Book 770: Eight Nights in December – Keira Andrews

What a lovely little novella. After reading 10 Christmas romances I knew I wanted to find at least one non-Christmas romance for my 12 Days of MM Holiday Romances. And Hanukkah romances were a lot easier to find than Kwanza or Yule or anything else—so here we go!

Eight Nights in December is the story of Lucas, first year student whose dad recently passed away, and Nate, Lucas’s randomly assigned Senior roommate Sam’s little brother. Nate’s mom (being the take charge Jewish mother that she is, tells Lucas that he’s not spending the winter holidays alone when she goes to pick up Sam from school.

Well obviously, the only place for Lucas to stay is in the only spare bed which happens to be in Nate’s room and of course a flame is lit (pun intended).

Nate was already there, the matches in hand. As Lucas watched Nate, he couldn’t help but remember how Nate had looked naked and wet and jerking himself, and he mentally slapped himself with the reminder that this was a religious ceremony. (22)

The story is well written and honestly, because Hanukkah is eight nights it definitely seemed to go at a much slower pace than some of the Christmas romances I’ve read. I thought Andrews did a great job of the various nods to what little I know about Hanukkah including the history of it, the religious significance of it, and even acknowledged that it’s not a high holiday.

The sex scenes were also well written, and the character development was as good as it could be in a novella that comes in at 100 pages! Honestly, the best part by far was when Nate was dragged out of the closet by his brother leading to the only crisis in the novel. It wasn’t done in any mean way and Nate’s family was truly supportive and loving, especially after Nate explained why he’d stayed in the closet for so long. And Sam, being an obnoxious brother, ribbed not only Nate but also Lucas and it was just adorably sweet:

Sam punched Lucas in the shoulder playfully. ‘Man, it must be torture for you rooming with me and seeing me naked and stuff. But thanks for not hitting on me or anything.’

A giggle bubbled up and Lucas tried to keep a straight face. He failed miserably, and Nate even smiled as he separated from his dad.

Sam shrugged. ‘What? I’m just saying! Hello, I’m hot.’

Lucas nodded, trying to stifle his laughter. ‘It’s a challenge, Sam. I appreciate your understanding.’

‘Gay people are just like everyone else, and I was thinking it would be hard to live with some hot chick I couldn’t bang.’ (66)

Like the obtuseness of Sam, the comfort Lucas feels around Sam and his family, and the adorable scene that just preceded and follows it. It just warmed my heart.

The only thing I wasn’t a big fan of was the majority of the epilogue. I felt that the first two-thirds of it were only there to squeeze in one last sex scene (that was pretty hot, but still), whereas the last third was 100% the required happy-for-now indicating a happily-ever-after. I mean I totally teared up from the moment they found the vendor at the craft fair and it carried through to the surprise at the end in their little studio apartment. So much awwwwwwwww.

Recommendation: This is a great introduction to Andrews writing style and storytelling. Like most romance novels, it’s pretty similar to all the other holiday romances just with a different coat of paint on it. I really liked the characters and there was plenty of humor and sibling rivalry as you got to know them. Andrews didn’t play as much on the virginity of Lucas as she did in Merry Cherry Christmas, and it worked better in this novella for me. I’m definitely adding her to my rotation of novels as I know she has a pretty large backlist!

Opening Line: “As he rounded the staircase, Lucas McKenzie could already hear the pounding bass emanating from above.”

Closing Line: “In their tiny apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, crammed full of family, Lucas knew he was home.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Eight Nights in December
“He stared with big eyes through a pair of black-framed glasses, his soft features making him more pretty than handsome.” (15)

“Every time Lucas glanced at Nate across the kitchen table, his temperature rose with a rush of desire. God, he wanted him, and now they’d be in close quarters for days on end. Looking, but not touching. It was going to be a very, very long holiday.” (21)

“Head swimming, Lucas kissed Nate back, his body alive in a way it had never been while kissing a girl. The scratch of Nate’s stubble, his musky scent, his strong body hauling Lucas close—everything about him was so male. I really am gay! I’m kissing a guy!” (25)

“I left the door open on purpose. I figured if you fell into my trap, this Hanukkah could be a lot more fun than the usual games of dreidel.” (28)

“Well, there’s an old joke that every Jewish holiday boils down to: They tried to kill us; they didn’t—let’s eat.” (30)

“A few women were here and there, but by and large it was the most male place Lucas had ever been. The most gay. It was like heaven. Granted, a very loud, crowded, and sexed-up heaven. But thrilling nonetheless.” (46)

“Under the table, Lucas covered Nate’s sock-clad foot with his own. Nate shot him a smile and speared his last chicken ball, putting it onto Lucas’s plate. Lucas smiled back, and as he ate it, he realized Mr. and Mrs. Kramer were watching them, their expressions seemingly neutral. Still, Lucas’s face went hot, and he moved his foot away, dropping his gaze to his plate, suddenly very interested in his Peking duck.” (53)

“After a few moments, the mattress dipped, and Nate’s long frame spooned up behind him, his arms snaking out to hold Lucas close. As Lucas wept, Nate caressed his hair, whispering calming words in Hebrew that sounded like a lullaby.” (57)

“Before Lucas could even ask him to stay, he pulled the covers up over them, wrapping Lucas tightly in his arms.
Nate kissed Lucas’s ear and whispered, ‘Sleep.’
The fracturing grief for his father had receded for the moment, and he felt whole in a way he couldn’t explain as he closed his eyes in Nate’s arms. Lucas hadn’t meant to fall in love, but he realized with a sense of wonder that was exactly what he’d done.” (59)

“‘I can’t believe my family is being so cool about this. I guess miracles really do happen at Hanukkah.’ Lucas gave him another kiss. ‘I guess they do.'” (67)

“‘Ah, that’s a beauty,’ the woman said. ‘It says ‘ani ledodi vedodi li.’ It means ‘I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’” (75)