This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book and I was not disappointed! This book follows Ivy, who is recently divorced and buys an old farm house that she has never seen a town that she has never been to. In the house, she finds the previous owner's Santa suit with something surprising still in the pocket.

I could not help but feel as though I were reading a hallmark movie. A Christmas one. You know the one where the ornament factory is about to close down? And it's up to a doe-eyed girl and the guy that she just met and kind of hates to prevent this from happening? So it's not EXACTLY that, but there were definitely some hardcore Hallmark inspiration in here.

There were very few characters in the book though Ivy was the only character that was well developed. Most of the conversations were clipped and short, but it made for a very easy read all together.

3- stars

Small town charm.
A hunky next real estate agent/neighbor.
Christmas magic.

I mean, could there be anything better?! The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews was the most charming, and wonderful Christmas love story. Ivy Perkins has recently gone through a devastating divorce and decided to make a big change in her life, so she buys, sight unseen, the Four Roses Ranch in North Carolina. She packs up her dog Punkin, her two new chickens, and moves from Atlanta to start a new life. But when Ivy arrives at her new Farmhouse, she realizes she may have gotten more than she bargained for as the properly is going to require a little more work that she thought, and the previous owners left a while bunch of furniture and old things. As she starts to sort through it she finds a Santa Suit and in the pocket is a note from a little girl who wished for her dad to return from war. Not able to let it go, Ivy tries to track down the girl from the note to figure out if she got her wish. As she works to figure it out, she learns the joys of small town living making new friends along the way, including her hunky real estate agent and neighbor Ezra who is constantly offering his assistance. Will Ivy solve the mystery of the letter and potentially find a second chance at love?

This book was so sweet and so much fun. I loved Ezra and Ivy and their banter from the beginning when first pulls up to the farm house. This whole book so beautifully captures small town living and all its charms. The simple things like the candy shop or the Christmas stroll were so cozy and homey you just wanted to be transported there with them. This is the kind of book you cuddle up with by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa while its snowing outside and it just makes you all warm and happy inside. Maybe it was the town, or Ivy, or the Santa Suit (or the Mrs. Claus suit), but there was definitely some Christmas Magic in this book.

This is the first book I have I have read by Mary Kay Andrews but it will not be my last. I cannot wait to dig into more from her after reading this one.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

What I Loved

I'm such a sucker for a sentimental Christmas story, and The Santa Suit is all that and more. I loved the whole tone of the story as it made me feel good with every word I read. I'm pretty sure I smiled the entire time I was reading it.

I loved the whole Christmas magic angle. Just mention the word magic, and you grab my attention. How it is used in this tale adds to that beautiful, heart-warming feel of the entire story and brings together all of my favorite things about the holiday – the magic and wonder, the atmosphere of giving, and the love everyone gives to one another. The Santa and Mrs. Claus suits are part of the magic, and they are fun to imagine.

The technical aspects work together to create a beautiful, fast-paced read that leaves the reader with goodwill and warm emotions. The story is told from a third-person omniscient perspective, which adds to the story's fairytale-like feeling. It is full of natural dialogue that is a treat to read and makes the pages flip quickly. The setting adds to the Christmas feel, as well, because even I have taken my family to the NC mountains around the holidays for the quintessential holiday experience. And, the characters are developed very well for such a short format. They are relatable and imaginable in a small southern town setting.

Characters
As I just said, all the characters are relatable, especially the main character Ivy Perkins. She bought her fixer-upper farmhouse sight unseen because, after a recent divorce, she needed a change. I can understand that feeling. She tackles challenges rather than be overwhelmed by them, and I liked and respected that in her character.

The support characters are a fun collection of generations. Ivy befriends her real estate agent, Ezra Wheeler, who also becomes a reluctant (on her part) love interest, Phoebe, who is young and involved with a man solely online, and Lawrence, who is an aged man living alone since the death of his wife.

Reminds Me Of
It's a traditional Christmas story, so it has those Hallmark vibes without the cheesy emphasis on romance, though it does have its budding relationships.

What I Wish
I wanted the plots threads to be tied up more than they were, even if just lightly. When I finished, I found myself going, "But, what happened to the candy store, what happened with Ivy's career and the house, and what happened with Ezra and Ivy? So many questions! But, these questions did not detract from the enjoyment of the story after the fact at all. I want to know.

To Read or Not to Read
Wrapped up in the glow of Christmas magic, The Santa Suit proves that the best gifts come in small packages.

Mary Kay Andrews takes you on a heartwarming sleigh ride with her new novel, The Santa Suit. The book is filled with all of the sweet, witty and magical elements of Christmas!
Ivy Perkins is recently divorced, and in desperate need to get a fresh start. So she leaves the big city and purchases a farmhouse on-line in a small town. The house and property are everything she dreamed of – that is until she arrives after the closing. The house is more of a fixer upper than Ivy anticipated. In addition to taking care of the repairs, Ivy also has to contend with the prior owner’s furniture and belongings which are spread throughout the house. It all seems very overwhelming until her realtor comes to the rescue. He is both handy and handsome! The author waves her wand, and the magic begins!
The storytelling cadence is perfect and I could not put the book down! The novel has all the right elements for a wonderful and heartwarming Christmas story. The characters were unique, genuine, and people I would love to be friends with. This is my second book by Mary Kay Andrews and I will be sure to recommend the book to others.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Kay Andrews, and St. Martins Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to get approved for this book as I have been reading Mary Kay Andrews books for years and always enjoy them. The southern charm is so heartwarming. In the Santa Suit, we meet Ivy Perkins who is newly divorced and ready for a fresh start when she buys an old farmhouse in a small town. When she discovers the belongings of the previous owners were never removed, she begins clearing out and donating to charity. She discovers an old Santa Suit and it the pocket is a letter from a little girl named Carlette who wrote Santa her Christmas wish. This note sends Ivy on a hunt to find out what happened to the little girl and if she got her wish. During her sleuthing, she meets new friends and becomes closer to her realtor, Ezra. The Santa Suit was a tie in the town as was the husband-and-wife team that used to light up the house and dress up for the holidays. This was a quick moving read and such a joyful story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Email: DaniReadsTooMuch@comcast.net

Ivy Perkins sells everything she owns, loads up her car with Punkin, her dog, a box of baby chickens, and a suitcase of clothes after a nasty divorce. She drives straight to the farmhouse she bought sight unseen in North Carolina. Her real estate agent, Ezra, is waiting for her with the keys to her new home--and he's not only hot, he's helpful. But she is no not ready for hot, and gradually accepts the help.

Ivy discovers that the house comes stuffed with furniture, and keepsakes in the closets. While cleaning out the house and making it her home, with Ezra's help, Ivy begins to meet the people in the town and get involved with their lives, while learning about the lives of the former owners. Who were the local Christmas Center each year, complete to Santa suits.

This is a lovely slow burn romance full of human interest, ordinary people gradually coming together to bring out the best of the human spirit. It's a splendid holiday read--good for any time of the year, actually, especially right now with pandemic and all the rest of the anxious news.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I rarely ever mark a book as DNF but sadly this book made that list for me. Based on all the amazing things I've heard of Mary Kay Andrews, I wanted to fall in love easily with this book.
When Ivy moves into a fixer upper house, she finds a Santa suit left by the original owner and is struck by the magic of Christmas. She finds a note left to Santa from a little girl who just wants to bring her dad back from the war. Ivy goes on a hunt along side town locals to find out if Santa ever helped her with her wish.
I felt like the story jumped right in to Ivy obtaining the house and meeting Ezra, that I did not get to know Ivy as a character on her own standing without him- I just got to know Ivy AND Ezra. I also didn't feel a connection to these two characters so I wasn't as invested in them and their mission. Another qualm I had was that I understood that Ivy was on her mission but could not comprehend her WHY of it all- why was she so invested, why did finding the note spark something in her. I could tell by the plot writing that she wanted to find it as she would mention it but I did feel the passion running her mission.
I got as far as chapter 5 and even though I wanted to love the book I just feel like I personally probably wasn't the target audience here. I feel like if I was older, curled up in a chair by the fire and more around Christmas time- I might have enjoyed this more. I am still intrigued to try this author's other big novels that have released!

I absolutely adore Christmas books and this one was so cute! It’s not Christmas without books and I can never have too many! I highly recommend this little gem!

This book is magical! It describes wonderful Christmas settings and traditions interwoven with special people’s connections, kindnesses, and love. It includes the magic of Santa, snow, and decorations! I highly recommend this holiday book.

Title: The Santa Suit
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Santa Suit" by Mary Kay Andrews

My Opinion:

"The Santa Suit" was one sweet Christmas romance that featured how one person's purchase changed so many people's lives in a story as it was for Ivy Perkins. The author did an excellent job giving the reader a little magic in how well this story will come together. After a horrible divorce, we find Ivy and her dog, Punkin, and five baby chickens moving to a new place in Tarburton, NC., and purchasing a farmhouse that needed some work. This is when Ivy makes friends with the townspeople and where the magic will be thrown in. What will happen when Ivy finds a Santa Clause suit on the closet shelf with an old letter to Santa from a little girl named Carlette? How will this Santa suit affect her life and some of the people she has met in the town? Like Erza, Phoebe, and others in the story, the characters were all well-developed, which added so much charm to the story where one will find a little bit of mystery and some sweet romance. This story will be a 'delightful, heartwarming, and captivating' story that will put a smile on one face, and it may even become one of your favorite Christmas holiday stories.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a heart-warming book to give as a Christmas gift this year, look no farther! This story is utterly charming! Ivy Perkins, fresh from a painful divorce, buys a hundred-year-old farmhouse in the hills of North Carolina sight unseen--a huge leap of faith for her, done with the hope to start a happier chapter of her life.

