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Merry Elf-ing Christmas
Aidan might be a bad elf, but he’s never been naughty.
Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.
His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.
They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.
And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.
Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.
His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.
They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.
And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2021
62 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Beth Bolden
77 books688 followersA lifelong Oregonian, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband and their sweet kitten, Earl Grey. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published fourteen novels and five short stories.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published fourteen novels and five short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
December 13, 2021
~2.5~
This is when I put on my Grinch shirt and spoil everyone else’s fun.
While I love the spirit of the holidays (we celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas), I have never been a fan of the Santa myth. Why does Santa spoil the children on 5th Avenue while ignoring the kids in the slums? And why do homeless kids receive no presents—are they bad?
Try explaining to a 6-year-old, like I had to a few years back, that their friend is a good person worthy of love even though Santa didn’t get him anything for Christmas. (That conversation broke my damn heart on so many levels.)
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is simply too LITERAL for me. We have the actual North Pole (protected by a magical sphere/spell), a Santa named Sam, and real Christmas elves (plus allusions to Irish, Hallows Eve, and other elves).
I seriously considered DNFing around the 30 percent mark because I was bored with the email conversations between Aidan and Dex. I don’t like plot that relies solely on epistolary writing, and that’s essentially all we get for half the story.
The book picks up upon Aidan and Dex meeting again the following Christmas, but even then everything felt trite and predictable.
The reasoning behind Aidan being the “Christmas savior” (like Jesus but more jolly, I guess) was paper-thin.
I mean, yeah, this is a cute story. It’s easy, a bit of fluffy fun. The epilogue is sweeter than Oreos and chocolate milk. I can't hate on it too much, but the magic was lost on me.
This is when I put on my Grinch shirt and spoil everyone else’s fun.
While I love the spirit of the holidays (we celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas), I have never been a fan of the Santa myth. Why does Santa spoil the children on 5th Avenue while ignoring the kids in the slums? And why do homeless kids receive no presents—are they bad?
Try explaining to a 6-year-old, like I had to a few years back, that their friend is a good person worthy of love even though Santa didn’t get him anything for Christmas. (That conversation broke my damn heart on so many levels.)
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is simply too LITERAL for me. We have the actual North Pole (protected by a magical sphere/spell), a Santa named Sam, and real Christmas elves (plus allusions to Irish, Hallows Eve, and other elves).
I seriously considered DNFing around the 30 percent mark because I was bored with the email conversations between Aidan and Dex. I don’t like plot that relies solely on epistolary writing, and that’s essentially all we get for half the story.
The book picks up upon Aidan and Dex meeting again the following Christmas, but even then everything felt trite and predictable.
The reasoning behind Aidan being the “Christmas savior” (like Jesus but more jolly, I guess) was paper-thin.
I mean, yeah, this is a cute story. It’s easy, a bit of fluffy fun. The epilogue is sweeter than Oreos and chocolate milk. I can't hate on it too much, but the magic was lost on me.
November 21, 2021
Actual review to come later, but I stayed up all night to do a paper for university that is really not agreeing with me and reading this book was my way of making myself relax. It did its job perfectly. This was so sweet and the exact magical experience I was looking for. I loved how this was about the North Pole, it was such a lovely and magical setting. I loved the main characters together too, they were such sweet characters and a very good pair. Really I just loved this book. This book had all the magic of Christmas i’m looking for in a Christmas book and it just really worked for me. I had the best time reading it and it helped me be less stressed for a couple of hours while I was reading it, so it was a lovely reading experience for me.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
December 11, 2021
Pretty Elf-ing AWESOME!!!!
This is my favorite Christmas story this year so far and it will take a beyond awesome story to top it! Love these two MCs like crazy and adding to that excellent worldbuilding as well as wonderful writing all adds up to one incredible read!
This is my favorite Christmas story this year so far and it will take a beyond awesome story to top it! Love these two MCs like crazy and adding to that excellent worldbuilding as well as wonderful writing all adds up to one incredible read!
November 10, 2021
I had the pleasure of beta reading this for Beth and it was one I couldn't put down, it was such a joy.
Aiden is the unlikeliest Elf to ever set foot at the North Pole, but that's got nothing on what happens when the former leprechaun reveals himself to engineering student Dexter by accident.
While he struggles to settle in and deal with being the one foretold in a prophesy who will save Christmas, he starts a long distance friendship with Dexter.
This book is funny, sweet, a bit steamy and, above all else, filled with all the magic you'd hope to get from a book set at the North Pole.
Definitely paying homage to the great Christmas films like Elf, and The Christmas Chronicles, it will wrap you up like a warm blanket.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Aiden is the unlikeliest Elf to ever set foot at the North Pole, but that's got nothing on what happens when the former leprechaun reveals himself to engineering student Dexter by accident.
While he struggles to settle in and deal with being the one foretold in a prophesy who will save Christmas, he starts a long distance friendship with Dexter.
This book is funny, sweet, a bit steamy and, above all else, filled with all the magic you'd hope to get from a book set at the North Pole.
Definitely paying homage to the great Christmas films like Elf, and The Christmas Chronicles, it will wrap you up like a warm blanket.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
December 15, 2021
I feel a bit like a grinch for not liking this, but I honestly have no idea what other people see in this.
On paper this sounds pretty good. A northpole elf falling in love with a human. With lots of christmas cheer to top it off. But somehow I didn't like anything about this.
It started when Aidan and Dex meet and Dex immediately says Aidan is an elf after seeing his pointy ears. I kept wating til Dex would mention cosplay or anything like that. You know, what a regular person would believe when they see an 'elf'. But nope, Aidan is a real elf and that's that.
Then we got the email exchanges between these two. I never once thought these emails were anything but boring and uninspiring.
I can go on and on what I didn't like about this, but it comes down to the fact that I felt no connection with anyone, that Aidan and Dex were not my kind of characters and that the writing felt a bit forced and unnatural. :(
On paper this sounds pretty good. A northpole elf falling in love with a human. With lots of christmas cheer to top it off. But somehow I didn't like anything about this.
It started when Aidan and Dex meet and Dex immediately says Aidan is an elf after seeing his pointy ears. I kept wating til Dex would mention cosplay or anything like that. You know, what a regular person would believe when they see an 'elf'. But nope, Aidan is a real elf and that's that.
Then we got the email exchanges between these two. I never once thought these emails were anything but boring and uninspiring.
I can go on and on what I didn't like about this, but it comes down to the fact that I felt no connection with anyone, that Aidan and Dex were not my kind of characters and that the writing felt a bit forced and unnatural. :(
July 1, 2025
I'm totally digging my summer christmas reading.
Nothing like reading about the snowy north pole whilst sporting my bathing suit on my sun lounger in my back yard garden (thermometer hitting 33°).
Anyway this is a super cute story about an elf and an engineer. I loved how they met and their email exchange was pretty sweet, as well.
Nothing like reading about the snowy north pole whilst sporting my bathing suit on my sun lounger in my back yard garden (thermometer hitting 33°).
Anyway this is a super cute story about an elf and an engineer. I loved how they met and their email exchange was pretty sweet, as well.
November 9, 2021
Aidan is a grumpy North Pole elf, not too sold on the whole Christmas Saviour thing. “He’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.”
Insert adorable meet-cute moment on Christmas Eve, when he meets Dexter in an empty convenience store, and sparks fly instantly.
This was such a funny, cute read, with a healthy dose of sarcasm and grumpiness, but also a lot of love and magic. I flew through this book and I’ll be sure to give Beth Bolden’s other books a read soon as well, the characters were adorable and their chemistry on point.
The only thing that really bugged me, but this is a me problem, is that Santa’s ride through the world is described from North America to Europe, to Asia and my practical mind was really struggling with it. I know, I know, I’m reading a book about an elf falling in love with an engineering student and this is what I’m struggling with? To each their own ticks :D
Anyway, I really had a lot of fun reading this book! Highly recommended to get into the holiday spirit.
I’d like to thank Gay Romance Reviews and the author for sending me a virtual ARC, all opinions are my own.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.”
Insert adorable meet-cute moment on Christmas Eve, when he meets Dexter in an empty convenience store, and sparks fly instantly.
This was such a funny, cute read, with a healthy dose of sarcasm and grumpiness, but also a lot of love and magic. I flew through this book and I’ll be sure to give Beth Bolden’s other books a read soon as well, the characters were adorable and their chemistry on point.
The only thing that really bugged me, but this is a me problem, is that Santa’s ride through the world is described from North America to Europe, to Asia and my practical mind was really struggling with it. I know, I know, I’m reading a book about an elf falling in love with an engineering student and this is what I’m struggling with? To each their own ticks :D
Anyway, I really had a lot of fun reading this book! Highly recommended to get into the holiday spirit.
I’d like to thank Gay Romance Reviews and the author for sending me a virtual ARC, all opinions are my own.
Read
March 15, 2022DNF
November 22, 2021
4.5 Stars
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is an adorable, magical romance by Beth Bolden.
In this sweet holiday read, Aidan and Dex fall in love. But the two are from different worlds. The attraction is instant between the elf, Aidan, and the human, Dex, when they meet on Christmas Eve.
What follows is adorable and tender, with magical elves, Santa. flying sleighs, and the North Pole.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is a great combination of holiday fun, instant attraction, forbidden romance, magic, and heat. Definitely check out this Beth Bolden read when you're in the mood for a quick, fluffy read.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is an adorable, magical romance by Beth Bolden.
In this sweet holiday read, Aidan and Dex fall in love. But the two are from different worlds. The attraction is instant between the elf, Aidan, and the human, Dex, when they meet on Christmas Eve.
What follows is adorable and tender, with magical elves, Santa. flying sleighs, and the North Pole.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is a great combination of holiday fun, instant attraction, forbidden romance, magic, and heat. Definitely check out this Beth Bolden read when you're in the mood for a quick, fluffy read.
November 16, 2021
An adorable book that brings a love between an elf, Santa's helper and a human
Aidan the elf and Dexter the human met at Christmas and for 1 year exchange emails that will fuel their feelings, until after 1 year Aidan makes a proposal
But Dexter has to decide his future
I especially loved the secondary characters, Sam and George
Are there Christmas miracles?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Aidan the elf and Dexter the human met at Christmas and for 1 year exchange emails that will fuel their feelings, until after 1 year Aidan makes a proposal
But Dexter has to decide his future
I especially loved the secondary characters, Sam and George
Are there Christmas miracles?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2021
Oh this was just delightful!
