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Hiding Behind The Couch #Novellas
First Christmas
Remember the way you used to feel when you were little? So eager for Santa's visit, sleeplessly counting the minutes till morning, trembling with excitement and anticipation... Will I get what I wished for? Have I been good enough?
Josh and George spent half a lifetime apart, so it matters not that they're all grown up now. For this is their first Christmas together, in their new home. They finally have all that they wished for...
...But perhaps Santa still has a few surprises in store.
This Christmas, join Josh and George for a Christmas story full of festive magic and romance.
Best read in December, in front of a roaring log fire, by the twinkling light of a Christmas tree.
Other stories about these characters:
- Beginnings
- Breaking Waves
- A Midnight Clear
And, of course, you can read about them and the rest of their friends in the Hiding Behind The Couch series.
Josh and George spent half a lifetime apart, so it matters not that they're all grown up now. For this is their first Christmas together, in their new home. They finally have all that they wished for...
...But perhaps Santa still has a few surprises in store.
This Christmas, join Josh and George for a Christmas story full of festive magic and romance.
Best read in December, in front of a roaring log fire, by the twinkling light of a Christmas tree.
Other stories about these characters:
- Beginnings
- Breaking Waves
- A Midnight Clear
And, of course, you can read about them and the rest of their friends in the Hiding Behind The Couch series.
72 pages, ebook
First published November 29, 2013
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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December 12, 2014First Christmas is a a festive romance. If you want more than this, it's a gay male (M/M) romance. If you're looking for erotic romance, then look elsewhere. The only thing going on under the Christmas tree here is gift-wrap!
It's a stand-alone novella, but it does chronologically follow on from book 3 of Hiding Behind The Couch (The Harder They Fall), so there would be spoilers if you're reading the series, but you don't need to.
My inspiration was to explore what Christmas is like for two people who have loved each other for a very long time, but for lots of reasons have only just come together. I wrote it with the deliberate intention that it should be heart-warming, romantic, and, well...mushy! It's meant to leave you feeling warm inside, like everything is right with the world.
I also wanted to explore the challenges of mental health and illness without over-dramatising. Every year 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem (mind.org.uk). For some of us it can be a relatively transient one-off, for others of us it is a repeating cycle. Psychiatry talks of putting mental illness in remission, implying that it is possible for a mental health problem to be 'cured'.
Without getting too far into the political arguments of diagnosis and treatment, from book 3 onwards I have attempted to weave into the narrative the more realistic idea of keeping a mental 'disorder' in order, of living a fulfilling life with a so-called mental health 'problem' - I use inverted commas here because mental health is not that easily quantified and in any case there are both positive and negative elements to having 'atypical' mental health.
In short, First Christmas is not heavy-going. It's happy, upbeat, HEA stuff. I hope you enjoy it!
It's a stand-alone novella, but it does chronologically follow on from book 3 of Hiding Behind The Couch (The Harder They Fall), so there would be spoilers if you're reading the series, but you don't need to.
My inspiration was to explore what Christmas is like for two people who have loved each other for a very long time, but for lots of reasons have only just come together. I wrote it with the deliberate intention that it should be heart-warming, romantic, and, well...mushy! It's meant to leave you feeling warm inside, like everything is right with the world.
I also wanted to explore the challenges of mental health and illness without over-dramatising. Every year 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem (mind.org.uk). For some of us it can be a relatively transient one-off, for others of us it is a repeating cycle. Psychiatry talks of putting mental illness in remission, implying that it is possible for a mental health problem to be 'cured'.
Without getting too far into the political arguments of diagnosis and treatment, from book 3 onwards I have attempted to weave into the narrative the more realistic idea of keeping a mental 'disorder' in order, of living a fulfilling life with a so-called mental health 'problem' - I use inverted commas here because mental health is not that easily quantified and in any case there are both positive and negative elements to having 'atypical' mental health.
In short, First Christmas is not heavy-going. It's happy, upbeat, HEA stuff. I hope you enjoy it!
September 24, 2014
First Christmas (from the Hiding Behind The Couch series), is the second book I’ve read by Debbie McGowan and once again I found myself absolutely blown away by the simplistic charm of the whole tale.
