Such a good Christmas Novella. The Santa Suit follows the story of newly divorced Ivy Perkins, who buys a farmhouse, site unseen. She is desperate to start a nee life and The Four Roses sounds like just the place to do that. The house hasn’t been emptied and she is surrounded by the previous owners, memories. She gets a bit melancholy with all the changes & the holidays coming up. While cleaning the house out, she finds a Santa Suit at the top of a closet, in the pocket of the suit, there is a note, wishing a little ones father comes home from war, at Christmas. Finding this note sets Ivy on a path of finding out who could have written the note. She goes to town and starts her research. While figuring out this mystery Ivy starts to heal and find peace. The town fits her and things are going well. Will Ivy find the owner or the letter? Can Ivy and her real estate agent become more than associates? I really enjoyed this one. Mary Kay Andrews I’d one of my favorite authors and this story didn’t disappoint.

This was a very sweet romance with a little Christmas magic. Ivy moves into an old fixer upper farmhouse and discovers a vintage Santa suit with a note inside its pocket. This begins a journey for a new life in a new place. Filled with a cast of down home townspeople and new friendships, the novel definitely gives you a warm "hallmark movie" feel. A romance and a little mystery complete the holiday wonderland.

A very sweet Christmas story that starts with Ivy buying an old farmhouse site-unseen, following her life being upended by divorce and losing the company she owned and ran with her husband. Ivy feels that she has lost her creative mojo, and is trying to get inspired by the creative aspects of marketing that she enjoys. Ezra, her realtor, ends up also being her neighbor, and a handyman that helps her make some necessary repairs.

Ivy finds that the house she purchased is still filled with the furniture, clothing, and furnishings of the previous owners. As she is cleaning out her bedroom, she finds an old Santa Suit that the previous owner, Bob, used to wear as the town Santa Claus. She finds letters, pictures, and other mementos of this time, but is particularly moved by a letter written by a little girl asking to bring her dad home from Vietnam. This one note send Ivy on a journey to learn more, and in the process, she finds new friends, new career motivation, and she may also be lucky enough to find love!

This is a very sweet small town romance, fans of Christmas stories, and the magic of the holidays will love it!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Could Have Been a Hallmark Movie
This is a very sweet and magical Christmas story. It has everything a Hallmark movie could want. The ending is a pleasant surprise that brings all of the serendipity together. My complaint is a spoiler. The main characters are drawn to each other and end up in bed on their first date. It did not have to be that way. That keeps it from being a 5 star Hallmark and drags it to a meh, who cares? I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Lighthearted, sweet, and cosy!

The Santa Suit is a delightfully charming, uplifting tale that takes us into the life of Ivy Perkins as she meanders through all sorts of highs and lows, from a recent divorce, the end of her career, a handsome realtor, a new farmhouse that needs a little more TLC than she ever expected, and the mystery of a little girl’s heartfelt Christmas wish found saved in the pocket of a well-loved Santa suit.

The writing is sincere and smooth. The characters are engaging, supportive, and genuine. And the plot is a touching, somewhat nostalgic tale about life, love, family, friendship, community, taking chances, starting over, finding happiness, and the magic of the holidays.

Overall, The Santa Suit is a heartwarming, engaging, festive read by Andrews that reminds us to surround ourselves with those we love, stay open-minded, and always be excited for whatever comes next.

Follows a newly single woman, Ivy as she decieds with her divorce she needs to uproot her life and start completly over by buying a sight unseen farmhouse. Cute romance story to read for the holidays but didn't have much more substance than that.

If you need a little something to get you in the Christmas spirit, look no further than this delightful read from Mary Kay Andrews. Ivy is newly divorced and has purchased Four Roses Farm in rural North Carolina sight unseen. She is greeted by her very handsome real estate agent, Ezra and the story begins. Not only is she going to rehab the old farmhouse, but she is starting a new life as well. With a cast of quirky characters, a Santa suit with a mysterious letter in its pocket, you will find yourself in the center of a small town love story with Christmas.

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors. I love her books set in Savannah and Tybee. Not since her Blue Christmas have I found a Christmas novel I enjoyed more. The Santa Suit is simply magical, full of that heart warming feeling of belonging and finding your perfect home and family.

When Ivy, reeling from a recent divorce, uproots her life and career to buy an empty old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, she is looking for a fresh start. What she finds is so much more. Her real estate agent, Ezra, turns out to be a hottie and very handy in fixing all the things falling apart at the farm. She meets a young clerk at city hall, Phoebe, who makes her feel welcome to town. Phoebe has her own problems in love though.

When Ivy finds an old Santa suit with a child's letter in the pocket is sends her on a hunt for the little girl who wrote it so long ago. What Ivy find on her search is so wonderful that I cant' spoil it here. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

This was a really cute short Christmas story. I enjoyed the developing relationship, though it moved a bit quickly. I loved the idea of the farm and I really liked the story of the Santa Suit. I loved the main character helping out the fudge shop and spreading Christmas cheer. My only real complaint is how short it was. I think that the story had a lot more to offer. I wanted to see how the farm came back to life and how she renovated the house.

This was a delightful Holiday read. It struck me as I was almost finished that it didn't have any malicious characters. No one was trying to hurt anyone. No one was playing games. No one was trying to put anyone out of business, or take over a town, or destroy a town landmark. In fact, as I read this book I couldn't help but think how this could be the next Hallmark Holiday movie. It was light and breezy and happy, and perfect.

Perfect Christmas story that would not be out of place on the Hallmark Channel!
Ivy Perkins is newly divorced and buys a farmhouse in a small town sight unseen. While she is cleaning the house of the previous owner's belongings, she finds a beautiful Santa Suit. In the pocket of the suit is a scrawled letter from a little girl asking Santa to bring her daddy home for Christmas. This note leads Ivy and her new friends on a quest to find the family from the note. I loved the warm, Christmassy feelings from the story and the little mystery and romance were perfect as well.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Cute seasonal read which made me excited for Christmas time again. This would make a really cute Christmas romcom as I could picture all the characters and scenes in my head while reading.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews… my 1st holiday book of the season. I love holiday books and this one is so sweet and inspiring! Is a story about starting over, a story of coming full circle. Bravery, hope hope, peace. When the present meets the past and the past comes back to the present. When the magic of the holiday season brings it all together with an ancient but magical santa suit, a child's heartfelt note, the tender heart of one woman, and a big dose of holiday spirit ❤ This charming book has all the feels and is just the thing to get you in the mood for the holiday season!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this wonderful advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Ivy buys a farm house in a new town to start over following a divorce
Once she moves out to this small town where she knows absolutely no one she finds it easy to make new friends as the towns people are so kind
This is a Christmas story and a very charming one at that
I found myself so enchanted with each character that was introduced to the story
The book gives you a good warm feeling

Every December I like to select a new holiday read to put me in the spirit of the season. The Santa Suit caught my eye and was calling my name. It checked all the boxes of what I like in anticipation for the winter break. Mary Kay Andrews is a fun treat to read.

Ivy Perkins has just gone through a divorce and is looking for a change and what she really wants is a project to focus her attention. Almost sight unseen she buys a picturesque farmhouse complete with a chicken coop. She is met at her property by the sales agent, Ezra. The appearance of the property is far from picturesque, in fact it's a little run down. Almost immediately things get off on the wrong foot starting with the delay of her furniture delivery. Ezra turns out to be very helpful with the details of the family that used to live in the farmhouse and as a handyman. The Roses were well loved for their community involvement during Christmas when they dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus. The farmhouse was also well known for its display of lights. Ivy has no intention of carrying on that tradition and the hassle of Christmas decorations. As she searches the house, the attic is a treasure trove forgotten items. Ivy soon discovers a Santa suit with a note in the pocket of a request by a little girl that couldn't possibly be granted. Ivy is determined to find the girl that wrote the note years before. Along the way she meets many of the members of the community and befriends them when she recruits them to help in her search. The goodwill of the townspeople shined through at their willingness to help and welcome Ivy. The spirit of Christmas was the spark she needed to start her new life.

The Santa Suit is a lighthearted holiday read complete with a family lost and then found, unexpected love, and Christmas magic sprinkled throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advanced copy.

What a wonderfully written story that will get you into the Christmas spirit. This was such an uplifting & beautiful tale about what happens when a woman takes a chance & does something out of the ordinary after an extreme upheaval in her life (divorce). I found it to be very creative & unlike any other holiday story I've read (& I've read a lot). All of the characters were a lot of fun & I highly recommend reading this to get to know them.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Following a messy divorce, Ivy Perkins has a strong desire for a fresh start in a new location. She settles on a small southern town nestled in the mountains and decides to purchase a white farmhouse sight unseen. There to greet her upon arrival is her real estate agent Ezra. And while Ivy is surprised to find that the farmhouse is in need to some extensive repairs she is delighted that Ezra seems keen to lend a helping hand. The house also comes fully furnished and located among the items left behind by the previous tenants is a Santa suit with a crumpled note in the pocket. The note is from a young girl with a very special Christmas wish. As Ivy digs into the past in an effort to uncover the identity of the young girl and whether her wish was granted, she finds herself slowly making friends with members of the community and finds her attraction to Ezra is starting to grow as well. As she slowly comes out of her shell, Ivy starts to understand the true gift of community and what she has gained back by starting over.

The Santa Suit is a sweet, heartwarming, southern novella with the magic of Christmas at its core. While the romance was a bit hurried given the novella length, there was some true sparks between the characters that never felt forced in the least. The characters were every bit as well drawn as those in any of the author's full length novels and while short in length, the plot was layered and deep, with bits of whimsy and charm tucked in to every corner. The story struck just the right balance with the perfect amount of Christmas spirit without feeling overdone or underwhelmed. The Christmas theme combined with the small town setting equated to a charming, heartfelt story that will leave readers with a dose of much needed sweetness and hope. The Santa Suit is the perfect read for the upcoming holiday season.

This is a feel good read. I enjoyed the jolly feel of this book with all its holiday descriptions. The story reminds me there’s still kindness in this world, even if it is fiction. MKA always spins an enjoyable story in all her books. I look forward to her next one!

What a wonderful Christmas story! When Ivy buys an old farmhouse, she doesn't realize it is the home of the former town Santa, and that a Santa Suit she finds will be the key to happiness for more than one person. The characters are endearing, and the story is fun, magical, and just right for Christmas. The reader is transported to the Christmas season in a big way.

I recommend this to anyone who wants to experience some Christmas joy.

The old farmhouse called Four Roses was in a mild state of disrepair, but Ivy Perkins was determined to renovate and create a comfortable home for herself, all while working remotely as a graphic designer and raising chickens. Atlanta had become a painful memory after her bitter divorce, and Tarburton, North Carolina, seemed to be the perfect place to start over. While clearing out the bedroom closet, Ivy discovers a beautifully made Santa suit, and Ezra, her real estate agent, told her of the history of the Rose family and their devotion to all things Christmas. Finding a letter in the coat pocket, from a little girl named Carlette, piqued Ivy’s curiosity and she began a search for the family.

Ivy’s dedication to her search brings her many new friends, a resurgence in her business, and even a new love interest. This was a fun read, and I loved the setting and all the Christmas components. In The Santa Suit, Mary Kay Andrews has created a magical place that embodies the spirit of Christmas.