Book picks similar to
It's a Wonderful Afterlife by John Amory


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Bashert (2013 Advent Calendar - Heartwarming)


Gail Pruszkowski - 2013
    He can't reconcile his faith with his attraction to boys, so he turns his back on Judaism. A college scholarship is Jonah's ticket to freedom from his disapproving parents. Next step: losing his virginity to Christian, the blue-eyed blond man of his dreams. Instead, Jonah has a fateful meeting with Aaron Blumberg and ends up celebrating Hanukkah. Aaron tells him they're bashert—meant to be. But Jonah has doubts. He believes his lack of faith will create a wedge between them. It's up to Aaron to bridge the gap and convince Jonah to take a leap of faith.

The Remaking of Corbin Wale


Roan Parrish - 2017
    But sometimes when everything falls apart, better things appear almost like magic. Now, he’s back in his Michigan hometown, finally opening the bakery he’s always dreamed of. But the pleasure of opening day is nothing compared to the lonely and beautiful man who bewitches Alex before he even orders.Corbin Wale is a weirdo. At least, that’s what he’s heard his whole life. He knows he’s often in a fantasy world, but the things he feels are very real. And so is the reason why he can never, ever be with Alex Barrow. Even if Alex is everything he’s always fantasized about. Even if maybe, just maybe, Corbin is Alex’s fantasy too.When Corbin begins working at the bakery, he and Alex can’t deny their connection any longer. As the holiday season works its magic, Alex yearns for the man who seems out of reach. But to be with Alex, Corbin will have to challenge every truth he’s ever known. If his holiday risk pays off, two men from different worlds will get the love they’ve always longed for.* * * Ten percent of all proceeds from this title will be donated to the Russian LGBT Network.

Once Upon a December


Jess Bryant - 2018
     The holiday brings nothing but painful memories for him. It’s not a time for celebration or cheer so he works through the new year, avoiding as much fanfare as possible. Only this December is different because for the first time in a long time, he’s met someone that isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with him, to challenge him, and push him to open up. Felix Michaelson loves Christmas. His big, boisterous family celebrates the holiday the same way they do everything. Together and with all their heart. So when his parent’s new neighbor turns out to be a Grinch who wants to stomp all over their joy, he’s determined to show the man there’s plenty to celebrate. Somewhere beneath all that ice, he knows there’s a heart of gold. But is one month enough time to convince Gibson they could have a lifetime of happiness together or will Felix need a Christmas miracle to win the heart of a Grinch?

Merry MVP


Haven Hadley - 2021
    The city was decorated, the season in full swing.The only way to make it better was to celebrate love. Callen knew for this play he wouldn’t need his glove.It took a while for them to find their way. Now it was here, Callen and Spencer’s special day.With their family and friends by their side, they knew their life together would be an amazing ride.The Emperors cheered as the vows were said. One of their own was finally wed.Baseball was what had brought them together. Now Callen and Spencer had their forever.

The Dragon's Christmas Baby


Emmy Clark - 2020
    If you see a door leading to the basement, inform a librarian immediately.(The entire library is strictly off limits during winter break.)~*~Ever since she was young, Kennedy Fisher has been obsessed with dragons. Now that she’s matured a little, she’s added Rex Draconis to her list of obsessions.Not that she needs more than two things on her list. I mean, a billionaire heir bad boy and dragons are probably more than enough to last her a lifetime, don’t you think?Anyways!Rex is nice enough, though she wouldn’t say he’s into her. Except then why did he join her paranormal mysteries club? And why does he give her an ancient book explaining some of Steamydale’s oldest small town secrets on Christmas Eve?One of those secrets leads to her breaking a very important rule, which also leads to the discovery that her list of obsessions may be shorter than she first thought.Dragon’s may actually exist! And one’s been hiding under her nose this entire time...Also, that point about Rex Draconis not being into her? Um, that may have been slightly wrong...Talk about obsessions!By the end of the night and into a hot and heavy Christmas morning, she’s going to find out just how wrong she was. If they survive a rule-breaking adventure in the university library, that is...

The Boy Behind the Red Door


John Goode - 2011
    But ten years after high school, he’s still just as miserable and just as in love with the boy who lived down the street as he ever was. Now on a trip home for Christmas he finds out that running away from your problems isn’t always the best way to deal with them, and that for mending a broken heart, sometimes there’s no place like home.

