This was a short, sweet Christmas romance. The mountain town and old farmhouse were the perfect setting, and reminded me of a hallmark movie. Ivy was a great character and I enjoyed the unfolding of her relationship with Ezra. Overall, a cute romance, but I was definitely hoping for a little more steam and intensity in the relationship. The writing was just ok, but overall this was a fun holiday book.

Ivy Perkins buys The Four Rose farmhouse hoping for a fresh start after the divorce from her husband. What she didn’t expect was to find it as if the owner’s still lived there, clothes in the closet and all. She finds the owner’s old Santa suit, along with a charming decades-old letter from a child wishing her dad would come from the war. Ivy soon finds herself trying to solve this mystery. Who was this family, and why was the letter kept after all these years?

Book friends, I fell in love with the characters and farmhouse in this story! Ivy and her cute pup Punkin made for the perfect first holiday read of the season.

You might like this one if:

🎅🏻 You like a quick, holiday read with a romance. This one is just over two hundred pages and I read it in pretty much one sitting.
🎅🏻 You enjoy a story set in a quaint small town. I was invested in the lives of even the small characters.
🎅🏻 You watch Hallmark Christmas movies. I could see this being one!

What an absolutely delightful book! It gave me all the feels and I devoured it. I fell in love with the town and with Ivy and Ezra.

If you're looking for that delightful, cozy, holiday read for an afternoon on the couch, this book is perfect. Ivy recently divorced and has moved to a farmhouse in the mountains. While cleaning out the attic, she finds an old Santa suit with a letter in it from a child wishing for her father to come home. She enlists the help of her real estate agent to find out what ever happened to the girl and her father and finds some romance along the way.

This is sweet and heartwarming. There is a small-town community with holiday cheer throughout. I loved the story of how the previous owners of the farmhouse acted as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the town. The slight bit of mystery only added to the charm. The setting in the snowy mountains was great. This is all around a holiday novella to warm you up and leave you smiling.

This story was cute. Light and fluffy - like a Hallmark Christmas movie. The mystery surrounding the letter was interesting. The romance was okay

Review will be posted on 11/15/22

Ivy Perkins is newly divorced and looking for a fresh start in the idyllic town of Tarburton, North Carolina. She buys an old farmhouse, sight unseen, just because it's the type of house she has always wanted. It's called Four Roses Farm....perfect, right? When she first arrives to Four Roses Farm, she meets good looking Ezra Wheeler, the real-estate agent. They hit it off and she quickly finds out he is more than just a friendly neighbor, he knows just about everyone in town and is an all around great handyman, which she desperately needs. While exploring the house with her adorable dog, Punkin, she comes across an old Santa suit with a note in the pocket. The note says "please bring daddy home from the war." Obviously, this tugs on Ivy's heartstrings. With Ezra's help, she makes some connections in the community that might give her answers as to whose Santa suit it is, who wrote the note, and what happened to the child's father. The Santa Suit is an adorable Christmas story that is sure to provide some major Hallmark Movie vibes and elicit some small town envy.

Ivy is a likeable character in The Santa Suit. She is starting over and has little nothing other than her dog and her chickens. I loved reading about all the details of the old house, the things that make an old house amazing, and the not-so-great things, like when your hot water heater breaks. At first, I sort of did an eye roll when I realized that Ivy and Ezra were hitting it off as the dialogue seemed a bit hokey, but then I remembered this is a Christmas story. Let it go and just enjoy it. Once I did that, I realized how cute the premise is and appreciated their growing relationship, however unlikely I felt it was that the hot real estate agent/handyman is not only single, but an all around perfect guy.

The town of Tarburton was my favorite aspect of The Santa Suit. I loved the town, it's quirky residents, the candy store, the magical Christmas celebrations, and so much more. I felt like Andrews really captured the beauty of a small town at Christmas.

You can always count on Andrews to include a bit of a mystery and I liked the one in The Santa Suit. The mystery leads some friends and family back together again, so I think that only added to the joyfulness of this holiday tale.

So, if you are looking for a quick holiday read that will surely tug on your heartstrings, pick up Andrews's The Santa Suit. As a fan of her beach reads, I am happy to report she pulls off an adorable, feel-good holiday tale as well. So, are you a fan of May Kay Andrews? Have you read The Santa Suit? Let me know in the comments below.

Ooooo, I love a MKA mystery and this one did not disappoint. Ivy moved into a house, sight unseen, and got more than she bargained for. It was a fixer upper and needed a lot of work. While going through the house, she found a Santa suit that with an old letter in the pocket and possibly a little magic. The letter gives Ivy a mystery to solve and helps her find love along the way.

I had been saving The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews to read in the months leading up to the holiday season. This quick and easy read was a fast paced adventure filled with nostalgia and new beginnings. Although quirky at times with a rushed romance and shallow characters, it may help some find the Christmas spirit. For me, it was entirely too predictable and somewhat cheesy. I would call this more of a short story though and I can easily see it as a basis for a Hallmark movie.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Santa Suit in exchange for an authentic review.

A cute, easy to read story with a few surprises. It definitely.would !make a.perfect Hallmark Christmas movie! I very much enjoyed jt!

While I love anything by Mary Kay Andrews, this was not my favorite. That being said, I thought it was a cute, yet predictable story and rated it 3 stars.

THE SANTA SUIT by Mary Kay Andrews. What a sweet and enjoyable read. Perfect for the holidays! Out heroine, Ivy, bought a run down farmhouse and discovered many treasures inside. I loved the idea of finding the old suit and the old letter and the journey that it takes the readers on. This is truly a heartwarming holiday tale and it made me smile and feel good.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Heartwarming, emotional roller-coaster filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and thrilling turns. A highly entertaining and action packed holiday adventure that was so hard to put down from beginning to end.

Fun Christmas novel by Mary Kay Andrews. Ivey is a divorced woman who buys an old farmhouse sight unseen. She finds an old Santa suit and a note asking for a specific wish. Cute, predictable holiday read, but that’s exactly what I want out of a Christmas book.

Very cute, light hearted, easy read. Perfect for lovers of Hallmark Christmas movies.
Newly divorced Ivy wants a clean slate and fresh start. She purchases a fixer upper farmhouse, sight unseen. A found note to Santa sends Ivy on a journey to find the owner. As she makes her way into the community, the magic of Christmas takes. over.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am sorry I didn’t read this last season, and I am so sorry because it’s lovely.

This book is delightful. It’s not too heavy, it’s got a small town romance, and the side characters are so stinkin’ sweet.

If you’re looking to add to your holiday TBR this upcoming season, read this one if you haven’t yet!

I enjoyed the Santa Suit even though it was more of a “fluffy” read, full of Christmas cheer and magic. Overall, it was a cute story. It reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Since I enjoy those movies, this was a good read. Some of it was what my 20-something daughter would call “cheesy,” but sometimes that’s all you want out of a book - good-natured fun.

‘“I guess I just like the taste of peppermint. It reminds me of Christmas. And hope.”’

Looking for a little romance?

Or, perhaps a sweet treat?

Care to partake in Christmas in July?

My answer—Why, Yes, Please, and Thank You!

Here in Cali, it’s been triple digits the past few weeks, today’s high being ninety-nine degrees, it felt good being submerged in the small rural town of Tarburton, North Carolina in the middle of Winter—the setting in Mary Kay Andrews’ sweet and touching, Highly Recommended story, THE SANTA SUIT…

‘When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor…’

‘At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit, she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission.’

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan Publishing), for providing me with an eARC of THE SANTA SUIT at the request of an honest review.

Ivy Perkins, after a divorce, takes a chance on a new home and a new town. Ivy is a likeable and relatable character. When she comes across a letter written to Santa, she tries to find the writer of the letter and meets new members of town along the way. There is so much hope and inspiration in this story as there should be with a holiday story. Mary Kay Andrews has a way with words that makes you feel as if you are immersed in the story yourself. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was a fun holiday read for sure! I always love a good MKA story! Wasn’t my favorite but it was enjoyable. Characters were fun. The little town was adorable.