I recently read my first Christmas book of the season, and of my life for that matter. Thanks to Nikki LeClair who sent me an advance copy of Locking Up Santa so I could take part in the book tour.
Blurb:
It’s the Christmas season, and seven months since Phoebe Mercer’s life dramatically changed. She went from being an overworked legal assistant to a CEO of a popular beauty company. She moved from the bustling big city to a quaint seaside town. She’s gone from living with a fiancé, to living with a ghost. Yet, it seems she can’t get a grip on her new life, whether it’s getting used to being a public figure, having a Chief Operating Official who hates her, or a ghost who is just too passionate. As if things can’t get any worse, Phoebe’s friend and mentor is arrest for a horrible crime many think they were capable of committing. Except for Phoebe, and her ghost. As Phoebe races to prove her mentor”s innocence, and stop the company from sinking, she must deal with a face from her past that throws her into a disarray of emotion, an unwanted visitor, and old friends who seem to have abandoned her.
Review:
Honestly, I signed up for this blog tour because I wanted to read a Christmas book. What I got instead was a festive-themed, cosy mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
I didn’t see where the story was going right away. But, in hindsight, I think this has to do with me not having read the first book in the series, Haunting Me. However, all it took was a quick Google to get me on track.
The fact that one of the characters in the book, Edie, was a ghost, didn’t appeal to me at first and I originally thought it took away from the story. However, half way through the book, I changed my perspective. I actually think this was a good inclusion at it allowed the author a way to relay what was happening with other characters, without the story becoming too dragged out. Still, I can’t say that Edie was one of my favourite characters in the book, but most of the characters were likable and helped keep this cosy mystery on a lighter note. I particularly liked Phoebe, the protagonist of the story, and found her to be very relatable, especially to women in the corporate world.
Zoning back in one storyline, it is one which I thought would be predictable at the beginning, when in reality I hadn’t been able to guess the outcome at all. The twist was fantastic and I hope you will all be as shocked as I was! Veering off from the main story was a minor plot, Phoebe’s worry about her friend Faye who had just quit her job and had taken to sulking off on her own a lot. At times, I was as eager to find out what the matter with Faye was as I was about the main story.
Overall, this is a book I would most certainly recommend. For me, it was a very interesting story and one which was very different to others I have read. Locking Up Santa certainly left things open for another book and I am looking forward to whatever Nikki LeClair has to offer next.
Buy the Book:
About the Author:
Nikki LeClair
Bio:
Nikki LeClair lives in Canada with her loving husband and their two rambunctious children. When she isn’t ordering her children to behave or begging her Border Terrier to listen to her, she sits behind her lap-top plotting out the next adventure of her new characters. She’s a fan of a good glass of Pinot Noir, and can’t live without her favorite Tea blends. She enjoys hearing from readers and fans of her work. You can find her on twitter at @NikkiL_Books, and on her Facebook Fanpage Nikki LeClair
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Visit all the Tour Stops:
November 8th
lifeisawalkingshadow – Book Review Novelgossip – Excerpt/Promo Post
November 9th
Living Life With Joy – Guest Post/Promo Grass Monster – Amazon Book Review Judging More Than Just The Cover – Author Q&A
November 10th
Jena Books – Book Review Hello…Chick Lit – Book Excerpt/Promo Post
November 11th
He Said Books or Me – Guest Post/Promo Steamy Book Momma – Promo Post Splashes Into Books – Book Review/Excerpt
November 12th
Reading Is My SuperPower – Book Review
November 13th
Reading To Unwind – Book Review/Promo
November 14th
BookLoverWorm – Book Review Book Lover in Florida – Book Review/Promo
November 15th
Whispering Stories – Book Review/Excerpt
Tour Arranged by:
Joyful Antidotes 
Now I love a good mystery and this is something I would totally bypass in the shops if i saw it just because it doesn’t seem like something I would read, but the way you have explained it has actually spiked my interest! Great review!xx
Thanks a lot! I would have done the same but it really is such an enjoyable read.