CHRISTMAS WITH THE HORNED GOD - Aveda Vice

4.5 stars


Getting snowed in on your ex’s isolated mountaintop never ended so spicy and…horned?? Get ready for another Aveda Vice ride. I know I'm always in for a unique and steamy time when I see a new book from this author.

Concept/Monster Element: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Steam factor: not very steamy for me, but it's a delicious slow burn with payoff
Characters: ★★★★★

Rowen is not having a great day. She's trying to drive up an isolated mountaintop to reach her emotionally manipulative and abusive mother for the holidays—Rowen's been dealing with her mother's extreme demands for years, and even though she knows its her people pleasing skills working overdrive, she can't seem to stop.

But then the bridge she needs to cross collapses. And all the sudden, Rowen's alone and isolated in the dark of the snowy mountain with nowhere to go.

This is obviously the perfect time to have a run in with her long-lost (but never forgotten) ex, who has changed quite a bit since Rowen's last seen them. They're large and in charge, and they go by Asher now.

Rowen can't seem to stop looking. And her feelings, barely buried, are quick to resurface as she finds herself trapped with Asher in their rustic cabin waiting out the storm for help.

There's no better place to hash out old wounds than an isolated cabin, right?? (This is going to go well...)

However, all is not well for Asher. They've got a secret, and its not something they want Rowen to know. There's an Otherworldly presence that isn't going to let Asher rest, and once its got a lock on Rowen, Asher's terrified things will get much worse.

Cue the DRAMA! But wait, actually no--cue an amazing slow burn, second chance, semi-angsty but mostly sweet romance set in the snow during the holidays instead.

Christmas with the Horned God was both not what I was expecting and yet an amazing festive read that I found myself falling head over heels for instead. I came for the high steam factor I associate with Aveda Vice. But I stayed for the awesome emotional character building and complex wins. This was so sweet and I just spent most of the time wanting to wrap both Rowen and Asher into one big hug and never let go.

Don't get me wrong, there ARE several fun smexy scenes here. But they're not the core of the story, and I found myself actually loving this novel for that reason. Vice continues to surprise me, and I'm more than happy to let them.

A fun, festive read for those of us who enjoy happy queer monster tales!