Chasing Santa

Trials of Love #1.5

by D.K. Sutton

Complete strangers are thrown together on a Christmas retreat 

A cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks is Cade Palmer’s chance to overcome his issues around Christmas. But he’s soon overwhelmed, not only by the sheer amount of holiday cheer surrounding him, but by his geeky and temporary roommate. Victor challenges Cade on everything, says whatever he thinks, and is sexy doing it. Cade’s tempted to just get on his Harley and ride. But he’s also tempted by Victor. He needs to toughen his heart. He can do this. It’s only five days.  

Private investigator Victor Blake loves Christmas. But that’s not the reason he agrees to go on this Christmas getaway. His only job is keeping an eye on his yummy but mysterious roommate. Cade’s a puzzle he wants to figure out, layer by tattooed layer. Nothing about Cade adds up. Not his mysterious trips on his bike, his aversion to Christmas, or the Santa suit hiding in his bag.  By the time Victor learns the truth of Cade’s past, he’s in too deep. He needs to do what’s right. But is that exposing Cade or listening to his heart?  It shouldn’t even be a question. It’s only been five days.

Chasing Santa is a 29,000+ steamy Christmas mm romance from the Trials of Love series. It has a reluctant Santa, a suspicious private detective, tattoo worshiping, and lots of Christmas fun. It can be read as a standalone and has a HEA.  

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Holiday, Contemporary, LGBT, Christmas, Contemporary Romance

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2019

About the author

D.K. SUTTON has a background in social work. In her off time from writing, she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her family. As an introvert, she has always been a little awkward (and a lot geeky). Turns out, those are handy traits for a writer. Her Broken series is M/M fiction, full of love and angst, and it challenges the rhetoric around being gay and religious. Her Trials of Love series and Sloan Brothers series are both M/M romance. She doesn't believe in hate and believes that people have a good side within them.

She enjoys writing about slightly flawed characters in compromising situations. She has a passion for writing LGBTQ+ stories, because the world needs more love and inclusion.


Connect with DK Sutton on Social Media
Facebook @dksuttonwrites
Facebook group facebook.com/groups/dkcafe/
Twitter @debraelq

Reviews

[iam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading another book around the friend group from Trial & Error, even if the protagonists were both new characters.

Content warnings include: stalking, trauma, panic attack; mentions of foster care, juvie, drug addiction, car accident leading to the death of several people including an unborn baby.

I especially adored Myka and Eli, the two kids, in this one. They were as cute as ever and present in many scenes. I also liked all the familiar characters who made an appearance, though they were mostly only in the background.

Sadly I wasn't as much of a fan of Victor and Cade. They themselves were great: Victor with his bluntness, and Cade struggling with trauma but trying to overcome it. In theory, they should have worked well together. But the surrounding circumstances kinda rubbed me the wrong way.
It starts with Cade getting invited by Sebastian, being a good friend of his, which then causes Jake to invite his private investigator friend Victor to "keep an eye on Cade around the kids". Which.... what?? Not only do I think it's completely uncalled for to be this suspicious of a friend of your partner's, I'm also creeped out by Jake doing this behind Sebastian's back instead of talking with him about his doubts.
Furthermore, Victor then goes ahead and does his private investigator thing and basically stalks Cade both before and during the holiday together - which in fact wasn't what Jake intended.
There was just a lot of communication lacking and breaches of trust and privacy that left a bad taste in my mouth.

So while there were lovely components to the story, especially the holiday and family parts, other parts didn't sit quite right with me.

I received an ARC and reviewed honestly & voluntarily.

[⚣Michaelle⚣]

Adding this because there are never enough MMRomance books set at Lake of the Ozarks.

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a tasty story.. good characters.. had a bit of a scrooge feel to it.. emotions.. love... fun.. sexy.. so many things going on and i enjoyed it

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cade is invited by Sebastian to celebrate Christmas with him and his family and friends in a cabin at the lake of the Ozark.
Victor is invited by Jake to join them to celebrate Christmas with them too.
Cade hates Christmas, these holidays are the worst for him. Victor is intrigued by Cade and wants to understand why Cade hates Christmas so much.
Chasing Santa by DK Sutton is a Christmas novella in the Trials of Love series.
Cade is traumatized by his past and Christmas are the worst holidays for him. Being in a cabin full of strangers and kids isn’t the best way for him to deal with his issues, but Victor is a good diversion for him to forget his fears.
Victor is happy to join Jake and their friends for the holidays, He promise Jake to keep an eye on Cade, and Victor will keep more than an eye on the hot man. Victor wants to help him; he doesn’t know how yet.
I liked this novella. It was a sweet and emotional insta-love story. Cade and Victor are super-hot together, and very funny. I had a good time with them. I adored that Jake, Sebastian and the kids were there.
It was well written, more structured with beautiful emotions.
I’m curious to read the next book in the Trials of love series. Maybe it will be Zachary or Aeden … I’ll wait.

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this next little novella in the Trials of Love story. It was a shorter story so there wasn't quite as much character development as I would've liked, especially since there seemed to be so much about Cade to unback. For two guys who were not wanting to get involved at all, it seemed like they just jumped right in with quick insta-love, but I suppose that is because of its length. The story was enjoyable, though, and I loved visiting with Jake and Bas and the kids. Looking forward to the next story.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this interesting, emotionally charged, grab-you-by-the-feels, poignant, enjoyable, great, funny, sexy, delightful, and totally awesome story.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Cade just doesn't enjoy Christmas.
It's a painful reminder of hiad past and how much he's lost.
He agrees to a Christmas retreat with jis former college roommate and friend Sebastian, his boyfriend Jake, his kids and various other friends.
Jake is leery of having a stranger around his kids so he invites Viktor who just happens to be a private investigator to keep an eye on him.
Tensions run high as they get off on the wrong foot but there's also an undercurrent of sexual tension simmering as the sparks fly between them.
Cade is too guarded and emotionally distant, afraid of saddling someone with his baggage, certain he's not worthy of love
Viktor is ready to jump in after learning some of Cade's history, he wants to help and protect him.
Slowly Cade begins to open up and place his trust in Viktor but then Viktor makes a mistake and nearly ruins everything before they even get a chance to get started.
Sometimes we're our own worst enemies.
This was a really sweet story about the healing power of love at Christmas time.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Even though it was not a full-length novel, you were really able to get a feel for the main characters, Cade and Victor.

Cade is a brooding, mountain of a man with a painful history. He has joined a friend, with several others, at a mountain retreat for the holiday, in the hopes of learning how to enjoy the holiday...or at least get through it. Victor is a PI with a love for the holiday, an upbeat personality and a close relationship with several others staying at the cabin.

As you can imagine, with several sets of couples, children and attraction aplenty, there are bound to be tough times, tougher discussions, laughter and some tears. But all is not lost, especially when Cade is able to confront his past and find joy in a holiday he'd almost given up hope of ever celebrating again.

I received an ARC from the author.

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Chasing Santa is about forgiveness and being able to love yourself. Cade really hates Christmas and is invited to a Christmas weekend with his friend and his family. Victor is there to keep an eye on Cade. They are attracted to each other from the moment they meet. Cade has some hangups from his past and Victor doesn't trust. Once they start spending time with each Victor sees there is more to Cade. The book is romantic, some angst, sweet, some funny moments, the sexy times are hot and it's a great read.

[Lyndsay TC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this Christmas story! It had everything you need for a sweet, happily ever after tale. A brooding man who dislikes Christmas, a happy man who loves Christmas, a few kids, a few friends and lots of love. Cade and Victor have the perfect chemistry and it's sweet to see the familiar faces from Trial and Error. Jake, Myka, and Eli accepting Sebastian into their life and Sebastian's first Christmas with his newly made family. Overall cute Christmas story!

[Xochitl · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this novella we got a glimpse in the life of Jake and Sebastian just before their first Christmas together after the events in Trial & Error, book 1 in the Trials of Love series and we also met Victor and Cade and their story. You could find many misunderstandings and angst situations throughout the story that had me in edge, making me cried a lot while hoping for a happy ending. Wonderful Christmas reading!!
I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Denise GremoryKohta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.

This was a perfect addition to the series. We got to know more about both Jake's and Sebastian's friends from before they got together. It's not just families that meet when a relationship is established. Friends also start interacting and become friends. The circle gets bigger as we see here. What I found interesting was how we got to know these guys on such a deep level. Again I did feel things moved a little too fast even with Cafe's trauma.

[BookSnuggle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Santa: Trials of Love Christmas by D. K. Sutton. This is Cade and Victor’s story.

Cade is struggling with unresolved things from his past. He has tried to move on but still has trouble. Victor is a mess. I loved banter between Victor and Cade. There was definitely no lack of chemistry between these two. I enjoyed this read. It was a lot of fun.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Lacrymosa Quiñones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, I adored the characters and couldn’t get enough of the emotions behind Cade’s past.

Character breakdown;

Victor: he was a lovely guy and man trying to make sure everyone was happy enjoying themselves. Sometimes he got on my nervous but he grew on me.

Cade: I get his reasoning for disliking the holidays and I’ve been there too. Which is why I found him my favorite character I felt his pain most.

This author keeps rocking this series!

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Santa is a Trials of Love Christmas Novella by D. K. Sutton. It is a steamy, contemporary m/m romance that has a lot of fun. Cade and Victor are fun and sexy and seeing Sebastian and Jake (and the kids) again was great. I really enjoyed this short holiday read.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice to get a glimpse of the life of Jake and Sebastian just before their first Christmas together after the events in Trial & Error. We also met Victor and Cade and get their story. These two have great chemistry together. Each struggle with difficult pasts.
The story was quick, sexy and super sweet. Overall Chasing Santa is a cute Christmas story!

[Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short quick read about Cade and Victor. Cade's past and trauma were heart-breaking. I loved the way Victor was able to touch him and help him move forward. This is a sweet story with some angst, but also with hope and holiday heart. I loved seeing Jake, Sebastian, and the kids again.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Violet Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1.5 in The Trials of Love Series. A better book than the first one, the writing was good. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters likeable. Victor and Cade are the MC’s of this book. I can recommend this book as a good read. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great addition to this world that D.K. Sutton has made. Cade and Victor are so hot together. I like this short Christmas story and it is great to see Jake and Sebastian with the kids again too.

[Heather Rawlins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Santa was a great sequel to Trial & Error. Cade and Victor were great characters. The story was quick, sexy and super sweet. There was just enough angst for a Christmas story. I totally enjoyed their story and recommend it.

[Torhild Borg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read for me, and the author has done a well done job making me turn the pages. I like how they both are interacting, and I also like the side characters here. Going to be read again.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super Sweet Novella

Family, good friends, a cabin and Christmas. Add hurtful memories, hot attraction, spying on friends and little kids. What could go wrong? I love Christmas stories, just not the ones on Hallmark channel. I loved this little story.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read! Short book but well done. Loved these two! Hot and sexy men , yes please! Kept you engaged and falling under the Christmas spell.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Substance addiction
Panic attack
Car accident
Stalking

[Tracey Fandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for a nice MM Christmas story