Antlers & Anxiety

A Sapphic Reindeer Shifter Short Story (Monstrous Holidays)

De: Lola Bliss

Narrado por: Lizzie Heard

Ana has perfected the art of the Irish goodbye—especially when it comes to holiday office parties that send her anxiety spiraling. When she escapes the company festivities and takes refuge in her favorite bookstore, she expects to find her usual hidden reading nook empty and waiting.

Instead, she discovers Kael—the store's new owner with silver-streaked hair, warm golden eyes, and a pair of very real reindeer antlers that catch the light when she smiles.

As winter snowfall traps them together in a cozy back room filled with books and twinkling lights, Ana finds herself doing the unthinkable—connecting with a stranger who somehow makes her feel perfectly safe being herself.

When Ana notices an enchanted sprig of mistletoe that supposedly reveals true soul-matches, Ana doesn't believe in holiday magic...but she's definitely willing to test the theory with Kael.

One kiss is all it takes to prove that sometimes the universe saves its most perfect gifts for those who've spent too long watching other people's dreams instead of living their own.

©2025 Lola Bliss (P)2025 Lola Bliss

Loved it!

🌶️🌶️

Oh my gosh, is you aren’t quite ready to be done with the holiday season and are looking for a quick holiday sapphic romance listen, you should check this out! I adored that this took place in a cozy hidden nook in a bookstore, but even more I loved the accurate anxiety rep! This has all the cozy holiday vibes, but add in shifter/monster romance. The cherry on top was Lizzie Heard. She is now one of my favorite emerging narrators. I could listen to her all day!

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 holiday romance
💋 sapphic romance
💋 reindeer shifter/human
💋 anxiety rep

Ana has calculated exactly how long she had to stay at her office party (aka socially accepted torture) to be socially acceptable. Her anxiety is at an all time high, so she heads to the one place guaranteed to calm her down. The bookstore. Only there is someone in her cozy nook. Not just someone, but the new owner. Oh no. Will she hate someone who comes in all the time but almost never buys anything? Only Kael seems to know exactly what she needs and doesn’t pressure her to do anything. And she finally starts to feel like she belongs.

Cute

A really cute quick sapphic holiday romance about a really anxious FMC and the reindeer shifter she falls for. I suggest the audio Lizzy’s voice fits the characters perfectly.

A cute spicy holiday romance

It was cute & had some light spice the last several minutes. I liked it & would listen again if I was looking for a short sapphic holiday romance.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cozy and cute!

This was such a fun, cozy quickie, and steamy holiday read! The writing was lovely and the narrator did a fabulous job at capturing the vibes as they went from anxious, to cozy, to HOT! Love love love!!

My first Reindeer Romance!! Yay !!

“Are you okay?” I nod, tears prickling hot at the corners of my eyes. “Yeah. God, I’m so, I⁠—” She strokes my back, grounding me. “Good. I wanted you to feel safe. I wanted you so much.” I swallow against the emotion rising in my throat. “You did. I do. I wanted you too—I’ve been wanting this since before I knew you.”- pg 31

I found this author yesterday, and I’ve now read two of their romances, and both were so sweet and beautifully written. Discovering these stories during a long winter break while I was fighting with my partner and really needing an escape felt like exactly what I needed. I haven’t had the chance to read as many sapphic romances as I’d like, and this author gave me that space in a way that felt warm, gentle, and deeply comforting.
This short story follows Ana and Kael in an unsuspecting romance set in a small bookstore. After fleeing a work holiday party due to her anxiety, Ana ends up on the front steps of her favorite bookstore a place that has become her sanctuary over the years.
When Ana goes to her favorite hidden alcove one most people don’t even know exists she expects to find Mark the owner but instead encounters Kael: a beautiful, enchanting woman who also happens to have antlers. Ana is shocked and nervous, but she decides to stay. What follows is hours of quiet orbiting as the two slowly grow comfortable with each other. Their conversation unfolds naturally, softly, and with so much care, creating a slow-burn romance that feels perfectly suited to both characters.
The ending includes a small, tender scene that remains gentle and intimate without rushing or overwhelming the story. It’s sweet, grounded, and emotionally satisfying in the best way.
I truly loved this short story every quiet moment, every careful interaction, all of it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.