Naughty and nice with some sugar and spice, this quirky holiday novella delivers a playful, bingeable read. Going in, I wasn’t sure about the premise, but I’ve enjoyed enough of Olivia’s books that I decided to dive in – and I’m glad that I did. It’s fun and festive, with a story that’s truly one-of-a-kind. Our heroine has a type, and that type is Santa. Young mall Santas for the most part, but you get the idea, lol. I loved the concept and it made for quite an interesting read. And it certainly didn’t hurt that these characters have an instant spark of chemistry that is only complicated by their personal hangups revolving around the holiday. It absolutely flew by for me and I never knew what was going to happen next, which is really all I can ask for from a lighthearted holiday novella. It was fun!
The story follows Birdie Mae (31), a woman who loved Christmas as a child until a chance encounter with a stranger left her feeling like the holiday was cursed. In the years since, she’s developed an accidental preference for men who remind her of jolly old Saint Nick – mall Santas who are secretly young under their suits, bearded (sometimes older) men, that sort of thing. So when she meets a sexy stranger in a bar and he’s prematurely gray with a full beard… well, it’s like catnip to Birdie Mae. But what was supposed to be a hot fling ends up being something else entirely, and it’s not long before Nic (38) is helping Birdie Mae repair old hurts revolving around the holiday.
I don’t want to give the whole plot away, but I can say that it was an unpredictable delight! I was mostly wary of reading this because there seemed to be a more extreme age gap (based on the cover), but there actually aren’t all that many years separating Birdie Mae and Nic. I could feel the chemistry between them right away, and I was so absolutely curious to see what would happen next. The romance is obviously not as fully developed in this 150ish-page novella as it would be in one of Olivia’s full-length novels, but the same kind of vibes were still there. I binged it in one sitting and was entertained the entire time, which is exactly what I wanted. It delivered on the sugar and the spice, so this was a win overall.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tyd07A
Blurb:
Short-term flings with good looking Santas are kinda my thing.
After my latest holly jolly break-up with the fake mall Santa Claus of my dreams, I escaped to a small town winter wonderland in the middle of nowhere. But it’s just my luck that I run into the only person in the world who could get my Christmas lights in a twist: freaking Nicholas Ryan. A man I haven’t seen in twenty years and who I never wanted to see again. Except now he’s my hot bartender, complete with a silver-fox beard, a twinkle in his eye, and looking a lot like my one true kryptonite: jingle belling Santa Claus.
It’s five days until Christmas, I’m stuck in a snowy small town straight out of a Hallmark movie, and all I want is to avoid the Grinch who stole all my Christmases and pretend that our chemistry is simply just the magic of Christmas in the air.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Fake Santa Apology Tour is a quirky, laugh-out-loud, Christmas romantic comedy novella with lots of sexy Santas, small town snowball fights, and some heartwarming holiday magic.
Please note that this book is intended for mature audiences only. But, if all you want for Christmas is a slow burn spicy romance, then put on your favorite holiday album and dive right in!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tyd07A
About the Author:
Julie Olivia writes stories filled with quippy banter, saucy bedroom scenes, and nose-snort laughs that will give you warm fuzzies in your soul. She likes thick blankets, really fast roller coasters, lemon-filled donuts, and imagining cozy towns with tight-knit friend groups and lots of dirty talking men.
She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband who has a swoon-worthy low voice and their cat, Tina, whose meows are not swoony one bit.
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