What do you think?
Rate this book
Holiday Romances of Elora Station
Chimera for Christmas
You're supposed to spend Christmas with the person you love most. But what if that person turns out to be the biggest, grumpiest alien you've ever met...?
SOPHIE
When you find out your boyfriend is cheating on you and you get laid off all in the same week, something's gotta give. I need a change, and a seasonal work contract aboard the bustling Elora Station is just the ticket. I'll spend the holidays on the glittering, festive commerce station, make a little money, and clear my head before returning to my colony planet life. It's a perfect plan.
One thing I'm not accounting for in that plan, though? My coworker. He's not human. In fact, he's one of the deadliest alien soldiers in the universe - a Chimera. Seven feet tall with black horns, heated yellow eyes, and an exceptionally grumpy disposition, I cannot for the life of me figure out why this genetically modified beast of a man is working in a tiny, human-owned coffee shop at Christmas time.
But there's more to X than meets the eye. And the longer I work with him, the more I grow to like him. Soon enough, his taciturn nature begins to charm me. Suddenly, his looks aren't quite so fearsome, but actually kind of... attractive?
As the holidays hurtle on and my work contract on Elora Station draws to a close, I realize that I don't want to go back to my old life in the colony.
And I don't want to leave X.
Can a regular human girl like me find a permanent place on Elora Station and in X's guarded alien heart before Christmas?
SOPHIE
When you find out your boyfriend is cheating on you and you get laid off all in the same week, something's gotta give. I need a change, and a seasonal work contract aboard the bustling Elora Station is just the ticket. I'll spend the holidays on the glittering, festive commerce station, make a little money, and clear my head before returning to my colony planet life. It's a perfect plan.
One thing I'm not accounting for in that plan, though? My coworker. He's not human. In fact, he's one of the deadliest alien soldiers in the universe - a Chimera. Seven feet tall with black horns, heated yellow eyes, and an exceptionally grumpy disposition, I cannot for the life of me figure out why this genetically modified beast of a man is working in a tiny, human-owned coffee shop at Christmas time.
But there's more to X than meets the eye. And the longer I work with him, the more I grow to like him. Soon enough, his taciturn nature begins to charm me. Suddenly, his looks aren't quite so fearsome, but actually kind of... attractive?
As the holidays hurtle on and my work contract on Elora Station draws to a close, I realize that I don't want to go back to my old life in the colony.
And I don't want to leave X.
Can a regular human girl like me find a permanent place on Elora Station and in X's guarded alien heart before Christmas?
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2021
105 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
December 8, 2025
All right ladies..wrap it up! I've found the best Christmas book!!
This has the writing style that Dax uses for her Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides series, but this is shorter, spicier, and Christmas-y. There isn't as much Christmas in this book as in other holiday books, but that's one of the things I really enjoyed about it. Christmas wasn't crammed down my throat in every sentence and it felt like a natural setting for the story instead of staged holiday vibes.
Our MMC, X, is a Chimera (yup, and I loved it, who knew) and he leaves the military to work in a coffee shop (don't question it, just go with it). Our FMC, Sophie, is a human who gets a holiday job working at the coffee shop.
Also, this book cured me of my novella-hate. I don't normally enjoy novellas because they always leave me wanting more. This book taught me to accept that I wasn't going to get every detail, but to still enjoy the story. Would I like more background on X and why he stopped being a soldier to work in a coffee shop? Absolutely, but it still didn't take away from my enjoyment.
Christmas book #2 for 2025.
preread
How many Christmas/holiday books can I read until Christmas (or until I get sick of them)? The journey continues. I have high hopes for this one, because I loooove Ursa Dax!!
This has the writing style that Dax uses for her Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides series, but this is shorter, spicier, and Christmas-y. There isn't as much Christmas in this book as in other holiday books, but that's one of the things I really enjoyed about it. Christmas wasn't crammed down my throat in every sentence and it felt like a natural setting for the story instead of staged holiday vibes.
Our MMC, X, is a Chimera (yup, and I loved it, who knew) and he leaves the military to work in a coffee shop (don't question it, just go with it). Our FMC, Sophie, is a human who gets a holiday job working at the coffee shop.
