I am so glad I read this book. What a lovely well-written tale of how a recently divorced woman has the courage to start all over again in a new state. This book has a little of everything. Humor, strength, romance, and a touch of Christmas magic. I found myself wanting to read more to see what would happen next. It's lovely that it is a shorter story, kind of like a really good cake a small amount is just right. During our crazy lives, we can all need a little Christmas cheer even in August. A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this book. This review is all mine.

Loved this book. It's a great Christmas story set in a small town in North Carolina. It all centers around a Santa suit and an old farm house. Sweet and sentimental without being sappy. Ivy and Ezra are great characters.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa and cozy up by the fire for this delightful holiday read by Mary Kay Andrews. The Santa Suit helps you to believe in the magic of Christmas.

Ivy Perkins, a city gal who is newly divorced and fired from her job, is looking for a fresh start as she moves to a small town in North Carolina, buying an old farmhouse sight unseen. With the assistance of Ezra, her hunky neighbor and real estate agent, she seeks to put down her roots and make this home her own. The farmhouse itself was once the symbol of the Christmas Spirit in this little town, something that Ivy is lacking. But with new found friends, Ivy can’t but help be drawn into the holiday vibe. The house is filled with treasures left behind by the previous owners, including a Santa Suit from when Big Bob and his wife played Santa every year. Finding a crumbled note from a little girl asking for a very special gift in the pocket of the Santa Suit year made Ivy curious to solve the mystery of the identity of this girl and what happened. In turn, this led to an endearing friendship with a sweet old man, a renewal of her professional creativity, a belief in herself, and a possible romance.

This book makes you believe in the possibility of second chances. It is such a great feel good book and an easy read. Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors and she does not disappoint. As always, she gives you characters that you would like to have as your friend. Perfect for the holidays, just open it up and enjoy.

Many thanks to #netgalley #marykayandrews #thesantasuit for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy of this in exchange for a review!

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews and I was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and characters. I really enjoyed the depth to the story and how it all came full circle at the end. The characters each had their own little side story, too, which kept me engaged in each conversation throughout the story.

I liked the main character, Ivy, and how she worked so hard to be strong, independent, but also a good friend to others. She is someone I would aspire to be like if I ever found myself in her situation (divorced and living on my own unexpectedly)! The town she moved to seemed charming and welcoming, and she didn't hesitate to make social connections and to get involved with the community.

I also really liked Ezra. My biggest complaint about this book is that we didn't get to hear anything from his end - I think the book would've benefited from a dual perspective. I would've liked more back story on him, too. He was intriguing and genuine and kind, something I love to see in male leads.

Overall this was a solid read and I would read another by her!

This is an awesome book!
Ivy Perkins has a dream to renovate an old farmhouse but fate has other ideas. The former owners now deceased have a lot to do with that.
This is the first book I've read by Mary Kay Andrews.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I can't believe that I received this book as an ARC. I had already made plans to pre-order it!

I have two favorite Southern authors - Fannie Flagg and Mary Kay Andrews. Mary Kay usually gives me a lighter look into the South and Southern mysteries with a little bit of naughtiness mixed in. I adore her writing. Everything she ever wrote is on my 'Comfort Reads' shelf. This is the shelf I use when the world gets too horrible, and I need something funny, with a good kick-butt heroine. (not physically kick-butt but mentally!)

Ms. Flagg is a bit deeper with her writing. And if you liked Ms. Flaggs A Redbird Christmas, you will adore this book.

This particular book, The Santa Suit, seems to blend both of my favorite authors, and I nearly swooned with ecstasy when I read this book. I adore romance, mystery, with a little bit of fairy dust mixed in, and this book had all of that and more.

This book will be a bit boring to some (no action-packed scenes, no raunchy sex), but to many others, it will show them the softer side of Christmas, the kindness of strangers, and fate.

This was a fast read, more of a long novella than a full-length book-just what I need during the holidays when I'm so busy.

I will certainly be re-reading this during the holidays!

*ARC supplied by MacMillan Books, Ms. Andrews, and NetGalley. My deepest thanks.

This book was surprising and fun! Ivy is a divorcee from Atlanta who has decided to move where the living is slower and easier. She has purchased a farmhouse and two acres through the internet has come ready to move in. Ezra is the realtor who handled the sale. He meets her with the keys and introduces her to the house she has purchased. The house belonged to a couple who for many years had been the local Santa and Mrs. Santa for all the towns Christmas celebrations. Their home was famous for the lights and decoration. As it turned out, everything had remained with the house when their descendants sold it. Ivy finds lots of surprises in the house and finds friends and becomes part of the local culture almost immediately. I highly recommend this story. It was very enjoyable.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

As the announcements begin for the return of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, catalogs giving a glimpse of what will trend this holiday season, I am loving this year’s batch of holiday titles from publishers and topping the list as always is Mary Kay Andrews! Ivy takes us on a quest to find if a certain wish she found in a Santa suit came true. Reading this story inspires me that giving not only helps others it provides a sense of magic in the air! And did I mention my own husband played Santa Clause for many years for the San Francisco Fire Dept so yes we believe!

