Review for The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

 The Santa Suit by  Mary Kay Andrews 

Hardcover, 224 pages

Publication: September 28th 2021 by St. Martin's Press

Genre:  Christmas, Chick Lit, Contemporary

 

From Goodreads:  From May Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit.

When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love--but Ivy didn't bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it's a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit--beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it's from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy's quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

My Thoughts:  My first Christmas book of 2021 and it was the perfect start to the season.  Okay, it is only September but Christmas is right around the corner.  I am ready for the fire in the fireplace, the hot cocoa, and the cuddling up with blankets.  Mary Kay Andrew has set the mood and I am read for it. 

Ivy is amazing.   She has had her life torn up and decides to start over.  Her bravery is moving, buying a house unseen, and making new friends makes her wonderful.   I loved how she embraces every challenge, opens her heart to new experiences, and gives so much to her new community.   As she works to clean up her new farmhouse, she finds family treasures and knows that they could be important to someone.   The way that she works to discover who is in the pictures, the way that she reaches out to the people of the community to find the people, and the way that she embraces the Rose family history as if it was her own was heart warming and loving.   Ivy does not let her history keep her down, she works hard, plays hard, and loves even harder. 

The setting of the small town with its festival, quaint shops, and wonderful residents was perfect.  The Southern Charm of the community was real and exactly what I was hoping for.   I opened the book to read a few chapters and could not put it down.   It was a one-sitting read for me. 

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. 

 

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