Title: Something More for Santa
Series: N/A
Author: AKM Miles
Genre: Contemporary/Holiday
Length: Novel (156 pages)
Publisher: MLR Press (December 20th, 2014)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3.5Hearts
Blurb: While on a break at Martin’s Department Store, Derek Campbell, aka Santa, wishes aloud for a little something for Santa and he gets it, and more.
Derek Campbell loves his job as Santa at Martin’s, but finds himself wishing for a little something for himself. He’s surprised when an elf hears his request and answers him. Derek gets more than he bargained for when he meets young Michael and then Max, who just happens to own Martin’s. He falls in love with both of them and they him, and then something happens, something bad. They overcome because they’re strong together, and they have a good Christmas.
Then, even worse things happen. What now? What follows is a wonderful holiday story filled with love, adventure, fear, hope and kittens.
This is a re-release but has been greatly expanded and re-edited.
ISBN: MLR-1-02014-0349
Product Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=STSMORFS
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This book starts out insanely cute and it just keeps on being that way. And it’s all because of Michael (not Mikey) who is the six-year-old son of one of our main characters, Max. This isn’t a complicated story; it’s a sweet and simply Christmas story that is lead by a little boy who seems intent on his father finding “the one”. It’s very light-hearted at its core, so if you take the story at face value, you will not be disappointed.
Derek is having a heck of a time, working two jobs to pay the bills left over since his mother’s illness and subsequent death. He had made the decision to just pick up casual jobs to wipe the debt instead of finding a job in his area of qualification. Something that I didn’t understand since it would make him more money, or at least search for a job he is educated and qualified for between shifts. Just something. But I decided immediately to let that one slid.
On one of his shifts at Martin’s Department Store as the in store Santa, feeling sorry for himself, a little elf in the form of six-year-old Michael Martin finds him. From there, Derek’s soft heart leads him to Michael’s father, Max. Max Martin, who is a widowed father and has since come out admitted publicly he’s gay. He also happens to be the owner and CEO of the eight Martin’s department stores. Maybe I’m a bit too harsh when I add it has the “Cinderfella” type of feel to it, but again, nothing that I really paid overly much attention to.
They start a work and personal relationship which is probably not that wise, but this is the type of story where you ignore the holes and inconsistencies and just enjoy the sugary sweetness of the relationship that forms between Derek and Max. Don’t get me wrong, there is a strand of drama running through the story, which keeps the ball rolling, too. Quite honestly, I thought that the story was going to be wrapping up by the time I got to the 85-page mark, but evidently not.
Then a new storyline is introduced just as the guys are getting their lives on track after Christmas, probably not wholly necessary as it was completely unrelated to the previous plot, but it was well enough. But I have to admit, I haven’t read the previously released version which this is the apparently expanded result. This leads me to think that Max really needs an overhaul on his staff yesterday, being that he is the rich owner in the piece all the villains came from his side.
The only major criticism I have is that the blurb is a bit too ambiguous. I’ve read some ménage books lately and really, that was almost what I was expecting here because it wasn’t explained that Michael is Max’s son. It also makes the mention of kittens in the blurb a bit baffling.
This is full of sugar-sweet insta-love and clichés – appreciate this for what it is and you’ll be sure to enjoy this cute Christmas story.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *