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Santa's Little Helper: A Gay Holiday Romance
What happens when the grinch finds himself falling for one of Santa's Helpers?
One kiss under the mistletoe years ago ruined the holidays for Brian.
Now, he works at the mall, which will kill anyone's spirit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. People don't understand their lack of caffeine is not his problem.
He can resist just about anyone's pleas, until Kelly walks in.
What started with a rare act of holiday kindness turns into shared lunches in the food court.
Eventually, the grinch's heart begins to grow. He can't resist Santa's elf.
Kelly is nothing Brian ever dreamed of, but quickly climbs to the top of his Christmas list.
Santa's Little Helper was previously released under the pen name Sloan Johnson. It has been re-edited and revised to give the reader an ending as sweet as hot cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles.
One kiss under the mistletoe years ago ruined the holidays for Brian.
Now, he works at the mall, which will kill anyone's spirit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. People don't understand their lack of caffeine is not his problem.
He can resist just about anyone's pleas, until Kelly walks in.
What started with a rare act of holiday kindness turns into shared lunches in the food court.
Eventually, the grinch's heart begins to grow. He can't resist Santa's elf.
Kelly is nothing Brian ever dreamed of, but quickly climbs to the top of his Christmas list.
Santa's Little Helper was previously released under the pen name Sloan Johnson. It has been re-edited and revised to give the reader an ending as sweet as hot cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles.
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2016
27 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Sloan Johnson
26 books836 followersSloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s body. While she longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.
When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.
Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?
Now, Sloan is a tattooed, purple haired mom of two kids, one of which was a thank you present to her husband for letting her get a Staffordshire Terrier with more anxiety issues than Sloan has, which is saying something. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself in a good book and forget that she has somewhere to be.
When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool and started plotting her first story soon after.
Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?
Now, Sloan is a tattooed, purple haired mom of two kids, one of which was a thank you present to her husband for letting her get a Staffordshire Terrier with more anxiety issues than Sloan has, which is saying something. She’s been kicked out of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself in a good book and forget that she has somewhere to be.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 23, 2025
Re-read December 2025
I liked it a bit less this time. Not sure why.
---------------------------------
Cuuuuuuute!!
Yes, this book was just so incredibly cute. I really liked this. And it wasn't even that Christmas-y!
Brian works his butt off in the coffee shop his ex (and best friend) owns. He just broke up with his boyfriend and add in the non-stop Christmas music and he is ready to strangle someone.
One morning the most adorable man asks if he can have a coffee before the shop is even open. And even though Brian would love to say what the man could do with his coffee, he finds himself bending the rules and making him a coffee.
Brian isn't sure why he can't get the cute man out of his head. He's not even his type!
But when the two meet at the food court the next day, they find themselves having lunch together. And after that Brian can't get Kelly out of his head at all....
So so much sweetness in this. Brian was such a sweet grump. And I loved how Kelly got him to start liking Christmas again.
Not much happens in this, and I really liked that. We just had Brian and Kelly meeting up and slowly falling for each other.
The epilogue was a bit unrealistic, but who cares, I enjoyed it anyway. Sometimes you just need that rainbow, puppy, cookies, icecream with sprinkles happy ending.
I liked it a bit less this time. Not sure why.
---------------------------------
Cuuuuuuute!!
Yes, this book was just so incredibly cute. I really liked this. And it wasn't even that Christmas-y!
Brian works his butt off in the coffee shop his ex (and best friend) owns. He just broke up with his boyfriend and add in the non-stop Christmas music and he is ready to strangle someone.
One morning the most adorable man asks if he can have a coffee before the shop is even open. And even though Brian would love to say what the man could do with his coffee, he finds himself bending the rules and making him a coffee.
Brian isn't sure why he can't get the cute man out of his head. He's not even his type!
But when the two meet at the food court the next day, they find themselves having lunch together. And after that Brian can't get Kelly out of his head at all....
So so much sweetness in this. Brian was such a sweet grump. And I loved how Kelly got him to start liking Christmas again.
Not much happens in this, and I really liked that. We just had Brian and Kelly meeting up and slowly falling for each other.
The epilogue was a bit unrealistic, but who cares, I enjoyed it anyway. Sometimes you just need that rainbow, puppy, cookies, icecream with sprinkles happy ending.
