I loved it! When Ivy's life crashed and burned she bought a house sight unseen. She expected so much more than a major fixer upper. Not only is she newly divorced but her life continues to go bad when all her possessions are ruined when the moving truck is in an accident. She has to settle for what was left in the house. In a closet she finds a Santa suit. How the Santa suit becomes the center of the story is a story of twists, turns and pure luck. As Ivy becomes part of the town the story unfolds in a nice heartwarming way. And the romance was pretty cool too. I admit I could not put the book down. Good thing I started reading early in the day. Another winner for this fabulous author.

This book is not my usual mystery genre but every now and then one needs a little romance even if it is a little formulaic. Big City girl buys farmhouse site unseen and moves to small rural town where she meets the local hunk who helps her fix up the house. The characters were likeable and believable if not strongly developed. The plot threw in a couple of interesting twists. The town of Tarburton, NC was nicely described and was a character in itself. The book is not a long one and it is easy to read in one sitting. It was a pleasant interlude on a rainy Sunday afternoon. This review makes it sound really boring but it was not boring at all. I finished it with a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review it.

Super cute book to get you in the Christmas spirit! A light, breezy read with enough depth and heart to keep it interesting. Ivy is a character that was easy to root for and I really enjoyed the cozy, small town sense of place. I had to suspend a little disbelief that the main twist wasn't figured out by the characters years earlier - but otherwise a super enjoyable read!

A cute, Christmas story about starting over after heartbreak! I 100% enjoyed reading this book. The characters in the story were relatable and felt like real people that I know in my own life.
I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a quick, Christmas read this year!

After Ivy Perkins' marriage breaks up, she wants a real change -- so she buys a farmhouse in North Carolina that she has only seen online and leaves Atlanta. The catch? The farmhouse is not in the condition she expected, and she finds herself in a new place with a big project on her hands. Thankfully she is helped by handsome local realtor and all-around nice guy, Ezra. As she is going through the farmhouse, she discovers a 1960's Santa suit on the top shelf of the bedroom closet. In the pocket, there is a letter from a little girl to Santa, imploring Santa to help her Daddy to come home for Christmas. Ivy is determined to solve the mystery of who wrote this note. In the process, she meets some new friends, finds romance, and rediscovers Christmas joy.

I wanted to read this book because I love Mary Kay Andrews' novels. The Christmas setting and old farmhouse only added to my excitement. I will add that as well as the tale of bringing new life to an old abandoned house (something MKA does so well in her books), there were so many vintage Christmas details in this novel. Add in the Southern setting, and you have a perfect Christmas read!

I loved everything about this short novel - the setting, the vintage/old house details, the lovable small town characters, Ivy and Ezra, and the mystery that Ivy solves -- all because of the Santa suit. Highly recommended for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Southern fiction, old farmhouses, and vintage Christmas!

Ivy Perkins has been divorced nine months to the day when she arrives to move into the Four Roses Farm. She finds the farmhouse not looking quite like it did in the pictures and the house full of furniture the seller did not want. In master bedroom closet, she finds a box contains a beautiful Santa suit. In the pocket, she finds an old letter addressed to Santa asking him to bring the little girl’s father home for Christmas. Ivy is curious as to what happened to the girl and her family. She begins asking questions which allows her to meet various townspeople. Christmas magic is at work and Ivy finds soon finds herself swept up into town happenings and helping others. The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews is a sweet, uplifting Christmas story. I thought The Santa Suit was well-written with steady pacing (it was over too soon). It contains developed, realistic characters. There are some great characters in the story. I liked Ivy and her adorable dog, Punkin. The mystery was fun to follow, and I love how it turned out. I liked the town of Tarburton and Four Roses Farm. I would love to own Ivy’s lovely farm. There is some romance in the story, but it is not the main attraction. The Santa Suit is a story that will make you smile and put you in the mood for the holidays. The Santa Suit is a sweet Christmas tale with cuddly canine, a striking Santa Suit, pictures from the past, a lost letter, creative candy creations, fairy-tale lights, and second chances.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Santa Suit" and all opinions expressed are my own. I thought this was a fun Christmas story.

4.5 stars

Such a cute Christmas novella!

Ivy Perkins bought an old farmhouse sight unseen and moved to the small town of Tarburton from Atlanta. After her husband cheated, she wanted a new start in a place no one knew her.

Ezra is the real estate agent who sold Ivy the house and he keeps showing up unexpectedly to help her out with minor maintenance at the house.

The prior owners were very much into Christmas decorating and celebrations. While Ivy has no desire to celebrate this year, she keeps finding items in the house that are leading her to get into the Christmas spirit.

I loved everything about this story. While I can’t believe I have already read two Christmas stories at the beginning of October, I now don’t want to stop!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews Christmas style? Yes please! This was such a fun book and will be a great holiday read!

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

Whimsical, magical, warm and fuzzy: all the feelings a great Christmas story should inspire. Somehow, this book was all that and so much more. The newly divorced woman who is still struggling with her feelings of abandonment and loss touched me deeply, as did the lives of the people who lived in her farmhouse before her and the friends she makes in her journey this Christmas season.

Ivy Perkins buys a Four Roses Farm in North Carolina off the internet without ever seeing it in person. When she arrives, let's just say, it didn't meet her expectations. She is rather rude to Ezra, the real estate agent, and not at all pleased with all the stuff left by the previous owners. Of course it's been years since anyone actually lived in the old farmhouse, but Ezra does his best to help Ivy in any way he can.

When Ivy discovers a beautiful old Santa suit, she finds a letter to Santa in the pocket. A little girl only wants her father to come home from the war for Christmas and that's her only Christmas request for Santa. Ivy is intrigued by the questions this simple letter to Santa reveal and she is off on a quest in her new town to find the answers. Her journey opens her heart again and the wonderful people she meets fill it with a joy she never thought she could experience.

I absolutely loved this sweet novella! MKA never disappoints!! This was my first Christmas book of the season and it was such a nice, uplifting, hopeful story.
5 stars!

This was my first holiday book of the season and it put me in such a good mood! This book was just so sweet.

When Ivy buys an old farmhouse, she has no idea what's in store for her. Finding a Santa suit in her new house inspires her to solve a mystery, which leads to new friends, a new creative outlet for her job, and a potential romance.

This book is short but there's so much heart packed into the story. The holiday spirit is out in full force in the vibrant small town, there's plenty of love to go around, and I couldn't help but smile at the amusing twists to the story.

Add The Santa Suit to your holiday reading list for all the warm fuzzies! I know it'll lift your spirits and give you the feel-goods just like it did for me. ☺️

I enjoyed this light, fun Christmas book set in the snow covered mountains of North Carolina. The story features a city girl who finds herself divorced after her husband cheats with her best friend. In an effort to reinvent herself, the main character buys a country farmhouse sight unseen with the proceeds from her divorce. She arrives at the farmhouse to find lots of unexpected repairs, a hunky real estate agent and a mysterious note left by the previous owners in an old Santa suit. The story has a little romance and lots of holiday spirit to get you in the mood for the mistletoe season.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early read. What a sugary sweet Christmas story! Loved that Ivy was able to move on from her disastrous marriage. Finding love and helping so many find love and family. She also helped keep the candy shop in business. All brought together by one little (or maybe not so little) Santa suit!
I have to give a shoutout to Punkin and the girls! What a great dog loving all the people Ivy met in town. The chickens (the girls) were too cute!

Overall, it is a cute book. It's very short, only two hundred pages and I still felt the beginning was a bit slow.. I also felt the romance was rushed. But again, it was only two hundred pages so that's understandable. I did love the ending. But I am a sap for a happy ending.

Mary Kay Andrews does it again! The Santa Suit is a quick and fun read for anyone looking for a rom-com that’s full of holiday cheer. Ivy buys a rundown farmhouse in a small town. In one of the closets, she finds an old Santa suit. What that suit brings into her life is more than she could have ever hoped for. Bringing the magic of Christmas through the great storytelling of Mary Kay Andrews, this book is a quick read delight for those that want a little holiday cheer! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews is one of those reliable authors that you always know what you're going to get. A woman on a comeback from disaster of some sort, a love interest, likable secondary characters, a little mystery, and an enviable setting somewhere in the South. They are feel good books of the first order. So do yourself a favor and grab this book as a pre-Christmas read. It is shorter than Andrew's usual books, so an easily digestible story for a busy time of year.

Newly divorced Ivy Perkins has come from Atlanta to a little town in North Carolina after purchasing an old farmhouse in need of repair online. The realtor, Ezra, meets her with the keys and almost immediately makes himself useful in various ways, and will become more than a business acquaintance. Ivy is not planning to celebrate Christmas this year -- her ex got all the decorations -- but when she finds an old Santa suit on the top shelf of a closet with a poignant note in one of the pockets, a niggling need to find out what happened to the child who wrote this note sets in. Little does Ivy know the friendships she will make along the way to solving this puzzle.

I loved the touch of "the girls", the chickens Ivy brings to her new home, as that is a dream of mine, to have chickens!

This is an enjoyable, quick and delightful read to begin to put you in the Christmas spirit! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author Mary Kay Andrews for allowing me to read this book!

So sweet and fun! It definitely got me into the Christmas spirit which is exactly what I needed. I definitely recommend for people who love this author and people who maybe even never read her work before.

I love The Santa Suit from Mary Kay Andrews! This is like a Hallmark Christmas movie, with a few twists, but everything is tied up in a bow for you at the end. A fun, quick read to get you in the holiday spirit!

Thank you Netgalley, St-Martin’s Press and Mary Kay Andrews.
This is a sweet romance novella with a touch of mystery.
Uplifting, heartwarming, it even brought tears to my eyes.
Loved the characters, the story.
Loved it and recommend
4 stars