Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Merry Elf-ing Christmas
AUTHOR: Beth Bolden
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 208 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2021
BLURB:
Aidan might be a bad elf, but he’s never been naughty.
Aidan has always landed on Santa’s nice list, thank you very much. But that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be a North Pole elf; instead of worrying about the dwindling magic of Christmas, he’d much rather be back in Tir na Nog, calculating where the next end of the rainbow is going to land.
Instead he’s freezing his butt off in Santa’s sleigh.
His situation seems grim despite all the decking the halls, until on Christmas Eve, during a milk and cookies run, he meets Dexter, an engineering student.
They couldn’t be more different, and Dexter couldn’t be more forbidden, but Aidan is drawn to the handsome human anyway. Over the next year, their emails start out as a entertaining way to pass the time in all his interminable elf meetings, but soon, hearing from Dex becomes the very best part of his day.
And when they meet up on the next Christmas Eve? Aidan and Dex discover that their infatuation is so much more than just attraction. If they believe in each other and in the love they share, together their magic might be powerful enough to save Christmas.
REVIEW:
Several times in Merry Elf-ing Christmas, Dexter, the human, compares his imaginings of the North Pole to various Christmas movies, such as The Santa Clause. Well, this charming book is very much like its own magical holiday movie.
Can you imagine being told you are the Christmas Savior Elf who the North Pole has been waiting over 400 years to find? That’s what happens to Aidan when he’s plucked out of his happy life in Ireland working on rainbows for the leprechauns and moved to the North Pole without his consent. Apparently, he was born under a specific star at a specific time, making him the Chosen One.
After six weeks, poor Aiden is cranky, homesick, and not fitting in well in his new home. Not to mention cold. And he really misses sneaking out to pubs and hanging out with humans. At the North Pole, that’s strictly forbidden. There’s even a magical barrier to keep humans away. But it’s now Christmas Eve and he must accompany Santa in the sleigh for the delivery of presents.
When Santa makes a cookies and milk pit stop in Chicago, Aiden is rendered speechless by the gorgeous human he encounters in the convenience store. Dex is equally blown away by the stunning man standing in his shop, even if he is wearing an odd tunic, leggings, and hat. Then when Aidan’s hat falls off, Dex realizes those pointy ears aren’t human. Aidan does the forbidden and shares his story with Dex, but sadly, after just ten minutes or so, he has to get back to the sleigh. The lives of both men are changed forever by the inexplicable pull between them, causing Aiden to give his email to Dex so maybe they can keep in touch.
It’s almost pointless for a human engineering student to form a relationship with an elf living thousands of miles away, but they quickly establish a close friendship through hundreds of exchanged emails. The correspondence with Dex helps Aidan immensely while he transitions to a North Pole elf. He has to contend with a strict Head of Elves while he learns to be merry and adept in the required activities: baking cookies, decorating, enjoying hot cocoa instead of cider, and much more.
As the emails become flirtier and more suggestive – “I like like you” types of emails – Aidan and Dex become more frustrated by their situation. As The Elf Who Would Save Christmas, Aiden can’t leave and Dexter can’t visit so waiting the year until next Christmas becomes unbearable. But when Christmas Eve arrives again, there’s a big surprise courtesy of Santa, aka Sam.
Beth Bolden has created endearing characters in Aidan and Dex. The moment Dex appeared on page I knew I’d love him. Even though he’s a self-proclaimed Scrooge, he’s immediately open to Aidan’s crazy story of being a Christmas elf. He’s quickly smitten. And Aidan is all kinds of adorable. There are several other memorable characters, but none more so than Sam. With his kindness and understanding, Sam becomes Aidan’s savior.
Merry Elf-ing Christmas is as light and fluffy as snow. It’s creatively written and infused with a good dose of humor. I recommend this fun Christmas tale for anyone who enjoys adding holiday stories to their usual reading this time of year.
RATING: 
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