Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Naughty Elf: Sugar
SERIES: Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates Multi-Author Series
AUTHOR: Wendy Rathbone
PUBLISHER: Eye Scry Publications
LENGTH: 184 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2024
BLURB:
If I don’t find my fated mate by Christmas, I’ll be banned from the North Pole forever.
I’ve messed up bad for the last time.
My life is a series of mistakes. The first happens when I am born and dumped unwanted at the door of Santa Christero, who immediately adopts me.
Being raised by a Santa from the revered consortium of Santas sounds like an omega elf’s dream come true, right? Wrong. While he loves me a lot, my father, Christero, is one of the busiest of all the Santas and spends very little time at home. I revere him, but I rarely see him. Sno, his housekeeper, is the one who raises me. He is wonderful, but old, and my spoiled and lazy behind gets away with a lot of mischief.
When I turn nineteen, my father decides I should work in his toy shop to learn responsibility. I take advantage of the job by not showing up on time and having three-hour lunches.
One day, I fill a thousand fancy stockings with candy and gum only to discover they are the diabetic gift stockings and have to be scrapped. You’d think someone who goes by the name of Sugar could get that right, but not me.
My father is so furious he conjures a spell that turns me into an elf figurine.
My final instructions before being boxed up and mailed to some unknown destination are: Find yourself. Find love. Find your mate. You have until Christmas or you will become an elf figurine forever.
I have only eight weeks and no idea how to make that happen.
MM romance, omegaverse, alpha/omega, holiday romance, rescue, blizzards, cabin in the woods, only one bed, heat, knotting, mpreg, HEA.
Santa’s Naughty Elves brings you a new series of Christmas magic, fated mates, and adorable babies from some of your favorite mpreg authors. Be sure to grab them all and see what knotty fun Santa has brought good alphas and omegas this holiday season.
REVIEW:
I love Wendy Rathbone’s omegas and their Alphas. I really appreciated that this one was a Christmas book that wasn’t all easy and sunshine but warmed my heart with how love prevails.
Sugar really did it this time and his adopted dad, Santa Christero, has had it. Being the son of one of the Santa At Santa’s Village is extremely rare because the Santa’s weren’t know for having relationships. Thankfully he has always had his beloved nanny Sno to love and care for him. Sno might be old but he stepped up when Sugar was young and tormented by his classmates. And Sugar knows he’s spoiled but being stuck washing dishes the rest of his life at the factory cafeteria wasn’t in his plans. And when he finally gets his break is sent to stuff stockings he’s so overjoyed and wanted to impress his boss. But missing the fact that they were for diabetics was an huge accident and mistake. So being turned into a figurine and sent away from the only home he has ever know was particularly harsh. But having to find a mate before Christmas, that is only 8 weeks away, or remain a figurine forever is downright just cruel!
I loved that both Sugar and Grant weren’t perfect but perfect for each other. Both had lived in Santa’s Village and felt like outcasts. Grant understood what it was like to not be what others expected. That made him even more caring I think for the sweet elf. And caring and loving he really was. And so patient. Given Sugar’s limited and unpleasant previous encounter with an Alpha he really did his best to make Sugar feel special and not just someone to use. And Velvet, Grant’s dog that found Sugar before he literally froze to death that snow drift was so sweet.
I also got Sugar’s reluctance to immediately forgive his father. Yes, he was spoiled and needed to be taught a lesson. And yes, all turned out positive in the end however what Sugar experienced in those weeks leading up to Christmas was terrifying! Santa tried to reassure him after it was over that Santa’s magic wasn’t evil but living through those terrifying moments has left a scar on both Sugar and Grant. They had no idea if those final minutes were the last they would have together. I have no doubt that Grant would have charged in to Santa’s Village and demanded that his Sugar be saved but who knew if the spell could even be reversed. And keeping Sno and Sugar apart was unthinkable. Sno had literally been the boy’s “dad” all his life!
Thankfully this story ended with an extra special HEA for them all but there were some tense moments leading up to their forever. Not that would ever doubt that Wendy would ever leave us hanging!
This story really added a special twist that brightened my long winter’s night. Huge thumbs up for me 
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
