Book 972: His Last Christmas in London (Christmas Collection #1) – Con Riley

Con Riley is one of those authors who has a really great sense of place. When I read their “His” series, I legit wanted to buy a bed and breakfast or a pub and hotel and move to the southern coast of England. So, when I saw this MM Holiday Romance pop up from Gay Romance Reviews I jumped at it.*

This is the story of Ian, a struggling photographer whose gotten out of an abusive professional/personal relationship and has realized he can’t make it in London no matter how much he’s tried and his roommates have helped out. He agrees to one last job at 3x his rate with his old boss/lover and meets Guy, a restaurant critic with a huge overshadowing persona. And even though it’s not love at first sight, it’s definitely confusion and lust.

The more time they spend together the more Ian realizes Guy is actually a decent human being and the persona he projects and has crafted for his restaurant reviews isn’t all that it is at first glance. I loved how Ian slowly realizes all these facets of Guy and that it took him WAY too long to realize that Guy was courting him. I mean come on Ian wake up, the first get-together after the first night wasn’t a restaurant, but a photography museum. GET IT TOGETHER.

Not only did Riley continue to do a great job with her settings as characters, but I really liked how she wrote about the food. It’s not quite on Muriel Barbary’s level, but who is really? You could feel London constantly in the background of the story and I was always curious about where they would end up next. The same thing can be said for the minor characters that stood out: the evil ex/boss, Guy’s restaurant friends, and Ian’s roommates.  Seriously though, I loved the roommates. I really hope they get a holiday romance next year—or maybe they already have one and I just haven’t found it yet.

There isn’t anywhere near enough room for two big men and a half-pint of rage to sit on the end of a single mattress, but somehow, we fit. (Chapter 5)

Riley did a great job with the sex scenes. As I’ve come to expect with Riley, they were well-written, and even when they were rushed because of the passion they weren’t underdone. You can both blaze through them or luxuriate in the language and the passion and have a great experience in the book.

The ending was a little predictable, but that’s what you want when you go into a MM Romance novel ESPECIALLY a Holiday Romance 😀 And to wrap it all up, I’m not mad at the epilogue. Riley did the characters good and I felt that it added to the story and let Ian have the last word about London and his ex/boss. So many authors ruin it with an epilogue.

Recommendation: I hope Riley writes more holiday romances. I am here for them. Ian and Guy were great main characters and we got plenty of fun minor characters. Riley continues offering a great atmosphere and using the location almost as another character. This book moved at a faster pace than their His series (His Horizon, His Compass, and His Haven), but I’m pretty sure that’s by design because it’s in fast-paced London and not the south coast. I’ll definitely read Riley again in the future!

*I received a copy of His Last Christmas in London via Gay Romance Reviews in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

Opening Line: “Snow at Christmas is magical, especially in London, where department store windows glow, each street brightened by festive lighting.”

Closing Line: “‘You know exactly what,’ he tells me once we’re outside, but he draws in a deep breath, his long exhale sounding like a fresh start, not an ending.’ Now take me home, you monster.'” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)