Blog Tour ~ Holiday Crush by Lane Hayes (Reviews + Excerpt + Giveaway)

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Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Holiday Crush
By Lane Hayes

HOLIDAY CRUSH Cover

The Elmwood Stories, Book 3

The hockey has-been, the barista, and some holiday magic…

Court
Cut from the team, fired my agent…now what?

This can’t be it for me. Unfortunately, the phone isn’t ringing. My best bet is to head home for the holidays and regroup.

Problem: I don’t know what to do with myself. Helping out at the rink might be my ticket out of here, but nothing is happening fast enough. And then there’s Ivan. No, no, it’s not what you think. We went to school together. We’re acquaintance-friends…nothing more.

But you know, I like him. A lot. He’s funny and relentlessly upbeat. I’m a better person when I’m with him—the kind who volunteers to deck the halls and wrap garland on lampposts and—

Whoa. What’s happening here?

Ivan
I love the holidays! But running the coffee shop on my own during the busiest season of the year is going to be a challenge. And the sudden appearance of my former crush is all kinds of distracting.

See, I spent my formative years mooning over Court Henderson, our high school’s hockey phenom, even though he was out of my league. Thankfully, I grew up and left the silly remnants of my youth behind. Or did I?

Grown-up Court is full of surprises, and under his gruff yet extremely fine exterior, he’s a good soul with a huge heart. He’s charming, sweet, handsome, and— Uh-oh.

My crush is back. Just in time for the holidays…

Holiday Crush is an MM bisexual, small town romance featuring a renewed ancient crush, some mistletoe latte art, and a little seasonal magic.

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Holiday Crush Teaser 1

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Excerpt:

Court shook his head at my amazing, incredible Christmas tree on his way to the door. “I can’t get over that thing. It’s wild.”

I beamed. “I know. I love it. I buy a regular tree too, even though it’s holiday overkill. But who cares? This is my favorite time of year, and I celebrate to the nth degree!”

He shoved his arms into his jacket, a playful grin on his handsome mug. “And do you celebrate by watching scary movies and stringing candy corn and plastic spiders into garland?”

“No, smartass, but damn, that’s a great idea for Halloween next year.”

He chuckled. “So…what do you do for Christmas?”

I braced my left hand on the doorjamb and cast a quick glance at the fireplace to keep from staring at my guest. Standing a foot apart in the cramped doorway between my foyer and living room felt oddly intimate. Court took up space in my tiny abode, with his broad shoulders, towering height, and big muscles. I was more aware of him than ever. It took me a second to gather my thoughts and remember what we were talking about.

Christmas. Right.

“The usual—decorate my house, string lights outside, drape fresh garland everywhere. And yes, there’s always mistletoe. I also watch holiday movies and listen to Christmas music from mid-November till the end of the year. I bake cookies too, which always turn out to be a hot mess, but baking is festive and fun, and my family and friends are kind enough to compliment me anyway. And…I sign up for every holiday event in town, including the Skate with Santa party at the rink, caroling at Wood Hollow’s Home for the elderly, Toys for Tots Sled Fest next to the Christmas Tree Farm in Fallbrook, and of course, Holiday Bingo. By the way, all of those, including Bingo, have volunteer positions…if you’re interested.”

“I’d rather shovel snow in Siberia,” he deadpanned.

I grinned. “Your holiday spirit needs a tune-up.”

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t do holiday spirit.”

“That’s an awful thing to say!”

“Why? There’s no point. I’m usually on the road, so I’ve never bought a tree and I don’t always remember to buy gifts, either. My brother shamelessly shows me up every holiday. Oren bought our folks an oil painting of their ten-year-old golden retriever a couple of years ago. And it was really nice. I bought Mom the same gloves I bought her the previous year and the wrong-sized slippers for Dad.”

“Oh, dear. Well, I’m happy to help you this year. I’m an expert at gift-giving and—what’s so funny?”

Court’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “You’re Elmwood’s emo elf, aren’t you?”

“Ha. Ha.” I moved by him to unlock the door. “Good-bye, Grinch.”

He snickered. “Later. And thanks for tonight. It was fun.”

“Yeah. It was,” I agreed, smiling as he stepped closer.

This was where I was supposed to shuffle out of the way to give him room to slip outside without letting the cold inside, but my feet were seemingly glued to the floor. And now, we were inches apart. So close I could see flecks of gold in his blue eyes and a scar half-hidden in his left brow. I should have jumped away and laughed off this little dance before I accidentally made it awkward.

Too late.

Ugh. Now I was staring at him and he was staring at me and…his mouth was right there, hovering over mine. I could feel his breath on my lips and smell gin and something woodsy and masculine on his skin. And nope, I couldn’t resist.

I leaned in, set my palm on his chest and pressed my lips to Court’s.

And that was the match that started the fire.

Holiday Crush Teaser 2

~ * ~ Kathy‘s Review ~ * ~

5 STARS
What a delightful holiday treat Lane has served up. Book three of the Elmwood Stories was as amazing as the first two books. This can be a standalone, but the whole series is so much fun, so please indulge.
Elmwood is a small town we all wished we lived in. People are nosy but friendly and kind. Christmas really gets showcased here, and the camaraderie of the townspeople adds a quaint vibe. I just loved the story and especially adored the MCs.
Court was asked to leave his day job of many years. Without hockey and direction, he heads to Elmwood. There, he finds comfort with family and friends. Hockey has always been a huge thing in his hometown and this thirst for the sport has been renewed with an improved hockey rink and instructions for kids. At first, Court balks at the idea of being part of this. Over time, you see him relax and enjoy himself. He renews an acquaintance with Ivan, who he remembers as a goth student at their school. The two really compliment each other, and their easy friendship morphs into so much more. Ivan is a sweetie who manages his jointly-owned coffee shop. Court still has decided to leave hockey as an option but the two are magic together. Will Court stay on and leave his goals behind?
This perfect novella had me smiling the entire time I read it. I highly recommend this holiday goody, and I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading.

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.**

 

~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~

5 Stars
This is book three in the series, and I’d absolutely recommend you read them all, even though they do work as standalones. Characters overlap, but the plots don’t. They are all set in a small town but have one of the MCs being a hockey player – that’s a perfect combination for me.
The idea behind this story is that the future you think you want, if you take the time to look, may not actually be what you need. This is certainly the case for Court, who’s been cut from his team and is back in his hometown, working on a plan to get his life back on track. There, he runs into goth, quirky, and extremely funny Ivan, who also happens to be a friend from his past. Ivan remembers Court, oh yes, because Court features in most of Ivan’s adolescent fantasies. So much so that he actually put distance between them as they went through school.
Now they’re running into each other, spending time together, and, much to Ivan’s surprise, acting on their mutual attraction. It can only be a holiday fling, though – Court’s got his future planned.
This is possibly my favourite of the series; the mix of holiday magic, the seriously funny Ivan, and the gruff but cute Court is just a perfect combination for me. There’s that real sense of small-town home that draws Court in; you really believe his awakening as he starts to open up to the possibility of a different path. The banter between these two kept a smile on my face, which, coupled with that warm, happy feeling the story gave, was exactly what I wanted on a gloomy Sunday afternoon. Read in one sitting, I adored it. An absolute must-read for me if you’re looking for lightness, heart, and, well, just a warm hug of a book.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.*

 

~ * ~ Tracy‘s Review ~ * ~

4.5 Stars! 

I liked what I saw of Ivan in the previous books in this series, and I loved getting to know him better. I adored both Ivan and Court and they fit together perfectly. They had amazing chemistry and were super hot together.

This was a well-written and enjoyable read. I loved getting glimpses of what was happening in the lives of the other Elmwood couples and getting to know even more of the townspeople. This was a great addition to the series and I’m happy to see that Ms. Hayes will be revisiting the town again in the future. Definitely a recommendable read!!

* Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. *

 

~ * ~ Jen‘s Review ~ * ~

4.25  Stars!

I enjoyed this story and loved being back in Elmwood and getting glimpses of past couples and other characters in town. Ivan has popped up in other books in the series, but you can easily read this as a standalone. I liked getting to see Ivan’s perspective as he spars with JC most mornings.

I liked Ivan and wanted him to be happy. His optimism and joy for the holidays were evident. I liked that Court and Ivan had a chance to get to know each other again as adults. I’m also glad that they didn’t just jump right into their attraction. I liked that they communicated pretty well about their changing relationship. I also liked that Court gave Vinnie’s advice a try, even if he was skeptical.

Seeing Court settling in and getting involved in things around town was wonderful. While I was pleasantly surprised at Court’s decision, I liked that he was resolute and happy with his direction in life and that Ivan found a way forward with his business. They were well-matched and deserved their happiness together.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.*

Holiday Crush Teaser Extra

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Holiday Crush, Lane is giving away the Winner’s choice of an audiobook or ebook of your choice from her published works!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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Direct Link: https://bit.ly/HC_Giveaway

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About the Author:

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and her fabulous pup, George.

Connect with Lane:
My Readers’ Group, Lane’s Lovers: https://bit.ly/3aIbMYg
My Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3cICfaK
Blog: www.lane-hayes.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LaneHayes3
FB: facebook.com/LaneHayesAuthor
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lanehayes
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes
Instagram: instagram.com/lanehayes3/
Instagram: instagram.com/lanehayesauthor/
Goodreads: goodreads.com/LaneHayes
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@lane_hayes

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