Lost Without a Claus

by Kaya LaSalle

The sweet lesbian Santa Claus holiday romance you've been waiting for...

You might think being Santa Claus's daughter sounds like a dream, right?

Wrong.

I never wanted the obligations that come along with the family business, and this is the year I'm supposed to take over for my old man. But I have no intention of letting that happen. That's why I'm hiding out in a tiny mountain town where nobody can find me—not even my father's elves. I'll just ride things out here and wait until Christmas is over, and then my problems will be solved. Simple, right?

Wrong again.

Because I wasn't planning on meeting someone like Lizzie Collins in my small-town hideaway. She runs the local candle shop, and I can't get enough of her—smart, snarky, and a die-hard Christmas fan. Oh, and did I mention that she just so happens to be the only person in town with a spare room for rent?

I know I'm falling for her, but there's just one little problem: she has no idea who I really am. It's not exactly easy to break the news to the woman you love that Santa Claus is real—and that she's dating the reluctant heiress to the Santa empire.

My father's elves are getting closer in their search for me, and the countdown to Christmas Eve is on. Will I be able to come clean to Lizzie and have everything I've ever dreamed of? Or will I be dragged back to the North Pole with a broken heart?

Genres: Romance, Christmas, LGBT, Holiday, Lesbian Fiction, Lesbian, Fantasy

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2021

About the author

I always grew up hungry for stories that I could see myself in. Even the tiniest hint of queerness would make my heart beat faster, but any sort of media where queer women were the protagonists was a rarity. Even rarer if you wanted queer characters who got happy endings!

One day I decided to start writing the types of stories I wished I could read. Stories where being queer isn't something to overcome, where the main characters could fall in love and be themselves and find joy in each other. I'm mostly writing contemporary F/F romance these days, but occasionally I dabble in fantasy and sci-fi.

I love connecting with readers, so feel free to drop me a line any time you want to talk about books, dogs, or nerdy things :)

Reviews

[Loek Krancher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great holiday read!

A rebellious daughter, three cardinal rules, a perfect escape, a magical romance and a transition on Christmas Eve. Lost Without A Claus is an adorable, cute story and a great holiday read. I can definitely recommend it

[Elske · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Very nice Christmas story.

[AnnMaree Of Oz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited.

A sweet and simple holiday read. Eve is Santa's daughter. She has no intention of taking over the 'family business' like all the elves and her father wants her to. She makes her escape to a small town in Vermont, trying to hide from her responsibilities - meeting Lizzie and lots of lovely small town members. Lizzie is of course, a new room mate and love interest.

Both have a tentative and fragile 'getting to know' one another, before falling hard and fast, and have similar pasts with loss. But it just didn't go deep enough for anything truly emotional to transpire.

So that's why only a 3 star read. But still very enjoyable, just could have used more depth to get it to the 4+. I wanted Eve to step up to the plate and understand her responsibilities. I wanted more from Lizzie, and their relationship, too.

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5)

not sure the last quarter was supposed to be as hilarious as i found it but oh well

Rep: sapphic mcs

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve does not want to take over the family business so she runs away. Lizzie is looking for a roommate and nothing more until Eve shows up on her doorstep. Eve needs to hide who she is and nobody would believe her anyway. Lizzie will need to make a huge sacrifice if she wants to stay with Eve. This is a unique storyline and a really sweet love story.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eve is Santa's daughter and with only a short time before Christmas she learns her dad is ready to retire and it is her turn to take up the mantle. She flees to a small town in Vermont where she gets a job in a diner and finds a room to rent. Her roommate Lizzie is pretty and works in her aunts candle shop. This is a sweet, quick, Christmas romance. Can Eve really outrun Santa and her destiny? I liked both Eve and Lizzie. I enjoyed their ice skating date and like Lizzie wants things to go slowly (kissing only). I don't think all my questions were answered as to why Eve didn't know she was going to be the next Santa or why there wasn't a training time. But it comes all comes together with a Happy Christmas for all.

[aliyyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was so cute. Would love to see a movie version.

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

Eve, a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties, is the daughter of Santa Claus and it's come time for her to inherit the title and the responsibilities. Feeling as though she has no choice, she flees the North Pole and hides from her father and his elves in the little town of Ivy Hollow.
Lizzie has lived in Ivy Hollow her entire life, and wishes for something more. She loves her family and working in her aunt's candle shop, but it isn't what she pictured for herself. To make matters worse, she desperately needs a roommate and the choices are slim.
Through fate, magic, or just a meddling small town matron, Eve takes the room at Lizzie's house. As they get to know each other, it's clear there's attraction and affection. But their winter love is threatened by Eve hiding who she really is, and the fact that Santa won't let her run for long.

This was a really cute story with very loveable characters. I loved both Eve and Lizzie, and the cast of small town characters. There's a lot of suspension of disbelief, not only because of the Santa aspect. The people of Ivy Hollow are quick to trust Eve, or at least help her along. It's a little bit Hallmark, a little bit Disney. The romance is so sweet, and I was rooting for them the whole way. It is very low spice with no on page sexy times.

Some of the story felt very unbalanced to me. Once Eve reaches Ivy Hollow, you mostly forget that she's the next Santa or any of the Santa plot at all, save a few mentions of her deceased mother. And story-wise that was kind of okay because Eve and Lizzie's romance is so darling. But then the end approaches and there's a lot of oh yeah, the Santa thing, shoehorned into the last couple of chapters. I think I would have liked it more if Lizzie had more hints from Eve about the Santa issue leading up to the end. There are also some loose threads that never get addressed, but it's a short novel and I enjoyed it enough not to nitpick.

