Cover Image: The Santa Suit

The Santa Suit

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Member Reviews

I enjoy escaping with a Mary Kay Andrews book. I’ve never been disappointed. She balances the perfect mix of romance, mystery and interesting characters. This feel-good book had the right amount of everything and I finished it in just a few days.

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Sweet charming Christmas story about newly divorced Ivy, who moved to a new town and buys a charming house, ‘sight unseen.’ She doesn’t know anyone in the new town but is befriended by the realtor Ezra, who also lends a hand when things in her house stop working. The house was supposed to be empty but she finds that furniture and some beautiful possessions were left behind by the previous owners. One thing she finds is a Santa Suit. Inside the pocket of the suit she finds a letter to Santa from decades ago. Ivy goes on the hunt to figure out who wrote the letter…and the story spirals from there. It is a reminder of the magic that can be found in the Christmas season. Quick read and the only thing that would have made it better is if I would have been reading it while watching the show fall outside. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

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As always a grand afternoon read which allows the reader to escape real life and lose herself. Well written with memorable characters you are sad to say goodbye to when it is all over.

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Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Mary Kay Andrews for the advance copy of The Santa Suit. The cover is gorgeous! It is a sweet, quick, and heartwarming read. Ties up in a bow very nicely at the end. A little too perfect and saccharine for my taste, but Mary Kay Andrews’ books are always like a warm hug. #NetGalley #TheSantaSuit

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This adorable Christmas novella by Mary Kay Andrew's gave me all the holiday feels and included all the things I enjoyed in her summer reads. Ivy is starting a new chapter in her life and buys a farm house, unseen. She finds an old Santa suit while cleaning out the house and a well worn note in the pocket that piques her curiosity and starts her on a new path. With a great group of characters, including Ezra, her realtor, this was a fun holiday read. Even though it is described as a novella, it didn't read like one. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Every September I look forward to the arrival of the first wave of Christmas-themed novels and novellas. The Santa Suit is so cute and charming, and a wonderful start to this season's reading. I loved that the heroine was brave enough to start over in a small town after her divorce. She immediately built connections by helping others and accepting help from members of the community. The romance is sweet and satisfying, and the story's pacing and dialog is trademark Mary Kay Andrews. Of course the santa suit and the Christmas theme adds to the story's magic.
This one is quite enjoyable!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared are my own.

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Another super fun book by Mary Kay Andrews, thank you to Net Galley for providing it. Just like Mary Kay, I’m interested in vintage things and I always enjoy how she weaves them into her storylines. This was another “can’t put it down” short novel and I finished it quickly. I can see myself giving it for a Christmas gift to book loving friends. If this does not become a Hallmark movie, I will be very surprised. Five stars!

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4.5 Stars

Ivy is newly divorced in Georgia and wants a fresh start, so she purchases a farmhouse in North Carolina, sight unseen. She is dismayed when she first arrives, as the door is stuck, the porch sags, the heat doesn't work, there's a missing window pane in her bedroom, and it's full of furniture that she doesn't want. Her real estate agent, Ezra, is super-helpful throughout all of her travails, and goes above and beyond the basics that most people would provide. As she begins to make this new house her home, she discovers a Santa Suit. In the pocket of the suit is a letter that piques Ivy's curiosity. She does a little investigating and uncovers a few interesting things about a former member of the community.

This book is delightful to read. It is a rather fast read, as it is novella-length, but there are a lot of good things packed into this story. These characters are warm, generous, and thoughtful, and the peripheral characters are every bit as interesting as the protagonists. The ending offers an unexpected surprise that just might make some readers smile.

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Delicious! Another feel good story by Mary Kay Andrews; nobody does it better. I loved it the first time, and I will love it when I read it again. And again.

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What a delightful book.


The setting was charming and the people fun. I loved the storyline about a woman rebuilding her life after a divorce.


This book has a holiday theme but it also is about healing, learning to love and letting people into your life, and learning to trust again.


When Ivy buys a house unseen wanting to hide from the world after her divorce she never expects that she will find a new life. While cleaning out the old farmhouse Ivy finds a Santa suit. In the pocket is a note from a child. Reading the note set Ivy on a life-changing journey.


I truly enjoy this entire book. It was a page-turner for me. I fell in love with the characters, setting and Ivy's journey touches me. I highly recommend this book and am so glad I picked it up to read.

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Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC of The Santa Suit. I have been a huge fan of MKA for the longest time now. And this book continues the tradition of being one I just loved. When Ivy Perkins buys a house site unseen and then shows up to what reality is she is in for a surprise. Not only does the house need way more work that she thought but It is also the Santa house. This is a perfect book to get you into the holiday spirit or maybe during the rest of the year when you need your spirits lifted. Thank you MKA for again writing a book to give us joy and hope!

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Just a delicious, feel good Christmas story - and such a perfect way to escape reality. Ivy Perkins is a wonderous woman, looking for a new start and finds herself buying a farm house of furniture and memories. This story is such a tangled weave of garland, bringing members of the town together in the search for the little girl who wrote a letter to Santa to bring her daddy home from the war. Another Mary Kay Andrews best seller.

