Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08

In the mood for a little erotica to heat up your holidays? Karin Tabke’s latest book with a Christmas theme, “Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa”, might be just the thing. This story is true erotica as the story line progresses, in part, due to the sexual activities of the two main characters. So if a lot of sexual acts, described in explicit terms, offends you, this is one you will want to pass up.

Kim is the corporate shark for a real estate developer out of L.A. She’s been hurt in the past by two different ex-husbands and so has determined to keep her heart safe and locked away. It’s every woman for herself and she sees no need to hide that. When her boss suggests a ‘merger’ of a more personal sort, contingent upon her success in an upcoming land deal, she figures ‘what the heck’. He’s a male version of her and she certainly won’t have to worry about having deeper feelings for him. Now all that’s left is for her to sew up the town of Evergreen in a nice, tidy package—and the handsome sex god she’s beginning to have feelings for? Well, surely she’s savvy enough to use him for information and hot sex and walk away.

Ricco is a cop with commitment issues and wanderlust. He knows his problems stem from his Dad’s desertion, but it doesn’t really bother him. He has no problem getting women and always makes sure they know up front that it’s not going anywhere…except the nearest surface that makes hot, sweaty sex possible. When he develops a craving for Kim it bugs him a little. When he realizes he’s craving ONLY Kim, it pisses him off. So what will he do when he finds out that Kim is an employee of the company that’s trying to ruin his hometown?

Tabke makes a great effort to involve her readers in more than just a story about sex. “Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa” includes a bit of mystery and mild violence when the charming town of Evergreen suddenly suffers from a crime wave that may, or may not, have something to do with Kim’s boss’ company. There’s also an entwining story about Ricco’s family and their scoundrel of a patriarch. But the meat of this book is the connection between Ricco and Kim and their attempts at something more than ‘just sex’.

The problem with their relationship is that the whole thing is written to occur in just one week. That’s an awful lot to ask with two hard core commitment-phobes. I never really believed that they felt deeply for each other. The words were there, but the actions…not so much. It was just too hard to believe that these two could and would change so much in such a short period of time. In addition, for an erotic tale, the happy ending for all the subplots and everyone in the town was just more than I could swallow!

In “Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa”, Karin Tabke has given us a hot hero and heroine who almost never miss a chance to have down and dirty sex. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll love this book. The added bonus of a Christmas theme and the idea of an Adonis in a Santa suit certainly heated up my evening. But if you’re looking for an erotic story with a meaningful relationship…eh, not so much. ( )