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Hot Mall Santa

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You better watch out. You better not cry. Hot Mall Santa is coming to town!

Instead of round and jolly, this year’s mall Santa is chiseled and smoldering. The second he strolls into Oakville Mall wearing sunglasses, stubble, and his Santa hat cocked to the side, Santa gets all the tongues wagging—especially Tom Webster’s. A lowly retail associate at The Décor Store, Tom spends his time chasing a promotion and boss that are both out of reach. His fantasies about being a ho-ho-ho for Santa soon cross into reality after an unexpected night together. While the rest of the town obsesses over Hot Mall Santa, Tom gets to know the sweet, nerdy history buff under the suit and six-pack abs. But to win Santa’s heart, he must fight off the lusty moms, adoring fans, and his own fear of rejection.

Hot Mall Santa is a fun and sexy novella at 32,000 words filled with nutty Christmas shoppers, a grown man wearing reindeer antlers, and too many holiday puns.

142 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2017

49 people are currently reading
601 people want to read

About the author

A.J. Truman

46 books1,027 followers
Welcome! I’m a gay male author who writes MM romance filled with humor, heart, and hot guys. My characters fall into bed and fall in love, usually in that order. Think LOL meets DTF.

I live in central Indiana, surrounded by churches and Olive Gardens, with my husband, kids, and cats. When I’m not writing, I’m chasing around a toddler or sneaking off to a movie.

Make sure to sign up for my newsletter The Outsiders to get the latest updates on my books and to start reading free stories.

http://www.ajtruman.com/outsiders/

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5 stars
190 (26%)
4 stars
290 (39%)
3 stars
206 (28%)
2 stars
38 (5%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].
3,005 reviews25.3k followers
October 23, 2024
Hot Mall Santa is a stand alone, holiday novella by A.J. Truman. This was recently given a new cover which is adorable and is what drew me to want to grab it up.



Tom Webster is a sales associate at The Decor Store, one of the stores in the Oakville Mall in Oakville, Illinois. Tom has always known he was made to work in sales and he hopes to be promoted to an assistant manager. He is already doing all the work of the position but for some reason, hasn’t been considered.



It’s Thanksgiving and time for the busy holiday shopping season and also time for the Mall’s Santa to arrive. Only this is no round and jolly Santa. This is the hottest guy Tom has ever seen. All ripped and scruffy. But when Tom actually meets him, he discovers he’s actually so different than he imagined. He’s sweet and a bit nerdy. But it doesn’t take long for the news to spread and Santa’s line of people wanting to sit on his lap holds more grown women and men than children!



After a surprising night together, Tom can’t believe someone like Randall, otherwise known as the hot mall Santa, would even look twice at him. He can clearly have anyone he wants. And he’s only in town until the holiday season is over.

These two were cute with their note writing and the way Randall showed Tom his vulnerable side. This was a quick read and was fun. I didn’t feel the swoons I hoped for but it was still enjoyable. It had a cute ending. It’s only my second book by this author and I have quite a few more on my to read list. I look forward to discovering more of her work!

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,438 reviews1,577 followers
November 9, 2017

This was a fun, little novella, full of holiday cheer and a few role playing sexy times.



However, be warned, Truman definitely didn't hold back on packing those steamy bits with some intentionally-cheesy, cornball, "come down my chimney" type dialogue.

If this weren't a kitschy holiday read, Lord, I'd probably be ranting about that, but I'll only give an eye-roll (or ten) here, instead.

The plot was pretty simple and straight-forward in this one, with the only drama really being a slightly less-than-honest, narcissistic boss, the downsides of being "smoking hot" and one misunderstanding between the MC's, so the book was mostly light and fluffy, which is what most M/M readers seem to look for in their holiday reads.

Tom was pretty up-beat, actually enjoying his life working retail, and Randall was a good guy, floating through life, working whatever job he found, as long as it allowed him to travel the country.

I would have personally liked more on-page time seeing the MC's get to truly know one another, though this was a novella, so I'm forgiving that shortcoming this time around.

And I loved how the epilogue more firmly cemented their relationship, one year down the road, so I'd rate this one at 3.5 *lap-dances-for-Santa* stars.

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Profile Image for Kati *☆・゚.
1,260 reviews661 followers
November 27, 2023
4**** stars


* .・☆゚*・゚

I intend to drop the xmas-deco bomb next weekend so I figured it was time to get in the mood and start with the holiday reads.


And this sweet, hot and funny novella was certainly a great way to start —with AJ’s typical brand of humor, ridiculous banter, lots of naughty holiday puns and a Hot Mall Santa that is so much more than just his stunning good looks.


“So, what do you want for Christmas?”
“I’m too old to ask Santa for anything.”
“You’re never too old for Santa.” […] “Anything special you want?”
Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is you…inside me. “Nope.”


━━━━━━━━━ * .・☆゚*・゚━━━━━━━━━
Profile Image for Ben Howard.
1,479 reviews235 followers
December 4, 2023
"Make it a White Christmas, Santa."


A.J. Truman really went all out with the festive innuendos 😂😭

Hot Mall Santa is a spicy Christmas novella between a muscled mall Santa and an employee of one of the stores in the mall. It's a lot of fun but sometimes it did go too over the top.

Tom and Randall's romance was really sweet (when they weren't getting down and dirty with some Santa/Elf roleplay).

Dear Santa, you can come down my chimney anytime you want.


Thanks for the gift Confused elf! 🎅
Profile Image for Laura.
1,520 reviews253 followers
November 17, 2017

“Holy holiday hard-on!”

This was the blast of holiday laughs and smiles I needed to kick start the season.

Twas a few weeks until Christmas and the malls were all aflutter with shopping and complaining and shopping some more, which meant long days and nights for Tom at The Décor Store. After 3 years, Tom was still busting his butt trying to impress and dazzle his boss in more ways than one. But life at the mall this holiday season changes in a dash when Hot Mall Santa swaggers on in. The gossip, stares, drooling, lap dances, and more over Hot Mall Santa causes quite a stir. What does Tom want for Christmas this year? Pick up this fun, laugh out loud treat to find out.

I had so much fun with this story! The naughty ho-ho-holiday dirty talk filled with Christmas puns, spankings, antlers and more made me blush as bright as Rudolph’s nose! :D

“Dear Santa, you can come down my chimney anytime you want.”

But there is also huge sweetness underneath it all too. Yes, we get the filthy reindeer games, but we also get sweet notes and exchanges, bonus bag fries, Die Hard viewings (Die Hard IS a Christmas movie!), waffle love, sharing, dreams, and a “layer of dorkiness” that I adored. It all added up to a sexy, sweet read filled with holiday cheer.

Put this on your Christmas list!

Profile Image for Elsa Bravante.
1,159 reviews195 followers
November 25, 2017
Cuando leemos historias de Navidad perdonamos muchas cosas que no perdonaríamos en otra novela, para las fiestas esperas cierto tipo de libros. Y eso es lo que es esta novella, una historia navideña del hallmark aderezada con sus momentos sexys. Si estás en el mood festivo, no está mal. (rolling eyes ante el problema del hot Santa que nadie ve lo excelente persona que es porque su hotness lo impide)
Profile Image for Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read**.
1,477 reviews807 followers
December 18, 2017

***4.25 Stars***

This was such a fun, sweet and sexy read!

Tom is an over worked and under appreciated sales associate at the mall's home decor store and Randall is the hot mall Santa that's caught the eye and interest of everyone in town.

But what Tom uncovers underneath the red and white suit is a wonderful guy, who has a passion for history and geeks out at sharing interesting facts about past presidents.

Some hot and hilarious holiday role play...

"So who am I? The elf being punished for not hitting toy quota? Mrs. Claus's slutty surgeon brother?"

"Surgeon?"

"What? Just because he's slutty doesn't mean he didn't have time to go to med school."


Plus a sweet opposites attract story...

"He wanted to keep peeling back the beautiful exterior of this dream guy. It was his looks that pulled Tom in originally, but he found that discovering the real Randall was what kept him coming back for more.


Oh yeah....I was one happy reader.

I was smiling, laughing or awwwing throughout most of this book! Definitely one of my favorite holiday reads this year!

Pick this up and have a jolly good time!!!

"Dear Santa, you can come down my chimney anytime you want."
Profile Image for Richard Derus.
4,001 reviews2,248 followers
January 1, 2022
Cute'n'steamy

You're getting just what it says on the package: hot guy does crummy job & looks great doing it.

What makes it Xmas fun us that job is being Santa. What a cute Horny Hallmark this would be! And the pleasure of Tom waking up to being used by his boss...Randall being such a mensch...it's got the Holiday formula down.
Profile Image for Misty.
250 reviews19 followers
December 9, 2023
I really enjoyed this, and after the last few not so Christmassy Christmas stories, it was good to get right back into the festive mood.

I loved the MCs, especially Randall, aka Hot Mall Santa.

All sex is hot, but there's something wonderful when you can have fun with it too. Tom and Randall's sexy time Christmas puns had me grinning like an idiot.
Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,977 reviews433 followers
November 6, 2017
Cute and fun festive romance

3.5*

I liked this one, it was funny and cute but also had a good solid plot which is difficult to pull off in a novella.

