Dear Santa by Karen Templeton

I loved this book, although I'm not a big fan of category because I prefer a longer story. Somehow though, Ms. Templeton has managed to give depth to her characters in only 236 pages.

His daughter's birth made him a father.
Becoming a daddy would take a bit longer.…

Connecticut mogul Grant Braeburn never thought he was father material, even though his nearly four-year-old daughter should have convinced him otherwise. But then his ex-wife's death made him Haley's permanent parent. Her only parent. He needed help, in a hurry.

It came in the form of Mia Vaccaro, the lively, lovely party planner who had been his ex-wife's best friend. Mia was the only one who could touch Haley's broken heart. And, Grant was becoming increasingly aware, his as well.…

I can't remember laughing through a book as often as I did while reading Dear Santa. What's remarkable about this is, it isn't a comedy. Both Grant and Mia are dealing with tough issues. He was raised to suppress all emotions so when he's faced with helping his three year old daughter deal with the death of her mother, he's clueless. Mia's former fiance left her 6 weeks before their wedding with no explanations. Luckily, Mia comes from a large, loving family and she's able to help Grant with his daughter, Haley. I'd love to quote a passage that would illustrate the humor but I'm not sure it works without the build-up and knowing the characters. Ms. Templeton delivers humor like a talented comic, her timing, word choice and delivery are perfect. It always seemed to catch me by surprise and I would burst out laughing before I could stop it.

I'm hoping this unique turn of phrase which makes me laugh is Templeton's voice and will be present in all her books. This is the first in a series she's doing called Guys and Daughters. The next two books deal with Mia's brothers.

I'd give this a grade of A.