See my review at Sinfully. 3.5 Stars!Midwinter Night’s Dream is the second book in Eli Easton’s Unwrapping Hank series. While you can certainly read this book as a stand-alone M/M romance, fans of this author and series will be excited about this one as we get to see Micah, who we meet in book one of this series, get swept up into the confusing and emotion-filled world of passion and love.It is no secret that I have become a fan of this author with her fun and heart-warming books that leave you clenching your heart, laughing out loud, and happily sighing. This holiday story was no exception. From the first page I was hooked and wanted to see just how things would play out between our two protagonists who let one super-charged kiss jump-start something that takes them both out of their comfort zone.Micah Springfield is a pretty relaxed guy, not allowing most things to get under his skin. However, when a game of “spin-the-bottle” at a college party leads to a scorching hot kiss with another guy; Micah can’t seem to let go of the incident that has somehow imprinted itself on his brain nor can he get the other guy out of his head. Admittedly, Micah has had some bi-curious thoughts in the past but he never imagined that he would act on them. He also never expected to be the one doing the chasing, a first for the laid-back frat boy.Leo Dayson is a theatre major who is known for his passion for the arts and also for his involvement in all things that have to do with gay activism. He is definitely out and proud on campus. When he locks lips with Micah at the party, Leo is taken aback at how intense the kiss turns out to be. However, Leo has no interest in dating a straight guy no matter how much he makes his heart sing. Done that, bought the t-shirt. Plus, Leo needs to focus on his senior project directing Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream which is fast approaching. Nope…no time for a sexy frat boy with dreads...no time at all!I loved how different both guys were. Despite their obvious dissimilarities, they just seemed to click when they let their guards down. Micah is this lovable and vibrant character who you can’t help but fall in love with. His easy-going nature was hard not to like and I loved the fact that it took Leo, someone Micah did not expect, to be the one to rock him and set him completely off-kilter. Leo definitely wanted to play it safe when it came to Micah as his past experiences left him approaching matters of the heart more on the cautious side. He had no idea just how much he needed someone like Micah in his life, not until the sexy frat-boy sauntered into his atmosphere. This was a tender, sweet and sexy tale as we watch the two college guys go from one defining and heat-charged moment to something more. Something neither one of them expected when they ventured down the road of harmless flirtation and lust. All in all, Midwinter Night’s Dream was a wonderful, sugary-sweet, tale that is a perfect holiday read. Just the book to put you in the holiday spirit. This is definitely a series (and an author) to check out for lovers of the M/M genre. ***An advance reading copy of Midwinter Night's Dream by Eli Easton was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
2 Not Quite What I Wanted StarsEli Easton has become one of my go-to authors when I want a little bit of fluff, and let's face it, that's all the freakin' time. I had high hopes for this book since I was already half in love with Micah from Unwrapping Hank, sadly, they weren't exactly met.Micah was just as great as I imagined he would be. He was laid-back and care-free, a guy who didn't want attachments and was fine with random hook-ups to take the edge off. I aso loved how non-judgemental he was about other people. And then he had to go and ruin it for me by using Yas to get to Leo. Although I did like how all-in he went when he found a guy he actually cared about, I didn't like the way he went at it by stringing Yasmin along. Maybe in the beginning I could pretend that he wasn't concious of what he was doing but, by the end, he damn well knew what he was doing.Now Leo... Leo was awesome. He was talented and passionate about what he loved and believed in and he was an actually good friend, who wasn't willing to stomp all over Yas' feelings to get Micah. He did have this stupid "only-homo" rule that he luckily got over quickly. I enjoyed reading his POV and actually finding him a grounded and logical person who learned something from previous experiences!The romance aspect was also poorly developed. I liked the beginning very much. I enjoyed the spin-the-bottle scene and Micah's awkwardness in admitting his feelings later. But then the author had to go and skip the "getting to know each other" stage by jumping a week later. Why? It robbed me of the details that would make me invest in the love story. I ended up founding the romance lacking and insubstantial.And as if that wasn't enough, the author had to go a novella between two couples. Helen and Yas' relationship was even worse because that wasn't just rushed, it was out of the freaking blue. It felt like Eli Easton just dropped that relationship on our feet(or more accurately she dropped Helen between Yas' legs) just to "make up" and sweep under the rug the fact that Micah had used Yas to get Leo.It's a sad day in my world when I can't enjoy an Eli Easton book at all. Hope she does better next time!
What do You think about Midwinter Night's Dream (2015)?
3.5 stars rounded upOK. Let's face it! Eli Easton could write me her grocery list and I would not only read it but at least like it a lot.We know Micah from last years "Unwrapping Hank" and I was more than just a little bit excited to read his story.Yes, I liked it a lot but somehow it didn't touch me as much as the other books by Eli Easton I've read so far. I think Todd described it best in his review.I loved to see Sloane, Hank and Micah's parents again. And I still want a Grinch all for myself!
—Britta ★ Nachteule ★
~3.5~Micah, Micah, Micah, he of the dreads and laid-back tude. I loved Micah in Unwrapping Hank. He's the big brother everyone wants: supportive of Hank and willing to step back and let Hank claim his man. Micah is equally awesome in Midwinter Night's Dream. He kisses Leo during the app version of Spin the Bottle (I didn't know that was still a thing) and is HOOKED. But Leo adheres to his Only Homo motto and shoots him down flat.Even so, when Leo needs a new venue for the student play he's producing, Micah graciously offers his parents' huge barn. I liked the first-person alternating POVs. Micah is as chill on the inside as he is on the outside. A few short sections are narrated in the third-person by Sloane and a couple other secondary characters. I found this a little distracting and not necessary. I also wanted more page time with Leo and Micah. The weeks leading up to the play where they get to know each other better are summarized, so the UST is off page. The steam level isn't high, but the one scene in the barn (where else?) is very sexy. I loved that Sloane and Hank are still going strong! Having them in the story (but not overly present) was nice. However, the side story with Helen and Yas was random and didn't need to be there. Huge YES to Micah and Hank's parents and Grinch the dog. This is a FUN, easy holiday read! And Micah for the WIN: So. Definitely bisexual. I was stoked about that. It was as if Life had opened up Door #3 when I'd thought the game was already over, and what was behind it rocked.
—~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~
'Midwinter's Night Dream' is Eli Easton's follow up to last years 'Unwrapping Hank' and admittedly I am also of the 'Unwrapping Hank' was better opinion like so many others. However, I still really enjoyed this story, as well, and wouldn't have missed it.Now, if you want to read a really good review of this book and see what Micah truly should look like just read Dani's review here on GR (you can sit and ogle Micah for a while, Dani won't mind and hell, I do it all the time).Also if you haven't read 'Unwrapping Hank' I guess you could still read this one but honestly it's way more fun if you read them both and in order because Hank and Sloane are awesome and their story shouldn't be missed.4 orange? yellowish orange? 'damned if I know what color they are anymore' stars because apparently they can change the color but they can't make 1/2 stars here on GR so I rounded up from 3.5 stars.
—Karen
