This was so fun to be back with characters from American Love Story (and the entire Dreamers series), but I hate the novella length because I feel like I didn't really get to know who Yin and Ari were. I wish we had either gotten a full length novel for them or revisited old POVs for a Dreamers Christmas novella.

Thanks to Carina Press for my copy to review.

Narration: Sean Crisden is magnificent, just like he is for the rest of the series and the audiobook is available through Hoopla.

An excellent, sweet and festive Christmas romance that made me smile and root for the characters.
I liked the tightly knitted plot that kept hooked, the well thought characters and the festive atmosphere.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Full disclosure. I didn't read the first four books when I read this one. In fact, I didn't know this was part of a series when I grabbed this. I just went in blind, but who could resist that sweet cover? I had to read it. :)Since this novella is book 5, of course I was a little behind. That being said, the author did a great job of making it a very stand alone story. Characters from what I believe are the first four books make their way into the story...and in fact come through in a big way for this sweet, loving couple.These two young men definitely had it very rough in their early years, but the love that they developed for each other over a long friendship spilled into their romantic relationship and created a strong bond. All they wanted to do was create a life with each other, and make the other man happy. Their misunderstanding was sweet and the reader just wanted to hug everyone when all was done.They were already working on their fairy tale happy ending, while their friends helped to bring it to fruition for Christmas. Enjoyed this holiday follow up to a couple I hadn't read, but definitely want to go back and read their story.3.5 pieces of eye candy

Sweeter and less angsty than others in the series - but also lacking in some detail.

This book features peripheral characters from the author's Dreamer series and can be read as a standalone; I've read the first three full-length tales and didn't find myself lost or enjoy this any less. It's the sweetest and less angsty - although there is a bit of a thing that rears its head before getting fairly swiftly resolved - and the leads were perhaps the most likeable and least opinionated. And the latter is not a criticism of the series, but one former lead was so opinionated that I wondered how he ended up with anyone!

It is a holiday season tale but there are mentions of the book that place it as having taken place in 2019/20 and strangely, there wasn't even a hint of the issues that we're seeing in 2020 - not the US election, not the pandemic, not the fact that Hamilton - which is mentioned many, many, many times - isn't showing and if the leads were that worried about money, which they were, they'd have been wondering about losing the cost of the tickets. It's minor details that I do think should have featured, as this mentioned the reality of being immigrants to the US, and hardships, mental, physical, emotional and financial.

It is sweet and romantic, with both leads plotting a wonderful, if secretive and a little 'lying' (for the right reasons), and it's the latter that leads to the brief angst in the tale. I liked the guys' different backgrounds, was sad to hear about the hardships but at the same time, pleased to see them achieving their dreams, together. It was lovely to hear about their network of friends, and in Yin's case, his sisters, and there was warmth and feeling from that quarter, too. Had there been mention of a bit of the reality that has been 2019/20, I'd have rated this 4*.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I'm catching up on posting reviews and this book gives me the most pleasure to write about. I have been dying for Ari and Yin's story ever since I read about this pair in Patrice's book, American Love Story. All the Dreamers novels are deep in my heart and this book delivers on all the love and joy that everyone is entitled to. Ari and Yin have been through so much, between being stranded in an immigration camp to risking betrayal because of the way they love, Ari and Yin's love is a triumph in its purest form. They want it all - the American Dream and each other, and they aren't settling for anything less. More of these stories in print means they are the model for what we can hope for in real life.⁠
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And did I say this book si fuego puro, tambien?⁠
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The perfect holiday novella to warm your heart in these, the strangest of times.⁠

The established couple and lack of overall conflict may be a turn off for anyone who isn't already a fan of the American Dreamers series, but fans will enjoy the focus on Yin and Ari. Although we got to see them fall in love across the other books, having a story focused on them is nice. Overall, a very cute and sweet story.

Adriana Herrera's American Christmas is a nice addition to the series.
It's sweet, with a Gift of the Magi theme.
I continue to enjoy the diversity of this series.
That said, it's only a 3 for me, so I won't be featuring it on my blog.

Election on 2016 was traumatizing for so many of us and last night while the numbers started coming in, I started to feel those same emotions. I knew we wouldn’t know anything definitive before the night was over so I closed my laptop and put down my phone and started reading this sweet Christmas novella.

It’s no secret that @ladriana_herrera is one of my favorite romance writers. She writes unapologetically joyful love stories that I cannot get enough of. American Christmas is about Ari and Yin, an already established couple spending their very first Christmas living together. It was the perfect amount of sweet and sexy and festive to completely take my mind off things, even if just for a short while. Like her full length books, American Christmas is full of found family and unconditionally supportive and loving friendships and delicious food and so much snark and steam. Adriana is a gift and her books are a gift and I cannot recommend this one enough. Especially right now.

perfect little holiday novella to kick off my holiday reads

Yin and Ari are a modern day Gift of the Magi - who ended up getting some help from the family and friends.

Happy-making holiday joy 💚

Enjoy holiday festivities with the adorably tenacious couple from Adriana Herrera's Dreamers series. Hardworking and selfless to a fault, can Yin and Ari allow themselves the space to receive as well as give? As the couple gets ready to celebrate their first Christmas living together, both want to make sure it's extra special. Their thoughtful gifts create unintended consequences. I love the warmth and love that Yin and Ari's extended Ithaca family exudes, especially in their hour of need. Patrice, Easton, Nesto, and the rest of the characters from the series join the couple for the holiday season. Readers are also treated to intimate moments between Yin and Ari that a perfect blend of sweet and oh-so-sexy. Put this novella under your tree and unwrap it right away (like now!).

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really fun addition to the series – it features Yin and Ari, but also gives us some time with the gang from Ithaca, and I loved seeing them all settled and happy.

Yin and Ari have finally saved up and gained places at college in the next academic year. Now they get to celebrate their first Christmas in their apartment. Sensibly, they agree on a maximum spend for presents... because they are saving for college. Except they both can't help but go overboard – and learn a hard lesson about being honest with each other.

I loved that they both knew they had made a mistake, but that it wasn't irredeemable, it was just a learning process. And it gave all their (and our) friends the chance to step up and help them turn it all around.

It may only be November but reading about Christmas was a nice escape from reality!


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sugary sweet Christmas addition to Adriana Herrera’s Dreamers series. Where most of this series has been alternately gritty and tender, this book hits Hallmark Channel levels of adorable. It’s the perfect Christmas fairy-tale read.

Yin and Ari have been background characters in this series from the start. They’re younger than the series’ main characters but Dreamers fans will be familiar with pieces of their struggles towards their new lives in America. This story focuses on Yin and Ari’s first Christmas living together in their own flat. All of the anxieties of a first Christmas with a new and important partner are heightened for Ari and Yin because they also face the added anxiety of trying to offer each other a perfect ‘American’ Christmas in their new country.

Compared to most of the Dreamers books, Yin and Ari are both almost too perfect. They feel very young, very innocent, and very earnest. And this is where I struggled some with the story. Considering the struggles both men faced as refugees, they both feel a little bit too naive and too young. But their story is absolutely lovely. I can imagine this as a wonderfully relaxing Christmas Eve read.

I really enjoyed catching up with the characters from the Dreamers books. I love the way the older men have become like big brothers to Ari and Yin. I love that Herrera’s Christmas story is about a wonderful cross-cultural mix of chosen family that feels familiar and relatable. This book may lack some of the depth I’ve come to expect from Herrera, but it is a wonderful, feel-good read.

Audio review:
Story – 5
Performance – 5
Overall – 5

A great bonus story for fans of this series!

From nearly the beginning of this story I could tell what was going to happen but that absolutely didn't matter at all; it didn't change how much I loved this book. You could probably read/listen to American Christmas without having read any of the others in the series but I think you would enjoy it more if you read them in order.

I absolutely love listening to the audiobooks of this series and there are a couple reasons. One: I love Sean Criden's audio performances, and two: I love hearing how words that I'm unfamiliar with are pronounced. So, while I started out reading this story, I switched to listening to it – I actually started from the beginning – when I got a copy of the audiobook. I really think Sean outdid himself with the different voices he used in this book.

Despite knowing how parts of this story were going to go, I didn't know how Ms. Herrera would work things out for Ari and Yin. She gave them a wonderful outcome and brought things together with help from the main characters from the other books in this series.

The love between Ari and Yin radiated off of the pages. I am so happy that I got another chance to visit with the characters from this fantastic series.

A review copy of the ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and a copy of the audiobook was also provided by the publisher, but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

Everything.👏 Adriana.👏Writes.👏Is.👏Gold. ⁣
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I'm always amazed at how much Herrera can pack into a story, much less a novella, and this is no different. You can read this as a stand alone, but if you have read Herrera's Dreamers series, you'll appreciate Yin and Ari so much more - plus you get fun cameos from past characters!⁣
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Yin and Ari are so sweet and earnest together - trying to go out of their way for each other for Christmas, but even nice gestures can sometimes have baggage attached to them, and I loved seeing them work through that together. Ari and Yin have miscommunication in the story, but not in the way you typically see characters in romance novels - where it's almost a rom-com "whoops" of not explaining things well. Ari and Yin aren't sharing reasons of why they do what they do because they have to be honest with themselves about why they are insecure, or feel like they don't fully trust the happiness they've found. ⁣
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" 'It's some of that underlying racial trauma, of being men who live in the bodies that we do. It's hard to see the news sometimes and not falter in believing we're worth what we know we are. There is so much out there sending us a different message. But we can't let them strip from us our joy and our dreams. Our right to have someone who looks at us like we are the most important thing in the world. To let ourselves believe that we can be that.' "⁣
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This was such a lovely story - I would highly recommend it! ⁣

Yin and Ari are in a happy relationship. They are living the American dream and it's their first Christmas together and both agreed to spend a certain amount of money on their gifts. With the help of their friends the are able to give each other gifts that they really wanted and they are unaware of the sacrifices they made to get them. The book is sweet, romantic, fun, and along with Christmas theme, it's a great book to read and I enjoyed it. All the characters are likable and Yin and Ari are great together.

This was short, sweet, and heart-warming. I enjoyed getting to know Ari and Yin a bit better and seeing the characters from previous books was fun, even if I kept waiting for Juanpa to show up (he was the only one who didn't make an appearance). I think the plot was interesting but the ending was SO unrealistic and I wish we got to see the characters actually being ok and dealing with things going badly. I do understand that they deserved a happy ending, but at the same time, I can't say I loved the ending.

American Christmas is a sweet and sexy Christmas novella featuring side character readers met in American Love Story, the third book in the Dreamers series. It is fully enjoyable being read as a standalone.

Yin Thuta and Ari Douniama are both immigrants to the U.S. who survived civil war, refugee camps, and legal status challenges before their immigration was settled. They each bear scars from this experience, with Yin wanting to celebrate milestones in big flamboyant ways, while Ari lives in fear of not having finances to support himself and Yin. They are both out and gay, and have been in a relationship for about two years. They live together and work hard. Both of them have just been accepted to graduate school: Yin for nursing and Ari for law school. With the help of their friends in Ithaca, NY, they live in a reasonable studio apartment and each man finally feels they have a real shot at success in life together.

The story opens right before Christmas, with both Ari and Yin revealing to the reader that they have broken their $100 budget for gift giving. They both want to splurge this one time, to make the gifts they give the very best possible. Yin knows that Ari had a dream to attend a huge semipro soccer camp in Arizona over spring break, so he made purchases to support Ari attending the camp. Meanwhile, Ari wants to be the bestest boyfriend ever and give Yin the ultimate musical and NYC experience…over spring break.

The reader knows this is a Gift of the Magi situation long before Yin and Ari do, and that adds tension to the story. It’s such a bittersweet moment as they unveil the amazing gifts they sacrificed to obtain for one another. I loved the way each man handled the disappointment, not railing to their partner, but looking outward to their supports. I also loved the way their loving community rallied to truly demonstrat the Christmas spirit both Ari and Yin had hoped to foster for one another.

With all the Dreamers stories, it is community that helps and heals the wounds of society and situations. I loved seeing all my favorite characters from previous stories appear to help Ari and Yin get the bestest Christmas ever when it seemed their incredible and uncharacteristic sacrifices would amount to nothing but heartache. I think the author does a great job of letting us know how each of these characters fits the support network for Yin and Ari, which is why I say it CAN be read as a standalone. That said, I was so happy reading this after having read three of the previous stories. These men were really a side issue for a previous story, and I loved seeing them, and their very settled, very sexy, relationship on the page.

When I tell you I SQUEALED when I saw that Herrera’s newest book was going to feature Ari and Yin!!! If you have read any of her Dreamers series (and YOU SHOULD!?!?), you’ll already be familiar with this adorably sweet young couple. This did not disappoint! I had read other reviews saying that it was too short, but I am here for a short and sweet holiday romance novella. The conflict was adorable at first glance, but it actually did have more emotional weight behind it than it would first appear. The amount of love in this novella - both romantic and found family - made my heart grow three sizes and my eyes tear up.

If you are in the market for a perfect contemporary queer holiday romance, look no further.

When the story starts Ari and Yin are already together. They've overcome those initial roadblocks and now they are spending their first Christmas living together.

One thing I really appreciated was that we start with a couple that is already in love and together. However, they are still learning to communicate and negotiate with each other.

At first I was a bit thrown off because usually you don't start with the couple already together but then I appreciated what Herrera is doing here. Showing us a couple working on a relationship. This won't be for everyone but I definitely enjoyed it.

I'm so glad Yin and Air got their own story. I enjoyed the glimpses into their relati0nship throughout the Dreams series, and American Christmas satisfied my desire for a closer look.

These two are super sweet together and, while I did enjoy most of their interactions, the main plot of the story didn't seem to fit with the Ari and Yin I had gotten to know.

The next part is slightly spoilery, so continue reading at your own risk.

Their Christmas gifts for each other threw me off. I didn't expect them to get as upset with each other as they did and, especially for Ari to need a talk with Patrice. I would have expected, with the connection and deep love they have for each other, that they would have taken it all in stride, figured out a solution to the obstacles, and moved on. Given the hardships both had gone through as immigrants, I would have expected more value to be placed on the memory making rather than the extravagant cost of the gifts.

So, while I enjoyed the sweet moments, the main conflict, for me, didn't ring true to the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was great to see Ari and Yin's story. I'd always loved seeing them pop up within the other dreamers stories. I wish we had gotten a full novel but I'll take a novella rather than no story especially for these characters. Adriana Herrera continues to shine in giving her characters well developed backgrounds with decisions made by the characters that can be irritating match both the character and the situation. I've always appreciated how Herrera manages to showcase the real world and it's impact on people while still encouraging the hope and joy that I hope will one day be reality.