I can read a Christmas romance at any time of the year and completely enjoy myself. In addition to that fact, I love Lisa Jackson’s work and always enjoy going back to some of her earlier stories… ones that are far different from the suspenseful tales she currently writes.

I loved Travis’ and Ronni’s story. Adults with pasts, with children to consider, somehow manage to fall in love and blend their families together during the holiday season. But not without this couple’s initial hesitation, some acting out from one teenager, or adorable requests from a little girl who simply wants a family again.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I do wish that it had been given just a little editing to bring some aspects of the storyline up-to-date since this was originally released in 1995 under a different title. It didn’t make any difference to the enjoyment factor, yet I did hesitate when outdated information or devices were mentioned.

If you love Christmas romance year-round, or if you gather up books throughout the year to binge during the holiday season, or if you simply enjoy a sweet holiday romance, then All I Want From Santa would be a perfect fit for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent.*

I have been reading Lisa Jackson;s books for years and each one seems to be better than the last one, This was a nice read for me.. I reallly enjoyed it!!

I thought this was a really good holiday story. I read them year round. Very well written and entertaining.

Fun Christmas story!

Description
A much-loved early classic from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson, this heartwarming holiday tale is set in small-town Oregon, where a little girl’s letter to Santa ends up bringing the gift of romance to a widowed mom and a single dad.

Christmas wishes do come true…

Dear Readers,

The type of novels I write may have changed since I was first published, but even an early story like this one still has familiar traits. There’s the location, for one: All I Want from Santa (originally published as New Year’s Daddy) is set in Oregon, a place I truly love and have made the backdrop for many of my other novels…

Ronnie lost her husband in avalanche four years ago and still hasn’t to move on without feeling guilty. Travis, businessman, with a teenage son, rebellious and angry to the “Podunk” town in Oregon, looking for a fresh start. It was a great book HEA ending, what more could you wish for Christmas.

The love story of Veronica (Ronni) and Travis. Ronni's daughter, Amy want one thing for Christmas is a daddy and all Travis' son, Bryan want is to go back to Seattle. When Ronni meets Travis it love at first sigh. Will they be able to form a family? Great story.

All I Want from Santa by Lisa Jackson is a contemporary romance that of course takes place during the Christmas season. This is not a new book but one that is being republished this year having originally been released in 1995.

Veronica, or Ronnie as she prefers to be called, lives alone with her daughter Amy in a small cabin next to a wonderful property Ronnie would love to purchase to start an Inn. In the meantime Ronnie does whatever she can to provide for her daughter and herself.

When Ronnie is working as on the slopes as part of the ski patrol she comes across an injured boy. When the boy’s father picks him up Ronnie finds that these are her new neighbors having bought the property Ronnie longed for. Travis Keegan moved to escape the corporate world and begin again after his divorce and Travis begins to enjoy the time with is new neighbor.

All I Want from Santa by Lisa Jackson was a Christmas story that had a good foundation but ended up being one of those books I felt was just alright for me in the end. I wanted there to be a lot more depth to this one as I felt it spent a lot of time on the characters past and building who they were but not much at all on making me see and feel what they would be together so it felt rushed into an insta love situation. The foundation was a cute heartwarming read but it needed to go deeper in my opinion.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Set in small-town Oregon, a young woman and her toddler daughter are preparing for Christmas. Young daughter, Amy asks Santa in a letter for a daddy. Mom's wish is to buy the rundown old lodge next door and turn it into a B&B but when it's sold her hopes are dashed.
Moving in next door is a man who at first she can barely tolerate but things start to warm up as they discover they have a lot in common.
Sweet,quick read. I read it in several hours while my husband watched the Steeler's game tonight.
Nice holiday romance, the kind that never goes out of style.


Pub Date 28 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

~~~ I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~~

All I Want from Santa is a fun holiday read. This book is is actually a re-release of a holiday title ("New Year's Daddy") by Lisa Jackson from 1995. This story encompasses everything Christmas-y from decorating trees to a budding romance! The themes of this book are healing, family, and love. A couple annoyances to me as a reader, and probably since this book was written in 1995- it just seems a little outdated, especially in the relationship between the main characters, Ronnie (Veronica) and Travis (who is a tad chauvinistic); a couple more examples: Ronnie buckling her 4-year-old daughter in the front seat of her van and Ronnie then leaving her sleeping alone in the house while she was making love in the barn... not plausible (or at least I hope not!)... Overall, however, pretty good read, I enjoyed Ronnie and Travis' chemistry and the Cascades location. This is a good book for any holiday to-read-list.

All I Want From Santa is a re-release of a sweet Christmas story by Lisa Jackson. It is centered around a widowed single mother and a divorced single father who meet and start questioning what they want out of life. The dynamics of their growing relationship really pull at the heart strings. Oh, and there is a precocious four year old who has asked Santa for two things; a puppy and a new daddy.

Veronica (Ronnie) Walsh is a widow. Her husband Hank died in a skiing accident three years ago and left her to be a single parent to their young daughter. Her daughter keeps her busy as does her job as part of the rescue team at the ski lodge. She also runs a warehouse business on the side. She is a very independent woman and devoted to her husbands memory. So it is surprising to her when she meets Travis Kegan and can feel the spark between them.

Travis and his teenage son Bryan are new to Cascadia, Oregon. They move into an old ranch house right next door to Ronnie and start renovating it. Bryan doesn't want to be there and is your typically angsty teenager. He is also upset that his mom practically dropped him off in his father's lap so that she could move to Paris, especially since they did not have the best relationship. Previously, Travis focused more on his work and less on his family thus leading to an estrangement with his son and his wife walking out on him which led to a divorce. This time he is determined to make it right with his son and help him turn things around and get away from bad situations. This is a very intense father/son dynamic.

The relationship between Ronnie and Travis is sweet but does require a little bit of suspended belief at times. As I mentioned, this is a re-release and some of the things that happen throughout are a little dates. For example; Walkman's, landline phones, and a discussion on "women's work" As a reader, this kept taking me out of the story. The chemistry is there, it just felt like it was written at another time (which I guess technically it was). And the relationship moves rather quickly and some complications are resolved with the standard character acting out, family discussion, and forgiveness technique. It is an old favorite to use and I guess you don't have to fix what it is not broken.

All I Want From Santa is a light, easy to read, love story with a Christmas background. For the most part, the characters were fleshed out and relatable. I just wish the romance and conflict had also been fleshed out more. However, if you like light contemporary romance with a holiday background, you might want to check this one out.

Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book. This was a great holiday read. I loved the setting with the mountains, ski hills and rough terrain. The two main characters were extremely likable and you were cheering for them to get together from the very start of the book. It was interesting to read how they each had issue to resolve, one the loss of her husband and being a single mom, the other getting over a divorce with an unruly teenager. The way they are able to overcome these difficulties and find themselves drawn to one another make for a great story. It is the kind of happy ever after people are looking for in a holiday read.

This is a great book!
It really grabs your heart.
It’s a lovely holiday read with real trials for the characters to work through.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

All I Want from Santa is my first read for the HoHoHo Readathon hosted by Kimberly over at Caffeinated Reviewer. Originally published in 1995, All I Want From Santa delivered a heartwarming Christmas romance. 

All I Want From Santa introduced Veronica aka Ronnie and her four-year-old daughter Amy. Ronnie dreams of owning the lodge next door to operate as a bed-and-breakfast. If only she still believed in Christmas miracles. Amy, on the other hand, who firmly believes in Santa, wishes for a puppy and, most of all, a daddy. Getting the puppy for her daughter would be easier than getting the daddy. Ronnie is not looking to get involved with anyone, as she is still mourning the loss of her husband. While carrying out her duties as a Ski Patroller, she meets Travis Keegan.

Recently divorced Travis Keegan moved to Cascadia to escape the corporate world and keep his son, Bryan, away from bad company. However, Bryan’s dissatisfaction with the move manifested in his belligerent behaviour. The property Travis bought happened to the one Ronnie dreamed of one day owning. Travis’s focus was on building a relationship with his son and had no room for intimate relations. However, meeting Ronnie had him reconsidering his priorities.

The gorgeous cover influenced my decision to pick up All I Want from Santa. The story between the pages of this heartwarming story elicited feelings of nostalgia. Of all the characters featured, Amy stole the show. Precocious, outspoken and just plain adorable. She will steal your heart. Brian’s behaviour was typical of what one would expect from a teenager who resented changes which came with divorce, relocation and loss of friends.

The romance proved to be a disappointment. The timeline between their initial meeting and the development of their relationship developed in the blink of an eye. Before you know it, marriage was being proposed. All of this took place with little time spent getting to know each other. Also, there were other sections of the story, which could have benefited from further development.

Overall, All I Want From Santa was a charming read, with wonderful characters and suitable for readers who enjoy Christmas themed romance.

This was so sweet!! Such a fabulous holiday story. Definitely recommend for people who enjoy Christmas stories.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. This one took by surprise!

I was pleasantly surprised by All I want from Santa! I expected a cookie cutter cliche holiday story. What I read was a story of a single mother that wanted to honor her young daughters Christmas list after the tragic passing of her father. The stars aligned and she was able to make her own dreams come true. This heartwarming story will touch your heart in unexpected ways. The characters will stay with you long after the last chapter.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this read over the my mid semester break, loved the plot twists and events occurred throughout the novel. I enjoyed the love story in this read, makes me wish I read this during the holidays and have the same thing happened to me. Regardless this reignited my younger self when I was absorbed with romance. I love this so much.

A story of a woman, Ronni, heartbroken from the loss of her husband just months after the birth of their daughter, Amy. It's been four years but Veronica just can't seem to move on with looking for a new relationship. She thought she was fine but when her four-year-old daughter's Santa letter wrote she wanted a pulpy and a daddy, which surprised Ronni. She thought she was being a good mother and father to her precocious little girl. But her daughter thought her mommy was sad and needed a husband, and Amy would like a daddy like other kids. Can she move on? Can she love again? Who is the new neighbor who moved into the house she'd always wanted?

This is a good beach-read, woman fiction story that has some interesting twists and turns. Some surprising events that both make you happy and sad. Rebuilding lives is not simple. I felt the events in the story, were both believable and a stretch. I liked the book and feel it to be a Hallmark typical story. A strong female lead character that I liked and very heartwarming in parts. A good read for all who like a good love story with a tragic element and life challenges. Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington Books, and author Lisa Jackson for allowing me to read this eARC this is my honest opinion.

This is a sweet romance that was originally published in the 1990’s with a different title and publisher and is a little dated without today’s gadgets and technology, but it was still a lovely story. Veronica (Ronni) Walsh is a widowed single mom who lives in the mountains in a small town and is raising her precocious daughter Amy. Ronni ships packages from a warehouse and volunteers with the ski patrol, but what she really wants to do is own a B & B. On her duties as a rescuer, she meets Travis Keegan, a single dad dealing with his rebellious and resentful teen son named Bryan. The plot is predictable, but getting to the ending was quite entertaining. The two kids stole the show in this book, both of them equally demanding in different ways. Amy decides that she wants a puppy for Christmas and Bryan just wants to be anywhere that his dad is not. With insight and empathy, the author weaves a story that ties these two together in a way that is filled with coincidences. This is a standalone Christmas romance that was engaging with likable characters.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

All I Want from Santa by Lisa Jackson

A timeless holiday romance written by one of today’s leading authors. It is always fun and interesting to see what a favorite author wrote like earlier in time, what changes and directions were changed and what might have remained the same. In 1995 times were different, and that shows up in places within this story, but it is still all about family and holiday cheer, making wishes come true, and a happily ever after.

What I liked:
* Seeing what Lisa Jackson wrote for Harlequin long ago
* Revisiting the era that the book was written in and thinking about how times have changed and yet remained the same
* Watching Veronica “Ronnie” Walsh as she dealt with her business, worked ski patrol, took care of her four-year-old daughter, interacted with extended family, dealt with mourning her husband, and eventually fell in love.
* Seeing Travis Keegan deal with a major crossroads in his life while taking care of his fourteen-year-old rather obnoxious son.
* Amy: four-year-old daughter of Ronnie who has a list of wants for Santa
* Bryan: fourteen-year-old son of Travis who has a chip on his shoulder, surly attitude, and rather disagreeable “see-me” attitude.
* The side story of Ronnie’s sister and sister’s family
* Watching Bryan’s journey
* The way Amy’s wish list was achieved by…Santa?

What I didn’t like:
* Remembering the stereotypical male with ideas about “a woman’s place and duties”
* The obnoxious teenager – though I did understand him
* Thinking about: the pain experienced by Ronnie losing her husband, Bryan’s upheavals due to move and mother leaving, the trauma that can occur on ski slopes, and how fragile life can be.
* That it was a bit formulaic and dated

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Will I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC - This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars