Stuck with Santa

Apple Creek #1

by Audrey Carnes

♥♥♥ Grumpy elf meets sunshine Santa in this small-town, second-chance, sweet rom com! ♥♥♥

Steph

Ho-ho-humbug! When Stephanie Sanders returns to her hometown of Apple Creek for the holidays, the last thing she wants to do is be roped into a Christmas festival. But the Christmas season means doing things for the ones we love, so off she goes to dress up as an elf in the name of Christmas spirit. Unbeknownst to Stephanie, her mom has a little Christmas surprise: playing Santa to Stephanie’s elf is none other than Thaddeus MacGuire the Third, her high school crush, who disappeared after a Christmas Eve kiss years ago.

Thad

Christmas really is the best season of the year…even in a Santa suit that’s giving him hives and surrounded by a bunch of snotgoblins who deserve lumps of coal in their stockings. But the real frosting on the Christmas cookie is when Thad finds himself locked in the church bell tower with none other than Stephanie Sanders, Santa’s Grumpiest Elf.

It’s going to take every last bit of Christmas magic to get these two to fall in love, but you’ll be laughing all the way!

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Amazon, Holiday Romance, Forced Proximity

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2022

About the author

Hi! I'm an Ohio girl (go Bucks!) transplanted to the Pacific Northwest. I love small town America, food-based festivals, and happily-ever-afters. I write each book to give you a big helping of both love and laughter.

I most frequently can be found on Facebook, where I share funny tidbits from my life and free/sale sweet romance. I also have a newsletter that I send two or three times a month - you can join at subscribepage.io/applecreetsweet

Thanks for reading my stories and I look forward to hearing from you!

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But what I remember most is a soft kiss under the mistletoe my last night in Apple Creek before my world crashed down.”

Such a sweet Christmas novella! Stephanie returns home for Christmas and gets roped into playing an Elf at a Christmas festival. She believes that her Christmas Eve’s have been cursed even since Thad kissed her on Christmas Even 5 years ago and then disappeared. Turns out, Thad is playing Santa at the Christmas Festival. After some unruly kids get into an argument with Stephanie, Thad runs away and Stephanie wounds up in the same place – a locked bell tower.

This was so cute and funny. It is a wholesome Hallmark movie type of read. I could see the scenes playing out in my head. I do wish it were a bit longer, I would have loved to see Stephanie and Thad’s relationship built up a little bit. But if you’re looking for a light hearted Christmas read that will make you smile, then this is the book for you. Oh! And it’s on Kindle Unlimited!

[Olivia Gloria Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I hope that I share every Christmas Eve kiss with him, from now until forever 🤍”



• short, sweet, adorable Christmas novella; Thad and Steph are super cute 🙂

• the bickering between them both was a nice touch.

• loved all the Christmas vibes, especially the different references 🎅🏼🎄⭐️

• how Thad and Steph reunited together, and what her mom did was super funny & adorbs ✨🫶🏼

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want this novella to end! If you want a super cute, festive novella READ THIS ONE! I normally love a grumpy MMC but in this case it’s the FMC who is a grump and I ate it up. Thad & Steph kissed on Christmas Eve while they were in high school and then Thad disappeared. Fast forward years later and they run into each other in such a fun way and their interaction was so cute. I just think about these two and I smile. This was such a fun read!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A short and sweet Christmas romcom. Cute characters and premise and let’s be real- we all love a happily ever after at Christmas time!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Cute Christmas romcom that was pretty funny as well.

[Valeria Velazquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

cutie little book! made me smile and laugh. but to be fair it’s just a novella nothing major but still loved!

[Catarina Águas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute, I loved it. It was small, I wouldn't mind reading more about them but it's ok. Thad liking her even after all those years and just wanting a chance with her, it was so cute. And Steph, all grumpy and just hurt, she melted at the end and that was so good to watch. I loved them, they were so right together

[Makena Cagle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t my favorite but it was okay!

