💜Just For Christmas (Longwood U) by Crea Reitan -review tour💜

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 11, 2025

It’s only temporary holiday magic

Brent

Life has taught me not to get attached to anyone because they’ll only let you down but I can’t stop myself from falling in love with my roommate and frat brother the moment we meet. It’s been three years and not only do I secretly pine for him, but now he’s also my very best friend. My first real friend.

Nothing can possibly go wrong when I agree to be his fake boyfriend for the holidays, right? I know I’m putting my heart on the line but it’ll just be a bit of hand-holding. My heart can survive that…

Rafe

I know my mother will get off my back about settling down if I bring home a partner so I recruit my best friend into becoming my fake boyfriend. It’ll be fun, easy, and a great holiday without all the subtle hints from my parents.

One kiss under the mistletoe changes everything and the childhood make believe suddenly morphs into so much more.

There’s only one problem – this arrangement is only for Christmas and then we’re back to being only friends when we return to school.

I didn’t plan to fall in love with Brent Mitchell… I don’t know what to do now that he’s acting like I don’t exist.

This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

•••••••

REVIEW: Brent and Rafe have been frat brothers and secret best friends (with insane chemistry) for three years.

Brent is head over heels, painfully pining, and convinced Rafe is straight.

Rafe is clueless (or so we think) and just wants his meddling, high society parents off his back about finding “a nice partner” over Christmas break.

Solution? Drag his sweet, golden retriever roommate home as a fake boyfriend for the holidays.

What could possibly go wrong?

Everything apparently 😜

The PINING…. Brent’s quiet, aching longing is written so tenderly you’ll want to reach into the book and shake Rafe yourself.

The author nails the “I’ll take whatever scraps of affection I can get” energy without ever making Brent feel pathetic.

And Rafe’s awakening is perfection. He’s not in denial, he’s just never thought about it until one mistletoe kiss rewires his entire brain.

Watching Mr. “I’m straight, I guess?” realize he’s demisexual/Brent-sexual is chef’s kiss levels of satisfying.

Fake dating done RIGHT, forced proximity in Rafe’s fancy family mansion, one bed (naturally), dancing at the holiday gala, meeting the parents, the works. Every trope is here and executed with glee.

Spice that builds beautifully. It starts with sweet, tentative kisses and escalates to “we’re defiling every room in this house while the parents are downstairs” in the most delicious way. 😜

Third act conflict that actually hurts. There I was tissues/blanket and clucking my kindle sobbing. No ridiculous miscommunication, just two scared boys who agreed to an expiration date on something that turned terrifyingly real. The grovel is top tier.

Just For Christmas is peak comfort romance with a side of angst sharp enough to make the HEA taste like hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

It’s warm, sexy, heartbreaking in the best way, and then puts you back together with one of the sweetest endings of the year.

If you love the “we were roommates” micro trope, mutual pining that finally explodes, and Christmas lights reflecting off bare skin, this is your book.

Clear your schedule, grab a blanket, and let Brent and Rafe ruin you for all future fake dating tropes.

Read it with tissues and maybe a locked door. You’ve been warned.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Rumor Has it
Wicked Confessions
Project FU
Dirty Wrong Love

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie🦋

 

Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. All of her RH relationships end up being heavily polyamorous – meaning it’s not just all the men for one woman. There’s also some M/M action going on. When she can’t fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center – and utterly swoon-worthy! Don’t ask her how many book boyfriends she has…

When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (don’t even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!

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