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Nortown #1

Once in a Snowstorm

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Daring a snowstorm might not be the smartest thing Aiden has ever done, but he can’t stand being in his flat a moment longer. With only three days to Christmas, he doesn’t want to be alone. He wants a place to belong, wants people around him who won’t look down on him. He might not find all that at his mother’s place, but at least it’s better than being alone in the city. If he can make it there, that is.

Tristan is looking forward to a quiet night in front of the TV, but instead, he has to save an idiot in designer clothes from freezing to death in his forest. Tristan tries not to notice the man’s good looks, just like he has tried not to notice any man’s good looks for the last seven years. He knows where relationships go and is far better off living alone, with his dog, in his cabin.

Aiden is driving Tristan mad with his bratty comments and irresponsible ways, and Aiden is going crazy from Tristan’s judgmental attitude. Luckily, in a few days, the weather will clear up, and the two men won’t have to be together any longer. But will a few steamy nights with the grumpy lumberjack change Aiden’s mind about wanting to leave? And will Tristan still want to go back to his peaceful, predictable life without fear of getting his heart broken?

In this
Once in a Snowstorm (Nortown #1)
Once in a Forest (Nortown #2)
The Empty Egg (Nortown #2.5)

* * *

Content this story includes scenes of explicit intimacy between consenting male adults

102 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2015

2 people are currently reading
201 people want to read

About the author

Ofelia Gränd

82 books151 followers
Gay fiction and M/M Romance writer

Ofelia Gränd is Swedish, which often shines through in her stories. She likes to write about everyday people ending up in not-so-everyday situations, and hopefully also getting out of them. She writes contemporary, paranormal, romance, horror, Sci-Fi and whatever else catches her fancy.

Her books are written for readers who want to take a break from their everyday life for an hour or two.

When Ofelia manages to tear herself from the screen and sneak away from husband and children, she likes to take walks in the woods. She’s recently discovered the miracle of podcasts and spends her strolls listening to wise people talk.



If you want to know more, subscribe to Ofelia's email list at http://ofeliagrand.us9.list-manage.co...


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5 stars
33 (14%)
4 stars
87 (38%)
3 stars
81 (35%)
2 stars
23 (10%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,492 reviews1,055 followers
December 23, 2015
~4.25~

Tristan is a REAL lumberjack.



He lives with his dog in a remote cabin in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

His life is routine and ordinary until a few days before Christmas when he rescues Aiden, in his fancy, impractical sneakers, from freezing to death in the woods.

I loved Tristan and melted every time he called Aiden "darling." Aiden was a little too defensive for his own good, which made more sense once I realized his mother's the kind of person you push in front of a bus and walk away whistling.

The scene with Tristan's ex felt random, and I wish the epilogue had been set further in the future, but Aiden and Tristan FIT.

Tristan needed to believe in love again, and Aiden hid a world of vulnerability beneath his snooty exterior.

I'm a sucker for gruff, lonely men and stranded-in-a-blizzard stories, especially if the men in question look like this:



Comfort/healing, slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, sexy times, cool dog, and a tentative HEA: what's not to love?
Profile Image for Heather K (dentist in my spare time).
4,063 reviews6,542 followers
November 20, 2018
I really like Ofelia Gränd, and though Once in a Snowstorm had it's issues, I just can't resist a snowstorm, opposites-attract romance.

Novellas are hard, and when you try to do a lot and create a bunch of moments, it sometimes doesn't quite gel. This didn't quite gel all the way for me. I liked the MCs together, but they danced around things that I wanted them to talk about, and there was just something a little off about their interactions.

Parts of the story were really good, and I loved the small-town romance vibe, but I think I just needed more time with these two to make it all come together. There is always the rest of the series to satisfy me!

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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Profile Image for Meags.
2,433 reviews673 followers
December 23, 2018
3.5 Stars

Full of romance clichés done well, Once in a Snowstorm was a sweet, funny, festive, and damn sexy little enemies-turned-lovers romance about grumpy lumberjack Tristan and down-on-his-luck drama queen Aiden, who fall for one another when they find themselves in forced proximity during a Christmastime snowstorm.

Definitely an easy and enjoyable read. I have no doubt I’ll be happily revisiting the Nortown series at a later date.
Profile Image for Al.
Author 27 books154 followers
December 9, 2015
I love Ofelia Grand's writing, and not just because she terrifies me hahahahah. But this is a delicious, jolly romp that made me smile and dimple in many areas :D
Tristan is this bear of a man, living a lonely and chilly existence in his cabin in the woods. Yes, he looks shit scary, but deep, deep, down, he is - you know - boyfriend material. There's just something about a fierce bearded chap with an axe that dings my bell :D



And then along comes Aiden, who is sensitive with loafers :D



There is some minor hissy fitting from both fellas, which I for one enjoyed immensely. What is that phrase?