[Bárbara Fraga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não esperava muito deste livro por se tratar de uma novella, mas sinto que acabou por cumprir o seu propósito. Fez-me entrar no espírito natalício. 🎅🎄

O romance, em si, não é nada de especial, e é, sem dúvida, demasiado "insta love" para o meu gosto. (Ainda assim, sei que não poderia ser de outra forma, tendo em conta o número de páginas que tem). Apesar disto, acabei por achar piada à história e ao cenário.

Recomendo para quem procure uma leitura rápida de Natal.

[cathrine · Rating 1 out of 5]

i don’t want to even think about it

[booksrissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, short Christmas read. Steph thinks Christmas Eve is cursed due to a kiss years ago. I enjoyed the characters. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me laughing all the way

Steph has been cursed ever since she kissed her crush, Thad, under the mistletoe. Every Christmas Eve brings a new bout of bad luck and this year is no different. She is forced to face Thad once more but their surprise meeting may be just what they both needed.

Stuck with Santa is a hilarious and toasty-sweet story. I enjoyed every minute of this novella and I didn't want to put it down. Both Steph and Thad were wonderful characters who had great chemistry and banter.

Although the premise was simple, this story was just what I needed to get into the holiday spirits. If you are looking for a really quick, easy, and sweet read while you're bundled up for the evening, this is the story for you!

Steam level: kissing

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. The opinions in this review are my own. Thank you Ms. Carnes for letting me read it!*

Every Christmas Eve, something bad happens to Stephanie. She blames it on a stolen kiss under the mistletoe five years ago. Begrudgingly, Stephanie agrees to help out at the church's Christmas party, but already it's shaping up to be a bad evening- who should be there but the very man who caused all her problems?

3.5 stars: Good, exactly like a book form of a Hallmark movie. :)

Stuck with Santa is not a book I would usually go for, but it's premise sounded just like a warm fuzzy Hallmark movie, so I happily gulped it down like a warm cup of hot chocolate. It's exactly as the title describes: a sweet, second chance, small-town romance. It made me giggle, roll my eyes with a smile, and do everything that your average warm fuzzy book should. I gave it 3.5 stars because it may follow your average Hallmark movie, but it was quite cute. :)

If you have an hour or two on a chilly winter day, pick up Stuck with Santa with a warm drink.

PG - Language: minimal (a couple 'a**'); sensual: minimal (sitting on lap, kissing).

[Jharnae :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute fluffy short book I really enjoyed it

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apple Creek is just the cutest town and I love it! Having (unintentionally) read this series out of order, I went into it thinking that this would be another read about someone else in the Apple Creek Police Department, but boy was I surprised (in a good way) when it wasn't.

This story follows Stephanie and Theo, both former high school study buddies, shared one kiss on Christmas Eve under the mistletoe 5 years ago- and Stephanie is convinced that it ruined every Christmas Eve since.

This story starts at the annual church Christmas Eve party and it is not lacking in any sort of shenanigans. With Steph as the grumpy elf and Theo as Santa and 5 years of no communication, what could possibly go wrong, goes wrong and then takes it a step further and turns everything downright awful.

Just like with the other books in this series, there is always some situation that puts the two MC's together and makes them realize their true feelings for each other- and this one was not exception. It was nice to see that their conversation about the feelings took place with no real true threat to any sort of danger or without having past statements exposed for all to see- it was just a normal conversation, despite the fact that it did go south for a bit. This series also does a really great job at developing characters and relationships in such a short span of time- you feel like you have always known the people in this town and you are never just an outsider coming in for the first time. You really feel immersed in the stories, despite how short they are, and find yourself hooked from beginning to end for an hour of pure, clean romance. Can't wait to read the next story in this series!

[CatsBnB · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADORABLE!!! What a cute, wholesome and delightful holiday novella that will leave you feeling all merry and bright!! This hilarious rom-com is about second chances and takes place in a charming small town. I found myself giggling and smiling the whole time I was reading it!! I absolutely loved this book so much!!! ❤️🎄❤️🎄

Steph believes her Christmas Eve's are cursed because of a kiss under a mistletoe to Thad five years ago. Every Christmas Eve since has been a disaster for Steph. As you can imagine, the last thing she wants is to be an elf in the Christmas festival. However, it is Christmas time and that means being kind and doing things for the ones you love. Therefore, Steph will do this for her mom despite her feelings. What she doesn't realize is that her mother has a HUGE surprise for her. Guess who is back in town and playing the church Santa Clause? Exactly, none other than Thad in the the flesh! Things could not possibly get worse, right?! Lets just say, they find themselves locked in the bell tower TOGETHER!

If your looking for a a quick, fun and cozy Christmasy story then this is the perfect book for you! I definitely recommend and it deserves all the stars!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephanie Sanders returns back to her hometown and gets roped into being a Christmas elf at her mom's local church. Little did she know that she would be working alongside the one boy that broke her heart years ago. That's when her Christmas Eve curse began according to her. That boy would be none other than Thaddeus MacGuire the Third who was standing right in front of her now playing this year's Santa Claus...and it seems the curse continues on.

Murphy's Law abounds when Steph is around which makes for a funny read! It has an innocence to it reminiscent of a quirky Hallmark Christmas movie that ends in a sweet happily ever after (HEA)! I would have loved to have seen a more lengthy story in order to explore more of their past friendship as well as on into their present day relationship. Other than that it was a really cute, quick and cozy Christmas story. So if you like:

•Reverse grumpy/sunshine
•Second chance
•Small town
•Forced proximity
•Friends to more
•Hallmark Feels
•Sweet romance
•HEA

and you're in need of a sprinkling of holiday cheer, this one is a perfect fit!

[Jay G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

Stephanie Sanders is cursed. Every Christmas Eve since her kiss with Thadeus McGuire the Third 5 years ago has been a disaster. Now he is back, as the Church Santa Clause, where she is being forced by her mother to be an elf. Things can't possibly get worse, until she finds herself locked in the bell tower, with none other than Thad.

This was a cute and quick holiday novella. I'm a sucker for both grumpy/sunshine and second chance romance tropes, so I was a big fan of this. I thought Steph and Thad were sweet together, although I think Steph may be a tad dramatic thinking one kiss caused 5 years of bad luck. The ending was also cute. Overall a great little Christmasy novella to get you in the holiday spirit.

[LaSheba Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Cute! Stephanie and Thaddeus are old high school buddies, who once upon a time shared a Christmas Eve kiss. Fast forward to five years later, they unexpectedly meet again at the church's Christmas Eve Festival. It's a rumbustious event and the kids are not the only ones who need a time-out. Christmas magic can also put adults in the corner for a while.

This grumpy-sunshine clean romcom has good writing, giggles, and fun. It has dual POVs for the main characters. I loved the description of the pastor. Imagine if Comedy Central and the Hallmark channel had a holiday book baby-it would be this one! A holiday short story that will continue to warm your heart long after you've finished reading it! 💕⛄


🎄Book Quotes:

"It’s Christmas Day and I am absolutely determined to enjoy it. Even if it kills me."

"It smells like a combination of warm vanilla cookies and magic."

[Karina (shedreamsinwords) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

This is a super quick holiday read that had me LOLing!

After sharing an intimate kiss under the mistletoe five years ago on Christmas Eve in high school, Thad disappears the next day without word leaving Steph to wonder what went wrong. Every Christmas Eve after, Steph has a terrible experience on December 24th, leading her to believe Thad cursed her.

Fast forward to present day and Steph couldn’t be more annoyed to be in close quarters with the man that cursed her Christmas Eve’s since that fated kiss. Will she be able to let the past go, or will it be another Christmas gone wrong?

A reverse grumpy x sunshine with forced proximity where our FMC is the grumpy elf assigned to assist the sunshiney Santa MMC at a church event. It serves up the cheesy Hallmark Christmas vibes, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck with Santa by Audrey Carnes is a quick and charming holiday romance that’s perfect for readers looking for a lighthearted escape. With a sweet, festive backdrop and relatable characters, this novella offers just the right mix of humor, chemistry, and seasonal warmth. The romance develops quickly, but the chemistry between the protagonists is immediate and endearing. It's the kind of story that leaves you with a smile, ideal for a cozy, feel-good read during the holiday season. While it's a bit predictable, it's still a fun and heartwarming story with a dash of holiday magic. Overall, a delightful 4-star read for those in need of a quick, cute romance.

