Book 771: The Chrismukkah Crisis – Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

Well of course I’m going to like a book that starts off with a Wuthering Heights quote and throws in a Jane Austen reference later in the story. Add in the weird/awkward Star Wars reference (see last additional quote) and this book was basically written for me. Thankfully, it was well written, and I enjoyed the story and characters too!

For my 11th book in the 12 Books of MM Holiday Romance binge I decided to read (and have now—without any shock to anyone—surpassed as I’m typing this) The Chrismukkah Crisis. And this one holds the honor of being only the second one written by male authors (a married couple at that!).

This is the story of Matt, a recently dumped paralegal who just wants to find love, and Aaron, a hot shot young lawyer who finds a random hottie on the metro in DC. So, yeah, you can already write out the entire plot from that.

I wasn’t at all surprised that the big drama of the novel early on was that Matt was moved to work under Aaron, shockingly it was the exact same day they met (not really shocking). And then of course, it goes from there because they’re so close in age they can’t help but continue to be attracted to each other and blah-blah-blah.

The details aren’t really that important for this novel. It’s similar to most of the others in how quickly they fall for each other (and get engaged). What stood out for me was the humor and the well written characters.

‘You’re amazing, Aaron, but I’d have never guessed you have Jane Austen in your collection.’

I froze. ‘Well, I….” Do you like this guy or not? Be real. ‘So, I like romance. Is that a crime?’

He got up and strolled across my shabby green area rug until we were chest to chest. ‘Pride and Prejudice? Hmm. You certainly draw the attention of the room by your fine, tall person, handsome features, and noble mien.’

My heart stuttered, and my mouth followed. ‘Y-you’re c-comparing me to Mr. Darcy?’

His breath swept across my face like a warm breeze, and he brushed my mouth with his soft lips. ‘You just get better.’ Another fleeting peck. ‘And better.’ (68)

‘Beware of swoons,’ Jane Austen told one of her heroines, and I needed to channel Jane right then. I reached for Aaron’s hand, figuring that driving with two hands was overrated. ‘Since you put it like that . . .'” (127)

You could tell this was written by men when it came to the sex scenes. It’s hard to describe, but I noticed the same thing when it came to reading anything by Damon Suede. While Taylor and Harwood weren’t as explicit or as raunchy as Suede often comes across, there was just something about the scenes that just screamed a male wrote it. Maybe the female authors are better at the tenderness of the scenes or something, I can’t quite put my finger on it. I did note that Taylor and Harwood walked the walk on verse characters so bonus to them for that.

The ending was, if possible, more over the top than any of the others mostly because rather than just promising to be together after a whirlwind romance of 2ish months, they get engaged and no one seems to be shocked/surprised/concerned.

Recommendation: Taylor and Harwood wrote a readable and engaging novel. I think there were some issues with consistent voice, but for the most part I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to checking out some of their other works. Matt and Aaron had the perfect amount of rashness competing with their budding professionalism to make the book seem plausible for the most part.

Opening Line: “The metallic voice announced Friendship Heights Station.”

Closing Line: “I took Matt’s hand, and my laugh was sheer happiness. ‘Come on, baby, we’ve got a rainbow to cross.'” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from The Chrismukkah Crisis
“‘You’re going to be giving me work and evaluating it, aren’t you? You’re a lawyer; I’m support staff.’ He lowered his voice even more. ‘There are rules here, strict ones. No fraternization between employees, and that includes lawyers.'” (19)

“After we hung up, I replayed the conversation over and over. Aaron was one of the most fascinating men I’d ever talked to. I could fall in love without any trouble at all, and I was scared to death it would cost me my job.” (24)

“Aaron’s surprise turned out to be an evening at the National Zoo. Part of the Smithsonian, it’s a large animal park just off Connecticut Avenue in Northwest Washington. On December evenings, they have ZooLights, when the whole place is lit up with hundreds of thousands of holiday lights. A lot of the animals are still awake, and there are beautiful displays and free music.” (144)

“Darth Vader and Darth Sidious had cornered me. I had too many powers for them to carry me away, so they caught me in a tractor beam that was pulling me away from Matt. They’d trapped him with a paralysis ray, and he lay helpless on the asteroid where we’d thought we were safe.” (165)