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The Santa Suit
When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love—but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.
At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?
Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.
From Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit.
At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit—beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?
Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.
From Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2021
2114 people are currently reading
34486 people want to read
About the author
Mary Kay Andrews
54 books14.5k followershttps://marykayandrews.com/
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MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels (including The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Ladies’ Night; Christmas Bliss; Spring Fever; Summer Rental; The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Blue Christmas; Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia. After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.
Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.
She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.
https://www.facebook.com/marykayandre...
https://www.instagram.com/marykayandr...
MARY KAY ANDREWS is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels (including The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Ladies’ Night; Christmas Bliss; Spring Fever; Summer Rental; The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Blue Christmas; Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia. After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.
Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.
She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,799 reviews
December 17, 2024
This was cute! Another short + sweet Christmas book. Girl leaves the big city to renovate a farm house in North Carolina and the rest was history. only 207 pages too!
June 17, 2021
I’m so proud of this book about a woman who, following her divorce, decides she needs to start over in a new place. She buys an old white farmhouse in the mountains of North Carolina—sight unseen.. On her first night at Four Roses Farm Ivey Perkins finds an old Santa Claus suit—with a crumpled note from a child asking for one very special Christmas wish. Ivey can’t help wondering about the child, and whether she got her wish. As she settles into the farmhouse it seems that Santa Suit might have the power to heal her broken heart and find a new home and new love.
December 16, 2021
If you’ve been bingeing Hallmark Christmas movies since the day after Halloween, it’s time for a break. Go out and take a walk. Call a friend. Read a book!
I’ll make that last directive easy for you and suggest you pick up Mary Kay Andrews’s brand new holiday novella, The Santa Suit. At a mere 224 pages, you can breeze through it in a night and then get back to your regularly-scheduled programming tomorrow.
There’s nothing new here, story-wise. In a tale as old as time, a newly-divorced young woman buys an old small town farmhouse site-unseen, and when she arrives to take possession she finds there’s a lot to do… including the hot real estate agent. (If you know what I’m sayin’. Wink wink.)
She also finds a Santa suit in a closet, which has a little girl’s letter from the 1970’s in the pocket. Naturally she becomes obsessed with finding the now-grown woman who wrote the letter, and her googling and snooping around introduce her various members of her new community. Sweet old man? Check. Owner of a struggling candy shop? Check check. Cute and quirky sidekick female friend? Check check check.
The Santa Suit delivers zero surprises, but that’s more than okay here. If you bite into a piece of Christmas fudge you want it to taste like fudge, right? Fudge yes you do!
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
I’ll make that last directive easy for you and suggest you pick up Mary Kay Andrews’s brand new holiday novella, The Santa Suit. At a mere 224 pages, you can breeze through it in a night and then get back to your regularly-scheduled programming tomorrow.
There’s nothing new here, story-wise. In a tale as old as time, a newly-divorced young woman buys an old small town farmhouse site-unseen, and when she arrives to take possession she finds there’s a lot to do… including the hot real estate agent. (If you know what I’m sayin’. Wink wink.)
She also finds a Santa suit in a closet, which has a little girl’s letter from the 1970’s in the pocket. Naturally she becomes obsessed with finding the now-grown woman who wrote the letter, and her googling and snooping around introduce her various members of her new community. Sweet old man? Check. Owner of a struggling candy shop? Check check. Cute and quirky sidekick female friend? Check check check.
The Santa Suit delivers zero surprises, but that’s more than okay here. If you bite into a piece of Christmas fudge you want it to taste like fudge, right? Fudge yes you do!
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
January 23, 2025
This is a Christmas/Holiday Fiction story. This is a fun cute Southern Christmas Story. The Christmas Farm that this story takes place on I would love to live on. I love the setting for this story, and I found the characters on cute. This book does have so much Christmas feelings in it, so if you are looking for a truly Christmas Cute story then you should give this book a try. I do think the romance in this book was weird and did not work for me, but there is so much more then the romance in this book. I love the little mystery in this book, the Christmas stuff, and the friendships that was in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Mary Kay Andrews) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
December 24, 2021
A delightful little novella that I brought on vacation with me and quickly finished. Mary Kay Andrews delivers once again. I could easily see this turned into a Hallmark Christmas movie.
It's all the old cliches here but that's ok. It always works in a Christmas story.
Ivy Perkins is starting over after a divorce. She heads to a small North Carolina town where she has recently purchased a new home on line. Turns out the farmhouse needs a little work but the real estate agent is cute (yup) and the original owners were a Christmas crazy couple (yup.) Their home was always the place to see all lite up over the years (yup) and the couple dressed up as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus (more yup!) for the local department store over the years. Ivy finds a note in the Santa suit (yup) that begins a quest to find some answers!
It's just a cute story filled with nostalgia and some Christmas magic. Nothing deep. Just heartwarming. I highly recommend it!
Thank-you kindly to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
It's all the old cliches here but that's ok. It always works in a Christmas story.
Ivy Perkins is starting over after a divorce. She heads to a small North Carolina town where she has recently purchased a new home on line. Turns out the farmhouse needs a little work but the real estate agent is cute (yup) and the original owners were a Christmas crazy couple (yup.) Their home was always the place to see all lite up over the years (yup) and the couple dressed up as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus (more yup!) for the local department store over the years. Ivy finds a note in the Santa suit (yup) that begins a quest to find some answers!
It's just a cute story filled with nostalgia and some Christmas magic. Nothing deep. Just heartwarming. I highly recommend it!
Thank-you kindly to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
September 20, 2021
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews is a 2021 St. Martin’s Press publication.
An endearing Christmas yarn…
Ivy Perkins, on the heels of a very painful divorce, buys an old farmhouse without ever having seen it in person. When Ezra, her real estate agent, hands her the keys to the house, she’s shocked to discover the house is furnished, and in need of big-time repairs.
While going through some of the things left in the house, Ivy finds an old Santa suit, with a poignant note inside one of the pockets. She’s so touched by it, she goes in search of the letter writer.
Meanwhile, Ivy makes new friends, while she and Ezra ponders the growing attraction between them…
The past few years, I have not had much luck with holiday fare. It was either too saccharine or too hollow. Authors' couldn’t seem to strike the right balance for me.
Maybe Mary Kay Andrews heard my pleas because this book has a healthy amount of holiday spirit without overdoing it.
Novella length tales often suffer from a lack of character development and the romantic elements usually feel rushed or forced. The character development is not really the point of this tale, but yes, the romance was hurried- but not necessarily forced. I did feel some chemistry there. I just wish there had been time for more of a build-up.
That said, the Santa suit thread was golden! I loved the way Andrews brought everything together. It was just the right amount of holiday magic, just the right amount of heartwarming, and just the right amount of whimsy and charm.
Ivy rose to the occasion more than once, and it is obvious she’s found her tribe. She regained all the things she thought she had lost, and then some!
Overall, my first holiday read of 2021 is a winner!!
4 stars
An endearing Christmas yarn…
Ivy Perkins, on the heels of a very painful divorce, buys an old farmhouse without ever having seen it in person. When Ezra, her real estate agent, hands her the keys to the house, she’s shocked to discover the house is furnished, and in need of big-time repairs.
While going through some of the things left in the house, Ivy finds an old Santa suit, with a poignant note inside one of the pockets. She’s so touched by it, she goes in search of the letter writer.
Meanwhile, Ivy makes new friends, while she and Ezra ponders the growing attraction between them…
The past few years, I have not had much luck with holiday fare. It was either too saccharine or too hollow. Authors' couldn’t seem to strike the right balance for me.
Maybe Mary Kay Andrews heard my pleas because this book has a healthy amount of holiday spirit without overdoing it.
Novella length tales often suffer from a lack of character development and the romantic elements usually feel rushed or forced. The character development is not really the point of this tale, but yes, the romance was hurried- but not necessarily forced. I did feel some chemistry there. I just wish there had been time for more of a build-up.
That said, the Santa suit thread was golden! I loved the way Andrews brought everything together. It was just the right amount of holiday magic, just the right amount of heartwarming, and just the right amount of whimsy and charm.
Ivy rose to the occasion more than once, and it is obvious she’s found her tribe. She regained all the things she thought she had lost, and then some!
Overall, my first holiday read of 2021 is a winner!!
4 stars
November 30, 2023
I remember at around 75% asking myself when this book was going to start picking up until I realized how far through I was.
I had a difficult time with this one…There was zero chemistry between the love interests and I felt incredibly underwhelmed by their supposed love story.
I also thought Ivy was very rude. She kind of acted like a diva sometimes and could be judgmental and impatient with people who were just trying to help her. I didn’t like her at all!
For it being a small town where everyone knows each other no one seems to know who someone is and if they still live there if it’s convenient to the plot.
There was a side story about her friend that was completely pointless and added nothing to the story.
I’m sorry if this comes across as harsh, I really am as I’m sure the author is lovely and has some great books out there but reading this book felt like she took a handful of elements that went unused in other books and piled them all into this one.
I’ll end on a good note: the dog was perfect! Huge win there. 🐶
I’ll give her one more chance maybe next Christmas and hope for the best. 🤞🏼
2.5⭐️ rounding down.
I had a difficult time with this one…There was zero chemistry between the love interests and I felt incredibly underwhelmed by their supposed love story.
I also thought Ivy was very rude. She kind of acted like a diva sometimes and could be judgmental and impatient with people who were just trying to help her. I didn’t like her at all!
For it being a small town where everyone knows each other no one seems to know who someone is and if they still live there if it’s convenient to the plot.
There was a side story about her friend that was completely pointless and added nothing to the story.
I’m sorry if this comes across as harsh, I really am as I’m sure the author is lovely and has some great books out there but reading this book felt like she took a handful of elements that went unused in other books and piled them all into this one.
I’ll end on a good note: the dog was perfect! Huge win there. 🐶
I’ll give her one more chance maybe next Christmas and hope for the best. 🤞🏼
2.5⭐️ rounding down.