Also, this book cured me of my novella-hate. I don't normally enjoy novellas because they always leave me wanting more. This book taught me to accept that I wasn't going to get every detail, but to still enjoy the story. Would I like more background on X and why he stopped being a soldier to work in a coffee shop? Absolutely, but it still didn't take away from my enjoyment.
Christmas book #2 for 2025.
preread
How many Christmas/holiday books can I read until Christmas (or until I get sick of them)? The journey continues. I have high hopes for this one, because I loooove Ursa Dax!!
December 20, 2025
Cute Holiday Romance!
🎄 Chimera for Christmas is a very cozy holiday monster romance! Just over 100 pages which makes it a perfect quick read! I only wish there was an audiobook version!
🎄 Chimera for Christmas is a very cozy holiday monster romance! Just over 100 pages which makes it a perfect quick read! I only wish there was an audiobook version!
October 30, 2022
Chimera for Christmas was such a cute grumpy/sunshine read with a hint of Christmas in space and a dash of steam. X (H) is a Chimera, which are a type of alien used for war and as assassins, but he's done with that side of his life and instead has found a place working in a coffee shop on a space station. Sophie (h) has come to work during the holiday rush on the space station and is X's new co-worker. They're immediately attracted to each other, but despite the close proximity, neither does anything to break the tension between them. Until Sophie's last night on the station. I did like book 2 (which I read first) a bit more than this one, but I still very much enjoyed how light and fun the story was and the small ways Sophie and X connected to each other. Plus, there's a 3 year out epilogue that was adorable. No ow/om drama, neither were virgins but not much history given, and bc addressed (but not spoken about).
December 19, 2025
3☆ ☕️ 💝 ❄️ 🛸
i loved this cute winter novella!!
𝓈ℴ𝓅𝒽𝒾ℯ and 𝓍 work together at a coffee shop in a space station during the holiday season (he bakes and does latte art btw!!)
this was a slow burn (spice wise) which i was not expecting but still loved the chemistry!! + what a cute ending hehe
₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊ 𝒸𝓊𝓉ℯ 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸ℴ𝓏𝓎 ₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊
i loved this cute winter novella!!
𝓈ℴ𝓅𝒽𝒾ℯ and 𝓍 work together at a coffee shop in a space station during the holiday season (he bakes and does latte art btw!!)
this was a slow burn (spice wise) which i was not expecting but still loved the chemistry!! + what a cute ending hehe
₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊ 𝒸𝓊𝓉ℯ 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸ℴ𝓏𝓎 ₊˚｡⋆❆⋆｡˚₊
November 26, 2022
Well I must be at my quota for cute alien Christmas reads. This was adorable. Very low angst, easy reading with very little conflict. Two co-workers becoming friends and then falling in love. A grumpy-turned-sweet chimera hero and a human heroine working together at a coffee shop on a space station. I kind of pictured it like a large live-in mall. World building was decent and the way alien hero was described, I pictured a large cow man with fangs but in Greek mythology a chimera has a lion head, goat body, snake tail. So I think the author got a little creative with her imaginings of him since I’ve never heard of a lion with a snout, they would have muzzles. Anyway, my preference is to have the hero be more humanoid but that’s not detracting from my rating. There wasn’t a whole lot of plot, the smut was pretty vanilla, but it had a comfortable, squishy kind of feel to it.
Now I hear that this author also wrote an orc Christmas story, off to go find that one. 🧌
Now I hear that this author also wrote an orc Christmas story, off to go find that one. 🧌
November 13, 2022
This was very sweet. These two characters have an almost instant attraction to each other. Any man that bakes and can make some adorable latte art, I mean come on. I will say the full Christmas feast (while naked) immediately after spicy time felt weird. Who eats turkey naked?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2023
Grumpy sunshine coworkers - but make it alien
X was such the grumpus and Sophie was the ultimate sunshine, complete with clumsiness. They had good chemistry together and had their lovely little happy ever after in the end.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: none
X was such the grumpus and Sophie was the ultimate sunshine, complete with clumsiness. They had good chemistry together and had their lovely little happy ever after in the end.
Spice: 3/5
Triggers: none
December 24, 2022
Apart from the few typos and writing errors, I really enjoyed this short book!
December 3, 2022
This was super cute! Sophie is a human woman who gets a seasonal job at a space station during Christmas time. When she meets her burly, grumpy co-worker she is utterly smitten. Said co-worker is X, who is a Chimera and he can't help but fall for this chatterbox of a human.
If you want a sweet (and hot) monster novella filled with Christmas goodness, be sure to pick this one up!!
TROPES: Christmas romance, grumpy - sunshine, kindle unlimited, monsters, novella
If you want a sweet (and hot) monster novella filled with Christmas goodness, be sure to pick this one up!!
TROPES: Christmas romance, grumpy - sunshine, kindle unlimited, monsters, novella
November 3, 2022
3.5 stars. Cute short story, I liked the Station and description that this story is based on.
I like X as a grumpy guy but man, the edition I read had cover art that really threw me off. This new one without the head, snout, fangs and horns is much better :)
And he's sweet: “I’ll give you more, Sophie. I’ll give you everything. But we go slow.”
Sophie, just a cheerful little bubble with some bad luck decides to work at the Station for some Christmas cash and finds a life and grump she can love forever.
BUT, what made me deduct the rating a bit:
"A moment later he was back, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting all the food between us. We ate Terratribe 2 turkey and golden mashed potatoes and savoury dressing, vegetables smothered in butter, and trifle for dessert."
To put this in context, they literally just had amazing sex for the first time and he comes with out protection (MESS). He pulls out of her and walks over to get the food and they eat.
What really bothered me was that there was NO CUDDLE or self-care before just eating a turkey dinner sitting in bed together. Like- What??
Anyway- they get their HEA and I admit, I want to work in that coffee shop too! Those pastries sound delicious...
I like X as a grumpy guy but man, the edition I read had cover art that really threw me off. This new one without the head, snout, fangs and horns is much better :)
And he's sweet: “I’ll give you more, Sophie. I’ll give you everything. But we go slow.”
Sophie, just a cheerful little bubble with some bad luck decides to work at the Station for some Christmas cash and finds a life and grump she can love forever.
BUT, what made me deduct the rating a bit:
"A moment later he was back, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting all the food between us. We ate Terratribe 2 turkey and golden mashed potatoes and savoury dressing, vegetables smothered in butter, and trifle for dessert."
To put this in context, they literally just had amazing sex for the first time and he comes with out protection (MESS). He pulls out of her and walks over to get the food and they eat.
What really bothered me was that there was NO CUDDLE or self-care before just eating a turkey dinner sitting in bed together. Like- What??
Anyway- they get their HEA and I admit, I want to work in that coffee shop too! Those pastries sound delicious...
December 14, 2022
This was pretty cute.
December 8, 2023
3.75✨
1.5🌶️
Well, well, well, what a lovely little alien holiday surprise! At around ~128 pages (on my iPhone screen at least!), this is a quicker read you can get through with it still having some decent character growth and tension buildup—and tension resolution of course😏
If you’re looking for a holiday/Christmas related read to breakup a string of the much more common but also great contemporary holiday romance, this is a fun pick that packs a few decent trope punches.
This is a human (FMC) x alien/chimera (MMC) romance, with grumpy(MMC)/sunshine(FMC) vibes in a workplace setting (coffee shop) with alien relations well-established in the world, so no need to worry about too much backstory; you’re dropped into a universe where it’s already all there.
The relationship buildup was very cute, with steam included as well. You could tell how these two characters balanced each other out, and their mutual passions and life goals make it easy to see how this couple fell in lasting love, with a 3-years-later epilogue confirming their growing family.
1.5🌶️
Well, well, well, what a lovely little alien holiday surprise! At around ~128 pages (on my iPhone screen at least!), this is a quicker read you can get through with it still having some decent character growth and tension buildup—and tension resolution of course😏
If you’re looking for a holiday/Christmas related read to breakup a string of the much more common but also great contemporary holiday romance, this is a fun pick that packs a few decent trope punches.
This is a human (FMC) x alien/chimera (MMC) romance, with grumpy(MMC)/sunshine(FMC) vibes in a workplace setting (coffee shop) with alien relations well-established in the world, so no need to worry about too much backstory; you’re dropped into a universe where it’s already all there.
The relationship buildup was very cute, with steam included as well. You could tell how these two characters balanced each other out, and their mutual passions and life goals make it easy to see how this couple fell in lasting love, with a 3-years-later epilogue confirming their growing family.
![Profile Image for Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1642113904i%2F116166019._UY200_CR2%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 15, 2023
3 ⭐️ Chimera x Human Christmas Romance!
This was fine. I didn't love it, but both MCs were really cute.
Sophie's just arrived to a special Christmas-y intergalactic station to work on a little hole-in-the-wall cafe called Hallowed be thy bean, which was a hilarious name btw.
X is a chimera who's worked there for some time now, and has been tasked to train Sophie, since they'll be the only two employees for the holiday season.
There was definitely some chemistry between these two, but it felt like too slow of a burn, and then just a single steamy scene at the end to try and rush feelings out. The epilogue was really cute, though.
This was fine. I didn't love it, but both MCs were really cute.
Sophie's just arrived to a special Christmas-y intergalactic station to work on a little hole-in-the-wall cafe called Hallowed be thy bean, which was a hilarious name btw.
X is a chimera who's worked there for some time now, and has been tasked to train Sophie, since they'll be the only two employees for the holiday season.
There was definitely some chemistry between these two, but it felt like too slow of a burn, and then just a single steamy scene at the end to try and rush feelings out. The epilogue was really cute, though.
December 27, 2022
The pastries X made for Sophie - need. And I want to visit this market. An unusual amount of world building for so few pages, liked it a lot.
December 18, 2021
✨ “Somehow, she was real. She was here. And now, she was mine.”
~~~
Imagine yourself wrapped in the coziest blanket, enjoying a decadent dessert and sipping the most delicious hot cappuccino… That’s how this wonderful story made me feel!
I couldn’t help but fall in love with X and Sophie from the very first page. X - the grumpy, ex-super soldier is so threatening at first sight. But he’s the most wonderful male in the world. He’s so thoughtful, quietly sweet, full of surprises and absolutely amazing. And Sophie was just the right woman for him. She’s so open-minded, accepting, optimistic and fun.
Oh, they were such a wonderful team. I loved so much how they started as coworkers and we got to witness their wonderful journey towards love. I loved the tension and their banters. X and Sophie were absolutely the sweetest! They had amazing chemistry and the passion they shared was so, so hot!
The story is an absolutely fantastic read. It put such a huge smile on my face and it made me feel so happy, cozy and warm. It has everything a reader could want - it has sugar, it has spice, it’s naughty and it’s nice.
And I absolutely adored every single page of it!
~
I received an advance copy of this book and am absolutely delighted to leave a review.
~~~
Imagine yourself wrapped in the coziest blanket, enjoying a decadent dessert and sipping the most delicious hot cappuccino… That’s how this wonderful story made me feel!
I couldn’t help but fall in love with X and Sophie from the very first page. X - the grumpy, ex-super soldier is so threatening at first sight. But he’s the most wonderful male in the world. He’s so thoughtful, quietly sweet, full of surprises and absolutely amazing. And Sophie was just the right woman for him. She’s so open-minded, accepting, optimistic and fun.
Oh, they were such a wonderful team. I loved so much how they started as coworkers and we got to witness their wonderful journey towards love. I loved the tension and their banters. X and Sophie were absolutely the sweetest! They had amazing chemistry and the passion they shared was so, so hot!
The story is an absolutely fantastic read. It put such a huge smile on my face and it made me feel so happy, cozy and warm. It has everything a reader could want - it has sugar, it has spice, it’s naughty and it’s nice.
And I absolutely adored every single page of it!
~
I received an advance copy of this book and am absolutely delighted to leave a review.
November 13, 2022
3.5⭐
Heeeey, it's the SeaSand lady! My gosh I didn't even finish that series! 😬🤭
This landed in my lap and I just had to read it. It's been so long since I've read anything with human women and alien hunks.
💗The story is short, sweet and with absolutely no angst.💗
Sophie goes to work as a waitress to a café on a very futuristic and friendly space station with humans and aliens.
She meets X, a retired chimera soldier who'll be working with her for a few weeks until Christmas.
The chemistry is immediate, the attraction is there and they wait until almost the end of the novel to get busy.
The transition from them being co-workers to spilling their feelings wasn't to my liking, but the spice is good and they get their HEA.
🌈I'm interested in Aiden and his prince. Is he from another book somewhere? If not, I'd read his story in a heartbeat! (Yes, pretty please!)
Heeeey, it's the SeaSand lady! My gosh I didn't even finish that series! 😬🤭
This landed in my lap and I just had to read it. It's been so long since I've read anything with human women and alien hunks.
💗The story is short, sweet and with absolutely no angst.💗
Sophie goes to work as a waitress to a café on a very futuristic and friendly space station with humans and aliens.
She meets X, a retired chimera soldier who'll be working with her for a few weeks until Christmas.
The chemistry is immediate, the attraction is there and they wait until almost the end of the novel to get busy.
The transition from them being co-workers to spilling their feelings wasn't to my liking, but the spice is good and they get their HEA.
🌈I'm interested in Aiden and his prince. Is he from another book somewhere? If not, I'd read his story in a heartbeat! (Yes, pretty please!)
November 25, 2023
I stumbled across Ursa Dax and her romance series after finishing up reading books from another author. I wanted something a bit different from normal romance and decided that Sci Fi romance was the go because anything can go. Let me tell you I really enjoyed them and read the whole series one straight after the other,
Alien men in all sizes and shapes, all growly and protective of their mates was just what I needed. Of course, it takes a while for the abducted Human women to come around but that is just part of the fun.
Ursa’s world building makes it so easy to imagine the world she has created, and the characters are so easy to fall in love with.
If you love Sci Fi romance that is messy, sexy, a little alien erotica and fated mates then Ursa is your gal.
I was not disappointed, and I know you won’t be either.
Alien men in all sizes and shapes, all growly and protective of their mates was just what I needed. Of course, it takes a while for the abducted Human women to come around but that is just part of the fun.
Ursa’s world building makes it so easy to imagine the world she has created, and the characters are so easy to fall in love with.
If you love Sci Fi romance that is messy, sexy, a little alien erotica and fated mates then Ursa is your gal.
I was not disappointed, and I know you won’t be either.
November 20, 2024
So so cute. This is a short holiday romance novella and I read it in a single sitting. I haven't read anything by Ursa Dax that I haven't loved yet.
December 9, 2024
- 3 stars, cute but very mid
- had to totally ignore the description of his face and claws... I really can't do MMCs with non-humanoid heads
❌ feels
- had to totally ignore the description of his face and claws... I really can't do MMCs with non-humanoid heads
❌ feels
December 16, 2025
ursa dax is forever the queen of writing acts of service kings because what do you MEAN he came into work hours early every morning to bake her favorite pastries from scratch with his big chimera hands it took hours of kneading and he ofc never told her he made them he just wanted to see her smile
December 13, 2022
This was an OK holiday read for me. Sure it's super quick and mildly adorable, it just seemed to be lacking for me. The romance is pretty slow though there is immediate attraction between the MCs. Luckily not only are the holiday spirits high, the attraction is mutual but given she's human and he's a chimera they have some hurdles to overcome.
