A droll and eccentric tale with a cast of legends.
Jolly old Saint Nick’s infidelity has outlandish and unpredictable consequences in this erotic urban-fantasy series opener.
Santa Claus is making his Christmas Eve rounds in 1970 when he runs into the Tooth Fairy. It’s the first time he’s ever seen her in person, and though she tries seducing him, Santa initially resists having sex with her. However, he succumbs to his desires on successive encounters on the next two Christmas Eves, and Santa feels guilty enough to confess them to his wife, Anya, at their North Pole home. But he doesn’t keep his promise to avoid the Tooth Fairy, as he’s smitten with her. The two continue an affair for years, even at the North Pole after one of the elves loses a tooth and Santa later finds a disturbing way to “summon” the Tooth Fairy. Meanwhile, the fluffy, white Easter Bunny is green with envy: Santa is beloved by kids worldwide and also has the adoration of two attractive women. When he witnesses a tryst between Santa and the Tooth Fairy, he decides to tell Mrs. Claus. Meanwhile, just as Santa screws up his determination to end the affair, he falls in love with mortal Rachel Townsend, who has a curious link to his past; she’s a woman whom Santa can see as his wife—except, of course, for the fact that he’s still married to Anya. The Tooth Fairy, however, isn’t about to let Santa cut ties with her, and she’ll do whatever it takes to show her jolly lover that no one is allowed to leave her.
In this book, originally published in 1998, Devereaux effectively pokes plenty of fun at mythical figures. Santa, for example, is portrayed as perpetually conflicted, arguing with the voice of “not-Santa” in his head. Meanwhile, the alarmingly forbidding Tooth Fairy regularly munches on the teeth she collects. Sadly, much of the cast comes off as hateful or unsavory; Santa blames Anya for his unfaithfulness because her lack of libido denies him his “needs.” That said, this book also features lyrical, amusing passages that fuse its abundant erotica with a touch of comedy: “Like a smith’s beaten iron plunged hissing into water,” the author writes, “Santa drove his fiery rod into his lover’s boiling stewpit, so that their flesh seethed and sizzled there.” There’s diverting fantasy, as well, such as “magic time,” which essentially allows beings to hide from mortals and do things secretly, such as deliver gifts to millions of homes. As the story turns increasingly violent, Devereaux scales back the humor; a significant character’s death is a rather grave event, and the fallout from Santa’s infidelity isn’t treated lightly. The tale has a pronounced religious element (with intermittent appearances of God and angels), and this series starter hints that there’s more to Santa and the others than meets the eye. This becomes abundantly clear in the hectic final act, which offers big reveals but leaves clarifications for future entries.
A droll and eccentric tale with a cast of legends.Pub Date: Nov. 23, 2011
ISBN: 9781621050131
Page Count: 294
Publisher: Eraserhead Press
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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