A Very Merry Hockey Holiday

DNF @ 43%

I can't do it. Mediocre writing, boring stories about babies and pregnancy, and enough misogyny and ableism to make me feel sick... This is super not the book for me.

Here's a rundown of what I did (and didn't) read, in case you're curious why I'm breaking out the one-star rating for this one instead of leaving it unrated.

Chapter One: Lucas and Fallon2/5 starsI think this was intended to be cute? Even if I were familiar with these characters, I can't see myself enjoying this one. It's kind of boring and deeply annoying.The entire point is basically that Fallon is a bitch - according to everyone, including her own husband and herself - while pregnant. Her husband, Lucas, makes her and the children go to a hockey game because 'hockey comes before everything' even though she's nine months pregnant and in pain and complaining about not wanting to go... but her water breaks in the parking lot, so they have to miss the game. Also, Fallon decides not to have any more children because she doesn't want other people to have to deal with her being bitchy. An alternative title for this one might as well be "misogyny, pregnancy, and boredom." There's other stuff to the story, but it's the dull kind of "fawning over the family" domesticity I have to be super invested to care about - and I'm not invested.Also, the adults in this equation whisper highly inappropriate sexual stuff to each other while trimming the Christmas tree with their kids - most toddlers through preteen in age - are standing nearby. Eew. Even more gross: after they're aware the kids are overhearing, Lucas still keeps going to promise he'll make Fallon come.Chapter Two: Audrey & TateDNF roughly one-third throughI can't do it. We have a woman who thinks that, after one child and one miscarriage, she must have another in order to "be a complete woman" - even though she already had fertility issues, so even the one was a miracle. We also have a man who shames his depressed wife for how much he misses her "real smile" and a 'best friend' who belittles the same woman for being sad. After all, other people have kids with illness and she has one that is healthy so of course her depression and desire for another kid are 'selfish' and how dare she be sad because her sadness is hurting the family. And if God wants her to have another kid, he'll make it happen and blah blah...This story can go fuck itself.Also, I'm not sure what's with both female love interests so far having "caramel" eyes, but I'm a little worried that maybe a witch has come along and turned Halloween candy into humans! That would be a lot less gross than the misogyny and ableism rampant in this story.I hate this one. Actively hate. Kindle says I have 13 minutes left in this chapter, and I'm not willing to suffer even one more page of it. Chapter Three: Piper and ErikDNF one page inPiper is the 'best friend' from the previous story. Here, she mentions how she was worried because she 'lost her filter' and called Audrey selfish. Her husband says that he loves her for not having a filter, Audrey isn't mad, and I'm out of patience for this ableist garbage (about depression and deeply personal fertility issues being 'selfish') going unchecked and practically celebrated.I couldn't care less about this one unless Piper dies in the end, and I doubt that will happen, so on principle I'm skipping it.Chapter Four: Reese and PhillipDNF roughly three pages inSo, I thought this was a m/m story for two reasons. One: I know a dude named Reese so I incorrectly assumed gender. Two: I mistook the entire book for a different one that does actually have a gay couple in the sea of heterosexual short stories - one a few of the people I follow/have as friends on goodreads have read. This ain't it, and that's disappointing, but I was already done with this story before hitting the part that calls Reese Phillip's wife and corrects my misconception.See, though: this story is the real reason I even bothered to get this book. It's the one I most wanted to read. So imagine my disgust when the misogynistic undertones creeped into this one within the top of the first page! Yep, apparently Phillip hates his niece's fiance for "defiling" her - and I don't mean assaulting, I mean having consensual sex. He also has this really uncomfortable bit about how he's jealous she "won't be his anymore" when she gets married - as if he's either a creeper or viewing the niece (whom he apparently raised like a daughter) as a piece of property being traded. Just. Fucking. Eew.My brain refuses to let me go further.

And now you know why I'm so agitated, why I hate it so much, and why I didn't finish this book.

Frankly, I don't see myself reading anything from this series - probably even this author - again, considering this is how several characters from several of the novels are portrayed. Very much not to my interests.