Book 1,021: Only One Bed (Love on the Ice #1) – Keira Andrews

I’m not sure if I would say Keira Andrews is the Queen of Christmas for me, but she really does bring it when she writes holiday themed MM Romance novels. Every time I go to read one, she has a new one and if they’re always fun, relatively low angst and swoon worthy.  Only One Bed is a friends to lovers, one bed/forced proximity, bisexual awakening novel and as per usual I am here for it.

Sam and Etienne have been friends since they were children. Etienne is a competitive couples ice dancer and is trying to make the Olympic team. I can’t remember what Sam did, but he’s at a lot of the same competitions because his older brother Henry is one of the best singles skaters in Canada (and we get his novel with Kiss and Cry, I mean come on read the last quote we all knew what was going to happen).

What worked best for me in this one was the cluelessness of Sam. He just had no idea that he’d really been in love with Etienne all along and when it hit him it really hit him. Etienne has carried the torch for Sam since childhood but was always careful not to do anything to mess with their friendship.

Whenever Sam comes up, you get the goofiest, softest expression. Your eyes go distant, like you’re imagining his pretty face, and there’s a tiny smile on your lips. It’s a Sam smile. I never see it for anyone else. (Loc. 259)

Oh shit. What? Why? How? Since when? I didn’t kiss guys. I’d never wanted to. Had I? Staring at Etienne play, I felt like my brain was leaking out of my ears. Because I definitely wanted to kiss him, and I guessed it didn’t matter who else I did or didn’t want to kiss. Because no one else mattered. (Loc 816)

Sam’s adorable confusion and taking things in stride just made it so much better when he asked his brother for advice:

‘I mean as more than friends. I’ve always been into chicks, and I was just wondering if you were ever . . . confused. Or anything.’ He tilted his head, regarding me with that serious expression that I swore could read my soul like a tweet. #BicuriousBro (Loc. 878)

I legit cackled when I read that last one. It was just too good, and it also set Henry up as the sarcastic and reserved sweetheart that he really is, and who we get to know in the next book.

The other thing I really appreciated about this book is that Andrews wrote verse characters and then followed through on it. There wasn’t a lot of sex or hooking up in the book, but the fact that both characters mentioned wanting to swap positions and actually having the opportunity to do it in such a short novel was wonderful. So many novels a character will throw it out and then 200 pages later they’ve only ever topped or bottomed and it’s like wait WTF just happened. Do. Better. And thank you Andrews, for walking the walk!

There was so much more I probably should write about, but because time got away from me, I’m writing this almost 3 months after I read it. The minor characters were great, especially Sam’s grandma and Etienne’s skating partner.

Henry was a former world champion fighting for gold in singles against his arch nemesis from the States, Theo Sullivan. Everyone here knew who Henry was, and he would not appreciate Obaachan discussing his love life—or lack of it—so loudly. (Loc. 79)

Recommendation: 100% worth the read. It was relatively low angst (Olympic trials aside), and Sam and Etienne were just adorably sweet protagonists. I blazed through this and just had all the giddy happy holiday feels I look for in a MM Holiday Romance novel. Andrews created a wonderful story and I hope that I hear more from Sam and Etienne in the follow up Kiss and Cry for Sam’s older brother Henry’s story.

Opening Line: “If my grandma wasn’t so cute, I’d tell her to bite me.”

Closing Line: “Holding Etienne’s hand, I trusted him the way I always had. He was my best friend. Even if we fell, we’d do it together.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)