Step Father Christmas by L.D Lapinski

What would you do if you suspected your Mum’s new bf is Santa? This is the question Harper has found herself asking when she meets Nick.

Told over 25 chapters (1 chapter a day in December), readers join Harper on her mission to discover Nick’s secret identity but as with all mysteries, nothing is straightforward. No one believes her when a reindeer lands on the roof or when there is snow in the garden…. Only their garden. What proof will she need to convince her Mum and brother that Father Christmas is living in their house?

Step Father Christmas is a super read. I found myself desperate to find out what happens next but I promised myself I would read it the way L.D Lapinski intended, a chapter a day. The tension in some of the chapters was palpable, not knowing if this was going to be the point that Harper finally convinces her family that Nick is Father Christmas. The character building is strong and each character brings a unique dynamic to Harper’s pursuit to uncover the truth and at points, you want to delve deeper into their story to understand more about what is going on ( everything that was going on with Will had me very invested!). Reading it chapter by chapter, Step Father Christmas seemed like opening an advent calendar but with each door you opened, you got another piece of the puzzle. It isn’t until you get all the clue that you can stand back and see the whole picture.

I loved how L.D Lapinski moved away from the conventional image of Father Christmas: jolly, jiggly and always wearing his red suit, to Nick, who is tall, athletic and a massive fan of plaid shirts. It brings Father Christmas into the modern world, and this is only compounded in a later chapter when Harper enquires about the names of the reindeer not matching those in the rhyme. I also really loved the solution to the staffing problem towards the end of the book (trying to not give anything away!!), it made me laugh aloud. You will know when you get to that chapter.

Overall, Step Father Christmas is one of the best festive books I have read in a long time and I am very much looking forward to Step Father Christmas 2 to be released later this year.