Mistletoe at Midnight


L.B. Gregg - 2010
    Owen is disconcerted to realize he's still attracted to Caleb Black but refuses to pursue him. Caleb left him once, and Owen's not going down that road again.Caleb is ready for a second chance with Owen and gets it when fate and the matchmaking McKenzies conspire to strand the two men in a rustic cabin during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Can Caleb convince Owen to rekindle their romance so they can stop spending their holidays apart?

Witching in a Winter Wonkyland


Jeannie Wycherley - 2019
     Unless you’re Alfhild Daemonne that is. This year she’s been so looking forward to the Yule time festivities, but wouldn’t you know it, the wattle-and-daub walls of her ancient wonky inn are ringing to the sound, not of sleigh bells, but of sick ghosts. Who knew ghosts could catch the flu? And let’s not forget there’s been a murder in Whittle Forest. Some of the locals are convinced there’s a demonic Beast on the loose, and naturally they’re pointing the finger at Alf and her guests. Factor in a homeless reindeer, a grumpy faery who detests Christmas, along with Alf missing her beau, and there’s plenty here for lovers of Christmas murder novels with added humour. Witching in a Winter Wonkyland is a standalone Christmas cozy mystery that complements the Wonky Inn series as a whole. You’ll love this crazy cast of witches, wizards, faeries, ghosts and pantomime villains. And not forgetting Mr Hoo of course. This new Wonky Inn Christmas mystery is best served with a glass of your favourite tipple and a heart full of love.

Men Under the Mistletoe


Josh Lanyon - 2011
    Boyhood sweethearts get a second chance at romance. Two very proper gentlemen indulge their forbidden desires. And a Christmas tree farmer has an epiphany. It may be cold outside but these four holiday novellas will warm you up. Anthology includes:My True Love Gave to Me by Ava MarchWinter Knights by Harper FoxLone Star by Josh LanyonThe Christmas Proposition by K.A. MitchellStories also available for purchase separately. 116,000 words

A Fortunate Blizzard


L.C. Chase - 2015
    And with good reason: he’s been on the transplant-recipient list for too long now. When he learns just how numbered his days truly are, he resolves not to take them for granted. But he won’t be unrealistic, either—which means romantic commitments are off the table.Marcus Roberts seems to have it all. He’s handsome, financially sound, and on the fast track to partnership at a prestigious law firm. In reality, though, his drive for success has meant no time for friends or relationships. Add in the fact that his family discarded him long ago, and he’s facing yet another holiday season alone.When the biggest snowstorm to hit Colorado in decades leaves Marc and Trevor stranded at the same hotel, a chance encounter and a night of passion leads to more than either of them expected. Finding comfort in each other is a welcome surprise, but time is not on their side. Either they find a way to beat the odds, or they lose each other forever.2015 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Awards Finalist, LGBT2015 Foreword Reviews IndieFab Awards Finalist, Romance2016 Rainbow Awards, Runner Up, Best Gay Book2016 Rainbow Awards, Runner Up, Best Gay Contemporary Romance

Saint Martin's Day (Celebrate! - 2014 Advent Calendar)


Kim Fielding - 2014
    Since then, he’s led a quiet life as a librarian—until one November afternoon when Toby, who has never stopped loving Neno, shows up in Zagreb. When he left the United States, Neno wasn’t ready to give up his home and family to take a chance on a long-distance relationship. But Saint Martin’s Day has arrived, the day pressed grapes turn to wine and autumn turns to winter. Perhaps it will be a day when other changes are possible as well.A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2014 Advent Calendar package Celebrate!

You Melted Me


Kari Gregg - 2010
    Leland isn’t just his boss, though. He’s the son of the company’s CEO. And Brian has fallen in love. Hurt by too many stolen kisses and nooners at seedy hotels, Brian finally broke off their secret affair two weeks ago. Leland isn’t ready to let Brian go and he isn’t above seducing Brian — again — to give them both what they really want for Christmas: each other.This free short story was originally written for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 2010 holiday event and appears in the event's Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty anthology.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe (The Sweater #6)


Barbra Campbell - 2020
    I love living in the house I grew up in, minus the parents who’d moved to a retirement community. I love it when everything stays the same.What I don’t love is that the sweet little old lady I’ve always lived next door to passed away. To make matters worse, her money-hungry grandson showed up to do a couple of quick fixes before putting the house on the market.Rowdy is the epitome of everything that’s wrong with the world, including the stupid nickname he insists on using. Where was he when she was alive? Why can’t he respect my privacy when I’m in my backyard? And how could his smile be so contagious?It’s not that I was opposed to smiles or happiness or guys who exuded sex appeal. The problem was that he was only going to be in town for a couple of months, short enough he wouldn’t even tell me his real name or what he did for a living.Then he had the nerve to take a job at the grocery store where I worked. He couldn’t possibly get any more annoying. Why bother with a job when you aren’t sticking around? And how in the world did we end up under the mistletoe together at the company Christmas party?The kiss was almost enough to make me let my guard down. Almost. But the bombshell I found out immediately after the kiss was more than I could handle.RowdyImagine my surprise finding out my grandmother had been alive. Had been. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out until I got a letter explaining that she’d passed away and I’d inherited her house.She’d lived in a small town in the Colorado mountains. A far cry from my life in Vegas but all I had to do was fix it up, put it on the market, then let the realtors do the rest. Between the income from the sale and my savings account, I’d be able to quit my job as a stripper and go back to school. I wasn’t sure what for, but it wouldn’t be stripping.I’d heard small towns were friendly but my grandma’s neighbor hadn’t gotten the message. No matter how many times I said hi and tried to talk to her, she made it clear I was the unwelcome outsider.Did I simply want what I couldn’t have or was Mae truly the woman of my dreams? She was sweet and simple in a way I’d never understood. The most basic offerings in life like sunsets and snowflakes filled her with joy.I’d thought I wanted a reprieve from the fast-paced life of a stripper, but Mae showed me what I really wanted. Life with her and all of the simplicities. Without a university in sight, it’s possible I overstepped my bounds taking a job at the grocery store where she worked but I was dragging out my stay and spending as much time with her as possible.Little did I know it would lead us to a kiss under the mistletoe. A kiss that solidified every suspicion I’d had that my life wouldn’t be complete without Mae. But I might have misread her starry eyes when I pulled away because minutes later, she was running out of the party instead of into my arms.Was giving up city life and my plans for a university education worth the fantasy I could convince Mae we were meant to be together?

'Tis the Season


Alex Jane - 2016
    When he meets a sad, yet strangely familiar man on a cold Halloween night, he impulsively invites him home. But the intimate connection they share lasts only until morning. Aaron wakes up alone—wracked with guilt and devastated to have lost his chance.Or so he thinks.Thanksgiving brings Aaron another shot at happiness, but letting go of an old love and accepting a new one isn’t as easy as everyone keeps telling him. And by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, it becomes clear that Aaron’s not the only one struggling to let himself love again.Christmas miracles are all well and good, but it’s going to take more than the Holiday Spirit for Aaron to get his happy ever after. A story of grief, sadness, and letting it go; and finding love when you least expect it. 26k words

Memories and Mistletoe


Kelly Collins - 2021
    The recipe for the bakery’s success had always been a mixture of community and tradition, with a heaping scoop of love thrown in. When the simple way of life in Mistletoe is threatened by big city developers, Madison rolls up her sleeves to protect the bakery and her idyllic childhood town. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate fighting developers, she faces another foe in Hunter Andrews, the dreamy boy she crushed on as a youngster. He’s game to sell. She’s determined to stay. Can an old-fashioned Christmas change his mind?Hot shot lawyer Hunter Andrews breezes into Mistletoe hoping to take his mother back to Denver and leave behind small-town life. He’s certain she’ll be happier at the retirement home he picked out, where she would be waited on hand and foot, rather than getting up at four a.m. to bake bread. The last thing he expects is to find Madison Willis all grown up and beautiful…and ready for battle. When the bakery’s treasured recipe book goes missing, Hunter has to decide if he’ll use his skills to fight for what he wants or for what’s right.Pitted against each other, Madison and Hunter face a bigger foe—gentrification. If they can’t work together, they will lose everything. Will they fight side-by-side to save the town? Will a kiss under the mistletoe be all they need to fall in love?Find out in Memories & Mistletoe…