The sweetest holiday rom-com!!!

Francie was the perfect main character for this. I loved all the laugh out loud moments and the swoony moments!

Super fun and quick read. New adult, which I love. A second chance romance with the cutest cover ever!

I'm not gonna lie at first I was a little unsure about this tart off with learning about how our main character Francie was literally born in the stable of her family's business and how this had made her love her family's Christmas business and explains her name. Then we see her in the present day getting ready for the first day of school and one of the new classes that she is excited about. The family business that was mentioned on the first page is why Francie does a lot of things. Francie wants to keep her family's Christmas business going and she thinks her Aunt Carol is trying to stop the family business from being so in the family. We see Francie and Aunt Carol buttheads a lot because of different opinions on things, but we also see Francie hold back some because she wants to earn a lot of money so she can buy her own car. That last part ends up being the reason why Francie puts up with so much that Aunt Carol is doing this holiday season, but is also why she is able to do so many other things that help the community because of all the money she had been saving.

Overall I loved this book! It is such a sweet read while also having some funny moments. Throughout this book, we also see Francie's friends, and we also see her make new friends because one of the classes she is in has a group working together to some extent. These friendships end up helping the family business, while also showing Francie and her family that everything doesn't always have to stay in the family when it comes to the business and that they can involve other people as long as they understand the reason that they are doing it and are passionate about keeping the Christmas spirit alive.
The entire focus of this book is the family's Christmas shop, so if you're looking for more than just some family drama, and holiday cheer then I'm not sure you'll like this book. But if you want family business drama, and Christmas cheer, with a side of some Christmas romance then this is the book for you.

Maybe a spoiler.
I really loved two parts of this book the most. The first one is when Francie steps in for her dad who was supposed to play Santa on a local Santa call-in show, Francie pretends to be Santa's intern and takes what she has seen her dad and grandpa do over the years and makes it her own and keeps the Christmas spirit going. The second thing I loved was seeing Francie writing letters to the children and letting them know that they were being heard and loved.

(Review will be posted on my blog during Christmas in July in 2023.)

If you like your Christmas cheer spread far and near, Linda Urban’s new novel for the YA-loving crowd, Talk Santa to Me, is the end all, be all! From the very first page, where we are introduced to Frankincense, AKA Francine, and her holiday-loving family, this book positively screams Christmas. Reminiscent of those Hallmark movie that are adored by the masses, Talk Santa to Me is here to make your season merry and bright.

High schooler Francine’s family runs their Midwestern town’s kitschy holiday shop located aptly on Santa Claus Lane. Yes, you read that right. It is here that you can buy your tree and all the trimmings too, along with tinsel and toys and every other holiday bauble and doo-dad you can think of. Not only does Hollydale Holiday Shop have everything you need to deck the halls, but they also can teach you how to be Santa too! Francine’s father hosts Santa School, where you can learn how to keep the magic of Christmas alive for all of the good girls and boys of the world.

Francine is having a hectic holiday season. At school, she is dodging the unwanted attention of her male peers after she shared an unremarkable kiss with one of the popular boys, who is the sort to absolutely kiss and tell, much to Francine’s dismay; and at the shop, she is trying to prevent her nefarious aunt from completely sabotaging the family business in an effort to supplant Francine’s father with a celebrity Santa to run Santa School.

When Francine unexpectedly has to replace Santa (cough, cough, her dad) in a live TV broadcast, and goes on air as “Santa’s intern,” she finds herself the center of attention among the children of Hollydale. They are all curious about Santa’s intern and want to know everything about her. When Francine begins receiving letters from children, she must find a way to keep the spirit of Christmas alive while also juggling her shop and school duties. Not to mention the cute guy who works at the tree lot across the way has caught her eye. Will Francine’s holiday be a holly jolly one or is it destined to fall under the category of stink, stank, stunk?

Talk Santa to Me is a fun and frolicking novel that is heavy on family and friends, and light on the love. This story is just bursting with Christmas (Francine’s favorite expression of astonishment is, ‘Oh, holy night,’ of all things), and if it can’t get you in the holiday spirit, nothing can! Francine is a witty narrator who keeps rolling with the punches no matter what this Christmas season throws at her. She is smart and she is capable, and she’s got this … right? You’ll have to read Talk Santa to Me to find out!

Of course, it can’t all be candy canes and sugar plums. Talk Santa to Me’s biggest downfall is that its plot doesn’t really go anywhere beyond letting us peek into Francine’s family and her attempts to juggle her regular life alongside that of “Santa’s intern.” While that is fun enough, don’t expect this book to go into any of its plot points too deeply.

Recommended to anyone who needs a little Christmas.

Francie’s whole family works at the Hollydale Holiday Shop that her grandpa opened, but recently she’s been frustrated by all the changes her Aunt Carole has been making around the store. She’s recently become “Santa’s Intern” and her workload is piling up.

Add to that, the boys are her high school have been teasing her about the rumor that she’s a bad kisser. Soon, she’s plotting to save her family store from Aunt Carole, rehabilitate her reputation with her peers, and try to decipher her feelings for the classmate who works that Christmas tree lot across the street.

The story was sweet and heartwarming – a perfect holiday romance for any teens in your life!

Talk Santa to Me is a charming, YA, holiday story guaranteed to bring all of the cozy, warm feels. With just enough magic, this story is going to be a perfect read for the next few months .

I love a holiday book that drips with Christmas Spirit, getting me excited for what's to come. Talk Santa to Me is a perfect holiday-spirit-catalyst and leaves the reader with feelings of hope, joy, and love.

Be prepared for passages that actually make you laugh out loud paired with smiling until your cheeks hurt. If you love Hallmark movies/content, this is going to be the book for you.

Buying for a group of friends right now!

Francie helps her family with their Christmas business and all of the ups and downs that go with it. She’s trying to overcome her horrible, mistaken kiss and outlive the teasing that’s occurred ever since the boy shared the details with his friends. He told everyone it was like kissing a stick. A few people have offered ways to overcome the bad kissing problem and only one person truly helps her, and helps her without judgment, by kissing her and offering sincere and honest critiques. Once that’s over, Francie gains some confidence and is able to go after her crush. A cutesy Christmas story, 3 stars!

Language Content: PG for three uses of the word dang
Mature Content: PG-13 for underage drinking, kissing
Violence: none
Ethnicity: mixed
Likes/dislikes: I liked the mixed ethnicities, the cute Christmas setting and the light humor. I didn’t like the length of time it took for the romance parts to appear in the book. I enjoy the service that the Christmas interns give by offering to buy books for a girl who only wants to finish reading Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, since the copy she had didn’t have the ending; it was missing. That’s her request in the letter she wrote to Santa.

Such a heartfelt and lovely story that will surely get you into the holiday spirit! 3.5 stars!

Francie, short for Frankincense, grew up in her family’s holiday shop and Santa school. She knows the ins and outs of the business. When her aunt decides to make a few changes, Francie isn’t particularly happy about it, especially when their annual TV special seems to be going all wrong. When Francie places herself in front of the camera, exclaiming that she works for Santa himself, several children begin sending her letters to give to Santa. Francie must balance her school life and her work as the self-appointed intern of Santa. Talk Santa to Me is a hilarious read that will certainly have readers believing in the magic of the holidays.

From the introduction, I knew I was going to love this. Its easy readability coupled with downright laugh-out-loud humor makes this book release one you definitely want to have on your radar.

It follows Francie, whose inner voice is filled with funny antidotes and relatable moments. She's quite snarky at times and her sarcasm makes the setting even more funny. Her family runs a Santa school and owns a holiday shop, where Francie also works.

The story is incredibly short, totaling under 300 pages. For such a short book, there was a lot of moving elements without any real focus on one main plot. Not only did readers get a glimpse of Francie's school life with bullies but also the battle with her aunt who hopes to change her family's business. This was more of a day-in-the-life kind of tale than anything else.

While I went into the book expecting an adorable romance, that storyline doesn’t become prominent until the last half of the book and even then, it seems to take place as a secondary plot point. Primarily, Francie is busy with her family's business as she poses as Santa's intern. Urban centered the story around family, an element that I really enjoyed. It made the book even more heartwarming.

The synopsis, along with the cover, is what truly drew me into this book. The summary likens Talk Santa to Me to a Hallmark Christmas movie and I would most definitely agree. In fact, I would love to see the book be turned into a holiday movie.

