Snow Storm

And the Christmas ARCs have started!!! Here's EM Lindsey's "Snow Storm."

["Claude doesn’t believe in love. Harley doesn’t believe in fate. But this holiday season, the universe has plans for the two men who have no idea just how much they need each other.

Harley James has spent most of his adult life trying to maintain his public persona as a calm, collected, slightly anxious best-selling author. But then his father dies, and his fiancé leaves him for their couple’s therapist, and something in him snaps.

Publicly.
In front of hundreds of strangers.

In order to avoid a scandal, Harley’s sent to a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere until it all blows over. Which is fine. Really. He can deal with a little silence and solitude for a few weeks. Although he’s a city boy, there are worse things in life than a forced vacation.

But when a strong masseur with magic hands begins to crack him like the over-boiled egg he is, Harley finds the idea of going home less and less appealing. It helps that the gorgeous, older massage therapist seems to be the first person who’s understood him in decades.

Still, there’s more to the silver-fox than meets the eye, and Harley quickly discovers that this Christmas, there might be miracles, but there are also complications. And two men running from the expectations of those around them might just find their only escape is in each other’s arms."]

Before we start...This public meltdown was a little hard to read. It's mental health being ignored and people who are supposed to support you not doing that and public verbal abuse/sexual harassment by strangers. It's a loooot. Especially from Harley's POV, who is already feeling like shit emotionally. BUT he eventually learns, with help from Claude (and his new friends at the resort) that what he did was justified and what the others did was despicable. 

It's such a cliche, but I still love it when people swear off love and marriage fall hard and fast and can't even regret it. It's poetic, the way the universe looks out for you sometimes. Poor Claude didn't know what hit him. ;)

I loooooved these two. They were so sickeningly in love so fast. It was scary and real and mutual. They were afraid of how strong their feelings were and what might happen after the snow storms end. But the more they got to know each other, the harder they fell and the more reality set it (and the more they realized there was no going back).

And I LOVED how Claude (and Harley's new friends at the resort) kept boosting Harley's confidence and supporting him in all the ways. He deserved a team of people who care about him, his needs, his wants, his mental health, and his life in general. Not many people had, but this new life is filled with love for Harley.

Then there's Claude. Also so hurt and heartbroken and lonely. He's our no-more-love-for-me cliche. But he fell pretty much the moment he laid eyes on Harley. Claude has his own struggles, his own betrayals, his own mental health struggles, but being with Harley made him stronger, seen. 

They were utterly perfect for each other. Two broken men (in soooo many ways), finding strength and solstice (and HEA) in each other. Talk about holiday magic. 

Trigger Warnings: public verbal abuse and sexual harassment by a stranger, mild violence (by one of the MCs but not between MCs), past parental neglect, past mentions of a hiking injury resulting in a permanent injury, past emotional manipulation and cheating (not between MCs), and more.

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