His Last Christmas in London by Con Riley

His Last Christmas in London by Con Riley promises second chances in a festive story with two men finding each other: one determined to leave, the other determined to keep him.

From the Blurb:

Falling for his final client won’t make leaving London easy…

Ian ~ A talented, young photographer desperate to stay in London.

Guy ~ An older, fierce food critic, determined to keep him in his city.

Ian shouldn’t be attracted to a scathing food critic like Guy Parsons, not after the last time he fell for someone older, arrogant, and gorgeous. He knows better than to let dramatic good looks sway him since his last heartbreak. Besides, he’s accepted a new job at the far end of the country and won’t be staying.

Having one month left in the city doesn’t seem enough now Ian’s fallen in love with London. Working as Guy’s photographer for December might help him afford to stay for longer, even if he hates Guy’s brand of restaurant reviewing. When Guy turns out to be worlds away from the last man Ian fell for, shared meals soon result in shared secrets and feelings.

More than attraction sparks between them as Christmas approaches. Intimate moments lead to intense passion, but is being well matched in the bedroom enough to stop the clock counting down to Ian leaving London, and Guy, for good?

Sheena's Review

ve come to love Con Riley's writing, and this is a wonderful, festive, romantic and uplifting story. While this is Ian and Guy's story, I feel it's also an ode to London, as the city plays a major part in the love story too, I think in part it's also Ian's love story with the city, if that makes sense.

I loved both Ian and Guy, I loved Ian's relationship with his flatmates, it was such a great, supportive friendship and yes, Seb and Patrick are meant to be (and I'd love to read it, hint hint 😉). Watching Ian blossom in the short time he had with Guy was an utter delight, and seeing him throw off the shackles of his previous relationship and work life and come alive in his joy in his work and the city he loves was a pleasure. I adore Guy too, the humour, the hidden depths and his immense heart that he gives so quietly to his friends and those around him while maintaining his tough persona. Then you get to know his story and it's just all the feelings.

These two together are hot, funny and just wonderful. I loved every single second of this book and didn't want it to end. While this is a standalone, there are some easter eggs in there from previous books that I loved. It's all so gloriously festive too, set against the backdrop of a London preparing for the festive season and all that entails.

This was a pleasure to read and I loved it.

Rating: 5 Stars 

Sarah C's Review

Con Riley has a magical talent for writing stories that suck you in and make you fall in love. This book is no different, despite the novella status. Most novellas, I always walk away feeling like part of the narrative was rushed in order to fit under a certain word count - whether its character, plot, or relationship development wise. That was not the case in this one, as it had all three in spades despite the shorter word count.

The two main characters, Guy and Ian, are both a bit broken. Ian's career is failing and he's about to give up. He's accepted a job back in his hometown and while he's devastated that his dreams didn't come true, he's accepted that London isn't for everyone. A part of this is because of his former boss/lover who was, frankly, a prick. Like zero redeeming qualities presented on page. Guy is a famous food critic who is known for his somewhat harsh - but always honest - reviews.

The two meet when Ian's old boss needs Ian to step in and do a last minute photo assignment. Ian's broke and agrees - for three times his usual fee. This leads to him meeting Guy. The attraction is immediate - as is Ian's dislike of this attraction because of the things that Guy writes and the parts of him that seem similar to his ex. However, as they get to know one another over the course of the month, Ian learns that Guy couldn't be more different from his ex if he tried. He learns a lot about him - and learns to have faith in himself.

The love story in this is beautiful. It unfolds at a nice pace and feels realistic. I love hearing them talk about their past relationships and I love that the easy way isn't always taken. I loved their communication and the chemistry between them? Yeesh.

This book made me incredibly happy and I know I'll be reading it again and again.  

Rating: 5 Stars

Heather's Review:

If you need a holiday story that captures the true meaning of Christmas, you'll want to pick up His Last Christmas in London by Con Riley.  This book takes two broken men and puts them together in a beautiful way that just gives you all the feels and makes you root for their HEA.   You can appreciate just how uplifting and healing the holiday season can be if you open up your heart.

Rating: 5 Stars


Janet's Review:

His Last Christmas in London was a beautiful read. This was the story I didn’t know I needed until I read it and swooned! It’s so emotional and beautiful! Guy and Ian’s story was so sweet and left me smiling for days! I loved sassy Ian and Guy!! I loved how the author was able to give us a view of London through a camera lens. I loved how Guy stole my heart!! I loved everything about this story!! 

Overall, a sweet, romantic., wonderful story! Well written with perfect pacing. It kept me engaged and left me smiling!

Rating: 5 Stars

His Last Christmas in London is available on Amazon and as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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