I needed to get into the holiday spirit, and A Man for Mrs. Claus by Rebekah Weatherspoon did the trick. Even though I’m recovering from surgery, I also wanted to read along with The Ripped Bodice LA fantasy book club. This was their December pick, and I was able to snag the Cover Snob special edition.
This North Pole Santa-verse finds angels recruiting souls to bring holiday cheer. We meet Tiffany, aka Mrs. Claus, saying goodbye to her current Santa Claus husband. He’s moved on to heaven to be with his earthly true love. They had some good times, but were never in love. Tiffany stays on as Mrs. Claus to keep things running with the elves and watches over the children. The search is on for a new man to take up the Santa Claus mantle. There are four contenders, but Tiffany never expects to fall in love. This is because the role of Santa is so important, and the man needs to become one with the Spirit of Christmas. The elves, however, think differently this time and wanna get her a true love match. Cue a Bachelor-esque series of dates. We get switching POVs between Tiffany and Dominick, a recently deceased firefighter who would love a chance to be with Mrs. Claus. It gets rather steamy whenever they’re in the vicinity of one another.
I’ve had a hard time focusing with all my medical stuff, so this was a welcome read. I liked the pivot to focus on Mrs. Claus rather than Santa as the one running things. I also liked that this was a Black romance. Everyone had a unique backstory, especially since all the humans ascended to the North Pole before going to heaven. Tiffany’s earthly history was especially poignant. Come for the dating antics, but stay for the character growth and happy ending. Dominick is passionate, honest, and a great foil for Tiffany. Tiffany is selfless most days, and it was fun to see her give in to her desires and realize her worth beyond being Mrs. Claus. It gave me vibes of How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
Read this if you’re up for some Christmas magic, a bit of Love Island drama, and a happily ever after.