March 3, 2022
The Santa Suit is a cute, charming holiday book that I really enjoyed! It was an easy, quick read that I read in one day. The book leaves you with feel-good, happy vibes! I love the Christmas theme and the small-town setting in the book. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline that had a little bit of a mystery added to it! You can never go wrong with anything written by Mary Kay Andrews and this book was no exception. This is the perfect read for the upcoming holiday season!
Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy in return for my honest review.
Book coming out 9-28-21! Add it to your TBR list now.
Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy in return for my honest review.
Book coming out 9-28-21! Add it to your TBR list now.
November 17, 2021
Ohhhh my heart! ❤️ This book was everything I had hoped for and more! This was the absolute perfect way to ring in the holiday season! 🎅🎄
When city girl Ivy ends up unexpectedly getting a divorice...well she decides to do something that some might think is a bit crazy...she buys an old farmhouse sight unseen...much to her surprise the house has quite the history.
Known as "The Christmas House" by the town of 1500 people...Ivy had no idea what she was getting into...
What did I love about this book? Every...single...thing...
I loved the quaint town...I found it cozy and refreshing...in fact I would move there in a heartbeat. I loved the connection the people had in the town...I loved the rescue dog named Punkin. I loved the story of the letter that Ivy found in the old Santa suit. I just simply fell in love with the town! Whew! That is a lot of love! Can you tell I loved it??!
This book made me feel so warm and happy. If you want to get yourself in the holiday spirit I highly recommend it! 5 Santa suits for this one!
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press for sending me this gorgeous copy! I literally decorated my house after reading this!! Tis the season!
When city girl Ivy ends up unexpectedly getting a divorice...well she decides to do something that some might think is a bit crazy...she buys an old farmhouse sight unseen...much to her surprise the house has quite the history.
Known as "The Christmas House" by the town of 1500 people...Ivy had no idea what she was getting into...
What did I love about this book? Every...single...thing...
I loved the quaint town...I found it cozy and refreshing...in fact I would move there in a heartbeat. I loved the connection the people had in the town...I loved the rescue dog named Punkin. I loved the story of the letter that Ivy found in the old Santa suit. I just simply fell in love with the town! Whew! That is a lot of love! Can you tell I loved it??!
This book made me feel so warm and happy. If you want to get yourself in the holiday spirit I highly recommend it! 5 Santa suits for this one!
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press for sending me this gorgeous copy! I literally decorated my house after reading this!! Tis the season!
December 15, 2021
This was nice, short, sweet and festive.
Very Hallmark-like.
I pretty much enjoyed the story, even if it took me over 30% to finally get into it.
At first I wished it would explore more the small town our main character Ivy moved to after her divorce, and after I craved for more romance scenes.
This is pretty short book, so I wish it was more focused on romance aspect. If it had 30-50 pages more where we would enjoy love development and angst between Ezra and Ivy, I think it would be better.
It was a good book, with little magic (true be told, I think that part is left for readers to interpret), with past and present intertwined.
The story is fully told in present day, but the main character is interested in people that used to live in the town so this is where the past aspect comes along.
If I am being honest, I didn't care about little girl in Santa's lap, and to be even more honest, I wasn't a fan how it all wrapped up, as I can't find a way to believe one wouldn't at least ask questions or that people from the small town wouldn't already connect tue dots, but that is all I will say as anything more would spoil the story.
I loved Christmas elements and scenes with tree and ornaments. They made me happy and only made my Christmas mood that much stronger.
Overall, I recommend this book to everyone who like Christmas stories and Hallmark movies.
Very Hallmark-like.
I pretty much enjoyed the story, even if it took me over 30% to finally get into it.
At first I wished it would explore more the small town our main character Ivy moved to after her divorce, and after I craved for more romance scenes.
This is pretty short book, so I wish it was more focused on romance aspect. If it had 30-50 pages more where we would enjoy love development and angst between Ezra and Ivy, I think it would be better.
It was a good book, with little magic (true be told, I think that part is left for readers to interpret), with past and present intertwined.
The story is fully told in present day, but the main character is interested in people that used to live in the town so this is where the past aspect comes along.
If I am being honest, I didn't care about little girl in Santa's lap, and to be even more honest, I wasn't a fan how it all wrapped up, as I can't find a way to believe one wouldn't at least ask questions or that people from the small town wouldn't already connect tue dots, but that is all I will say as anything more would spoil the story.
I loved Christmas elements and scenes with tree and ornaments. They made me happy and only made my Christmas mood that much stronger.
Overall, I recommend this book to everyone who like Christmas stories and Hallmark movies.
October 27, 2024
THE SANTA SUIT was such a cute holiday book! ❄🎄🎅
Ivy Perkins moves to a new town after a divorce and buys a farmhouse. In it she finds some old photographs and a Santa suit. The photographs and a note in the Santa suit lead her to try to solve some mysteries around town from decades before. This was a charming tale, with lovely descriptions, nice small town characters, and sweet side stories that made me want to spend more time in the pages. This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews, but it definitely won’t be my last! 5/5 stars.
Ivy Perkins moves to a new town after a divorce and buys a farmhouse. In it she finds some old photographs and a Santa suit. The photographs and a note in the Santa suit lead her to try to solve some mysteries around town from decades before. This was a charming tale, with lovely descriptions, nice small town characters, and sweet side stories that made me want to spend more time in the pages. This was my first book by Mary Kay Andrews, but it definitely won’t be my last! 5/5 stars.
