Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie | Novella Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Previously published in the anthology Santa, Baby, HOT TOY is now available as a standalone e-story for the first time! Mayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game and in the arms of a sexy secret agent...

I like that as I am typing this review in October, it is snowing, and you will be reading it in December and hopefully it will also be snowing then. Anyways.What I loved about Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie is that it combines two of my favorite things ever – Jennifer Crusie and Christmas. It is absolutely a treat when you get your hands on a holiday novella by one of your favorite romance authors. Even though this is a re-release, it does help a little bit in dealing with the length of time since Crusie has written something.

Hot Toy is a madcap story about a woman named Trudy who is out shopping on Christmas Eve for the hot toy of the season – a male doll that shoots nuclear ooze – for her nephew. Of course, the toys had pretty much all sold out on Thanksgiving, but Trudy is irrepressible, so she goes to the store, hoping a shipment has come in or one has been set aside. There, she runs into Nolan, a professor that she had once dated, but who never called her back. She is reasonably angry with him. So, she is justifiably rude to him. Anyways, Trudy ends up finding last season’s version of the hot toy which is a big find, so she buys it. As she is leaving, she gets a hot tip from a boy who was a research assistant with her dad that there’s a warehouse with the current toy just selling them. So, anyways, Trudy, Nolan, and the boy go to follow up on this deal and end up meeting with some spies and the mob. Ho ho ho, indeed. Trudy is about to have a not so silent night y’all. Trudy is also a fighter, when she gets thrown into this whole espionage situation, she makes sure that if she’s going down, she is going down swinging. Mad respect,

I am such a fan of that whole antagonistic awkward romance. I love that there are major issues between Trudy and Nolan even though they only went on three dates. He never showed up for the fourth date, and well, Trudy, I cannot blame you. Jennifer Crusie infuses Hot Toy with her trademark humor and it just really works for this holiday romance. There’s even a funny mistletoe scene. I loved it. I loved that despite their rocky past, Trudy and Nolan have chemistry. I especially loved how the book ended up playing out, as well.

On A Scale Of One To Clark Griswold, How Much Christmas Spirit Does This Book Have?

You know in How The Grinch Stole Christmas when the Grinch’s heart grows a couple sizes? That is an accurate representation of how much spirit this book has. Trudy is a bit pissy for good reason. But, when it comes to things that matter, she is spirited. You see, she is dead set on making sure her nephew has a good Christmas, no matter what it takes, even confronting spies just to obtain the Hot Toy. For real, if you’re looking to only get one Christmas novella, let it be this one.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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