Love, Secret Santa by S.A. Domingo

It's been a long time since I made a post and I rediscovered this blog I started 4 years ago. I'm still very much into reading and I'm always looking for people to discuss books with.

Christmas time is my favorite time of year. I love the hot cocoa with marshmallows, the Christmas cookies, the sparkling lights, the tiny village figurines, the holiday Barbie dolls, the snowglobes, and and the seasonal scented candles.  Best of all I love watching Christmas movies with my mom and sisters. So I was looking forward to a book that would give me those vibes. But I also wanted something different from the ones with the usual perfect white leads.

Love, Secret Santa by S.A. Domingo(also known as Sareeta Domingo) is a young adult romance from the UK. When I saw the cover and read the synopsis I knew I had to order it. Two noticeably black teens in a Christmas setting! Luckily it was available on Book Depository.

This book was a little bit of a slow starter with a lot of different moving pieces but it ended up finding it's groove. Our protagonist Angel Green is not only prepping for the holidays but she's also studying for her entrance exam. She has dreams of becoming a doctor so academics are her main focus. Angel is on student council and each year they run a fundraiser for a charity on behalf of the school. This year they decide to fund raise for the local hospice which is also where Angel's mother works as a nurse.

I loved Angel's relationship with her mother. They're very close and still adjusting to life since Angel's father passed. Her mother is starting to date again which makes Angel a little uncomfortable. But wanting to be a supportive daughter she tries her best to put her mom's feeling first and accept her decision. This is contrasted with Angel's best friend who struggles to get along with her stepmother.

While working on the fundraiser Angel re-connects with classmates Casper Johnson who she was close to as a young child back when their families were both friends. Casper and Angel reignite their friendship but he also has a secret as well.

Throughout the story Angel tries to follow the advice of an advent calendar she received from her Secret Santa. It prompts her to take chances and do things she doesn't normally do.

One thing that stood out to me in a positive way was the depiction of black teens without making it a story where race is a huge factor. There's no teachable moments about people of color in this story they just exist. Most of the teens mentioned into this story are of color and there's even LGBTQ+ representation but it's just treated as the norm and not the selling point of the story.

I think this story would be great for young teens in need of a little Christmas magic.