December 11, 2021
Who knew you could blend a Christmas satire with awe of its traditions; yet Beth Bolden achieves the perfect balance in ‘Merry Elf-ing Christmas.’
“Cutesy” is rarely my thing – but I suspended belief, read on and its magic sunk deep.
Poor Aidan has been transferred from his friends and co-elves in beloved Ireland, to the frigid North Pole. Why? Because his blasted stars say he will become the savior of Christmas. What rubbish!
His new boss, a very domineering head elf, is less than thrilled that Santa and all the other elves treat Aidan like royalty. He makes Aidan’s life miserable. And since Aidan is also sure he has nothing special to offer, everyone’s savior treatment is frustrating.
Then on Christmas Eve, he briefly meets Dex, a handsome human, working at the quick-mart where Aidan goes to buy Santa cookies and milk. Mutual infatuation ensues, and in an act of defiance, Aidan gives Dex his email. But humans and elves exist in separate domains, never the twain to meet. Still, they write to each other over a year, in exchanges as sweet and ordinary as any two increasing love-struck individuals. Is there any way around their dilemma?
Beth Bolden’s brilliance is in merging adult exasperation with Christmas and childlike wonderment. The novel reads easily, almost light and fluffy at one level. At another, readers get to question our loss of awe as keenly as the holiday’s materialism.
At a parallel level, Beth Bolden both utilizes and questions insta-love. While the men are instantly smitten, they are unable to see one another for a full year and expect their next meeting to be equally brief. Their forced separation lets them slowly learn about one another and discover what they feel.
And when they have the chance to meet again, it’s not magic (nor reindeer) that makes their sparks fly. It’s good, old-fashioned “liking.” And really, for any love to last, isn’t it almost more important we like someone, than we love them?
In short, Beth Bolden’s magic is to infuse fantasy with reality and in turn, bring a genuine sheen to Christmas. ‘Merry Elf-ing Christmas’’ is my milk and cookies of the holiday season, a gift worth giving yourself.
Poor Aidan has been transferred from his friends and co-elves in beloved Ireland, to the frigid North Pole. Why? Because his blasted stars say he will become the savior of Christmas. What rubbish!
His new boss, a very domineering head elf, is less than thrilled that Santa and all the other elves treat Aidan like royalty. He makes Aidan’s life miserable. And since Aidan is also sure he has nothing special to offer, everyone’s savior treatment is frustrating.
Then on Christmas Eve, he briefly meets Dex, a handsome human, working at the quick-mart where Aidan goes to buy Santa cookies and milk. Mutual infatuation ensues, and in an act of defiance, Aidan gives Dex his email. But humans and elves exist in separate domains, never the twain to meet. Still, they write to each other over a year, in exchanges as sweet and ordinary as any two increasing love-struck individuals. Is there any way around their dilemma?
Beth Bolden’s brilliance is in merging adult exasperation with Christmas and childlike wonderment. The novel reads easily, almost light and fluffy at one level. At another, readers get to question our loss of awe as keenly as the holiday’s materialism.
At a parallel level, Beth Bolden both utilizes and questions insta-love. While the men are instantly smitten, they are unable to see one another for a full year and expect their next meeting to be equally brief. Their forced separation lets them slowly learn about one another and discover what they feel.
And when they have the chance to meet again, it’s not magic (nor reindeer) that makes their sparks fly. It’s good, old-fashioned “liking.” And really, for any love to last, isn’t it almost more important we like someone, than we love them?
In short, Beth Bolden’s magic is to infuse fantasy with reality and in turn, bring a genuine sheen to Christmas. ‘Merry Elf-ing Christmas’’ is my milk and cookies of the holiday season, a gift worth giving yourself.
November 20, 2021
I love it when a story is able to stand out in the midst of all the usual holiday romances, and Beth Bolden's Merry Elf-ing Christmas is simply elf-ing wonderful! Aidan, an elf who has been touted as THE Christmas savior but who isn't too keen on all that pressure and responsibility, and Dexter, an engineering graduate student AND very much human, were this sweet pairing who had me grinning happily from the moment they meet till their MEA (merrily-ever-after). Their story is a romance partly told in epistolary style, but the book itself is also a reminder of the magic of the season and how belief in something seemingly impossible or improbable isn't as difficult as we think. This book did my heart good. Five elf-ing stars!
December 20, 2022
3.5 stars
A silly, sweet, story featuring a misplaced elf and a human engineering student falling in love over the email they exchange after meeting one snowy Christmas Eve when Dexter introduces Aidan to Oreos and chocolate milk. Normally, I find stories told through email and text messages boring, but the exchanges are lively and interesting and more conversational than irritating.
In between, we get to see Aidan slowly adjusting to life in the North Pole after being yanked from his life in Tir na Nog, though he draws the line at being called the one who saves Christmas from disbelief and obscurity. That part, he really doesn't buy into. We don't get much of Dexter's immediate life other than what he writes about in his letters, though that's not a complaint really, I was enjoying the book too much to really care at the time. LOL.
My one big complaint is that the author didn't go to fade to black when our two star-crossed lovers finally get together. I know, I know - it's an adult fantasy right? But-but they're in the North Pole with Santa and the other elves, and my brain still lives in the kids' version of that world and doesn't like adult nonsense smudging that ideal ... >sigh< I'm weird, I'm aware. :) Romance alone would have been fine though.
A silly, sweet, story featuring a misplaced elf and a human engineering student falling in love over the email they exchange after meeting one snowy Christmas Eve when Dexter introduces Aidan to Oreos and chocolate milk. Normally, I find stories told through email and text messages boring, but the exchanges are lively and interesting and more conversational than irritating.
In between, we get to see Aidan slowly adjusting to life in the North Pole after being yanked from his life in Tir na Nog, though he draws the line at being called the one who saves Christmas from disbelief and obscurity. That part, he really doesn't buy into. We don't get much of Dexter's immediate life other than what he writes about in his letters, though that's not a complaint really, I was enjoying the book too much to really care at the time. LOL.
My one big complaint is that the author didn't go to fade to black when our two star-crossed lovers finally get together. I know, I know - it's an adult fantasy right? But-but they're in the North Pole with Santa and the other elves, and my brain still lives in the kids' version of that world and doesn't like adult nonsense smudging that ideal ... >sigh< I'm weird, I'm aware. :) Romance alone would have been fine though.
December 6, 2024
4.5 Stars
Yay for sweet, adorable Christmas romances. Aidan was born to the Tir na Nog elves and wanted nothing more than to be assigned to a leprechaun, but poor Aiden has his life uprooted because a stupid sign in the stars says that he is destined to save Christmas. Now he's stuck freezing up in the North Pole and accompanying Santa on Christmas Eve to make sure he's available whenever he might be needed to "save Christmas." But then the unexpected happens and due to Santa's snack needs he finds himself meeting a human, a human he's so drawn to he can't help but give him his email.
This was lovely as Aidan and Dex get to know each other through their emails and both find themselves falling hard. Together though the future is bright and Christmas may just bring them together again. :)
I smiled throughout this one as these two fell for each other and Aidan himself began to discover why maybe being a North Pole elf isn't such a bad thing afterall.
Yay for sweet, adorable Christmas romances. Aidan was born to the Tir na Nog elves and wanted nothing more than to be assigned to a leprechaun, but poor Aiden has his life uprooted because a stupid sign in the stars says that he is destined to save Christmas. Now he's stuck freezing up in the North Pole and accompanying Santa on Christmas Eve to make sure he's available whenever he might be needed to "save Christmas." But then the unexpected happens and due to Santa's snack needs he finds himself meeting a human, a human he's so drawn to he can't help but give him his email.
This was lovely as Aidan and Dex get to know each other through their emails and both find themselves falling hard. Together though the future is bright and Christmas may just bring them together again. :)
I smiled throughout this one as these two fell for each other and Aidan himself began to discover why maybe being a North Pole elf isn't such a bad thing afterall.
November 21, 2021
Aidan, an Irish elf who used to work for the leprechauns, is spirited away to the North Pole because he was born under a particular sign. He is the "Chosen One" who will save Christmas. A fate that Aidan is not happy with, he's bored, grumpy and misses getting to hang out with humans. Dex is a scroogish type of guy who meets Aidan at the convenience store where he works. Their romance develops over time and through email. Both Aidan and Dex are adorable, so is Sam aka Santa. This was a sweet read that made me smile.
December 14, 2021
Aidan is an Irish elf that was prophesied to be the Savior of Christmas and finds himself on Santa's sleigh his first year out. On that trip they stop for Santa to get snacks that's where he meets Dexter an engineering student who works at the convenience store. It was cute watching their story evolve. Man I cried a couple of times because I just felt for Aiden and Dexter. Overall very cute Christmas story with an HEA.
November 17, 2021
4.5 stars
Aidan is a leprechaun who is prophesied to save Christmas. Dexter is an engineering student who works in a convenience store. It is unlikely the two would ever meet but when they do, it’s more than the sleigh that flies!
I loved Aidan and Dexter. They were such a cute couple. I also loved how they weren’t the biggest fans of Christmas but they worked together to capture and keep the magic of the season. This was different to the usual holiday reads but I am all for it!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Aidan is a leprechaun who is prophesied to save Christmas. Dexter is an engineering student who works in a convenience store. It is unlikely the two would ever meet but when they do, it’s more than the sleigh that flies!
I loved Aidan and Dexter. They were such a cute couple. I also loved how they weren’t the biggest fans of Christmas but they worked together to capture and keep the magic of the season. This was different to the usual holiday reads but I am all for it!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2021
Cute story a out the elf who saved christmas meeting and wooing his human mate.
April 30, 2022
3.5 stars
December 7, 2023
Cute and fun Xmas book
This was such a fun, cute, and short read to get you into the Xmas spirit. Perfect palette cleanser. Edmund sucks lol
This was such a fun, cute, and short read to get you into the Xmas spirit. Perfect palette cleanser. Edmund sucks lol
December 27, 2021
cute and enjoyable
Quick read - loved the characters and the uniqueness of this story! Really enjoyed Sam! Definitely will be checking out other books by this author.
Quick read - loved the characters and the uniqueness of this story! Really enjoyed Sam! Definitely will be checking out other books by this author.
November 10, 2021
First of all, this cover is so so cute! These two come from two different worlds, making it almost impossible to try and be together! Their story got a little emotional for me, I did end up shedding a tear. I love all the holidayness throughout and the magic of Christmas. What a perfect romance for this time of year. And I loved their letters back and forth. Great read.
January 11, 2023
This may sound like a slam, but it’s not: If Hallmark had a spine, they would make this charming, sweet tale into a Hallmark Christmas movie. Aiden is One grumpy elf. Saddled with a “prophecy” that makes him the Savior of Christmas, forced to leave his home in Ireland to fulfill that prophesy, he really starts to hate this whole Christmas thing. All of that changes while out with Santa delivering presents on Christmas Eve. Aiden walks into a convenience store for snacks for Santa (whose real first name is Sam) and is literally tongued tied when he meets Dexter, the store clerk. Insta-attraction and one email address later, the two begin a year-long email friendship that blossoms into much more. I don’t want to give away any more, because the story is *so* sweet for both MC’s, you’re better off reading the book and falling in love with Aiden & Dex. The characters are very relatable, the story is full of Christmas Magic and genuine love. #SantaIsAMatchmaker
November 21, 2021
I love that so much of the relationship takes place via email. They can't even exchange pictures or video chat, so relying on the written word documents the first year of their relationship... I like too, that Aiden the elf is not the sunny side of the relationship - so much of the hope and belief comes from Dexter, the human.
This is a well crafted and sweet holiday read with good flow, adorable characters and a North Pole re-imagined... If you're looking for a mostly sweet, fluffy long distance relationship with just a pinch of angst and a little more than a pinch of Holiday Magic, you should add Merry Elf-ing Christmas to your TBR
To find more reviews like this please visit: www.mmromancereviewed.com
This is a well crafted and sweet holiday read with good flow, adorable characters and a North Pole re-imagined... If you're looking for a mostly sweet, fluffy long distance relationship with just a pinch of angst and a little more than a pinch of Holiday Magic, you should add Merry Elf-ing Christmas to your TBR
To find more reviews like this please visit: www.mmromancereviewed.com
November 21, 2021
Heartwarming, Sweet, And A Great Holiday Read
With the holidays almost upon us for those that celebrate at this time of the year, there’s always a number of holiday books that arrive with it.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas
by Beth Bolden is a wonderful and sweet addition to anyone’s holiday reading stack this year!
I was wracking my memories if I had read any similar plots because a Tir na Nog Fae being hauled off to the North Pole because of a prophecy was all sorts of imaginative. And in terms of character development, downright awesome.
If I was from Ireland and dragged away to the ice and freezing cold, away from the pubs and rainbows, would I be happy? Without any say in the matter? Uh, no. And neither is Aiden.
Bolden is able to get the reader a real connection with Aiden’s emotional state over this huge permanent upheaval of his life. The loss of friends, home, a job he felt he was good at and is now looked down upon by certain North Pole elves as nothing important. As is Auden’s favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. His entire old life is made to feel.. well less in the face of being a Christmas elf, which he doesn’t want to be.
While the North Pole May glitter , it’s often cold, freezing, and unfriendly. Except for Sam aka Santa (a title) who’s assistant Aiden is supposed to be.
Bolden builds quite the pictures of a role foisted on Aiden by a prophecy he doesn’t understand in a place he doesn’t want to be. And it’s a role that doesn’t seem to fit him. At all.
The reader, listening and watching through Aiden’s pained eyes, will tend to agree.
Then on Christmas Eve, outside of Chicago, in a small convenience store, Aiden runs into college student/store clerk Dex and a friendship as well as instant attraction is struck up.
Dexter is another layered marvelous character. Dysfunctional childhood, poor family dynamics means he’s not a fan of the holidays. Until an unhappy elf stumbles into the store looking for milk and cookies for Santa.
What follows is such a heartwarming, funny, sometimes poignant love story…via a long series of texts, and then of course there’s that prophecy.
I may have actually sniffled once or twice here.
I really felt for that given no choice here’s your new future elf Aiden and his engineer graduate boyfriend… to be…they fully grabbed at my heart .
I believe they will at yours too. That’s why I’m highly recommending this.
Synopsis:
Aidan might be a bad elf, but he’s never been naughty.
Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.
His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.
They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.
And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.
With the holidays almost upon us for those that celebrate at this time of the year, there’s always a number of holiday books that arrive with it.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas
by Beth Bolden is a wonderful and sweet addition to anyone’s holiday reading stack this year!
I was wracking my memories if I had read any similar plots because a Tir na Nog Fae being hauled off to the North Pole because of a prophecy was all sorts of imaginative. And in terms of character development, downright awesome.
If I was from Ireland and dragged away to the ice and freezing cold, away from the pubs and rainbows, would I be happy? Without any say in the matter? Uh, no. And neither is Aiden.
