My Kind of Christmas

Men of Fort Dale, Book 5

De: Romeo Alexander

Narrado por: Michael Ferraiuolo

Nick: Team Maelstrom is my family as much as the family who raised me. That includes Matt, my partner in crime, and the closest I have to a soulmate. We get each other, and that’s all we’ve ever needed. But there’s a part of me that won’t be silent, the part that wants so much more with Matt. Yeah, I’m in love with my best friend, and I had no idea a fun family Christmas would change everything.

Matt: Nick is my best friend, brother in arms, and so much more. We’ve been through a lot together, in and out of the army. I didn’t have a family growing up, so Team Maelstrom and Nick’s family have become mine. I love everything about Christmas and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance of spending a snow-covered Christmas holiday with them. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find out Nick had been in love with me for years, but it was a bigger surprise for him to find out that maybe, it wasn’t all in vain.

Come and celebrate a romantic fun Christmas with decorations galore, snow-covered scenery, meddling sisters, and a slightly drunk father…who really should learn to keep his mouth shut!

©2020 Romeo Alexander (P)2021 Books Unite People

"Just You and Me..."

The remarkable range of narrator Michael Ferraiuolo is on full display here, with distinct voices, on-point accents, and very good female voices. He made listening an absolute pleasure, and I especially liked Nick's Southern accent.

Being new to the series, I was a little lost at the start of this story because it felt like being bombarded with characters and relationships I should already know. But, once the focus moves off-base and squarely onto Nick and Matt as they spend Christmas with Nick's delightful family, it's terrific.

Nick and Matt are about as close as best friends can be, sharing an apartment and serving in the same military unit, but Nick has a secret. He's secretly in love with his best friend, despite never really being attracted to men, other than Matt.

Matt's easy acceptance of "you and me" - his go-to reassurance to Nick - and his eager willingness to pursue more with him (once the initial shock wears off) tempers this from being a super angsty coming out romance. Nick has enough inner angst for the both of them, and Matt is a welcome balance to that.

It's all very loving, supportive, exploratory, and super steamy from there, with some forced proximity and Christmassy goodness in the mix. Overall, a recommended listen, even if new to the Men of Fort Dale series.

Finally.

Matt and Nick. What can I say besides finally?

Nick is insecure in his attraction to his best friend. Thinking it would be better to keep his mouth shut than risk his friendship, that's what he does. Until Matt and Nick go to Nick's family's house for Christmas. Mettling relatives and alcohol have a tendency to make lips loose and oblivious Matt is smacked in the face with a truth he never seen coming. But just bc Matt's on board with trying Nick is still haunted that everything will end.

Loved it!

Amazingly cute story. Loved it from start to finish. Michaels narration was the cherry on top.

Sweet Cute Fun!

I wasn't sure what to expect, when the first few chapters had the men of Fort Dale feeling melancholic, especially referring back to book 2 (Trust Me, I Hate You), but when the focus switched to Nick and Matt, any whiff of angst disappeared under a cloud of fluffy feels. I loved Matt and Nick's story - if anything, it was too short! :)
Great narration by Michael Ferraiuolo - did a wonderful job giving each charater a distinct voice, especially William, Nick's dad was hilarious!

a sweet Christmas story

this was my first foray into the Men of Ft Dale but I don't feel like I was missing out with this story. there were mentions of characters in sure were featured in the series before, but Matt and Nick took center of the story beautifully and I was invested without any backstory. This was a very sweet, happy Christmas story that is the audio version of hot chocolate. I really enjoyed this and could have hung out with the guys and Nick's family for hours.

A amazing Holiday story

I felt like a holiday story so I selected this book. It was so good that I stayed up a extra few hours. The characters, Nick and Matt, just come alive as you listen to this book. Nick’s sisters are what you would expect meddling sisters. It is easy to see how much they love their brother and want him to be happy.

The complete “Men of Fort Dale” series is so well written that once you get started, you will want to listen/read all of the books in the series. Their are 6 books in the series. I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately downloaded and started to listen to “Jingle my Bells”. I had several things to get done so I listened to “Jingle My Bells “ while standing in line, stuck in slow traffic, and while shopping. It was a long day so I finished the book just as I was going into my apartment. If you want or need some holiday cheer, then these two books are for you. But don’t stop there. Romeo Alexander is a very talented writer so check out some of his other books.

friends to lovers

One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers and the holidays make it even more special. I was so happy to see Nick and Matt finally acting on their feelings. They are great guys and deserve the best. Lots of feels and warm and fuzzies. I loved it. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters and story to life.