If you're wanting to say you read a Santa romance but the idea of traditional Santa getting down weirds you out, this is the book for you. It's also probably for you if you just enjoy a cute, quick Christmas romance that happens to have a dash of Santa involved.

[RA Young]

Adorably ridiculous

Well that was utterly ridiculous... And I loved every silly cheesy bit of it. It reads like a typical romance novel and you are expected to immediately suspend disbelief and accept that Santa related myths are reality within the first page of the story. I think this makes it easier, because it doesn't spend a lot of time convincing you or explaining the mechanics of all the magic - just drops you right into the story.
Could it have been deeper? Sure, but I wouldn't want it to be. It's a short Christmas novel about the cute lesbian heir apparent to the Santa Claus legacy...it's not supposed to get super serious or make you think. It's the perfect book for sitting down with some cookies and nog or cider or hot cocoa in a cozy spot for a couple hours and just tossing the whole experience back in one go.

[Maria Arroyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give this a soft 3.5-4 star rating. It’s a cute Christmas book set in a LGBTQ+ setting which I thought was pretty well done. It’s got no spice, just a more simple and wholesome approach to a Christmas love story.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was extremely silly, but if you go into it expecting Hallmark Christmas Movie level cheesiness and quality, you won't be disappointed.

[wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.20 nice

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens if you really don't want to do it?

Eve is the daughter of Santa Clause, which when push comes to shove Eve wants to side step! Taking off before the transition of becoming the new Santa, Eve finds herself in small village in Vermont and meets the local candle maker who is very beautiful and falls in love with Santa elves chasing her. What follows and how it ends makes a delightful Christmas story. Santa included! Enjoy!

[Michelle Schuler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa's Daughter

Even Santa's daughter needs to find love. Escaping her responsibilities, Eve finds a small town to hide in and in the process finds love. The chemistry is strong and fun. This was a great read. Its nice to see improvement in Maya LaSalle writing. Look forward to more of her books.

[Robin Clairvaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being Santa Clause's daughter and successor brings a lot of pressure...so much pressure, that Eve decides to flee the North Pole just to avoid it. Little does she know that the tiny town where she seeks refuge will be the place where she discovers love, the Christmas spirit, and a true appreciation for who she is destined to become.

Lost Without a Clause is lighthearted and charmingly fanciful, but it still manages to deliver a surprising degree of emotion and warmth. Eve and Lizzie are relatable and endearing characters. The setting is immersive and joyous, and the romantic narrative gives just the right amount of warm fuzzies.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute holiday read!

Eve, the daughter of Santa Claus, has to become the new Santa on Christmas Eve. She runs away from the North Pole and finds herself in a small town in Vermont where she meets the local candle maker Lizzie and the good Samaritan diner owner.


I have to admit, I liked this more than I thought I might. I wasn't sure how it would work but Kaya sprinkled some magical elf dust, wrapped in some jingle bell suspense and tied it up with some very likeable characters. It's just a delightful Christmas story!

[Susan Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot to log this when I read it before Christmas since it's such a quick read. I thought it sounded incredibly silly but it was on kindle unlimited so I got it for a laugh - I wasn't expecting how genuinely sweet and fun it turned out to be, and I enjoyed it in a completely unironic fashion. It is of course a little silly but it's on par with just about any Christmas movie that involves a Santa.

[Stacy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute-a sweet little Christmas novella!
The story was unique, but still felt a lot like a Hallmark movie (which I’m okay with). I adored the love story that unfolded throughout, but I do wish there was more to the Santa aspect of the story. I felt like the ending was rather abrupt and I wanted more! I came to love Lizzie and Eve during the course of the story and I need to know how they’re doing!

[Tammy Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

I really love this story. To me it hit home, yes my father was the town Santa Claus for many years. Yes, Santa does have magical power if the person really believes it, As for me that always played the elf that helped Santa its true Christmas is a magical time of year. A beautiful story of making everyone believe in the Christmas magic.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!!!!

This was just what the doctor ordered. A story so sweet and special that makes your heart beat faster. The crossing of reality with a bit of fantasy keeps the heart young, the smiles wide and your mind free. I have read a few books from Kaya LaSalle and this one is now my favorite. A must happy read!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. Loved the build up of their chemistry between Lizzie & Eve. It was such a sweet read that got me into the holiday warm fuzzies.

There wasn’t too much angst which I loved but there certainly was a HEA, though there was some dramas before they got there.

Would definitely recommend this book & looking forward to reading more from this new author for me

[Riana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this...

It's a really cute story, an easy read, and very light hearted. It is relatively low drama, wich i like. I enjoyed how Eve slowly comes to terms with her responsibilities. I for sure recommend

[Carole Damoci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great fun Christmas read

A fun simple story. Who would have believed that Santa could be a woman? When Santa’s daughter runs away because she doesn’t want the joy she guessed just what she would find.

[Lo Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, festive

Super sweet story, incredibly well written. Anxiety, suspense, and holiday cheer. Well worth the read. My only complaint is that I didn't want the story to end and I'd love another book. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

[sage (sageshelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute and very short, I felt like it took no time at all to read. I love the vibes of the main character being Santa Claus' daughter, and I think the way this book went about explaining how the Santa system works was really unique! Plus it's gay so, what else could you ask for?

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The year without a Santa Clause... almost

This was a quick, upbeat, adorable read. Eve was a little childish and brat like, Lizzie was a little naive for her age but it was still a decent read.

[Tomasina Ravenscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really heartwarming Christmas romance

[Nicole Footer · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cute christmas romance. small town hallmark movie meets “the santa clause” vibes.

[Amy Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and cute! Very fluffy and I'm so-so about the ending, but we'll allow it haha.

[Christine Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Wow great storyline I loved the main characters and there journey to be together was incredible it was definitely a fantastic Christmas story congratulations