Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Sugarplum Fairy
SERIES: Elves After Dark
AUTHOR: Dallas James
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 72 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2020
BLURB:
Jasper Sugarplum holds one of the most respected elf positions at the North Pole. He works in the Department of Naughty or Nice Affairs and takes his job seriously. After checking on the children on his list one November night, he’s heading home when disaster strikes.
Author Mack Wynters hates the Christmas season. It just brings back memories he would rather forget. To avoid all things merry, he spends his time alone with his dog, Baxter, in his mountain home.
The last thing Mack expects right before a blizzard hits is for his dog to take off into the woods, demanding his owner follow him. Baxter leads him to a man, lying unconscious in the snow, with no signs of how he’d gotten there—including footprints. Annoyed that his alone time has been interrupted by a stranger, Mack has no choice but to carry him back to his house as the storm closes in.
When Jasper awakens, will Mack believe the story he tells? And will he be able to fight the attraction he feels for the man . . . er, elf?
**This is a MM holiday romance.
REVIEW:
Jasper Sugarplum is on a mission for the DNNA (Department of Naughty or Nice Affairs) in the Northwestern United Stated, making some checks on some children who are on the cusp of moving to the Nice list 😉 As he’s headed home with a substitute reindeer for his sleigh when they are hit but a blizzard and Jasper is knocked out of the sleigh. He ends up getting knocked out in the landing.
Mack Wynters lives a secluded life in his beautiful home in the forest basically. He’s a writer and he focuses on his books while enjoying his solitude with his St. Bernard Baxter. Truthfully he’s nursed a broken heart for some years and has dealt with his grief by becoming a hermit for the most part. But then Baxter starts barking and convinces Mack to follow him into the forest where they find Jasper in a bad way. Thankfully Mack and Baxter are able to get Jasper back to Mack’s house and take care of him.
Jasper wakes up in a strange place. He’s lost his communication ability, his tracker and everything except for his clothes truth be told. He sees Mack and he is immediately enamored of the big man. Mack has one serious flaw though – he hates the holidays and anything to do with them. He keeps the door shut tight on that particular issue. Jasper notices the pictures of Mack and another man. He eventually finds out why Mack is lonely and hates Chrsitmas.
Mack is wrestling with things. He’s definitely attracted to Jasper, but he’s feeling guilty about that. He’s also never really dealt with the loss that he’s endured and instead has walled up his feelings. With Jasper around, however, and with the things that Jasper reveals and maybe some guidance and truths from the beyond, he might just be able to find a way to go on with his life.
I thought this story was adorable! I really liked Jasper and I so enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one. The magic wasn’t over the top and the names for departments at the North Pole made me laugh. Coming from business, the whole acronym overkill thing is real! I felt bad for Mack and I think the reality of people dealing with bad stuff that has happened at holiday time does keep them from enjoying the season – sometimes for years and sometimes forever. I loved how Jasper didn’t make light of any of Mack’s sorrow or feelings and how he just did his best to try to support Mack through his grief. The whole description of Santa, the reindeer, the rest of the elves and how they worked was really fun and as each piece was revealed I kept rooting for Mack and Jasper to get to their HEA. Super cute and a story that will definitely leave you happy and smiling. Recommended!
RATING: 
BUY LINK: