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Lone Star Santa
Kristen Zaleski is home for the holidays...indefinitely. Her acting career hasn't taken off -- in fact, it hasn't gone anywhere. So now she's spending her days helping out at her dad's P.I. office. Until Mitch Donner comes by and lights up her life. Sort of...
Mitch is back at his parents' place, too. As a successful accountant who'd been set up to take the fall in a money-laundering scheme, Mitch isn't quite sure what to do. So he takes a job installing Christmas lights...and gets an early present when he runs into Kristen. Especially when she offers her newly acquired P.I. skills to help him get his life back.
Working together, they plot an elaborate sting operation, one that will take a miracle to pull off. Then again, anything is possible at Christmas -- especially if it involves mistletoe!
Mitch is back at his parents' place, too. As a successful accountant who'd been set up to take the fall in a money-laundering scheme, Mitch isn't quite sure what to do. So he takes a job installing Christmas lights...and gets an early present when he runs into Kristen. Especially when she offers her newly acquired P.I. skills to help him get his life back.
Working together, they plot an elaborate sting operation, one that will take a miracle to pull off. Then again, anything is possible at Christmas -- especially if it involves mistletoe!
245 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2006
27 people want to read
About the author
Heather MacAllister
126 books30 followersThis author also writes as Heather Allison.
Heather MacAllister lives in Texas and is married to her high-school sweetheart. Following the instructions in How to Get a Teen-Age Boy, and What to Do with Him When You Get Him by Ellen Peck, one of her all-time favorite books, she expressed an interest in his hobby — ham radio. He challenged her — learn Morse code and get her license, and he’d take her to the senior prom. She did, and currently sports her call sign, WB5RMA, on her car license plate.
Heather became addicted to romance novels in college, yet still managed to graduate and become a music teacher. And then her sons were born. Within seven months, nine baby-sitters quit, so she took pity on the childcare industry, quit teaching, and began avoiding housework by writing during her sons’ nap time.
Heather has published over 40 books with Harlequin. Her award-winning romantic comedies have been translated into 25 languages and published in dozens of countries.
Before she was published, Heather won the Romance Writer's of America Golden Heart Award. Her published novels have been nominated for the RWA RITA award three times, and eHarlequin.com readers voted LONE STAR SANTA favorite Laugh-Out-Loud book of 2006. In addition to awards for best Harlequin Romance and best Harlequin Temptation, Romantic Times Book Reviews has twice nominated Heather for a Career Achievement Award in Series Love and Laughter.
When she's not writing, Heather spends her time collecting vintage jewelry, watching fireworks displays, and killing plants.
Heather MacAllister lives in Texas and is married to her high-school sweetheart. Following the instructions in How to Get a Teen-Age Boy, and What to Do with Him When You Get Him by Ellen Peck, one of her all-time favorite books, she expressed an interest in his hobby — ham radio. He challenged her — learn Morse code and get her license, and he’d take her to the senior prom. She did, and currently sports her call sign, WB5RMA, on her car license plate.
Heather became addicted to romance novels in college, yet still managed to graduate and become a music teacher. And then her sons were born. Within seven months, nine baby-sitters quit, so she took pity on the childcare industry, quit teaching, and began avoiding housework by writing during her sons’ nap time.
Heather has published over 40 books with Harlequin. Her award-winning romantic comedies have been translated into 25 languages and published in dozens of countries.
Before she was published, Heather won the Romance Writer's of America Golden Heart Award. Her published novels have been nominated for the RWA RITA award three times, and eHarlequin.com readers voted LONE STAR SANTA favorite Laugh-Out-Loud book of 2006. In addition to awards for best Harlequin Romance and best Harlequin Temptation, Romantic Times Book Reviews has twice nominated Heather for a Career Achievement Award in Series Love and Laughter.
When she's not writing, Heather spends her time collecting vintage jewelry, watching fireworks displays, and killing plants.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 3, 2021
3 Stars ~ This was a fun romance with a quirky heroine looking to define herself; and a hero fighting to salvage his reputation, career and his self worth.
The cover synopsis pretty much gives the plot for this story. Ms. MacAllister deserves a huge bravo in her characterization of Kristen. She's a struggling actress with a psychology minor and uses that knowledge in creating various personalities that she uses to gleam information to help Mitch learn the truth. I love the insights given to Kristen into reading Mitch's various emotions as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal by his best friend and business partner. Mitch is not a weak man, though he is facing doubts in his ability to read people. These doubts even make him wonder which of the Kristen personas is the real one -- has she been play acting with him too? The secondary characters (the parents, Mitch and Kristen) are done perfectly. They add just the right tone to the often times of tongue and cheek humour.
The resolution to Mitch's troubles is well done and very satisfactory, right down to Kristen's steamy kiss to punctuate Mitch's victory. Their HEA is sweet .