I really enjoyed this book. I even teared up reading it. I think this is one of the best books that Mary Klay Andrews wrote this year. It was an easy read. I am grateful that netgalley let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book, but I doubt it's my last. It was charming, funny, and uplifting. Basically a perfect holiday read!

The Santa Suit is a wonderful and lovely story about being new in town, and adjusting to a new life in a small snowy town. Ivy is a bit sceptical about meeting friends at first and quickly finds herself with new friends who invite her into their lives. This small town is crazy about Christmas and pull Ivy right into it. Surprises ensue with almost a magical feel. Even reading this in August, I felt myself being swept into this beautiful Christmas town. Loved it! Thank you #NetGallay#StMartinsPress#TheSantaSuit

"The Santa Suit" was such a surprisingly heartwarming read! I'm normally not one for Christmas books, but this novella by Mary Kay Andrews was so incredibly touching and just what I needed to read right now. It definitely feels like a Hallmark movie at times, but it's a beautiful feel good story of a young woman named Ivy who wants a fresh start after her divorce. She flees urban Atlanta and buys an old farmhouse in rural North Carolina. The characters in this small town are very colorful. It kept reminding me of the TV series "Northern Exposure," but with a Southern setting. There is lots of depth in this quick read (it took me only 2 days to finish!) and it has just the right amount of balance between light romance and more serious subject matter. It was such a fun book to dive into and a nice escape. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Santa Suit" by Mary Kay Andrews
A Delightful Emotion-packed Story
A sweet clean story of beginning a new life in a small town of people who reach out to help one another and mend one another's broken connections. A truly "feel good" story that I just could not put down once I started reading it. A marvelous combination of new starts, romance, traditions, and solving discovered mysteries makes for one really good story. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.
This review is my honest opinion.

Mary Kay Andrews does it again. What a heart warming feel good Christmas story. A little humor, a little mystery and a lot of warmth make this story of Ivy a wonderful Christmas story. I read this book in a day. Ivy buys an old farmhouse,
site unseen, and quickly begins finding little treasures left by the former owners. The former owners just happened to be the town’s Santa and Mrs Santa. Friendships formed families reunited and finding one’s own make this a wonderful story.

Such a cute and lovely feel good story. Loved the characters and the town setting. Loved the goodness in the main character’s heart.

This is a fun, cute, charming holiday story. I loved the mountain setting and the small town in North Carolina.
Ivy is divorced and buys an old farmhouse to start over with her dog Punkin. The farmhouse is old and needs some fixing up, but has so much charm to it.
A story of hope, friendship, live and Christmas magic.
Start your holidays with MKA.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for offering me the opportunity to read this book.

The Santa Suit written by Mary Kay Andrews is the perfect, feel-good, Christmas story. The novel is a short, light read filled with romance and happy endings! I absolutely adored the main character, Ivy Perkins. Shei is filled with spunk and generosity. I kept rooting for her to find a second chance of love! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, and enjoyable and cute Christmas read but a little too Hallmark for regular MKA fans, and an awkward length. Straddling somewhere between a full-length novel and a novella, this one is a breeze to get through but not quite short enough to be a short story. This book was fun but ultimately forgettable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10

A novel about new beginnings set in North Carolina at Christmas time. Mary Kay Andrews gives us a heroine that's easy to love - her upbeat yet realistic spirit is contagious to almost all who meet her. I smiled a lot while reading and loved the magical quality (not magic) of the time of year. If you read a lot of the Christmas romance subgenre you'll know to suspend your need for realistic plot points. Recommended to anyone looking for a light Christmas novel with a small town Hallmark-esque setting that's sure to put a reader in the mood of the season. I enjoyed it.

I love how versatile Mary Kay Andrews is. I read her books with only one expectation: total enjoyment. The streak continues with The Santa Suit. It was so sweet. I was basically choked up, in a good way, the entire time! The characters were all so wonderful, from Ivy, to Ezra, Phoebe, and my favorite, Lawrence. If you need a little warmth in your heart - a book without a villain, a tragedy, or high stakes - with a little mystery, a dash of romance, and some magic dust, The Santa Suit is for you.