Genre: Holiday, Urban Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Maryann
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About The Book
Very little is merry in a private dick’s world.
Private detective Nick Bozic works the mean streets of 1950s Portland, Oregon, shadowing unfaithful spouses and nabbing thieving employees. He may be lonely, but at least he’s not crooked. Despite the festive season, Christmas simply means less dough in his pocket.
With the holiday only a few days away, a regular client drops a new case on him: yet another being has come through the Rift and needs help finding his way home. Maybe Evindal the elf will help Nick find something too—a bit of cheer and magic amid the usual brew of corruption and betrayal.
The Review
Nick Bozic is a former Navy man. He signed up in 1941, and served on the Intrepid. Now he is a detective with some very strange cases.
Carmilla Karnstein works for Nick as his secretary. She keeps odd hours, which Nick doesn’t mind. She knows how to remove bloodstains from clothes, has a husky voice, and is older than she looks.
There’s a strange phenomenon called the “Genre Rift,” and it always creates business for Nick. Most of his cases are at the request of Amelia Sansone, who owns the Sansone Booksellers business in the upscale part of the city. She also rents apartments. Those that get caught in the Genre Rift always wind up at the dead end of on the third floor of the Sansone Booksellers, behind the bars that Amelia placed there to keep the new arrivals contained. Nick’s job is to get the strange (and not so strange) back to their homes. But a few cases have to be handled differently.
When Amelia calls for his help again, he finds himself face to face with Evindal, the flirtiest and sweetest little elf ever. As Nick tries to find a way to get Evindal home to the North Pole, he learns so much about the enthusiastic elf. Evindal is awestruck byh everything around him, as he’s never left the North Pole before.
They also learn about each other. Nick finds himself getting caught up in Evindal’s charm and drama, and decides he really needs a break. But finding a way for Evindal to go home is difficult.
A Very Genre Christmas is a delightful little story for the holiday season, a little guessing game with the descriptions that Nick provides of those that have come through the Genre Rift. It doesn’t matter how different you are – you should always be yourself. There’s also a bit of sadness to balance out the joy, when Nick talks about his life without a family. So different from the joy Evindal has with his own.
To make this tale even more fun, there’s also an audiobook version, narrated in 2021 by the Greg Trembly. I’ve listened to Trembly’s narrations since 2014 and there are just no words to describe his talent. I loved how he portrayed Nick Bozic, a tough, rough edge, soft hearted character, and his voicing of Evindal is right on point. The little elf is sweet and charming, even when he gets a little drunk. Maybe especially then. I love this collaboration between Fielding and Trembly.
For some sweet Christmas reading, I highly recommend A Very Genre Christmas by the talented Fielding. It will make you laugh and warm your heart!
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.