Santa Daddy, Keira Andrews

A surly Santa, a jittery elf, and a whole lot of yearning brings together an unlikely pair of men who need a bit of holiday magic (and a snow storm) to open their eyes and hearts to someone who neither expected to fall for.  Hunter Adams has no clue what to do with his life now that he's graduated university so he dons some tights and jingly shoes for one last time as Santa's elf at a failing mall.  There he meets the hottest Santa he's ever seen and even the gruff, judgmental man can't keep him from his fascination.  Nick Spini is only putting on the velvet suit to get his desperate friend off his back.  If it's for the good of children in need then that's fine too, but if he could have his way he'd be home alone with his dog and his trees, perfectly content in his bitterness.  But denied desires race to the fore when Hunter unknowingly acts like he really needs a Daddy.  A snowstorm gives them the chance to act on their attraction, but will that be enough to give them lasting fulfillment?

Hunter is adorably scattered.  His heart is in the right place and I love his relationship with his mother.  There's a lot that he thinks he should do but no idea what he wants to do.  I didn't mind that he was a virgin here and I was impressed by his willingness to stand up for himself despite his vulnerability and insecurities.  He really was the best match for Nick and I enjoyed watching him grow and become more balanced as the story progressed.  By finding what he needed in Nick, not just through his exploration of their kink dynamic, he could calm his mind and see clearly what he enjoys and wants for his future.

Nick, on the other hand, is brusque and crusty and took me a little longer to love.  Even after learning about why he was so bad-tempered and rude I thought there were so many chances for him to check himself.  When he finally opened up to Hunter and, through Hunter, the rest of the community, I could see how good of a man he really was inside.

This was a cute story that had a lot of steam and I liked it all.  Getting to know both men and seeing how they changed and grew to become better men by the end as well as more settled was an absolute pleasure.  I even liked the interjected thoughts from Eric's perspective that helped Nick to come to terms with all that stretched him beyond his comfort zone.  It was snarky, tempting, and quite amusing at times.  With a couple of solid side characters to add depth and breadth to the story I was completely sold.

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