Centaur's Little Helper

by S.C. Principale, Kit Fox Art (Illustrator)

Nigel isn’t a big fan of the holidays, especially since the last time he went home for Christmas, he got the gift of dashed hopes and a broken heart. So, while other handymen might reject the idea of tackling a new project when they could be relaxing with eggnog in front of the fire, Nigel gladly accepts a job that’ll distract him from all the festivities he’d like to ignore. A centaur finishing a nursery for a demi-mortal named Klaus and his little elf missus while they head home to help with the “family business”? It’s just another day in Pine Ridge, and that’s all Christmas is to Nigel. Just another day.

Briana thought booking a secluded cabin in the snowy foothills would make for a picture-perfect Christmas—and pave the way for the proposal her boyfriend had been hinting at. But when her boyfriend dumps her at the last exit before Pine Ridge, she loses her way in the dark, and then her cell phone dies, Briana only has one thing to say about the holidays. Bah-frigging-humbug.

Can the wrong cabin, a lot of brandy, and a little shared heartbreak somehow put some super spicy happy back into Nigel and Briana’s holidays? Find out in Centaur’s Little Helper, a steamy standalone from Pine Ridge!

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 11, 2025

About the author

Author of romance with bite.
Especially fond of monster and paranormal romance, but she'll write some all-human romances, too!

Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute Monster Holiday Romance

“He’s a handyman. Carpenter. He fixed the boiler, fixed my ankle, fixed breakfast... I think he could fix a broken heart,” I say cautiously.

[Gleeful Goblin Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gleeful Goblin Review: In my opinion there are never enough centaur romances, so when one of my favorite authors comes out with a centaur romance about falling in love when you least expect it I was all the way hooked. The book may be a little shorter on pages but it's long on....love. Our FMC Briana is as fresh as she could possibly be off a crushingly disappointing relationship with a man who did nothing but lie and refuse to communicate. So, when she takes what was supposed to be a romantic couple's getaway for a Christmas proposal and meets our centaur MMC, Nigel. The name of his business (and basically his life's motto) is Promises Kept. Nigel is the one to pick up the pieces with Briana and it's the sweetest (and spiciest) of processes. Ex-Never-Fiance Human Josh was commitment phobic but Nigel is the polar opposite. He's ready for commitment and monogamy is a core value for centaur culture. He and Briana are on the same page in a lot of ways and they can write their own happy ending if they're brave enough to trust in each other. 5/5 Stars

[Surille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even before starting the book, I scratched my head and asked myself, "How is the sex going to work?". At first I had a hard time picturing how the couple were able to be intimate. But the description was better the second time and onward. And those scenes definitely made me attentive. Damn...Nigel is 800 lbs..800 lbs!

Though it seems as though Nigel and Brianna only connected because they both were heartbroken and wanted a committed partner. I didn't really see any other compatibility. The novella wasn't as humorous as "Planes, Trains, and Candy Canes", and the main characters weren't particularly interesting in personality. I don't mind insta-love, but their love story was unmemorable. Though if you want smut, there are a good number of such detailed scenes.

The book kept my interest even if the main characters were somewhat general. I wanted to read about how one gets physical with a centaur. I still am interested in the author's other books.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute little holiday book with spice. We've got two brokenhearted leads stuck together in a snowstorm and a romance blossoming between them.

Love the spice and how sweet the hero was, my only downside was the ending felt a bit rushed and it's a "skip to a year later" epilogue when I really wanted to see how the relationship would progress aside for the holidays.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read. Christmas but not too much Christmas (iykyk). Just what I needed to help in a book slump.

[Jenny T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet and very spicy -- a nice little holiday jaunt! Short but tasty.

[Mari Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short spicy holiday monster romance novella