Thirty-One Days and Legos

It was wonderful to have another visit with these two strong and caring park rangers. This sequel is another feel good holiday story. It was fun to see how much two boys and a cat can upset the lives of two men who think they are prepared.

Book 2: Thirty-One Days and Legos
POV: person, character
Star rating - ★★★★★
Length: 57 pages

Damn! I didn't think Carter and Owen's story could get any better, but this one knocked it out the park (excuse the pun!). Not only did it have all the Christmas cheer and chaos of a real family, but it handled the issues of fostering, suicide and foster care with delicacy and respect.

Carter was just as humbug as I hoped, while the boys really helped brighten up his life. Owen was a shining star of Christmas fun and perfectly balanced the chaos and snark of Carter's POV. They worked together as a couple, as a family, and as individuals, in a way that not all books – especially of this length – can manage.

I loved every minute!

~

Favourite Quote

“Owen loves Christmas to a disturbing degree. If Christmas were a person, Owen would have an affair with it, there's no doubt in my mind.”

““Are you being optimistic?” Owen turns around and faces me, his jovial mood returning in full force. “Carter, I rely on you to tell me the harsh, jaded truth of the world. You can't go switching roles with me.””

~

OVERALL

Both books were a joy to read. Perfect for sitting in front of a fire, snow falling outside, a cup of hot chocolate in hand, while enjoying the peace and quiet of a Christmas month. I know the second story says it can be read as a standalone, but I had to say that you get the best sense of Christmas warmth by reading both, one after the other. You have to read them together to really understand Carter and the growth he went through, adjusting from Tiny Tim's arrival in his life to having a cat called Legos. You have to read it to believe it.

I was very lucky last year to be able to read ‘Ranger Station Haven’, a short story in the 2016 Dreamspinner Advent Calendar - Bah Humbug! and I loved everything about it. From Carter’s grumpiness to Owen’s complete opposite and even the six foster kids they rescued out in the forest. I even got a little mushy feeling at the end although I tried to ignore it. Regardless, I was happy to see the author write ‘Thirty-one Days and Legos’ so I could return to the forest, Carter and Owen, and the two boys they adopted.

“Yeah, just what I need,” I reply, “someone to tell me how to parent.”
“We’ve never been parents before. It’s a reasonable requirement for adoption.”
“They don’t make pregnant women take parenting classes,” I say, restraining my irritation but failing to keep my volume low. “Some sixteen-year-old can get knocked up and raise her kid however she wants, but two fully grown men with careers have to pass a whole host of parenting classes before they can adopt a kid? Bullshit.”

It took but a moment to see that Carter’s sunny (gah!) personality hasn’t changed - although I did agree with him 100 percent. Luckily for Carter, Owen is his same patient, optimistic self, a nice counter to Carter. However, Carter is the one who pushed for doing this and he chose the brothers, Edmund and Luke specifically, so I figured his crotchetiness was probably nerves. I couldn’t help but laugh when the boys first arrive at their home and Carter is… well, his normal blunt self, and Owen just sighs and puts his palm on his face like, “I told him subtle”. LOL!

I could seriously empathize with Carter during most of this novella. I have always known I wouldn’t be a good mother - I’m far too impatient - but if the unexpected happened I would strive to be the very best parent I could be. Poor Carter. Everything seems to be going wrong and he keeps trying so hard, but what he doesn’t realize is that much like he told the kids to be themselves, he too needs to listen to his own advice. Having as many nieces and nephews as I do, I have found that kids tend to respond well to honesty and directness. If they know what’s expected of them and the rules don’t change at a whim, they tend to be confident enough to just let themselves be. (That’s all the parenting wisdom I have and you just got it for free. Of course, I’ve also managed to raise the most co-dependent animals in the world, so perhaps I know nothing.)

My biggest complaint - so not long enough. Seriously. I think I’m going to need an Easter story or a summer break one. Both would be the best but I’m willing to be lenient with the author. If you think I’m joking, I’m not. This is not my joking face. I really love this family and I definitely want more of them. You know, for my Christmas gift.

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

Thirty-One Days and Legos is the second part of Carter and Owen’s story, originally began in Ranger Station Haven last holiday season. It can certainly be read as a standalone without issue, but I’m glad I read the first part leading up to this release as it gave me a little more depth to the characters.

Thirty-One Days and Legos picks up nearly a year after Carter and Owen rescued six runaways during a winter storm in a Minnesota National Park. Now the men are set to officially bring Luke and Edmund – two of the children they rescued- into their lives and legally adopt them. Carter’s brashness covering his loving heart once again had me grinning through most of the story. This ended up being a little mellower story than Ranger Station Haven, but the personable characters and great pacing were still present and I really enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story. Thirty-One Days and Legos ended up being a really sweet holiday story highlighting the love of a growing family. Though I would have loved to also get an update about the other children Owen and Carter rescued, this was a nice follow-up to Ranger Station Haven and I definitely would recommend this two story series to anyone looking for some holiday reading.

*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*