[Amanda Pinkerman · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐️s

”Aw, you care about me,” I tease. She rolls her eyes, which for some reason I find charming. “Much harder to drag your body downstairs.”

I struggle so much sometimes to rate novellas because I’m always like “am I being too harsh on a story that’s 60 pages?” But then I remember that I’ve read fanfic one shots and other novellas that have wowed me in less pages so… yeah.

Stuck with Santa by Audrey Carnes: ⭐️.5
Spice: N/A (kissing only)
Christmas Vibes: 🎄🎄🎄🎄

Tropes: forced proximity, reverse grumpy sunshine, miscommunication, second chance

Here’s what I loved:

The concept
It was a cute idea! Grumpy anti-Christmas girl returns home to help out her mom and be an elf for Santa, only to find out that Santa is the sunshine Christmas loving guy she had a thing for back when they were younger.

Here’s what I didn’t love:

The miscommunication
This is one of those books where the miscommunication trope proves my dislike of the trope true. It drives the entire plot, but it isn’t believable. Thaddeus up and randomly leaves without a word after he and Stephanie share a kiss on Christmas Eve, but then both parties were waiting for a text from the other that never came. You’re telling me that after a week not one of them was like “okay well I haven’t heard from him/her so I’m going to text a wtf message”?

The characters
The characters were lacking depth. Sure, it’s a novella, but characterization is arguably one of the single most important pieces to a story, and these characters fell flat.

[Nicole Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick short holiday story. It was ok. Stephanie get a kiss under the mistletoe from her crush and then he disappears. She blames him for every bad thing that happens to her apparently only at Christmas time. Years later he is playing Santa and she is an elf and she still holding a grudge. To me Stephanie was annoying and I can't see why Thad would bother because it made it seem no matter what there was always something and there he is trying again.

[Asia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

A cute little novella but nothing special. I don't know why there was even a lie about the fellowship when nothing came of it. I really thought there would be some conflict about it, but nothing happened.

Steph is a grumpy grump who picks fights with children (don't blame her tbh) while Thad is her opposite. There was no depth to the characters at all which sucked. Everything felt superficial tbh.

[Surrender2silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author… New adventure…
Steph has had not so good luck when it came to Christmas spirit. Some years ago she had the best best with her crush. Under the mistletoe. Now she’s just a grumpy elf. The fun and crazy thing is that Santa is no other then Thad. Super site story for the holidays. Once you start you won’t put it down.

[Lilia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute Novella and it was soo funny too. I really enjoyed this. Such a fun read. The male main character is cute, sweet and a golden retriever personality. I ate that up. Definitely recommend. Such a cute Christmas book to read during the Holidays. 🎄❄️🌨️☃️🩷🩵🥹🥰😭⭐️Wish I waited to read it on actual Christmas but that’s okay 😅

[Erin Garvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute story. She had a crush in high school. He kissed her under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve and the next day left and moved away with his family. She never knew where he went or what happened. At a Christmas Church event five years later they run into each other again. This ends on a really sweet and happy note. This is a perfect Christmas read.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

CW: divorce (mentioned), familial estrangement

Cute little holiday novella for romance readers looking for a quick read to finish out their reading challenges/goals for the year. Not a whole lot of substance/depth, but the premise is cute and Thad is so adorable. Read if you like second-chance and/or grumpy x sunshine tropes and are in need of a book you can read in one sitting.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighthearted will they won’t they romance. She hasn’t had much luck since the cursed kiss under the mistletoe half a decade ago. Stuck with Santa the man she hates . Things can’t go more wrong…
I received an advance of this book and my review is my own

[Jessica Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grumpy elf is forced to spend Christmas Eve with Santa. Did I mention Santa is actually Thad who happens to be Stephanie's high school crush who kissed her 5 years ago on Christmas Eve and then disappeared? Very cute quick read.