Eight Nights in December

3.5 stars.

What a wonderful surprise! In a sea of Christmas stories a perfectly nice and well balanced Hanukkah nugget.

Lucas is a college freshman whose been through more than most. As the winter break approaches he's feeling a bit lonely and dejected, but lucky for him his roommate is Sam Kramer. When Deanna, Sam's mother (love her!) comes to pick-up Sam for winter break and realizes Lucas has nowhere to go there's no question that Lucas is coming home with them. At chez Kramers he ends up rooming with Nate, Sam's geeky & enigmatic brother, and the rest is Hanukkah goodness.

I alway love when authors get location right and this was extra special because it was NYC done right: from the Staten Island ferry rides to all the touristy outings Nate & Lucas get up to. The boys, though mature, behave age appropriate, which means lust, lust, lust. claps Due to life's curveballs Lucas hasn't had a chance to explore his sexuality and that's something Nate is more than happy to help him with. Conversely Lucas, just by his presence, makes Nate re-evaluate his choices and see that maybe there's a wider, more satisfying, world available to him. It's a beautiful thing.

Aside from the yumminess between a sweet virgin and the glasses-wearing hot geek, whose nothing but sexually confident, we get to spend time with the extended Kramer clan. It's great to see a recognizable modern family. They adhere to all of the Jewish traditions for the season while also eating take-out and watching football. And how awesome is brotastic Sam? Loved him.

It all ends in a very plausible HEA epilogue and I'm sure I'll run into these two on some museum visit or rushing off the train.