Mr. Frosty Pants

4.5I usually don't do Christmas Christmas books, by which I mean that it can be set around Christmas, the characters can be all in with the Christmas spirit, but I'm not keen on the whole Christmas Miracle thingy. (yes, that's the technical term). This was a book set at Christmas and it melted my iceberg heart and I shouldn't be surprised because it's [a:Leta Blake 6425833 Leta Blake https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1497015011p2/6425833.jpg]. This a sweet story of two boys kept apart by prevailing social conventions, economic class, and some pretty shitty parents. Casey Stevens left his hometown of Knoxville at 18 for college, and to feel safe from familial disappointment when he came out. He left behind dear friends and true love. At 22 he's back home, if only for Christmas break, and wondering if perhaps he can be brave and come out to his his crush/love, Joel Vreeland. Joel is the Mr. Frosty Pants of the title and he comes by the moniker honestly. He's naturally cautious, more liable to bark than smile, mostly because he's been dealt a shit hand in his father, a loathsome and vile individual, who I hated all the more because I know he's not a figment of the imagination for some people. The whole story takes place in about a week, with Casey slowly but surely chipping away at Joel's defenses, and when those crumbled it was gorgeous. Joel is someone in need of love and Casey is the loving type. A match made in heaven. I loved how caring, and understanding Casey was of Joel's very valid feelings, I loved that they're bedroom dynamics where not what you'd expect, given their public personas, and I loved that once they expressed what they liked, the author didn't push a flip to fit current norms. essentially one likes to bottom and the other to top and they were both okay with that. I feel like many authors like to do the flip just for flip's sake, because maybe readers like it, but most guys I know have their preferred positions and stick to them. I also feel that by making the usual top bottom, so he's now somehow submitting to the otherwise regular bottom, belittles or tacitly implies that bottoming is somehow a lesser thing, kind of like women are lesser because they are the penetrated ones? Ignore my ramblings.Go ahead, have some eggnog (they make almond milk variety too), sing some carols, and believe in true love.p.s.I forgot to add that I also did the audio for this by [a:John Solo 7935034 John Solo https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. I was a little unconvinced in the first two chapters, but then he took off like gangbusters. The sweetness he imbued in Casey's voice, and when Joel was trying to be a grump but failed? Dreamy.