Today we attempt to answer the question: does the Elf on the Shelf belong in a romance novel? I mean, I personally don’t like to be spied on, but you do you.
Title: Big Nick Energy
Author: Morgan Elizabeth
Vibe: Age-gap romance between an instantly-in-love Christmas tree farmer and a younger, divorced mother-of-two who has really good reasons (all due to her abusive, manipulative ex-husband) not to leap into a relationship.
Thoughts: Most of the reviews I read of this mentioned the charming “hero drives an hour each way every night to set up an Elf on the Shelf for the heroines daughters” part, and that is utterly charming and unexpectedly romantic. A man who takes responsibility (in the most over-the-top way) to owning the accident of mentioning that to two girls, thereby potentially shoving yet another responsibility onto a single mom’s shoulders? Yeah, I’m here for it.
But actually, what will stay with me from this one is how well the author depicted motherhood: the exhaustion. The ferocious love. The constant worry that you’re not doing enough, or not doing it right. The feeling that everyone else in the world is watching, judging, or carelessly thinking up more shit you need to do or buy or bake in order for your children to have a good childhood. Amazingly well-captured.
Taste:
“We’re a team. Santa’s team of magic makers,” he says with ease, like it’s the obvious answer, and I just don’t get it. I don’t get why he’s spending so much on this, time and money and energy. Why he’s devoting time, during what I can only assume is an incredibly busy time in his year, to two girls and a single mom to whom he has no attachment. (p. 60)
Verdict: Caution advised if you’ll be triggered by depictions of an abusive, manipulative ex-husband continuing to stalk the heroine. But it’s a really fun read (in spite of that!) with a satisfying outcome, and no on-the-page abuse occurs. I would definitely read it again (and I already own a physical copy).
Fuggy Hoff, NL 