The calm before a good shag? Or something similar??

But after some nice steam and lip worrying, there is the sort of ending that we all want - two kissing beardies!!!!!!!!!!! Bring on the cabin cider!!!!!!!


And so conculdes my 200 books of the year!!!









Profile Image for Kristan.
379 reviews41 followers
December 11, 2015
4.5 stars

Tonight, on

description

Er... I mean... Once in a Snowstorm.

One grumpy, lonely Lumberjack will walk out into a snowstorm to look for his wayward dog, and instead will come across a drama queen/human popsicle.

DUN Dun dun.

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And while our lumberjack seriously wonders how someone could be so stupid to be out on a stormy night like this...

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He invites the nearly frozen stranger to stay in his cabin. (Probably because he doesn't want to have to bury the body if he dies. - This is Ofelia Grand - there was a strong possibility the story could have gone that way)

Instant frustration and miscommunication ensue as Drama Queen becomes even more insufferable, and Lonely Lumberjack just wants him to thaw out and go home.

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But Drama Queen can't go home; the weather is terrible, the electricity is out, and there's the small fact that he has nowhere to go.

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These two men can barely stand each other.

What.

Will.

They.

Do?


The only sensible thing. They fuck.

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And just like that Drama Queen I mean, Aiden becomes less insufferable, Lumberjack's I mean, Tristan's heart grows three sizes, and they live Happily. Ever. After.

Okay, so this ticked a few trope boxes - deliberately so.

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I still loved it.

It poked fun at all those silly little tropes, and still made you completely root for Aiden and Tristan along the way

A fun, little holiday read. (Beard action included!)

***********************************************************************************************



Grumpy Bear? Lumberjack?! A bearded man!!?

*Is in awe*

Is this heaven?

description
Profile Image for Ele.
1,319 reviews40 followers
July 2, 2016
*4.25 stars*

The note at the beginning of the book states that the author decided to have some fun, and write a book that includes all the overused MM tropes. Well, she achieved her goal. This was a big, fat cliché, start to finish. I loved it!



Tristan is a grumpy, gruff, lonely lumberjack. He's anti-social, bordering on offensive. But his heart is soft like a marshmallow. While searching for his missing dog, he bumps into....



no wait, I meant....



...and he just has to help him. Aiden is the city boy-drama queen who was stupid enough to get stranded in a snow storm. And now he has no choice but to stay with the Big Bad Lumberjack until he can go home again.

The electricity is out. The cabin is small. It's cold outside. There's nowhere to go. Tristan and Aiden can't stand each other. And then....



This was so much fun. Perfect for a Christmas read, and although all these stereotypes piled up would have normally irritated me, they didn't, because FUN. The author really made me care about the characters and their romance. I rooted for Tristan and Aiden. And Og, the dog. I have all the love for Og.

Recommended!

*Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.*

Profile Image for Saioa.
47 reviews13 followers
July 7, 2016
A growly lumberjack and a sassy twink prone to drama stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere? Welcome to paradise.

description

Tristan is an honest-to-god lumberjack. He's no hipster, oh no. He's the real deal.
Poor Tristan has been living alone for the last seven years after a bad break up that left him bitter and heartbroken. He retired to his cabin with his dog as his only company and had 0 hopes of ever loving again.

description

Aiden was having a terrible month. He lost his job, was going to be evicted and his (horrible, horrible) mother wasn't answering his phone calls. Of course, given his luck, he had an accident during a snowstorm and was freezing to death until a grumpy bear rescued him.

What can you do when you are stranded in a blizzard with a complete stranger that you can't stand? Well...

description

Yep, exactly.

Author promised to add as many overused MM tropes as possible, and she did. This book was a delicious compendium of cliches. I loved it! :*)
Profile Image for Amy Spector.
Author 32 books124 followers
December 9, 2015

SNOWSTORMS CAN BE DREADFUL.

They're cold, bleak. Boring.

HOW CAN ONE PASS THE TIME? :(



Oh, that works! :D

Now for picture of lumberjacks!









Oh, hell yeah!

Profile Image for Christelle.
808 reviews
March 20, 2017
Well, I’m the odd one out for this book. But I didn’t really like the characters and the lack of communication or, when it happened, all the assumptions :-(
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,616 reviews562 followers
January 21, 2017
3 Stars because it’s Christmas

This went down easily enough, but be forewarned that things progress quickly and implausibly. Since it’s technically a holiday story, such things are expected.

Poor Aidan has lost both his job and his apartment, and not wanting to spend the holidays alone, he attempts to make it to his mother’s, who he hasn’t spoken to in over 5 years. As expected, that plan pretty much bombs, and he almost dies when a ginormous snowstorm leaves him stranded.

Enter Tristan and his dog Og, who save poor Aiden. Tristan is quite the curmudgeon and he definitely has reasons for it. These two fight, bicker, misinterpret signals, and you guessed it…. fall in love. Nothing new to this sort of storyline. Again, simple holiday fluff when you need it.
Profile Image for True Loveislovereview.
2,794 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2016
Great predictable read. Two days before June I have read this little Christmas tale. I felt it all. Lovely story about the big grumpy and the small queen in a cabin. Some back and forth pushing around and then the finale. Great way of putting the words down, I really loved the flow. Predictable but who the hell cares, it was entertaining.
Profile Image for Rachel.
753 reviews124 followers
Want to read
December 8, 2015
Shhhh...don't tell her I told you so, but Ofelia Grand is one of the sweetest and most generous authors. For those lucky readers who subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.ofeliagrand.com/, Ofelia has fun treats and delightful goodies that she gives away. It's like Christmas, only it happens all year-round!!

Speaking of Christmas joy, I am excited to read "Once in a Snowstorm." According to Ofelia, this one is chock-full of all of the delightful tropes and clichés that make romance reading so much fun. Ofelia takes all of these well-loved chestnuts, and gives readers an adventure, enjoying it either as a "light holiday romance (the story starts three days before Christmas)" or as a romance novel trope treasure hunt.

I'm off to enjoy the adventure...

Profile Image for Dante Love Fisher.
208 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2015
First things first. Don't bother googling 'man with wood'. The results are not nearly as exciting as you'd think. Neither was 'lumberjack with big hatchet'. :D



I knew going in that I probably hadn't read enough romance to catch on to all the tropes, but every genre has it's own goto cliches that you either love or hate. Maybe even a little of both.

I love Ofelia Grand's writing, so this story, which was over-the-top and beyond cheesy at times, was also sweet and fun and pretty hot. LOL

And no one got killed! Should I have spoilered that?

A surprisingly fun, light-hearted read.

Profile Image for Len Evans Jr.
1,493 reviews218 followers
July 30, 2018
I absolutely loved this holiday-themed love story. What do you get when you put a grouchy, hurt lumberjack bear in the same small cabin with a sassy sexy massage therapist whose also not been well-treated by life and people lately? Sparks and eventually major fireworks!!! I loved these two MCs, they very quickly felt like friends to me and I so enjoyed getting to know them better. This short novella was a fun, sweet and sexy read and I enjoyed every page!
Profile Image for Fani.
182 reviews24 followers
November 14, 2016
“Too bad you’re such a prick at times.”

“Once in a Snowstorm” is a Christmas story very different from others. Usually we have big family gatherings, bright decorations and loud celebrations but this story takes place in an isolated cabin in the forest just outside a small town.

The setting might have been quiet and relaxing but the interactions between the main characters were not! Both Tristan and Aiden got hurt by people in the past so it was only logical that there would be a lot of friction between those two due the fact that both were emotionally guarded. Seeing their arguments was as much fun as it was seeing them tear down the walls that they had built and finally connect with each other. I think that snowstorm was the best thing that happened to them.

The only thing I found out of place in the story was Paul, i find it hard to believe that after so long he would make an appearance. Despite that I really liked this book, it was really good and it definitely put me in a Christmas mood.

I voluntarily reviewed the free copy of this book that I received.
Profile Image for Nerea.
725 reviews33 followers
July 17, 2016


Woah!! ♥ A CLASSIC!

A city boy who lost his job and have no place to go, get stuck in a blizzard! His only solution is go out from the car and search for help. And the HELP found him! The Help is Tristan the lumberjack who lives in an isolated cabin with his dog since his last boyfriend was a total jerk with him …. :(

So yes, at first their different lifestyles collide and create some misunderstandings, but the LOVE conquers all and more at Christmas !!!!! YEAH!

LOVE THIS!

Profile Image for Susan.
2,327 reviews454 followers
June 5, 2016
3.5 stars

Super cute story about a city boy falling for a lumberjack, when he is stranded in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard. Oh, and it’s Christmas too.

I love how this story came to be.