Bolden is able to get the reader a real connection with Aiden’s emotional state over this huge permanent upheaval of his life. The loss of friends, home, a job he felt he was good at and is now looked down upon by certain North Pole elves as nothing important. As is Auden’s favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. His entire old life is made to feel.. well less in the face of being a Christmas elf, which he doesn’t want to be.
While the North Pole May glitter , it’s often cold, freezing, and unfriendly. Except for Sam aka Santa (a title) who’s assistant Aiden is supposed to be.
Bolden builds quite the pictures of a role foisted on Aiden by a prophecy he doesn’t understand in a place he doesn’t want to be. And it’s a role that doesn’t seem to fit him. At all.
The reader, listening and watching through Aiden’s pained eyes, will tend to agree.
Then on Christmas Eve, outside of Chicago, in a small convenience store, Aiden runs into college student/store clerk Dex and a friendship as well as instant attraction is struck up.
Dexter is another layered marvelous character. Dysfunctional childhood, poor family dynamics means he’s not a fan of the holidays. Until an unhappy elf stumbles into the store looking for milk and cookies for Santa.
What follows is such a heartwarming, funny, sometimes poignant love story…via a long series of texts, and then of course there’s that prophecy.
I may have actually sniffled once or twice here.
I really felt for that given no choice here’s your new future elf Aiden and his engineer graduate boyfriend… to be…they fully grabbed at my heart .
I believe they will at yours too. That’s why I’m highly recommending this.
Synopsis:
Aidan might be a bad elf, but he’s never been naughty.
Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.
His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.
They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.
And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.
November 18, 2021
Several times in Merry Elf-ing Christmas, Dexter, the human, compares his imaginings of the North Pole to various Christmas movies, such as The Santa Clause. Well, this charming book is very much like its own magical holiday movie.
Can you imagine being told you are the Christmas Savior Elf who the North Pole had been waiting over 400 years to find? That’s what happens to Aidan when he’s plucked out of his happy life in Ireland working on rainbows for the leprechauns and moved to the North Pole without his consent. Apparently, he was born under a specific star at a specific time, making him the Chosen One.
After six weeks, poor Aiden is cranky, homesick, and not fitting in well in his new home. Not to mention cold. And he really misses sneaking out to pubs and hanging out with humans. At the North Pole, that’s strictly forbidden. There’s even a magical barrier to keep humans away. But it's now Christmas Eve and he must accompany Santa in the sleigh for the delivery of presents.
When Santa makes a cookies and milk pit stop in Chicago, Aiden is rendered speechless by the gorgeous human he encounters in the convenience store. Dex is equally blown away by the stunning man standing in his shop, even if he is wearing an odd tunic, leggings, and hat. Then when Aidan's hat falls off, Dex realizes those pointy ears aren’t human. Aidan does the forbidden and shares his story with Dex, but sadly, after just ten minutes or so, he has to get back to the sleigh. The lives of both men are changed forever by the inexplicable pull between them, causing Aiden to give his email to Dex so maybe they can keep in touch.
It’s almost pointless for a human engineering student to form a relationship with an elf living thousands of miles away, but they quickly establish a close friendship through hundreds of exchanged emails. The correspondence with Dex helps Aidan immensely while he transitions to a North Pole elf. He has to contend with a strict Head of Elves while he learns to be merry and adept in the required activities: baking cookies, decorating, enjoying hot cocoa instead of cider, and much more.
As the emails become flirtier and more suggestive – “I like like you” types of emails – Aidan and Dex become more frustrated by their situation. As The Elf Who Would Save Christmas, Aiden can’t leave and Dexter can’t visit so waiting the year until next Christmas becomes unbearable. But when Christmas Eve arrives again, there’s a big surprise courtesy of Santa, whose real name is Sam.
Beth Bolden has created endearing characters in Aidan and Dex. The moment Dex appeared on page I knew I’d love him. Even though he’s a self-proclaimed Scrooge, he’s immediately open to Aidan's crazy story of being a Christmas elf. He’s quickly smitten. And Aidan is all kinds of adorable. There are several other memorable characters, but none more so than Sam. With his kindness and understanding, Sam becomes Aidan's savior.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is as light and fluffy as snow. It’s creatively written and infused with a good dose of humor. I recommend this fun Christmas tale for anyone who enjoys adding holiday stories to their usual reading this time of year.
ARC kindly provided to Love Bytes Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
Can you imagine being told you are the Christmas Savior Elf who the North Pole had been waiting over 400 years to find? That’s what happens to Aidan when he’s plucked out of his happy life in Ireland working on rainbows for the leprechauns and moved to the North Pole without his consent. Apparently, he was born under a specific star at a specific time, making him the Chosen One.
After six weeks, poor Aiden is cranky, homesick, and not fitting in well in his new home. Not to mention cold. And he really misses sneaking out to pubs and hanging out with humans. At the North Pole, that’s strictly forbidden. There’s even a magical barrier to keep humans away. But it's now Christmas Eve and he must accompany Santa in the sleigh for the delivery of presents.
