Published: 18 October 2016 (print)/1st January 2025 (audio) 
Publisher: Cathryn Hein/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 167/4 hrs and 3 mins
Narrator: Sophie Loughran
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Rural Romance
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars
Windmill fabricator Danny Burroughs doesn’t have time to wait in line at the local saddler. But his little sister has her heart set on a unique piece of saddlery for Christmas and he can’t let her down.
Expert saddler Beth Wells has no idea that when she comes to small town Levenham to look after her grandfather’s shop she’ll be swamped with customers. Overrun by day, Beth is forced to work late into the night on Christmas orders.
When super-cute Danny arrives at the saddlery after midnight wearing a Santa suit, a broad grin and pleading she make his sister’s present, Beth makes a deal – she will take the order in exchange for Danny’s help. Except this flirty Santa’s idea of helping involves more than stacking shelves, and in the confines of the saddlery their smouldering attraction soon becomes a blaze. But no matter how hopelessly drawn she is, Beth has a job interstate and a mum who needs her. Anything more than friendship is pointless. Will these two chance-met strangers find the courage to gamble on their love? Or will the girl Danny’s been looking for all his life leave nothing behind but a sweet Christmas memory?
This was a good story, I liked the characters and the continuation of the Levenham community was satisfactory. It expanded beyond the character we’d already been introduced to but still had a few connecting figures to remind us this was still the same town. A fun detail I noticed was the population of the town grew again by 2k people between books so congrats on their booming population!
I liked Beth’s connection to the shop, and how it was a good location to have a realistic connection and catch up with not only Danny but the community. Being an out of towner gave readers a chance to learn more about the town as Beth learns it, and seeing her strive to make things right for them by Christmas showcased her good spirit and personality as well.
Hein’s theme in this series so far of having the men have a small personality issue is an interesting choice. It may not be intentional, it may be connected to the dark, brooding, strong silent, grumpy trope or whatever, but I was surprised how Beth enjoyed how possessive Danny was of her.
He was a great character and guy – again, we need nice things and want him to get together with Beth – but he did get possessive which I would have thought Beth would fight against and call him out. But, this is her love story and what works for Beth works for Beth. The upside of Danny is he is doing something for his little sister. So that gives him a pass. Hein is very good at not making the characters too unpleasant that become unrealistic and connections unbelievable.
Loughran does a good job on the audiobook. The story comes to life and each character felt unique, their own personalities coming through. It’s a quick read but one that is full of story and character, Hein a skilled master at bringing the most punch to a short story.
I am enjoying going through this series and moving through the residents and seeing the events of one book play into another. Hein’s picked her characters and storylines well so they don’t become too overlapped and the characters in previous books don’t crowd the story of later characters and yet are still connected enough to feel like an interwoven series.
You can purchase Santa and the Saddler via the following
Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
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