I hate Christmas.

I don’t know who thought every female must love shopping, wrapping, baking, and hosting, but I’m missing the memo. On top of that, I manage a top-end department store. Sprinkle in the fact I’ll be turning forty during this holiday season, and my life is a Christmas cookie recipe gone wrong.

And every year, I become a little more Scrooge-ish.

But the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year (insert sarcasm) seems to have a plan for me and my midlife crisis attitude.

First, my past returns when I attend a high school reunion happy hour and run into that boy—the one I had a summer fling with after graduation and before college—then promptly ghosted me.

The torture continues because that boy is now a man, worldly and wise and sexier than I remember. And he invites me to attend a holiday work party with him.

Which leads to my discovery that there is a lot more to this forty, fine, former NFL quarterback, now fireman, like being a single father to the sweetest little girl, putting me at risk of falling for both of them.

However, I have my reasons not to believe in love and the happiest time of the year. And the first twenty-five days of December test all my strength.

Just what the Dickens is happening? Charles himself might approve of this plot.

Even I’m a little curious to see how it all plays out.

Titles in the Holiday Hotties series include: Scrooge-ish ~ Naughty-ish ~ Grouch-ish ~ Elf-ish ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Scrooge-ish
Series:  Holiday Hotties #1
Author:  L. B. Dunbar
Published:  November 22, 2025
My Rating:  4 stars

Scrooge-ish is the first title in the Holiday Hotties series.  I had a blast with this slightly Christmas-Carol-ish Christmas Romance featuring Eva and Zebb.  While I enjoyed the second-chance love story and the nod to Charles Dickens, this story also brought home the fact that not everyone has good, happy memories surrounding the holiday season.  Bad things happen every single day of the year, and Eva has reason not to be all wrapped up in Christmas.  Yet it was fun to watch her deal with those things and eventually fully embrace the festive season through Zebb’s interactions.  

Their story is well-written with all the feels you could possibly need this holiday season.  Their banter and interactions were believable, and I so wanted Eva to find her Christmas spirit once again.  I’ll definitely be following the rest of this series (I can read a Christmas Romance any time of the year).

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon