He Sees You

by Carin Hart

He knows when you’ve been bad or good…Dove

I’m being stalked by Santa.

Does that sound crazy? I get it. I feel crazy. From the moment I caught him watching me from the corner where he jangled his jingle bells, I can’t shake the feeling that he’s following me—and then, a couple of days before Christmas, I wake up to find him in my room.

He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake…

I should’ve screamed. I should’ve grabbed my phone and called 9-1-1… but I didn’t do any of that. I confronted him instead, and then I discovered that Santa… he knows when you’ve been bad or good.

He also knows when you’ve been very naughty—and he has no problem blackmailing you to get what he wants this Christmas.

Because Santa wants me, and when I get him out of that red suit and tug off the fake beard, I find out that calling the cops would’ve been pointless.

After all, I already have one in my house after he broke into it.

Derek

There isn’t anything I won’t do to make Dove Yarrow mine.

I’ve been obsessed with the cheery photographer since I responded to a call at the downtown department store where she works, and though she’s an old pro behind the lens, it took her way longer than it should have to realize that she was being watched.

I have my mentor to thank for that. Officer Mason Burns took me under his wing when I joined the Springfield Police Department after a recent career change. Not only has he taught me the ropes when it comes to being a beat cop, but when he picked up on my obsession with Dove, he taught me a very important

Civilians see the badge. The uniform. With both, you can get away with anything.

That goes triple for a Santa suit.

I want Dove. I’ve made it my New Year’s resolution to call this woman mine, and when my stalking reveals a hidden dark side to her, I won’t hesitate to use that to get everything I desire...

Because you better not pout. You better not cry.

Officer Coleman is coming to make you his this Christmas.

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Dark Romance, Novella, Dark, Short Stories

170 pages, Hardcover

Published December 23, 2024

Reviews

[LT Rosado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stalker romance. Crooked cop. Forced relationship with blackmail. Fast paced. Read in one sitting, took me about 2 hours. The ending was a bit unhinged. Happily ever after.

[Helena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, I wanted to love this but I just found myself cringing the whole time. Derek comes across more creepy than hot and dove seems really dumb and basically just lets him take advantage of her? And the smut was not good. Not my thing.

PLOT:

Derek is a cop with an obsession, he's been stalking photographer Dove for months and leaving her cryptic Christmas themed gifts. When he sets up a trap to bust her for drug trafficking/ possession she agrees to sleep with him and they become a thing.


THOUGHTS:

- I wanted to like Dove but honestly she's just kind of bland. She doesn't stand up for herself and basically lets a coworker sexually harass her. She's involved in a customer altercation where she "tries to help" but gets punched in the face. When she starts getting these creepy gifts, she doesn't seem all that bothered and even USES the custom dildo Derek sends her.... Girl what? Throw that shit out.

- then we have the "romance / smut" relationship and it was kind of meh. When Derek basically sets her up / blackmails her into sleeping with him and she wakes up to him there she's SUPER chill with it? Like at no point is she freaked or ready to bolt when confronted by a STRANGER in her apartment stroking his cock??? Oh and he asks to fuck her and she's all "sure, cool, I don't want to be arrested".... Yikes. Also ... She sleeps with him with NO PROTECTION/ CONDOM.

- the smut was not great. Look I'm not expecting Pulitzer level writing or scenes but when they finally get together it's just ... Bland? It's Derek talking about her pussy, her thinking about how she's always wanted someone to love her (girl what???) and then she comes. Are you kidding me???? I thought it would get better after that but it's all Derek being a creep and naming their kids and Dove being all "ok we're in love now. Sure, we're told after a time skip that she's tried to escape but we don't SEE anything actually happen. It's all very generic and not hot at all.

Not worth it IMO, even if you're just reading for smut.

[Sela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet and funny and hot little novella. Derek & Dove.. oooh I’d be feral for a Derek irl. And omg, the fact that Dove was a plus sized woman, HELL YEAH, love me a fat baddie in a book. 🙂‍↕️ I need to know if there’s more of this couple in full on books & also… officer burns sounds like my kinda crazy so does he have a book too?! First read from this author and you got me hooked!

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

176-page dark Christmas romance novella. Dove is unknowingly being shmalked. But once she finds out who it is—it’s game on. Carin Hart wrote a dark, shmutty novella, and it was good!

[ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

He Sees You

This was such an entertaining read. Even though it’s a short book, the story flowed so well and the characters were absolutely adorable. It has stalking, secret gifts, hidden cameras…all the unhinged goodness.

There were moments that genuinely had me laughing because the MMC simply does not understand the word “no.” And the fact that she ran away three times and he still found her every single time? I was literally LOL’ing.

[Kayla P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this until I got to the end and it was just a recap of her realizing she loves him and it didn’t happen on page. I would’ve loved if it was a little longer and showed all of what happened. Also then o saw the photo of the girl that’s meant to be plus sized and that was wild

[Martha Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, spicy holiday read that had me hooked—and let’s just say the MMC absolutely did things to me. 🥵

This book is dark, bold, and unapologetically unhinged in the best way. The Santa twist is twisted, the tension is immediate, and the obsession is front and center from page one. Derek is the kind of morally wrong MMC that somehow still makes you swoon, and his POV only made his fixation more intense (and disturbingly irresistible).

The pacing is fast, the spice hits hard, and the holiday theme adds an extra layer of wicked fun. It’s the perfect read when you want something festive but feral—short, shocking, and addictive.

If you love taboo vibes, obsessed MMCs, and dark holiday reads that go straight for the throat, this one delivers. Definitely check triggers—and enjoy every naughty page. 🎅🔥

[Audi Walbridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh.

I didn't love it. I didn't hate it.

It felt like it scratched the surface of a dark romance- yes Derek is stalking her but I just kept thinking there'd be more. Then there's Dove who I wanted to like, and I kept trying to see how he was obsessed with her so quickly. She kinda just let everything happen to her, minus the getting hit breaking up a fight.

I will say the jingle bells had me cackling, and when he started singing to her. lolz

I didn't reason Mason's story since he was Derek's mentor and I am kind of curious.

It also could use another edit, some grammar and word mishaps through it.

[Moody Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Had some good laughs. The Christmas references were well placed. I know this is a novella but it kinda progressed a bit too fast.

[Milica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would've been just fine without him mentioning, a few times too, how he's had many one night stands and many sexual experiences. And, of course, the heroine has been celibate since she moved in Springfield, so at least 2 years. I think he was celibate since he first saw her, around 6 months earlier. I also disliked how he wasn't 100% in from the start, he was kinda hesitant when he first saw her, but he became fully obsessed soon after.

[IR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally could not when he started singing like what

[Serena Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

’Me prometí a mí mismo que a partir de ese momento tendría su propio protector personal. A mí. La mantendría a salvo, usaría mi placa para siempre y me aseguraría de que cuando me viera la próxima vez, su sonrisa no fuera tan vacilante como era.
Yo la protegería. La amaría. Haría que ella también se enamorara de mí y tendría ese final feliz para siempre que tanto merecía.




•Mi opinión puede contener Spoilers.
•Esta destinada a ser un descargo personal no para que alguien más lea pero si lo haces y te ofende, me disculpo porque sé lo que es que te guste un libro y otros lo critiquen.



He sees you de Carin Hart

Argumento:

Él sabe cuando has sido bueno o malo…

Dove

Estoy siendo acosada por Santa.

¿Suena loco? Lo entiendo. Me siento loca. Desde el momento en que lo sorprendí observándome desde el rincón donde hacía sonar sus cascabeles, no puedo quitarme la sensación de que me estaba siguiendo... y luego, en Nochebuena, me despierto y lo encuentro en mi habitación.

Él te ve cuando duermes, sabe cuando estás despierto …

Debería haber gritado. Debería haber cogido mi teléfono y llamado al 911... pero no hice nada de eso. En lugar de eso, lo confronté y luego descubrí que Papá Noel... sabe cuándo te has portado bien o mal.

Él también sabe cuando has sido muy travieso y no tiene ningún problema en chantajearte para conseguir lo que quiere esta Navidad.

Porque Santa me quiere, y cuando le saco el traje rojo que lleva puesto y ya no lleva la barba postiza, descubro que llamar a la policía hubiera sido inútil.
Después de todo, ya tengo uno en mi casa después de que el oficial Coleman irrumpiera en ella.

Derek

No hay nada que no haría para que Dove Yarrow sea mía.

He estado obsesionado con la dulce fotógrafa desde que respondí a una llamada en la tienda departamental del centro donde ella trabaja, y aunque es una vieja profesional detrás de la lente, le tomó mucho más tiempo del que debería darse cuenta de que la estaban observando.

Tengo que agradecerle a mi mentor por eso. El oficial Mason Burns me tomó bajo su protección cuando me uní al Departamento de Policía de Springfield después de un cambio de carrera reciente. No solo me enseñó los trucos para ser un policía de barrio, sino que cuando se dio cuenta de mi obsesión con Dove, me enseñó una lección muy importante:

Los civiles ven la placa y el uniforme. Con ambos, puedes salirte con la tuya.

Y esto se aplica triplemente a un traje de Papá Noel.

Quiero a Dove. He tomado como resolución de Año Nuevo llamar a esta mujer mía, y cuando mi acecho revele un lado oscuro oculto en ella, no dudaré en usarlo para obtener todo lo que deseo...

Porque más vale que no hagas pucheros. Más vale que no llores.

El oficial Coleman viene para hacerte suyo esta Navidad.



Mi humilde opinión:

Este es un romance erótico con atracción instantánea, esta lejos de ser un romance dulce sino mas bien con sus grises donde ambos protagonistas están en la lista de mal portados de Santa Claus.

Contiene; policías corruptos; un héroe ciertamente loco, una heroína sin remordimientos; voyerismo descarado; Acoso sexual; chantaje; consentimiento dudoso; drogas (tráfico, no consumo); píldoras para dormir; sexo sin protección; cremita; masturbación; vinculación; acechar a la heroína, incluyendo verla desvestirse frente a una cámara de video, colocar un rastreador en su vehículo y colarse en su apartamento mientras duerme para fotografiarla; además un regalito para el placer personal con un conjunto de cascabeles pegados en el.

Derek utilizó métodos dudosos inspirados en navidad para demostrarle su amor a Dove, como convertirse en su Santa secreto y entrar a su departamento mientras duerme para dejarle regalos traviesos bajo el árbol, eso y mas me pareció loquísimo de este hombre pero lo mas loco? Él era un policía! no es solo su Santa secreto, no es solo su acosador vestido de rojo, es un policía que se enamoró a primera vista de ella y su fijación solo creció desde entonces y no parará hasta hacerle ver que ella es suya y que él es suyo antes de año nuevo.

La reacción de Dove ante la locura de Derek fue creíble, hace lo lógico que es no creerle nada y huir. Me gustó que no fuera una heroína que cede al minuto sino que lo hace trabajar para que le demuestre que en verdad la quiere tan mal.

De vez en cuando caen en mis manos estos libros con héroes obsesionados por la heroína que me llaman la atención y como es navidad aquí estamos… Honestamente no pude dejar de leer, la historia fue breve pero entretenida además de sorprendente. OTT es decir poco.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 ⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶
Dual pov

Dark christmas romance novella
Stalker
Secret Santa 
Corrupt cop
Plus size FMC
Forced proximity 
Obsessive & Possessive
Blackmail 
Secret tattoo
Toy play
Dildo replica 
Pegging 
HEA

He Sees You is a dark Christmas novella centered on a corrupt rookie cop and his obsessive fixation on a woman he meets during a disturbance call. It’s fast-paced and easy to read, blending stalker romance tropes with festive holiday elements in a way that keeps things moving and seasonal without overstaying its welcome.

The premise leans fully into obsession: he stalks her for months and eventually takes to dressing as Santa, leaving gifts throughout December before escalating to a face-to-face encounter on Christmas Eve. From there, the story dives into blackmail, coercion, and the eventual acceptance of sex with a stalker stranger. It’s very much a forced proximity setup, and the tone commits to that darkness without apology.

One of the strongest aspects for me was the characters’ ages and life circumstances. At 28 and 30, both are making career moves and dreaming of more, which grounded the story and made their decisions feel oddly relatable. Even the corruption, drug dealing, and bribery made sense in a “life is expensive and messy” way. I also really enjoyed the buildup, especially getting more of his POV as watching his obsession unfold was more interesting than I expected.

That said, the intimacy was uneven. The initial sexual encounters weren’t anything particularly special unless you already have a strong stalker kink. For something labeled as erotica, I expected more intensity earlier on. The energy was there, but not quite the payoff, at least not at first.

The ending, however, absolutely delivered. His jealousy over his own dildo was ridiculous (in a very believable “men are ridiculous” way), and Dove using that same dildo to peg him was an incredible full-circle moment and a fantastic final scene.

Overall, this was a good, not great read. I enjoyed it, appreciated the tone and character grounding, and loved the ending, but I’m not entirely sure what would’ve pushed it into standout territory for me. Still, if you enjoy dark holiday novellas and stalker dynamics, it’s worth checking out.

[kall.isreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟*𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐞."
-
rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
spice :🌶🌶🌶

This dark Christmas novella was so sinfully festive, so if you like an obsessed dirty cop, or maybe have a santa kink .. then this one is for you!

Officer Derek Coleman plays the good cop but is actually unhinged. Like seriously nuts. He pushes the boundary on 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳 with Dove, but he also knew his audience. And after obsessing so hard and going to the lengths he did to win her over, she did a full stockholm syndrome for this man who absolutely abused his badge and power over her, but their connection was obvious and I enjoyed the twisted cat and mouse game.

i couldn't get enough of the little festive gifts he left for Dove, and then the Santa suit he chooses to don while on stalker-duty .. kind made me want to dress up my own santa to come baring special festive gifts this year.
But what sent me over was the twisted lines from 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' that was woven throughout the story... this was by far my favourite detail! They were always clever, nicely placed and very entertaining!
AND THE ENDING 🪵 daaang.
this was my first ever pēggïng and I am here for the new lane way!

[Kayla Simonson · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I’m being stalked by Santa Claus.”

I debated on reading this one, but heard so many good things about this one, so I figured it give it a shot. And he was definitely walking giant red flag… The MMC being a creepy ass cop was one thing, but using his power as a creepy ass cop to get what he wanted from her was not my cup of tea. I think if certain parts (ie him telling her more than once, to have sex with him or he would arrest her for dealing. And the amount of times he talked about his mother before or after having crazy ass thoughts/ideas about Dove…) were taken out or altered a bit, I would’ve enjoyed it.

There were some parts I thought were kind of funny or entertaining. But they got one thing right, they’re both could use some serious therapy! 🤣 “I’m also insane, by the way. Probably certifiable, though I’m not about to see a therapist or anything. I just want this woman, and now I have her. So, yeah. Merry fucking Christmas.” “‘I fucked a crazy guy. I let him stay in my apartment and I fucked him after he broke in. Shit. Maybe I’m crazy, too.’”

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

not what I was expecting.

This is on me for not reading more about this book. I thought it was going to be a sweet holiday romance with a little spice. It is not! lol it’s dark, very dark and just not the vibe I was after. No shade, there’s clearly an audience for this genre it’s just not for me. I knew it when I read the CW at the front but thought I’d try it out anyway. Trying to push myself and read books that I normally wouldn’t. I tried it, it’s not for me. It was an interesting POV though so I’m still giving it 4 stars. The author shouldn’t be dinged because this was not the book for me. The story moves along at a quick pace, and if you like darker romance themes you may very well enjoy this title

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t remember ever reading a book with a cop in it before this one but BOYY this unlocked something new for me. This was a steamy Christmas read that had me hot and bothered the whole time. The way he talks about dove is so heart melting and melting in other ways too 🫣

I HIGHLY recommend picking this up and giving it a try, its under 200 pages so its a quick fun Christmas read!


TROPES AND FEATURES
- Obsessed Cop & Photographer
- Stalker Romance
- Touch her and go byebye vibes
- Short Christmas Novella

FINAL RATINGS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (5/5)

[Theodora Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this Santa cop dark romance novella, but I found myself wanting to DNF it. I was expecting it to be as dark or darker than No One Has to Know, which I’ve previously finished. Instead, it felt half-baked, multiple spelling errors and I wouldn’t classify it as a true dark romance. As a banter-loving reader, I was especially disappointed that their so-called “banter” mostly came across as blackmail, which usually isn’t a problem, but here it was the only thing tying her to him until the epilogue. That said, I’ll still give Carin Hart’s other books a try in the future, hoping for something more in line with my tastes.
Another book devoured, another heart unhappily tangled. Until the next one!
With Love, Theodora

[Sheena Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ummm I have no words! I have only came across a handful of books that I can say gave me the ick, and this one just joined those. I was not here for it. I love me a good stalker book. Add the “mine” trope and I’m melting! But this one was just….I cannot explain it. I’m also a sucker for an all smut zero plot story. I just couldn’t with this one though. I tried to get into it. It wasn’t there. I finished it, because I don’t usually DNF books, but damn that was brutal!

[Chili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic stalker story with a festive twist

I really like stalker stories. I have a soft spot for them as it was one of the first types of stories I read when I began my trek into the spicy romance genre. I highly recommend it you're looking for a short Xmas story with an HEA ending. I snagged a copy for free during a promotion.

[Amanda Buntin · Rating 4 out of 5]

need a stalker Santa

Dang this boy. Not going to lie I was like how do I order this? A man who knows what he wants and goes for it completely. Only thing stopping her is herself but she soon realizes she is loved more than anything and as the grow towards she learns his ways and what he wants!

[Starlequinn Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk. It was interesting at first, but kind of lost me when the MMC pretty much threw himself on the FMC. She obviously didn’t want him, trying to escape him multiple times, but blackmailing her, and being persistent like that reminded me of a “where’s my hug” type of guy. And those give me the ick. The writing was really good though! I just didn’t think the story was for me.

[Rhonda Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cat mouse read. You have Dove who has lived in Springfield a few years who has a run in with Derek who is a cop. Derek then wants Dove so he becomes her secret Santa. Spice levels 3-4 peppers.This was my first Carin Hart book and loved her writing style she kept me interested in the plot of the book.

[XtrashpanduhX · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚠️ Possible Spoilers
The main reason that I didn't give this book five stars was because of the slight blackmailing aspect. Even if the MMC never planned on going through with it, I still wasn't a fan about him making the FMC feel like he would.
And the end being a short recap, of the past YEAR of them together, was a little disappointing.

[Korina Hornbuckle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent read, especially for a short story. It has a slightly crazy stocker Santa, an innocent-ish photographer, and a bit of spice. They're obviously the main part of the story but there is a bit of side stuff going on. Could easily be read in one sitting and would be a really good in between reads pallet cleansor.

[Chloe Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

very enjoyable, however the name Derek immediately makes me think of Stepbrothers so the whole time I was singing "immmm dereeekkkkk and iiii can sing hiiiiigh like thiiiiiiiiiiissssss" and laughing hysterically LOL

[Krystle Rayne McFadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into this book. I had trouble with it holding my attention. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I had read the rest of the series, but it can be read as a standalone. It just had a lot going on for such a short book. Not bad, but not for me.

[Sammi Prince · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about this one. It felt rushed, the mmc was super creepy in my eyes. Like, stalking in general is creepy but most stories add some redeeming qualities to the mmc to make it- less creepy? But Derek, he gave me the ick.

[kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

You better watch out...Santa's Coming

This stalker holiday romance definitely grabbed my attention. The love at first sight obsession had a hold on me as Derek gave such insight on how he felt towards Dove. And Dove's feelings and emotions felt real and I loved their chemistry.

[Larisa]

DNF at 50%
where are my fellow dark romance authors?😭😭