Paralegal Seth Bellski is tired of being his boss’s secret boyfriend.  He may love Lars Varga, and his love may be returned, but Lars’s fears over what the other attorneys at his firm will think of him keeps him deep in the closet and it’s tearing him and Seth apart.  When Lars calls off their plans to visit Seth’s aunt and uncle’s kosher B&B for Hanukkah, it’s the last straw for Seth.  He breaks things off with Lars and drives up to Canada on his own.  What he doesn’t expect is the madness that awaits him.  His aunt and uncle are missing and he has a B&B full of guests to deal with.  It’s one disaster after another, and to make matters worse, Lars shows up, practically begging Seth to take him back.  Lars will do just about anything to gain Seth’s forgiveness, including help run the B&B.  Seth has never doubted his love for Lars, but even if the pair makes it through Hanukkah in one piece, will they be able to figure out a way to make their relationship work?  Or will Lars’s reluctance to come out spell disaster for their rekindled romance?

Astrid Amara masterfully blends tenderness, forgiveness, humor, and chaos in this fantastic Hanukkah romance.  What’s different about Carol of the Bellskis is that Seth and Lars have no problem recognizing their feelings for one another.  The true obstacle in their relationship is Lars’s willingness to let the rest of the world know he and Seth are a couple.  It’s understandable why love just isn’t enough for Seth and I respected him for knowing that he deserves to be more than a secret.  However, though he’s made mistakes, Lars is a truly wonderful hero.  He’s sweet, generous, brilliant, and devastatingly sexy.  It’s a hard combination to resist.  I could not stop reading Carol of the Bellskis because I wanted to see him take that extra step, to be able to confront his fears for the sake of living the life he could have with Seth.