December 15, 2025
4.5⭐️
Recipe for the Perfect Holiday Romance
🪐 Chimera for Christmas by Ursa Dax 🛸
Ingredients:
• 1 gruff, growly Chimera barista
• 1 sunshiney, delightfully curious human
• A cozy coffee shop on a bustling space station
• A generous sprinkle of Christmas magic
• Lingering looks, inappropriate thoughts, and festive spice
Instructions:
Shake until the tension turns steamy, then absolutely ruin that coffee shop’s health code. 😏 Serves one girl and one very lucky Chimera. 💫
Recipe for the Perfect Holiday Romance
🪐 Chimera for Christmas by Ursa Dax 🛸
Ingredients:
• 1 gruff, growly Chimera barista
• 1 sunshiney, delightfully curious human
• A cozy coffee shop on a bustling space station
• A generous sprinkle of Christmas magic
• Lingering looks, inappropriate thoughts, and festive spice
Instructions:
Shake until the tension turns steamy, then absolutely ruin that coffee shop’s health code. 😏 Serves one girl and one very lucky Chimera. 💫
December 19, 2023
From what I remember of her Fated Mates of the Sea Sand Warlords series, her writing has improved. X's, the alien, characterization was a bit lacking. He felt more like a millennial human than an elite warrior alien. But it was a cute read.
November 10, 2022
SOOOOOO CUTE. * happy sigh*
That shower scene would’ve been better with a lil more spice but the tension building in this story was great!
That shower scene would’ve been better with a lil more spice but the tension building in this story was great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2023
I am such a sucker for grumpy sunshine 😌
This was incredibly sweet and a very fun holiday alien romance story that I would recommend to anyone wanting to spark a little holiday cheer but you wanna keep it SFR lol.
🎄
I loved X. He’s the epitome of my fav kinda MMC: strong but gentle with his love, borderline feral in his protectiveness, grumpy at everyone else… plus he’s monstrous,there’s a big size difference, &he’s an enthusiast 🐱 👅 to boot!
This was incredibly sweet and a very fun holiday alien romance story that I would recommend to anyone wanting to spark a little holiday cheer but you wanna keep it SFR lol.
🎄
I loved X. He’s the epitome of my fav kinda MMC: strong but gentle with his love, borderline feral in his protectiveness, grumpy at everyone else… plus he’s monstrous,there’s a big size difference, &he’s an enthusiast 🐱 👅 to boot!
November 23, 2023
The character development, world building, and chemistry between the main characters is so good and rewarding that you don't feel rushed, despite the book clocking in at about 30k words. It's the perfect book to curl up with on a cozy evening by the fire this winter and perfect for a Christmas read.
February 18, 2023
Adorbs
If you like short HEA, with a monster. This is for you. I spent the whole book, waiting for Sophie and X to finally say something to each other. But when they did. It was just sweet.
If you like short HEA, with a monster. This is for you. I spent the whole book, waiting for Sophie and X to finally say something to each other. But when they did. It was just sweet.
December 12, 2023
I adored this Christmas novella!! It was cute and sweet, with lovable characters you really want to see get together. And when they do, it's 🔥🔥🔥! The whole idea of Christmas on a space station was so well developed I felt transported there. Such a great atmosphere! So sad I can't go there in real life and have X as my boyfriend 😢
December 22, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ So cute & fluffy I nearly died. I love Ursa Dax, I love her Alien boys, and I loved this story. Grumpy/sunshine, coffee shop au, Christmas feels? Perfect little quick read for the season. An alien super soldier that knows how to make fancy coffee? Say less, I’m sold.
December 19, 2021
Extending her contract
This is my first experience with this author and I was not disappointed! I love the characters! An ex mercenary who just wants a quiet life, and a bubbly human who loves her holiday situation, seem like the most unlikely of couples. But once the frothy hearts start popping, these two find a HEA built to last. The author kept the story short and sweet, with just the right touch of the season between the pages. This book is the perfect choice to read during the holiday break and I can’t wait to see what else she has out there for my ereader.
This is my first experience with this author and I was not disappointed! I love the characters! An ex mercenary who just wants a quiet life, and a bubbly human who loves her holiday situation, seem like the most unlikely of couples. But once the frothy hearts start popping, these two find a HEA built to last. The author kept the story short and sweet, with just the right touch of the season between the pages. This book is the perfect choice to read during the holiday break and I can’t wait to see what else she has out there for my ereader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews