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the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute little holiday read. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, and I think it holds up fine as a quick standalone. I found it to be well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and intrigued me enough that I will be checking out the other books in the series. There was no angst or OW/OM drama. The relationship with the couple moved quite quickly, but there wasn't much sex in the book. 
There weren't a lot of secondary characters, but the couple from book two make a brief appearance. Both the main characters were intriguing (if a little underdeveloped). Lastly, it was wrapped up in a heartwarming happy for now ending. Personally, I felt a bit let down with how the romance aspect was left. I would have preferred a more solid relationship base. Perhaps they will pop up in other books at some point? Still, it was enjoyable overall, so it gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly.
bananatricky's review
4.0
Three and a half stars.
Father Christmas is a lot less like the Hallmark stereotype we know and love and a lot more like Odin, the one-eyed Norse god. His daughter Winter is half-pixie and desperate to get a real job with the Order of the Shadow Accords, the organisation that polices the supernatural world. When Father Christmas refuses to help Liam Ryan with his request for his uncle John to come home for Christmas (because he is too old and swore too much), Winter decides to take matters into her own hands.
John Ryan is having a very bad Christmas. First he was attacked by werewolves and left for dead, then his friends from the Order decided the only way to save his life was to make him a vampire, so now he's some monstrous vampire/werewolf hybrid (BTW they are called Dhamphirs) and no-one knows whether he is safe so his best friend is hovering around him ALL THE TIME.
When Winter finds out that Liam's uncle works for the Order she thinks she can kill two birds with one stone and manages to wangle a job babysitting John Ryan whilst his best friend spends Christmas with his wife, but her attempts to manoeuvre John into seeing Liam backfire hideously when John is ambushed.
This reminds me of the early Sookie Stackhouse books, with vampires and shifters and secret orders and pixies, all mixed up with Christmas and a teen boy's letter to Santa. It was silly and funny and heart-warming all at once. I would be interested to see where Nina Croft takes this series and whether the novels can live up to the delightful nonsense of this holiday novella.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Father Christmas is a lot less like the Hallmark stereotype we know and love and a lot more like Odin, the one-eyed Norse god. His daughter Winter is half-pixie and desperate to get a real job with the Order of the Shadow Accords, the organisation that polices the supernatural world. When Father Christmas refuses to help Liam Ryan with his request for his uncle John to come home for Christmas (because he is too old and swore too much), Winter decides to take matters into her own hands.
John Ryan is having a very bad Christmas. First he was attacked by werewolves and left for dead, then his friends from the Order decided the only way to save his life was to make him a vampire, so now he's some monstrous vampire/werewolf hybrid (BTW they are called Dhamphirs) and no-one knows whether he is safe so his best friend is hovering around him ALL THE TIME.
When Winter finds out that Liam's uncle works for the Order she thinks she can kill two birds with one stone and manages to wangle a job babysitting John Ryan whilst his best friend spends Christmas with his wife, but her attempts to manoeuvre John into seeing Liam backfire hideously when John is ambushed.
This reminds me of the early Sookie Stackhouse books, with vampires and shifters and secret orders and pixies, all mixed up with Christmas and a teen boy's letter to Santa. It was silly and funny and heart-warming all at once. I would be interested to see where Nina Croft takes this series and whether the novels can live up to the delightful nonsense of this holiday novella.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
thesassybookworm's review
4.0
This was a cute little holiday read. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, and I think it holds up fine as a quick standalone. I found it to be well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and intrigued me enough that I will be checking out the other books in the series. There was no angst or OW/OM drama. The relationship with the couple moved quite quickly, but there wasn't much sex in the book. There weren't a lot of secondary characters, but the couple from book two make a brief appearance. Both the main characters were intriguing (if a little underdeveloped). Lastly, it was wrapped up in a heartwarming happy for now ending. Personally, I felt a bit let down with how the romance aspect was left. I would have preferred a more solid relationship base. Perhaps they will pop up in other books at some point? Still, it was enjoyable overall, so it gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly.
nikkisbooknook's review
4.0
Great little vignette in world of The Order!
Winter may be the daughter of Father Christmas (Think Odin not Santa!) but he doesn't exactly exude enthusiasm at her pleas to go work for The Order. But he eventually cracks and makes arrangements for her to do a babysitting job for them. How hard can babysitting be?
Well when it's for a cranky, unwilling vampire it could be quite a challenge. She wants to reunite him with his lonely nephew but as a recently turned vampire John is worries he is more of monster than beloved uncle. Winter can see how desperate John's nephew is, after all how many teenagers would write to Father Christmas? john keeps tab on the boy through his friend who is looking after him, but he has 4 children of his own and you just know that the poor lad feels like an imposition.
John feels a strong pull to the lovely Winter but when the monsters from his past try to take their revenge on him for killing their Alpha, by targeting his nephew, John and Winter are in for a bumpy beginning.
I love this series and Winter was a welcome, cherry little rainbow to John's dark, self isolated little world. It was a shortie in length but it will tide me over to the next novel in the series comes out!
Great world to delve into!
Winter may be the daughter of Father Christmas (Think Odin not Santa!) but he doesn't exactly exude enthusiasm at her pleas to go work for The Order. But he eventually cracks and makes arrangements for her to do a babysitting job for them. How hard can babysitting be?
Well when it's for a cranky, unwilling vampire it could be quite a challenge. She wants to reunite him with his lonely nephew but as a recently turned vampire John is worries he is more of monster than beloved uncle. Winter can see how desperate John's nephew is, after all how many teenagers would write to Father Christmas? john keeps tab on the boy through his friend who is looking after him, but he has 4 children of his own and you just know that the poor lad feels like an imposition.
John feels a strong pull to the lovely Winter but when the monsters from his past try to take their revenge on him for killing their Alpha, by targeting his nephew, John and Winter are in for a bumpy beginning.
I love this series and Winter was a welcome, cherry little rainbow to John's dark, self isolated little world. It was a shortie in length but it will tide me over to the next novel in the series comes out!
Great world to delve into!
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
This was a cute little holiday read. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, and I think it holds up fine as a quick standalone. I found it to be well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and intrigued me enough that I will be checking out the other books in the series. There was no angst or OW/OM drama. The relationship with the couple moved quite quickly, but there wasn't much sex in the book. There weren't a lot of secondary characters, but the couple from book two make a brief appearance. Both the main characters were intriguing (if a little underdeveloped). Lastly, it was wrapped up in a heartwarming happy for now ending. Personally, I felt a bit let down with how the romance aspect was left. I would have preferred a more solid relationship base. Perhaps they will pop up in other books at some point? Still, it was enjoyable overall, so it gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly.
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