Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Since Hank Calder’s four-year-old niece, Josie, came to live with him, his life has been plenty dramatic, thank you, and the last thing he needs is a swishy, flaming twinkie to complicate things. But when Justin, the daycare worker at his gym, offers to do something incredibly nice for Hank—and for Josie—Hank is forced to reconsider. Justin may be flamboyant in his speech and gestures, but his heart and kindness are as rock steady and dependable as anyone, even Hank, could ask for. Can Hank trust in his dramatic “turkey in the snow” to offer his heart the joy he and Josie have never known?

 

Book Review

What a great story! I loved the characters, the things that happened kept me glued to the pages, and the deep emotions between the two men at the center of this whirlwind touched me deeply. The overall analogy, referenced in the title, is a pretty accurate description of the story's theme. Just like turkeys that panic seemingly without having reason to when snowflakes hit them, but remain still and peaceful when a fox comes to visit, life's dramas hit different people in different ways. What upsets one person to no end leaves another basically untouched, and vice versa. We all carry our own definitions of "drama" around with ourselves, based on our past history and personal quirks. Some of us thrive on it, just like Justin in this story, and others abhor it with a vengeance, just like Hank.

Hank has reason to dislike drama. Not just because he likes things to be ordered and make sense, he is a banker after all, but because he's had a lot of drama growing up. He basically raised his younger sister, Amanda, and from what we find out his previous boyfriend was a drama queen, and unfaithful to boot. Now Amanda has dropped her daughter Josie with Hank and vanished. Hank does the best he can, but it never feels like enough. So adding Justin, a self-admitted drama queen and in charge of childcare at Hank's gym, to his life doesn't initially seem like a good idea.

Justin is a great guy. Very flamboyant and a self-admitted lover of drama, he loves kids, is still in college, and has admired Hank from afar for quite a while. When he finally finds out Hank is gay, there is no stopping him. I loved the way Justin just goes for it, how he brings a much-needed ray of sunshine and happiness into Hank's life, and how he helps Hank see that life is better when shared with someone you can rely on and even love.
   
Despite the fact that the one thing Hank cannot stand is drama, this story is full of it. Hank learns to gradually accept that there are different types of drama and that some kinds, like the ones Justin loves, are actually a good thing. If you like stories with lots of emotion and more than a little angst, if you enjoy reading about men who learn to deal with being a parent, and if you're looking for a heartwarming story that will make you smile, you will probably like this one. It is definitely in my "favorites to pull out when in need of cheering up" pile.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and audio
Length	Novella, 102 pages/24481 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-December-2012
Price	$3.99 ebook, $6.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/turkey-in-the-snow-by-amy-lane-2107-b