A Home for the Holidays

By: Joe Cosentino

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Bobby McGrath's Christmas trip to the beautiful Italian island of Capri to meet his eccentric extended family offers stunning views - none more stunning than his third cousin, Paolo Mascobello, a real stocking stuffer. As the two young men embark on a relationship, Bobby, a driven law student, learns to relax and bask under the Italian moon, and Paolo realizes there's more to life than a frolic on the beach. For the two to find everlasting amore, Paulo must overcome his fear of commitment and learn to follow his dreams, and Bobby must get his wish for happily ever after.

©2015 Joe Cosentino (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press

If you like Josh Lanyon, you'll love this book.

What other book might you compare A Home for the Holidays to and why?

Jefferson Blythe, Esquire

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

Sexy male characters, quirky families, a bit of mystery, a bit of love, all spun together with a talented pen.

A Home for the Holiday's is a fantastically crafted story that I will read, and listen to time and time again!

Short and sweet

3.5 rounded up for great narration.

This is a very short and sweet listen. There is a little angst and due to its length, a little insta love, but I enjoyed the audiobook version. Joel Leslie's accents and characterizations really kept me engaged in Bobbi and Paolo's courtship. Even the HFN ending felt satisfying and I would look forward to hearing whether their potential relationship works out.

Short, funny, sweet - great for a snowy day!

If you are in the mood for a very sweet, sometimes very silly and highly “stereotypical” Italian vacation romance – over Christmas! – this is for you!

Bobby is a very dutiful law student and a good son. He goes to visit the distant family where he finds and eventually falls for Paolo a third cousin (or something like that) who acts as his guide around the island of Capri.

Paolo’s family is hysterical – the grandmother perpetually on her death bed, the mobster, the doting mother, the gregarious father, the self-centered cousins, and on and on.

Besides letting his family down for not marrying a good Italian girl, Paolo designs clothes. With the help from Bobby, he may be able to turn his life around and stay with the love of his life in America!

**

The romance here is pretty unbelievable. It’s pretty much a case of insta-love with not much relationship building. (It’s slightly disconcerting that Paolo calls Bobby “cousin” all the time, as well.) However – the narration that Joel Leslie provides makes this rather tepid romance really shine. He’s funny and gives each character so much pizzazz that it’s quite entertaining. Bobby’s mother (“I only labored intensively for 18 hours for you”), Nona (“I hope I’m still alive when you come back”), and the Mafioso (“I have a package for you to deliver”) are all hysterical and Joel’s delivery absolutely makes this.

If I’d been reading this I think I’d have been rolling my eyes a lot and wouldn’t have found it nearly as charming as I did listening to it.

It’s a short, funny, sweet story that is just a hoot!

Recommended for a couple of hours of sweet laughter on a snowy day.

Home For The Holidays

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I honestly don't think this story will go into my favorites. It wasn't horrible but I just didn't care for it. I don't know if it was the audiobook, the instalove or if it was just the story overall. Whatever it was, it just didn't do it for me.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I listened to the audiobook so it may have clouded my judgment a tad. I really did not like the narrator's voice for Bobby and especially Paolo. Bobby just didn't sound right, almost too old. Paolo, however, sounded old and sleazy. I just about cringed every time he spoke. The mom's though, wow, they were spot on. I loved it.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

not sure

A sexy trip to Italy

If you love gay romance and want something short and sweet, this will satisfy that sweet tooth craving. Once again Joe has written a lovely story of two young men exploring love and a beautiful island. I felt like I was on tour with Paolo and Bobby. I could see the lovely sites as Joe described them with such beauty and prose. I could feel the growing desire between the two young men and the heat building as well.
Another thing I like about Joe Cosentino's stories is that they are sexy though most of the sex is off the page. It leaves a beautiful dynamic to the romance.

Add in Joel Leslie's narrating skills and it takes this great story to a whole new level of awesomeness. Joel brings each character to life and makes the off-page sex hot and sexy.

if you are looking for a short, listen to fill an hour or so grab this and take a beautiful trip to Italy and never leave your home, or car or wherever you listen from!