I am a simple girl. I see holiday romance and I jump excitedly with glee. I adore books that put me in my happy bubble and am generally able to overlook mistakes or improbabilities but His Holiday Crush missed the mark for me.

First and foremost, this book needed a MUCH heavier editing hand. There were so many sentences that were broken up like this--and here the author chose to insert random bits that were quite lengthy--that it took me completely out of the story. By 60% through, I was fed up with those. We were also told so much information rather than shown. For example, Dominic has PTSD and new situations make him uncomfortable. Totally understandable. What is not understandable is how he wakes up beside Max and is initially slightly startled before starting his day. This is later explained as PTSD rather than typically morning disorientation.

Something else we are told is that Max is this huge corporate lawyer and lives for his job, but he doesn't seem to care that he is away from work at all. He just landed a big client and acts like he could care less.

Another issue is that the romance was completely random. One moment, they would be flirty with each other and the next, it would go to them working on the house. There was no foreplay or buildup.

Overall, not my cup of tea, but willing to give the author a second chance at some point.

His Holiday Crush is exactly what I was looking for!! This book is quick fast read that reminds me of a Hallmark movie. I loved the small town feel and the wintery vibes. I loved the steamy scenes that I definitely was not expecting at all, but umm I’m here for them all day. And I also loved the Gay holiday representation! Everything about this book has me zipping through the pages!!

His Holiday Crush is a really sweet, low angst holiday romance. Max is on a fast track to making partner at the law firm he works at in New York but for Christmas he promises to return to his hometown to spend the holiday with his best friend, Hal, and his two daughters. They’ve been having some difficulty adjusting after Hal’s wife left them, no word, and they are Max’s family so he wants to be there for them, especially Marnie and Steph. On his way into town, he almost hits a deer and ends up in a snow bank where he is rescued by Hal’s younger brother, Dominic “Nicky.” Max doesn’t immediately recognize Dominic, but there is definitely chemistry and a light flirtation. Over the course of the week while Max waits for his car to be repaired, he and Dominic grow closer.

I really enjoyed how there really wasn’t much angst or drama going on. There was some angst with Hal’s family situation and Max dealing with coming back to Edgewood after his father had a drunk driving incident when he was a teenager, but none of that was the focus of the story or the central conflict. Overall this was a light, quick read with characters who felt real as they coped with their individual internal stuff while also having each other as family to rely on.

If you’re looking for a light holiday story, His Holiday Crush may just be what you need in 2020. Low conflict and angst, while full of emotion and heart!

This was a short and sweet Christmas romance that I really enjoyed. I liked the way the characters Max and Dominic bumped into each other with one not recognising the other, while the other has had a crush on him forever. A my brother's best friend story, except, in this case, the brother is more than happy for his best friend and his brother to get together. There is of course issues to overcome and decisions to be made, is this relationship worth one of them, Max, making changes in his life, it certainly makes him relook at what he thought was important. This novel also touches on PTSD and the issues someone deals with after experiencing trauma.

I'll be looking for more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing - Brazen for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

What is better than a steamy romance novel? A steamy romance novel set in a picturesque small town with an awesome group of characters at Christmas time. That’s what!

Dominic and Max have great chemistry and their instalove is completely believable thanks to the amazing writing by author Cari Z. The town of Edgewood is full of interesting people and their interactions with the MCs are always something to look forward to, sometimes hilarious or sweet, other times heartbreaking or infuriating, but never dull.

The dual POV was perfect, the writing was excellent, and I really hope to read more stories set in this small town.

Recommended for: readers of MM romance & the-getting-stuck-for-the-holidays trope

Content warning: steamy MM sex scenes

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A short and sweet holiday romance with a return home, first crush type trope - totally here for it! The only thing I disliked was the fact that Nicky is a cop - just a weird/unnecessary choice IMO. Definitely a little steamy for me, but I always blush at the sexy scenes! Definitely worth the read, especially if you can curl up with a warm drink while snow falls outside.

Loved this story! Everything about this book worked for me and nothing seemed forced - and believe me, with the car accident in the beginning I thought for sure it would be predictable but nope. Short holiday stories are what I love and this hit the mark.

The perfect way to kick off holiday book season! I loved the characters and the chemistry, so much, even the side characters were great. I loved that there were scenes that made me laugh (raccoons, child describing shepherds’ pie) and that made me cry (misunderstandings, shitty family). I really liked that they had some history but the romance didn’t rely on that and kinda felt new too. Their work schedules seemed a little convenient (Max had to be back in one day but gets stranded and somehow that’s chill and only causes a little friction?) but I’m willing to ignore it for the magic of Christmas romance. I love a good Hallmark movie and they’re just too dang straight sometimes, and this is the kind of story I need mixed in this holiday season <3

As another reviewer noted, I also spent some time wondering about why the choice was made to make Dominic a cop, especially because there were some moments when I questioned their professionalism and it would have made a lot more sense if he was either a tow truck driver or had to go pick Max up because his brother was busy with his girls. I think especially when we're intensely aware of this power dynamic it was a somewhat strange choice for me. But other than that, I thought the seriousness was just a little too much for me at this time and in a holiday story.

HIS HOLIDAY CRUSH is a holiday romance that would left the reader with a big smile, from its sweet cover to its end.

One night at his best friend's house should be enough for Max, to show him his suport and not risking losing the deal, that might give him the change make partner at his firm. But a wreck in the snow is endangering his plans, and when Dominic, a local police force, comes to the rescue, Max might not be so interested in follow them anymore.


I had a wonderful time with this book. I am amazed by the versatility of the author, who I'd read before, in books that are a complitely oposite from this one. It was a great experience this book was charming but it wasn't overly sweet, which would be bothersone to me. I liked the writing. The plot was nice. It was easy to catch the attention, but not really too unexpected.

I loved the main characters, maybe they were a bit too perfect for me, but I guess the general good guy feeling might be appreciate by most readers. I love that, even as nice as they were, they still have their internal struggles. I guess that is the reason I liked them so much.

The romance between them feels right. It was developed in only few days, and yet, didn't felt rushed. It also had the right amount of heat that made it enjoyable, without sex scenes being the whole center of the story.

I didn't liked that some parts of it were a little predictable, but I guess it is sometimes that way when reading romance. I still found the book really charming and it left me with a big smile on my face. Definitely a recomended book, particularly for readers who are trying to get into the holiday feeling.

This is a fluffy heart warming story perfect for the disaster of a year 2020 has been. It's a quick read too. Once Nicky and Max met I stayed up all night to finish it. Like most romantic comedies, there's the period where the two characters have a disagreement and split apart before coming back together even stronger. a feel good holiday story for any m/m reader

3.5 stars

This time of year, I consciously look for holiday stories from authors I like. I was so happy when I saw that Cari Z has indeed written one.

His Holiday Crush is a enjoyable holiday story with combination of "best friend's younger brother" and "stranded during holiday" tropes. With this theme, usually it's the younger guy who is more determined to pursue the older guy. In this story though, Max Robertson, the older one, is the one more forward. Dominic “Nicky” Bell has crush over Max for years, but he's more shy about it. I like the reversal role 😁.

Max has been away from Edgewood for a decade but one request from his best friend to come visit during holiday season makes him pack his back and leave New York City. Of course, he doesn't expect Dominic, his best friend's younger brother to pick him up when Max's car is broken. Max doesn't recognize Dominic at first ... yes, little Nicky has grown up! But they soon reconnect during Max's stay. There's a familiarity that works with the short time span, because they have known each other previously.

The secondary characters, especially the two girls (Max's best friend, Hal's daughters) are great, as their father. I am not very happy with the ex-wife running away plot, mainly because I'm done with anything involving evil ex. But at one point Hal says that his ex-wife has depression... which I wish it is informed earlier because I don't like the whole "blaming the wife" thing. But maybe that's my problem and not other readers.

So yes, all in all, I liked it 😊

Why in the year 2020 are we still writing romances about cops? All it does is lower readership. I definitely did not read the description well enough or I would not have requested this book. It’s not like Nicky being a cop had a huge impact on the story other than allowing the meet cute to happen. But he could have been a tow truck driver, a firefighter, or just a kind passerby and they could have had the same meet cute with Nicky rescuing Max from the snowdrift.’ It was also surprisingly heavy for a holiday romance. Nicky was dealing with PTSD, Max was dealing with family issues, and Hal's wife had just left him and their daughters. They all were able to find happiness for Christmas but it was just a lot for a holiday novella. I found myself asking multiple times, ‘who is this book for?

That all being said, I did read the whole book. It’s a novella so it went quickly. I did really like that both Nicky and Max were fully accepted and supported by the town and Hal (Nicky’s brother and Max’s best friend). I’m glad that we’re to the point that homophobia doesn’t have to be the source of external conflict in every gay romance. Nicky and Max had chemistry and were both likable even if I disapprove of Nicky’s occupation. The overall story was predictable but I had no expectation for it to be otherwise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. It was a short and sweet Christmas romance story. I love their relationship and rekindling with one another so many years later. Max and Dominic are wonderfully written and so well done. A realistic and passionate romance worth reading.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a quick and fun holiday read. I absolutely loved it. It's light but with enough depth to make it interesting and give it substance. Dominic is so sweet and shy and Max complements him so well by being more outgoing and experienced. There's also a nice amount of steam ;) This is the perfect book for curling up in the holiday season and believe in happily ever after. Highly recommend!

Although at the end of this book, the author thanks her editor, I sincerely hope this book gets a second run through perhaps another. I caught quite a few mistakes and just contradictory statements in it. Putting that aside, it wasn't a terrible story. I liked the friendship between Max and Hal. I loved the care Max had with Hal's girls. I enjoyed Nicky/Dominic - and yeah, I get the use of the two names for him. I did NOT like Marnie, at all. Holy cow that was one annoying kid. I didn't find her nearly as cute as Steph.

I enjoyed the way the relationship between Max and Dominic developed, even if it felt totally rushed, but knowing the author only gave them one week to be together, it was expected. It felt a little unfinished. I mean, we know they had a long distance relationship for a bit, but that's it. We know they of course, ended up together, but there was no talk of the future for them, at all. As far as I could tell, there isn't going to be a second book, where perhaps we can see them as a family (or not) in maybe Hal's story. They never talked about what they wanted for their lives together in the book, it just .... ended.

So although it was sweet, not terrible, it also needed to be fleshed out a bit more in my opinion.

*I received this ARC for an honest review through NetGalley*

A candy-sweet confection, perfect for the holiday season. Max is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, and he doesn't have time for a trek back to his hometown. Only his best friend, who's struggling with two young daughters after his wife left, could get Max to leave work behind for a weekend. But when his car skids off the road coming into town, and the handsome police officer who responds to the scene turns out to be Max's best friend's little brother, all grown up...well, maybe getting snowed in wouldn't be the worst thing.

Dominic can't believe it, when his secret high school crush turns out to be the driver stuck in a snowbank. He knows Max never noticed him back then, but it seems like he might be noticing Dominic now.

Mix in some adorable moppets, a puppy, and some late-night home renovations. Add snow and some steamy scenes and shake well. Serve with cocoa.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

Max begrudgingly goes to his hometown for the first time in a decade at his best friend's request. But after sliding into a snowbank and being hauled out by the cutest deputy in town - Max finds more on his holiday to-do list than he meant to. Dominic did not expect that his working the holiday graveyard shift would bring him face to face with the guy he had crushed on for years - who just happens to be his big brother's best friend...

Such a sweet read! Max is a workaholic who stops for a second and realizes that work is his entire life - and maybe he wants more than that. Dominic is a mildly angsty veteran who just wants to love so much! They are both cinnamon rolls and totally made me want to curl up on a couch and cuddle while I read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was just ok for me. It was a quick holiday romance. I liked the characters but it was predictable. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I admit, I requested this arc on a whim. I was feeling a little down and wanted a holiday romance pick-me-up. “His Holiday Crush” did not disappoint. This was a swoon-worthy second chance for two good men.

Max had family drama and left home ten years ago vowing not to return. He’s an up and coming lawyer in NYC, with plans of making partner and becoming extremely successful.
Somehow he is convinced to go back to his home town of Edgewater to spend Christmas with his best friend Hal, single father to two wonderful kids. As he gets into town he swerved to avoid a deer and plows into a snow bank.

Dominic Bell is the officer to arrive on scene.
He recognizes max right away as being his brothers best friend and his long time crush. He’s thought about him since Max left all those years ago, never imagining he’d be back and need rescuing.

I finished this story in 24 hours. It hit the spot in the way that certain e-books do; it was easy to keep scrolling and reading, and every time I had to close my kindle app I felt a twinge of regret. This story has some open-door romance, which I totally loved, but it would have been great even if the door was closed. Give this a shot if you’re looking something heartwarming and different.