There were elements which were a little bit obvious but overall I liked the characters of both Tom and Randall and it had a nice satisfying happy ending.
Profile Image for Ariana  (mostly offline).
1,671 reviews94 followers
December 12, 2017
2,5 stars
If you are in the mood for slightly silly, a bit corny and a whole lot of ‘sexy’ Christmas puns, this will be fine. I guess I was torn between seeing the fun of it and rolling my eyes in exasperation.
Profile Image for Apolishedreader.
338 reviews45 followers
November 8, 2017
3.5 stars
Heh. This was funny and corny but also sweet and fluffy.
It is perfect if you are looking for something that isn't too serious but still has a plot, sweet times and sexy times with a hot AF Santa.
I love that Tom was a happy mall clerk working the holiday season and didn't let the crazy mall goers get him down. I never got a real feel for Randall, he seemed to be a different guy with Tom than what he presented to the world. He is a very charismatic guy in public and it obviously confuses Tom. It's discussed to a degree, but the two Randalls never felt meshed to me.
Anyway, I did enjoy this. I laughed during some of the sex scenes. I give it a 3.5 as there is a pretty solid HEA and the good guys win, so this is definitely a winner for a seasonal, holiday story.
Profile Image for Susan.
2,348 reviews457 followers
November 11, 2017
This had its moments, but overall the funny just felt awkward.

Tom has been working as a retail associate at the Décor Store for the last couple of years. He’s trying to become assistant manager, but his hot boss (who has a boyfriend) keeps telling him he needs to prove himself just a little bit more.

When the mall hires a new Santa everyone is talking about him. Tom can’t figure out what’s so special about this guy, until he sees him. That is one hot mall Santa.

When the two accidentally meet during lunch in a secret hidden office, they become friends. Tom learns that Hot Mall Santa is actuallt named Randall, and that he is kind and sweet. Randall also appears to hate all the attention he is getting and is not happy with all the hot moms wanting on his lap.

When Randall starts flirting with Tom, Tom cannot believe that Santa is actually gay! And interested in someone like him. But he goes along with it. It’s just sex he tells himself. Until it’s not…

I can do cheesy puns, but here they fell totally flat for me. I think it was because the MCs didn’t find it all that funny themselves. It was all delivered so seriously that I cringed instead of laughed. If you’re going to do OTT, go all the way imo.

I also had a very hard time respecting Tom when he was already seeing Randall, but still crushing on his boss, who was an asshole.

Still, this wasn’t a bad book per se. I did like the holiday feel, but I won’t be rereading it any time soon.


description

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An ARC of Hot Mall Santa was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Profile Image for kayrowski.
57 reviews
July 11, 2025
3.5
this was an easy and fun read. i dont like christmas puns that much but this book made them look good. it was really funny time to time which i appreciate. it was also surprisingly very fulfilling even though it is a short book. i am sad that i didnt read this in christmas but what are you gonna do, right? i recommend it if you are looking for a short funny romance book and if you like christmas
Profile Image for Len Evans Jr.
1,501 reviews219 followers
December 1, 2021
Sweet and Very Sexy Mall Santa Love Story!

Absolutely adore Tom and Randall!!! The author did a great job with these two! Especially love the epilogue! Loads of Christmas fun!
1,144 reviews38 followers
December 21, 2024
story of Tom and Randall

This is a holiday romance, featuring Tom and Randall, and is a standalone novella.

Tom has worked at the local homewares store for the last three years and is hoping to be promoted soon. It’s five weeks out from
Christmas and there is a buzz of excitement about the new mall Santa, apparently he is hot.

Tom ventures out of the store to eye the Santa and that’s where he meets him, Randall, the six pack Santa. But Tom gets to know Randall and they hit it off in glorious Christmas themed activities.

This book is absolutely hilarious! The spicy times and dirty talk, omg the puns and role play and me snort laughing, the note passing was absolutely sweetness. I loved these two together and they both got what they both wanted for Chrissy - each other.

Ps I loved Tom’s BFF.

I highly recommend this one. If you haven’t read any Chrissy books yet, jump in.


Things to expect in this book are:
Standalone novella
MM holiday romance
Low angst
Single POV
Hilarious writing
Mall Santa x store assistant
Spicy times & dirty talk
Role play
Monster c*ck
Note swapping
MC organising dates
Loads of Xmas puns
HEA
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,861 reviews95 followers
December 12, 2023
I’m really into the holiday stories right now and this is certainly a cute one. I love A. J . Truman’s books. This is a sweet low angst holiday story that made me smile.
Profile Image for Jono Mitchell.
207 reviews829 followers
December 26, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ Rounded Up // Hot Mall Santa is a quick, easy novella bursting with Christmas vibes and some delightfully spicy Santa role play. Truman delivers his signature joy and humor, even if this one lacks the polish of his newer works. It’s still a delightfully fun ride.

Don’t overthink it—just sit back, relax, and let the holiday spirit (and a touch of heat) fill you up.
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,018 reviews515 followers
December 28, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars


This is a charming meet-cute story between two aimless men. Tom is so stuck in his box he has no idea how to get out; Randall is so used to going with the flow he has no idea how to choose his own direction. The friendship they develop over the course of the story feels natural and easy. Even the way their relationship goes from friends to something more than friends is as gradual and inexorable as a river meeting the ocean.

There are no surprise twists and turns in this holiday story, just a nice bit of character growth. Tom, so used to pining for Antonio, living in a dream world where a touch might linger or a look might have a hidden meaning, has to learn to put that crush aside. It’s not fair to Antonio or Tom — especially when Antonio proves not to be worth the daydreams. Especially not when Tom has Randall right in front of him, someone who honestly wants him and wants to be with him.

For Randall, he’s so used to being nothing more than a piece of meat — with women giving him lap dances or guys giving him their number all because he happens to look a certain way — that he can’t help fall for Tom who never came to visit Santa, who talked to him about the ocean and travels, and who took the time to talk to Randall, not Hot Mall Santa.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

155 reviews31 followers
November 10, 2017
"You literally have a North Pole in your pants."

"Dear Santa, you can come down my chimney anytime you want."

Christmas sex puns, hilarious santa/boy-on-the-naughty-list role play, obscure facts about less popular presidents, and a sweet romance through it all.

What's not to like? A funny, sweet, short holiday read.
Profile Image for book_reader_addict.
561 reviews32 followers
December 7, 2023
Loved the writing style in this book! So snarky and funny ❤️ Sweet Christmas love story ❤️ A hot mall Santa with big🍆, there is more to him than meets the eye❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Bitchie.
1,464 reviews75 followers
November 11, 2017
To be honest, I almost set this one aside and looked for something else. I thought it started out quite shallow, and I found the humor to be a bit silly. Even the first sex scene was too silly for my taste, what with the antlers, and the cries of "fuck me Santa!" But I persevered, and underneath the silliness, I found a sweet little story. I would have liked a bit more depth, but Hot Mall Santa, or Randall, was a really sweet guy. I hated how Tom kept bending over backwards for his dick of a boss, but it all came out all right in the end. Not sad I read this, but again, not sure if I'll remember anything beyond "fuck me Santa" by New Years.
Profile Image for Vfields Don't touch my happy! .
3,470 reviews
December 1, 2017
With all of the sentimental reads available this time of year there's nothing like a little humor. Humor's hard for me because well, don't tell but sometimes I just don't get it. So Sexy Mall Santa surprised me because it was funny but most importantly. I got it. I found it fascinating to read about somebody in the job of salesperson during the holidays. Despite the ridiculous cover the sexy mall Santa was s bit deeper than I expected but not too deep. This was a lite, fun read.
Now tell me what's wrong with a nice. lite, fun, enjoyable, little read?
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,007 reviews26 followers
November 13, 2017
Well this was cute and funny. There's some dirty talk and not a lot of angst. It's sexy and passionate in an understated way. It's short and sweet.
Profile Image for Erica.
1,691 reviews37 followers
December 15, 2019
So. Much. Cheese.

It was fun, though.
Profile Image for Jared (jaredjustwantstoread).
49 reviews12 followers
December 24, 2023
(4.5 rounded up)

Is there a better way to spend the week before Christmas than reading about a neurotic man falling for a hot Santa and his huge North Pole? I can’t think of any.

This book is equal parts nice and naughty. It’ll have you going from 🥰 to 🥵 and back in the span of a few pages.

It's a very cute, very spicy holiday romance, so you know what you're in for. There aren’t huge surprises or a big twist, but it was so fun and it really put me in a festive mood.
It was the perfect pre-Christmas read.

The Christmas puns were perfection. I love corny humor. And i will never look at reindeer antler headbands the same again.

There’s enough candy cane sweetness and eggnog spice to warm you up and keep you cozy this winter. Let me put it this way, this book is about 130 pages and there were four 🌶️ scenes that I remember off the top of my head. The author really said give the people what they want this holiday season, no Scrooge-ing around.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Profile Image for Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves.
915 reviews19 followers
December 10, 2024
I had SUCH a fun time reading this book.

It’s absolutely as silly as the title suggests, full of Christmas puns and innuendo. But it has so much heart, too. A perfect mix of sweet, steamy and silly.

Tom was such a sweet main character. A little shy, a little awkward, but kind and fun too. I loved his little personal journey of self worth over this short book.

Randall (aka Hot Mall Santa) was such a delightful love interest. I love the layers he was given, his past and the things he hardly dares want for his future.

For such a short book, this sure did make me feel a whole range of emotions. I highly recommend for a light festive read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews

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