I found this book to be adorable and charming. It got a little slow towards the end, but overall it was such a cozy feel good book. I like that the location wasn’t your typical winter wonderland and that the couple falling in love was older. I enjoy reading books about different perspectives and your non typical people falling in love.

Overall this was a 3.5/5 for me. Could have been a little spicier but I will be reading the others in this series. I appreciated the author truly bringing the characters to life.

Santa Overboard: A Potomac Shores Holiday by Carolyn McBride
Narrated by Maria Marquis
Women’s Fiction | 2nd in the Potomac Shores Series
3.5 Stars rounded up
My thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links.

Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride is the second book in the Potomac Shores Series. While it can stand alone, it’s best enjoyed if you start with The Cicada Spring.

The series follows Katie, a single, empty-nest mom who’s had her share of bad luck with men and recently lost her mother to COVID. Returning to her hometown along the Potomac River, Katie finds support from her group of mature, diverse friends, “The Beach Bonfire Babes,” who are always there for each other. Katie’s romantic relationship with Deke, (which started in The Cicada Spring) however, feels stagnant due to her past experiences.

“How do I know all these amazing entrepreneurial women? Katie asked. "It’s not we Katie, it’s you. You brought us all together and tapped into our hidden talents.”

The story revolves around the boating culture, and in this holiday novella, Katie, working toward her Captain’s license, runs the town’s holiday boat parade—which doesn’t go quite as planned. The events occur during the height of the pandemic, likely Christmas 2020. While I appreciated the realistic references to COVID in The Cicada Spring, here, the pandemic is mentioned so often that it becomes distracting. Carolyn McBride’s writing reflects the intense focus on COVID that marked that time, but the frequent reminders dampen the lighter moments.

“Coming of Age isn’t just for young people. I feel like we’re starting over again but with experience.”

Likes:
•The Beach Bonfire Babes and their friendship scenes
•Katie’s daughter being home for the holidays
•A unique Christmas setting focused on boating
•Older characters
•Realistic relationships and interactions

Dislikes:
•The cover is adorable—but the story isn’t. I don’t mean it’s a bad story, it’s just not cutesy. And while there were some light and fun moments, it’s not a romcom, and this makes it look like one. The cover should coordinate with The Cicada Spring. This one doesn’t fit the tone of the book.
•If there was a little reminder here or there that it’s COVID, no problem. But it was mentioned SO MANY TIMES that you could have made a fun drinking game for every time she mentioned Covid or the pandemic.
•The plot is light and lacks major developments.

The Narration:
Maria Marquis’s mature voice suits the lead and her friends perfectly, but her narration may have emphasized the emotional aspects more than the humor in the story.

The Down & Dirty:
If you read The Cicada Spring by Carolyn McBride I think you’ll really enjoy Santa Overboard. If you are looking for a later-in-life romance, this leans to Women’s Fiction more than romance, but we do get some romance. I wish I saw more storylines revolving around her friends or her romance and way less mentions of Covid.

Rating: 3.5 Stars, 4 Narration

This was a cute short story set around holiday time of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I did enjoy that the main characters where older. I loved the friendship connection that she has with the Beach Bonfire Babes, a group of women all starting over in life. I just loved how Deke is kinda shy and using index cards to get his thoughts out on paper.

I read this story as a standalone. I did not read the first book, but will be reading it soon.

Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride.

This is the second book in the Potomac Shores series but you can quite easily read it as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley for my audio of this book.

You don’t normally associate spiders and cobwebs with Christmas but according to Ukrainian folklore finding a spider or spiderweb on your Christmas tree is considered good luck. According to legend a poor widow didn’t have any money to buy gifts for her children. That evening a spider spun cobwebs over a tree and the next morning it glistened in the morning sun and they were blessed with riches.
In the story the author mentions seeing spider webs a few times in the book.

Fifty something thrice divorced Katie has recently moved to the small town situated on the Potomac River and she has found a group of friends which call themselves the Beach Bonfire Babes. In this story we follow Katie and her blossoming romance with Deke, until her tells her he won’t be around for Christmas.

Katie has also been asked to lead the boat parade and usher Santa to the town dock with all sorts of mayhem ensuing.

This was a sweet story to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Santa Overboard was a good and quick novella that will put the reader in the mood for Christmas. I appreciated that this story centered around characters who were more mature but still showed that relationship issues exist at any age. The Christmas season on the Potomac was a great backdrop for this story. Overall, I enjoyed learning about the characters, and it was a fun and enjoyable novella with a happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Maria Marquis narrate the book, she brought the characters to life with a variety of accents. Thank you, Make Waves Press, and NetGalley for this ALC. All opinions are my own.

This book is good it is a sequel but can be read by itself. The main female character is done well but a little too trusting of people. I enjoyed the main male character and their relationship. The character growth was done well and relatable. . Unfortunately I don’t think I will continue this series because it feels like every other cozy. Mystery I have read. It was goof though

I really appreciated the age representation in this book and the emphasis on female friendships! I did find it harder to connect with the women in this book because there wasn’t much I could relate to in terms of experience but I appreciate that books like this are being written. The narrative style was easy to follow and the story was fun.

Santa Overboard follows Katie, a woman in her 50s navigating romance, friendships, grief, and work setbacks in a small town after the COVID-19 pandemic. Maria Marquis narrates the audiobook in the third person and does a great job distinguishing each character. Her narration matched the tone of the story well, though I sped it up to 1.25x for a smoother pace.

Having a rom-com protagonist in her 50s was new for me, and even though Katie’s experiences weren’t entirely relatable to me, I did appreciate seeing a different perspective. However, the frequent references to COVID-19 and its effects sometimes felt repetitive and could have been woven more subtly.

Overall, Santa Overboard is a quick, lighthearted holiday audiobook for anyone interested in a rom-com about a woman in midlife handling her own challenges in a post-pandemic world. Thank you, NetGalley, for the audiobook!

This was a quick and sweet story. I might say refreshing to read about an older woman in her 50’s who is a single mother. There was some really sweet moments of family traditions around the holidays, as well as the story about a spider and its web as decorations and what the meaning is. That really touched me.

However, I feel the plot was lacking and there were many side characters where it became too much to follow. There was also a very repetitive nature involving the topic of Covid and all the different variations of it. I understand the main characters mother passed from Covid, but there comes a time when mentioning it constantly becomes too much. If it was a couple times here and there, I would be fine with that. But it got to the point where it was hard for me to get back into the story when I already heard it soooo many times prior. Too many times to count. I would have enjoyed it more without the constant mention…

Carolyn McBride's Santa Overboard is a charming holiday read that combines romance and mystery against a unique backdrop-the Potomac shores. The story centers on Katie, a woman recovering from a tough year marked by personal loss and relationship struggles. Now living back in her hometown of Occoquan, she finds herself navigating the complexities of family, a budding romance with a man named Deke, and a series of unexpected challenges that culminate with her unexpected role in delivering the town Santa by boat. McBride's warm portrayal of friendships and strong female bonds adds depth, making this story about love, community, and second chances a satisfying seasonal choice. Fans of heartfelt, small-town holiday tales with a sprinkle of humor and intrigue will find this book a lovely fit for cozy winter reading.

I listened to this thanks to Makes waves press who provided me an audio copy via NetGalley.

All I can say is if you like stories with little storyline and minimal drama then this might be more your thing. I'm glad it was short and I was listening to it because I could not have got through it otherwise. We have a story about a 50 something old triple divorced woman who has gone through her trauma with it all and is starting a new romance. They have gone at it slow and cautiously but when he has to go away for Christmas for research work she does NOT take it well. That's pretty much as dramatic as it gets. She meets a new friend, decides to go into business with her and poof everything gets resolved and tied up in a bow.
Slow paced and sorry to say but boring. There is also a LOT of CoViD mentioned and whilst I get that is meant to be set in covid time I'm guessing Xmas 2021? I wasn't keen on being reminded of it all so in general it was a big PASS from me.

Santa Overboard is a fun little book about a woman in her golden years starting over, finding new love, learning to let her heart trust in someone once again. It is a story of found family, and perseverance even in light of trials and hardships.

This was such a fun, quick listen and I really enjoyed Katie's relationships, with her girlfriends, Kendall, and her daughter, and of course with Deke, it was so interesting to see a love story develop between older characters who are living in their 'second act', but still have so much left to live.

While I times, I found the story to be a bit overloaded with secondary characters and world building details, I was able to see through it to the heart of the story, which I found really rich and inviting!

A special mention of the author's note at the end of the recording, encouraging readers to contribute to the bookish space by leaving thoughtful reviews, even on books that weren't for you.

I was excited to listen to this audiobook from netgalley. It was a short listen, but never really caught my attention. I found myself struggling to remember which character was which. I see that this is a #2 in a series and I can only suspect that had I read book 1 prior, I would have had more of a connection to the characters.
I did like the cute cozy christmasy vibes and the setting sounded absolutely beautiful based on descriptions. The narrator of the audiobook also had a wonderful voice and made the book into a very easy listen/read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Santa Overboard
by Carolyn McBride Book 2 in the Potomac Shores Series (audioversion)

Short listen just a tad over 3 hours, the storyline was ok, a tab bit repetitive with the COVID references, which maybe is just too soon for me to relive. Christmas vibes and speaking of the traditions was about the only thing the story had going for it, I really struggled to get into the storyline or characters which admittedly is hard with such a short book.

Only four hours but it dragged on. Everyone’s name starts with K it was confusing. It’s 2024 and this book says Covid or pandemic more times than I’ve heard in the last two years. The main character Katie has no real growth, she made a big stink about her new bf going away for work over the holidays and only trusted him when he came back early to be with her. He was entirely too good for her. Everyone around Katie was too good for her, including the woman they rescued (her name starts with K). That was a very random nonsensical way to meet someone.
Also two Santas falling overboard is too much.
This book was very American, strong USA pride vibes, not my cup of tea.
Too many characters not enough believability growth or development

This was a cute lighthearted cozy mystery romance. It was enjoyable but a little forgettable. I liked the characters and had a fun time don’t know if I would continue with the series as they are a little to short for me but could see you enjoying it if you are looking for a quick cute lighthearted cozy story.I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I give this 2.5 rounded up to 3. I think the ending was the best part. I sat steady at a 2 the entire book. It was hard to listen to a book say “COVID” or “pandemic” or “vaccination” so many times especially when we have moved past that. I also chose this book because the cover was hilarious but I felt like I was sad a majority of the book. It touched a lot on divorced families and spending holidays alone without your children and that is a trigger for me. I did enjoy the look into their own family traditions and how different cultures celebrate. I have not read the previous book in this series and I think that may have helped me to see these characters as more loveable. Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

These 2 lovebirds had me swooning. My heart kept aching four our MMC Deke, and the southern accent, by jolly I had to bust out my fan. I think everyone does a love interest like Deke and our FMC Katie certainly does.

After 3 failed marriages, giving love a second chance to hard, Katie is not only learning to trust someone with her heart but also with her soul. That's a scary leap to take.

In the beginning, I didn't understand the title as this book started in November and then led into December. It only become apparent to me after we met Kendal and they had the idea of doing the parade together, I made a massive Ooooo sound that it finally clicked for me.

I shared a fair few chuckles whilst listening to the audiobook and the narration was utter perfection.

I couldn't have asked for a better book to start off the christmas cheer.

Such a good read, its short its cute and it made me feel all flutter inside, although that could be the eggnog I'm drinking! LOL.

Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride.
This is a cute fast story with no real conflict or action, other than minor occurrences.
Despite the fast paced story, adorable moments, and the different age group I’m not used to listening to I feel like it fell flat with the COVID storyline. I get why it was there but I’d have enjoyed it so much more without it. However I did find it enjoyable enough to finish. The banter kept it going till the end.

This book is a fun mystery story set in a small town by the Potomac River. It's easy to read and understand.

What I liked:

The main characters are strong women who are going through life changes and dealing with friendship.
The book describes the place really well, even though I've never been there.
What I didn't like:

The book mentions COVID-19 a lot, which I didn't like. I understand why it's there, but it felt like too much.
The main problem in the story is about how to spend the holidays, which seems a bit selfish and not very important.
Overall:

It's a good book with characters that you can relate to. I might even put a spider on my Christmas tree this year!