The Santa Suit was a light and easy read. Although it is a novella, it still seemed to end abruptly. I was expecting a bit more story and surprised that I had reached the end of the book. If you enjoy reading Mary Kay Andrews' books, you won't be disappointed. However, it was not my favorite book of hers. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC

Ivy Perkins needs a fresh start. After getting a divorce and leaving the business she and her ex-husband built, she wants to go to a place where no one knows her and she can nurse her wounds. Enter Four Rose Farm, a place in a small North Carolina Town, which she purchased after seeing it on the internet. Getting there brings some unwelcome surprises, like the house being left with all the previous owners possessions inside it. What starts as a hindrance becomes a blessing, which leads to more unforeseen blessings for Ivy. Her realtor, Ezra Wheeler, also turns out to be a helpful handyman, which is huge as she begins to discover all of the things that need to be fixed on the farm. At the top of her closet, Ivy finds an old Santa Suit, which the previous owner wore every Christmas for years, and in the pocket, a note - a Christmas wish written by a little girl, years ago. Why was this particular wish held on to for so long? Ivy's curiosity gets the best of her, and while she went to the farm for quiet and introversion, this wish gets her out of the house and into the community and the hearts of some of its residents. Who knows what else this piece of paper might change for Ivy?

This Novella certainly brings with it some Christmas joy. It is short and sweet, which made this reader a bit sad, as I would have liked it to go on longer than it did. The ending felt a bit too... all wrapped up with a big red bow.... but I guess thats what a happy Christmas story is supposed to do. It certainly brought a smile to my face and an enjoyable read. While I have not read other books by Mary Kay Andrews, I see reading more of them in my future. If you enjoy books from Jennifer Weiner and Joshilyn Jackson, you will enjoy The Santa Suit.

Sweet little novella from beloved Mary Kay Andrews. Definitely a fun and short read for this time of year if you like your books to match the season.

Ivy and her dog Punkin move to a small town after her divorce and end up finding everything they didn't know they were missing.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A woman finds an heirloom from the family that used to own her home. A mysterious note sets her on a course to discover more about the family and the child who wrote the message. In the process, she learns about the resourcefulness of small-town living. Author Mary Kay Andrews gives readers a sweet holiday treat in the cozy novel The Santa Suit.

Ivy Perkins is all ready for her new life. Her car is packed, her setter, Punkin’, is with her, and she has a new house. Never mind that her new house is actually old; an old farmhouse, to be exact. And she didn’t tour it before putting down an offer on the place. And that she’s trying to outrun her broken heart. Nope, none of those things matter. She’s on her way from Atlanta to Tarburton, North Carolina, ready to be a small-town girl.

When she pulls into the driveway of the Four Roses Farm, though, the farmhouse looks completely different from what she was expecting. The pictures on the realtor website showed a charming, well-loved home taken care of by its previous owners. The real thing looks like it needs a total makeover.

Still, Ivy ignores the sagging front porch with as much enthusiasm as she can muster. The real estate agent, Ezra, meets her with her keys and offers to help with some of the home improvement projects. Even with her divorce still fresh on her mind, Ivy can’t ignore the fact that Ezra is a hunk. But, no. She’s here in Tarburton to figure out her next life move, and that move doesn’t include getting her heart broken again.

The Rose family left all their old furniture and clothing, though, so moving in for Ivy also becomes a process of moving out their old stuff. As she works through the contents, she runs across an old Santa suit. A casual mention to Ezra and her new friend, Phoebe, reveals that Bob and Betty Rae Rose, the former owners, spent every Christmas for decades as the town’s Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Ivy finds a short note in the pocket of the suit from a little girl asking Santa to bring her father home from the war. No one in town knows anything about the note at first, but Ivy can’t get it out of her head. What happened to the little girl? Where is she now? Did her father ever come home? And why did Bob Rose hang onto the note in the first place?

As Ivy investigates, she spends more time with the people of the charming town. She gets to know its residents and finds her place among them. With the holidays coming soon, there’s no denying that there’s a little bit of Christmas magic in the air with the joy of new friends and the possibility of new love.

