Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Christmas with the Best Drinks Books On The Shelves They’re twofold really, the first relating to Teddy and his treatment of Ben (apparently his boyfriend but you wouldn’t know it) and the second to the story’s narrative and its easy forgiveness of Elizabeth’s homophobia (YMMV on this one). Let’s start with Teddy and Ben because I have a lot to say about it and there will be spoilers (so stop now if you don’t want them). Teddy's story was less successful for me, in that he's a nepo baby who gets upset whenever anyone less privileged dares point out that he's benefiting unfairly from flagrant and overt nepotism, and also a terrible self-centred boyfriend. It's been a while since I read a story where we're asked to sympathise with the nepo baby over the guy who had to work for his job.

After hearing Arthur’s account of being a closet gay in the sixties, being subjected to conversion therapy at his father’s request, Teddy is grateful that attitudes have changed, but still wary of coming out, given his mother’s reaction. Then, having worked with Ben for some time, he realises he’s attracted, but Shakeel makes it plain he doesn’t trust the ambitious trainee’s motives.Arthur and Teddy have always been close, and now they must navigate first loves, heartbreak, and finding their place in their community. But can they – and their family – learn to accept who they truly are? My opinion Though the road has plenty of bumps, with painful past experiences of homophobia related by Arthur, and prejudice still having devastating effects in the present, this is a wonderfully romantic tale of two men finding their way to fabulously fresh new lives, with support from loved ones. There are a lot of characters in the book, both in the family and outside, and some of them don't really become more than a name due to this (like Teddy's sisters, who it is hard to tell the difference between). Similarly, with a lot going on in the plot and the need for everything to feel resolved due to the necessary happy ending of the genre, the ending is quite rushed and a lot of things suddenly happen with time jumps that don't quite feel fully realised. Teddy in particular gets quite a confused ending where it feels like the book just ran out of space. I liked Teddy's eventual romance plot, but again, I felt like the payoff was rushed and didn't quite give enough space to a narrative that is familiar to a lot of queer people. I don't tend to read this kind of genre much, unless it features queer characters and might be doing something interesting, so the writing style was also not quite for me, with some forced, cheesy dialogue, but I imagine some fans of the genre will probably enjoy that more.

What an absolutely beautiful book! Dealt with sensitive subjects really, really well and brilliantly descriptive characters.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ He shows that life begins at whatever age the individual chooses; that we are responsible for our own happiness and that being old doesn’t mean that life is over. When 79-year-old Arthur Edwards gathers his family together to share some important news, no one is prepared for the bombshell he drops: he’s gay, and after a lifetime in the closet, he’s finally ready to come out.That’s what I mean when I say that this book makes you feel a lot of things. It makes you think and wonder, it makes you sad, happy, maybe even angry at times, but that rollercoaster of emotions is worth it. quote What a heartfelt story. I so enjoyed meeting and getting to know Arthur and Teddy. There’s a slightly young adult tone to the style that I think gives the book universal appeal. This story is perfect for you if you love queer romances and are in need of a great book that you'll finish in no time because of the writing style and story itself.

Too often, queer literature is enjoyed only by the LGBT+ community, but this is a novel ready to be loved by the masses.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This story had so much potential that I want to cry because I have to DNF it. Honestly, I expected a sweet, funny, and meaningful story about this guy and his grandpa navigating coming out together and the intergenerational support and respect that the queer community desperately needs more of. It's a very easy read, even though there are some difficult topics. I'll mention the trigger warnings below if you want to know. I did notice that at times the story went really fast, and certain things are skipped, which I thought could have been a bit better. And other times, I had the feeling some parts could have been wrapped up a bit sooner.This story is perfect for you if you love queer romances and are in need of a great book that you’ll finish in no time because of the writing style and story itself. Trigger warnings ⚠️ I just think the author had a great idea but churned out something predictable and without any real depth or meaning. Sadly a miss from me.