December 22, 2016
The story was a little repetitive and despite one of the main characters playing an elf in the mall's Santa's Village, I felt like it was missing a little holiday magic. The ending was a little underwhelming as well.
January 3, 2018
This is supercute Xmas short story !
I lowered the rating at the end of the book because:
- The ending is not sweet enough for this type of book! Come on, one epilogue with next year or something more would be amazing
- It happens something that the author never told us about the resolution!! Yeah the Aidan issue. I. want.to.know.
I lowered the rating at the end of the book because:
- The ending is not sweet enough for this type of book! Come on, one epilogue with next year or something more would be amazing
- It happens something that the author never told us about the resolution!! Yeah the Aidan issue. I. want.to.know.
January 8, 2017
Enjoyed, but...
I've enjoyed all of the books I've read from this author. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the story, I had a more difficult time with this one. There were a lot more typo/editing errors than I'm used to in a Sloan Johnson book, so that kept throwing me off. I got past those, though. My biggest issue was the end. I haven't checked so I don't know if this is going to be part of a series, but the end just...well, ended. It felt like the story just kind of dropped off. I even downloaded the book again in case the book didn't download completely or correctly, but with the same results. It was really quite jarring. Don't get me wrong. Like I said, I really liked the story. I just felt as if I finished watching a season cliffhanger for a TV show I'm into without knowing if the show will be renewed for another season.
I've enjoyed all of the books I've read from this author. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the story, I had a more difficult time with this one. There were a lot more typo/editing errors than I'm used to in a Sloan Johnson book, so that kept throwing me off. I got past those, though. My biggest issue was the end. I haven't checked so I don't know if this is going to be part of a series, but the end just...well, ended. It felt like the story just kind of dropped off. I even downloaded the book again in case the book didn't download completely or correctly, but with the same results. It was really quite jarring. Don't get me wrong. Like I said, I really liked the story. I just felt as if I finished watching a season cliffhanger for a TV show I'm into without knowing if the show will be renewed for another season.
December 19, 2016
Read this book in one sitting. Very enjoyable. There were a few editing hiccups, but life goes on. The ending was rushed and it could have been a five star read for me with a bit more polish. Still, would read again. :)
December 30, 2016
I loved this...
December 6, 2017
3.4 Stars
December 25, 2019
Brian experienced an epically bad Christmas years ago and has disliked the season ever since.
Now, he works in a mall for his ex-boyfriend, at the coffee shop Aidan always wanted to own.
Grinching and grumbling from pre-Thanksgiving through to the New Year.
Kelly is joyful and bright, he is Christmas Spirit personified. Not much can drag Santa's elf down, except missing his morning dose of caffeine.
A before-hours favor turns into a friendship. A friendship into more. It's a cute holiday story where a grinch-like man learns to love the season again when experiencing it anew.
Solid fast-forward ending provided. Enjoyable quick read.
Now, he works in a mall for his ex-boyfriend, at the coffee shop Aidan always wanted to own.
Grinching and grumbling from pre-Thanksgiving through to the New Year.
Kelly is joyful and bright, he is Christmas Spirit personified. Not much can drag Santa's elf down, except missing his morning dose of caffeine.
A before-hours favor turns into a friendship. A friendship into more. It's a cute holiday story where a grinch-like man learns to love the season again when experiencing it anew.
Solid fast-forward ending provided. Enjoyable quick read.
December 16, 2019
A very simple plot, but sweet. 2 guys work in a mall and start going out. I liked the characters, they were well thought out, but I wished the author had put some ups and downs in the plot. Maybe a dramatic meeting with estranged family or something? But still a holiday romance with HEA and a lot of coffee.
May 23, 2020
What a great Christmas read!
This has all the feels. Grumpy Grinch who isn't and a sweet elf with a kick. It even has sad parts and moments where you get mad. But the ending was the sweetest part. Only one thing I wondered about. Aidan. Do we get his story?
This has all the feels. Grumpy Grinch who isn't and a sweet elf with a kick. It even has sad parts and moments where you get mad. But the ending was the sweetest part. Only one thing I wondered about. Aidan. Do we get his story?
December 30, 2016
Very cute short story. I loved Brian and Kelly. I wanted an extra chapter to get to a five stars rating. I hope we get another story next year about Aidan. X-Mas in July, perhaps?
March 22, 2021
Cute little story -- I think my favorite scene was the very end of the book, because who doesn't love seeing a Grinch fall in love?!
December 21, 2016
4.5 Hearts
Santa's Little Helper is a standalone novella. I have read more than a few of Sloan's books and thought this was a cute surprise for Christmas.
Brian isn't a fan of Christmas. Not really even a fan of the month of December. He is a barista's at his ex-boyfriend's coffee shop in the mall and just hearing the Xmas music makes him a bah humbug. And to be in the mall of all places makes it even worse. The crowds runs around trying to find the perfect gift. The madness of children running to see Santa Claus. He couldn't wait until it was all over. What he didn't expect was to meet someone that worked in the mall to care enough to lift his spirits.
Kelly and Brian are so adorable! Kelly is so nice but can also be naughty. He loves Christmas but understands why Brian doesn't. He is determined to show him what a real Christmas is all about. To get him into the spirit of the holidays. And since Brian likes him so much, he will try anything. Together, they are so cute, funny, and lovable.
I thought this was a perfect story to read for the week of Christmas. I want more Brian and Kelly. Maybe Kelly is afraid of the Easter bunny?
Santa's Little Helper is a standalone novella. I have read more than a few of Sloan's books and thought this was a cute surprise for Christmas.
Brian isn't a fan of Christmas. Not really even a fan of the month of December. He is a barista's at his ex-boyfriend's coffee shop in the mall and just hearing the Xmas music makes him a bah humbug. And to be in the mall of all places makes it even worse. The crowds runs around trying to find the perfect gift. The madness of children running to see Santa Claus. He couldn't wait until it was all over. What he didn't expect was to meet someone that worked in the mall to care enough to lift his spirits.
Kelly and Brian are so adorable! Kelly is so nice but can also be naughty. He loves Christmas but understands why Brian doesn't. He is determined to show him what a real Christmas is all about. To get him into the spirit of the holidays. And since Brian likes him so much, he will try anything. Together, they are so cute, funny, and lovable.
I thought this was a perfect story to read for the week of Christmas. I want more Brian and Kelly. Maybe Kelly is afraid of the Easter bunny?
March 16, 2018
Super cute and cheerful, just like I like my holiday stories.
Brian detested Christmas. The music, the crowds, he's tired of working at his ex-boyfriend's coffee shop dealing with grumpy shoppers all season. Then the cutest guy comes along and slowly Brian starts losing his Grince-like attitude. Kelly wants to be an actor, and in the meantime he's playing an elf at Santa's Village. Even Brian can't resist his adorable sweetness, and over lunches at the food court the two find out that Brian might be a good guy after all.
I have a thing for sweet boys and grumpy guys, so this hit the spot for me. The end was a little anti-climatic and seemed to be leading into something, but it didn't ruin the book. I'm hoping there will be a sequel or something though to give us a bit more closure on the lead-in. Otherwise it was super cute.
Brian detested Christmas. The music, the crowds, he's tired of working at his ex-boyfriend's coffee shop dealing with grumpy shoppers all season. Then the cutest guy comes along and slowly Brian starts losing his Grince-like attitude. Kelly wants to be an actor, and in the meantime he's playing an elf at Santa's Village. Even Brian can't resist his adorable sweetness, and over lunches at the food court the two find out that Brian might be a good guy after all.
I have a thing for sweet boys and grumpy guys, so this hit the spot for me. The end was a little anti-climatic and seemed to be leading into something, but it didn't ruin the book. I'm hoping there will be a sequel or something though to give us a bit more closure on the lead-in. Otherwise it was super cute.
November 6, 2018
The Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day
Brian is a bit of a Grinch. He's got a pretty good reason to be but still. It was a good thing Kelly showed up when he did. I thought this book was really cute. I liked that Kelly was the complete opposite of the guys Brian had been dating. And I liked how their relationship started slow. I definitely feel like these guys would last. Their whole relationship was sweet. I loved the shy kisses and cuddles. I loved seeing them at Kelly's house with his family so much. I didn't want it to end.
Brian is a bit of a Grinch. He's got a pretty good reason to be but still. It was a good thing Kelly showed up when he did. I thought this book was really cute. I liked that Kelly was the complete opposite of the guys Brian had been dating. And I liked how their relationship started slow. I definitely feel like these guys would last. Their whole relationship was sweet. I loved the shy kisses and cuddles. I loved seeing them at Kelly's house with his family so much. I didn't want it to end.
