A Christmas cracker from Tracy Bloom.

This laugh out loud comedy brought me all the Christmas feels. Jolene, a graduate trainee, finds herself catapulted into the world of council finance just before the Christmas season. She is looking forward to high jinks, christmas parties and plenty of ho ho ho but finds herself amongst a team of people who might just be ready to give Christmas up altogether. She makes it her mission to bring back the Christmas spirit and help her colleagues navigate the season.

Thoroughly lovely read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a while to warm up to this book to be honest, however as I found out more about the backstories to each character, I began to enjoy the story a bit more. I guessed the deeper 'connections' quite early on which I found amusing more than anything, although the ending held a nice surprise. It gathered pace, but not my favourite christmas 2024 read.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Hilarious from start to finish!

This was Tracy Bloom at her comedic very best! But in amongst the humour there is a heartwarming story about a group of people that work in a council accounts department, who have been tasked with trying to work out the real value of Christmas and whether they can cancel it the next year.

Jolene is excited for her first ever job in the adult world of work, only to get to the office on her first day and it not really being anything like she imagined. Not only that she is my sort of person being a Disney and Christmas loving adult - something her new colleagues weren't as sure about.

But Jolene does come up with a great concept for the office - a secret santa project where her idea is for them to all do one good deed for their chosen person to help make their Christmas, and to spend no money doing so.

We get chapters from all of the characters points of view, and get to really know all of them quite well, and it was interesting to see how their lives connect away from the office in ways they aren't even aware of.

I really enjoyed seeing all of these characters develop over the course of the story and I was totally invested in all of their lives.

A fabulous assortment of down to earth, relatable characters, set to a backdrop of Christmas, and the possibility of Christmas magic.

Good seasonal fun that I totally adored.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is my first Tracy Bloom book and I loved it!

It was genuinely funny with some laugh out loud moments, it was heartwarming and everything I wanted in a Christmas read.

The Secret Santa Project is an easy seasonal read which is a bit different than the usual feelgood books written around the Christmas season.

When Jolene, a christmas-aholic, starts a new job at the local council office she soon realises that she is working with an office full of grinches who are trying to cancel Christmas. Trying to change the way they think, she sets about bringing Christmas back to her joyless new colleagues with a Secret Santa to end all Secret Santa’s that could not only make their Christmas but it could also change their lives.

I went into this book hoping for some Christmas cheer but it was a bit gloomy, not as funny as I hoped it would be and a bit silly. The character of Grace was way over the top for a supposedly 7 year old girl but Yang and Diane more than made up for that with their down to earth characters. I am sure some readers will love this book but for me it was just ok.

3 stars ***

This one was a slow burner for me, there was so much going on with each character that it was hard to keep up. After persevering through the first part of the book thoug,h the characters really grew on me and the storylines started to really peak my interest.

I have given this a 3.5 rounded to a 4

Christmas Spirit..
Christmastime, a local council office, an unlikely group of people thrown together by circumstance and a Secret Santa situation. When Jolene, a trainee, arrives she is nonplussed to discover that her working colleagues have absolutely zero interest in the Christmas spirit. But, everything is about to change. Enjoyable, big hearted comedy with a cast of credible characters and a well crafted backdrop. Amusing and endearing whilst never losing sight of the trials of tribulations of real life.

I think this is the first Tracy Bloom novel I've read but it definitely won't be my last as I loved this one! It follows a group of people who all work in a council office and we see them in the run up to Christmas. They all have distinct characters and issues in their lives, and I enjoyed getting to know each of them. We learn about their relationship problems, grief, the difficulties that come with being a single parent, and the yearning for love. Jolene is the new girl in the office and she loves Christmas so she has the idea of a secret Santa but instead of spending money they all do something for the person they get that will make a difference in their lives. I adored this idea and loved seeing how the plans come together. The novel is building to a certain conclusion and I loved that, it made me feel safe and comforted as I was read and it warmed my heart. This year has been really hard for me and The Secret Santa Project is the first book I've read that has made me feel really comforted. It's festive and fun and just a gorgeous read all round. I highly recommend this one!

This is my second Tracy Bloom book and was so excited to start this book and it did not disappoint.
Jolene is starting her new job as a graduate trainee at her local council. She is expecting plenty of festive cheer but is shocked to find her new colleagues have no interest in Christmas.
Jolene decides to set up a secret Santa and by doing this and getting to know them she totally transforms her colleagues lives.
Without giving away any spoilers this book was just brilliant and was full of humour while also exploring lots of more serious themes.
The characters were excellent and I really felt like I was part of the office team. The ending was just perfect and had me in tears.
Thanks to NetGalley, Tracy Bloom and Harper Collins for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

This is the perfect festive read, following the festive build up of six work colleagues and the fears and worries they all have as they approach Christmas. I devoured this book and loved everything about it, it’s funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming and just what you need on a cosy day. Huge 5 stars from me.

A holiday story about Jolene, a kind young woman who starts a new job at Bermondsey Council just before Christmas. She notices that her office lacks festive cheer, so she suggests a Secret Santa Project where everyone can do good deeds instead of giving gifts. Set in London, the story shows the struggles of everyday people during the holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and author Tracy Bloom for this eARC

When I requested this arc on netgalley I expected a cute, feel-good christmas romance. And some parts of it are just that, but The Secret Santa Project is so much more.
It's a story about friendship, love, acceptance and also grief that leaves you feeling warm, cozy and in the perfect christmas mood.
And I know it is mentioned in the blurb, but I have to say it again, because it's just so true - if you love Love Actually this is a must read for you!
4.5 stars

I love a Tracy Bloom and this book was no exception!

Absolute feel good festive fiction, set in a relatable environment with relatable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of the side stories as well as the main plot, and it made a change not to be fixated on a Christmas romance.

I felt the characters were facing realistic issues in the lead up to the 25th of December which Bloom dealt with sensitively whilst retaining the lightness required for this genre.

Would highly recommend if you're looking for an amusing, easy read over the holiday season!

What a lovely feel good read which I would highly recommend. The council office workers feel that the whole idea of Christmas and secret Santa is tiring and fills them with dread, however this year may be different. The idea is to do something for your recipient to make them feel good or cheer them up and the result makes work colleagues into dear friends.

Without going into the plot which would ruin this for potential readers but has a lovely tone, great characters and some wry humour which I very much enjoyed. There may also have been a tear near the end.

Jolene is excited for the office secret Santa this year. The office workers were a delightful bunch and the plot of this festive journey had me laughing hard. The author has written a charming Christmas tale.

I absolutely adored this Love Actually style festive treat. It features 6 people working in the same office and a secret Santa twist. In this project, instead of getting presents each one gifts a free treat or good deed. I loved this idea and , although I loved all of the characters, Barney and Jolene were my favourite. I love this so much I will be re-reading over the Christmas break.

The Secret Santa Project is a move away from Tracy Bloom's usual style, but it works really well. Rather than focusing on one central character, we meet a whole cast of them, colleagues in fact. Diane is the stressed out boss and Jolene is the new fresh-faced starter, with Stacey, Yang, Barney and Jerry making up the team. Jolene comes up with a twist on Secret Santa, with each team mate gifting their recipient a free treat that will really make their Christmas.

What transpires is a humourous, heartwarming and truly festive journey, with some surprising connections and plenty of Christmas charm!

Loved this! It took me a little while to warm to the characters, but I'm so glad I persevered, especially as everyone turned out to be a real joy in the end - especially Jolene (I'm sure every office has had someone like her!). Beautifully plotted, with some twists I did not see coming. Sure to melt Christmas joy into the hearts of even the most dedicated Scrooge.

There are no words to describe how much I absolutely loved this book - it is perfect for fans of the Holiday and Love Actually and is the perfect Xmas themed book. It made me laugh and cry, just perfect!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

The story is about six people, they all work at the same council office. They each pick a name out of hat, but, instead of choosing a gift for the person whose name they’ve picked, they have to do a good deed as their secret Santa.

I loved the characters, Jolene and Barney.

The story was a joy to read, with lots of humour and kept you turning the pages.

I recommend this book.