‘Stardust’ is the first story in this year’s Dreamspinner thirty-one story Advent Calendar I read, and it was a brilliant start as far as I am concerned. It has everything I look for in a holiday tale: two great guys who more than deserve love, soft and gentle romance, passion, a bit of suspense, and a happy ending with justified hope for so much more.

Duncan has been sent to Germany by his company o he can oversee the production of a mirror to be used for building a huge telescope. The work isn’t stressful, and he has lots of free time on his hands, more than he knows what to do with alone in a foreign country where he doesn’t understand more than a little of the language. Georg’s offer to show him around is very welcome, and even though Duncan is hesitant because his cheating ex has always told him he is boring, he accepts the offered opportunity with open arms and a hopeful heart. The shared details about the role of stardust in our lives and how these men incorporate it into their romance really spoke to me. Duncan and Georg soon get closer, and Duncan’s feelings quickly deepen. The anticipated pain of their upcoming separation once the project is finished almost makes Duncan withdraw in an attempt to lessen the eventual heartache, but in the end, he decides to live each day with as much joy as possible—while he can.

Georg is a wonderful man, and the reluctance with which he reveals some of his family background was charming! I can’t blame him for wanting to be careful, as he has his own bad experiences to deal with. But once he figures out that Duncan really is different, he is determined to make the most of what they have. I loved how he shares his family traditions with Duncan, and how he includes him in the somewhat standoffish German office team. Georg also comes up with a very creative Christmas gift, one that makes everything even better.

I loved this story from beginning to end. With all the wonderful details a German Christmas can bring, including the ambiance, the food, and all the Christmas traditions around the preparation and the celebration itself, it managed to completely pull me into what was happening. The final gift-giving scene was perfect, and laid all my fears about Duncan and Georg’s future to rest. If you’re looking for a tender, gentle love story with a festive flair, if you enjoy reading about Christmas traditions in other countries, and if you want a read that is as romantic as it is Christmassy, then you will probably like this sort novella as much as I did. What a great start to the Christmas season!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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