I read a thread on Goodreads about tropes in M/M Romance and was laughing at all the things mentioned there. I told Amy Spector and Al Stewart about it and said that I would write a story including as many of them as I could possibly piece together.

It was great!

description
Profile Image for Debbie McGowan.
Author 88 books199 followers
December 8, 2015
Editor's Review

Just a quick review, because as you'll see by the acknowledgements, this story appeared in my inbox like a man walking out of a blizzard. Ho-hum.

Unlike Tristan, I did roll my eyes a good few times while 'reading' Once in a Snowstorm. But the author made magic happen, because while Tristan is a grumpy git and Aiden is a drama queen, I wanted their happy ending.

It's a fun festive romance.

Og the dog.

That is all.
Profile Image for Wicked.
798 reviews
July 6, 2016
I discovered another book written by two unknown to me at the time authors. Then I started reading all the books by that writing team. They lead me to other authors writing for this unknown to me at the time publisher and I couldn't be happier. This is one of those books I might possibly have never known about and it was such a sweet read. I really liked these characters and that's all it takes to make me love a story. The author said it started out as a spoof but what it ended up being was a sweet, sexy read with lovable characters and a fun setting. I'm excited to read more from this author as well as the rest in this series.
Profile Image for Zuzu.
1,061 reviews34 followers
November 24, 2018
Aiden was jobless, homeless and stranded in a blizzard. Luckily big, strong lumberjack Tristan rescued him.
Profile Image for Diverse.
1,179 reviews53 followers
December 8, 2016
3.5 Stars

This is a holiday tale that came out last year but I'm just reading it now! Shocking! I'm surprised this one didn't catch my eye earlier just from that blurb alone.

I found Once in a Snowstorm to be a quick read but also a fun and enjoyable one. It was predictable, but that was okay because I'm fairly certain it wasn't supposed to be suspenseful.

Now, do not take this book very seriously. This is to be a light read that leans heavily on fluff. An enemies to lovers. We have a gruff and grumpy Lumberjack and a drama queen Twink.

Aiden (the clothing designer) is in a bad way. Lost his job, mother rejects him... yadda yadda... he's in need of some happy. Well, I was all for him catching a break and that came in the form of Tristan (the lumberjack) Thing about Aiden is; he flies off the handle a lot and I wanted to thump him on the head a time or ten.

As fun as this story was it was also a bit aggravating at times too. I did enjoy it and if you can tolerate Aiden's over the top everything; I think you will too.
Profile Image for Jennifer☠Pher☠.
2,969 reviews268 followers
October 6, 2024
I totally didn't get to read all the Christmas stories I wanted to before Christmas so I decided to say screw it and read this one even though Christmas is over.

This did not make me feel all Christmasy.

I didn't like this at all. Aiden was just mean and ungrateful, stuck up and ridiculous. Did I say MEAN? His thought process was crazy.

I know the note at the beginning stated this was supposed to take all the M/M tropes and throw them into one book or something like that. So, was this meant to be a satire or something? Was I supposed to find it ridiculous? If that is the case than SUCCESS! If that wasn't the case...well, I don't know.

Everyone else seemed to really like it so it is probably just me.
Profile Image for Caipi.
1,206 reviews33 followers
December 4, 2016
A cute Christmas story!

Three days before Christmas lonely lumberjack Tristan rescues city boy Aiden in a snowstorm.
At first they can't stand each other but then, oh Christmas magic, only a few days later Aiden already moves officially in with Tristan.

This story is not very realistic and full of tropes and clichés and usually I would roll my eyes and ask seriously?!
But the author Ofelia Gränd states in her Acknowledgement that this story is born out of a joke and is intended to be full of these tropes and clichés.
So if you read the book with this on your mind then you get a sweet, fun read.
Profile Image for J.J. Carroll.
Author 8 books11 followers
December 12, 2015
Oh, the tropes! The tropes! Had a real giggle when the ex turned up -- sure, I'm back after 7 years, why not? I brought mistletoe... Good fun read. My only complaint is that Og wasn't a cute shelter puppy... but can't have everything.
Profile Image for Cory .
729 reviews84 followers
September 7, 2016
A short fun read. I think it was meant to not take anything too seriously so I just had fun with it. Plus, I always love a good lumberjack!
Profile Image for Mary Mary.
1,033 reviews49 followers
October 11, 2016
Yes, it was kinda naive. Yes, it was predictable. Yes, it wasn't very realistic (moving in after only few days!?)

but it was a Christmas story. it was supposed to be light, heartwarming and sweet.
I really liked ALL characters in this book (not only MCs) and probably I'll read other books in this series :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews

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