A Gift Wrapped Holiday is another sweet story by Amy Aislin. I love her books no matter what the heat level is and this one is no exception. Set in the world of her Lighthouse Bay series it is a standalone story with no cliffhanger.

Mal has returned to his home town in Light House Bay, Maine after living in Seattle for several years. He has a great relationship with his ex-wife and they share custody of their six-year-old son, Otis. Luca left his home and family business back in L.A. to start his own eco-friendly store.

These two are just so sweet together. Both of them have things in their past that continue to affect them. Luca’s family has always pretty much ignored him and he needs to quit trying so hard to win their love and approval. Mal was let go from his job after his company was bought out and now he’s working with his sister providing web-design and digital marketing to business owners.

I loved the way that Mal and Luca met – Otis was involved 😊 – and that their relationship developed slowly during the month of December. Luca is not used to winter and snow and ice. I loved Amy’s descriptive writing; it made me shiver just like Luca did whenever he was out in the cold.

I really can’t say enough good things about this book – actually about any of Amy Aislin’s books. If you like heartwarming stories, I can highly recommend A Gift Wrapped Holiday. If you’ve never read a male/male romance before, and you want to try one with low heat and lots of sweet, this book would be an excellent one to start with.

Reviews for Amy Aislin

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Mal slowed at the bottom of a driveway and nodded at the house. “This is me.”

“I was wondering who lived here,” Luca said, taking in the house’s boxy structure.

“Why? Because it’s hideous?”

That startled a laugh out of Luca. “Well . . . yes. It doesn’t match the rest of the houses.” The area just west of Christmas Lane housed Lighthouse Bay’s historic homes, but this modern construction was decidedly not historic. Luca had passed it a couple of times on his evening gift deliveries and wondered what the owner had been thinking. “Why’d you buy it if you don’t like it?”

“I’m not. I’m leasing.”

Even so, Mal had gone all out with the decorations. Icicle lights hanging from the roof, flashing multicolored lights framed around each window, static white lights around a nine-foot-tall pine tree, and a lit-up reindeer family. He even had some sort of spotlights buried somewhere in the yard that swirled red and green snowflakes on the house in an unidentifiable pattern.

“Which is probably another reason I haven’t unpacked,” Mal continued. “I hate this place.”

“Why lease it, then?”

Mal blew out a breath that ghosted the air in front of him. “The short version is that I was in a rush.”

“And the long version?”

“The long version is something I’ll have to give you another time.”

Luca glanced at Otis. “I think he’s asleep.”

“Bet he gets a second wind as soon as I walk in the door.” Mal’s voice was a disgruntled grumble that Luca shouldn’t have found as charming as he did. “Thanks for walking us home.”

“Thanks for letting me. I like talking to you.”

Mal’s smile went lopsided. “I like talking to you too. Still want to do it again sometime? I promise not to feed you ice cream while it’s below freezing outside. Real food only. Scout’s honor.”

Luca’s armpits went damp despite the winter weather, and butterflies took flight in his belly. He dug his toe into the sidewalk. “You must really want to date me if you’ve asked me out twice in one week.”

“Or I just want an adult to talk to for once,” Mal said, a teasing tilt to his smile.

Luca stuck his tongue in his cheek and backed down the driveway, keeping his gaze on Mal’s. “Or maybe you like me.”

“Damn. And here I thought I wasn’t being obvious at all.”

The butterflies floated into Luca’s throat. “Text me?”

“I will.” The darkness enveloped Mal as he moved away from the sidewalk and into the shadow of the house, but Luca could still see the quirk to his lips. “Good night, Luca.”

“Night, Mal.”

Luca watched Mal and Otis head inside, waved at Mal through the glass-fronted door, then turned toward his own home only a couple blocks away, an extra bounce to his steps.