November 26, 2024
Sadly a rather underwhelming holiday romance about Brian, a guy who works as a barista in his ex-boyfriend's coffee shop and Kelly, a guy who works as an elf at Santa's workshop in the mall. The romance doesn't really blossom. Clearly Brian has some troubling memories that have affected his feelings about the holidays. You get the impression that Kelly, the elf, is supposed to help Brian change his thinking. Well... This just sort of falls flat. Kept waiting for something to happen.
December 29, 2017
Christmas scrooged
Brian works in a mall coffee shop run by his ex and dislikes Christmas due to his parents disowning him at Christmas just from kissing his then boyfriend under the mistletoe.
He meets Kelly when he gives him a helpful cup of coffee before shift and they develop a fast friendship with attraction following swiftly on from there!
A great seasonal read
Brian works in a mall coffee shop run by his ex and dislikes Christmas due to his parents disowning him at Christmas just from kissing his then boyfriend under the mistletoe.
He meets Kelly when he gives him a helpful cup of coffee before shift and they develop a fast friendship with attraction following swiftly on from there!
A great seasonal read
December 14, 2021
This holiday story was super cute and a joy to read.
TAGS
-- Holiday/Christmas -- fast easy read -- super cute -- family -- one grumpy but lovable MC... Brian -- one adorable mall elf... Kelly -- no angst -- not sure the epilogue works but I'll go with it -- a joy to read
December 26, 2021
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
🌟🌟🌟
I liked this story and it had load of chemistry between them.
I just thought it was missing something when reading and I thought they was just part missing as reading between them.
I liked the idea of story and how they met and was very sweet.
Read with KU.
🌟🌟🌟
I liked this story and it had load of chemistry between them.
I just thought it was missing something when reading and I thought they was just part missing as reading between them.
I liked the idea of story and how they met and was very sweet.
Read with KU.
July 13, 2018
Great
This was a great short read. Loved Brian and Kelly! Hope they have an awesome future together. Feel a little sorry for Aiden.
This was a great short read. Loved Brian and Kelly! Hope they have an awesome future together. Feel a little sorry for Aiden.
February 3, 2023
2.5 / 5
December 15, 2016
I really love holiday novellas. Brian was the ultimate Grinch but could you really blame him? Growing up with a family like he did, he learned quickly to guard his heart. Kelly...OMG...how cute is he? Always upbeat and sweet. I loved seeing them slowly falling for each other. This novella is short and sweet with some holiday magic thrown right in there. YUM!
December 23, 2016
This was a fun holiday read! Brian, who is a bit of a Grinch, meets Kelly, who is full of Christmas cheer. They meet in the mall where they both work. They start out meeting on their breaks, but soon Brian is yearning for more. I really enjoyed meeting these two characters. I would love to read more about them in the future, so I'd definitely be down for a sequel - hint hint.
December 18, 2016
Just the book to get you into the Christmas spirit
Short, cute and full of Christmas cheer. I loved the story and characters. Great book to help get yourself into the Christmas spirit.
Short, cute and full of Christmas cheer. I loved the story and characters. Great book to help get yourself into the Christmas spirit.
December 29, 2016
This was a fast read but it was very good. I loved the characters and it was great to have a short read to carry on the Christmas feel I had. There are a few errors here & there but not so much that it takes a lot away from the story.
December 7, 2019
Grinchy Fun.
Brian was kicked out by his family at Christmas. He has always hated the season. When Santa’s elf Kelly comes to his coffee shop he can’t resist.
Super sweet holiday romance.
Brian was kicked out by his family at Christmas. He has always hated the season. When Santa’s elf Kelly comes to his coffee shop he can’t resist.
Super sweet holiday romance.
December 29, 2016
Cute Story.
Really cute story and all but that ending? I know it's a Christmas short but I feel like I missed the best part of the story.
Really cute story and all but that ending? I know it's a Christmas short but I feel like I missed the best part of the story.
December 22, 2016
Ended abruptly.
January 11, 2017
I am not a huge fan of holiday reads but Santa's Little Helper was worth the read.
Fast paced, fun, feel-good, quick read.
Fast paced, fun, feel-good, quick read.
December 7, 2019
3.5✨ I really enjoyed this one. 🙌🏼💚❤️🎁🎄
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews