Santa of the Creek

Collier's Creek Christmas #3

by Sue Brown

an alternate cover edition can be found here

Collier’s Creek needs an emergency Santa. Why does it have to be the one man who hates Christmas?

Echo loves his life in Collier’s Creek. He’s the new bartender in Randy’s Rodeo Grill and Bar. He loves small-town life here. Even the sheriff is gay. When he’s asked to be Santa, of course he says yes. Echo lives his best life, and he loves it.

Dean is firmly in the closet. As the gay brother of the mayor in a small town, he hides away. Except this is Collier’s Creek. Half the men here are gay, and no one cares. But Dean lives in a halfway world of his own making, and he hates it.

Then Echo hurts his leg in an unfortunate collision with a small dog and the town scrambles for an emergency Santa. Who is going to take his place? Why does Collier’s Creek turn to Dean, the only man in town who hates Christmas?

Echo may be hobbling on one foot, but he’s determined to make the sad man smile again. Whether Santa of the Creek likes it or not.

Each book is stand-alone, but if you enjoy swoon-worthy romance set in a small town, then stay a while. You’ll fall in love with the men of Collier’s Creek.

Genres: Christmas, M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Holiday, Contemporary

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2024

About the author

Hot guys, big hearts, Sue's world.
Sue Brown is a Londoner with a dream to live on a small island. Coffee fuels her addiction to writing romance with hot guys loving each other, and her Adorkadog snores in harmony as she creates.

Reviews

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - This story is part of the Collie's Creek Christmas series. The MCs are a cute bartender named Echo who is new to town and loves Christmas + the Mayor's brother, Dean, who dislikes Christmastime because of a sad event in his past. This is a sweet, small-town, opposites-attract holiday tale and it's very Hallmark holiday movie. In general the atmosphere is charming and I enjoyed seeing Dean let down his walls as he and Echo got to know one another and develop feelings. I love quirky, well-meaning side characters, but only to a point - at that point, things get to be too much for me and unfortunately, that happened here. I became somewhat annoyed at how all the townspeople seemed to know what was best for Dean and would just keep pushing and pushing. Instead of so much of them, I would have preferred to see more of Dean and Echo in the time between their first kiss and when they were basically cohabiting because I feel like I missed a lot there. Anyway, the writing was quite nice and I liked the MCs a lot! Overall, a very sweet holiday tale!



I received a complimentary copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 45%

Boring. These guys are also just weird.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars rounded up because I love Sue Brown’s books. I’ll admit that I was confused at how quickly Dean went from being closeted to spending all his time with Echo. In fact, I went back and read the last part of the chapter to see if I had missed something. Other than that, I thought it was a sweet Christmas story. This is my second book in this series and I liked it better than the first one. This can easily be read as a stand a lone.

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t read the other books from this series but now I want to.
We get opposites attract, some age gap, grumpy-season sunshine, and sweet and heated romance.
I loved Echo and Dean and all the other characters, although the fact that everyone took advantage of Echo's and even Dean's reluctantly goodwill, annoyed me.
A wonderful festive read with a hurt/comfort aspect. I can't wait to read more from this festive town.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's Sue Brown's "Santa of the Creek." It's a part of the multi-author series, Collier's Creek Christmas.

["Collier’s Creek needs an emergency Santa. Why does it have to be the one man who hates Christmas?

Being the gay brother of the mayor in a small town is a living hell. Dean Hobart isn’t stupid. He knows the town knows he’s gay. Half the men in Collier’s Creek are gay. No one cares. It’s just that no one will talk about it. Not to him and especially not to his brother. Dean lives in this halfway world, and he hates it.

Echo loves his life in Collier’s Creek. He’s the new bartender in Randy’s Bar and Grill. He loves it here. Even the sheriff is gay. When the mayor asked him to be the town Santa for the Christmas festival, of course he said yes. Echo lives his best life, and he loves it.

Until Echo breaks his leg in an unfortunate collision with a small dog and the town scrambles for an emergency Santa. He suggests the mayor’s brother, the cute guy with the saddest eyes Echo has ever seen. No one thinks that’s a good idea, least of all Dean.

Echo isn’t going to take no for an answer. He’s on a mission to cheer up the Santa of the Creek. Whether Santa likes it or not."]

These two were perfect for each other. Each their own version of a hot mess, each protected fiercely by a family member, each traumatized by their past. They supported each other in ways that surprised themselves. They were sweet and understanding. They communicated their needs/wants.

Though, I do think this novella could have used another reread. It felt a little choppy to me, a little too fast in parts, and there were a few unanswered plot points.

And now I have to read the rest of this series... And the OG series...

#santaofthecreek #suebrown #collierscreekchristmasseries #collierscreek #collierscreekseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet and enjoyable romance. Echo seems to be the perfect fit for Dean, there with friendship and support, along with more but only if the man who is still dealing with the grief of losing a loved one.
Dean's seeming grumpiness around Christmas is fully justified with what he has experienced but the townspeople seem to treat him like glass, including his brother, the mayor. Echo is the one who pushes for Dean to be Santa after getting hurt himself whilst playing the jolly man. Echo brings a breath of fresh air and the time spent as Santa and Mr Elf may or may not go well at the time but it's more time they spend together and allow Dean to see a life of being with someone else. His grief and feelings of depression sometimes threaten to keep them apart but the festive magic of Collier's Creek and Echo work hard to show him the way to happiness again.
A wonderful festive read with a hurt/comfort aspect. I can't wait to read more from this festive town.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echo is hoodwinked into becoming Colliers Creek Santa, but an accident puts him out of commission. Forcing Dean to step up in his place, who has been a shell of himself since the passing of his first love until he gives Echo and Christmas a second chance. When these two are put together to spread the joy of Christmas to Colliers Creek, they learn to open up and set boundaries eith those in their lives. These two just balance one another in allowing them to be happy and rely on one another when they need it the most. Dean allows himself to start to move on with Echos unwavering support in moving forward even when bumps arrive. With a great cast of nosey townsfolk that you want to love and strangle at the same time, this book gives that right balance of holiday cheer along with real-world struggles.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this a higher rating because Dean & Echo are #CoupleGoals but a few things in the story stopped me ...

The transition from end of chapter 7 to beginning of chapter 8 threw me for a loop. It felt like there was a time skip I wasn't aware of. I went back to the end of chapter and re-read both it and the beginning of the next to be sure I wasn't overlooking something.

The flowers from chapter 11 made me smile and chapter 12 mentioned Jed (his story is in Meeting Mr Christmas by Ali Ryecart). The two books were different regarding this! In Jed's book, nobody was aware of Dean seeing anybody but in this one, people keep catching them kissing in public areas etc. Echo called himself Dean's boyfriend so this back and forth in Dean being in the closet yet not is another inconsistency that hindered a higher rating.

I wish certain characters had been confronted/reconciled to how things are now. Dean's brother, Mayor Daniel, is annoying in his volunteering Dean for things and basically being a helicopter brother (author wrote it & I agree!). Dean told his brother no more but it felt like Daniel, his wife and others would keep on making Dean do things he didn't volunteer for. Lack of respect. Randy is a horrible boss/slave driver and I truly want him to get his comeuppance! His treatment of Echo is awful. While I get that Marty's parents are grieving the loss of their son but Dean should not have to pay for it forever. He lived with the guilt for 20 years (accident NOT his fault but both Marty and him were in the vehicle together), wishing he had died too. Those people do not have the right to be upset he is now finding joy in life again because of Echo.

[Ramsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Small town
- opposites attracts (one a Grinch, the other a lover of Christmas)
- playing Santa/Christmassy happenings
- getting 'set up' by family/friends and what feels like the whole town
- no angst but with a sadder past for Dean


Part of the Collier's Creek Christmas series but they're all standalones, so don't worry if you've not read the other books.


We have Echo – who is newish to Collier's Creek but fits right in with his love of all things Christmas (his words to Gloria) – and Dean, the brother of the Mayor who seems to hate everything that is Christmassy. The reason for this lies in his past and made himself close up to Christmas and relationships.

Dean's family and friends as well as what feels like every person in town tries to make him participate more in the season and get him to 'live' again. They want the best for him and want him to be happier, perhaps even find a new relationship. But Dean tries to resist again and again no matter how insistent and pushy those people become.

Until he more or less has no other option than to do their bidding when he needs to help Echo out, who had been willing to play Santa on some occasions but now couldn't thanks to a freak accident with a dog.

Through this those two pretty opposite characters get the chance to get to know each other better and Echo's crush on Dean has the chance to blossom to something more.

The chemistry and sparks between them were plain to see and it was fun watching them fall in love slowly.

The best part for me was when Dean started to really live again and gave Christmas as well as living happy a second chance. Echo played a big part in this development.


All in all a sweet, enjoyable and entertaining read with a strong sense of community, family bonds and friendships.

Well rounded and likeable characters I was rooting for. Their story was strengthened and enriched through already known characters as side-characters.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoy these holiday stories set in the small, Hallmark-like town of Colliers’s Creek. In this one, town Christmas-hater Dean rediscovers his love of Christmas and love of life as he grudgingly plays Santa for an increasing number of town holiday events. Guilted into becoming Santa by his brother the mayor, Dean finds an acceptance from the town for his attraction to, then growing relationship with new resident and bartender Echo, also known as Santa’s Elf at many of the town events. Living in the past after a traumatic event twenty years ago at Christmas, Dean finds a new friend and supporter in Echo, learning to trust, then care, then love again, all under the watchful (and sometimes manipulative) eyes of the townsfolk of Collier Creek. The characters are realistic and memorable, fitting the small town image of caring but observant nosy neighbors, indulging in the small town pastime of gossip and knowing everyone’s business. The world building of these books creates a town I would like to live in, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where everyone pretty well knows everyone else, the town gathers for celebrations throughout the year, and newcomers are prime fodder for speculation. These are sweet, low-angst, caring snapshots into the lives of the inhabitants, making the reader feel like you know these people as friends and neighbors, just the kind of book to snuggle down with on a lazy afternoon before the holidays.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.

[Kiki Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sunshiny bartender who can’t say no. The prickly, solitary mayor’s brother still grieving the loss of his first love. And a comic catastrophe thanks to a misbehaving dog named Billy that has a man who hates Christmas coerced into being an emergency Santa. That’s the setup for Santa of the Creek.
I really enjoyed this story about two lost, lonely souls finding each other. I think one reason this book worked so well for me was that Echo was a relative newcomer to Colliers Creek and did know “before” Dean. He just saw a man processing loss. While the good townsfolk meant well, wanting him to get on with his life, Echo saw this as bullying Dean to get over it. Echo understood mourning, like love, doesn’t have a set timetable and will take as long as it needs. I think this is why Dean was able to share so much with Echo.
Their attraction was instant, but never felt forced.
And while Echo understood Dean’s reasons, he had fun pushing him outside his comfort zone by acting as his trusty elf sidekick. Dean as Santa offers some lighthearted moments as each new event promises to be “the last one”.
Dean and Echo were adorable together - and Ariel the cat is a scene stealer.
There’s a momentary blip when the past unexpectedly comes back, but Echo is stubborn and steadfast and refuses to be anything but honest with Dean. I absolutely loved him.
This was a nice mix of comically misbehaving pets and helicopter siblings as well as the bittersweet feeling of letting go of your first love and opening your heart to the future. A lovely read with the happiest of HEAs.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the multi-author Collier’s Creek Christmas series. Each book is a standalone. This is a sweet small town Christmas romance that you will be sure to enjoy. This is the story of Echo Masters and Dean Hobart. Echo is a bartender who loves Christmas and his new home town. Cajoled into playing Santa at the local assisted living facility, he happily greets his aunt and does his North Pole duties. But when he is leaving, he is tripped by a dog and injures himself. That is one way to get out of playing Santa for the rest of the holidays. Dean is the mayors brother who hates Christmas. He is quick to help out with volunteer work throughout the rest of the year. But keep Christmas away from him. Just as he is supposed to drive Santa home, he is injured on the way to the car. Dean checks back on Echo at the hospital and offers to bring him home. This is their story. I liked the chemistry between Dean and Echo. I especially liked how Echo really saw Dean and took the time to be his friend. To try and understand why Dean hated Christmas without pressuring him to tell. He also does all that he can to try and make the holiday season easier for Dean to get through. The two of them have some bumps along the way, but they earned their HEA. The book is well written and easy to read. I really enjoyed it.

I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me

I loved Echo's character and Dean was sweet but harder to get to know at first, even though at the end we knew more about Dean's life and hardly anything about Echo's.
The story was all over the place, with lots of time jumps glossing over important bits of the romance. They've only kissed and then the next minute they're practically living together? No groundwork laid for that at all and it made no sense for Dean, with his history, to jump in like that.
There was an awful lot of interference from the town as a whole. They treated Dean as fragile and had left him to his own devices for two decades, and then they pushed him to do things they all knew he didn't want to, using coercion and familial pressure. I didn't like it at all and I really didn't like Dean's brother, the mayor. What an arse.
Echo was taken complete advantage of by Randy, who pushed him into playing Santa as well as hosting children's parties, all on his own time and unpaid. Randy also called him in to work whenever anyone else cried off, just because he had no family responsibilities like all the others, as if he didn't deserve time off at all. He was exhausted all the time and he was supposed to resting his ankle, which was injured on one of his Randy-enforced good deeds. Talk about an abusive employer.

[abookwithacupoftea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet Christmas small town MM romance, portraying Echo, a sunny bartender who arrived relatively recently to town from Florida, estranged from his homophobic family except an aunt who lives in Collier's Creek, and Dean who is from Colliers Creek, the mayor's brother, who does not like Christmas and have been living, or better said surviving, for a couple of decades with survivor's guilt after loosing this boyfriend in an accident on Christmas. They have both been attracted to each other since their path crossed, but without acting on it, Echo for lack of time and opportunity and Dean because he feels he has not the right to pursue any relationship or happiness. However, after Echo suffers a small accident, Dean decides to take care of him....
Both men are very sweet, and very cute together, they complemented each other. It's an easy and entertaining read. What made me downgrade the rating is that I had the feeling I missed some key scenes (like they for from one kiss to practically living together and we don't know how) and some inconsistencies in the plot.

This book is part of the Collier's Creek Christmas series but it can be read as a standalone.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo loves his life in Collier’s Creek. He’s the new bartender at Randy’s Rodeo Grill and Bar. He loves small-town life here. Even the sheriff is gay. When he’s asked to be Santa, of course he says yes. Echo lives his best life, and he loves it. Dean is firmly in the closet. As the gay brother of the mayor of a small town, he hides away. Except this is Collier’s Creek. Half the men here are gay, and no one cares. But Dean lives in a halfway world of his own making, and he hates it. Then Echo hurts his leg in an unfortunate collision with a small dog and the town scrambles for an emergency Santa. Who is going to take his place? Why does Collier’s Creek turn to Dean, the only man in the town who hates Christmas? Echo may be hobbling on one foot, but he’s determined to make the sad man smile again. Whether Santa of the Creek likes it or not.

I loved this story with the two men and how Echo supported Dean work through his grief and accept that he needed to be openly gay. There were some big emotions and feelings in this story which were sensitively handled by the author. Easy to read, feel and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean hates Christmas, ever since he lost his partner he's wanted nothing to do with anyone, or anything, especially Christmas. Echo loves the holidays and gets asked to play Santa for the community center. But when he gets hurt due to tripping over a tiny dog, Dean is forced into playing Santa for the rest of the events in town. The members of the town are trying to get Dean to live again, and they believe Echo is the key to achieving that.

I thought this book was good, the dynamic between the two MC's felt a little forced to me at times, but it worked out by the end of the story. I liked that the town members were so determined to try to make Dean happy, even if that meant pushing him out of his comfort zone. Echo was a bundle of joy, he loves the holidays and his cat. His cat was a prominent side character, which I adored. Especially because whenever Dean interacted with her he got really mushy about the cat.

Overall I thought it was a good story about finding love after loss, and about finding a person who truly understands you, flaws and all.

[Marsha L Respess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect Christmas story! I loved both Echo(love the name from one of my all-time favorite British rock band)and Dean and how they healed each other. Dean was still dealing with the pain of losing his true love 20 years ago and Echo had to leave his abusive home and found a home and friends in Collier's Creek. Dean was so protective of his heart that he was almost frozen in time and I loved how Echo drew him out and they became friends and then lovers. Crazy number of times that Dean had to play Santa when he hated Christmas and loved how Echo was the perfect Mr Elf for him. The scene where Dean ran into his first love, Marty's parents was very painful because they had not moved on at all from Marty's death and were unhappy that he seemed to have moved on which was of course not true and you felt for them and also were mad that they wanted Dean to keep on suffering as much as they were still. Loved the ending and how Dean's declaration of love kept on getting interrupted(gotta love small towns!) but he was able to finally tell Echo how he felt.

[Emilyrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dean and Echo made a really sweet couple and I thought they had great chemistry as well as being really romantic together. It was nice to see how their feelings developed despite Dean trying to keep his distance. I enjoyed their HEA and I really do like the world building of Collier's Creek. The reason I've marked it down isn't a reflection on how the book is written, it's more that it's a real pet peeve of mine where there's too much interference from secondary characters. It annoyed me thinking that it was like everyone felt the need to force Dean to embrace Christmas and let go of his grief. I know this was from a place of love but, like I said, personal preference means I don't really enjoy this aspect.

Overall, it's a good MM romance with two great characters. It fits in well with the multi-author series and I'm glad the pair got their HEA.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant and sweet

Dean is still struggling with the aftermath of losing his boyfriend in a tragic accident.
He also carries survivors guilt.
Echo has had a crush on Dean ever since he moved to town.
An accident leaves Echo with a sprained ankle and Dean is pressed into service to play Santa at various holiday events around town in Echo's place.
Dean really dislikes Christmas for reasons but slowly is pulled in to the festivities and finds himself actually starting to live and enjoy life.
I loved how kind and patient Echo was with Dean's heart and actually respected how slow this relationship was going to be because Dean was just finding himself.
In many ways he stopped developing at 18 when the accident happened and he just lost himself to grief and guilt.
Thankfully Echo was able to help him see the beauty and love waiting for him if he was just brave enough to try.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3 stars

The plot is just so fast. Dean moves in with Echo almost immediately to take care of his ankle, and the two of them settle down so soon that the book feels more like an extended epilogue than a romance novel. There’s no chemistry between the two of them, just a steady acceptance of one another. No first rush of love or discovery, just two guys who click instantly.

The writing is good, but I didn’t like the people of Collier’s Creek and their indifferent cruelty. Gloria, a dispatcher and town gossip is a bully, and the sense that Dean’s brother just wants to be done with him made him less likable, to me. Honestly, the men were judgmental and the women know-it-alls.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off the story with Echo, a Santa suit, old folks and a crazy dog... you know this story is going to have some hilarious moments. Oh, and did I mention the community is a big gossip mill that never gets bored. Yeah, hilarity is bound to ensure in the town of Collier's Creek.

Dean is the opposite of hilarious. He is a person who does right by the community, but often times forgets to take care of himself in the process. He knows that getting close to Echo is dangerous because he is everything he thinks he doesn't deserve to have.

When the past collide with the present, will Dean be strong enough to let go and of the past and move forward with Echo?

This book had everything in it: Laughter, love, sadness, madness and community. What a great book for the holidays!

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo & Dean
A sweet holiday story between two men who are ushered together by their well-meaning community. Dean has had a heartbreaking past, and it seems like Echo's isn't all that great either, but for different reasons. I loved that the story was fairly low angst, with more personal issues than any major outside influence. It was a pretty short read, but very entertaining and engaging. I felt there were a few issues with the flow of the story, and some consistency issues within the writing, but it didn't take me out of the story too much.

I enjoyed jumping into another Collier's Creek Christmas story. This small town is always fun to read about, and it's great spending time with the characters from the main series as well as the other Christmas specials.

I received an advance copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[MN Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo is new in town and finds himself falling for Dean, the "closeted" brother of the mayor. Dean, scarred by a heartbreak in his youth, has closed himself off to love and hides his true self. But when an accident in Echo's role as Santa leaves him needing help, Dean steps in. Their friendship grows, deepens, and eventually turns into love.

As someone who’s not a fan of Christmas but loves Christmas love stories, this one truly hit the mark for me. It combines so many great tropes: Santa and his Elf, small-town dynamics, meddling families, hurt/comfort, and the classic grumpy/sunshine pairing. The writing flows smoothly, making it an easy, enjoyable read. The story keeps the relationship angst low, delivering a heartfelt journey with a fantastic HEA.

It’s a tale that made me believe in true love again and the magic of Santa in more ways than one. Highly recommended!

[Dee H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Collier's Creek book. Though Echo; who is a bartender, hasn't lived in Collier's Creek for very long, he loves it and the strong spirit the town has, especially towards Christmas. While doing a favour for his boss and others playing Santa at the seniors home, he encounters a mishap with a dog.
One sprained ankle next and he finally gets to be up and close to his secret crush.
Dean; the mayors brother, hates Christmas but feels the need to help Echo at the home, where he helps out.
From here we have interferring family and friends, a town constantly watching and maybe a miracle or two for our MC's.
I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in one session of reading.
Love this town.

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

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I really enjoyed this marshmallow grump meets upbeat lover of Christmas.

It’s a mutual crush but Dean has so many locks on his heart - and oh man so heartbreaking to know he’s lived so many years unable to live for himself.

Echo is a warm, kind soul who manages to draw out the beautiful grump and help him live again (along with some meddling townfolk).

It’s a lovely Christmas story with plenty of Santa and Elfness.

I would say, Dean is sold as being in the closest - but it’s more like his celibate/closed off.

[S.M. Harshell · Rating 4 out of 5]

SANTA OF THE CREEK is a sweet read set in Collier’s Creek. Which is a standalone Christmas series by multiple authors.

Dean hates Christmas and has since he lost the love of his life years ago. He's been hiding in Collier's Creek just getting through life not really living life until he meets Echo. Echo and Dean are so opposite but somehow really work together. Echo gets hurt and Dean steps up (is forced into) playing Santa for different events around town in Echo's place. I loved watching Dean and Echo fall for each other. Dean slowly let Echo in and learned to love again.

Santa of the Creek is the perfect feel good Christmas read. I am loving Collier's Creek and these characters!

I was given a free copy of this book to read and review by Neon Rainbow.

[Mrs.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collier’s Creek is certainly a nosy small town, but its residents’ hearts are in the right place for the most part. They surely seem to do their best to get Dean to come out of his shell and his self-imposed closet, and to throw him and Echo together any festive chance they get, and, being Collier’s Creek there are many… Echo, who’s had a crush on Dean for a while, is not mad about it at all, whereas Dean has more reservations, but seeing as he is very much attracted to the other man as well, he gives up fighting it after a bit.
Low-angst, lots of middling citizens, a spoiled princess cat, and two men who are there for the other when it’s really needed.

[Shana W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet story is easy to read and well written. It is part of the Collier's Creek multi author series, in which all the books can be read as standalones. I love the characters and the town. Echo is new to the town and works as a bartender at a local bar. Dean has a sad backstory that causes him to dislike Christmas and swear off romance for good. Echo helps Dean regain his love of life. A Santa suit features prominently in this process, as do all the interfering but well-meaning and loveable townspeople. I recommend this entertaining book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tanya Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo, a newcomer to Collier's Creek, is railroaded into playing Santa at some Christmas festivities. His first outing results in a badly sprained ankle. The meddling citizens decides this the perfect opportunity to force the mayor's brother Dean to rejoin the living. The town has spoken, Dean may have his reasons for hating Christmas, but twenty years of mourning is enough. Dean will fill in as Santa and Echo will be his trusty elf. As the days countdown to Christmas, Echo's sunny personality stars to shine a light into the dark corners of Dean's life.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echo is a bouncing bundle of joy and full of life. He loves being in Colliers Creek and when asked to play Santa at the assisted living facility, he agrees. When he stumbles and hurts his ankle, the sheriff's brother is there to help him. Although he does not enjoy the Christmas season, there is something about Echo that Dean can't turn him down.
I must admit that if I had a boss like Randy, I would have run a mile. Just as well all is forgiven and the folks have a good season of cheer and surprises.
I received a copy from Neon Rainbow and this is my honest and voluntary review.