Title: Rudolph
Author: Sam C. Leonard
Length: 5,929 words (25 pdf pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: m/m fantasy humour
Rating: C+
Blurb:
Crotchety and cranky Rudy—aka Santa—is in a foul mood every Christmas season. He talks to lots of children and even more parents but not with guys looking for dates. Only when his best helper makes him a very special gift does he meet someone to his liking. Kind of. Because that someone is made of flour and spices—and to impress him, Rudy seriously has to work on his seduction skills.
Review:
This is the kind of story that some people enjoy for the lighthearted fantasy look at Santa and others may find off-putting. What helps here is that Santa is really Rudy. He inherited the role of Santa, he’s 35, fit and basically hates that he was forced to be Santa when his father retired. He hates annoying kids, detests the cold, he can never meet any men in his job, basically his life is one big ball of the suck.
He takes the day off, refusing to visit any malls and be mauled by kids, and is sitting feeling sorry for himself, when his able assistant brings him some tea and a cookie. However Rudy also hates sweets, but he is kind of fascinated by the cookie. Eventually he’s told that it was created especially for him and he has to dunk it in the tea. Well, that causes quite a change in it, and he watched the cookie grow to be a full-sized man. It seems he hasn’t been hiding his homosexuality as well as he thought, and everyone figured he needed a companion.
Rudy really was an awkward curmudgeon. Of course at first he finds it hard to separate cookie from man. Is he real? Just sugar and spice and flour? He’s never really flirted before, and certainly not been in a relationship. It ends just at the beginning for them, as Rudy comes to accept that he is a real boy. Some may find Rudy a bit too curmudgeonly, but maybe my current mood made me want to say “you tell ‘em Rudy” rather than encourage him to get in the spirit as everyone around him seemed to be.
It was fun and a bit of true fantasy storytelling. I think if you enjoy these kind of spoofs on Christmas it will be a fun read, however if you just can’t think of Santa in “that” way at all (even though technically he only ‘plays’ Santa), it might not be for you.
I kindof like curmudgeonly Santas
I’ll definitely read this one!
He’s definitely curmudgeonly. It’s a bit of a lark, so a quick read to lift the spirits.
I just read three Sam Leonhard’s stories (Tainted 1 & 2, Crow & Firefly) and I like grumpy Santas, so this will probably be perfect for my current mood. Thanks!
I think those of us who are feeling a bit stressed by the too much of the season can relate to poor Rudy.
Since I’m a total curmudgeon [just love that word] I’m putting this on my TBR list.
Seems there are a few of us feeling the curmudgeon spirit this year.