Lynn
Written on Nov 30, 2015
This is a cute and sweet Christmas themed story set in the Californian mountains.
As an eight year old, Mandy Reece saw Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. A year later she becomes a local celebrity after her experience is shared with the local press. She knows it wasn't her imagination, but not-one in the town really believes her. So, it's fitting that as an adult, she begins working in the local theme store The North Pole, which sells Christmas goods, picking up the nickname Mandy Claus from the town folk who now see her has a local treasure.
Jake Wyndham is on a fact finding mission to the small town of Tall Pine on behalf of his employer Regal Hotels. Once he's gotten rid of his preconceived ideas, Jake falls under the spell of the charming mountain town after meeting the intriguing, beautiful woman at the Christmas store. Now he needs to convince the town that they need a chain hotel, so he has a reason to stay.
This is a sweet, slow burn romance, which may not suit everyone, but is perfect for the tempo of the book, akin to an old-fashioned courtship. Mandy is a rather naive twenty-four year old and Jake recognises and respects that. He's determined not to take their tentative relationship beyond it's current level until he has more concrete confirmation about the prospective hotel plans. The protagonists interaction with each other is interesting...Mandy who believes in what she saw-Santa Claus and Jake, who's scientifically minded and tries to find a logical theory and formula to explain and understand Mandy's phenomenon. In the end, the proof is in the seeing!
The writing style is jarring at times as we flit from one point of view to another without any clear indication. But then there are other times when the scene setting and descriptions are beautifully written, making it easy to visualise the town of Tall Pine and The North Pole store.
Overall Do You Believe In Santa is an enchanting, heart-warming story that gets you into the festive spirit.
***arc received courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley***
