A swoonworthy and suspenseful holiday rom-com that will make fans of Ally Carter and Carlie Walker laugh out loud and fall completely in love this Christmas season.
It’s the hap-happiest con of the year …
Scarlett Payne and Nathan Lambros agree on exactly one thing: they both despise Christmas. But when Scarlett receives a cryptic letter—from someone claiming to be Santa and threatening to sabotage New York’s Santa Claus Con—they’re the only two FBI agents who can stop the holiday spectacle from turning into a national disaster. Unfortunately, the last time Scarlett saw her former rival, he was breaking her heart. So she’s not exactly eager to ask the grumpiest agent she knows for help, but he’s sadly great at going undercover.
After years of deep cover, Nathan was ready to hand over his badge ... until Scarlett pulls him into one last operation. He’s not sure which is worse—pretending to be Santa or working with the woman he loves but had to push away.
Beneath fake beards and forced cheer, old feelings refuse to stay buried. With one day, one Con, and one mysterious enemy closing in, these two self-proclaimed Grinches are about to find out what’s more difficult: saving Christmas … or risking their hearts all over again.
It’s the hap-happiest con of the year …
Scarlett Payne and Nathan Lambros agree on exactly one thing: they both despise Christmas. But when Scarlett receives a cryptic letter—from someone claiming to be Santa and threatening to sabotage New York’s Santa Claus Con—they’re the only two FBI agents who can stop the holiday spectacle from turning into a national disaster. Unfortunately, the last time Scarlett saw her former rival, he was breaking her heart. So she’s not exactly eager to ask the grumpiest agent she knows for help, but he’s sadly great at going undercover.
After years of deep cover, Nathan was ready to hand over his badge ... until Scarlett pulls him into one last operation. He’s not sure which is worse—pretending to be Santa or working with the woman he loves but had to push away.
Beneath fake beards and forced cheer, old feelings refuse to stay buried. With one day, one Con, and one mysterious enemy closing in, these two self-proclaimed Grinches are about to find out what’s more difficult: saving Christmas … or risking their hearts all over again.
Title: The Santa Claus Con
Author: Lauren Kung Jessen
Publisher: Forever
Expected Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Review:
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I'm slowly rolling into Christmas season and my pile of fun books is mounting. I was excited to dive into this one. A mystery/romance is always a fun time. Plus, dual POV is my jam! This is my first book by Jessen and it won't be my last!
This one was so much fun. I loved the idea of these two having a past and solving crimes together. The flashbacks really solidified their relationship so it didn't seem like it was insta-love given the timeline of the story. Their chemistry was great. I loved their bickering and the enemies to lovers trope it brought. Plus, there's some grumpy/grumpy with a bit of them turning to sunshine at the end. Jessen did a great job of developing the characters and their relationship.
The mystery was a great twist. I loved that Jessen used an actual Santa Claus competition as the background of the tension and suspense. And I never saw the twist coming of who the villain was. Of course I cannot say much because I don't want to ruin it. Jessen paces the build up really well without ever giving away the who done it. There are some Easter eggs, now that I think back on it, but nothing that was glaring enough for me not to want to push on and find out exactly who the Sadistic Santa was.
If you are a fan of Lucy Score's Riley Thorn series, you're going to enjoy Scarlett and Nathan and their push and pull romance. This holiday romance with it's mystery twist delivers the perfect amount of Christmas charm and will set you on the track to enjoying your holiday season for sure!
3.75 stars rounded to 4
Author:
Lauren Kung Jessen is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Lunar Love, Red String Theory, Yin Yang Love Song, The Fortune Flip, and The Santa Claus Con. Her rom-coms are filled with big feelings and lots of food. Lauren’s books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, People, NPR, The Seattle Times, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, and New York Post. She writes the Substack Important Nothings and lives in New York City.
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