Hello everyone!
Or so I hope, at least.
But in all honesty I couldnt resist adding this particular book to the pile because I was fortunate enough one afternoon in early December to be bored out of my skull and feeling the itch for some contemporary romance, in which case scenario I tend to turn towards three authors who have never failed me thus far: Kathryn Shay, Noelle Adams or Serenity Woods.
That afternoon the choice was Serenity Woods, and since it was December and I had made a pledge to myself to mostly read Christmas books this month, my pick for the day was Santa's Secret.
And boy, did I make a good decision about THAT.
It quickly became obvious (as in, about three subsequent rereads later) that this might be my favourite Christmas book.
Again, let me point out that Serenity Woods writes some of the most realistic romance I've read thus far, mainly because I have yet to encounter her main characters go completely over the top with crazy scenarios and complications. Like, who DOES that in real life, I wonder? It's not a soap opera, you generally think things through before you do them, and most of the time communication works quite well, thank you.
This si why I really relate well to her books: because not only are her guys normal and kind, but the girls are WAY normal and dno't turn into shrews.
Back to the book.
It's told from two perspectives - well, actually it's third perspective throughout, but we follow both Eva and Rudi, the protagonists, so we know what's going on with them.
Rudi, aka Rudolph, is a single father from Finland, whose daughter Isabel has lost the magic of Christmas in the divorce between her father and her mother, Vanessa, who's an actress and who demands that her little girl needs to grow up (as in, putting her in makeup when she's six). Okay, that came out harsh, Vanessa generally just wants what's best for Izzy, and while she and Rudi did argue quite a bit, she's not a bad mother, really. Just has her own view of things.
Anyway, Rudi's father built Santa's secret village up in Rovaniemi, and Rudi decided to check it out before he sells it, since he, too, doesn't really believe in Christmas or the magic of the season anymore.
Lo and behold, Santa decides to drop single mother Eva into the cottage connected to his, with a three-year-old Oscar in tow, and sparks fly from the get-go.
Eva's husband had been a party-loving man who did love his wife, but he just had a very different lifestyle, and ended up dying in a car accident because he had been driving under influence. This leaves Eva alone and slightly embittered towards Damon, as well as her mother-in-law Bridget who wants what's best for the woman and boy, but also seems to be stiffling her and keeping her back from moving on.
Meeting Rudi is a revelation to Eva because the attraction sparks almost immediately, and as the two children bond through the village's magical environment, so do the adults who eem to share more than just a little in terms of their previous experiences.
Slowly, but surely, in the days leading up to Christmas, Eva and Rudi's lives become intertwined as Eva bonds with Izzy, showing the girl how Christmas, even when you don't believe in Santa Claus anymore, can still be a time of the year to look forward to, and Oscar naturally takes to Rudi like a duck to the pond.
When they find out a workshop where kids can be left for two hours sans parents, the two relative strangers take their relationship to the next level, always assuming it would end after Christmas and their parting ways.
On actual Christmas Eve, Rudi admits to Eva that he actually owns the village, and he's been asked to help the Elves by playing Santa and delivering presents around the cottages. Eva, on the other hand, had had a conversation with Bridget where her mother-in-law explained that she doesn't actually expect her to remain single since she's only twenty-six.
Santa visits Izzy and Oscar and Izzy realizes it's her father, but is delighted, and falls asleep happy next to the younger boy.
Eva and Rudi spend the night together and agree that maybe they should see where this might lead them, Rudi emboldened because he had spoken to Vanessa and his own mother throughout the book and gotten blessings from them both.
In the epilogue, we fnd that Rudi and Izzy visited London for two weeks, during which time the made-up family as inseparable, and just six weeks later the adults were married.
Now, it's Christmas morning again in Santa's village again, and Eva is pregnant with Rudi's child, two years later.
The end!
I loved this book so much. I assumed a lot of things and how some characters might have been portrayed, but Ms Woods blew me away with how she skillfully exposed them for just being human and not exactly monsters, so I really liked the lot of them by the end (Also, reading how a grown man is being teased about having a fling by his mother was hilarious).
I would highly recommend this book if you're ever in need of some good, strong Christmas magic. Caution: it has sexy Finns, adorable children, and lots of snow!
xx
*image not mine
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