Santa Overboard by Carolyn McBride is a cozy, quick holiday read that provided a quick lighthearted dose of holiday cheer like a holiday movie. Katie Young is living life in small-town Occoquan, preparing for a boat parade, and trying to make her new relationship with Deke work—if only he weren’t off in the Galapagos for the holidays! The story is cute and relaxing, but it doesn’t dive deep into major conflicts or emotions. The friend group was the highlight, I loved how they rallied around each other through life’s ups and downs. Their bond felt so genuine, and it was fun seeing how they helped Katie handle her holiday stress. The narration by Maria Marquis was great, and she really brought the characters to life, and I could easily tell who was speaking at any moment, which made the audiobook experience so much more enjoyable. All in all, Santa Overboard is a sweet, easy story that’s perfect for a quick read, I would recommend it looking for someone looking for that.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Make Waves Press for the audiobook ARC to preview.

This was a short story that is part of a series (I did not read the first book), which I picked up because I was in the mood for a quick holiday read. Unfortunately, I felt there were too many extraneous characters and things going on to be crammed into a novella, and it detracted from the overall story.

I appreciated the following elements: small town setting, more mature FMC seeking a second-chance romance, and that boating was such a plot point, as I am a boater myself. I also enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook.

However, I did not connect with the characters and felt the "conflict" arc between the FMC and her new boyfriend did not make sense. Basically, she was upset that he had to leave during the holidays for work. There were other plot points that left me perplexed as well, and I probably would not have finished the audiobook if it were not so short.

Thank you to NetGalley and Make Waves Press for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my review.

This cute little novella was a sweet romance that centered on a fifty something protagonist. I loved the supportive friend group in this story. However the characters seemed underdeveloped and the story itself seemed weak. The major conflict in the story seems to be that the boyfriend is going away for Christmas, and the main character feels slighted. she seems rather shallow. the novella is short and the story doesn't have time for any depth. Although the story is cute, and has a lot of funny moments, it is disjointed and there is too much mention of Covid. A sweet romance should be escapist, and I for one don't turn to that genre for reminders of the problems caused by Covid.

On the other hand If I could rate narration separately from writing, I would give Maria Marquis five stars. The character voices were distinctive and the acting was great. I will be happy to listen to more books that she reads.

This was a pretty typical and predictable romance novel, it was a short read which is good but honestly I struggled to focus on it. Nothing really kept me gripped in the story and I didn’t relate to any of the characters in this one.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy holiday read, give it a go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read an arc copy of this book.

I had to DNF this book as the amount of covid conversations was just too much, especially for a novel taking place in end of 2021. This felt less of a Christmas novel and more of a covid holiday guide. I have read other novels set during a pandemic but the mention of it is only there to explain the obstacles our main character needs to face. In the case of Santa Overboard, there were obstacles but also just random conversations as to why "grandma can't come for Christmas" which serve no purpose towards the overall plot and only lead to me being triggered at the mention of covid. Maybe this book will age well and generations who don't remember the pandemic will find this level of details interesting but for me it was just irksome.

Most of the story was sweet and enjoyable however seemingly every aspect of the plot had something to do with COVID. I read this at the end of 2024 (just a few months after it publication) and it already seems out-dated and unfortunately I think it will age worse and worse as time goes by.

Santa Overboard
Potomac Shores, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: The title and local vibes.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 12/20/24 - 12/22/24
Stars: 2.75 Stars
Narrator(s): Maria Marquis

The Characters:

Katie Young:
Deke
A menagerie of characters

The Story:

Writing: Good but confusing at times. Especially since so many characters were added so quickly and stories jumped back and forth rapidly.
Overall Interest: Shaky. If it weren’t so short I might not have finished it.
Length of Reading Time: Good.
Re-read-ability: No.

I really wanted to like this one but I had such a hard time following the story. I think I could have benefited from reading book 1. There were so many characters and several story arcs and I’m not sure I ever got a firm grasp on any of them. I loved Katie’s strong friendships and how her friends are coming together to build their dreams.

it was a fun and lighthearted book. i love the christmas vibe. it was my first book from this author but i think i might try more from her in the future.

Quick and easy read with holiday themes. It is the second in a series with many returning characters from the first book. There were character nuances I was unfamiliar with since I have only read this book. I enjoy stories set in the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. I recommend this book to readers looking for a simple story that mostly focuses on character development and a budding romance. The book is short so there aren't enough pages for it to be very deep.

This book just wasn't for me. This novella was part of a bigger series and I felt lost the whole time. I kept wishing that I had the full backstory.

As a middle aged woman, I love books with a middle age main character. Kate and her friends have such a wonderful bond and friendship. Of course lots of problems and twists and turns occur and the women navigate with grace and humor. Of course there is a love interest, a Santa costume and a boat. Isn't that the recipe for the perfect holiday story? This was a fun way to get in the holiday spirit. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are all my own.

This was a quick, holiday themed read. Overall, it was lighthearted and festive. I didn't really connect with the characters, which often felt one-dimensional. The novel could have used more consistency in terms of plot, as well. Elements of the story were underdeveloped or abandoned entirely. The story started off promising, but fell flat for me.

The audiobook was actually really good the narrator did her part and most of the star rating is due to this. However, something about this was all over the place. For starters, it kept mentioning the pandemic. Maybe it’s my personal preference to not consume books that specifically mention modern events or people and I thought I could deal but it just felt slightly forceful to me. Secondly, this did not feel like a cohesive piece of work. It felt as if so much was happening yet nothing at the same time. Like the author had so many ideas for a story that they decided to just throw it all together because ‘hey why not’.

Thank you @netgalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick holiday novella perfect for December drives to meet family.
I didn’t read or listen to the first book but was able to follow along with this one.
Unfortunately, it didn’t draw me in and I didn’t connect with the characters. I was left feeling slightly bored with the whole story.
This could have just been me, and not having the previous story as a guide.

I was enjoying this in the beginning, sadly near the middle and by the end it did not match for me. I enjoyed the friendships but that was really about it.

Katie is starting to care for Deke. He has to work every year on Christmas which Katie is having difficulty accepting. Katie is working on getting her captain’s license.

Katie has a very supportive friend’s group that rallies around her. This takes place during COVID which makes everything a bit more intense.

I think this is a great book to listen to on a long journey. It’s a cozy fun audiobook. Published September 2024
3.75 stars


Thank you NetGalley and Make Waves Press for this audio ARC copy for an honest review.

Book was not my cup of tea and was not aimed toward my demographic at all. This series is aimed toward women 35+ and I was not aware of them and am in my 20s so I could not relate to the characters at all.

Overall I could not find a reason for the plot. At first the FMC was upset, but did nothing to fix it and was just going to keep being sad over a guy. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

This was a pretty quick read with some nice holiday vibes but overall, it fell a little flat for me. The beginning was strong with a good hook but it fizzled. The plot didn't feel consistent and the romance just didn't hit the mark for me. It was an overall decent and quick listen but just not my favorite holiday read this season. Thanks for the ARC!

This book started strong and had good intentions. It played out a bit different than I expected.
I enjoyed the friendship aspect but it never quite caught the wave that made me fall in love.

"Santa Overboard" is a Christmas-themed story that revisits Katie Young from "Cicada Spring" and catches us up on what's going on with all her friends.

Since I really enjoyed "Cicada Spring," I was thrilled to discover this is a sequel to it. But as much as I enjoyed reading it, this one didn't resonate with me as much as the first one did. Katie's response to Deke's research trip, which was planned long before they got together, was immature. I get that she's gun-shy after her last relationship went to incredibly sideways, but it just seemed a bit much.

I did enjoy the new characters that were introduced though and look forward to seeing Bonfire BLU come together in a future story.

Thank you to Carolyn McBride, Make Waves Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.