Handmade Holidays

eBook

English language

Published Dec. 1, 2020 by Dominant Trident Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-7773523-2-5
ASIN:: B08NZTMRV8

(2 reviews)

At nineteen, Nick is alone for the holidays and facing reality: this is how it will be from now on. Refusing to give up completely, Nick buys a Christmas tree, and then realizes he has no ornaments. A bare tree and an empty apartment aren’t a great start, but a visit from his friend Haruto is just the ticket to get him through this first, worst, Christmas. A box of candy canes and a hastily folded paper crane might not be the best ornaments, but it’s a place to start.

A year later, Nick has realized he’s not the only one with nowhere to go, and he hosts his first “Christmas for the Misfit Toys.” Haruto brings Nick an ornament for Nick’s tree, and a tradition—and a new family—is born.

As years go by, Nick, Haruto, and their friends face love, betrayal, life, and death. Every ornament on Nick’s tree …

At nineteen, Nick is alone for the holidays and facing reality: this is how it will be from now on. Refusing to give up completely, Nick buys a Christmas tree, and then realizes he has no ornaments. A bare tree and an empty apartment aren’t a great start, but a visit from his friend Haruto is just the ticket to get him through this first, worst, Christmas. A box of candy canes and a hastily folded paper crane might not be the best ornaments, but it’s a place to start.

A year later, Nick has realized he’s not the only one with nowhere to go, and he hosts his first “Christmas for the Misfit Toys.” Haruto brings Nick an ornament for Nick’s tree, and a tradition—and a new family—is born.

As years go by, Nick, Haruto, and their friends face love, betrayal, life, and death. Every ornament on Nick’s tree is another year, another story, and another chance at the one thing Nick has wanted since the start: someone who’d share more than the holidays with him.

Of course, Nick might have already missed his shot at the one, and it might be too late.

Still, after fifteen Christmases, Nick is ready to risk it all for the best present yet.

1 edition

WardenRed reviewed Handmade Holidays by 'Nathan Burgoine (A Little Village Novella)

None

5 stars

“This?” Haruto said. “Best Christmas ever.”
“Nah,” Nick said. “Just the best so far.”

I'm not even sure why the first days of spring made me crave reading a Christmas romance, but I'm sure glad it happened because otherwise, this novella would still be chilling on my TBR and I would be seriously deprived of a good mood.

Handmade Holidays is what I call a "warm blanket" book: a quick, gentle read that reminds you of all the good that still exists in this complicated world. In so few pages, it covers a decade and a half of Christmases, slowly showing change after change in the protagonist's life, but mainly focusing on the constants, and how those constants evolve yet stay the same in essence. It's an absolute celebration of found family. It's also a beautiful slow burn friends-to-lovers romance, where the relationship takes its sweet time to evolve because …

“This?” Haruto said. “Best Christmas ever.”
“Nah,” Nick said. “Just the best so far.”

I'm not even sure why the first days of spring made me crave reading a Christmas romance, but I'm sure glad it happened because otherwise, this novella would still be chilling on my TBR and I would be seriously deprived of a good mood.

Handmade Holidays is what I call a "warm blanket" book: a quick, gentle read that reminds you of all the good that still exists in this complicated world. In so few pages, it covers a decade and a half of Christmases, slowly showing change after change in the protagonist's life, but mainly focusing on the constants, and how those constants evolve yet stay the same in essence. It's an absolute celebration of found family. It's also a beautiful slow burn friends-to-lovers romance, where the relationship takes its sweet time to evolve because sometimes, you move through lives in somewhat different trajectories and it takes time and change to arrive at a place where you both look at each other and think, "Yes. This is it. I want to try."

It was delightful to meet/see mentions of characters from other Little Village books, and just to delve into this whole atmosphere of acceptance and comfort 'Nathan Burgoine does so well. There are no doubt some sad moments here, but love and friendsihp always win.

earnest ma

rated it

Dec. 21, 2021