The ending is so charming. It will have readers finishing the book with a warm heart.

If you adore cute holiday reads, you definitely don't want to miss this one.

This was the cutest little wholesome teen romance book!

It had all things Christmas in it. I loved Frankie and all of the funny little comments that were made in this book. I laughed out loud a few times.

This one was another interesting YA holiday romance. I honestly thought the main character was related to Saint Nick in some way for about half the book because the writing aligned so well with what a story like that would look like.

This was a very cute YA Christmas story with A LOT of Christmas. It will definitely get you into the Christmas spirit. I have to admit this was a total cover impulse read. Which normally turns out well for me, but this one was just eh. Like I said, it was cute and our FMC is funny, but the writing was not my favorite, and it just didn't have that sparkle I wanted in a Christmas book. It just felt like a lot of the same thing over and over again which had my interest levels lowering.

The cover in my opinion is the best thing about this one.

Talk Santa to Me is a very cute story, and super duper Christmas themed!!! The main character was born in a manger, works in her families Christmas themed store, she even has a Santa themed alarm clock!

The writing style is snarky, witty and playful, the side characters have enough development to make them interesting but not overshadow the main character and the main character is lovable and quirky. The story is engaging and pulled me in right away.

Francie - short for Frankincense - is from a family where Christmas is serious business. They sell Christmas ornaments and run a school for Santas, to ensure that each Santa brings the proper magic. Number one rule: Santa never promises anything.

When her dad gets a bloody nose ahead of the annual appearance on TV as Santa, Francie fills in at the last second as "Santa's Intern." Thanks to a marketing intern - who Francie hates - the appearance goes viral, and suddenly the store is flooded with letters addressed to Francie. Her aunt assigns her the task of answering each one to keep the Christmas magic, in between torturing her with ridiculous trial uniforms that she's forced to get customers to answer surveys about.

There's a lot going on in this book, and many of the plots are given equal weight, which kept me from getting as emotionally invested as a reader. It's hard for me to say which was the main one. Francie is being made fun of at school by boys who heard she was a bad kisser after her first kiss. Meanwhile, Francie is hoping for a do-over with Hector, the boy who works at the Christmas Tree Farm next door. Her aunt is trying to convince her dad to sell the Santa School to a Hollywood Santa, while not treating Francie fairly at all. The side-plot where Francie battled her aunt was the most frustrating part of the book. Adult me kept wondering: why is no one standing up for her?

Francie brings her snarky commentary to every situation, keeping this book from being too sweet. Underneath the sarcasm, however, Francie truly believes in the magic of Christmas.

This is a cute Christmas read, especially for those who like sarcastic heroines who triumph in the end.

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

I love a good Christmas themed book! It really gets me in the mood for the season, even if I’m not exactly reading it in the right season. 😂

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Francie. She has been in the business of Christmas since her birth. I liked the story of that which was included as a prologue. It was a nice touch! Her family runs the business and since the loss of her Grandpa who played Santa it just hasn’t been the same. Her aunt doesn’t help either because she is more of a Scrooge than anything! This was also another good inclusion because there is always that one family member who isn’t like the others and it adds to the dismay that Francie deals with when it comes to working at the family business.

Francie wasn’t a bad character but I wasn’t a fan of her journey to love. I thought that the book would have more romance with the guy at the tree lot but it didn’t start until halfway through the book. She also seems to spend more time worrying about her first kiss and wanting to know if she is a good kisser so she kisses other people so that they can rate her. It just wasn’t a plotline that I very much liked.

The other characters in the book are fine. I don’t think any really stood out besides her friend. They had a good friendship and I liked seeing them interact. The others were a tad bit flat and were there to help add to the plot but not in a big way.

The best part of the book was the Christmassy vibes! It made me ready for the season.

Overall, this was a good book. I liked a majority of it and only had a couple issues with the rest.

Talk Santa to Me is a holiday hallmark-Esque Christmas story! The main character Francie was literally born in a manger, like seriously, and her family is truly Christmas obsessed - so she is the perfect main character for this Christmas story. We follow her story as she works at her family's holiday store - this is really the perfect cozy Christmas romance - I definitely recommend picking it up.

This very Hallmark-esque book will warm your heart during the holidays.

Firstly, I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this eARC in exchange for a review.

Talk Santa to Me will make for a cute holiday read this year. It promised to give me that Hallmark movie feel, and I really feel like it delivered, especially on its heartfelt ending.

Teen angst and the holiday cheer entwined to make a cute short read. A girl searching for a redo on her first kiss and to help her family business embarks on a new task as Santa’s intern to help bring holiday cheer.

I felt transported to December while reading this in August. Linda Urban delivered Christmas right to my feet. It really cooled me down during these warm months, and it will be sure to warm your heart during winter.

Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban will be released on September 27th of this year. It will be a perfect gift for the readers in your life, or for yourself!

Plot:
Hallmark should be calling this author for a movie deal. This story was told in their exact wispy camera shots and their dramatic emphasis on the importance of Christmas.

It delivered on its promise of a heartwarming and fulfilling story. I felt like I was transported to being ten watching the Hallmark channel the entire month of December again.

Characters:
One of the major critiques I have of this piece is the main characters were static and had no real growth. The main character Francie learns to cope with her trauma, but that is dealt with very behind the scenes, not really worked on through the words of the story.

The other main characters, like Alice and Hector, were also a bit static, but I do believe that blends well with the hallmark vibe.

Romance:
The romance of the book is my major complaint about this novel. As promised, “A teen girl gets the perfect second try at the first kiss in this hilarious, romp-filled young adult romantic comedy,” but, this is more of a side plot.

The real romance aspect didn’t arrive until 50% of the way through the story. I do prefer my romance to be a bit more spread out.

What I Liked:
• Hallmark feel
• Christmas vibes
• Puns scattered throughout
What I Didn’t:
• Lack of romance

Read This If You Love:
• Christmas
• Hallmark movies
• Gigantic Rudolph statues
• Elf puns
• Teen life

Star: 3.5

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. I adored reading this Xmas themed book. There was a few moments I was confused between the story but it was so sweet that it doesn't really matter. This will be a great holiday read. I loved the family background and how the characters are relatable.

Nothing like breaking out the holiday stories in July! Talk Santa to me is so cute and VERY Christmas themed. I mean how much more christmasy can a story a get - the MC was born in a manger! Her family owns a Christmas theme story in which she works....

The writing style is snarky yet enjoyable, very playful and full of white. The side characters are also very enjoyable and compliment the MC. Its cute, engaging and a wonderful fun holiday read :)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

Frankincense “Francie” is the epitome of Christmas, from the fact that she was born in a stable, her family owns a Holiday shop, and a Santa School that was founded by her grandpa who recently passed away. Francie is currently working at her family’s holiday shop hoping to earn enough money to finally get a car but her Aunt Carole has other plans... especially with wanting to Hollywood-aply their entire work and instate horrible holiday-themed uniforms. Aunt Carole’s vision of a more glamorous Christmas is going to ruin the charm and nostalgia that Francie loves about her family’s business and Francie will do anything to stop her... except that her aunt is also her boss. Francie wants two things for Christmas- her dream car and to finally get a real kiss from a boy without having to be constantly harassed at school by the one boy she let kiss her who then in turn went around making fun of her. Besides having to wear horrible work uniforms all season long, Aunt Carole also has Francie working as “Santa’s Intern” in which she has to respond to thousands of letters written by children to Santa... but thankfully with the help of some amazing friends and a very cute and sweet boy who works at the Christmas tree lot next door, Francie’s about to have a wonderful Christmas. This book instantly garnered an extra point from me when it mentioned how much one of Francie’s friends adored Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries ( It’s by far one of my all time favorite shows). This was a cute Christmas time read and I loved how invested Francie was in the holiday and in keeping her Grandpa’s Christmas wishes alive.

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Atheneum Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Talk Santa to Me is a very cute story, and super duper Christmas themed!!! The main character was born in a manger, works in her families Christmas themed store, she even has a Santa themed alarm clock!

The writing style is snarky, witty and playful, the side characters have enough development to make them interesting but not overshadow the main character and the main character is lovable and quirky. The story is engaging and pulled me in right away. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute lovable Christmas story.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for providing me with an advance review copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.