A Joyfully Jay review. 4 starsLiv Rancourt has released a sweet holiday novella in A Holiday Homecoming. It features two men who both have experienced their own forms of loneliness and who remember with fondness a middle school crush that still makes them tingle. Bo and Jon come together in this quick Christmas story learning that you can peel back the years and still rekindle old feelings. In many ways, this story was about self-discovery and coming to understand just what is important in life....

Bo, of ‘A Holiday Homecoming’ by Liv Rancourt, is finishing up a crafts class in his friend’s shop when a handsome young man named Jon, approaches him for help. His mother has some craft projects that she needs supplies for and Jon is lost when it comes to picking them out. After a few moments, Bo recognizes Jon as his god friend from school and tells Jon how good it is to see him again. They catch up while Bo helps Jon select his items. Bo learns that Jon has taken time off from his busy concer...

A lovely story about reconnecting and remembering what is truly important.

Jon and Bo- two opposite personalities. Jon is rigid and Bo is sparkling. Jon is a well-paid musician with expensive clothes and Bo is a teacher with just average clothes. Jon travels around the world and Bo will never, ever.After many years Jon will be home for the Christmas holidays and only because his father is very ill. When he meets his school friend, Bo, again they have an instant reconnection. Bo visits Jon at home where they make beautiful ornaments.Suddenly Jon gets an offer for a New

I liked this one. It’s a little darker and a little bittersweet, but Bo makes everything better and he was the necessary light in A Holiday Homecoming. Jon is at a bit of a forced crossroads with his family and career. He’s come home to help his mom care for his father who recently suffered a stroke. They aren’t the closest of famiies and reading about their lives before and after was actually kind of sad. Jon and his dad have some undefined animosity between them that was alluded to and witness...

*sigh* I don't know what's going on but I'm having trouble with the short holiday stories I've been reading. This one should have made me feel warm all over. Normally I love second chance, old friends meet again type stories but this one lacked spark and I found it just a bit depressing. It was also kind of hard to think there would be any kind of left over "romantic feelings" between these guys. They were friends in the sixth grade and I didn't get the impression they knew each other that well,...

I'm a sucker for second chances and happy endings. Love it.

This is another case where I liked the blurb more so than the story. Maybe it’s the length limitation. Maybe I just don’t feel connected to the author’s writing. In any case, I thought the story didn’t carry the emotion I needed.The blurb mentioned “Jon’s father’s stroke” and that “Bo doesn’t fly anywhere”. At least Jon’s turmoil about coming home and helping his mother versus the demanding life of musicians that travel a lot was there. But I still found the “conflict” of Jon and his father – I

This started out good, but fizzled by the end.

This short, sweet homecoming holiday story is a great way to kick off the holiday season. It's got so many things I love in a book - childhood friends to lovers, family relationships, and lovable characters (I freaking love Bo).Jon is back home in Seattle for the holidays to help his parents after his father's stroke. His relationship with his parents is pretty strained - his mother always supports him wholeheartedly while he feels his father is just constantly disappointed in him. The one good

This was an intriguing story that set a good degree of connection for the short span but still fell a bit short of how much occured in the story.All of the turmoil in this story was based around long distance concerns and family issues. However, though these were to be the big hurdles, neither of them had much focus. Jon hints that he had issues with his family and going home is tense for him. But what exactly happened between him and his father isn't really talked about. It seems that in fact t...

Definitely fits the homemade brief, with Bo being Mr Homemade - from decorations to cookies.Jon returns back home and ultimately has to reach a compromise between his career and a life with his parents and Bo.

This started out kind of gooey sweet, which I did not expect. However, it developed some real conflicts and interesting characters before too long. Pretty unusual for a "holiday" story.

Delightful. Bo and Jon's reconnection as adults came to life quickly but felt real. Jon has some priorities to straighten out but, in the end, I loved the way he does it.

Ehhh.I kept waiting for that *spark* of romance and, to be honest, interest in this story, but it never really materialized.With stories of old friends reuniting, even from long ago, my favorite thing is the rekindling of old, genuine feelings, of longing, but I didn't get much of that here.The story was technically fine and well-written, but I never really connected with any real excitement, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for what this one had on offer.So for my own personal level of enjoy...

This was an adorable, fun holiday read that just made my heart happy! I loved Bo and Jon and their sweet story. It’s a great read to get you into the holiday spirit!Bo is busy with the holiday season, adding sparkle everywhere. Jon has just returned home to help his mother after his father has a stroke. These two were friends when they were younger, before Jon left to become a successful pianist in New York. Their connection is back instantly and as they spend time together they realize how spec...

review to follow

Jon moved to New York for his career a decade ago and hasn’t looked back until his father has a stroke and Jon finds himself back in Seattle for the holiday season. Jon is not happy to be back, until he meets up with an old school friend Bo. Can Bo’s infectious joy for the Christmas season help Jon through this time, and can the two men form something lasting when they live on opposite sides of the country?I found this story deeply intriguing. While most Christmas-themed stories are usually choc...

I liked the story and author's writing style, liked sweet Bo and a bit self-absorbed Jon. I think they make a good pair and Jon was doing his best to make amends with his family and Bo.I think a couple of chapters would have made it feel less HFN and more finite but I enjoyed it enough not to complain much :)

This is such a beautiful holiday story. It is filled with romance, second chances and glitter!