Book Review: A Kiss for Santa by Susan Hatler

Kissed by the Bay Book 8

** A Holiday Fiction Bestseller! **

This holiday season, practical and rational Anna Bell will do anything to save her family’s mini-mart from going under in her small beach town known for its traditions. But with all of the debt and bill collectors her dad accumulated before his passing, she’s aware her mom may have to sell to the buyer who has just made an offer.

Impetuous and optimistic Peter Locke is known as the new billionaire in town who is buying up failing businesses, presumably to inject them with “new life” and turn them around for a quick profit. When Anna discovers Peter is the buyer who made an offer on the Main Street Mini-Mart, she’s determined to convince him that keeping with tradition is the way to go so he doesn’t make changes to all her dad built with such love and care.

Spending time with Peter gives Anna the first feelings of comfort and joy since her dad passed. And she has to admit the changes he makes to the Christmas lighting ceremony are positively delightful. In fact, his enthusiasm and warmth soon has Anna falling head over heels for him. As their relationship blossoms, Anna worries he’ll learn her initial motivation for spending time with him was to help her family’s business.

Will Peter discover the truth about Anna and walk away from her? Or will the magic of Christmas give them both the best gift of all: love?

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My Review:

At the highest level, you could describe this book as being about the battle between ‘new’ and ‘old’. Anna loves the traditions she grew up with. Change makes her uneasy, so she holds tightly to those rituals of her childhood. Peter’s a born fixer. He can’t look at something that isn’t working without wanting to make it better. Can this pair of opposites find common ground? The ending on this one kind of snuck up on me. I had gotten so used to the sweet, almost comedic, stories of the earlier books in the series that I hadn’t expected this one to bring me to tears with its emotional epilogue. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.

Other books in the series

Every Little Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 1)

The Perfect Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 2)

Just One Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 3)

The Sweetest Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 4)

A Christmas Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 5)

All About That Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 6)

Forever in a Kiss (Kissed by the Bay Book 7)