A mudblood elven woman, famous companion of Chaos and Destruction, sparks events that may bring misery upon the entire planet. Or, to phrase it another way, Tinsel, a young woman known for being over-tall for a Christmas elf (because her recent heritage is not entirely elven) and for being destructively klutzy, struggles to find her place in Christmas elven society. She especially struggles with her strong, changeable, and even forbidden feelings for a very human man with the family name of Kringle—only to end up putting Christmas itself in jeopardy. Laurie Germaine’s Tinsel in a Tangle is a young-adult holiday romance following the highs and lows of Tinsel’s attempts to fit in and even make right her all-too-frequent snafus. This isn’t swords and sorcery fantasy, but a nice and enjoyable story set in a fanciful version of Santa’s town.

Best for: Young adults and older.

Discern: Mostly clean romance that might occasionally push some readers’ boundaries.