REVIEW: Hearts and Wishes by Shiloh Walker from Ellora's Cave

Title: Hearts and Wishes
Author: Shiloh Walker
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Website of Publisher: http://www.ellorascave.com/
Genre: Valentine's Day/Fantasy
Rating: E-rotic
Publication date: February 2008
ISBN: 9781419915611
Length: Novel
Format: e-book

Instead of the joy and happiness one would expect in the life of Santa's daughter, Holly found hers to be full of a terrible depression. She was slowly being smothered by her Da, the Nikolai, whom every mortal knew as Santa Claus. Being only half elfin she has come late into her powers, but has progressed further than anyone, including her trainer, Rhys, knows. Having mastered the art of teleportation, she uses it to escape the prison her overprotective father has engineered for her.

Rhys, her father's friend, has known Holly since she was born, but has only truly become acquainted with the person within since becoming her trainer in magic. The last thing he expected was to fall in love with his best friend's daughter. Now, renegade elves are threatening the Claus and his family and have spilled blood. Rhys must find them so they can be dealt with before they can hurt Holly, who has teleported to the normal realm to escape her father's domination.

This is a delightful twist on St. Nick and the North Pole with a plot within a plot that kept me totally amused. Pride may go before a fall, but the question is, how many falls must you undergo before you stop and truly listen when people speak to you? I found this a witty, light-hearted yet serious look at family dynamics, parenting, and growing up as royalty of a sort. It was an overall sweet read.

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