Her Naughty Scrooge

Scrooges of Pleasure Valley #1

by Lilah Hart

He stole her dad’s business. If she falls for him, her father will never forgive her.

Nobody takes me seriously at work.

They say I'm a "nepo baby." I only got my job because my dad runs things.

But I have a plan. I'll land a job at my dad's rival company and show I'm the best salesperson in the industry.

One thing I never planned on, though, was falling for the boss. A boss who happens to be my dad's biggest enemy.

Her Naughty Scrooge is an age gap Christmas romance featuring a grumpy boss and virgin heroine. It’s designed to be read in only one hour. If you like short, steamy instalove novellas, you’ll love the entire Scrooges of Pleasure Valley series!

Genres: Novella, Christmas, Contemporary

42 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2023

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't live up to the name

First of all he wasn't A Scripts what so ever. And I'm sorry I did not feel the connection between these two.

[MN Book Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book wasn’t what was described in the description.

Harley is looking to actually use her degree and her father’s company isn’t the place. So she approaches his rival, Nic, and sparks fly as she impresses him enough to get a job. But she second guesses if he’s actually in it for her or for a good time.

Nic and Harley get their happy ending in this standalone novella in a series.

So, Nic never came across as a grump. He was kind and seemed fun. And the rivalry between Nic and Harley’s father didn’t seem like anything.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley Finds Her Future . . .

Harley Baxter is not appreciated, as she works at her father’s company, Ultra Bright Technologies, that started as installers of outdoor Christmas decorations and moved on to specialize in lighting technologies. Everyone thinks she got the job without having to earn it, and they don’t respect her. So she is determined to prove herself. She asks her father’s rival in a competing company, Nic Brooks, to hire her for a sales position dealing with his corporate clientele. He had been looking to find someone who would travel with him to go after some larger accounts. Neither of them expected feelings to be involved, but the attraction had been there the moment they met. Is this going to cause bad repercussions with her father, Reed Baxter, when he finds out (although Harley finding him messing with her former college roommate in his office should give him second thoughts about criticizing his daughter)? Will they choose to pursue their relationship regardless? Or will insecurities cause them to walk away from what they both really wanted?

[Vibekke Henriksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley is on the move. She wants to get away from her fathers company, to spread her wings. She contacts Nic, her fathers competition, and ask him for a job. And so it starts, they both feel the instant attraction between them. And when they later on has an very HOT encounter all is on the line.
I highly recommend this book. It is a short, sweet instalove at it's best.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Harley and Nic. It's an age gap romance with an instant attraction and steamy chemistry. She paints her scenes perfectly and delivers an entertaining read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

What you'll get:
Christmas
Coworkers
Age gap

Setting: Washington

She feels underappreciated in her father's business and gets a job with his company. I can't stand secondhand embarrassment so I'm still not over the scene she made at her father's business dinner. After they get back on the same page, everything is perfectly fine.

I wish very, very much that they didn't smash on a public staircase and had an actual interaction that wasn't on the floor. I didn't actually think he was grumpy either so the scrooge comment felt misplaced but I get the reason since it's part of a whole series.

[♥ WishfulMiss ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harley and Nic should be rivals but Harley propositions Nic into hiring her instead. After years of working with her dad, she feels like she can't really grow there and decides that a change is needed.

But after meeting Nic, Harley finds herself propositioning him for something completely different, swiping her V-card!

This was a quick read that appears to be interconnected with other couples who have their own story (Harley's Dad and college roommate) and her three best friends? All centered around the holidays. This only has 1 smexy scene and to say it's risky and unique would be an understatement.

If you like age gap quick holiday reads with a HEA that are 100% safe and free of OM/OW drama, I can recommend this one :)

* * * I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. * * *

SAFETY INFO:
Ages : Harley is 23 and Nic is 5 years younger than her own father. I'd guess in his mid to late 40's.

Cheating : None.

OM/OW drama : Not between them. Harley is still getting used to her father and her college roommate being a couple but it's not a huge deal or too dramatic.

Separation : One week.

Possible Triggers: Risky sex (h looses her v-card while a bit tipsy and in a dark stairwell.)

HEA/HFN : Ends on a HFN ending but has an epilogue five years later with the MCs married.

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully written story with amazing characters also easy to read and a page turner. A magnificent love at first sight romance with a happily ever after ending.
It’s Christmas time when a young woman didn’t know that meeting with her father’s rival would find her the man of her dreams as well as finding out that her father was getting together with her college friend. Once the young woman’s eyes met the owner of her father’s competition everything changed for her. It was love at first sight for both of them and after having sex in a stairwell of a building there was no going back.
After running into her father everything changed. They didn’t know what the other wanted and the two started thinking negative thoughts that weren't the truth. After she ran off the man talked to the father before going after her and they talked, they also told each other how they loved one another.
They have been married for a while at the end. The young woman is getting along with her father and his wife. It was Christmas and she went to her father’s business Christmas party while her husband was working. When she got back they played a game and made love.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot mutual instantaneous attraction, or is it?

Harley Baxter's father owns a company that started out doing outdoor Christmas lighting to one that now does specialized lighting technologies. She's been working for her father doing residential sales, but no matter how hard she works, there's grumbling about  nepotism. So she's decided to look for a job with the competition.

Nice Brooks is the competition. His company seeks out larger markets than her father does, such as community buildings, department stores and restaurants, as clients. However, no one told her how hot he is, despite being nearly as old as her dad.

There's an instantaneous attraction. But is Harley really interested in him, or is trying to get back at her dad for dating her ex-college roommate?

There is a bonus chapter available at the end of the book. At the end of the chapter, there is a free book available for signing up for the author's newsletter.

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Patti Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley worked for her Father. She definitely was going to leave after finding her Dad with a friend of hers in a compromise way. She was interviewing with her dads rival partner. Nik was older, handsome and someone she could not stop thinking about him. After he hired her things got out of hand but she wanted it more then anything. He may be older but its what she wanted. Nik and Harley were out to dinner when she ran into her father. He questioned Harley and she was upset and keft. Then her father and Nik had talked and Nik explained that yes she was going to work for him but he also had strong feelings for her.
Nik went after her explained how he fe!t and not wanted to be her boss in the office but also at home. Together as a couple. Nik explained that he had talked to her dad.
Everything was good.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley was working for her father's company but decides it's a little awkward so she seeks her dad's kind of competitor out for a job. Sparks fly when she meets Nic even though he is almost as old as her dad. Of course things get a little complicated with her dad but they soon sort themselves out.

I loved the way the author writes! This series is a set of short Christmas stories but they are interesting and well written, and funny. And hot. I like how it's dual POV and all the characters are very engaging. At the end of this story there is a link to Her Brainy Scrooge, which is her father's story, and I liked how that story was almost parallel to this one. It was also very hot! I can't wait to read the other books in the series too.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun fast read that brought together Haley and Nic. She's been working for her father's company but struggles with fitting in because her coworkers thinks she's only there because her father gave her a job... She reaches out to another company with a similar mandate to see about working there. Unfortunately for her father, it's his biggest competition, sort of. Nic does the interview with Haley and man, they spark chemistry like crazy. Doesn't matter the age gap, love wins out in this low angst romance. Of course, their is some family drama, in more ways than one, but an HEA is in the works for them. I really enjoyed how this one unfolded and really can't wait for the next book to come out :D

[BurgundyKitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was really short, which made it just right for a quick read. I took off one star because there was no “Scrooge” to be found. The book said Nic was known to be a grump at work, but it was never really shown, so the title didn’t seem to matter. But the book was still cute for a quickie. I liked the scene near the end when Harley and Nic confronted Harley’s father. I was glad she stood up to him and didn’t care what he thought, and I all the more liked the little conversation right afterwards between her father and Nic. Both men were mature and understanding towards each other about the situation, instead of screaming at each other, which happens a lot in books like this.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an age gap, dad's rival, boss/employee trope romance novella where the drama was as hot and heavy as the action. Harley was going to work for her father's rival because she felt stifled at her dad's company. She didn't expect the instant attraction toward him she felt. It was mutual. Would they be able to resist this pull and work together? Was he really a rival?

Despite the age disparity, the main characters had a great deal in common and got along very well. There was alot happening in Harley's life at the moment, and determining her motivation for her actions may be somewhat tricky. What do you think?

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily provide this review. I very much enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to others. Happy Reading Y'all 📚

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley had reached out to her father's competitor for a job. Tired of feeling like she had to work hard to prove herself, she wanted to spread her wings.

Nic knew about Harley, hard not to in a small town. The moment he saw he at the coffee shop, she caught more than his eye.

Her Naughty Scrooge is a fast insta love romance that heats up your nights. Harley and Nic's chemistry ignite from the start and burn hot with each turn of the page, add the twist of her dad, and Nic image around town keeps you turning the pages.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Naughty Scrooge is a short and steamy, instalove, OTT, age-gap, Christmas themed, curvy girl gets her boss romance. Harley is a sassy 23 year old virgin and curvy girl who works at her father's company. Nic is an older businessman with a playboy reputation and her dad's biggest competitor. When Harley meets Nic to ask for a job, sparks fly. The two end up having a hot hook-up, but then both start to worry that the other doesn't feel the same. Will they work it out? They had great chemistry, and after a little angst, we got a great HEA.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and Funny!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Harley Baxter happened to be Reed Baxter from the Pleasure Valley Christmas story. He was mentioned in one of the stories. Harley had enough of her father’s company Ultra Bright Technologies. She set up a meeting with Nic Brooks’ Company Holly Day Lights. Well they were kinda hot for each other. Anyway he gave her a week to make a decision on working for him or staying with her dad’s company. While out at a Bar he was having his last drink when he spotted Harley with 2 other ladies. He bought them drinks and she made her way over to his booth… 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💜💜💜💜💜😊😊😊😊😊

[KY Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Naughty Scrooge is book 1 in the Scrooges of Pleasure Valley Series by Lilah Hart.

Harley has been feeling underappreciated working for her father's holiday lighting company. So she decides to leave and go to work for the competition. When she meets with Nic, her new boss, she finds he is much more than she thought. She feels an instant connection. When she learns some disturbing details about her father, Nic is the one she turns to for comfort.
Nic is known as a playboy around town. But since meeting Harley, all he wants is her. Now, if he can just determine if she wants him as much as she wants to upset her father.

This is a quick steamy read. The couple is great, and their chemistry is good. The book can be read in about an hour. I didn't get much of a holiday feel from this story, but the overall storyline is good. I do plan on reading the next books in this series.

ARC was provided by Booksprout, and this is my honest review.

[kymagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley (h), fed up with nepo baby innuendoes and the extra effort she has to put forth at work to move ahead, reaches out to Nic (H), the owner of a rival nosiness, for a job at his company. Harley is drawn to the older man and soon has thoughts of other positions on her mind with her new boss. Her father’s actions send Harley into Nic’s arms who worries that she’s only using him to get revenge on her father. Sweet and spicy age gap Christmastime instalove romantic quickie with a side of angst and some ice cream.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feeling no one takes her seriously working with her father, Harley Baxter contacts Nic Brooks about working for him. Nic is her father’s rival company and biggest enemy. When he comes into the coffee shop and calls her name, they both feel a stir among their feelings. One night after finding out a dirty secret, she takes Nic to an empty building and has a steamy time with him. Is this just a one-night stand? Are they developing feelings? Join Harley and Nic as they wonder if they have a HEA together.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nic is a business owner, a hot older man and get father’s biggest rival. Harley currently works for her father but she wants more. He doesn’t give her the opportunity to advance her selling career.
Nic and Harley both feel instant connection between them.
After finds her father with one of friends she suduces Nic. She realizes she has fallen for him. could this playboy be interested in her as well?
Great short read. Expect age gap, forbidden romance, alpha male and virgin heroine.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and fun Christmassy instalove read

It is hot and steamy, full of drama and love for forbidden men.

The only thing that I wasn't too keen on was the Heroine of the story Harley. She seemed really emotionally immature and impulsive and it was a turn off for me. But I did enjoy the story and the characters that were introduced. I am intrigued and want to read the rest of the series

It's had Christmas, it had steam, it had age gap and a touch of the forbidden, an enjoyable and fun read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harley and Nic's first meeting after she was all grown up was a moment of surprise and intense, suppressed passion. So much so that when they met again the sparks flew.

Harley is a bit of a wild child but has never actually met the one who has made her want to go all the way. Whilst Nic is older and has a reputation as a love them and leave them kind of guy. Misunderstandings and unspoken uncertainties nearly end things before they've begun.

A wonderful steamy instalove romance.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley meets Nic when he interviews her

Harley meets Nic when he interviews her for a sales position at his company. He also happens to be her father's #1 rival. After she accepts the job offer, she discovers her dad with her college roommate.

Reed is immediately attracted to Harley. He lets her drag him off and be seduced. She's hurting after her discovery of her father's doing.

Will both Reed and Harley clear up the convoluted feelings regarding them as a couple?

I enjoyed this read 📚!

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice up your holidays with this quick and steamy OTT age-gap romance. Harley is looking to get our from under her dad’s control and what better way then get a job with a competitor? Nick’s world is changed when he interviews Harley. Storyline is sizzling with undeniable chemistry, some angst, sweetness, revelations, doubts, misunderstandings, revelations and a forever love. Bonus chapter is a must!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charmaine Nouwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Naughty Scrooge: An OTT Age Gap Instalove Christmas Romance story of Harley and Nic..A young woman who wants to spread her wings outside her father reach and a grumpy biliionaire and her father rival and now her new boss and the man who makes her heart beat faster..A wonderful,short read,instalove,sweet with light drama and lots of romance..

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super sweet and high heat romance novella! Harley is a young driven woman eager to establish her own identity beyond her father's influence. Aspiring to demonstrate her worth independently, she finds herself meeting with her father’s rival, Nic Brooks. She wants a job but she definitely gets way more than that! Their interaction ignites an undeniable chemistry, leading to a whirlwind of passionate and intense moments. Very enjoyable read!

[Donise · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's her father's rival and she wants to work for him. However, just one look and sparks and innuendos start to fly. The next time they meet things get out of hand but is it because they are starting to care about each other or is it because she is rebelling against her father? A quick and cute Christmasy vibe instalove story.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bill Jakobsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good Christmas love story

I love short stories or instant Christmas love stories. Harley and Nic were hot and cute. He met Harley conducting a job interview and they were both interested. She wanted to breakaway from her fathers business because he didn't see her projections to increase business. Then she catches her father and best friend in a compromising situation. Read what happens after that discovery. Written by Cindy :)

[Aspen G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her Naughty Scrooge is a short, hot insta-love. Nic and Harley have a wild and tempestuous relationship—and their steamy coming together is unexpected in both timing and location. Their connection is not as well-established, but the chemistry between them is fiery. This is a quick read that offers the dual perspective of each of the main characters, as well as the opposing perspective from the first book in the series.