the working elf bluesRating: 5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novella


When a crash wakes Wes in the middle of the night, the last thing he expects to find is a demolished sleigh and a knocked out man… with pointy ears. Wes doesn’t put much stock in things like Christmas and Santa and reindeer and elves. It is part of the reason he spends every holiday at his cabin in the mountains.

Christmas elf Garnet Evergreen has two weeks off before Christmas. Two weeks in which he has chosen to leave the North Pole—something no elf, to his knowledge, has ever done—and find love with the one human he longs for. But his plans unravel from the very beginning. Lucky for Garnet, Wes is charitable if nothing else, taking Garnet in and nursing him back to health.

Garnet has two weeks to prove his love for Wes in hopes of having Wes ask him to stay. As their two weeks continues, it’s harder and harder for Wes not to trust what Garnet is telling him, as unbelievable as it may be. Worst of all is what Wes is beginning to feel for Garnet because, in the end, he knows Garnet will leave. Just like everyone else in his life has left. It’s the hand in life Wes was dealt.

This book is Christmas. Love. Laughter. Joy. Hope. It’s even got tears. This is everything I look for when I look for a holiday story. It adorable and heartwarming and just enough fantasy that I can almost believe it. Gah! I was rooting for Wes and Garnet the entire time. I wanted so much for them. And the mysterious gift… well, you guy will have to read the book to see, but there is not a more perfect soul mate than Garnet Evergreen.

With every story I read from this author, I am more and more impressed. The creativity behind this one—not only with the characters but within the world—is fantastic. Reinventing Christmas and/or the North Pole is a delicate feat. That being said, this author sort of rewords and repurposes the rules of the North Pole. Makes them her own. In that she makes Wes and Garnet’s story soar. I love the magical quality of this story that comes with the telling and spirit of Christmas, but I also love Wes’ realism and grounding. With this world, Vaughn presents hope and beauty in a life where hope was all but lost. It really is a wonderful telling.

Like I said, I love Garnet and Wes. Wes is very down to earth and a bit… I don’t know if grinchy is the right word, but it’s close. Christmas is most certainly not his cup of tea. Then along comes this man who he remembers mysteriously showing up and disappearing throughout his life. I love his journey of belief and love. He’s not jaded exactly. He’s more realistic and grounded. My heart breaks for him and his past. His history of loss is heartbreaking, but whether he realizes it or not, Garnet has been there throughout. And Garnet. I love his light. There is no other word for it. He’s bubbly and happy and sweet, but he’s not naïve. He knows what he wants, although he may be a bit reckless at times trying to get it.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt, lovely holiday story that may have a few happy (and just a couple sad) tears, you have come to the right place. I absolutely adored The Working Elf Blues. It’s definitely being added to the top of my holiday reread list.

Highly Recommended.

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