A CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Max Vos

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Max Vos

 

Pages: 69

Date: 31/01/2015

Grade: 4

Details: No. 1 Memories

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

J.J. has always hated the holidays. Presents, decorations, the traditional family Christmas…It’s all his colleagues in the staffroom can talk about. J.J. avoids these conversations like the plague. He’d do anything to keep his co-workers from seeing the real J.J, the gay man who doesn’t want to be noticed. When he slips up and reveals that he is all alone with no plans for Christmas, the well-meaning ladies of his high school want to take him in for the holidays. 

Oh hell….

Enter Coach Adam Sutton who comes to his rescue—and now J.J. is trapped by this hulk of a man who won’t take no for an answer. And he would have to be someone J.J finds attractive, wouldn’t he? Too bad he’s straight and J.J’s not about to step out of the shadows and make a move on him. He likes his arms where they are, thank you very much.

But Adam has a secret, one which is going to turn J.J’s world upside-down. Adam wants to give J.J. a Christmas to remember, but as it turns out, both men’s lives are never going to be the same again…

My thoughts:

There’s something about Max Vos’s writing, his characters and his way of telling a story that hits a nerve with me. I couldn’t for the life of me tell you exactly what that something is, but it strikes a chord.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with J.J. and Adam. J.J.’s journey from dislike, through begrudging friendliness, to attraction and more was beguiling. Adam was just adorable. In my mind’s eye his this big, huge, powerful teddy bear of a man. I couldn’t stop grinning every time he was mentioned.

This story contains minimal angst. There is some since J.J. is rather determined to keep his orientation under wraps, but once Adam makes his move, the soul-searching is almost completely gone.

Adam’s family were a breath of fresh air. I get why a lot of stories include disapproving and hostile families – unfortunately they are a reality all too many queer people have to deal with – but I like seeing the other side of the coin portrayed as well.

The sex in this book is as raw as it is beautiful. These men come together with every fibre of their being and the reader is lucky and privileged to be allowed to indulge their voyeuristic tendencies.

I’m glad I discovered Max Vos’ words recently and can’t wait to continue with these ‘Memories’ stories.