My Christmas Spirit by K.C. Wells

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

I knew I had problems when I woke up in the middle of the night to find Mike Stubbins sitting at the foot of my bed, stark naked, still as gorgeous as every one of my memories of him.
So what’s the problem, I hear you cry? Gorgeous, naked man in my bedroom?
Well, there’s the not-so-small, highly significant detail that he died six years ago.

Yup. You read that right. And now he’s everywhere. I can’t even brush my teeth in peace. And did I mention that he never stops talking?

I’ve missed him like crazy, every day of the six years he’s been gone. And with Christmas coming, the memories are even more acute. But this is getting beyond a joke. Ignoring a naked guy is a pretty tough task, especially when I’m the only one who sees him.
So when he bops a complete stranger on the head with his dick in the middle of the coffee shop, I have to laugh. Anyone would, right?

Except… there’s a look on the guy’s face that tells me he felt that. But… how could he?
And now he’s looking at me like he’s expecting me to explain what just happened.

Either he’ll call for the guys with the straitjacket… or this will be one of the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had….

Review

Some stories are emotional and deeply touching. Other stories are light and uplifting. And then there are stories like My Christmas Spirit, which manage to be both at the same time.

Meet Andy who, on the surface is doing pretty well. He has a job and a routine and moves from day to day without much look forward to or worry about. He’s lost Mike, the love of his life, six years previously and has basically given up on joy, love, and Christmas ever since.

Six years is a long time to be stuck and apparently Mike agrees because one night in the run up to Christmas, his ghost appears in Andy’s bedroom, stark naked, determined to push Andy out of his funk, and not beyond using his ‘junk’ to get the job done. 😊

It is thanks to Mike that Andy breaks his normal routine and enters a coffeeshop where he meets Ollie (and where Mike pulls the stunt described in the blurb). Ollie is more or less in the same boat as Andy, having lost his partner three years earlier and thus, with some not always gentle prodding from Mike, Andy and Ollie start spending time together. It isn’t long before they discover that they have more in common than just their grief. Acknowledging the attraction between them takes a while longer and accepting it requires more time again but, as Christmas draws closer, their resistance fades as their feelings grow.

This adorable story is as touching as it is funny. Mike’s antics had me laughing out loud more than once while Andy and Ollie’s feelings tugged at the heartstrings, and the balance between those two was pretty much perfect. Watching Andy and Ollie as they slowly crawl out of their self-imposed isolation and embrace life, fun, and ultimately love again was delightful. While there certainly were one or two heartbreaking moments, Mike’s presence prevented the story from ever becoming angst-ridden or too sad.

My Christmas Spirit is a wonderful holiday story. The combination of deep emotions, humour, and ghostly goings-on will put you right in the mood for the upcoming holidays while Andy and Ollie’s coming together will leave you with a smile on your face. And that’s before I mention that just when you think the story has reached its conclusion, it holds one more, delightful surprise.