November 11, 2021
An all-around pleasant and feel-good story of starting over and finding fellowship and community. I noticed the kindnesses large and small, and the light and charitable mood renewed my spirits. An easy one to listen to, it's the perfect selection to accompany holiday preparations like gift wrapping, decorating your home, or baking cookies.
December 15, 2021
3 stars, maybe 3.5, for this lovely story!🎅🏼🤶🏻
I loved the beginning and the setting but, unfortunately, it didn't achieve to hold my attention beyond the first 30%. I don't have a lot of time to write reviews these days, so I'll just say that if you're looking for a cute (and short) Christmas story, you should give it a try and see for yourself!
I loved the beginning and the setting but, unfortunately, it didn't achieve to hold my attention beyond the first 30%. I don't have a lot of time to write reviews these days, so I'll just say that if you're looking for a cute (and short) Christmas story, you should give it a try and see for yourself!
August 18, 2021
Mary Kay Andrews brings her signature humor, heart and page-turning cadence to The Santa Suit. It is a must-read, feel-good book for this holiday season--and I will be adding it to the stockings of everyone I know! We all know summer begins with MKA, but, this year, Christmas does too!
September 3, 2021
Mary Kay Andrews is one of those authors that when I pick up her books I just know I’m going to find wonderful writing and a wonderful story so I was excited to read The Santa Suit. This one is a contemporary romance novella that also had a bit of mystery to the story.
Ivy Perkins has just gone through a divorce and decided she needed a huge change in her life. Since Ivy can do her job from anywhere working remotely she decided she was going to buy a farmhouse sight unseen and move from Atlanta to a tiny town in North Carolina.
When Ivy arrives at her new home her realtor, Ezra, is waiting to help and Ivy sees the property is a bit more rundown than she thought. Ezra offers Ivy any assistance she may need including helping to clean out the old furniture. As Ivy boxes up the belongings she finds an old Santa suit tucked away with a note inside the pocket so Ivy being curious tries to find out if that little girl got her Christmas wish all those years ago.
So let’s just get the negative out of the way that lowered my rating to four stars and that would be that being a novella of course I felt it was a bit fast paced and could have used more depth. Being short the romance isn’t given a lot of focus and more of a just sort of happens. However, that being said there was a lot going on in this little story that was very entertaining and fun to read. Ivy was a lovely lead and surrounding her was a small town full of nice folks which more than made up for anything else lacking, especially with the family and friends side of the story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Ivy Perkins has just gone through a divorce and decided she needed a huge change in her life. Since Ivy can do her job from anywhere working remotely she decided she was going to buy a farmhouse sight unseen and move from Atlanta to a tiny town in North Carolina.
When Ivy arrives at her new home her realtor, Ezra, is waiting to help and Ivy sees the property is a bit more rundown than she thought. Ezra offers Ivy any assistance she may need including helping to clean out the old furniture. As Ivy boxes up the belongings she finds an old Santa suit tucked away with a note inside the pocket so Ivy being curious tries to find out if that little girl got her Christmas wish all those years ago.
So let’s just get the negative out of the way that lowered my rating to four stars and that would be that being a novella of course I felt it was a bit fast paced and could have used more depth. Being short the romance isn’t given a lot of focus and more of a just sort of happens. However, that being said there was a lot going on in this little story that was very entertaining and fun to read. Ivy was a lovely lead and surrounding her was a small town full of nice folks which more than made up for anything else lacking, especially with the family and friends side of the story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
dnf
November 13, 2024Sorry, but I am so bored. I may have a fever though, so don't take that to mean much.
DNF -32%
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No idea what this is about but this just became available on my Libby and I am half delusional so anything goes
DNF -32%
----------------------
No idea what this is about but this just became available on my Libby and I am half delusional so anything goes
September 30, 2021
4 cute Christmas stars
This story came along at the perfect time for me, even though I read it outside the Christmas season. Our main character, Ivy Perkins, just made it out of a divorce in Atlanta, and she has bought a farmhouse, sight unseen in North Carolina.
She arrives (along with her cute dog) to discover a sagging porch, a sticky door lock, and lots of leftover belongings from the previous owners. The selling agent, Ezra, turns out to be helpful in getting several fix-it-up projects going and he’s interested in more than the house!
Ivy finally gets her creative juices back and helps a local business out and starts to become part of the community. As she continues to work on her farmhouse, she uncovers a gorgeous Santa suit and a mysterious note still in the pocket. Turns out the previous owners acted as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for years in the town. Ivy digs into the past to try to uncover the truth behind the note.
This was a sweet story that I enjoyed reading. It may have been a tad predictable, but I didn’t mind that a bit!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read and review.
This story came along at the perfect time for me, even though I read it outside the Christmas season. Our main character, Ivy Perkins, just made it out of a divorce in Atlanta, and she has bought a farmhouse, sight unseen in North Carolina.
She arrives (along with her cute dog) to discover a sagging porch, a sticky door lock, and lots of leftover belongings from the previous owners. The selling agent, Ezra, turns out to be helpful in getting several fix-it-up projects going and he’s interested in more than the house!
Ivy finally gets her creative juices back and helps a local business out and starts to become part of the community. As she continues to work on her farmhouse, she uncovers a gorgeous Santa suit and a mysterious note still in the pocket. Turns out the previous owners acted as Mr. and Mrs. Claus for years in the town. Ivy digs into the past to try to uncover the truth behind the note.
This was a sweet story that I enjoyed reading. It may have been a tad predictable, but I didn’t mind that a bit!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read and review.
December 23, 2021
4.5 stars, rounded up.
If you need a book to get you in the holiday spirit, here it is!
Ivy, still hurting and bitter from her recent divorce, which forced her to leave the company she helped build, is ready for a new start. Tired of the rat race in Atlanta, she decides to buy an old farmhouse—sight unseen—in the small town of Tarburton, NC. She hopes that this will be the jumpstart she needs to redo her life.
It turns out, however, that the house is a little more “well loved” than she expected, and the previous owners’ relatives left nearly everything in the house. Among the possessions left behind is a gorgeous, old-fashioned Santa suit. (The previous owner was the town’s Santa Claus for many years.)
Inside the pocket of the Santa suit, Ivy finds a letter from a young girl hoping her father comes home from the war. Why did he keep this particular letter? Did the girl have her wish come true? With not much else to do but add to her growing list of necessary home repairs, Ivy decides to do some digging into the letter, and her detective work connects her with some new friends.
At the same time, her handsome real estate agent seems to be all too willing to help her at a moment’s notice. Should she let her heart go where it wants, or does taking another chance only risk disaster?
The Santa Suit is such a heartwarming story, full of small-town charm, holiday spirit, hope, and love. You could almost feel the snow in the air and get enveloped in the holiday atmosphere. It was so freaking charming!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
If you need a book to get you in the holiday spirit, here it is!
Ivy, still hurting and bitter from her recent divorce, which forced her to leave the company she helped build, is ready for a new start. Tired of the rat race in Atlanta, she decides to buy an old farmhouse—sight unseen—in the small town of Tarburton, NC. She hopes that this will be the jumpstart she needs to redo her life.
It turns out, however, that the house is a little more “well loved” than she expected, and the previous owners’ relatives left nearly everything in the house. Among the possessions left behind is a gorgeous, old-fashioned Santa suit. (The previous owner was the town’s Santa Claus for many years.)
Inside the pocket of the Santa suit, Ivy finds a letter from a young girl hoping her father comes home from the war. Why did he keep this particular letter? Did the girl have her wish come true? With not much else to do but add to her growing list of necessary home repairs, Ivy decides to do some digging into the letter, and her detective work connects her with some new friends.
At the same time, her handsome real estate agent seems to be all too willing to help her at a moment’s notice. Should she let her heart go where it wants, or does taking another chance only risk disaster?
The Santa Suit is such a heartwarming story, full of small-town charm, holiday spirit, hope, and love. You could almost feel the snow in the air and get enveloped in the holiday atmosphere. It was so freaking charming!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
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December 8, 2024
It felt like I stepped into the quintessential, nothing happens, Christmas movie. Like you watch it and you think was this good for my soul or did I just waste 90 minutes of my life? And you really can’t figure out the answer. The FMC moved to a small town after her divorce, met random characters from the town, solved a problem, met a guy, and then it ended. Zero chemistry. Zero excitement. At least it was a quick read and it wasn’t total garbage writing. Read if you want to because it’s the holidays and we all just want to feel the magic, but it’s possible you’ll wish you didn’t waste your time afterwards.
December 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Cozy, heartwarming, and charming!
Reading The Santa Suit felt like stepping into a charming old farmhouse at Christmas—cozy, nostalgic, and filled with the promise of something magical. Even though I’ve had several Mary Kay Andrews books on my shelf for ages, this was my first time reading her work, and I’m so glad I started with this delightful Christmas novella.
I really enjoyed this fun romance story with a mystery to solve. Come join Ivy Perkins as she finds an old letter in the pocket of a Santa suit and falls in love along the way. The farmhouse setting drew me in immediately, with its creaky charm, hidden treasures, and decades of untold stories. It became more than just a backdrop; it felt alive, a reflection of Ivy’s own journey toward healing and rediscovery. Uncovering its secrets alongside her was like unwrapping a gift—heartfelt, nostalgic, and brimming with surprises.
This was the perfect introduction to Andrews’ storytelling, filled with warmth, hope, and just enough mystery to keep me turning pages. It left me feeling like I’d spent the holidays in a snug, magical place. Now, I’m even more excited to dive into the other books waiting on my shelf—but this one will always hold a special place as my first.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Cozy, heartwarming, and charming!
Reading The Santa Suit felt like stepping into a charming old farmhouse at Christmas—cozy, nostalgic, and filled with the promise of something magical. Even though I’ve had several Mary Kay Andrews books on my shelf for ages, this was my first time reading her work, and I’m so glad I started with this delightful Christmas novella.
I really enjoyed this fun romance story with a mystery to solve. Come join Ivy Perkins as she finds an old letter in the pocket of a Santa suit and falls in love along the way. The farmhouse setting drew me in immediately, with its creaky charm, hidden treasures, and decades of untold stories. It became more than just a backdrop; it felt alive, a reflection of Ivy’s own journey toward healing and rediscovery. Uncovering its secrets alongside her was like unwrapping a gift—heartfelt, nostalgic, and brimming with surprises.
This was the perfect introduction to Andrews’ storytelling, filled with warmth, hope, and just enough mystery to keep me turning pages. It left me feeling like I’d spent the holidays in a snug, magical place. Now, I’m even more excited to dive into the other books waiting on my shelf—but this one will always hold a special place as my first.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
did-not-finish
December 10, 2021DNF @ 63%
There’s only so much you can take before having enough. This book threw a lot at me:
-Poorly written
-Boring characters
-Unbelievable plot (why is someone always helping her)
-no explanation to why she didn’t want to do any Christmas things and also she still ended up doing them?
-absolutely no chemistry
-weird catfishing side plot I couldn’t care less about
-the Santa suit itself was by far the stupidest plot line
This book was just a bunch of shit thrown together and hoping it stuck because it was “Christmas themed”
Save yourself the trouble and throw this one in the fireplace.
There’s only so much you can take before having enough. This book threw a lot at me:
-Poorly written
-Boring characters
-Unbelievable plot (why is someone always helping her)
-no explanation to why she didn’t want to do any Christmas things and also she still ended up doing them?
-absolutely no chemistry
-weird catfishing side plot I couldn’t care less about
-the Santa suit itself was by far the stupidest plot line
This book was just a bunch of shit thrown together and hoping it stuck because it was “Christmas themed”
Save yourself the trouble and throw this one in the fireplace.
December 14, 2021
A Hallmark movie in a book…No really, if this isn’t already a movie, Hallmark needs to make it into one. Very sweet Christmas story!
November 2, 2023
✩ 2 stars
~
enjoyable but the story felt shallow but it was mind numbing enough i didn’t hate it. :/
~
the mystery was underwhelming & the story felt extremely fake (just not believable enough) kinda like a hallmark movie & that’s not a compliment.
~
the whole “catfish” storyline HAD NO POINT!!!!!
~
i did fly through it but i honestly will probably forget about this book by next week.
~
it’s enjoyable read as song as u don’t really think to hard or even pay that close attention.
~
again it wasn’t necessary a bad book it was fine but it just wasn’t good either. 🤷🏼♀️
~
also i hated the narrator so maybe that’s why i wasn’t a big fan?
~
the whole narration & language was extremely cheesy just not good….
~
i would’ve dnfed it but i didn’t bc again i did enjoy some aspects & i was fine with reading a cheese fest but i did find a lot of stuff if not all of it annoying but it wasn’t that bad.
~
ok maybe i was engaged at times & i did want to see how it would all play out but idk if it was worth it anymore. :(
~
the ending made me extremely mad!!! 😖
~
honestly i don’t know what my opinions are on this 😕
~
sorry i hate not liking a book & just me i’m very easy to please when it comes to books :)
~
(update 2023)
i don’t remember a fucking thing and that’s all i need to know 😊
~
enjoyable but the story felt shallow but it was mind numbing enough i didn’t hate it. :/
~
the mystery was underwhelming & the story felt extremely fake (just not believable enough) kinda like a hallmark movie & that’s not a compliment.
~
the whole “catfish” storyline HAD NO POINT!!!!!
~
i did fly through it but i honestly will probably forget about this book by next week.
~
it’s enjoyable read as song as u don’t really think to hard or even pay that close attention.
~
again it wasn’t necessary a bad book it was fine but it just wasn’t good either. 🤷🏼♀️
~
also i hated the narrator so maybe that’s why i wasn’t a big fan?
~
the whole narration & language was extremely cheesy just not good….
~
i would’ve dnfed it but i didn’t bc again i did enjoy some aspects & i was fine with reading a cheese fest but i did find a lot of stuff if not all of it annoying but it wasn’t that bad.
~
ok maybe i was engaged at times & i did want to see how it would all play out but idk if it was worth it anymore. :(
~
the ending made me extremely mad!!! 😖
~
honestly i don’t know what my opinions are on this 😕
~
sorry i hate not liking a book & just me i’m very easy to please when it comes to books :)
~
(update 2023)
i don’t remember a fucking thing and that’s all i need to know 😊
September 10, 2021
This was exactly the palate cleanser I needed after a gritty dark thriller. If you love Hallmark movies, you are going to love this heartwarming Holiday novella.
Recent divorcee Ivy decides to follow her dream of owning a “farm” by buying a house in North Carolina that she’s only seen in pictures. Taking a leap of faith, she is looking for a new start and a new outlook. She of course learns once she arrives, that the beautiful house has been in a state of disrepair since the owners passed away. She is constantly adding items to her punch, and wonders if she might be in over her head. She learns that the owners were crazy about Christmas and served as Ms. and Santa Clause for the town for years.
