Montana and become a cowboy.
So many lies.
There was no Moira standing at my door. It was still closed and I’d lied to my mom.
There were no kittens, I made those up, and the spider story. The word spider came about because when I’d been talking to my mom about Marcus and the kittens, a tiny spider had crawled over my notes.
I closed the notebook in which I had the names of five kittens with their various characteristics listed.
Mom wanted to meet Marcus, any night, any lunch, anytime.
Which sucked big hairy balls.
Because that was another thing I had made up.
There was no Marcus either.
RJ ScottWriting love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
BOOKBUB / KOBO / SMASHWORDS
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk
