Title: Holiday Outing
Author: Astrid Amara
Publisher: Loose Id
Publisher URL: http://loose-id.com/
ISBN: 978-1-59632-842-6
Genre: LGBT Romantic Suspense
Nymph Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Jonah moved to Seattle to get as far away from his parents as possible, while still remaining in the continental United States. He hasn’t visited for the Hanukkah holidays for the past four years but he can’t avoid his aging parents, or his guilt, any longer. This year, he’s coming home with the intention of confessing that not only is he gay, but that he makes his living as a successful gay novelist. The holiday gets off to a rocky start when he’s picked up at the airport by Dr. Ethan Rosenberg, the man with whom he’s always been unfavorably compared. To make matters worse, he discovers Ethan is staying with his parents; a blizzard sets in and then the power goes off, stranding the extended family in a house without heat.
Not only is his family driving him crazy, but straight Ethan seems to be flirting with him. What does that mean? Is he sincere or is he playing a vicious trick like he did when they were in high school? It’s right after the power failure that a precious family heirloom disappears and several family members blame ‘unsuccessful’ Jonah. As Ethan and Jonah grow closer, they struggle to discover who among the family is a thief; before the snow melts, the power is restored, and the thief can get away.
Holiday Outing is a fun and fast-paced contemporary thrill ride of family holiday horrors that kept me chuckling from beginning to end. In fact, the opening paragraphs were so amusingly descriptive of why Jonah moved away from his parents, that I had to read the passages out loud to my husband.
Jonah and Ethan get off to a rocky start and Ms. Amara does a nice describing how old memories from high school influence the renewed acquaintance of our two guys. I applaud the unique way these two come together. I mean, can you remember a romance starting while confined in a house without heat, surrounded by various quirky relatives…I can’t. While the difficulties with Jonah’s family are unsettling and problematic, it serves to show how many adult children feel about their parents in particular and their extended family in general. Add to this Jonah’s fear of confessing his secret…he’s gay, and his fear escalates. The beauty of the aspect of the story is that anyone can relate to the dread of telling a secret, no matter what it is.
Even with these serious portions, there’s no way to deny that this creative holiday story is down right amusing. The dialogue will make you laugh, and watching Jonah and Ethan stumble around looking for the family thief, a perfect tool to draw them closer. I admit I’ve never read anything by this author before, but after finishing Holiday Outing, I’ll be looking for more of her books in the future. Good reading!
Author: Astrid Amara
Publisher: Loose Id
Publisher URL: http://loose-id.com/
ISBN: 978-1-59632-842-6
Genre: LGBT Romantic Suspense
Nymph Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymph Reviewer: Mystical Nymph
Jonah moved to Seattle to get as far away from his parents as possible, while still remaining in the continental United States. He hasn’t visited for the Hanukkah holidays for the past four years but he can’t avoid his aging parents, or his guilt, any longer. This year, he’s coming home with the intention of confessing that not only is he gay, but that he makes his living as a successful gay novelist. The holiday gets off to a rocky start when he’s picked up at the airport by Dr. Ethan Rosenberg, the man with whom he’s always been unfavorably compared. To make matters worse, he discovers Ethan is staying with his parents; a blizzard sets in and then the power goes off, stranding the extended family in a house without heat.
Not only is his family driving him crazy, but straight Ethan seems to be flirting with him. What does that mean? Is he sincere or is he playing a vicious trick like he did when they were in high school? It’s right after the power failure that a precious family heirloom disappears and several family members blame ‘unsuccessful’ Jonah. As Ethan and Jonah grow closer, they struggle to discover who among the family is a thief; before the snow melts, the power is restored, and the thief can get away.
Holiday Outing is a fun and fast-paced contemporary thrill ride of family holiday horrors that kept me chuckling from beginning to end. In fact, the opening paragraphs were so amusingly descriptive of why Jonah moved away from his parents, that I had to read the passages out loud to my husband.
Jonah and Ethan get off to a rocky start and Ms. Amara does a nice describing how old memories from high school influence the renewed acquaintance of our two guys. I applaud the unique way these two come together. I mean, can you remember a romance starting while confined in a house without heat, surrounded by various quirky relatives…I can’t. While the difficulties with Jonah’s family are unsettling and problematic, it serves to show how many adult children feel about their parents in particular and their extended family in general. Add to this Jonah’s fear of confessing his secret…he’s gay, and his fear escalates. The beauty of the aspect of the story is that anyone can relate to the dread of telling a secret, no matter what it is.
Even with these serious portions, there’s no way to deny that this creative holiday story is down right amusing. The dialogue will make you laugh, and watching Jonah and Ethan stumble around looking for the family thief, a perfect tool to draw them closer. I admit I’ve never read anything by this author before, but after finishing Holiday Outing, I’ll be looking for more of her books in the future. Good reading!
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