In the romance genre, it’s nice to find heroines who are a bit more “experienced” at life. In Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride, Katie is a divorced mom to a college-aged daughter, and lives in Occoquan on the shores of the Potomac River in Virginia. Katie is enjoying a new romance with naturalist Deke, but he’s leaving town over the holidays for a work trip. Now she’s unsure if their relationship is going deeper or floating away. I particularly enjoyed the side character Kendall and the friendship she and Katie formed throughout the novella.

Set in the months as the world came out of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the story often uses the world-changing event to define its characters and their behaviors. This can be jarring for those wishing to escape into a novel and leave the real world behind. This novella has humor, heart, and some unbelievable situations. It makes for a good read in one day, as the audiobook runs just under 4 hours. Narrator Maria Marquis does an excellent job telling the story of this cast of small town characters. This would be a good listen to get you into the holiday spirit while baking, wrapping presents, or running errands.

Thank you to NetGalley and Make Waves Press for the ARC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

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