Narrated by Alexander Cendese
It’s Christmastime in Kingle’s Crossing which means Zeb Seasons is busy helping his brother Gabe out with the family business, an event space and gift shop aptly called Seasons. Zeb is always happy to help at Seasons even if he has to scramble to fit it in around his full time gig as a livestreaming gamer. The bright spot about helping out this year at Seasons is finally getting to see Atlas Orion again after a long absence.
Atlas is a naval supply officer and Gabe’s best friend who Zeb has been crushing on for years. Atlas hasn’t been back to visit Kringle’s Crossing in years due to his strategically important job, which includes providing practical support for SEAL team movements, but he’s promised to make it this year to help out at Seasons. Even though Zeb has no idea if Atlas is interested in men, he’s determined to show Atlas that he’s all grown up and not just Gabe’s little brother. Unfortunately, the reunion doesn’t go as planned when Zeb collides with Atlas while carrying a large bowl of cranberry sauce. This doesn’t bode well for either Atlas or Gage changing how they see Zeb.
Gabe still sees gaming as a “nice hobby” and is waiting for Zeb to “get a real job.” For now, Zeb isn’t pushing back on Gabe’s opinions because he knows Gabe is stressed, not only because business is down, but because his wife is expecting twins by the end of the year, and both brothers are dealing with the loss of their parents several years earlier. But while Zeb is holding back on confronting Gabe’s attitude, he’s not a doormat. Zeb has a scrappy personality and it’s obvious that he’s waiting to find the right time to sort this out. Meanwhile Zeb is more interested in finding out if he has a chance with Atlas.
Atlas is still trying to overcome an unstable childhood spent with thoughtless jet-setting parents. Joining the Navy has given him stability and purpose but he’s never felt much of a connection to anyone other than Gabe’s family and he, too, is feeling the loss of Zeb and Gabe’s parents. He has a world-weary vibe to him and it’s satisfying to listen to him come out of his shell and experience the sense of belonging he’s been missing in his life. Atlas comes across as demi-sexual and I liked how the author develops his growing connection to Zeb and the emotions that follow.
I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters over the course of the book as they go from almost strangers to roommates and then more. What makes this book work in a sea of annual Christmas stories are the well-written leads along with some down to earth challenges for the couple. This sweet and steamy holiday romance doesn’t break any new ground, and some of the dialog feels a bit stilted, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable story that will make you smile that isn’t overly sentimental.
Alexander Cendese is a narrator I’ve enjoyed before for his upbeat style and solid character voices, but I haven’t listened to him in a while. Catered All the Way may change that. The book has a large cast of characters here of varying age and genders, including older men and women and a couple of children, and Mr. Cendese does an excellent job with it all. His portrayal of emotional content is also quite good. In a few scenes his differentiation between the leads slips a little and I had to rely on dialog tags and context to know who was talking but that was minor. I’ll definitely be looking for more of his work in the future.
Catered All the Way worked for me because it’s down to earth with well-written main characters. I liked Zeb’s spicy personality and Atlas’s solid understanding and support for Zeb. I also appreciated the realistic way every obstacle doesn’t get immediately resolved, and that both men are willing to think outside the box and make concessions in order to be together. Alexander Cendese’s narration adds liveliness and fun to the mix, making this an easy book to recommend even when it isn’t Christmas!
Carrie
Buy Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert on Amazon