Once Ivy finds a child’s wish in the pocket of the Santa Suit found in one of the closets, she sets out to find out if the wish ever came true. A wish for a military father serving in Vietnam to come home. During the process, she meets wonderful neighbors and realizes that although she is no longer married, she is not alone. Just like you would hope, the townspeople are supportive and want to help. She has to decide if she will follow in the Christmas traditions that were part of the previous homeowner’s yearly traditions. And she also has to decide if she is ready to open her heart to a relationship once again.
Such a heartwarming, quick read that reminds you of the good in people. Don’t go into this one expecting a literary tour de force- instead just let yourself enjoy a lighthearted and joyous story that highlights the love that shines extra bright during the holiday season. A solid 4 stars Mary Kay Andrews read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. Pub date: 8.2020.
Recent divorcee Ivy decides to follow her dream of owning a “farm” by buying a house in North Carolina that she’s only seen in pictures. Taking a leap of faith, she is looking for a new start and a new outlook. She of course learns once she arrives, that the beautiful house has been in a state of disrepair since the owners passed away. She is constantly adding items to her punch, and wonders if she might be in over her head. She learns that the owners were crazy about Christmas and served as Ms. and Santa Clause for the town for years.
Once Ivy finds a child’s wish in the pocket of the Santa Suit found in one of the closets, she sets out to find out if the wish ever came true. A wish for a military father serving in Vietnam to come home. During the process, she meets wonderful neighbors and realizes that although she is no longer married, she is not alone. Just like you would hope, the townspeople are supportive and want to help. She has to decide if she will follow in the Christmas traditions that were part of the previous homeowner’s yearly traditions. And she also has to decide if she is ready to open her heart to a relationship once again.
Such a heartwarming, quick read that reminds you of the good in people. Don’t go into this one expecting a literary tour de force- instead just let yourself enjoy a lighthearted and joyous story that highlights the love that shines extra bright during the holiday season. A solid 4 stars Mary Kay Andrews read for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. Pub date: 8.2020.
November 23, 2024
This is a sweet, quick-paced read focused on second chances and family.
And…It is short.
It is also a heartwarming story about love, loss and determination.
And…It has a cute dog named Pumkin.
But mostly…This is a lighthearted bit of holiday fluff about a woman named Ivy starting over in a small town and finding romance, and friendships and solving a cute little mystery along the way.
The mystery?
Who was the little girl named Carlette who wrote the note to Santa which was left in the Santa Suit that Ivy found when she moved into her new old house?
It may take the readers several pages to find out…
But…It is a short book, and the reveal does occur. Along with more reveals, too. (No spoilers from me.)
So…If you are looking for a quick, easy, sweet, imperfect holiday read, look no further.
And…It is short.
It is also a heartwarming story about love, loss and determination.
And…It has a cute dog named Pumkin.
But mostly…This is a lighthearted bit of holiday fluff about a woman named Ivy starting over in a small town and finding romance, and friendships and solving a cute little mystery along the way.
The mystery?
Who was the little girl named Carlette who wrote the note to Santa which was left in the Santa Suit that Ivy found when she moved into her new old house?
It may take the readers several pages to find out…
But…It is a short book, and the reveal does occur. Along with more reveals, too. (No spoilers from me.)
So…If you are looking for a quick, easy, sweet, imperfect holiday read, look no further.
December 8, 2022
Christmas 2022 - NICE!!
THIS! This is how it's done! The Santa Suit is everything a Christmas story should be. A small town. An old farmhouse. Snow. Cookies. Love (with no pornographic sex scenes.) A little bit of magic. A dog, of course. And some chickens.
THIS! This is how it's done! The Santa Suit is everything a Christmas story should be. A small town. An old farmhouse. Snow. Cookies. Love (with no pornographic sex scenes.) A little bit of magic. A dog, of course. And some chickens.
December 19, 2023
This doesn't really hold together at all, but I kept hoping it would. So on the one hand I finished the story but on the other, I don't really care.
It's not helping that there's a ton of coincidence in the story. Like lights that have been left outside for years that still work when plugged in. And an outfit that magically fits Ivy even though the previous owner was "of girth". Or absolutely everything that has to do with the note that Ivy found in the Santa suit pocket. And it isn't helping that there's a hint of Christmas magic in some of those things because it makes me wonder if the author was just a lazy problem solver or if she was actually attempting Christmas magic a lot more than she let on and chickened out in making it explicit.
But what really leaves me dry is that I don't really get any feel for Ivy and Ezra as a couple. Ivy turned on a dime from divorce-burnt to "okay, I'll trust this guy" and there was no catalyst or explanation for why that would be. And Ezra is pretty much just an eager try-hard who solved all of her problems for her because he wanted to get into her, um, Santa suit. And that might have been him being all competent and stuff, only that role was filled by the new best friend who turned out to be the handyman extraordinaire when she wasn't falling for the world's lamest double-blind catfish miracle.
So, um, let's say two stars and move on? Yeah, that sounds good. And let's just ignore that the town's uber Santa Clause and Christmas epitome was Jewish all this time because why would the author do this as a throw-away, even?!?
A note about Chaste: Ivy and Ezra have sex. I mean, it's definite that they had sex. But there's nothing on the page except some kissing and non-specific fumbling. So this is nominally chaste. In a weird way.
