The Secret Santa Project

by Tracy Bloom

Love Actually meets Elf in this Christmas affirming, laugh-out-loud comedy from the bestselling author of The Wife Who Got a Life and No One Has Sex on a Tuesday

A name drawn from a hatSomeone you barely knowA Christmas you’ll never forget It’s the 1st December and it’s Jolene’s first day as a graduate trainee at Lambeth City Council. She’s so excited to be joining the accounting team just in time for all those joyous Christmas festivities that all work mates share, the world over!

Only no-one in her new department wants to know. In fact they are all hellbent on doing everything they can to cancel Christmas.

And so Jolene sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives.

Genres: Christmas, Book Club, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Fiction

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The Secret Santa Project, by Tracy Bloom, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jolene is starting a new job as a trainee, but her colleagues want to cancel Christmas, Jolene wants to change their minds, get them to embrace Christmas. This is not your typical holiday romance, it has a lot of twists and turns and surprises.

[AmBerGUR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore this book! I don’t care about what other reviews said. But this book came at the right time to me. I’m so glad I picked it up at the right moment. I love the side characters like Carol and Stacy’s daughter, Grace just love them. It’s a feel-good book and it delivers!! Loves it.

[maya venice]

DNF at 11%
returned it and got a refund

[Charlotte Maidment · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

It’s crazy to me that I hate Christmas and I’m so close to rating a Christmas book 5 stars.

I LOVED this book! It just has everything! It reassures me that it’s okay to not love Christmas like most people do! It’s wholesome but emotional at the same time and I just love it! Can’t wait to discuss this at book club!

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it had such a cosy feel to it whilst reading. It really felt we engaged with the characters, learning more about each other of them. I love the meaning of this book, that whilst we are sad about Christmas we can find something to smile about. I want to read more from this author as I really enjoyed this book. It definitely made me feel festive.

[Percay · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book

[The_5ft_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved .... such a warm, cozy, feel good Christmas read

[Brigi Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karácsony és egész december a kedvenc időszakom az egész évben, de valahogy a karácsonyi könyvek sosem nyerik el a tetszésem. Kicsit túlzottan kiszámítható, mázas (nyilván milyen lenne egy karácsonyi könyv), már sokszor az elején tudott a vége. Ebben is azért megvolt ez bőven, de messze a legjobb decemberi hangulatú könyv volt, amit valaha olvastam. Nem lesz kedvenc azért ez sem, de szívmelengető történet, aminek valóságos szaga van! Tényleg kicsit igazából szerelem, de talán ez nem is kritika ebben az esetben.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new Tracy Bloom's book is always a treat. So I thought.
This one was not so much a treat. I don't know, it simply didn't work for me. Especially Jolene, who truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the characters were true to life and had to deal with problems, just like normal people. On the other, everything worked out so unbelievably smoothly for them, like all the dreams came true.
And guys. Hold me. I've never loathed a character as much as I did this time and you will probably never guess who it was. Grace. Never, ever, absolutely never will a 7 - year - old speak and behave like Grace. Totally unbelievable and I couldn't stand her, and I've never thought I'm going to say something like this about a child - character. 7 going on 70, in the worst way possible. She was not funny. She was simply not authentic.
I also expected much more humour from Tracy Bloom. This story felt somehow much too depressive and it has never happened before but I started to skim - reading some of the passages. Too many pages, too less conflict.

I'm dissapointed, because I had great hopes for this one, but well, sometimes the book don't gel with you, or you don't gel with the books.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story that I loved yapping about with my sister!!!

[abi ⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you that i adore anything remotely cheesy and christmasy - including those channel 5 / hallmark films; the cheesier, the better. however, this book had the exact opposite effect that i was hoping it would deliver.

my first impressions didn't amount to anything much and they didn't really get any better - jolene came across to me as a little childish with the constant talk of 'you have to love christmas' (for the most part, i agree with her, but some people just don't and it can get really annoying having to hear someone harp on about it), however the office dynamic of being the new girl and having everybody there loathe your mere existence from the word "go" was executed wonderfully.

my issue with this book is, i went into it expecting a fun, slightly chaotic secret santa project surrounding colleagues in an office and all the stereotypical things you would expect to come with it - what i actually got was the following: an introduction to the main characters that gave me pretty much every piece of information i needed to know about them right from the very start which ironically took away the majority of the depth i would've wanted to have found out about across the journey of the above mentioned christmas chaos; on the other hand, i felt iconic background characters such as carol were almost shoe-horned in for what felt like a character quota; the ending was all wrapped nice and tight for the main characters as expected, but one plot twist was left arguably unfinished and some characters simply floated into the background.

i know that christmas novels don't tend to have huge, jaw-dropping plot twists where everyone gets a send off - in fact, i love the chick-lit christmas books the very most and actively scour the shop bookshelves for them - but this book sadly felt like a whole jumble of characters and i almost got lost at one point as to whether i was meant to be following all of the characters' stories alongside one another or if i was getting distracted from one main person, not to mention that everybody, aside from jolene, makes it a personality trait to hate christmas for 90% of the book.

it did get better within the last 10 chapters which does bump up the rating by a single star, but sadly by this point i was uninterested in it and simply just wanted to get it finished. from the synopsis, it had a lovely plot and the idea of the secret santa project in this story is very sweet and one that i feel should be adopted in workplaces.

i really hate giving bad reviews as this is still something someone has poured their love, heart, soul, time, effort, and dreams into, but as much as i was hoping it would, this book simply didn't bring the christmas spirit that it felt like it was promising.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, I know you’re supposed to suspend belief while reading this sort of book but, I mean, really?

Jolene: yes, I can see it’s meant to be a joke name but it got boring it being sung every time she was introduced. And her over-the-top enthusiasm for Christmas! I’m a big Christmas fan but even this felt too much. Her own mother told her to dial it down too. Interestingly, apart from her love of Christmas and her missing university life, we learn no more about her whilst we learnt lots about the others. Perhaps she was meant to be a catalyst?
Then there’s her whole attitude to work; it must have been very tiring to be in that office with her. She definitely needed a dose of reality, of what life is really like, how unfair it is.
As to the actual project itself, this seemed to defeat its own objective in the sense that people started telling others what they’d planned before doing them. Not such a good surprise ‘present’ after all then. And if you’d asked me what, for example, Jolene ‘received’ as her gift, I couldn’t tell you. (Actually, I can now: pottery lessons with Barney , which again breaks the project’s rules, being a monetary gift)
Volunteering in a charity book, I notice that there’s been a big increase in Christmas books being donated so perhaps this author felt the need to jump on the bandwagon, failing dismally though as far as I’m concerned. She definitely writes better when the main character is more mature.
A disappointment.

[Stuart Irvine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, the characters are so relatable and funny, as you all wanted them to find happiness, and I love the happy ending at the end, as it was so heartwarming and sweet.

If you need a book to get you into the Christmas spirit, then this is the one for you 😁

[Magda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25✨️

[Kennie Östman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Nat Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good festive story

[Jackelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! This is a proper nice heartwarming Christmas book without being cheesy. Bravo

[Erna Kindli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Szívmelengető történet - Love Actually stílusban.

Karácsony előtti hetekben pont jól esett olvasni. Szabados Ági NIOK könyvklubjának ajánlására olvastam.

[Jess 👹 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Actually vibes, nice easy festive read

[Frances BK · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was going to be 0.5 but page 300 shifted it to a 0.75

If it wasn't a book club pick I wouldn't have picked this up. Not for me. Very much a children's book of it wasn't for the occasional swear word. 🤮

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was SO good. I really love Tracy’s novels and this was like a hug in a mug. I’ve never read a book set in a local council before and let me tell you, I did not know my council tax paid for Christmas lights! 😅😂 thank you Tracy for educating me. Anyway, back to the book!!

The Secret Santa Project was fantastic. It tells the story of 6 people who all work in the same council office - all pick a name out of a hat and are told they cannot buy a gift for someone, they must do a good deed for their secret Santa.

This was a delightful novel. I loved the characters so much - Jolene especially because I have as much Christmas spirit as she did. I struggled to like Stacey for ages because she was so miserable/whingy but I grew to like her. I loved Yang and Barney and Jerry was okay. Diane, their boss, was incredible.

This novel had everything including a precocious 7 year old named Grace who loves donkeys. I thought she was a right tonic. She made me giggle.

This was a wonderfully warm novel and was filled with Tracy’s trademark warmth and humour and she’s such a natural storyteller, I devoured this.

A Christmas cracker!

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious from start to finish!

This was Tracy Bloom at her comedic very best! But in amongst the humour there is a heartwarming story about a group of people that work in a council accounts department, who have been tasked with trying to work out the real value of Christmas and whether they can cancel it the next year.

Jolene is excited for her first ever job in the adult world of work, only to get to the office on her first day and it not really being anything like she imagined. Not only that she is my sort of person being a Disney and Christmas loving adult - something her new colleagues weren't as sure about.

But Jolene does come up with a great concept for the office - a secret santa project where her idea is for them to all do one good deed for their chosen person to help make their Christmas, and to spend no money doing so.

We get chapters from all of the characters points of view, and get to really know all of them quite well, and it was interesting to see how their lives connect away from the office in ways they aren't even aware of.

I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters develop over the course of the story and I was totally invested in all of their lives.

A fabulous assortment of down to earth, relatable characters, set to a backdrop of Christmas, and the possibility of Christmas magic.

Good seasonal fun that I totally adored.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot...

I've read quite a few novels by Tracy Bloom, so was pleased to be invited to read this one.

It was an enjoyable, light read - but with some grittier topics along the way too (such as bereavement, single parenthood, relationships various, workplace cutbacks, etc).

I think the author captured the all-too-common atmosphere of many office environments as the festive season approaches; some staff are entirely on-board and enthusiastic, whilst others are less so, or don't celebrate Christmas (some being happy to go along with office festivities anyway).
Gradually everyone's backstories make it clear why they have particular attitudes to both work and celebration.

The characters are a varied mix but include people that most could identify in their own workplaces, which made them instantly familiar. The child of the outfit - Grace - was a bit of a minx but added much humour! Jolene (one of the lead characters) was very much "an innocent abroad", with her love of all things Christmas and optimistic approach - I found myself hoping (despite her being fictional!) that she would always stay the same rather than becoming a cynical, downtrodden person.

This book will appeal to you if you like Christmas - possibly less so otherwise.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by Tracy Bloom, although I do have another of her Christmas books on my kindle! I loved the premise of this - a group of six council colleagues exchanging time or favours as Secret Santa gifts instead of physical items.

The story revolved around much more than this though, getting a glimpse into the lives of each character. The author wove their individual stories together wonderfully and it all came together by the end.

I really identified with Jolene - a Christmas fanatic and horrified at the thought of it being cancelled in the borough! I was really rooting for them to find a way to all live happily ever after. I did love Stacey's daughter too. Having ADHD, she reminded me of my boys.

There were so many references to Christmas culture that made me smile - outfits, songs, movies! However, it didn't hold back on social issues too such as coming out as gay later in life, weight and body image, and women's rights in the workplace. They were explored carefully and gave depth to the characters and book.

I received this book as a Jolabokaflod gift and started reading it right away to try and fit one more Christmas book by the end of the year! Mission accomplished and I would read it again in the future 🎅

4.5⭐️ using CAWPILE

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Santa Project is an easy seasonal read which is a bit different than the usual feelgood books written around the Christmas season.

When Jolene, a christmas-aholic, starts a new job at the local council office she soon realises that she is working with an office full of grinches who are trying to cancel Christmas. Trying to change the way they think, she sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives.

I went into this book hoping for some Christmas cheer but it was a bit gloomy, not as funny as I hoped it would be and a bit silly. The character of Grace was way over the top for a supposedly 7 year old girl but Yang and Diane more than made up for that with their down to earth characters. I am sure some readers will love this book but for me it was just ok.

3 stars ***

[Angela Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Tracy Bloom book and was so excited to start this book and it did not disappoint.
Jolene is starting her new job as a graduate trainee at her local council. She is expecting plenty of festive cheer but is shocked to find her new colleagues have no interest in Christmas.
Jolene decides to set up a secret Santa and by doing this and getting to know them she totally transforms her colleagues lives.
Without giving away any spoilers this book was just brilliant and was full of humour while also exploring lots of more serious themes.
The characters were excellent and I really felt like I was part of the office team. The ending was just perfect and had me in tears.
Thanks to NetGalley, Tracy Bloom and Harper Collins for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

[Gabriela H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I liked the way the characters were interwoven in each other's lives in unexpected ways. Well written I thought.

Knocking the star off for Jolene, who I wanted to slap in the face every 5 minutes. I found her completely insufferable, her revolting level of enthusiasm paired with her naivety and inability to do her job properly. In real life I would've found it difficult to be in a room with someone so devoid of empathy that they think people are crazy for not liking the same things they do. Go and touch some grass, Jolene. Oh, and stop it with the Dolly Parton reference, we get it!

The star is also knocked off for the fact that everything worked out for everyone in the end in the way that it did. It felt rather forced.

But yes, overall I enjoyed it, though it didn't make me like Christmas any more than I do.

[Carol Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Bloom delivers a sweet festive treat with The Secret Santa Project. True to her style, this novel blends humour and heart, capturing the lead-up to Christmas in an office setting with charm and relatability.

While some characters were more likeable than others, the variety kept the story engaging and added depth to the interactions. The secret Santa element worked well and allowed a greater insight into each character as the gifts that would make their Christmas special were gradually revealed. The happy endings fitted perfectly within the comforting expectations of a Christmas novel.

Overall, this is a gentle and satisfying read that fans of Tracy Bloom and festive fiction will thoroughly enjoy.

[Sam Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom

The Secret Santa Project is a warm, funny, and feel-good festive read that delivers exactly what you want from a Christmas rom-com. Tracy Bloom’s humour shines throughout - light, a bit cheeky, and very relatable - and the characters feel like people you’d actually meet (and laugh with) in real life.

The slow-burn chemistry between the leads is charming, and the Secret Santa setup adds plenty of playful moments and gentle twists. While the plot is fairly predictable, it’s in that comforting, cosy way that suits a holiday story perfectly.

Overall, it’s a delightful, heart-warming read with genuine laughs and a lovely festive atmosphere - ideal for curling up with a hot drink and switching off for a while.

[Susanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I kinda liked this book and all the characters until the reveal.
Like I'm so sorry but it's just really unbelievable that Jerry falls in love with Diane's husband without realising that it is in fact the husband of your freaking boss. Like if you are working together for years you would have seen at least one photo of Diane and husband (already forgot the name). So it's just unbelievable to fall in love with this man without realising who it is...like don't you ask the name of your crush????
That reveal just ruined the whole book for me.
To be fair I didn't like the book that much from the beginning but that was the cherry on top.