If you're looking for a sweet, lower-angst, Christmassy read this will be perfect for you! This was a fun one for sure - I picked it up because Sacha Ivanov, one of the main characters, is the cousin of Alexei Ivanov from Garrett Leigh's Rebel Kings MC series. Alexei is one of my favourites, and as that series continues, we learn more about Alexei's cousin Sacha, and Sacha's partner Jonah. Alexei proclaims that Jonah is one of the nicest, sweetest people he's ever met (to the point where Saint names his cat after him), and Angels in the City was truly proof of that!

Jonah Gray needs a date to his parents' annual Christmas ball. He dreads it every single year. After a chance encounter being trapped in an elevator, Sacha Ivanov winds up accompanying Jonah to the ball and pretending to be his boyfriend. Jonah's rich and successful, owns his own company, and treats his employees like gold. Sacha considers himself a lone wolf, and takes solace in his work and anonymous hookups. The two share a floor in their office building, and all of the sudden, they can't seem to avoid each other. And perhaps they don't want to.

Sacha's mannerisms were so like Alexei (particularly his enigmatic habit of talking in circles for his own amusement) that it made me smile! He was definitely a frustrating character at times, and it felt like he was leading Jonah on when he was trying to figure out his own feelings. I appreciated the chronic pain representation, and I found this book to be an easy read and pretty low-angst. The ending did feel slightly rushed, but it still brought a smile to my face.

This book was pretty sweet and overall I really liked it! I enjoyed both of their characters and liked seeing both of them slowly start to soften toward each other.

But- I really think this book needed more... everything. More scenes of the characters getting to know each other and having meaningful conversations. More scenes of them together outside their friends with benefits relationship. More background on them (so much of both of their backgrounds felt quickly glossed over). But mostly more HEA!

This book was good for what it was, but could have been better if everything went a little deeper.

I received an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fluffiest book I have read by Garrett Leigh... and I don't think she could do fluffier than this. she is one #AngstQueen that I will happily read every time, because her MCs are always real and faulty. By the end of the stories, her men are still faulty, but are always trying hard to become better versions of themselves. there is no quick fix, magical dicks or love miracles. the MCs works hard to get their HEA and by the end they deserve it.

Granted, in this book, the MCs didn't fight as much, because Ms. Garrett chose not to torture them a lot. #NewApproachFFW … she just gave Sacha intense migraines but hey.... you gotta keep your TM!

What I loved:
1. The MCs:
Sacha Sacha Sacha.... this character is such a ball of contradictions. a vulnerable, insecure, confused man who is wrapped up in a scowling cold façade. this is the type of character you just want to bundle up and protect, because you can see through all true bullshit. He needs warmth and love and Jonah was the man to do it! #ReadBetweenTheLines


Jonah Gray... he was just what the doctor ordered to break down Sacha's walls. he is lovable and bright and and honest to a fault. from the get-go. He felt the need to protect and to care for Sacha. #Luchik


2. The Plot:
After being stuck in the elevator, they somehow end up being pretend boyfriends and attend a ball together... que lust and they end up FWB. all through that, both men are working hard, and trying desperately to keep their relationship NSA. #YourEffortsAreFutile

3. The Romance:
Transitioned fluidly from fuckbuddies to lovers. Both men knew they were in too deep after that first time. But there was no way to stop those feeling from evolving to something more. #RunawayTrain

4. Th Heat...
Holy shit it was STEAMY! Ms. leigh never disappoints with her love scenes, even though some intimacies took a while to take place. It was the prefect tease. #Edging

5. The Dialogue:
It was HARD! damn these men talked in circles but each phrase had a hidden meaning that you could pick up flawlessly, even though it was HARD! But it fit their relationship because it showed how they were both avoiding talking about what mattered. #ListenToWhaYoureNotSaying

Slight niggles:
I wanted an epilogue dammit! I needed that HEA into the future, something to let me know how they were doing, what they have been up to... some progression of their relationship. I felt robbed of this part. #WhyYouDoMeLikeThat .... hence the 4 star rating.

All in all.... A great Christmas story and love love love these men. #BravaMsLeigh

The Grump and the Sunshine

This isn’t a sugary sweet love story that has you sighing at every interaction. It’s a story with intense characters who find themselves drawn to each other time after time. It’s an opposites attract read with happy and sweet Jonah and grumpy grumbly Sacha. There’s a matchmaking interfering mother who wants nothing more than her son to find his one.

Jonah and Sacha are thrown together in a forced proximity situation when they become stuck in an elevator. It’s easy to see there is an instant attraction between the two. We have the fake date trope as well as the one-night stand but still on my mind trope as Jonah and Sacha navigate through the beginning of a relationship of sorts. And of course there is the friends with benefits idea that turns into the forever kind of love. Throughout the book you’ll find that Jonah is lighthearted and kind while Sacha puts on a more arrogant and miserable kind of front. The highlight of the book to me was the interactions between the two men as they realized that one could balance the other and strive to become better. This review is an honest and unbiased reflection of my thoughts after reading an advanced readers copy of the book.

❤

This was such a sweet, sexy read – Jonah and Sacha should not have matched at all and yet, they are perfect together. Sacha is so determined to hold himself away from things that overpower his control that he sometimes comes across as cold. But Jonah sees through the exterior and realises that Sacha is a strong, warm, kind, loving man who just needs someone who accepts him exactly as he is.

I loved the relationship between the two of them, the back and forth banter, and the chemistry between them was palpable. I also really enjoyed the background story regarding the App that they were both working on, as well as the characters involved in both of their lives. This was a really enjoyable read and I’m glad I picked it up now even if it’s set at Christmas!