The cover synopsis pretty much gives the plot for this story. Ms. MacAllister deserves a huge bravo in her characterization of Kristen. She's a struggling actress with a psychology minor and uses that knowledge in creating various personalities that she uses to gleam information to help Mitch learn the truth. I love the insights given to Kristen into reading Mitch's various emotions as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal by his best friend and business partner. Mitch is not a weak man, though he is facing doubts in his ability to read people. These doubts even make him wonder which of the Kristen personas is the real one -- has she been play acting with him too? The secondary characters (the parents, Mitch and Kristen) are done perfectly. They add just the right tone to the often times of tongue and cheek humour.
The resolution to Mitch's troubles is well done and very satisfactory, right down to Kristen's steamy kiss to punctuate Mitch's victory. Their HEA is sweet .
December 6, 2024
“This woman was not the usual Sugar Land woman. This was the woman one encountered in smoky bars in slightly seedy areas of town - some other town. She was the kind of woman with long legs, tight skirts and blouses with too many buttons undone. The kind of woman mothers warned their sons about. … The kind of woman who wouldn’t even know he was alive.”
That woman is failed actress Kristen Zaleski, back home from the big city, and living with her parents. Helping out as receptionist at her father's detective agency, Noir Blanc, she's poured her all into playing a film noir character (think Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake).
And the man noticing her charms is Mitchell 'Mitch' Donner, until recently a successful businessman, who has had all his assets seized and is being investigated by the FBI and SEC. He, too, is back home in Sugar Land with his parents.
Both sets of parents aim to set them up - at least that way they'd be out of the house some of the time - but Kristen and Mitch find each other first.
It doesn't take Kristen long to figure out that Mitch is clueless, he hasn't even hired a lawyer and seems to think that his friend and business partner, Jeremy Sloane, will sort it all out for him.
She starts digging and that when she finds something very strange - something that will require her to bring other characters to life, Cheerleader, Lolita, aloof Hollywood actress, etc.
“Lone Star Santa” is a funny read, with Mitch largely playing straight man to Kristen's comedy. Together they make a memorable couple.
4 Stars.
P.S. The generic cover is terrible - this is a book that cries out for a femme fatale/film noir cover.
That woman is failed actress Kristen Zaleski, back home from the big city, and living with her parents. Helping out as receptionist at her father's detective agency, Noir Blanc, she's poured her all into playing a film noir character (think Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake).
And the man noticing her charms is Mitchell 'Mitch' Donner, until recently a successful businessman, who has had all his assets seized and is being investigated by the FBI and SEC. He, too, is back home in Sugar Land with his parents.
Both sets of parents aim to set them up - at least that way they'd be out of the house some of the time - but Kristen and Mitch find each other first.
It doesn't take Kristen long to figure out that Mitch is clueless, he hasn't even hired a lawyer and seems to think that his friend and business partner, Jeremy Sloane, will sort it all out for him.
She starts digging and that when she finds something very strange - something that will require her to bring other characters to life, Cheerleader, Lolita, aloof Hollywood actress, etc.
“Lone Star Santa” is a funny read, with Mitch largely playing straight man to Kristen's comedy. Together they make a memorable couple.
4 Stars.
P.S. The generic cover is terrible - this is a book that cries out for a femme fatale/film noir cover.
September 5, 2020
Am I reading the same book as everyone else? He is at best naive and at worst stupid and adolescent. She has been living in fantasy land and when it doesn’t measure up she goes home to her parents. Both expect their parents to take care of them. Grow up!
March 3, 2017
This is a novella rather than a full length novel. I found it to be very entertaining. Not just a simple romance, there is a real plot.
November 6, 2009
OK - I think I should get over my hesitation to read any of the Harlequin books. 9 times out of 10 they are perfectly fine. Much like this book - I thought it was pretty good, not outstanding or a keeper, but it entertained me while I read and that is the point.
It was a good story with interesting characters. Some fun, seriousness, and yes, some lame moments. But all in all I'm glad I picked it up. That being said, I think I may have read this one before because some of the scenes seemed familiar to me, especially one between the hero/heroine toward the end and where it took place. That is the lame moment I referred to above.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, light read.
It was a good story with interesting characters. Some fun, seriousness, and yes, some lame moments. But all in all I'm glad I picked it up. That being said, I think I may have read this one before because some of the scenes seemed familiar to me, especially one between the hero/heroine toward the end and where it took place. That is the lame moment I referred to above.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, light read.
January 17, 2016
I really liked this one. There were a few moments when Mitch slipped a bit from beta to gamma - but he realized it and Kristen didn't come across as a ball-buster when she helped him recover. His explanation of why he waits to start the physical side of a relationship was beautiful and the love scene was amazing (despite the location!)
I really liked how the parents were depicted as real people who have moved on with their lives, not just sitting around waiting to be grandparents. The dad's 40s style PI office was hilarious. The sleazy folks were well described also - real crooks, but smart enough and concerned enough about their image to cover it up really, really well.
I really liked how the parents were depicted as real people who have moved on with their lives, not just sitting around waiting to be grandparents. The dad's 40s style PI office was hilarious. The sleazy folks were well described also - real crooks, but smart enough and concerned enough about their image to cover it up really, really well.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews