Playing Santa

Paws by the Beach #2.5

by H.Y. Hanna

escape Down Under this Christmas...and find love in Summer Beach, where cold noses touch warm hearts!
Holly stopped believing in Santa Claus long ago... until a house-sitting vacation in Australia rekindles the magic of Christmas. When she rescues a litter of abandoned puppies and meets a handsome veterinarian who captures her heart, she finds herself tempted to give up everything for a chance at love.

The last thing billionaire Dr Nick Forrester expected when helping out at the animal hospital was to meet this pretty American. He knows that they belong together - but with malicious gossip and culture clash coming between them, can he convince Holly that all he wants for Christmas is her?

* EACH NOVELLA CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE, or read them in order for more fun! Characters you loved from past books often return to delight again in this sweet romance series set in Summer Beach, Australia.

- Playing for Love (Summer Beach Vets #1) ~ Sara & Craig
- Playing to Win (Summer Beach Vets #2) ~ Ellie & Dan
- Playing by Heart (Summer Beach Vets #3) ~ Pippa & Matt
- Playing the Fool (Summer Beach Vets #4) ~ Charlie & Todd
- Playing Santa (Summer Beach Vets Christmas Special) ~ Holly & Nick

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Australia

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

USA Today bestselling author H.Y. Hanna has written over 30 mystery novels, many of which have been translated into several languages. Her mysteries blend humour and clever plotting with vivid settings, featuring quirky characters - and cats with big personalities! After spending years trying to fit in and do a “real” job, Hsin-Yi finally returned to her first love: writing.

Throughout her life, she has called many places home—from Taiwan to Oxford, Dubai to New Zealand. She’s finally unpacked for good in Perth, Western Australia, where she spends most days fighting with her rescue cat Muesli for the use of her office chair.

You can learn more about her and her books at: www.hyhanna.com

And don’t forget to join her newsletter to get updates on new releases, exclusive giveaways and other book news—as well as a free novella and short story! Go to: www.hyhanna.com/newsletter

Reviews

[Christina ~ Brunette Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time for another Christmas book review – and this time, it has an Aussie twist!

Holly Scott hasn’t had it all that easy in life. Growing up in foster homes left her lonely, and her simple life in Missouri consists of a trail of part time jobs and a tiny shared apartment. When an older couple from Australia show up in the restaurant where she works, and the wife becomes ill, Holly helps them out, helping them find a hotel room and bringing needed items to make their stay easier.

Now, the couple, the Goldblums, have asked her to house sit for them in their home in Summer Beach, Australia. And what a nice way to spend Christmas, the beginning of the summer in Aussie land, than in a beautiful house on a cliff above the ocean?

On her first full day in Summer Beach Holly is woken by screaming laughter and wanders outside to find a kookaburra laughing in the tree outside the front door. Then, hearing a quieter sound, she finds a box of abandoned puppies at her feet.

What happens next is a lovely little Christmas romance, short and sweet, complete with the power to bring a bright smile to your face. No, this isn’t great literature, it isn’t meant to be. Instead, its power is in its ability to make you smile and uplift the heart. Grab it for a stocking stuffer for your favorite hopeless romantic (even if the hopeless romantic is you!)

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunny Christmas romance.

I do love a christmas romance, the snow, the cold, the cuddling to get warm, well usually but this is slightly different, it's christmas in Australia so we have sun, sea and a barbie.
Holly has no family she was brought up in foster care but she finds herself house sitting in Australia over Christmas, her first day there and she finds a box of abandoned puppies, she rushes them to the vet and there she meets Dr Nick Forrester, part-time vet, full-time billionaire and just generally a really nice guy, and you know the rest.
This is a nice simple Christmas romance, no surprises, no drama just a feel good clean read. Overall I liked both the main characters, well I really liked Nick, Holly I'll admit grated on me at times especially early on but it's Christmas and it's a romance so just go with it, plus it's free.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 grade B

This short novel is a light romance story. I kept expecting something other than girl meets boy as the main point of the story. But romance it was and I am not a romance fan. In fact I am a SciFi fan which seems to be the only genre HY Hanna has not written. It would be interesting to see what she would come up with for SciFi.

As is usual of HY Hanna books, it is well written and enjoyable. I did get tired of the jealousy phase of the novel and speed read through it almost automatically. That section just seemed a bit of a cliche.

The story did seem to come to an adequate conclusion but I don't plan to read more of this series.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun shorty

Now I want Kylie's story even more ! This series definitely makes me want to visit Australia, especially during their summer Christmas, lol!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
3.5 stars

Oh Playing Santa was exactly what I wanted in a cheesy Christmas read. I love Hallmark channel's countdown to Christmas. I love there terrible Christmas movies that are just awful, but in a really great way. Love love love them, and this book is kind of like that.

Holly goes to Australia to housesit for the holidays and meets sexy Dr. Nick when she finds some stranded puppies outside her house. They are both super attracted to each other, but they try not to do anything about it. It is a super quick suddenly they are in love and it is Christmas and everything is amazing book. It doesn't actually feel like the characters fall in love, but it has enough of that Christmas magic cheesiness that I loved it. Plus there are puppies!

Holly is a bit insecure and gets crazy at one point and Nick is just a really nice guy. How could he not be? He helps all the puppies! Can you tell I like puppies? So yeah they don't really spend a lot of time together before it is just like let's change our whole life to be together forever! Since it is Christmastime I love it. If this were just a normal book set some other time and I was reading it it would just be okay. Oh Christmas magic. Love it!

[Kirsty Wenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short Christmas romance set in Australia. I think you have to accept the set-up of this romance in order to enjoy it. Holly is an American who is housesitting for an Australian couple she met when they visited America. Nick is a locum vet, but he is also from a very wealthy family and works in the family business most of the time. Really? Also, Nick just happens to live next door to the house where Holly is staying? Perhaps that was a bit convenient. Also, Holly was meant to be staying for three weeks, but the romance took place over three days and therefore seemed very rushed.

But...if you can accept the perhaps not quite believable set up of this story, you will likely enjoy this story for its likeable characters, fabulous atmosphere and a nice romance. Oh, and the animals! They play a large, entertaining role in this story, and you just have to read the scene with the spider!

One final point. As an Australian, it is a bit weird to hear every clichéd piece of Aussie slang being used in everyday language...we don't all exclaim 'crikey', contrary to popular belief, but this could be rather amusing for some readers, I suppose.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a young woman who grew up without a family and was raised in foster homes. She has been alone for most of her life but now it's Christmas and she gets a chance to house sit for a wealthy family she met while helping them out in a time of need. They repay her by letting her stay in their big, luxurious home while they are abroad. They pay for her food, let her use their car etc. if she takes car of their cat. She meets a handsome veterinarian next door and falls for him and the feeling is mutual. It is a short novel and at the end you are not sure if the characters are fully developed and I was left waiting for more of the story but to do that you have to get the next in the series. It fell a little short for me, maybe because it was less than 100 pages. It was OK, but I probably won't continue the series.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story but the romance was much too fast to be believable; Holly has a temper, whew. She was quick to believe the worst of Nick and have a tantrum. Pretty sure the details, or lack thereof, of her moving to Australia are unrealistic and her getting the house-sitting job was utterly unrealistic. Despite all that, I liked the story.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugggg!

What a cliche of a book. I guess I should be glad it was a very quick read. And a waste of time. To think I could have been reading something worthwhile. I will check better next time.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday romance novella set in Australia. Sweet and cute.

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 5 out of 5]

American woman Holly goes to Australia to house sit for a couple that came to the USA from Australia to see the country. While in the US they met Holly who offered some assistance to the older couple. In appreciation for Holly's help and kindness they asked Holly to house sit for their home in Australia as well as their cat. Holly has always wanted to see Australia and agrees to go there and look after the house and the cat for a month. Things become interesting when Holly goes out to investigate noises and discovers four puppies in a box at the end of the driveway. One of the pups is barely alive and Holly finds the name of the vet clinic in town that takes care of the cat she is cat sitting for. She rushes over to the vets with the box of pups. She finds out that the vet is actually a property developer and is helping out the vets office as he is a vet but only practices in a pinch. I loved the book and the romance and the title to the book! A fun good read!

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mainly read this because I ordered a new kindle and wanted to read SOMETHING on it but for the life of me couldn't decide what. So I decided on this cute little beachy read with a dog. Perfect, right?? Nah. I really didn't realize how SHORT this book was. I don't even think this thing can be called a book. Novella? Short story? Whatever. 153 pages? I can read that in my SLEEP. I like LONG books. At least 400 pages. I gave this book two stars because you really didn't get a feel for the characters. It was the definition of a whirlwind romance. I think they kissed like twice before they confessed their LOVE for each other? Before he was like MOVE IN WITH ME, HOLLY! BE MY COOK, HOLLY! Like, what? That's not how a relationship works. You two barely know each other. You guys kissed like three, four times tops. Stop being ridiculous.

Between the length and the plain unlikeliness of the situation, I just couldn't go above two stars.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story with Koenig the cat and Nutmeg the puppy. Holly is house-sitting when she finds an abandoned box of puppies. She takes them to Summer Beach Vets and meets Dr. Nick, who is filling in for the other vets on vacation. They have an instant attraction but live in very different worlds. Holly not only lives in America, but she is living on meager means. Nick, on the other hand, lives in Australia and is not only a veterinarian but also runs a successful real estate company. Will Nick and Nutmeg convince Holly to stay?
Sweet Romance, HEA!

[Maritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love at first sight !!!

This was a lovely, fast Holiday Season read with a HEA. Holly is offered a chance to house sit a cat in Australia. She meets Nick a Vet and they fall in love after a slight misunderstanding. He grants her, het Christmas wish and a new life. Loved it. Just right for the end of the year.

[Carolyn G. Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Goes Aussie

Holly gets a free vacation to Australia when a traveling elderly couple ask her to pet sit their Maine Coon cat. On her first morning she finds a box of puppies and rushes them to the Vet. From the first moment she’s determined that they save all the puppies. Sparks fly on first contact. Sweet romance.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

short and sweet. finished this book in one sitting.

holly is house sitting in oz and rescues a box of puppies. when she takes the. to the local vet she falls in love with the locum vet.

this book was completely unrealistic but is filled with innocence and charm. worth passing the time with.

[RaChelle Holmberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute * but fantastical) found on FreeBooksy,, this was a very enjoyable book.
Great romp over an early very cold New Years in almost Chicago, it was lovely to stay home, warm, and read something so fun.
.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet romance, albeit a bit short. I would have liked the story to have been a bit longer, however. The characters were intriguing and it would have been nice for a slightly more complicated plot in order to get to know them better.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Beach Vets

I am not a big fan of romance novels but did enjoy reading about Australia. The storyline was typical romance but the tidbits about Australia and the animal side storyline added a lot to the enjoyment of the book. Sweet light reading for a snowy afternoon.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly was in an Australian town called Summer Beach. She was house-sitting and finds a box of abandoned puppies. She rushes them to a vet, where she meets the handsome doctor with just a big heart for animals as she.

Sweet and heartwarming with a slow pace.

A nice holiday romance.

[Dawn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute Christmas Tail

What happens when America Holly comes over to Australia to house sit for some former customers.? She finds a box of abandoned puppies and meets the handsome Vet Nick and there their story begins.

[Shirley Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute Book

I enjoyed this book. It was short, which I liked, the story was not redundant, not too many adjectives and such. A sweet cute story.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly/elementary writing style. Typical fast paced unbelievable romance setting. No sex. Not enough of the animals but that was the one good part of the story.

[Sandra Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another sweet romance with some drama. Love these books! Especially since there is always an animal in the story. On to the next book!

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Aussie setting in this quick read. And I like happy dog stories.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmmmm!

Very similar to another book I'm sure I It is coincidence but had to find out if Holly got her man.

[Bloss ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

This isn’t about dogs. It’s a cheesy romance that comes across as it was written by a school girl. :(

This was a free iBook and I think I’m almost ready to give up on them entirely.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

Wonderfully sweet romance. Not a lot of drama, just a nice girl meets boy next door on holiday. Easy pleasant read.

[NightSun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Good Quick Read. Rescued Animals and finding
love in surprising places..what more could a reader want. I liked this book and series