First off, I really liked the narrator. So many audiobooks have been ruined for me because of the narrator. I will definitely be looking forward to more audiobooks narrated by Maria Marquis.

The story was a fluffy holiday romance. I’m a sucker for these. They always get ya right in the feels when you need it. The storyline for this tale in particular fell a little flat for me. There was a bit too much muddling around in the middle, but I can still connect the beginning to the end. I will definitely read a few more books by Caroline McBride to give a fair chance.

loved the quick cozy holiday read. was exactly what i needed to get out of the daker books I've been reading lately .
the friend group was amazing reminds me of sex and the city all grown up . the narrator was AMAZING

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Make Waves Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Spoiler: The friendship group was to die for.

I think that was my favourite aspect of this book. I loved the friendship between the women, and the way they always supported each other through thick and thin. Their bond felt very genuine. The narrator also did a great job bringing the characters to life. I could easily tell who was speaking, and honestly, it really made me feel like I was a part of that group.

At the opposite side, I did not love the romance. At first I was really excited about Katie, the main character, being in her 50s. I did, however, feel like her and Deke were lacking chemistry. They were so in love and happy, but to me it felt a bit lacking. Unlike the friendship group, it didn't feel that genuine. Also, his name being Deke gave me the ick. I'm sorry, I cannot ignore it.

The main conflict also didn't feel very strong, and it could all have been solved with a conversation and some therapy. They could have celebrated the holidays a different weekend. She felt very hurt that he was leaving, but instead of expressing that, she was being short and snappy. Again, could have easily been solved by just talking to each other.

And then there was the pandemic references. I get that the author wanted to really show how the world had changed and it made sense with the timeline, but it felt like COVID popped up a bit too much for me. A lot of readers might look to escape the pandemic reminders in what they consume, and it just felt like a lot.

Still, overall it was a cute book that got me into the Christmas book.

Santa Overboard is the second installment of Carolyn Mcbride's cozy romance novels. While this is not my normal cup of tea, it was a simple, cozy, and clean romance novel. I couldn't resonate with the lead character as much as I could have due to the character's age and life. However, the character was written well and I am sure it would have been better if it was a character of my age. The romance was clean as well.

Quick 3hr audiobook which is always great for quick work.

Reminded me a lot like Grace and Frankie from Netflix, but at Christmas. A couple of old gals that like to go boating and are very much apart of their small towns festivities.

Honestly thought this was very cute. It’s not my usual read, but it was quick for what I needed.

Kate is a 50+ aged lady, she’s gone thru divorce, her life being up ended and trying to navigate what it is she really wants from life after watching her own children leave and attend college. She surrounds herself with a group of like minded friends and decide they’re going to decorate their boats for the holiday season. There’s not a whole lot of a storyline, plot. It’s just a good cosy read. The narrator has a nice soothing voice making it feel cosy too.

Whilst it was a short and easy read, this book just wasn't for me. Set in a world with COVID (and frequent references to it), this Christmas romance was lacking both Christmassy atmosphere and romance. I didn't enjoy the story and I didn't like the characters - the ones I could tell apart, at least, as there's multiple K names and very little to them. It was cringey and at best cliche, with 'wine mum' humour that had me rolling my eyes throughout. The romance was subpar, borderline problematic, and frankly Katie and Kendal would've been much better suited for each other than the unfortunate men they dated. I'm probably not the target audience for it, with the main character being double my age, but I imagine fans of hallmark cringe will enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book follows Katie as she navigates life post pandemic and trying to make her relationship with Deke work.

I feel like not much happened while listening to this. Katie has been divorced three times, starting a new romance. She’s cautious about her budding relationship with Deke. She gets upset when he says he’s going away for the holiday. Makes her question their whole relationship. That’s about it I struggled to feel the connection between the two characters. I did enjoy her relationship with her daughter and friends more. Was fun to hear about all their Christmas traditions.

Personally I don’t want to read about Covid because I had to live through it. Maybe I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first book, my fault for not realizing this was #2 in the series.

I thought the narrator did a great job though. Quick cozy cute Christmas listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Carolyn McBride’s Santa Overboard offers a cozy, feel-good holiday read with a mix of humor, heart, and midlife self-discovery. Set in the charming small town of Occoquan, this rom-com focuses on Katie Young, a single mom navigating a flurry of holiday chaos, a blossoming romance, and unexpected challenges as she settles into a new chapter of her life. The story blends lighthearted mishaps—like a swimming Santa—with emotional depth, making it an enjoyable mix of fun and sentimentality. While the premise is charming, the plot follows familiar holiday rom-com tropes, which may leave seasoned readers of the genre wanting more surprises .Some moments feel overly drawn out, particularly in the lead-up to key events, while other storylines could benefit from more depth, such as the dynamic between Katie and her holiday-averse love interest, Deke.

Santa Overboard is a delightful seasonal escape for readers who enjoy small-town romance, holiday cheer, and stories of personal growth. While it doesn’t stray far from genre conventions, its heartfelt themes and spirited setting make it a worthwhile read for fans of cozy rom-coms.

I love love, love that this took place in a town, not too far from me and I could imagine all the scenes perfectly however, I didn’t read the first book and found myself very lost. I’m sure this would be a very cute read if you would read the first book in the series, but unfortunately it is not a standalone..

This is a cute Christmas romcom with some throwback to the infamous year of 2021. I really liked learning more about the spider traditions.
I thought the narrator did a good job and I wasn't feeling cringy with the voices as I sometimes do. Cute and quick listen!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun holiday read. I really loved how the characters were vulnerable about their feelings surrounding the holidays and how to blend traditions together. I loved the characters and wanted this to be a longer book just so I could spend more time with them all. I loved the setting and wanted to spend more time in the town.

Santa Overboard was such a cute Christmasy novel. I haven’t read very many books like this, but I real enjoyed listening to a relationship where the couple was a little bit older and had struggles in their previous marriages. It had the right amount of keeping it intriguing yet also, being a bit cheesy without it being predictable. I loved all of the Christmas time traditions between Katie and Belle…it reminded me of my childhood with my own mom. There was one spicy scene so I just skipped that chapter when listening to the audiobook. But overall, cute Christmas romance novel between Katie and Deke.

2.75 / 3 ⭐️

this one missed the make for me, unfortunately. I initially picked this up because the cover is adorable and I’ve been wanting to read all the holiday romances as well enter December. With that the overall idea is the book was cute. I liked the idea of the plot and the characters but i feel like it all fell a little flat for me.

I wanted more chemistry between the MCs and the lack of chemistry made it hard to be emotionally attached to their romance and the story. I felt like the overall conflict felt a little disjointed as well.

I felt like I was checking the audio to see how long I had left way too often and that’s a downside to me. I want to be so emerssed in the story that it flys by / i don’t want it to end.

I think the story needed to be longer and more thought out. I did enjoy the narrators - I added a star to bump it up to 3 ⭐️ due to them.

Overall, i don’t know that i would recommend this book to my peers. I’m sorry! If you loved this book I absolutely love that for you & i’m so glad it’s getting flowers from those who enjoyed it.

This was a quick holiday read, which made it nice to read in between other things. It didn't really have a huge story line in my opinion, so it was easy to just go with the flow. I did enjoy the narration, I thought that she did a good job distinguishing between the characters.

Covid is mentioned several times in this book, which was kind of a bummer. I thought it was interesting that they were brave enough to go on a cruise after the pandemic. Thank you to Netgalley, Make Waves Press, and Carolyn McBride for an Arc of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

On the audio alone I would give it a 3.5 stars.
for the story a 2 stars.

This was just simply not for me.
There were moments when I just shook my head and said nope out loud. (which is really awkward in a store lol )

There were phrases in the book that I just did not care for.
I also did not like the fml

I dont want to pick this book apart simply because I can see someone liking this story.

A Christmas catastrophe on sea! Single Katie can't wait to use her ferry boat to showcase the towns Santa. But when the day comes Santa falls overboard. Can she fix this?

The narrator of the book was great, the book storyline fell short to keep me fully entertained.

Thank you for allowing to have an advanced reader copy of this audiobook.

Now this was a cute novella, although the narrating was excellent, the plot fell flat for me unfortunately. It is witty and fun, but it wasn't for me!

A wonderful short story for the holidays!

I appreciate the lightheartedness, the wit and fun.
I’d recommend to anyone who’s looking for the same.

Thanks for the opportunity to provide my feedback.

A cute, quick read, with quips of humor and relatable characters.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy!

<b>Thank you to Make Waves Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this audiobook. Here are my honest thoughts and review.</b>

This book was a predictable holiday novella. While I appreciated certain aspects, the overall plot fell flat for me, leaving me somewhat disappointed.

What stood out, however, was the representation of the FMCs as adult women rather than the more common trope of women in their early 20s—we love to see it! The true highlight of the story for me was the friendship dynamic within the group. Their relationships felt authentic and not just thrown together to serve the plot. I love it when side characters have distinct personalities and make a genuine impact.

As for the holiday elements, the small-town setting and its charming traditions were enjoyable, but the story as a whole didn’t resonate with me. There were moments where it felt like too much was happening without anything meaningful actually taking place. Ultimately, I’m left confused and disappointed, though I’m glad it was a short listen.

<b>The Narration</b>
The narration by <b>Maria Marquis</b> was excellent and truly a saving grace. This was my first audiobook narrated by her, and I was blown away. Her delivery was captivating, making each character sound unique and their emotions come to life. Her performance elevated the material and kept me engaged despite my misgivings with the story.

<b>Tropes</b>
Small-town 🏡
Second-chance 💔🔄
Slow-burn 🔥⏳

Overall, while this book wasn’t for me, fans of cozy holiday novellas may enjoy the blend of romance, friendship, and holiday traditions.