Karma♥Bites’s Mercurial Reads

(★★1/2) Never judge a book by its cover—take 2! Yes, I'll admit that I was expecting a naughty read. Look at the cover—can you blame me? *lol*

I picked up SEXY SANTA when a freebie because I wanted a quick "get into the spirit" story and Rona Valiere was an NTM ("new to me"). With an innocuous blurb and no tags, I didn't know what to expect but SEXY SANTA turned out to be lovely treat.

Wonderfully well-written, this short story (guesstimated @ 35pgs) manages to give sufficient depth to the main characters. Both are immediately likeable but because the story is told from Pam's POV, I really warmed to her. A 45-year-old divorcée with two grown children, Pam never loses her optimism and humor despite being at a crossroads in her life after being "excessed" (laid off). And Ed... well, his history remains a mystery until near the end.

There are several chuckle moments as Pam and Ed work together for a month as Santa and Mrs. Claus at a mall's Toyland. For example:

One girl said, "When I grow up, I want to marry Santa and be Mrs. Claus. Do you think you'll be dead by then?"

But it's not all fun and games being Santa Claus when little kids are involved and you'll have to read this to find out why. ^_^ (As an aside, I can't remember ever seeing a Mrs. Claus... will have to pay closer attention this year.)

Lastly, there is a sex scene but it's only one near the end. YMMV, but I found it "sensual", comparable to some current category romances.

COMMENTS: Due to certain word choices, I surmised that the author is from a place where British English is used. However, the difference is nominal and shouldn't interfere with the reader's enjoyment. Still, I personally find it jarring whenever I see "till" used in lieu of "until" because I'm more familiar with " 'til" as the shortened form (similar to the way "because" is shortened to " 'cause"). So whenever I see the word "till", I immediately think of either a cash register or land cultivation. :)