Holidays at Nell’s: Day 28

Today’s rec is not a holiday story. Oh no, I’m breaking my own rules, I’m hopeless! 🙂 It is however winter-themed, snowed in to be precise, and I thought you might be a bit tired of the holidays by now anyway….so consider this a palate cleanser.

Day 28 of Holidays at Nell’s: Coming Out on Top by Nora Phoenix

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He’s twice his size and a lot older, but will Mac let Quentin come out on top?

Quentin is searching for…something.
Respect.
Answers.
His identity.

Most of all, he’s searching for a man who will let him be in charge, despite the fact that he looks like an elf.
But all that will have to wait because right now, he’s searching for shelter after getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, New York with a massive snow storm about to hit. He finds an unexpected host in Mac, a man the whole town seems to hate. Mac has secrets…but so does Quentin.

Sparks fly between them, but can it lead to more when Mac is twice his size, a lot older, and practically a virgin… and when Mac can’t leave and there’s no way Quentin will stay?

Dear Coming Out on Top*, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

• age gap
• size difference
• gentle giant (Augustus (Mac’s real name) is a teddy bear cinnamon roll marshmallow with piercings and tattoos. OMG, I love him so much)
• hurt/comfort
• disability (Augustus suffers from severe stuttering)
• subverted trope
• insta-connection (all right, all right, I hear you. Insta-love)
• the MCs meet early in the book and want to be together
• all drama is external of the MCs (this is my favorite!!)
• Quentin and Augustus communicate, and we all know that the only thing sexier than communication is consent!
• super-romantic BDSM story (although the BDSM elements are very light)
• small town setting
• lone wolf

If you’ve followed me a while and know me by now, you know after reading above list that this book was written just for me. It ticks all my boxes and it was like finding a treasure. I adored this book and I read it slowly because I wanted to savor it. It made me angry (the people in Augustus’ town are vicious!), it made me laugh, it made me cry and go awww.

Had anyone ever shown him this level of kindness and understanding, aside from his mom? Not that Mac could remember, and that realization only added to his inability to speak. So he did the only thin he could manage right now, and he laid his fingers on Quentin’s soft lips, then on his own.

“You want me to kiss you, Mac?” Quentin whispered.

He nodded.

Quote from Coming Out on Top

This book was everything. Ten stars.

Buy link

*This book was previously called Snow Way Out