It's not helping that there's a ton of coincidence in the story. Like lights that have been left outside for years that still work when plugged in. And an outfit that magically fits Ivy even though the previous owner was "of girth". Or absolutely everything that has to do with the note that Ivy found in the Santa suit pocket. And it isn't helping that there's a hint of Christmas magic in some of those things because it makes me wonder if the author was just a lazy problem solver or if she was actually attempting Christmas magic a lot more than she let on and chickened out in making it explicit.
But what really leaves me dry is that I don't really get any feel for Ivy and Ezra as a couple. Ivy turned on a dime from divorce-burnt to "okay, I'll trust this guy" and there was no catalyst or explanation for why that would be. And Ezra is pretty much just an eager try-hard who solved all of her problems for her because he wanted to get into her, um, Santa suit. And that might have been him being all competent and stuff, only that role was filled by the new best friend who turned out to be the handyman extraordinaire when she wasn't falling for the world's lamest double-blind catfish miracle.
So, um, let's say two stars and move on? Yeah, that sounds good. And let's just ignore that the town's uber Santa Clause and Christmas epitome was Jewish all this time because why would the author do this as a throw-away, even?!?
A note about Chaste: Ivy and Ezra have sex. I mean, it's definite that they had sex. But there's nothing on the page except some kissing and non-specific fumbling. So this is nominally chaste. In a weird way.
December 22, 2022
Such a cute little hallmark Christmas book. Fast paced, easy to follow, small town, kinda small town Gilmore girl vibe. Everyone knows everyone & their business.
September 28, 2021
The Santa Suit is a great read to get into the spirit of Christmas, one of hope and surprises. But all Ivy Perkins wants is a new beginning, a place to heal after a painful divorce. So, Ivy, her sweet pup, Punkin, and her baby chicks head out of Atlanta to the mountains of North Carolina to the sight unseen (in person) purchase of Four Roses Farm, a white farmhouse on a small acreage, formerly owned by the Rose family. First thing that she notices is the farm is a little more rundown than the photos showed but her real estate agent Ezra steps in to help with emergency fixes, as a neighbor would do.
She soon discovers the Rose family was into Christmas with Bob playing Santa and Betty Rae, Mrs. Claus. They lit up the farm with Christmas lights that drew people to see the wonder of the season. Ivy doesn't even want to put up a tree. When going through the Roses' things she discovers a Santa suit and inside a pocket a letter to Santa that touched her...that of a little girl who wants her daddy to come home from the war. Phoebe, a new friend she met at the courthouse is helpful in getting a lead on the little girl and widens her circle of acquaintances. It was heartwarming to watch Ivy unwound, settle in, makes some friends, and get into the Christmas spirit, helping others. This is a quick read that has a sweet story with a surprise or two, including a little romance. Some surprises that tie things together but you need to read to find out.
I received a complimentary ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
She soon discovers the Rose family was into Christmas with Bob playing Santa and Betty Rae, Mrs. Claus. They lit up the farm with Christmas lights that drew people to see the wonder of the season. Ivy doesn't even want to put up a tree. When going through the Roses' things she discovers a Santa suit and inside a pocket a letter to Santa that touched her...that of a little girl who wants her daddy to come home from the war. Phoebe, a new friend she met at the courthouse is helpful in getting a lead on the little girl and widens her circle of acquaintances. It was heartwarming to watch Ivy unwound, settle in, makes some friends, and get into the Christmas spirit, helping others. This is a quick read that has a sweet story with a surprise or two, including a little romance. Some surprises that tie things together but you need to read to find out.
I received a complimentary ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
September 7, 2021
A sweet feel good novella that will put you in the holiday spirit! Romance and a nice twist too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever read an author that can just bring the magic and story right to life for you as you are reading? It is a tough skill to master. I read her last publication earlier this year and Andrews was able to get me hooked with her visualization skills of the story.
The Santa Suit is a marvelous read that brings a delightful visual to life; Old Time Santa in a small town and all of the memories that invokes as we grow older. This story is fresh and dreamy with a delightful cast of characters and a surprise twist that caught me! Memories of Christmases past and experiences for the kids today.
What I did miss with this story is that it could have been a bit longer. I loved this one and the building connection between Ivy and Ezra. I wish that Andrews had expanded on their budding relationship. Overall, a feel good novella that will put you in the holiday spirit!
* Copy received for review consideration
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-santa-su...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever read an author that can just bring the magic and story right to life for you as you are reading? It is a tough skill to master. I read her last publication earlier this year and Andrews was able to get me hooked with her visualization skills of the story.
The Santa Suit is a marvelous read that brings a delightful visual to life; Old Time Santa in a small town and all of the memories that invokes as we grow older. This story is fresh and dreamy with a delightful cast of characters and a surprise twist that caught me! Memories of Christmases past and experiences for the kids today.
What I did miss with this story is that it could have been a bit longer. I loved this one and the building connection between Ivy and Ezra. I wish that Andrews had expanded on their budding relationship. Overall, a feel good novella that will put you in the holiday spirit!
* Copy received for review consideration
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-santa-su...
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