Jess Roth

Children who want the best for their parents always make me smile because it shows they care, and that is usually due to behaviors and ways of thinking they have learned from said parents. Sara, a six-year-old girl whose father, Martin, has been single for over a year, is worried about him not having “a friend” and ending up lonely. So even though they celebrate Hanukkah and not Christmas, Sara decides to ask the Santa at the mall for his help. One of the elves overhears them, likes what he hears, and helps Sara get a spot in line – because, according to the elf, Santa brings presents to everyone, not just Christians. The present he gives to hand to her father over the eight nights of Hanukkah is what causes a lot of confusion for Martin in a cute story of misunderstandings, best of intentions going wrong, and a cautious father daring to hope there might be an end to his loneliness at some point.

Martin has a good job, a lovely daughter, and sent his last boyfriend packing when it became clear he was not interested in Sara. What Martin is looking for is not a quick hookup with an “elf”, no matter how cute he is or how creatively he hands over his phone number. What Martin wants is more permanent and he thinks he can find that with the receptionist at work. But things are complicated, Martin isn’t the most socially adept man who ever lived, and several missteps almost end up in disaster.

If you like stories about single parents and their perceived and real obstacles to dating, if you enjoy a bit of humor with your misunderstandings, and if you’re looking for a read that contains a wonderful little girl, lots of love all around, and a totally unexpected newfound romance, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (plus d'informations)

As a collection of stories, I think the 2015 Advent Calendar was one of the best of its kind. I have been following these since 2009, but the number of stories I totally adored has never been this high. And even though I had my ten favorites (see individual titles for my reviews and ratings), I really liked the vast majority of the remainder as well. Each story had something to contribute, and that included (as it does every year) stories of winter traditions other than Christian. I had a ball reading these and already look forward to the 2016 collection.


NOTE: The stories in this collection were provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of reviews on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (plus d'informations)