Author Mary Kay Andrews offers readers a sweet albeit idyllic look at small-town USA. The picture she paints of Tarburton is perfect for the holiday season. Unlike other books with similar themes, the town’s residents all genuinely want to help Ivy. They don’t ostracize her for being a newcomer; instead, they welcome her ideas and questions like she’s one of them.

While the developing romance between Ivy and Ezra feels a little rushed and forced at times, Ivy’s friendship with Phoebe is touching. She also becomes good friends with an elderly gentleman in town, showing the power and importance of multi-generational relationships. A little more character development could have helped round out the book, but Andrews throws in a clever twist that excuses many of the story’s minor flaws.

Readers who enjoy Hallmark movies and holiday stories will finish this in a single day.

If you love feel good hallmark movies, especially with a strong female lead,then this book is for you! Such a sweet, light read that I binged in one sitting. It is a shorter book (224 pages) and was such a great book to get me into the holiday spirit. Happy tears were shed. This book needs to be a movie asap!

Ever need a fresh start? Ivy Perkins is hot off the marriage market and recently bought a fixer upper in a small town. This is her fresh start complete with a Santa suit and little girls wish to match. Most people may throw this suit aside and wish as coincidence but not Ivy. With faith, trust and a little Christmas magic Ivy starts to connect the dots. And maybe just maybe, bring a little Christmas cheer to herself and others who may be lacking the holiday spirit.

Mary Kay Andrews shines once more in The Santa Suit. The story is an appropriate length and the perfect cozy by the fireplace read. Readers will enjoy Andrew’s small town setting and likable characters. Although Andrews could have used more dialogue and less detail throughout, this book will be a hit for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit,

This is a very sweet and hopeful novella that is perfect if you want just a short holiday read or to put you in the holiday spirit. Lots of small-town Christmas cheer and characters to fall in love with. I loved the chemistry of Ivy and Ezra! I liked the fact that this was a novella. It's a great title for fans of Mary Kay Andrews and fans of uplifting, Christmas-themed stories.

This was a super-cute Christmas-themed story. Recently divorced, Ivy moves from Atlanta to an old farmhouse near Asheville, North Carolina – having bought the home site unseen. When she arrives at the farmhouse, she meets her (cute) real estate agent (and next door neighbor), and discovers the farmhouse is not only full of the previous family’s belongings but is also need of a little TLC. While cleaning out the closet, she discovers a beautiful Santa suit, which becomes the catalyst of the story that helps Ivy shed her old life and find her new one in this small mountain community.

This book is sugary-sweet and the perfect feel-good holiday read. I don’t watch Hallmark Christmas movies, but I felt like I was reading one from start to finish. Curl up with a hot cocoa and your favorite blanket and get lost in the magic of Christmas for a few hours.

Its time for holiday books! This year went so fast. This was one of my first books by Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed this book! I think its perfect for the holiday season. I loved that the story is about second chances. Those are particularly close to my heart!
Novella length tales often suffer from a lack of character development and the romantic elements usually feel rushed or forced. The character development is not really the point of this tale, but yes, the romance was hurried- but not necessarily forced. I did feel some chemistry there. I just wish there had been time for more of a build-up.
Overall, my first holiday read of 2021 is a winner!!

I love holiday stories. I look forward to reading some every year. And I love Mary Kay Andrews' stories. Put those two elements together, MKA and Christmas, and I know I am going to be in my happy place!

The Santa Suit is magical and everything I want in a holiday story—great characters, love, growth, and a wonderful, loving community that opened it's arms to a stranger. I loved my journey to the Four Roses Farm and loved watching Ivy embrace the spirit of the place and get into the joy of the season.

This is a book that you will definitely want to enjoy this holiday season. The Santa Suit is a feel-good tale that will take you on an escape to a delightful place. I highly recommend it!

What a charming holiday book. It is like if a Hallmark movie were a book, this is it. Not overly sappy and the main character has some spunk that is admirable. I just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit, a small town, warm and fuzzy Christmas book.

Christmas novellas should promote kindness and putting others first. And of course, there has to be Christmas trees, unexpected snow, hot chocolate and lots of colorful decorations. Mary Kay Andrew's new book THE SANTA SUIT offers all that and more. Hallmark, here's a book ready for your next year's movie line up. I received a copy of this title from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

I really loved this novella. It was short and sweet and not overly dramatic with great humor. It was a super refreshing read and would be a great book club read for busy people or just to get in the holiday spirit.

The Santa Suit
3/5 ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for an ARC of this one to get me in the holiday spirit! It was released September 28 hence why I’m posting this before Halloween 🙈

A cute, predictable Hallmark style Christmas book.

Yes, a city girl moves to the country and falls in love with the first guy she meets. Yes, she helps save a small town with a Santa suit and reminds them what Christmas should be. But I mean if we can’t read corny, predictable reads at Christmas when the heck can we?!

Even though I’m heavy on thrillers right now for Halloween I couldn’t help but feel a twinkle of Christmas excitement starting to rise while reading 🎄🎅🏻🤶🏻 And now I’ll try to read all MKA Christmas novels this season. I know what you’re thinking, “but Allie you only rated this 3 stars?” Yes but that’s only because of the predictably 🤷🏻‍♀️

This is a quick one (5 hours on audio) so it’s perfect to get you in the Christmas mood (on November 1 😂)

#MaryKayAndrews #theSantaSuit #Christmas #HallmarkMovies #Hallmark #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #ARC #holiday #holidayreads #ChristmasBooks #readingnow #readinggoals #bibliophile #goodreads #ChristmasSpirit #books #audiobooks #bookworm #nsbookstagrammer #canadianbookstagrammer

Ivy Perkins buys a 106-year-old farmhouse, sight unseen, after a divorce. Known as Four Roses Farm, it was once home to Bob and Betty Rae Rose. Bob was famous as the town's Santa Claus, which Ivy learns when she discovers his lovely Santa suit tucked in a closet. In the pocket is a note from a young child, who simply wants her father to return home from the war. The note strikes a chord with Ivy, who finds herself wondering who the child was--and did she ever reunite with her father? Her investigation brings her in contact with the local townspeople, including Ezra, her realtor, neighbor, and handyman; a young woman named Phoebe; and a sweet town elder named Everett. Despite her reluctance to join in the town's many Christmas traditions, Ivy cannot help but be swept up in the small town and its spirit of Christmas.

"You mean, what's a nice, single, big-city girl like me doing in a hick town like Tarburton?"

This was an incredibly adorable, silly, cheesy book (more of a novella really). If you love Christmas movies, you'll find that this is basically a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form. And, as such, it's practically perfect: the snowy setting, a magical Santa suit, and a small town romance. What more could you ask for? Yes, you could pick at plot pieces and motives, but why? This is a quick read and a sweet one. Read in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate.

“Santa Suit”, by Mary Kay Andrews is a sugary sweet romantic story, mixed with a mystery that will get you in the Christmas spirit. Told with humor and heart, this whimsical tale will bring joy to your world and a reminder of what’s important in life – friendships and making a difference in other’s lives.

If you like Hallmark movies, then you’ll love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Mary Kay Andrews for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️️

The perfect Christmas read! This book had everything I wanted in a good holiday read. So fun and I couldn’t put it down.

A wonderful and light holiday story filled with just the right amount of hope and small town charm. I felt like I was transported into a little town filled with Christmas magic. A book to easily devour in one sitting while awaiting the upcoming holiday season.

I went into this book not knowing too much about it and was pleasantly surprised by how much I LOVED it. This is only the second Mary Kay Andrews book that I've read and am looking forward to reading many more.

What a fun way to head into this holiday season. I love Christmas and always enjoy reading a Christmas book even if it is a bit early for me.
I enjoy the way this author writes and how she developed the characters. I always look forward to her Books.
Thanks NetGalley for an advanced copy.