Title: Second Chance Santa
Author: JJ Knight
Genre: Standalone Romantic Comedy
Release Date: November 15, 2021
Cover Design: Lori Jackson
Cover Image: Wander Aguiar
Santa for the holidays? Yes, please! JJ’s Knight’s SECOND CHANCE SANTA is an absolutely delightful (and seriously steamy!) holiday rom com that will have you wanting your very own Mack under the tree! ~ NYT Bestselling author J. Kenner
This endearing romance is the funny, feel-good romance of the holiday season you've been looking for, where nice girls get their naughty happily ever after. ~ USA Today bestselling author Blair Babylon
I never thought the love of my life would turn out to be -- a mall Santa.
What has happened to Mack McAllister?
We were law school rivals.
Absolutely insane in bed.
Our two-year fling ended when we graduated.
He had his ambitions. I had mine.
We were going to slay the competition.
Now he’s sleighing it?
When I stalk him at Riverside Mall, he looks like Santa in every way. White beard. Rosy cheeks. Kid on his knee.
But I know better. That bowl full of jelly is hiding ripped abs.
I’ve been inside that suit.
Something’s happened to the Mack I knew ten years ago.
I don’t know how he feels about me now, but there’s only one way to find out.
Get in there and jingle those bells.
___________
Second Chance Santa is a holiday romantic comedy about the one who got away, the perils of resting Grinch face, and all the delicious ways to unwrap a candy cane.
I thoroughly enjoyed this second chance at romance! And thank you to JJ Knight for blessing us with two characters who've actually lived a few years long enough to truly embrace and appreciate a second chance at love.
Given the blurb, I went into this thinking Mack hit hard times and that's why he's working as a mall Santa, but that's not the case. I have to applaud Mack and the reason why he's working as a Santa, and he truly embraced it with passion and gusto, even when there were moments when it was tough being a Santa. One of my favorite scenes from the story is when the family brings their baby for a picture with Santa; just the description of that scene hit differently and made me a bit emotional as well.
I will say though, that while I liked Rory, I didn't think I was going to embrace her character just because of her thought processes and how she handled interpersonal relationships. But the more I read and learned about her background growing up, the more I realized why she's programmed the way she is and why she views relationships the way she does.
I liked the twist in Rory's story that explains a bit more about her childhood, and the characters that make an appearance and have a significant impact in her life, and even more importantly, that change was the catalyst for her decision regarding any potential relationship with Mack. There were a few bombshells that were exposed, and I'm hoping at some point there's going to be a story about Rory's mom somewhere down the line.
Rory’s tone is tough as she says, “It’s been a long time since I saw you last.” She pokes my belly pillow. “You’ve gone soft.”
“Maybe I’ve had a lot of milk and cookies lately.”
She shakes her head. “I never thought I’d see you like this.”
“Like what?”
“You were the best of the best! What happened?”
“You act like being Santa is the worst thing that I could do.”
She hesitates. My mind floods with images of her from a decade ago. Tousled hair in the morning. Sleeping in my bed. I’m not sure I ever got over her. “Are you in town long?” I ask.
“I live here.”
I control my expression. Rory’s back in L.A. and I didn’t even know. I used to know everything about her, including the exact spot that made her scream. I swear it’s the memories talking when I hear my own treacherous voice say, “Meet me this weekend.”
Rory’s about to answer when a sharp-eared kid yells, “What about Mrs. Claus?”
I don’t even hesitate. “She wants to see my North Pole,” I call out, enjoying the snort-laugh I get out of Rory.
The kids chorus, “Show her! Show her!”
Rory is losing it. She keeps trying to straighten her expression, but she can’t hold it. “You’re terrible,” she squeaks out.
“Same as I always was.” I lean close to her ear. “By the way, there is no Mrs. Claus.”
JJ Knight is the USA Today and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic comedy including Tasty Mango and Big Pickle.
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