When Santa makes a cookies and milk pit stop in Chicago, Aiden is rendered speechless by the gorgeous human he encounters in the convenience store. Dex is equally blown away by the stunning man standing in his shop, even if he is wearing an odd tunic, leggings, and hat. Then when Aidan's hat falls off, Dex realizes those pointy ears aren’t human. Aidan does the forbidden and shares his story with Dex, but sadly, after just ten minutes or so, he has to get back to the sleigh. The lives of both men are changed forever by the inexplicable pull between them, causing Aiden to give his email to Dex so maybe they can keep in touch.
It’s almost pointless for a human engineering student to form a relationship with an elf living thousands of miles away, but they quickly establish a close friendship through hundreds of exchanged emails. The correspondence with Dex helps Aidan immensely while he transitions to a North Pole elf. He has to contend with a strict Head of Elves while he learns to be merry and adept in the required activities: baking cookies, decorating, enjoying hot cocoa instead of cider, and much more.
As the emails become flirtier and more suggestive – “I like like you” types of emails – Aidan and Dex become more frustrated by their situation. As The Elf Who Would Save Christmas, Aiden can’t leave and Dexter can’t visit so waiting the year until next Christmas becomes unbearable. But when Christmas Eve arrives again, there’s a big surprise courtesy of Santa, whose real name is Sam.
Beth Bolden has created endearing characters in Aidan and Dex. The moment Dex appeared on page I knew I’d love him. Even though he’s a self-proclaimed Scrooge, he’s immediately open to Aidan's crazy story of being a Christmas elf. He’s quickly smitten. And Aidan is all kinds of adorable. There are several other memorable characters, but none more so than Sam. With his kindness and understanding, Sam becomes Aidan's savior.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is as light and fluffy as snow. It’s creatively written and infused with a good dose of humor. I recommend this fun Christmas tale for anyone who enjoys adding holiday stories to their usual reading this time of year.
ARC kindly provided to Love Bytes Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2022
I regret reading the Acknowledgements at the back, because the author likened writing this book to trying to turn an Oreo commercial into a full length raunchy rom-com and....YUP! XD Can't unsee that description! This was some Netflix Original fluff right here. And respect, sometimes you're in the mood for a popcorn book, you don't go in with literary expectations, you just want warm fuzzies... or hot toddies, whatever XD. But this book wasn't fun to read. The insta-love, the long distance, the long wait times between plot points... It was boring. And Aidan and Dexter don't grow as people, and don't have to work very hard to make their relationship dreams come true.
There is something about this book which makes it seem like it was written by a high schooler. This is a fantasy about The Fated Long-Distance Lovers Who Go Away to College But Agree to Stay Loyal and Keep in Touch and Live Happily Ever After Post-Graduation... There is an immaturity to the writing and the message. For instance, I shouldn't have been surprised, given the title, but I found this book very crass XD. I admit, I was clutching my pearls, and that's not usually me. The sudden cursing or attention drawn to awkward boners was jarring. I expected more of an effort to hide these things with fun holiday euphemisms. Aidan and Dexter's love was tallied in erections, stolen kisses, and the letters they swap (But the letters are all disgruntled gossip, like how Aidan doesn't like his boss, or Dexter doesn't get along with his parents. The whole "you're the only person who really understands me" thing had me rolling my eyes). The book also drops A LOT of Christmas pop culture references, mostly kids movies and books. It's a certain-age reader who is old enough for a horny rom-com, but young enough to have watched Arthur Christmas. Final criticism: The last quarter of the book takes a turn for the emotionally abusive, when Aidan cuts Dexter out of his life until Dexter is willing to move in with him. It's an immature fantasy wrapped in immature writing, the kind of depthless thing I wrote when I was a teenager, and thought I had crafted underappreciated genius.
And somewhere in here was a lost plot about how Aidan and Dexter save Christmas by spreading faith? Yeah... not sure about that...
But whatever! If you're a teenager who just wants to read about two dudes boning and eating cookies, give this book a shot! It's short, at least.
There is something about this book which makes it seem like it was written by a high schooler. This is a fantasy about The Fated Long-Distance Lovers Who Go Away to College But Agree to Stay Loyal and Keep in Touch and Live Happily Ever After Post-Graduation... There is an immaturity to the writing and the message. For instance, I shouldn't have been surprised, given the title, but I found this book very crass XD. I admit, I was clutching my pearls, and that's not usually me. The sudden cursing or attention drawn to awkward boners was jarring. I expected more of an effort to hide these things with fun holiday euphemisms. Aidan and Dexter's love was tallied in erections, stolen kisses, and the letters they swap (But the letters are all disgruntled gossip, like how Aidan doesn't like his boss, or Dexter doesn't get along with his parents. The whole "you're the only person who really understands me" thing had me rolling my eyes). The book also drops A LOT of Christmas pop culture references, mostly kids movies and books. It's a certain-age reader who is old enough for a horny rom-com, but young enough to have watched Arthur Christmas. Final criticism: The last quarter of the book takes a turn for the emotionally abusive, when Aidan cuts Dexter out of his life until Dexter is willing to move in with him. It's an immature fantasy wrapped in immature writing, the kind of depthless thing I wrote when I was a teenager, and thought I had crafted underappreciated genius.
And somewhere in here was a lost plot about how Aidan and Dexter save Christmas by spreading faith? Yeah... not sure about that...
But whatever! If you're a teenager who just wants to read about two dudes boning and eating cookies, give this book a shot! It's short, at least.
December 11, 2022
I'm a bit of a sucker for holiday stories - I'll read them year round - and this book has easily jumped to one of my top favorites for this year! After reading in KU, I immediately had to purchase a copy!
Aiden is an Irish elf, who has somehow been declared to be the prophesied "Savior of Christmas", and so he is unceremoniously uprooted from Ireland and dumped at the North Pole. He's homesick, a bit tired of the hero worship of the Christmas elves and smothering under the constant onslaught of "Christmas spirit". He really doesn't want to accompany Sam - aka Santa - on his deliveries but finds he has no choice. When he pops into a convenience store to pick up snacks for Santa midflight - because apparently apparently Santa can magic presents but not a package of Oreos and milk - he comes face to face with Dexter! Dexter is an engineering student just killing time working Christmas eve when the cutest and most interesting young man stumbles into the store, and Dex is completely enchanted! Oh wait, did I say "young man" because Aiden is anything but a human guy and as the truth of what he is is revealed it sets both Aiden and Dexter off on a secret correspondence via emails that will change both their lives over the next year - until they can meet again on Christmas Eve! I was utterly enchanted with everything about this story, from the unique world building to the character development. The secondary characters are developed enough to add just the right amount of background support and the whole book reads a little like the movie "You've Got Mail" (which is one of my favorite movies)! It's fun and sexy and full of the holiday spirit, without being sappy, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! Please give this book a try! It's really fantastic and I highly recommend it! 5/5* stars
Aiden is an Irish elf, who has somehow been declared to be the prophesied "Savior of Christmas", and so he is unceremoniously uprooted from Ireland and dumped at the North Pole. He's homesick, a bit tired of the hero worship of the Christmas elves and smothering under the constant onslaught of "Christmas spirit". He really doesn't want to accompany Sam - aka Santa - on his deliveries but finds he has no choice. When he pops into a convenience store to pick up snacks for Santa midflight - because apparently apparently Santa can magic presents but not a package of Oreos and milk - he comes face to face with Dexter! Dexter is an engineering student just killing time working Christmas eve when the cutest and most interesting young man stumbles into the store, and Dex is completely enchanted! Oh wait, did I say "young man" because Aiden is anything but a human guy and as the truth of what he is is revealed it sets both Aiden and Dexter off on a secret correspondence via emails that will change both their lives over the next year - until they can meet again on Christmas Eve! I was utterly enchanted with everything about this story, from the unique world building to the character development. The secondary characters are developed enough to add just the right amount of background support and the whole book reads a little like the movie "You've Got Mail" (which is one of my favorite movies)! It's fun and sexy and full of the holiday spirit, without being sappy, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! Please give this book a try! It's really fantastic and I highly recommend it! 5/5* stars
December 27, 2025
This story has been on my TBR for years and I've always had the intention to read it during the holidays but time always passes by too fast. Well, this year I was determined to read it this year, I needed to know if the story itself was as cute as the cover. And guess what? It was!!
Dex and Aidan are from two different worlds, literally from two different worlds, one is from Earth and the other is from the North Pole. One is an elf who is apparently destined to save Christmas, and the other is a human who currently works at a gas station whilst going to college. They are different from each other but they go together so splendidly. Like milk and cookies!! And who would've thought that Santa would end up being a Match Maker?!
I absolutely adored Aidan and Dex, they have really engaging dialogue, sooo much chemistry, and you can really feel the connection that forms between them. I loved the emails these two sent back and forth, it made things feel even more romantic and made their connection feel even stronger to me for some reason. I just think there's something so special about taking the time to write and compose an email.
I appreciated how Beth did incorporate some angst but in a relatable and understandable way. The angst portion was there for a reason and ended up strengthening their relationship, it served a purpose which I appreciated. Also, I could absolutely relate to both Aidan and Dex when they would start an email only to delete it and re-type it, I do that ALL the time!
All in all, a really adorable Christmas story that was well worth the wait, and I hope I'll re-read this next year!
Dex and Aidan are from two different worlds, literally from two different worlds, one is from Earth and the other is from the North Pole. One is an elf who is apparently destined to save Christmas, and the other is a human who currently works at a gas station whilst going to college. They are different from each other but they go together so splendidly. Like milk and cookies!! And who would've thought that Santa would end up being a Match Maker?!
I absolutely adored Aidan and Dex, they have really engaging dialogue, sooo much chemistry, and you can really feel the connection that forms between them. I loved the emails these two sent back and forth, it made things feel even more romantic and made their connection feel even stronger to me for some reason. I just think there's something so special about taking the time to write and compose an email.
I appreciated how Beth did incorporate some angst but in a relatable and understandable way. The angst portion was there for a reason and ended up strengthening their relationship, it served a purpose which I appreciated. Also, I could absolutely relate to both Aidan and Dex when they would start an email only to delete it and re-type it, I do that ALL the time!
All in all, a really adorable Christmas story that was well worth the wait, and I hope I'll re-read this next year!
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