Small town, holiday themed, strong female characters in 40s-60s!!! Great presentation of women "of a certain age" supporting one another and being real! A bit of suspense and a bit of yearning, but I appreciated the female bonds, rediscovering yourself, and pulling together of the community just as much as the romance. The only thing that I did not like was the narrator attempting various male voices, but that's a personal pet peeve of mine.

One I don't post a bad review. The book was overly predictable. By the midpoint, the outcome was quite clear. Additionally, I did not find myself engaged with the characters.

2.5 Stars
This book picks up right where "The Cicada Spring" left off. However, I think this book could be read as a standalone for the Christmas season as well!

The author and her editors definitely took note of feedback from her first book. The Beach Bonfire Babes were a highlight in the first book and have now become an even larger focus in this short novella.This friend group was a personal favorite of mine, so I am happy to see this shift. The author also picked up the pace in this book compared to the first, which suited the novella format well and was a huge improvement considering how slow the first book felt. The narrator continues to do a wonderful job bringing Katie's voice to life!

While the story was fun, I don't think the story was for me. The author has sadly abandoned some of the hallmarks that made her book so unique in an attempt to reach a wider audience (which, from the average rating on Goodreads, it appears to have failed miserably). The author has shifted the Beach Bonfire Babes away from Bible studies to only casual conversations that start with prayer. The overall tone of the book also seems to have set faith and Christian conversations to the side. The author even included scenes of the main couple having premarital sex when I feel like I distinctly remember a large focus of the first book being Katie and her (now ex) husband waiting to have sex until they were married, even though they were in their 50s and both had previously been married. It just seems like an odd choice to change those morals now, given that it felt like a large feature in the first book from what I remember (given my memory could be incorrect). Also, Deke sounds very creepy in this book compared to the last. He went from sounding so sweet and considerate in the first book to sounding pretentious and sex obsessed.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read with a pretty fast-paced, lighthearted plot. However, considering the tone shift, I don't think I will be continuing the series in the future. I love that the first book felt so distinctly unique with a focus on wildlife preservation and Christianity/faith. Sadly, those features seem like they may be a much smaller focus in the books moving forward.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ALC of this book

I have always been a sucker for romcoms and something funny so seeing the cover I was instantly intrigued, the story was OK and to me didn't go anywhere that pulled me in and fill invested in the characters, did I read it in one sitting yes but it just wasn't for me.

A woman always falling in love too fast looking to do things differently and steal falling into the same trap haha

It's sweet but takes a while to get into

I did not enjoy this book. Part of my problem was I did not realize that this was the second book in a series and so there were SO many characters that were just mentioned and I didn't really know who they were. That being said I thought the main character was slightly annoying and immature for a 50 year old woman. I thought the book jumped all over the place and the events of the book were disjointed. Maybe reading the first book would have resolved some of these issue for me but overall this book was not for me.

I didn't have a great time reading this. My main annoyance is the number of times COVID is mentioned. It just felt unnecessary to me. The main characters are older which I typically do not like in a romance. The audiobook narrator was ok but a little cringe when the male voice was done. The Christmas vibes were pretty good but overall, this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and author for an ARC of this audiobook. #NetGalley #SantaOverboard

First things first - I continue to be amazed at the ability of these characters to appreciate sounds that are…shall we say acquired tastes? After the blaring cicadas in the last book, this round of romance involves the bonging of a grandfather clock, evoking memories of being awakened every fifteen minutes when visiting clock-loving relatives. I can’t wait for the air horn symphony in the next one.

Seriously, though - I’m looking forward to this series hitting its stride. There was a bit more interaction with the other beach babes this go-round - although we never did check back in with Rhiannon- and I’m hopeful that the rapid pairing off that filled this book will set the stage for future installments focused more on the friendships and business partnerships and less on the men in their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

santa overboard - Carolyn McBride
3 ⭐️

the FMC is a more older and mature character
this book is the 2nd book in the Potomac Shores series. However i have not read the first book which i didn't really think it was necessary with it only being a short book! I was fine picking up all of the details from the previous book.
In my opinion i think that is as too heavily focused on covid, the book is set in 2021 when it was still such a large topic but it made me get annoyed when covid was brought up again further in the story, if you are sensitive around this topic i would choose a different book. another improvement would be that the plot could be more focused to go somewhere. I just felt like nothing was moving and there was no initial goal.
overall, easy and cosy read perfect for your christmasy shelf. enjoy with some hot chocolate and snacks!
merry christmas and a happy new year x

i would like to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC! (advanced reader copy). this review will be on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Santa Overboard was a quick read, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet my expectations. The book lacked the mystery element I was hoping for, and the frequent references to COVID felt out of place and distracting rather than adding to the story. While it was an easy book to get through, it didn’t offer much in terms of plot or engagement.

This was a cute story but it didn't really engross me like I hoped. The narration was good, Thanks for the ARC, it was great to listen to a "clean" story while in the car.

This was my first audiobook ARC and it did not disappoint.

I found it interesting that the author decided to point out that this book took place Post Covid times and referenced how things were beginning to open up again. It allows the reader to go back to a very specific time period to put themselves in the mind of the main character.

Another thing I thought was more unique was that the main character wasn't a hot young 20 something, but a woman in her 50's who had been married before and has grown kids. Spice level wise, it was probably a 2/5 but the story was so good enough that I didn't really miss it, when it wasn't there.

I liked that after the book, the author took the time to wish the reader/listener a Happy Holidays and to stress the importance of leaving a review, even if the book isn't something you normally read. Hearing the author say they take the time to read each and every review, really made it clear that her book was a work of the heart and that she really cares about it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook ARC of this book! Santa Overboard is the second book in a series. I wish I had had the chance to read the first book, as I think some context and background was established in that storyline that I was missing while listening to this second book in the series. Overall, this was a short and sweet little holiday installment in the Potomac Shores series. While I was jumping into the world and learning as we went, I really enjoyed hearing about Katie's developing relationship with Deke, seeing her friendship blossom with a new friend, and the overall atmosphere of the cozy little town. Overall I agree with what some of the other reviews here say, where it just felt like because it was so short, it was lacking some depth or further exploration of characters, like you'd expect in a series as it goes on. There were some plot holes, yes, but honestly for what this book is, it's not too irritating (like if you were to compare to some of the bigger promoted series out there where plot holes are glaring). If you're looking for something short, fast, and fun with some heartwarming Christmas elements, this is for you.

I was not a fan of this book. The plot felt all over the place and the concept of bringing in Covid felt pointless. Why does a Christmas story need to mention Covid so much?

I tried to give "Santa Overboard" a chance, but, unfortunately, this book is not for me. I could see his book being hit for women in their 40s who feel like they are adrift (boat pun intended) in life.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Carolyn McBride, and Make Waves Press for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

This was a fun romance. I had not read the first book in the series, but I did not feel that I was missing anything integral to the story. I have added book one to my TBR, so I can find out what happened to bring this group of women together. I really like the support that this group of women provided to each other throughout the story.

Maria Marquis did a good job narrating the story and I will look for more of Maria's work in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and Make Waves Press, for the audio ARC!

This was a quick, cozy read that brought some holiday vibes. While I appreciated the lighthearted tone and festive setting, I struggled to connect with the characters. They felt a bit one-dimensional, and their actions often left me scratching my head.

On top of that, the book seemed to lose its way plot-wise, with certain elements feeling underdeveloped or entirely forgotten. What started as a promising holiday mystery became more of a scattered journey that I couldn’t fully enjoy.

If you’re looking for something easy to breeze through during the season, this might work for you, but it wasn’t my favorite holiday read.

Sorry - this was cringe and not for me - I am sure some people will like this but not me. The characters were unlikable and and I couldn't get into it at all.

Cute story!!!! I found it a bit boring but for a short read it held my attention enough! I think this was a completely “my mood” thing and I plan to do a reread down the road.

It follows a thrice divorced woman in the tail end of the pandemic through her "coming of middle-age" journey with life, love, and her career transitions. It's extra cozy and includes insights into various middle-aged experiences for women through the pandemic.

I'm not the target demo for this book, but would SO RECOMMEND it to my mom and her FCC.

Thank you NetGalley and Make Waves Press for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own

I enjoyed it, but I was hoping for a more love story. I love the idea of two adults falling for each other and being willing to change for the right person. One of my favorite moments was meeting in the middle of the road!