Christmas Reads: Santa is a Lady

Santa is a Lady
Author: L.J. Holmes
Publisher: Muse Publishing
Sweet Holiday Romance
Digital Novella
Available HERE

Summary: Angie is someone who has had to walk through the fires of hell and battle with death itself to regain the use of her nearly shattered body. It’s Christmas, the time of wonder and magic for Angie, Cam a man who has spent the past nearly two years trying to pry his precious daughter from the unscrupulous hands of his late wife’s greedy Iraqi brother’s, and Jo, the precious daughter, who is finally free and in her father’s awed hands. Three people and one Christmas with so much magic swirling at last in their direction.

Christmas stories are hit or miss for me. They are either sappy or forced much of the time, and then there are the ones that capture the spirit of the holidays just right and become a keeper story to read each Christmas. Santa is a Lady is one of those "keeper" stories that caught me by surprise. I won a digital copy during the launch of the Muse Publishing Reader's Group.

Where to start? Santa is a Lady is a novella, a light romance, and a holiday story about love, friendship, family and community. The main character, Angie, has been in a car accident that has changed her life. She's a survivor, and despite the doctors' predictions, now walks with a cane, but she's still in pain much of the time, and has given up on many aspects of her life, including romance. When she first meets Cam and his daughter it's a mess of misunderstandings, and everyone involved ends up hurt and angry. I love this story because the characters are not perfect, nor are they sappy. They are all dealing with their individual issues, but in the end it takes everyone opening their eyes and hearts to understand where each person is coming from. I think all of us have had misunderstandings that have gotten out of control because on the surface it appears as one thing, but is actually something else. People are flawed and complex, but that's what makes life so interesting. This story has elements of sacrifice, friendship, kindness, community and love.

Santa is a Lady is a wonderful holiday romance that I'll be reading each year. It's a lovely light read with a little bit of steam and a lot of charm.

Visit the author at her blog here: http://linsownblog.blogspot.com/

~Brenda