Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Santa Problem

AUTHOR:  Barbara Elsborg

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  166 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 27, 2022

BLURB:  

When Kendall is let down by the Santa and photographer he’s booked for his garden centre, he frantically tries to find replacements. But no one is available to step in at the last minute and he’s running out of time and options.

Then Alfie arrives, with his electric-blue hair, piercings, megawatt smile, and three cute reindeer. And, he just happens to be a photographer. Finally, Kendall sees a glimmer of hope. So what if he hates Christmas, kids, beards and missing Santas? Kendall can play Santa himself, if he just learns how to smile.

As Kendall thaws and gets into the role, Alfie has renewed hope that he’ll manage what he came all the way here to do. It all depends on Kendall believing him, and that suddenly becomes a mountain Kendall won’t even try to climb. But Alfie won’t give up. It’s not over yet. This is Christmas and there’s magic in the air!

REVIEW:

Kendall Blackstone is the manager of a garden centre and it’s Christmastime.  The Santa he’s contracted for has backed out and he cannot find anyone.  Alfie, the photographer who is to take over for the original booking arrives along with three reindeer that it appears might be a boon for the Santa photo ops bookings.  He still doesn’t have a Santa though and soon it becomes clear that he is going to have take over that role.  Unfortunately he’s ill-suited to the role as he’s not happy about all of this and he doesn’t really like children.  Alfie convinces him to give it a go and that he’ll be supporting him as his helper.

Alfie does his best to encourage Kendall to be a good Santa.  He knows that underneath it all Kendall has a good heart.  He’s just had some pretty bad breaks that have left him a little bitter and guarded.  It seems that Alfie has a lot of ideas for both the garden centre Christmas offerings as well as for Kendall himself.  When Kendall finds Alfie sleeping in a sleeping bag with the reindeer in their enclosure and no food, he offers for Alfie to stay with the reindeer at his home where there is a barn for the animals and he’s got a perfectly good but never used guest room.  He’s never had a guest in the house in fact.  When Alfie tries to interject a little Christmas spirit into Kendall’s house though, he’s totally shut down and shut out.  One step forward, two steps back.

As the Christmas season carries on, Kendall is getting into his role as Santa.  He’s even smiling more and it doesn’t look like a grimace.  He has warmed to the children and there are a few heartbreaking stories that he does his best to make a little less sad for the families.  There’s also a small boy who keeps appearing and then running whenever Kendall tries to approach him.  Turns out his story is one of the most difficult and in too many ways parallels Kendall’s own story.

Alfie helps Kendall so much with the children and seems to have an uncanny ability to know everything about them and find the perfect gift.  This is wonderful until it becomes known that these fabulous gifts are going out and it’s giving rise to some unwanted publicity.  Then Wolf, the small boy who has been hanging around but not approaching is brought by Alfie to see Kendall as Santa.  It’s clear that things are not good for him and that makes things difficult for Alfie and Kendall in return.  Alfie has a plan, but if Kendall doesn’t believe him or go along with the plan, then there isn’t a lot more Alfie can do about it.  If only he can make Kendall believe in the spirit of Christmas and its magic.

Oh my!  What a heartbreaking and heartwarming story at various turns here.  Alfie is not what he appears 🙂  But he’s the right person at the right time at the right place.  Kendall hasn’t had an easy time of it.  It takes some time to get him to open up to Alfie and share why he’s not happy and why he doesn’t have friends and why he’s so busy trying to make his garden centre the most profitable.  Little by little Alfie and his magical reindeer break through the very sturdy walls that Kendall has erected around his heart.  He’s not sure why he trusts Alfie with this information, but after some fits and starts he does.  But the relationship has a timeline because Alfie has to leave on Christmas Eve.  By then Kendall has lost his heart to Alfie, even though he’s also angry with Alfie since he thinks that Alfie is not being truthful with him, but how can everything that’s happened be explained away without some of Alfie’s magic?

This story has both A Christmas Carol and Scrooged overtones in that Kendall is trying to make the business so successful and he’s competitive with the son-in-law of the garden centre owner and he has no use for Christmas.  This is understandable once we uncover the truth of Kendall’s past.  It’s clear though that buried underneath all the hurt and bad breaks and betrayals that Kendall really does have a good heart – he’s just needed the opportunity to show it.  Alfie helps him with so many good ideas – from the reindeer, to the presents for the children who come to see Santa to the party for his employees.  But Kendall has his own ideas too and he takes it on himself to make things right for his employees without any prompting from anyone.  Alfie has his work cut out for him with the skeptical Kendall, but Christmas magic is a powerful force 🙂

If you’re in the mood for a humbug/sunshine pairing with a hard-earned happy ending, then I think you’ll enjoy this little gem 🙂  Highly recommended and a nice kick-off to the 2022 Holiday reading season.

RATING: 

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