Four Rose Farm, it is called, for the family who once lived there by the name of Rose. Their furniture and clothes are still there, including a beautiful Santa suit that Ivy discovers in a box on the highest shelf of the bedroom closet. The Roses were well known for their wonderful display of Christmas lights and for dressing up as Santa and Mrs Claus for the children of the town. And in the pocket of the Santa suit, Ivy finds a touching letter written to Santa by a little girl many years ago which now leads Ivy down a path of discovery...and perhaps a better future for her and everyone she meets. This is a lovely story with charming characters, just a perfect for the holiday season.

I received an arc of this novella from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!

Ivy Perkins left behind Atlanta and her ex-husband in pursuit of a new start in North Carolina. She bought an old farmhouse site unseen and when she shows up with her dog in tow, Ivy quickly realizes that she might be in over her head, the house is filled with furniture and belongings from the previous owners. As she’s organizing, Ivy comes across a Santa Suit and in its pocket a letter from a small girl asking for the return of her father. Ivy can’t stop thinking about the note. Her desire to know what happened to the girl in her family sets her off on a path filled with sweet new friends, potential love and a delightful community just outside her door. The Santa Suit was a true May Kay Andrews novel, filled with lots of heart warming friendships, some romance and a delightful storytime. Fans of Andrews will enjoy this Christmas story and I recommend reading it curled up on the couch with a glass of wine (or hot cocoa)!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful Christmas story about starting over, finding love and Christmas magic! You will love it - it’s got something for everyone. Ivy buys a fixer upper online and when she sees it she finds out she has her work cut out for her. Thankfully she meets some new friends who are willing to help her. Ezra - the sexy real estate agent and Phoebe who has secrets of her own that Ivy will be able to help with and return the favor. Lawrence and Punkin are two characters that you won’t forget. Ivy takes the town by storm and she herself gets to experience some of the Christmas magic! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Mary Kay Andrews, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. This is the first Mary Kay Andrews book I have read. It is a homey, small town romance. There is no real problem to overcome for the heroine Ivy and the hero, hunky real estate agent Ezra. There is an endearing cast of characters. Maybe we’ll meet them again.

The Santa Suit is a delightful holiday read. Ivy Perkins is newly divorced and ready to start over. She leaves Atlanta to move to the mountains of NC. She buys an old farmhouse site unseen. Little does she know the previous owners of the house were responsible for bringing Christmas cheer to the whole town. Ivy has to find herself in order to find her future and her place in her new town.

The Santa Suit is a delightful holiday offering by beloved author Mary Kay Andrews. Ivy Perkins and her big dog Punkin have left Atlanta, and the disappointment she found there, behind them as they travel northward to small Tarburton, NC. With all Ivy could pack in her Volvo and her other items collected by a moving truck, she arrives at her new farmhouse bought sight unseen from the internet listing.

When Ivy arrives at her new home her realtor, Ezra Wheeler, is waiting in her drive to open up the difficult lock. After a walk through and a promise to help remove all the left behind items, Ivy is left to settle in and clean out. Ivy is drawn to some of the items left behind, especially a beautifully crafted red velvet Santa suit. And that Santa suit is the start of a magical convergence of events that may mend a lonely old man’s heart.

Like a modern day fairy tale, the endearing characters of this story bring hope and happiness to the holiday season. Ms. Andrews has once again woven an intricate plot that winds around to come full circle and solve a mystery or two along the way. I very much enjoyed this book and wholeheartedly recommend it!!

This is a cute short story about a young woman starting over after a rough divorce. Throw in a cute handyman, an old fixer upper farmhouse, a cute dog, some cold weather and some locals looking for love and you’ve got a perfect holiday story. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

I'm a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews but I just found this story to be okay. It's a sweet story but I don't feel like the characters are developed enough for me. It did read very quickly. I read it in 2 hours. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #SantaSuit

The Santa Suit is a wonderful short story that tells the tale of Ivy, a recent divorcee that moves from her home in Atlanta to a sight unseen farmhouse in the Carolinas. While the farmhouse is in need of many repairs, Ivy quickly makes a home in it, and in the community that she has chosen to live. She finds a Santa suit, with a note in the pocket. Quickly that note becomes a catalyst for her to help bring the Christmas Spirit to those who need it in her new town.

This story is magical and definitely put me in the Christmas spirit. It was cheery and uncomplicated, and the perfect story to put you in the mood for cozy winters and beautiful snow storms. Although it is only September, this put me in the mood for the snow and ice that was experienced in the book, as well as the cozy fires and snuggling with someone you love. This book had all the feels, and I thought it did just what it intended to do-- get you ready for Christmas.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy is looking to start over after her divorce and buys an old farmhouse sight unseen. I loved how she starts to join in with all the towns people and try to find the author of a Dear Santa letter she found in the pocket of a Santa suit left in the closet by the previous owners. I wish the book was longer, I'd love to know what happens after the epilogue, maybe there will be a sequel??

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.