Cozy Romance Novella

If you’re a fan of Hallmark style stories this could definitely be the story for you to get in the mood for the holidays. The setting is 2021 along the Potomac and centers around Katie’s first post Covid holidays and learning to trust herself in a relationship once again.

Our FMC is experiencing life post menopause, post empty nesting, and post nasty divorce. The MMC is patient and caring and our FMC has a circle of strong women around her to help build her up.

An entertaining Christmas novella with fabulous narration. The perfect book to listen to while wrapping gifts this Christmas.

Santa Overboard
A Potomac Shores Holiday Book 2
by Caroline McBride
narrated by Maria Marquis

Five Cozy Holiday Stars

This book was a cozy holiday romance and I enjoyed it overall.

I think it might have taken place during covid, I'm not 100% sure though. That's sarcasm, they said covid about eleven billion times. HAHA

If you like a good, short, holiday romance then this is the book for you. The characters are more mature which is something I don't read often and I loved it. So much more relatable.

#SantaOverboard #CarolineMcBride
#HolidayRomance #CozyHolidayRomance
#ClosedDoorRomance #BoatingLife #Shortstory
#CovidTimes #ChristmasTime #ThanksgivingTime
#MatureFMC #MatureMMC #LifeAfterDivorce
#GrownChildren #EmptyNest #Travel #ALCReview
#NetGalley #MakeWavesPress #ReadThisBook
#ReadAllTheBooks

This was a kind of romance book that I picture Hallmark picking up and turning into a movie. It wasn’t very exciting and often felt a little lack luster. It was cute and sweet, felt like a story I would recommend to my grandma.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't have picked up this book if I'd have known how prevelant COVID is in it. I like my festive romances to be fun and light-hearted, but the constant mentio of the C word took away from this. But, if I put my opinions on that to the side, it was a sweet short story and I enjoyed the freindships in the book. It's an easy listen to get you in the festive spirit.

The narrator was wonderful and really brought the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook. All opinions are on my own.

Santa overboard
Carolyn McBride welcomes you home for the holidays in Santa overboard . The festive title is what drew me into the book initially but what kept me was the life long bonds of Katie and her beach bomb soul sisters . Bonds made stronger through the trials of loss, covid and selfish men.
“Coming of age isn’t just for young people “ is the anthem of this cute holiday season book by Carolyn McBride . McBride creatively illustrates how even in middle age you can change course and sail forward to a new destiny , collecting new friends and loves along the way .

Themes of the book I found were , sisterhood , life after loss , coming of age the sequel, and of course Christmas !

Santa Overboard is the perfect Christmas themed red. It's sweet and not too long which is great for a busy season when time is short.

Katie has had one challenge after another the past year. A divorce has left her a single parent, navigating the chaos of the pandemic, and mourning the death of her mother. She heads to Potomac Shores to hopefully turn her life around. Sprinkled with holiday magic and blooming romance, this is a delight to read.

I loved the determination Katie had and also the strong female bonds that were formed throughout.

The narration was hard for me to get into at first, but soon worked out and enjoyed the inflection she gave each character.

Thank you NetGalley and Make Waves Press for early access.

It was a cute story, but felt slow to me. I am not sure if it was just not my cup of tea.

Thank you Net Galley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Fast paced, cute and perfect to get ready for the holiday season. Very well written. The narrator, Maria Marquis is amazing and did a good job with both male and female characters.

Love that Katie is middle aged and she’s is out there trying to find herself, being at peace with life and trusting love.
I didn’t get too invested in the characters, but overall enjoyed the story.
*I did not read the first in the series, but felt I could follow along just fine; with that said, maybe I would’ve enjoyed Katie more.*

*Mentions of Covid & death*

Adding: I loved the authors note at the end. I love how she views things in the book industry, and for sure has a new fan!

This was a quick sweet romance novella. It was an easy listen and the narrator did a nice job. Covid and covid vaccinations are mentioned ALOT in this book. I understand due to the time frame that this book took place it would have been prevalent in their lives but it was a lot. Overall it was an enjoyable book and it was nice to have the main characters be older in age and more established in life.

Sadly, I DNF'ed (did not finish) this book at 33%. For a novella, the first third of the book was extremely slow-paced and I was honestly bored.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 🌟

Santa Overboard is a cozy Christmas tale that reads much like a Hallmark holiday movie, filled with warmth, cheer, and a predictable but comforting Christmas theme. Katie Young, a single mom starting over in a small town, is excited to captain the town’s holiday boat parade. But when her love interest skips town and Santa takes an unexpected dip, Katie must rely on her friends and a dash of holiday magic to save the festival and rediscover her belief in love.

While this book isn’t my usual genre, I wanted to try something new, and Santa Overboard delivered exactly what you’d expect from a lighthearted, holiday-themed read. The wholesome story, with its Christian undertones, adds to the charm, but I found myself wishing for a bit more depth and a less predictable storyline. That said, it’s a quick, fun listen that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit.