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This one might be a bit trope-y but that's ok because it also will make you smile. Ivy's gotten divorced and moved to the farm she bought sight unseen with her dog. She's dismayed to discover that the previous owners didn't clean it out entirely but that turns out to be the best thing that could have happened. She finds an old Santa Suit with a note inside that sets her off on what evolves into a voyage of self discovery. There's a love interest too. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

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A quick read about a recently divorced city lass buying a country property formerly owned by the town’s Mr. and Mrs. Santa. Full of the magic of Christmas which is unleashed when the suit is found, and a mysterious note is discovered in its pocket. Do Santa suits have pockets? This one does. The new owner is a Christmas grump who hates sweets, but with the magic of the suit in the air, she slowly overcomes her aversion to both and opens up her life to new possibilities. Filled with holiday positivity.

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This is a wonderful book to get you in a feel-good mood for the Christmas season. I loved it. Set in the mountains at Tarburton, North Carolina, Ivy Perkins moves into her new home, the Four Roses Farm, the property of which she only seen online. It needs a lot of work, and a lot of the previous owner’s belongings are still there, but she has a lot of spunk and energy to start fixing it up. Her real estate agent, Ezra Wheeler, is happy to pitch in. Ivy meets some very special people in town, and they are all about Christmas. It was a fun and lovely book, and I highly recommend it. I really needed a pick-me-up book to read, and it was perfect for me. Enjoy! [Thanks go to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy to express my opinion.]

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A sweet holiday story.
Ivy buys an old rundown house after her divorce.
After finding the Santa Suit, she makes several new friends and becomes a part of the small town.
A little humor, a little romance, good friends and a plot twist I didn't see coming.
Will be a yearly read.

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I am a sucker for a good Christmas story, and this was a good one! It’s a simple straight forward, unassuming plot. Ivy Perkins is a young divorcee, hurt badly by a lying, cheating, greedy husband. As a part of her plan to start her new life in a totally new direction, she leaves big city life in Atlanta and moves to a small town in North Carolina. There she has bought an old farm—sight unseen and discovers that is still has most all of the previous resident’s belongings inside. This is helpful since Ivy’s belongings are delayed in delivery.

As you would expect, the old farmhouse is a true fixer-upper, handyman’s special. What she finds is a charming home in need of a lot of tender loving care and she is more than willing to give it her all. Knowing no one in town, Ivy manages to quickly catch the eye of her helpful real estate broker, Ezra, and he is more than willing to serve as her handyman!

The crux of the story revolves around Ivy’s discovery of an exquisitely made Santa Suit. A mystery surfaces when Ivy discovers a child’s letter to Santa in the inside pocket of the jacket. As Ivy works to unwind the mystery of who the child was, Ivy becomes enmeshed in the life of this small town as well as in the heart of her helpful handyman/realtor, Ezra.

This was a wonderfully gentle, excellently written novella. It is heavily Christmas themed, but in a fresh way. I loved it and highly recommend it. I am grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book with the expectation of my honest review.

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Another delightful book from Mary Kay Andrews. In The Santa Suit, Ivy Perkins and her rescue dog Punkin leave the scene of her messy, painful divorce and move to the mountains of North Carolina. She put all her resources into purchasing Four Roses farm sight unseen - the photos the realtor sent her stole Ivy's heart. When she pulls up to the farm, and meets her realtor, Ezra Wheeler, Ivy finds a dilapidated old house. She is in so far over her head, she's about ready to throw in the towel. The house was never cleared out so Ivy is forced to do a quick clean up so she can install her own things. As she and Ezra take out the old clothes from her bedroom closet, Ivy discovers a gorgeous, vintage Santa Suit. In its pocket she finds a letter to Santa from a little girl called Carlette, asking for her Daddy to come home from Viet Nam. Intrigued, Ivy becomes a little obsessed with finding out more about Carlette and her family. In doing so, Ivy meets the people of Tarburton, makes friends, finds a little love and a new home. The Santa Suit was so much fun to read. The story held more depth then I expected from the title and was entertaining without being preachy or syrupy. I recommend The Santa Suit to anyone who enjoys novels about starting over and Christmas. This would make a great stocking stuffer for the booklover in your life. Thanks so much to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

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This book delivered exactly what it intended - a sweet Christmas romance. I saw a review comparing it to a Hallmark movie, and I think that is spot-on. 5 stars from me because I kept wanting to read it and smiled the whole way through.

After her divorce, Ivy buys an old farmhouse and land in a small town in North Carolina. She makes friends, fixes up her house (with a lot of kind help) and tries to figure out a sweet child's note that was found in an old Santa Suit.

I enjoyed it from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for letting me read this to review. It helped me have a happy day!

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This was an adorable romance and a great Christmas story. Ivy Perkins and her dog Punkin move to a small town in North Carolina after she has bought an old farmhouse sight unseen. Stinging from a divorce and a cheating husband and best friend, she needs fresh scenery and a comforting place. She is quickly drawn into the life of the small town as she discovers the history of the old house and the people of the town. I liked the set-up for the new business interest and the history of the Santa suit. It was a very satisfying read, with great characters and very happily, no villains! I read it straight through and it provided a very pleasant afternoon.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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