Only Santas in the Building

Under The Mistletoe Collection #5

by Alexis Daria

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially for a comic book illustrator whose late-night fantasies become real in a festive and flirty short story by bestselling author Alexis Daria.

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.

Alexis Daria’s Only Santas in the Building is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Novella, Holiday, Audiobook, Contemporary, Short Stories

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

Alexis Daria is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola, A Lot Like Adiós, Take the Lead, and more. Her books have been featured on several “Best of ” lists and have received starred reviews from multiple trade publications. A former visual artist, Alexis is a lifelong New Yorker who loves Broadway musicals and pizza.

Reviews

[Paige 💫 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars — Dobby is freeeee of this series 🤩

[Clace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75!

It was mid ☹️ it could have been wayy better but it wasn't. There were like one or two cute scenes but that was it. This collection was a miss mostly 😔 so yeah not happy

Rating for the series
• Cruel winter with you: 3.00
• Merry ever after: 0.50
• All by my elf: 2.45
• Merriment and mayhem: 3.75
• Only Santa's in the building: 2.75

Overall rating: 2.49

___
The way I always read only murders in the building when I look at the title 😭 this sounds interesting tho and the way the last one went I have hope 🤭

*Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon publishing for giving me an E-Arc of this book*

[chan ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was really sweet and is my favorite of the 3 that i've read so far (saving the 2 i think i'm going to love the most for last)

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 4 stars!

it’s final: this and the fourth book made everything so much better for this series. i love how i felt the christmas spirit with this book. him, giving her ornaments to put on her tree. her, baking him lemon bars because it’s his favorite. i just enjoyed this a lot better than some of the books!

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

so close to finishing this series! i’ll be able to say, “i’m finally free!!” ❄️☃️🎄

[⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ঌ mimi ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 2 out of 5]

these books made me NOT want to read another holiday collection ever again

[s.penkevich [mental health hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little mistletoe mischievousness and suddenly Santa’s sack is stuffing you. Alexis Daria’s Only Santas in the Building is chock full of yuletide yearning as comic artist Evie attends a holiday party Santa costume party in her apartment complex in order to have a naughty noel with the guy she has been crushing on since the day she moved in. But most importantly, this story brings the Under The Mistletoe Collection to its climactic conclusion and I am free from its horny holiday grasp and not a minute too soon because I am out of christmas sex puns to use in these reviews that have been “a festivfucks for the rest of us” I guess. This was cute though and…mostly plausible which shouldn't have to be a useful metric but **side-eyes Tessa Bailey’s Merry Ever After** It also just feels like everyone’s first holiday college party but thats probably part of its charm.
‘Why, because you've stuffed my stocking with your massive candy cane?’
Calm down, Evie.
There is an element of insta-love in, well, ALL of these stories that seem sort of part of the territory with being such short stories, but at least this gives a background of mutual pining and I don't mean their chirstmas trees. Which, for the record, Evie has a "naked" tree. FORESHADOWING?!?!
Hope you all had a great holiday season!

[Flo Camus · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.1⭐] 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 es una novela corta navideña escrita por Alexis Daria en el año 2024. La historia se centra en Evie Cruz, una ilustradora de cómics que, en medio de las festividades navideñas, decide que es hora de acercarse a su vecino de arriba. Una fiesta temática de Santa Claus y un oportuno muérdago parecen ser los elementos perfectos para hacer realidad sus fantasías nocturnas.


Aunque 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 es, hasta ahora, mi favorita dentro de la colección 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙚 (solo me falta la de Tessa), me temo que no llega a ser una obra destacable. Si bien tiene algunos momentos entretenidos y una vibra festiva más presente que otras historias (gracias a la fiesta navideña, la presencia del árbol navideño y el muérdago), sigue siendo una lectura que no logra dejar una gran impresión.  

Los personajes principales tienen buena química y la autora se esfuerza por crear una conexión entre ellos, pero ciertos elementos se sienten forzados. La narrativa intenta ser divertida y encantadora, pero hay momentos en los que los diálogos y el humor resultan más incómodos que graciosos.

Otro aspecto a destacar es el desenlace apresurado, algo que parece ser una constante en las novelas de esta colección debido a su extensión limitada. Aunque la escena romántica principal tiene cierta naturalidad, las bromas repetitivas y algunos chistes fallidos terminan restándole impacto a la historia. Además, el hecho de que los protagonistas presenten a sus padres apenas una semana después de conocerse resulta muy apresurado.
Tal vez, con una mayor extensión, esta historia habría tenido el desarrollo necesario para explotar todo su potencial (ya que es la que tiene la trama más interesante). Sin embargo, tal como está, se queda corta en ofrecer una experiencia más profunda o memorable.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 no es una novela particularmente memorable, a pesar de que considero que es la que tiene la historia más interesante de toda la colección hasta el momento. Es una lectura ligera y rápida para quienes buscan algo simple, pero no ofrece mucho más. 

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowkey Alexis Daria is who y’all think Tessa Bailey is 💁‍♀️

I will say the fact that we got facesitting TWICE in this anthology is a Christmas miracle. I loved the homemade ornament plotline and he seemed like a real hottie. The relationship had a really good foundation for such a short novella!

I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.

[⁠*⁠♡Lilac⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I miss the person I was before I read this

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

•Neighbors to lovers
•Mistaken identity
•Mutual secret crushes
•First kiss under the mistletoe

Another story from this collection...another character named Evie. What are the odds of that?!
Okay, I believe this one is my favorite of the series so far!! Less Hallmarkish and more realistic vibes.
This was my first time reading any of this author's work and now I am off to stalk her backlog and decide which one to read first.

[Emma Griffioen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like Merriment and Mayhem this was cute, and Christmasy! I am happy the last two books in this collection were satisfactory, unlike #2 and #3 which I wish I could erase from my brain. Honestly I don’t recommend this collection at all, unless you’re trying to catch up on your Goodreads goal. There are much better Christmas themed books to pick up at this time of year!

Read my reviews for the Under the Mistletoe Collection here:
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - 2 stars
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 1 star
All By My Elf by Olivia Dade - 1 star
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - 3 stars
Only Santa's in the Building by Alexis Daria - 3 stars

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✩ 3 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Apartment Neighbors
➼ Neighbors-to-Lovers
➼ Handy/Helpful MMC
➼ Santa Themed Costume Party
➼ Matchmaking Neighbors
➼ Mistletoe Kiss
➼ Secret Crushes
➼ Holiday Novella

I honestly really enjoyed this, but I think it could have been better. There was a lot of great material to work with considering they lived in the same building and I didn’t feel that the author took full advantage of that. She included a recap of some of their previous encounters which could have been used to add tension and a build up of sexual chemistry, but instead, they all felt very mundane. Of course, it’s a novella and there aren’t a lot of pages to fit the story into, but this was the first of the five that felt rushed to me. The author tells us that they had both been mutually pining for each other, but I didn’t really feel it. It mostly felt like a hook up or convenience until the morning after where they do kind of define the relationship. I personally would have preferred for them to have made more declarations of affection prior to hopping into bed together.

If nothing else, this one had the cleverest title! I’ve seen others rate these more harshly, but I thought they were all pretty cute except for #2 which was so hilariously bad that I wouldn’t even recommend skipping it. 😂 Sometimes you need a good laugh!

And just like that, I’ve made it to 250 reads for 2024 and will finish at least 2 more before the end of the year! 🎉🥳🍾

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Paige says I should skip this one, but I can’t stop. 😘

Does anyone else’s brain want to turn Santa’s legs into a girl with blonde hair in a bathing? No? Just me? Okay, cool. 😅🤣

🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻✨🎅🏻

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3⭐️

Only Santas in the Building

Plot:
Evie Cruz is looking for a quiet Christmas, but her plans change when a flirtatious encounter with her sexy upstairs neighbor.

My Thoughts:
I really can’t recall what happen in this short read to be honest. Wasn’t very memorable but I don’t remember hating it but I just didn’t love it either. Worth reading to complete the series.

[Hallie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

[•°Dahlia ( back! ) · Rating 1 out of 5]

AM FINALLY FREEEEEEEEEEEEE 💃💃💃💃💃💃💃😩😌

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's cute and made me giggle. 🤭

[Cami✯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

my standards have officially been raised by this man 🎄❤️🥰
his woman is certainly an unconventional, strange handful, though... and not in a good way (sorry not sorry, this series traumatized me)

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this one felt like we got a full-on story/plot more-so than some of the other novellas in this collection! She’s a comic book illustrator who has been crushing on her upstairs neighbor. When her building is throwing a Santa-themed party, it is the perfect time for sparks to fly! And then she finds out he’s actually been into her too and trying to surprise her, but she just didn’t notice! We only get her POV and it would have been fun seeing his too, but for this novella I already feel like we got a lot for the little page count it actually is. Super fun!

A holiday novella part of the Under the Mistletoe collection, I binged all 5 of these holiday novellas since they’re all available on KU with read and listen and so so short! One of my favorites in the collection.

[Purrfect Novels · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

All the stars for our mmc, Theo! 🤩

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

the setup…
Evie Cruz is a comic book illustrator and she’s on serious deadline despite it being almost Christmas. When she’s under the gun, everything else goes by the wayside, including decorating her NYC Upper East Side walk up. But someone in her new apartment building is leaving beautiful handmade tree ornaments hanging on her door. First a snowflake, next an origami crane and then an evergreen tree silhouette. Evie’s mind is solely focused on finishing the Starsong panels…and Theo, her handsome next door neighbor.

the heart of the story…
Evie’s so preoccupied with her deadline she misses cues from Theo until it becomes a bit too obvious to overlook. Their connection at a neighbor’s Santa-themed party was pretty cute and romantic. Of course, it cut to steamy pretty fast, which took some of the shine off the story.

the narration…
Ruby Corazon was perfectly suited as the frazzled Evie and even her voice for Theo worked. She delivered a fine performance.

the bottom line…
Most of the story involved Evie’s efforts to meet deadline which left little time to get to know Theo or for the romance to solidly connect. It’s still a cute story and just a bit too steamy for the brevity.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy of the entire collection. All opinions are my own.)

[Warda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average.

[͙͘͡★ Ancuta✨🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨

[mimi (semi-hiatus ‘cause on vacation) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, making it about real issues killed the vibe a little, but Alexis Daria can't do any wrong.

↠ 3 stars

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute-ish?

[Ri ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Evie, if he doesn’t like you at your worst, he doesn’t deserve you at your best.”

Sweet, steamy, and irresistibly charming—just the way I like my Christmas rom-com love stories!

[lilly ♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐

i wasted my time reading this

[yari🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Так миленько, лаконічно🥰
Хоча тільки 6 розділів, але так поступово все відбувалося
Мені сподобалось ❤️

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute holiday romance short story, finding love in an apartment building! Only Santas in the Building follows an awkward, overworked comic book artist who has a crush on the very attractive upstairs neighbor. And sparks just might fly during a holiday party...

This was short, but fun and does a decent job of establishing the progression of the relationship up to this one night. I enjoyed it and the audio narration is good. It's all from her perspective. Would recommend if you're looking for a fun, quick holiday romance. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[rachel humphries porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay i can’t lie this one was cute af. def my 2nd fav of the collection hehehehe

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

So glad to be ending on a high note because this is definitely the best of the bunch.

Not only did this feel like it had the perfect amount of seasonal, not too much but not completely absent either, it was also the better paced of the bunch. In which I mean the set-up, the bits of backstory, the connection between the characters, was all finely tuned to be harmonic instead of discordant.

Which applies to the sex scene, too. It felt the most natural and well-suited to the characters, which I always love.

Plus, both characters felt just fleshed out enough, despite the page count, that I could picture them in my mind. And, I mean, fullstop, Luke was a darling.

My only niggle is that Daria made an attempt at humour with a few jokes and then tried to convince us, through the characters, that said jokes were hysterical when they were not. I really don't enjoy when authors try to convince us something is funny instead of just being funny. But honestly, that's my only complaint.

If you can only read one, I would definitely recommend you go with ONLY SANTAS IN THE BUILDING which, by the way, is hands down the best title, too.

3.5 stars

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This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.