The Boys

By: B L Maxwell

Narrated by: Guy Veryzer

Syd Dufort is heartbroken when he discovers his fiancé has been cheating. Not wanting to wallow in front of his family for the holidays he decides to take the trip they’d planned as a honeymoon. Upon arriving in Iceland during the dark of winter, he immediately questions whether it was such a good idea.

Caleb Mies takes extra care to help the man he meets at the airport who is also staying at the remote hotel his family owns. Their family has a yearly tradition that’s not for the weak or heart, or those who choose evil deeds.

Caleb is drawn to Syd in ways he’s never experienced, while everything in Syd tells him to avoid the man who has shown him nothing but kindness.

Both men are hiding secrets that will be revealed during Yule. A dark holiday romance.

©2025 B L Maxwell (P)2025 B L Maxwell

So good.

I read this book in November. This audiobook was so good. Guy Veryzer did so well with the characters. The accents he does are stunning. Syd and Caleb are so cute.

A little on the creepy side, oh my!!!

"I know you can’t choose who you are born to be, and I know that you do what you need to do to survive but you don’t revel in it."

When I read the blurb on this book on Booksprout I had to go out and do a little research on the Yule Lads. I decided I was up for the challenge of reading/listening to this story. After I finished the book I also looked up the Yule Cat since it was also mentioned in the book. Wow, those are some vicious beings.

There are some gruesome parts in this book that gave me the heebiejeebies. Guy Veryzer was the perfect pick to narrate this book, well played BL Maxwell. He's got the kind of voice that was perfect for this book.

I was going to say this book was short and sweet but I don't think you can call anything about this book sweet, lol. It is definitely short at 65 pages.

Human/monster pair, betrayed by his fiancé, alone in Iceland on what should have been his honeymoon, seeing the truth in dreams

Mystery and happiness

This adventure was so interesting with the voices provided by the narrator as well as some key points that were delectable.
I liked the pace and the accents, as well as the way the story was brought to life.

Not my normal listen but really good!

What really stood out to me was the slow tension between Syd and Caleb. There’s a constant sense that something is off, and the secrets surrounding Caleb’s family and their Yule traditions kept me listening!

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