The two main characters are as cute as can be, yet with very real characteristics and very real flaws and emotional defects. Debbie McGowan seems to have a real knack of weaving a sweet tale and then peppering it with hardcore facts and events before popping a ribbon on the top to soften the blow.
Tiny point, much like with Beginnings, I do have to confess that I feel the cover could be improved!
The two main characters are as cute as can be, yet with very real characteristics and very real flaws and emotional defects. Debbie McGowan seems to have a real knack of weaving a sweet tale and then peppering it with hardcore facts and events before popping a ribbon on the top to soften the blow.
Tiny point, much like with Beginnings, I do have to confess that I feel the cover could be improved!
December 30, 2012
‘Do NOT read as a proof-reader – enjoy – treat it like a Christmas present.’
These were the instructions issued to me by the author, Debbie McGowan, when she sent me a copy of First Christmas. The truth is, I have been absolutely sick with excitement at the thought of this little novella ever since she let slip that she was penning it – I just can’t get enough of the characters in this series, especially George and Josh, the characters that this short focuses on. Never mind a Christmas present – this MADE my Christmas.
I’m not one for the mushy stuff. I’ll read it, or watch it, but I don’t actively seek it out. However, the mush in here (I won’t say any more than that on the matter) brought me out in instant goosebumps of delight; reading was like witnessing a moment unfold between two friends – as if through a window, when they think they’re alone. Fly on the wall kind of stuff. It was beautiful.
I also don’t really do Christmas stories. But this, well, I was grinning like a lunatic. This is for life, not just for Christmas. I was overjoyed at the addition of a brand new character, and as per always, George's mum had me absolutely howling with her salt-of-the-earth Mancunian charm.
I just feel very sorry for everyone who has to wait until next Christmas for this. This is my favourite in the series yet, and I’m sure it’ll be yours too – just make sure you’re on Santa’s nice list next year to receive this – I’d say a good way to avoid the naughty list would be to read up on the first three books in the series and be up to speed with the back story for this little Christmas cracker!
These were the instructions issued to me by the author, Debbie McGowan, when she sent me a copy of First Christmas. The truth is, I have been absolutely sick with excitement at the thought of this little novella ever since she let slip that she was penning it – I just can’t get enough of the characters in this series, especially George and Josh, the characters that this short focuses on. Never mind a Christmas present – this MADE my Christmas.
I’m not one for the mushy stuff. I’ll read it, or watch it, but I don’t actively seek it out. However, the mush in here (I won’t say any more than that on the matter) brought me out in instant goosebumps of delight; reading was like witnessing a moment unfold between two friends – as if through a window, when they think they’re alone. Fly on the wall kind of stuff. It was beautiful.
I also don’t really do Christmas stories. But this, well, I was grinning like a lunatic. This is for life, not just for Christmas. I was overjoyed at the addition of a brand new character, and as per always, George's mum had me absolutely howling with her salt-of-the-earth Mancunian charm.
I just feel very sorry for everyone who has to wait until next Christmas for this. This is my favourite in the series yet, and I’m sure it’ll be yours too – just make sure you’re on Santa’s nice list next year to receive this – I’d say a good way to avoid the naughty list would be to read up on the first three books in the series and be up to speed with the back story for this little Christmas cracker!
June 12, 2018
I disagree that this is a stand alone novella. Why is Josh like that? What did Sean have to get him through? Why were he and George apart last Christmas? There is so much back story missing I couldn't enjoy what was here as I wished. .also, what is up with Josh and water??
June 9, 2014
A sweet little short story mainly about 2 of our favourite characters. A wonderful new character arrives in this book who I know holds a very special place in the authors heart and mine too.
December 23, 2020
I'll give this 3 stars instead of 2 because I think the reason I didn't enjoy it was that I didn't realize that these characters were all from a series I haven't read. It was a bit confusing for me and the book kept referencing things I didn't know about. I highly suggest if you want to read this that you read the series books first.
November 25, 2025
3.5 stars
The problem with having books on Mount TBR for 9 years is that I don't remember these people at all, if I ever actually read any of their earlier stories. Sigh. It was well written, but I'm definitely stepping into a series in the middle here.
The problem with having books on Mount TBR for 9 years is that I don't remember these people at all, if I ever actually read any of their earlier stories. Sigh. It was well written, but I'm definitely stepping into a series in the middle here.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews