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lesbrary's review
4.0
As we enter into the end of 2020, if you're someone who celebrates Christmas, you're probably having some strong emotions about it right now. Maybe you want to forget the whole holiday, because we probably can't celebrate it the way we usually do. Or maybe you, like me, are filling your Netflix queue with holiday romances and stocking up on eggnog, because we deserve a tiny sliver of hope and happiness this year! If you are looking to dive headfirst into Christmas, Comet's First Christmas is a great way to kick it off.
This is about Claudia, a reindeer who has just been brought in to act as Comet this Christmas season. Yes, this is about reindeer shifters. And yes, all nine of Santa's reindeer are lesbians. As you might expect, this is a book overflowing with Christmas cheer. Everything is themed: Claudia drinks candy cane coffee, her assistant is an elf, and her phone comes equipped with a Naughty-Or-Nice app.
This overwhelming festivity reminded me more of a classic kids' holiday movie, initially: it is an unapologetic celebration of Christmas that can verge on the tooth-achingly sweet, but is perfect for if you want to be completely immersed in the holiday. I'd love to see this series get cartoon covers in the style of Shira Glassman's Mangoverse series, Clare Lydon's holiday books, or even Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters series, because I think that would better match the mood of the this story.
The conflict is that someone is going around convincing people to not believe anymore. Claudia has to try to stop this nefarious villain before they lose any more Christmas magic! Although it sounds like a kids' movie, this is a romance novel, which means we see 25-year-old Claudia earnestly asking other adults why they've stopped believing in Santa. It was a little jarring, but in this world, adults who believe do get gifts from Santa every year, so it makes sense in this context.
Did I mention that this is a romance? Of course, you're coming to the Lesbrary not just for generic holiday cheer, so you'll be happy to know that this includes a very sweet romance. It definitely falls into the instalove category, but it works for this very cute book. Claudia crushes on Jillian hard when they meet. Jillian is technically her assistant, but because the role of Comet changes and Jillian's job stays the same, it didn't feel like a power difference to me: they both seemed like equals. They made for an adorable romance, starting with clueless lesbian flirting (she's obviously hitting on you, Claudia!) and including lots of healthy communication.
Although this is a sweet book with a pretty straightforward plot, there are a lot of details to enjoy as well. I loved seeing Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy get a shout-out (I've got the sequel on my bedside table right now!), and there's a Star Trek-loving reindeer who swears in Klingon. Claudia is visiting New York for the first time, and she revels in getting the classic Christmas in New York experience, including going to Macy's, Times Square, seeing The Nutcracker, and more. Claudia also has anxiety, which is own voices representation. She manages it with breathing exercises and other techniques, which it was nice to see included.
This is the first book in the series, so it's not surprising that everything isn't tied up completely, but it did feel a bit anticlimactic in terms of the overarching plot, though Claudia's story concludes nicely. I feel like I guessed the mystery really early in the book, but I'm not sure yet if I'm right. I look forward to the next book in the series, which seems to be about Prancer--will every reindeer get their own story?
In the afterword, Delilah Night says she wrote this because "after how bruising 2020 has been, can anyone blame us for wanting something a little sweet?" This definitely fits the criteria for sweet, but be prepared: only pick this up if you're ready for a heavy dose of Christmas cheer!
This is about Claudia, a reindeer who has just been brought in to act as Comet this Christmas season. Yes, this is about reindeer shifters. And yes, all nine of Santa's reindeer are lesbians. As you might expect, this is a book overflowing with Christmas cheer. Everything is themed: Claudia drinks candy cane coffee, her assistant is an elf, and her phone comes equipped with a Naughty-Or-Nice app.
This overwhelming festivity reminded me more of a classic kids' holiday movie, initially: it is an unapologetic celebration of Christmas that can verge on the tooth-achingly sweet, but is perfect for if you want to be completely immersed in the holiday. I'd love to see this series get cartoon covers in the style of Shira Glassman's Mangoverse series, Clare Lydon's holiday books, or even Talia Hibbert's Brown Sisters series, because I think that would better match the mood of the this story.
The conflict is that someone is going around convincing people to not believe anymore. Claudia has to try to stop this nefarious villain before they lose any more Christmas magic! Although it sounds like a kids' movie, this is a romance novel, which means we see 25-year-old Claudia earnestly asking other adults why they've stopped believing in Santa. It was a little jarring, but in this world, adults who believe do get gifts from Santa every year, so it makes sense in this context.
Did I mention that this is a romance? Of course, you're coming to the Lesbrary not just for generic holiday cheer, so you'll be happy to know that this includes a very sweet romance. It definitely falls into the instalove category, but it works for this very cute book. Claudia crushes on Jillian hard when they meet. Jillian is technically her assistant, but because the role of Comet changes and Jillian's job stays the same, it didn't feel like a power difference to me: they both seemed like equals. They made for an adorable romance, starting with clueless lesbian flirting (she's obviously hitting on you, Claudia!) and including lots of healthy communication.
Although this is a sweet book with a pretty straightforward plot, there are a lot of details to enjoy as well. I loved seeing Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy get a shout-out (I've got the sequel on my bedside table right now!), and there's a Star Trek-loving reindeer who swears in Klingon. Claudia is visiting New York for the first time, and she revels in getting the classic Christmas in New York experience, including going to Macy's, Times Square, seeing The Nutcracker, and more. Claudia also has anxiety, which is own voices representation. She manages it with breathing exercises and other techniques, which it was nice to see included.
This is the first book in the series, so it's not surprising that everything isn't tied up completely, but it did feel a bit anticlimactic in terms of the overarching plot, though Claudia's story concludes nicely. I feel like I guessed the mystery really early in the book, but I'm not sure yet if I'm right. I look forward to the next book in the series, which seems to be about Prancer--will every reindeer get their own story?
In the afterword, Delilah Night says she wrote this because "after how bruising 2020 has been, can anyone blame us for wanting something a little sweet?" This definitely fits the criteria for sweet, but be prepared: only pick this up if you're ready for a heavy dose of Christmas cheer!
misthios_pat's review
4.0
Fluffy and cute, also a quick reading. Loved the whole idea about how the Pole works, the reindeers bring gay etc. Buying book 2 ASAP
nightingfae's review
3.0
Originally published on nightingfae's blog
Claudia is a wannabe Santa Claus's reindeer, her dream is to be part of his team, and the opportunity arrives when she's offered to supplement Comet's place, then she becomes the new Comet. She's presented to the whole team and instructed to know how everything works to make sure the Big Show is perfectly curated and executed. But a threat appears around the world, turning believers to non-believers, and Comet and the rest of the team will have to fix it before the Big Show, risking revealing the truth to the world.
My first thought right after starting the book was that Claudia's adventure starts too suddenly, you don't even get a sneak of what would be a normal day in her life in the North Pole that she's joining Santa's troops. I missed a little introduction of her, who she is, what she likes, her whereabouts during a regular day, etc. And maybe a depiction of how the North Pole in this new fantastic world. But then I liked how Delilah Night writes Claudia's first experiences, how she lived, discovered and absorbed all those new things for the first time. The writing in those parts was great, I could really feel how amused and excited Claudia was for going through all that.
And talking about the writing, it saddened me that sometimes it wasn't as descriptive as I wished it was. It was a bit simple sometimes and the character's reactions were somehow childish at times, which for the main character could be attributed to the fact that she's leaving her home for the first time in her whole life, that she's is living new experiences and has to deal with people she doesn't know much about. But even so, I felt something was missing in the writing style. Just like the romance, it felt weak, too spontaneous and fast, a bit expected and somehow superficial.
What I liked the least was that cliffhanger at the end of the book. The villain is introduced by the second half of the book, but the mystery is not resolved, you don't even know their real name. And I personally dislike these type of cliffhangers where you will have to read the upcoming books to find who's the villain of the story, or to know how the main character will develop, because it makes the first book look like just an introduction for the rest of the books.
But what I liked the most was that Claudia is realistic, she has anxiety and suffers from panic attacks, that makes her human –though she's actually a human-morphing reindeer– and we don't get enough characters with such real problems and illnesses, we need more representation(!!!). And I also liked that this book does talk about deeper issues than apparently it may seem –it touches topics such as feminism and feminine empowerment, equality, and how the rules at the workplace make all of us lose our own personality at work, materializing it with the elves' uniforms in the North Pole. That was quite a subject to think about.
You should read this book if you're looking for a light Christmas read, to get into the holiday spirit and to enjoy a beautiful f/f romance.
Thanks to Delilah Night for sending me an ARC of her book in exchange for an honest review.
"You're never too old to believe."
Claudia is a wannabe Santa Claus's reindeer, her dream is to be part of his team, and the opportunity arrives when she's offered to supplement Comet's place, then she becomes the new Comet. She's presented to the whole team and instructed to know how everything works to make sure the Big Show is perfectly curated and executed. But a threat appears around the world, turning believers to non-believers, and Comet and the rest of the team will have to fix it before the Big Show, risking revealing the truth to the world.
My first thought right after starting the book was that Claudia's adventure starts too suddenly, you don't even get a sneak of what would be a normal day in her life in the North Pole that she's joining Santa's troops. I missed a little introduction of her, who she is, what she likes, her whereabouts during a regular day, etc. And maybe a depiction of how the North Pole in this new fantastic world. But then I liked how Delilah Night writes Claudia's first experiences, how she lived, discovered and absorbed all those new things for the first time. The writing in those parts was great, I could really feel how amused and excited Claudia was for going through all that.
And talking about the writing, it saddened me that sometimes it wasn't as descriptive as I wished it was. It was a bit simple sometimes and the character's reactions were somehow childish at times, which for the main character could be attributed to the fact that she's leaving her home for the first time in her whole life, that she's is living new experiences and has to deal with people she doesn't know much about. But even so, I felt something was missing in the writing style. Just like the romance, it felt weak, too spontaneous and fast, a bit expected and somehow superficial.
"Gifts aren't meant to be an obligation."
What I liked the least was that cliffhanger at the end of the book. The villain is introduced by the second half of the book, but the mystery is not resolved, you don't even know their real name. And I personally dislike these type of cliffhangers where you will have to read the upcoming books to find who's the villain of the story, or to know how the main character will develop, because it makes the first book look like just an introduction for the rest of the books.
But what I liked the most was that Claudia is realistic, she has anxiety and suffers from panic attacks, that makes her human –though she's actually a human-morphing reindeer– and we don't get enough characters with such real problems and illnesses, we need more representation(!!!). And I also liked that this book does talk about deeper issues than apparently it may seem –it touches topics such as feminism and feminine empowerment, equality, and how the rules at the workplace make all of us lose our own personality at work, materializing it with the elves' uniforms in the North Pole. That was quite a subject to think about.
You should read this book if you're looking for a light Christmas read, to get into the holiday spirit and to enjoy a beautiful f/f romance.
Thanks to Delilah Night for sending me an ARC of her book in exchange for an honest review.
judeinthestars's review
4.0
This is the most unexpected workplace romance ever, at least for me. I love romance novels, and sometimes it feels like I’m reading the same story over and over. With Comet’s First Christmas, I have to say I had never read that blurb before.
Claudia’s dream is to become one of the nine reindeer flying Santa around the world on Christmas Eve but she never expected to be called less than a month before the Big Show. In the blink of an eye, she becomes the new Comet and is sent to New York, where she meets her Personal Assistant, Jillian, who is nothing like the elves she’s met at the Pole. While she tries to learn everything she needs to know to do her new job, the number of believers start to fall and all reindeer and elves are called to the rescue.
Everything is new to Claudia: the job, the human food, the breathtaking New York elf. At first, she has an almost childlike quality – being thrown in at the deep end will do that to a reindeer – but as she finds her footing in her new role, she grows into it and into herself.
While I was enjoying Comet’s wonder at discovering New York and marvelling at the fact that Santa’s reindeer are all lesbians, my wife asked what I was reading, so I began telling her about this shape-shifting reindeer with imposter syndrome and anxiety who falls for an elf, and she was looking at me with huge round eyes. There’s this very famous ad in France for Milka chocolate, where a marmot wraps chocolate in foil. When something is unbelievable or absurd, we often say “Et la marmotte…”:
That's how my wife was looking at me. I tried to explain about suspension of disbelief, which is all the more on point here. Beyond the fun and cuteness, this story is about allowing yourself to enjoy simple pleasures. One of these being believing in Santa and all that goes with Christmas. I was so immersed that, at one point, I mentally made a note not to forget to leave carrots out for the reindeer next Christmas. One more victory for Comet, I guess: she made me want to believe.
It doesn’t get more Christmas-y than a romance between one of Santa’s reindeer and an elf. If you’re in full Halloween mode, wait a few days before you read this book. It would be a shame if Comet and Jillian got drowned by zombies and ghosts. This novella is fun and silly and cute, and we all need exactly that sometimes, especially this year.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Claudia’s dream is to become one of the nine reindeer flying Santa around the world on Christmas Eve but she never expected to be called less than a month before the Big Show. In the blink of an eye, she becomes the new Comet and is sent to New York, where she meets her Personal Assistant, Jillian, who is nothing like the elves she’s met at the Pole. While she tries to learn everything she needs to know to do her new job, the number of believers start to fall and all reindeer and elves are called to the rescue.
Everything is new to Claudia: the job, the human food, the breathtaking New York elf. At first, she has an almost childlike quality – being thrown in at the deep end will do that to a reindeer – but as she finds her footing in her new role, she grows into it and into herself.
While I was enjoying Comet’s wonder at discovering New York and marvelling at the fact that Santa’s reindeer are all lesbians, my wife asked what I was reading, so I began telling her about this shape-shifting reindeer with imposter syndrome and anxiety who falls for an elf, and she was looking at me with huge round eyes. There’s this very famous ad in France for Milka chocolate, where a marmot wraps chocolate in foil. When something is unbelievable or absurd, we often say “Et la marmotte…”:
That's how my wife was looking at me. I tried to explain about suspension of disbelief, which is all the more on point here. Beyond the fun and cuteness, this story is about allowing yourself to enjoy simple pleasures. One of these being believing in Santa and all that goes with Christmas. I was so immersed that, at one point, I mentally made a note not to forget to leave carrots out for the reindeer next Christmas. One more victory for Comet, I guess: she made me want to believe.
It doesn’t get more Christmas-y than a romance between one of Santa’s reindeer and an elf. If you’re in full Halloween mode, wait a few days before you read this book. It would be a shame if Comet and Jillian got drowned by zombies and ghosts. This novella is fun and silly and cute, and we all need exactly that sometimes, especially this year.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
lsnack's review
5.0
A sweet Christmas romance story with a twist. I like the originality of this book. It has all the things you think about at Christmas reindeer, elves,snowmen, Rockefeller center and Santa. You’ll have fun reading this book.
crackedspines_'s review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Rep: many lesbians, panic attacks/disorder
The only saving grace of this book was that it’s sapphic. There were MANY lesbian characters, and their queerness was fully normalized. Which was really nice. The anxiety rep was *okay.* I loved the normalization of mindfulness/grounding/coping techniques that a lot of people dismiss as silly or childish or unrealistic. These are things that genuinely do help a lot of people with anxiety and panic disorders (myself included), and we need to stop making fun of them. But overall the rep felt a bit forced and stilted? It’s certainly not bad rep, and I won’t say it’s inaccurate, especially since the author based a lot of it off her own experiences. What I mean is the way it was written was awkward and forced.
Other than that, I won’t hesitate to say I hate this book. I went into it hoping to just laugh at the ridiculousness of a reindeer shifter romance, and obviously that part was indeed ridiculous. The main character ate hay in human form, and the shifters don’t own actual clothes?? They just morph to be wearing whatever outfit they want instead of putting on clothes. But the entire premise was really creepy and uncomfortable??
The plot of this book is that someone is going around and talking people out of believing in Santa. The reindeer and elves have magic phones that allow them to track who believes and who doesn’t and who’s naughty and nice (including lists of exactly the “naughty” and “nice” things they do). So to “fix the issue,” the reindeer and elves stalk the people who stopped believing, and convince them to believe in Christmas again. It’s not okay to fully STALK people, use that information to visit them at their houses, places of work, etc., and take it upon yourself to change their beliefs.
The only saving grace of this book was that it’s sapphic. There were MANY lesbian characters, and their queerness was fully normalized. Which was really nice. The anxiety rep was *okay.* I loved the normalization of mindfulness/grounding/coping techniques that a lot of people dismiss as silly or childish or unrealistic. These are things that genuinely do help a lot of people with anxiety and panic disorders (myself included), and we need to stop making fun of them. But overall the rep felt a bit forced and stilted? It’s certainly not bad rep, and I won’t say it’s inaccurate, especially since the author based a lot of it off her own experiences. What I mean is the way it was written was awkward and forced.
Other than that, I won’t hesitate to say I hate this book. I went into it hoping to just laugh at the ridiculousness of a reindeer shifter romance, and obviously that part was indeed ridiculous. The main character ate hay in human form, and the shifters don’t own actual clothes?? They just morph to be wearing whatever outfit they want instead of putting on clothes. But the entire premise was really creepy and uncomfortable??
The plot of this book is that someone is going around and talking people out of believing in Santa. The reindeer and elves have magic phones that allow them to track who believes and who doesn’t and who’s naughty and nice (including lists of exactly the “naughty” and “nice” things they do). So to “fix the issue,” the reindeer and elves stalk the people who stopped believing, and convince them to believe in Christmas again. It’s not okay to fully STALK people, use that information to visit them at their houses, places of work, etc., and take it upon yourself to change their beliefs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Stalking
thequeerbookish's review
5.0
Read the whole review on The Queer Bookish
A sweet F/F christmas romance, finally!
And it even offers fantasy/paranormal features too! Though I do admit that I was slightly worried there could be bestiality in Comet’s First Christmas – with Claudia being a reindeer and all. Luckily this is not the chase! The reindeers can shift between their human and their animal form and I love how Delilah Night incorporates this aspect into the story.
But more about the world building later because first I have to gush about Claudia’s anxiety.
Read more here
A sweet F/F christmas romance, finally!
And it even offers fantasy/paranormal features too! Though I do admit that I was slightly worried there could be bestiality in Comet’s First Christmas – with Claudia being a reindeer and all. Luckily this is not the chase! The reindeers can shift between their human and their animal form and I love how Delilah Night incorporates this aspect into the story.
But more about the world building later because first I have to gush about Claudia’s anxiety.
Read more here
marziesreads's review
Comet's First Christmas, first book in the North Pole Chronicles follows a shapeshifter reindeer named Claudia who is called up to assume the Comet position among Santa's reindeer when Wendy, the current Comet (the classic reindeer names are all titles), finds out she's pregnant with twins. (Let's face it, Wendy's wife is simply not having her fly while pregnant with twins...). Claudia's posting is in the Big Apple- New York City- and there she has to deal with the stress of her first big job in the Christmas organization, figuring out who is going around ruining Christmas for Nice believers, and even more challenging, her attraction to her personal assistant, Jillian. But still, it's absolutely the most exciting thing to happen to her in her twenty-five-year lead up to becoming one of Santa's reindeer. Add the promise of seeing Broadway musicals and eating cheese pizza and Claudia has arrived at a very exciting place.
This is a light and fun paranormal romance centered on the Christmas holidays with Santa Claus and his famous reindeer. The writing is imaginative and fun. Night has put a lot of thought into the technology that would be required to run a modern Santa enterprise and even things like a Nordic diet for reindeer shapeshifters. All in all, this is diverting and happy, which is perfect for the present times. If you're looking for something to put you in the mood for Christmas, this is a book you should check out!
In full disclosure, since many of my readers know I don't go for a lot of romance, Delilah Night is a personal friend. Her book put a smile on my face!
This is a light and fun paranormal romance centered on the Christmas holidays with Santa Claus and his famous reindeer. The writing is imaginative and fun. Night has put a lot of thought into the technology that would be required to run a modern Santa enterprise and even things like a Nordic diet for reindeer shapeshifters. All in all, this is diverting and happy, which is perfect for the present times. If you're looking for something to put you in the mood for Christmas, this is a book you should check out!
In full disclosure, since many of my readers know I don't go for a lot of romance, Delilah Night is a personal friend. Her book put a smile on my face!
lmajor's review
3.0
At Christmas time, all I want to read are happy, cheery books that will help me get into the festivities. Comet’s First Christmas has that in spades. With a shapeshifting reindeer protagonist and her workplace romance with an elf, this novella will take you traipsing through New York at Christmas. There are practice sleigh rides, mall Santas, ice skating, and plenty of holiday goodies. If you want a lighthearted, seasonal romance, this one will check your list. The only thing that left me disappointed was that the mystery wasn’t solved in the end, but I’m guessing we get those answers in book 2.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC for review purposes.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC for review purposes.