The First Noel (Bobby and Paolo’s Holiday Stories 3) by Joe Cosentino at Dreamspinner Press
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance / Holiday |
Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 07-December-2018 |
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance / Holiday |
Reviewed by | Serena Yates on 07-December-2018 |
Each Christmas has marked a milestone in Bobby and Paolo’s love story. But will this year be their last noel?
It’s no surprise Bobby isn’t feeling much holiday spirit—not when he suspects his husband, Paolo, might be interested in his new business associate, the incredibly handsome Noel. On top of that, Bobby’s father is hanging up his Santa suit at the department store due to health issues; and worst of all, Geoffrey’s birth mother, funded by antigay extremists, is threatening their family. She’s trying to take away Bobby and Paolo’s adopted son, but she’ll have to face their supportive friends, family, and pastor before she can tear Geoffrey from the only real home he’s ever known.
With so many challenges in their path, the December grooms will need an extra helping of holiday magic this year. Rumor has it Santa’s on his way to spread some holiday cheer.
Three years after the first Bobby and Paolo story (‘A Home for the Holidays’), much has happened to lawyer Bobby and fashion designer Paolo – from falling in love to getting married to fostering and then adopting Geoffrey, a little boy much in need of a loving home. Their annual Christmas adventures are some of my favorite reads, and this year’s is no exception. There is more suspense as the entire family – and that includes all the grandparents, uncles, aunts, and anyone else close to Bobby and Paolo – unites to help them avoid disaster.
Among the “normal chaos” around Paolo working too hard, Bobby’s father facing health concerns and his wife’s wrath unless he changes his ways, and Bobby’s best friend being a drama queen (and loving it), there is an additional shock that is totally unexpected. Geoffrey’s birth mother, who had given him up right after birth, suddenly comes forward and wants him back. Worse than that, she is supported by a hatefully homophobic religious organization that is out to “save” Geoffrey from the “gay agenda” his adoptive fathers supposedly subject him to. With a conservative judge assigned to the case, it is all hands on deck to try to keep Geoffrey where he wants to be – with the first loving family he has had in his eight years of life.
As ever, the supportive characters are at least as much fun and as important as Bobby, Paolo, and Geoffrey. There are a few new additions to “the gang” – among whom are two men named Noel, lovingly dubbed First Noel and Second Noel. They each have an important role to play, and I was glued to the pages as plans were made and events unfolded. Not everything is as it seems – but it’s definitely Christmas and a good time for much-needed miracles!
If you are curious what Bobby and Paolo are up to and how they fare when their little family is attacked, if family and other drama are your thing, and if you’re looking for an intense story that is as entertaining as it is suspenseful, then you will probably like this novella. Long may they be released on an annual basis – I definitely like that tradition!
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
Format | ebook |
Length | Novella, 72 pages/22745 words |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 07-December-2018 |
Price | $3.99 ebook |
Buy Link | https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-first-noel-by-joe-cosentino-10018-b |