All by My Elf

Under The Mistletoe Collection #3

by Olivia Dade

Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, heartfelt short story by bestselling author Olivia Dade.

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Olivia Dade’s All by My Elf is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Novella, Audiobook, Holiday, Contemporary, Short Stories

54 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.

*******

If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!

Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I don’t understand is why they had sex in a hot dog van? At least make it a sleigh lmao 🧑‍🎄

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought I was reading a book about adult professors in their mid-thirties, not hormonal teenagers doing it in a hot dog van 💀

[Clace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.45!

it was like 40 pages and the basic summary would be: The girl thinks the guy is dating her best friend (how she doesn't know that he's not actually the best friends bf I will never know because like?? She's your bestie. So she finds out that he isn't and then they have sex 😭 that's it)

I honestly liked the valentine novellas better 😭 this one was better than the last one but not as cute as the first one. I liked the nerdy MMC but I honestly didn't feel anything 😝 a tad bit cute, I feel it could've been like the Abby Jimenez one without the spice because again just 40 pages
___
So far the collection has been 👎🏻☹️👎🏻 hoping this one changes the tide 🙏🏻 also my first Olivia Dade book 🙂‍↕️

*Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an arc.*

[Alyssa Nieves · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it here

[Katherine Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sentenced to life in prison for having two people bang in an Oscar Mayer wiener mobile knock off and for her asking if his penis “was hers to play with like a toy on Christmas”
JAIL

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 1 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 1 star!

unfortunately, not only this didn’t give me the christmas feels, it just made me question what the hell was this? this was my first olivia dade book and i’m just hoping that i get to read at least another one of her books just so i could forget about this. all by my elf just wasn’t it.

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

do i expect something good from this one or nah? either way, please be something! 🥲🤞🏼

[rachel humphries porter · Rating 2 out of 5]

no.
“those weren’t a bag of mnm’s in his pocket” in what world…

[⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ mimi ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing screams christmas like having sex in a giant hotdog mobile ???

[aira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I genuinely don't even understand what I just read 🤡

[Flo Camus · Rating 1 out of 5]

[1.2⭐] 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙮 𝙀𝙡𝙛 es una novela corta navideña escrita por Olivia Dade en el año 2024. La historia se centra en Nina y William, dos profesores mal pagados, que se encuentran atrapados en una tormenta de nieve mientras trabajan en un empleo temporal durante las vacaciones.


Sigo leyendo estas novelas cortas navideñas para empaparme un poco del ambiente navideño, aunque, de momento, no lo han logrado. 
Esta obra intenta combinar romance navideño con humor, pero falla en casi todos los aspectos. Lo que prometía ser una historia divertida y cálida de amor en medio de una tormenta de nieve se convierte en un relato aburrido, ridículo y forzado que, francamente, es difícil de disfrutar. Incluso, sentí que se parecía un poco al primer relato (el de Ali Hazelwood): dos individuos que están obligados a compartir un espacio reducido por culpa de una tormenta. Si van a hacer una entrega de varios relatos cortos, procuren que las tramas sean diferentes entre sí.

En cuanto a los protagonistas, puedo decir que me dio vergüenza compartir profesión con gente tan inmadura. Se supone que tienen más de 30 años (incluso, Nina es divorciada) y se comportan como dos adolescentes hormonales e inseguros en vez de adultos maduros. Siento que la autora deja muy mal a los profesores con estos protagonistas tan infantiles, inmaduros y tontos. Además, la dinámica entre ellos, basada en un problema de comunicación absurdo, resulta frustrante y poco creíble. ¿Cómo es posible que la protagonista no sepa que su mejor amiga no está saliendo con el hombre que le gusta? ¿Cómo va a tener tan poca comunicación con su mejor amiga? Puedo llegar a entender que sea mala comunicándose con William porque es un simple colega, pero es imposible que no le hable a su mejor amiga. Incluso, si realmente lo fuera, habría tenido la confianza para reprocharle a la muchacha que está saliendo con el hombre que le gusta. 

En cuanto a la trama (dejando de lado el hecho de que se parece mucho a la novela de Ali), el resultado final es una mezcla de decisiones narrativas cuestionables. La escena del juego “Yo Nunca Nunca”  y su clímax en un auto con forma de salchicha (que hasta el momento sigo sin poder imaginarme ya que siento que la autora modifica sus dimensiones cuando narra) son tan incómodos que rayan en lo caricaturesco. 
Además, sentí que habían partes que no tenían sentido alguno, tuve que releerlas varias veces para ver si era yo la mala lectora o si era la novela (y sí, era la novela). 
Lejos de ser romántico o divertido, el desenlace se siente apresurado, con momentos más dignos de un fanfiction de wattpad que de una novela publicada. Sumado a que la autora aburre con el tema de los penes, las tetas y las vaginas, es un recurso humorístico demasiado aburrido y de adolescente.

En cuanto al ambiente navideño, tengo que decir que si buscabas una lectura que evoque la magia de la Navidad, este libro te dejará frío. Las festividades son meramente un trasfondo decorativo y el encanto que debería emanar de un romance navideño es inexistente. Lo único navideño es la nieve (cosa que no hay en Latam) y los disfraces de elfo, nada más.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙮 𝙀𝙡𝙛 no logra aportar nada memorable al género de las novelas navideñas. Con personajes planos, un desarrollo ridículo y una mala ejecución, es difícil justificar siquiera su publicación. 

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t have “seasonal schnitzel sex” on my horny holidays bingo card but here we are. Have yourself a cringy little christmas with Olivia Dade’s All By My Elf as adjunct professors Nina and William discover the true meaning of Christmas is…*checks note*...being trapped in a giant, phallic food wagon with your coworker crush on ye olde drinking-games-to-sex pipeline. No, you read that correctly, these two are dressed as elves on their holiday side-hustle driving around in what is essentially the copyright free version of the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile when they get trapped by a snowstorm:

Perhaps it is the same snowstorm that trapped our romcom comrades in the Ali Hazelwood book that started this shitshow series of novellas and is the ultimate blizzard of gusts and lusts. Is this story corny? Absolutely. But, like William says, ‘Please accept my deep and abiding nerd-love,’ and—you know what?—I think I WILL, Olivia Dade. I found all the deeply nerdy wordplay and academia backstory to be kind of charming and sure its a cringe a page with the dialogue but it also reads as intentionally bad as a form of humor and I can get down with that. That is exactly what this review is too I suppose. Its some decently cheesy banter for the banging (i love a good pun, can't lie) and the whole ordeal being inside a giant penis metaphor on wheels makes it hard to not laugh at the absurdity of it all. Not great, not terrible, but certainly worth a quick laugh even if it is only minorly festive.

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

even though ‘All by My Elf’ is a 55 pages long novella there were some plot holes that didn’t make any sens and it sort of bothered me.. but i always enjoy a miscommunication plotline when it’s the good old reciprocal i thought you didn’t like me but you’re secretly obsessed with me. all in all, it was a fast paced read that can work perfectly as plate cleanser!

“you feel like you’ve wasted your time.” truer words have never been written when it came to perusing a PhD 🥲

many thanks to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

[✨Julie✨]

✩ 3.25 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Secret Crushes
➼ Two Adjunct Professors
➼ Coworkers-to-Lovers
➼ Stranded/Snowed In
➼ Love After Divorce
➼ Never Have I Ever
➼ Plus Size FMC
➼ Miscommunication
➼ Holiday Novella

This is the only kind of miscommunication I can get behind. 🫶🏻 Haven’t we all been there? When you’re crushing on someone so hard that you can’t even fathom that they might feel the same way? I loved that he chose to take a job that was out of his comfort zone just to be around her and then didn’t act on his feelings because he didn’t want to pressure her or make her feel uncomfortable if she wasn’t interested. They would have had to work in very close proximity together and his concerns were very thoughtful and valid. Having sex in a wiener mobile doesn’t sound all that romantic 😅, but it does feel kind of right for a holiday romcom. Of the three I’ve read, this was my favorite so far! Number 4 seems promising! 🤞🏻

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: You’d think I would have learned my lesson after the last one, but nope. I might even be more intrigued. 😂

I have a long drive home today and will likely finish Mary Poppins and this on the way. 💗

[paula ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 ⭐

Oh my god... What is this mess? 🥴

The fact that the author didn't specify from the beginning that the MMC wasn't going to cheat on his girlfriend with her best friend would have been the right thing to do, honestly.

The protagonists didn't have any kind of chemistry with the male protagonist, the spice just came out of nowhere.

I just hope that the last two novels left are a little better than this because... This is a mess 🥴

[⁠*⁠♡Lilac⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh

[Makena Cagle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was terrible lol

[Emma Griffioen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was somehow worse than the last one? They did it on the aisle floor in the back of an old hot dog van and that's all I'll say about that.💀 Brb trying to forget I ever read this.

Read my reviews for the Under the Mistletoe Collection here:
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - 2 stars
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 1 star
All By My Elf by Olivia Dade - 1 star
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - 3 stars
Only Santa's in the Building by Alexis Daria - 3 stars

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Miscommunication or not, all of these characters are terrible: the best friend, who might have slept with the man you told her you have a crush on because when she's a little tipsy she forgets about this stuff; the male interest, who’s always cuddling with the best friend “to keep each other warm” because of the cold; and the protagonist is such an insufferable child in the body of a forty-ish old woman.

↠ 2 stars (DNF @45%)

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Hannah B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The telling not showing popped off in this one. It was just weird? There was a lot going on but also nothing going on. Face sitting was a plus. Face sitting in a giant hotdog-mobile however??? Spare me.

Plus I wanna know how you can use explicit words during a sex scene but exclusively say “freaking” during the rest of the book. It’s a pet peeve but god is it annoying. Also the Christmas is BARELY relevant in these novellas.

Like the rest of the novellas, the narrator was great!

I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Karla Martínez · Rating 2 out of 5]

por qué las escenas spicy eran tan respetuosas ? JAJAJAJA NO ES MI ESTILO

[Anna jane semi ia · Rating 1 out of 5]

At thirty- seven years old, she’d obviously experienced a few hopeless crushes before. He wasn’t the first. Might not even be the last. This sort of intense, involuntary attention to every detail of him— the agile grace in his broad, pale hands, the spread of his surprisingly muscular thighs in those dark, close- fitting jeans of his, the exact shape of his softly curved lips as he regarded her— would eventually pass. It had to.”


why did they decide to do sexual activity in a hot dogvan? was a good idea so far. Another novella fails, and it cringe like the second book. i need bleach. Somebody needs to hire an editor because this desperately needs one and also trying to find the chemistry because it is so none existing. Why are those people horny for no reason also can someone tell me why those adults were acting like horny teenagers who never been in a relationship before the lines is cringe but it's an improvement from the tessa bailey novella but it's still bad and I can't quit now i am too deep too quit I am only looking forward to the next one because of the fireman but other then that I don't have much hope for those books okay 3 done 2 to go like the previous book this my first introduction too this author and I am not impressed the only thing that keeps me going was the fact that it's a novella and not a full length book the horror and why is she asking if his penis his hers too play with like a christmas toy the miscommunication trope was stupid she simply is just going to assume he is with her best friend to be a christmas novella it was bearly christmasy and the fact that they desided to have sex in there took of the vibes they have more pressing matters to work about like being stuck in a snow storm not banging each other like could they not wait this is worst then the last one why do they keep getting worse how did those novellas get published is beyond me so far none have been good this and tessa bailey one have been out right horrid somebody needs to hire an editor because they need it desperately glad it's only a novella because I would not have survived the full body cringe I should have dnf it

It’s a mincemeat- filled roll of phyllo dough,” she interrupted hastily because she knew all too well what the tubular fibreglass structure sitting atop her vehicle’s roof resembled “Drizzled with caramel. One of our most popular products here at Mrs. Claus’s Mincemeat Treats. We sell them in packages of three, as”— this one pained her, every time—“‘ Hark, the Phyllo Fingers Rock.’”

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The wiener truck ruined it.

(Also, you know that meme with the drawing of the horse that starts off really well drawn and then it gets progressively worse to the point where it’s like a stick figure? That’s this entire novella series.)

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had something of a confusing start. We needed some tell before the show to understand what the heck this vehicle business was. It took a fair few pages to work out a bunch of academics in a hot dog advertising truck...could this be any more bizarre. Suffice it to say, it didn't start well but it did improve.

Nina was a confident woman and William was an introvert, along for the ride of being next to Nina. The scenes where they connected honestly were good but it was soon over as was the story.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Cami✯ (hiatus — school ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The same poles of two magnets have more chemistry than Nina and William.

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

the setup…
Nina, William and Claudia are underpaid adjunct professors at Dogwood University in Newport News, Virginia. It’s the three-week holiday break and they’ve signed up as seasonal workers for Mrs. Claus’s Mincemeat Treats…driving a repurposed weinermobile that’s now got a roll of phyllo dough on top, filled with mincemeat and drizzled with caramel. And, they’re dressed as elves. It’s snowing heavily but Nina and William are still expected to make an appointment in Washington, DC and traffic is now at a standstill. She’s had a crush on him for four months but it looks like he and her best friend Claudia are in a relationship. But, they need to cuddle up to stay warm while they wait out the storm.

the heart of the story…
The start is hilarious as Nina has to deal with other drivers engaging with her at stoplights, all believing they are the first to come up with every bad joke imaginable about that car. Nina’s clever, pun-laden comebacks are also a riot. Of course, it doesn’t take long to figure out that William really has eyes for her, too. But the pivot to a much too steamy encounter took some of the shine off what is the start of a lovely romance.

the narration…
I’ve enjoyed listening to Andi Arndt’s storytelling for many years and she handled this one nicely, especially those terrible (but funny) double entendres.

the bottom line…
If you can forget about the intimate encounter in the mincemobile (it was as “distasteful” as it sounds), this was a funny, sweet holiday story with a very cute title.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)

[Kelsey reviews•books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I didn’t hate this as much as y’all 🤷🏼‍♀️

Could it have used some more editing? 100% Yes.
Was it full of holiday spirit? No. In fact I don’t understand why this was in the holiday collection.
Can I explain to you why two college professors are also employed to drive around a phallic van? No, that did lose me…

But for a novella, this was a bit sweet, a bit spicy, and had a bit of heart.

⚠️: 1 explicit spice scene, curvy FMC, divorced FMC

[Kendall Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

“slick vulva” HAHA ok doctor

[Hallie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

[Sharm ♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Yawning. Sloppy. Lazy 😪