The Christmas Deal

By: Keira Andrews

Narrated by: John Solo

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Will fake boyfriends become the real deal this holiday? 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - except ex-Marine Logan is jobless and getting evicted. Worse, he’s a new single dad with a stepson who hates him. A kid needs stability - not to mention presents under the tree - and Logan’s desperate. 

Then he meets lonely Seth and makes a deal. 

Can Logan temporarily pretend to be live-in boyfriends to increase Seth’s chances at a promotion? If it provides a roof over their heads for the holidays, hell yeah. Logan considers himself straight - he doesn’t count occasional hookups with guys - but he can fake it. Besides, with his shy little smile, Seth is surprisingly sexy. 

Make that damn sexy. 

Shocked that Seth has only been with one man, Logan can’t resist sweetening their deal to teach him the joys of casual sex. No strings attached. No feelings. No kissing. 

No falling for each other. 

Easy, right? 

The Christmas Deal is a steamy holiday gay romance from Keira Andrews featuring fake boyfriends, bisexual awakening, a clueless single dad with an angry preteen, and of course a happy ending.

©2019 Keira Andrews (P)2020 Keira Andrews

Incredible Story

The Christmas Deal by Keira Andrews is one of my favorite holiday stories. These men could not be more lost as they enter the holiday season. What begins as fake boyfriends by chance… quickly becomes a bisexual awakening, with a holiday miracle, for two men who desperately need something to fulfill their lives. What neither expects is for the other to possess the allusive need that comes with another… forever.

John Solo’s narration of this incredible story only serves to amplify its intensity. His ability to capture the situation appears seamless and his voice gives amazing clarity to the individual characters. The sign of a truly great narrator is when you are drawn into the story and the feelings of each and every moment resonate through you, which is absolutely what Mr. Solo creates here.

Logan Derwood was involved in an unfortunate train accident where the blame was unjustly placed upon him. This has limited his ability to find steady work and, on top of that, he is the sole guardian of his angry teenage stepson following his wife’s death. Logan has always considered himself straight. Never mind the “get off” sessions with other men, they were just a means to fulfill a need. He just never envisioned himself in a relationship with another man no matter how hot the blowjobs were... that is until Seth Marston.

Seth Marston is the adorable quintessential strait-laced buttoned up geeky gay. Tarnished by a bad breakup he is reluctant to put himself out there again. Combined with the fact that he was tossed out by his ultra-conservative homophobic family, he is lonely with only his career to focus upon. He desperately seeks a family of his own.

The premise behind The Christmas Deal isn’t new or overly complex but it stands apart from others, since neither man concocts the scheme. They are being bamboozled into playing along, as the conspiracy quickly becomes known as “the caper” and snowballs out of control. Jenna, Logan’s sister and Seth’s co-worker, hilariously throws Logan and Seth together to provide Seth with the means to achieve the promotion he deserves, and at the same time inadvertently provides temporary reprieve from homelessness for Logan and his stepson Connor.

Forced to play “family”, Seth opens his home to Logan and Connor and in return Logan helps Seth complete the home renovations Seth abandoned after his breakup. They have a dinner to host, pretending to be the perfect family for Seth’s family-oriented boss to secure his promotion. The resulting feelings are hidden behind some no strings attached fun. Who are they trying to fool? And maybe Logan isn’t as straight as he once thought.

Unfortunately, it takes a tragedy for walls between not only Logan and Seth to collapse, but to bring down the barriers between Connor and Logan as well. It is a tearjerker scene that solidifies Seth, Logan, and Connor as a family in a manner where you know they will survive the tough times, while reveling in the joy they bring each other, as they let go of the past and look forward to the future.

The Christmas Deal is what I refer to as a “Hallmark Holiday” but with significantly more depth. The holidays are in full swing with plentiful decorations, snow, sledding, holiday music, you name it. Seth and Logan may not have planned all of this, but the enchantment of the season gives it to them anyway. Additional intensity is provided by perfect timing that brings two vastly different men together, forcing discoveries that give them hope, with a reason to evaluate who they are and what they seek. And… I’d say the epilogue is one of the best presents one could ever receive.

6 Stars for the Narrator!

When I started this book, I was just hoping for an enjoyable holiday story. I got so much more with The Christmas Deal. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. This book was so much deeper than the typical Christmas romances that I have been reading. It is my favorite trope, fake relationship. On top of that it was also MM and single parent romance. There was so much to love about this book. The characters were great and I was immediately attached to them and rooting for them. There was clear character development. There was also a secondary plot with the kid in this book. It was an emotional journey but so fulfilling. And HOTT. I can't forget to mention that it did get pretty steamy. The best part was the narrators voice for Logan. Holy wow, if I had a guy with a voice like that I would absolutely melt, amongst other things. Overall, this book was a huge win with me. I will definitely listen to it again. This is my first experience with this author. I can't wait to try another of her books.

Loved it!

While I have been OD'ing on mm Christmas romances, I have to say this was one of my favorites. I loved the two MCs, even though I was on the fence early on when it came to Logan. But in the end, he didn't disappoint. Seth was easy to love - even if he was OTT a bit (no swearing, "clean"). But it's kind of decadent for a good boy being so into dirty talk.

And my guilty pleasure is a very satisfying epilogue really showing a strong HEA.

The narration was spot on.

Fun Fake Relationship Holiday Audiobook

I can always count on Keira Andrews for an enjoyable story and The Christmas Deal is no exception. Single Dad, Fake Relationships, & Opposites Attract are some of my favorite tropes, and I’ve definitely been in the mood for some holiday-themed books, so this was a good fit. It’s also a complete stand alone.

Logan, 37, is grumpy, recovering from an injury, out of a job, and about to be homeless. To top it off he’s the only parent to his deceased wife’s son, Conner. Being a step-parent doesn’t come naturally. Seth, 38, is workmates & friends with Logan’s sister Jenna. When a work situation forces Seth into inventing a family – Jenna loans him Logan & Conner. The caper begins!

While it is successful in contrasting Seth’s “buttoned-up” persona and is consistent with Logan’s character, the plethora of cuss words did feel like a bit much at times given that this is a holiday-themed book. Overall the story is at turns sweet, sad, and funny; Logan coming to terms with his true feelings for Seth, Seth worried about falling in love with a straight man, and Conner struggling to find his place in what has been an unstable world. These come together nicely and ultimately this is an enjoyable Christmas listen.

The initial ending is an HFN as Logan & Seth recognize that going even though they’re going from pretend to real – it is a burgeoning relationship. Andrews provides a lovely 5-years-later epilogue that solidifies the HEA.

John Solo does a good job here. All the characters have distinct and consistent voices. Solo, as always, does a terrific job evoking emotions and he really brings this story to life.

The Christmas Deal

This story was delightful! A perfect Christmas tale! Logan and Seth seemed like the odd couple at first! Playing pretend boyfriends is hilarious bc the only ones are fooling is themselves- toss in a stepson, and grieving the loss of a parent—themes threaded throughout the story are captured very well- losing a parent due to health reasons and another losing a parent bc of being gay-losses make for an interesting look at what it means to create your own family!🥰

A great holiday read/listen

A low-angst, bi-awakening/GFY, single parent, fake relationship, down on his luck guy, Christmas romance.

Excellent narration.

ebook and audible

age gap romance do not interest me

Nowhere in the Synopsis did it let you know this was an age gap story. Not with a significant age gap Very disappointed

when is it dale's turn

someone give poor dale a break. making all this magic happen must be lonely.

The Christmas Deal by Keira Andrews

Tropes/Themes:
-MM contemporary romance
-Christmas romance
-Sexual awakening
-Single parent
-Dual POV
-Book #1 in an interconnected standalone series

As long as you don’t go into this expecting a stereotypical Hallmark Christmas romance, this was a solid read. This dealt with a lot of heavy themes that I wasn’t initially expecting, so be sure to check content warnings before diving in.

CWs for loss of a loved one, grief, homophobia, religious trauma, traumatic work injury, scars

Story: 3/5
Audiobook: 5/5 (narrated by John Solo)
Length 8h13min

Rooting for this family in the making

Although the plot of the story is unlikely to happen in real life and the boss in the beginning is cringe worthy with vocabulary and behavior, this turned out to be a fun story with a sweet ending. I loved the main characters. I was rooting for them and the young teenager. This story had realistic main characters, suspense, tears, fun, hot scenes and a satisfying epilogue. The narrator, John Solo, was great as always.

Heart warming and a little blush-making

I loved this story. I became so invested in Seth, Logan and Connor. I devoured the whole thing in one sitting. If you want to lose yourself in a story that tugs on your heartstrings and occasionally makes you blush, then cancel your plans in this world and allow Keira to transport you to another. She has built a world so convincing, inhabited by characters so perfectly flawed, believable and relatable that you'll find yourself happy to have lived it and sad when it comes to an end. The only thing that stopped me from thumping out an email to demand a sequel be written immediately was the epilogue that satisfied many of my burning questions for the future of the characters that I'd taken entirely into my heart. Also, and very importantly, thank you to John Solo, who brought this book to life with his great narration. His voice was a pleasure to listen to for a solid, unbroken 8 hours - the wrong narrator can break a story. You're in safe hands with John.

Beautiful Christmas Romance ❤️

I absolutely loved this audiobook and I have no hesitation in recommending it!
John Solo's narration effortlessly breathes life into this heartwarming beautiful romance.
I don't want to give spoilers for this audiobook,I want to urge listeners to dive in and immerse themselves in this Christmas delight.

Found Family for the Holidays

I’m on a tear through fake boyfriend romances these days. When they’re done well, they’re a joy to read and I have to say, this was done well. Because I believed Logan was desperate enough to enter into the arrangement. He’s beyond down-on-his-luck. He has no job – or even prospects. He’s in the process of being evicted, and his truck broke down. He was unceremoniously fired from his previous job for something that wasn’t his fault and he lost his friends due to that and his health suffered because of what happened. He has his sister and his new stepson. He never planned to be a father but Connor landed in his lap and aside from the kid’s surly nature, he’s kind of growing on Logan. But Logan can barely survive for himself, let alone meet the needs of a grieving preteen who’s outgrowing his clothes.

Enter Seth. The set-up for his need for a fake boyfriend was…. interesting. But Seth wants the promotion and with a new family-oriented boss who is LGBTQ friendly, it’s all about portraying that he’s a family man. Logan and Connor turn up at the perfect time. And maybe Seth won’t be so lonely, living in that big house with only himself as company. Oh, and there’s the little bonus of sex without strings. Logan is straight, writing off those few whatevers as just scratching an itch. You know, when women aren’t handy. But when he discovers Seth’s only ever been with one man – and that man was a jerk – he’s determined to teach the devout religious man that it’s okay to have sex just for pleasure.

Seth’s family have rejected him and he’s done okay on his own, but between the colleagues at work and now Logan’s overtures, he’s able to see all that he’s been missing out on. So he invites Logan and Connor to stay. So he can portray himself as a family man, he tells himself. So he won’t be alone is the subconscious reason.

But things aren’t smooth sailing, especially with a surly preteen who is missing his mom desperately during this first Christmas without her. The conflict culminates in a near-disaster and it’s a moment of reckoning for everyone.

I loved this book. Just perfect for this time of year. I’m not a big Christmas fan so any book that puts me in the holiday spirit is a good one. I’ll also take a moment to mention John Solo. I think he does a great job of narrating Keira Andrews books and this book is proof of that. I look forward to more books written by Ms. Andrews and narrated by Mr. Solo.

Lovely book

I really enjoyed this book, the narration was excellent. I will definitely put it in my favourites and enjoy listening to it again.

A Christmas story to warm the heart

Just the thing to give you that Christmas cheer with a good dise of love and romance.

Delightful book

I really enjoyed this. Great story and narration, and heart warming without being cheesy. I felt connected with the characters and absorbed in the story.