So This is Christmas (The Adrien English Mysteries Book 6)

When readers have waited years for a happy epilogue to a heartrending series, there's always a bit of worry that the HEA won't live up to expectations. No worries with this one. Because it's Adrien English telling this story, and he's probably the best storyteller around.
'So This is Christmas' picks up six months after 'The Dark Tide'. Jake and Adrien have fled the exhausting festivities of a Dauten Christmas in London. They're together, they're happy, but they're still working hard at their relationship. They're longing for some alone time together, but it's not to be. Mystery calls, in the shape of young Kevin from 'A Dangerous Thing', who's carelessly mislaid his boyfriend.
This is a novella, so the mystery's quite simple. That being said, I didn't guess the answer. I'd have liked a bit more on-board conflict between Kevin and his bf's family, but what there was, was good. It was great to see Jake as a PI.
We got plenty of news and plot about the secondary characters from earlier books. Lots of Natalie, Angus and the pets. We finally get to meet Jake's family, a brilliant chapter. There's even news of those villains Paul Kane and Alonso. Uh not together...
But this isn't a postscript. It's a book in its own right. The writing is as atmospheric and skilful as Lanyon's best. There's plenty of space for Adrien and Jake to interact and grow as lovers, sometimes in unexpected though not unwelcome ways. The sex scenes were great (Lanyon occasionally gets a bit flowery, but not here). Enough domesticity to satisfy the fluff lovers without ever getting saccharin.
Sure, this is a Christmas book and a happy one too, but Lord knows, those guys deserved it. So do us readers after all that pain.
Jake was trying so hard to change it was beautiful. He's still jealous, possessive and bossy though. Adrien's still got the same wry snark we love. Even at times bitter, until he remembers he has nothing to be bitter about and he's shot through with amazed joy.
A lovely book. Well worth waiting for.

An ARC of this book was provided by the author for an unbiased review, though the store downloaded my pre-order anyway.

I've always considered the Adrian English series of mysteries to be a great set of mysteries within a character-driven series of stories. Even without the MM romance aspect, the mysteries and adventures are solid and hold up over multiple readings. This newest edition is no exception.
I am always fearful when an author returns to a series after a period of time. Writers' styles can change over time and to return to a much-loved set of characters is sometimes a disappointment. Here we have Josh Lanyon returning as if the character never left. There is growth in both Adrian and Jake but they remain familiar and in sync with what has gone before.
While the mystery in a mystery novel should always be front and center – and here the missing boyfriend of a former acquaintance; family intrigue among all the families and the resolution – are all solid and satisfying but it is not what makes this series unique and important. It is the relationship between Adrian and Jake. It has been a long and winding road to get to this point in their relationship and yet Lanyon provides character growth and added depth to both of their personalities and the relationship.
If this is the last of the stories, it is a more satisfying ending than before. If there are more ahead, I am comforted that the characters will be true to their form but able to move forward. This is a solid mystery and an even better study of a maturing relationship. It is good stuff. Enjoy.
I received an advanced reader's copy from the author.

This book was such a treat that it absolutely felt like a gift… It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a fresh taste of these characters, and I loved every single word of it. Having cast a sly side-eye at Josh Lanyon for making me wait so very long, I slid straight into this installment of the Adrien English Mysteries like no time had passed at all. We pick up with Adrien and Jake once they’ve had a chance to settle into their relationship, and there is something incredibly heartwarming about the connection between these two men. The chemistry between them is fierce, and seems to only have intensified as it withstood the test of time. With Adrien being no slight magnet for trouble, it walks into his bookshop in the form of an old acquaintance looking for help, and I could easily visualize Jake struggling to contain his concern about Adrien’s involvement. History speaks for itself. It was Adrien’s inner monologue that truly charmed me, however, his thought process, both as he grapples with the mystery and as he contemplates the current state of his world, makes me sigh and snicker and smile while reminding me what a true wordsmith Josh Lanyon is.
There was no part of me that had the discipline to put this book down once I got started, I was completely immersed in their world from the first page and didn’t surface until the last. I love Adrien and Jake so hard that I can barely contain it.
Please note that I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.

Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.

Anyone familiar with The Adrien English Mysteries series should also be familiar with the contentious relationship between Adrien and Jake. All of the stories up to this point were basically guaranteed to have two things; a pretty darn good mystery and more of the on again/off again shenanigans between the main characters…at least until the last major novel came out. When Jake finally got his shtick together and Adrien was finally slated to get his happily ever after, I heard Angels sing and the tune they were belting out had a chorus of its about damn time! I honestly thought that would be the end of the series and I was content with that…and then So This is Christmas was released; I’m fairly certain those same hymn singing Angels are now gearing up for an encore.

As far as mysteries go, this was the most laid back out of the ones I’ve read in the series so far but that was okay because the rest of the book kind of made up for that. Back from England, Jake is hired to find a missing person who just happens to be the boyfriend of the man that has asked Adrien for help. While he moves forward with his investigation, Jake and Adrien are also settling farther into their now out in the open relationship; both men still suffer from bouts of insecurity, they are also putting out the effort to make what they have between them work. Most of this is on the part of Jake who’s still muddling through the aftermath of his divorce and coming out to his family, some of which is dealt with during the story. Watching Jake try, really try, has just made all the difference for me with how he’s been over the course of the series.

Like I said previously, the mystery was on the tame side but honestly, it wasn’t the focus of the story anyway; Adrien and Jake were, and that was just the way I wanted it. After everything they’ve been through up to this point, they needed some time to just be together without a lot of drama and setting the story around the holidays was the perfect backdrop for giving them that. I’m honestly not sure if this will actually be the final book in the series but, if it is, it gave me a damn near perfect ending to the rollercoaster ride that has been Jake and Adrien’s relationship. I don’t think I could’ve asked for more. Fans of this series absolutely have to pick this up and if you like reading mysteries but haven’t read these yet, you need to; the journey won’t be easy at times but the ending was well worth the wait. 4.3* rounded up to 4.5* for our rating system

This was just what I wanted and everything I needed. To experience Jake being so real with Adrien and to see how their relationship is developing was priceless. Between the Christmas Codas and Kit Holmes describing them together in The Boy with the Painful Tattoo I had hope for Jake and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. I just wanted to see Jake treating Adrien like he deserved to be treated. Like a partner who mattered, not talking down to him and not playing mind games or being physically intimidating. (It is also reassuring to see Jake struggling with all the developments in his life, it helps make him more.)

The best part was seeing Adrien so happy. He is delightfully funny in this story; his sense of humor is so playful we can tell straight away that he’s feeling more confident and healthy. After all this time I know Adrien so well, like a very close friend, and it has always broken my heart to see his lack of self-confidence and his insecurities dominating so much of his life.

I don’t really believe Adrien needed Jake, or even a successful relationship, to be a whole person but much of his life was about finding a partner and completing that part of himself. Being sick in High School and missing romantic relationships at that age (other than messing around with Rob) left him with a lack of experience and maturity which he needed to figure out. Having Mel leave him due to his poor health was a blow to his self-confidence and I believe his inability to fully commit to Guy was more about Adrien’s insecurities and less about needing the perfect partner. Adrien was never fully in control of his romantic relationships and it was often heartbreaking to witness. Going through this journey with Adrien and watching him develop and grow, I think the timing was finally right for him and Jake. Adrien has his health, a strong family support system, his business is thriving and he is confident and can truly participate equally in this relationship.

I really enjoyed the story too, it was a nice look into Jake being a PI and including Adrien in that part of his life. It was also nice to get some closure with many of the relationships from earlier books. It was a truly beautiful story and a very satisfying progression in the relationship of Adrien and Jake.

An ARC of this book was provided by the author for my unbiased review.

The Novella begins after Adrien and Jake come back from London, where they had celebrated Christmas with Adrien’s family. But there is no such thing as a pause for those two lovebirds, because Adrien caught his sister Nathalie and shop clerk Angus in a compromise position. Yes, it is exactly what you think. Furthermore, an old acquaintance, Kevin O’Reilly from the second book ‘A Dangerous Thing’ seeks Adrien’s help to find his missing boyfriend. He is convinced that the family of his boyfriend is responsible for his disappearance. Adrien wants to steer him towards Jake, who is a private investigator, but surprise, Jake already works for the missing boyfriend’s family.

This is the story I waited for. This is, finally, the story where Adrien and Jake are an out and proud couple, not shy to express their love for one another and boy do they deserve it. If you are familiar with the five book series then you know how hard those two had to struggle and fight for their happiness and even though I know that Lanyon has no plans to continue the series I am really thankful for this Novella, because we can see a glimpse of Adriens and Jakes future together.

First, it is not as kitschy as it may sound. It is real and heartbreakingly sweet and even though there is a five-year gap between the last book and this novella the feel is familiar and I was instantly drawn into the story. Secondly, yes it is a novella, and yes it has a little mystery in it, but I have to confess that I was a bit arrogant at first, because I was really sure what happened to Kevins boyfriend. Then… not so much. And then I was delighted because it is not often in a Novella that the suspend is maintained till the end. Well done, Lanyon!
If you loved the Adrien English Books, then you will love this Novella. If you want a sweet yet well written Christmas Story, then yes, you will love this Novella, too.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love (contemporary) mystery/suspense, I love it when one or both MC's have a pet - and here, they were used to create some funny moments that made me laugh out loud. It is easy to get into a story when humans and animals are fleshed out and three-dimensional. My first guess of what happened in the mystery aspect was correct, but in my opinion, it was a good choice for a novella. I rarely read novellas as there always seems to be at least one part in the plot, where I get the feeling it was left unfinished in some way, cut short or got dropped completely. And although I ended up wondering about (the behavior of) Ivor's family, all in all things got wrapped up really well. It's an awesome novella as a part of an awesome series!!

This was the perfect nightcap for the Adrien English series. It's not a murder mystery, per se, in the vein of the rest of this series: Adrien doesn't discover any dead bodies, but there is a case for PI Jake to solve. Of course Adrien gets in the middle of the shenanigans. There's also a bit of bookstore/family drama for Adrien and even Jake's family makes an appearance (Finally! I've been waiting for that throughout all five books.) I would unreservedly recommend this book to any AE fans. I could not have asked for anything more from this book.

(I was given an ARC in exchange for a fair review.)

I loved the Adrien English series since I first read them a few years ago and although Josh said he wasn't writing anymore, I never gave up hope. Although this is a short novella and not a full length story, I still enjoyed reading it very much. The "mystery" was brief but still interesting, but the real story here is the development of the relationship between Adrien and Jake. I hope that we get more about A&J in the future and we see how their relationship progresses as they settle into it. Definitely worth the read!