The narrator, Maria Marquis, does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life with her perfect voice for this cozy tale. She makes the characters believable and adds to the overall enjoyment of the story. If you’re looking for a feel-good holiday read, this one is a great way to start the season

Thank you to NetGalley, Carolyn McBride, and Make Waves Press for the opportunity to listen and review Santa Overboard.

I believe this is the first that I've read by this author.
Santa Overboard is a cute, quick, kind-of-Christmas-y read by Carolyn McBride.

🛑🛑 Loose outline of the book follows, so if you don't want to know, STOP here!! 🛑🛑

What I liked: The women in the book coming together for each other in good and bad times, as well as the acceptance of a newcomer when the time arrives!
I like how they all work together and SUPPORT each other...regardless of religion, race, etc. This is the way it SHOULD be in life, and I'm so happy to see it in a book! :) I also like how her daughters are there for the holiday season, with friends from school, and they still make time for Mom (and even Dad, although they are divorced.)

What I didn't care for: The PROCRASTINATION between Katie and Deke. I mean really?? They are grown adults...with kids of their own. What's up with that? I understand that we all have our doubts, etc...but this was just a bit too much for me!

The whole debacle with Kendall and the boat was interesting, and I liked how she was accepted into the friend group. Also loved the Santa boat theme, but other than that, I feel like Christmas was just a mention in the book...
I did like the Christmas Spider synopsis. I have never heard of that, and I really liked the way it was incorporated into the book.

And just FYI...Covid is VERY prevalent in this book. I thought maybe the audiobook was just being released, but the book/e-book had already come out? But, it looks like they all were just released yesterday, 9/24/24, so I'm not quite sure WHY Covid was such an integral part of this story? But, it was. I do understand that the MFC lost her Mom to Covid...so maybe that's why? I just feel like it was brought up A LOT.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
#SantaOverboard by #CarolynMcBride and narrated nicely by #MariaMarquis.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MakeWavesPress for an ARC of the audiobook. As I mentioned, it was released yesterday, so if this sounds like something you'd like, take a look for it now!

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Quaint audiobook, that has a Christmas family traditions focus. It shines a gentle light on non-Christian’s at this time of year, of other countries traditions, romance and looking back at past mistakes and trying to find a better way forward. There’s lots if humour too. As a guy listening, I think this is a book more suited for women. Not for the story itself which does have men playing a role as the title suggests, but for the feel of the whole which seemed more about women supporting women. Thank you to Make Waves Press and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given. (PS, I thought the publishing companies’ name is very apt for this particular book)

Darling short Christmas book to get you in the Christmas spirit! I think I will read the course one now so it tires everything together! Loved the narration!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher!!

Santa Overboard is the second installment in the Potomac Shores series. While it's helpful to read the first book for context, it stands well on its own. This novella offers a delightful blend of friendship, romance, and holiday spirit.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Carolyn McBride and Make Wave Press for advanced access to the audio book. Santa Overboard is narrated by Maria Marquis and she does a fantastic job.

Publication date- September 24, 2024
#SantaOverboard #NetGalley

The only downside I noted was the frequent references to Covid.

After a run of bad luck with men and the loss of her mom during the pandemic, Katie is starting over in Occoquan. She leans on her best friends to help her sort out her budding romance and save the town’s Christmas festival.

This was a cute short story to kickstart my Christmas reading. I have not read the first story in this series, so this was my introduction to all the characters in Katie’s world. I liked that the characters felt real and relatable, but I would recommend reading the first one before this, as I found it a bit hard to keep up with everyone. I initially picked this up, because I grew up near Occoquan. The author provided a lot of natural imagery and scenery to really paint the picture. There was a prevalent theme of the Covid pandemic, so read with care if that is a trigger for you. Overall, I liked the boating viewpoint of the Christmas season.

Thank you to Carolyn McBride, Make Waves Press, and NetGalley for the advanced listener’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

In case you forget this story takes place in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the author will remind you at least once a chapter! I understand it was probably meant to make the book more relatable but it almost seemed a little obsessive. I also couldn't find it quite believable how quickly the main character, Katie, was willing to accept Kendall into her life as one of her new best friends. That being said, I like that this is a romance featuring an older couple. I found Katie and Deke's relationship sweet and I was rooting for them. That made it worth finishing for me.

This short novel (just under 200 pages) is the second in the Potomac Shores series. Incidents in the first book, Cicada Spring (April 2024) are lightly recapped so you can read this as a stand alone. Katie Young is still trying to get things right after her short-lived disaster of a marriage. Covid is a big part of the storyline as the book is set in the past a few years. Everyone is still reeling from losses including deaths of loved ones to businesses that didn’t survive. New boyfriend Deke is great and love is in the air till he announces he is going to the Galapagos Islands for research during the holidays. She struggles because he doesn’t want to spend their first holidays together.

I thought the drama element was a little over done considering they haven’t dated long and this was planned before they were together. But the rest of the story is sweet and engaging. Her female friend group is welcoming to new members. And everyone is up for second chances. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator. I would gladly read this on KU or from my local library.

Thank you to Netgalley and Make Waves Press for my ARC copy.

I ended up liking this so much more then I thought I was going to. It was a really easy to listen to Narrator, with an easy to follow story. It is a really quick and well worth it listen.