Tying the Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge

Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs

by Ginny Sterling

A promise of love, a miracle, and a treat that will tie your heart into knots!

Let's begin with introducing you to the grumpiest Scrooge around – Army Veteran and former medic, Houghton. The gruff man served many tours in Afghanistan, but one thing can bring him to his knees faster than a foreign enemy.

His wife, Jill.

Except there is a problem.

Now, the couple is facing a twist in their hard-earned Happily Ever After that neither expected, threatening the secret he's kept for months now.

When the cookie crumbles, how do you pick up the pieces, realizing that things are still incredibly sweet?

Genres: Christmas, Novella, Romance, Military Fiction, Holiday, Clean Romance

76 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2024

About the author

Ginny Sterling is an avid romance writer. She lives to tell sweet, inspirational, tender tales that tug at the heart, leaving the reader smiling, laughing, or crying. Her book series include many titles such as FLYBOYS, Healing Hearts, Flirt’s Battalion, Reserve Ranch, Hotshots, and more.

Each book written is sure to be an adventure, bringing laughter and love to your heart!

https://linktr.ee/ginny_sterling

Reviews

[Elizabeth Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so disappointed in this book. I was confused from the beginning with all the different people that were mentioned trying to figure out who was whose partner.

[Jo|Ruth Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet , quick love story between a husband and wife that's love is oh so strong, and yet, needs some mending. This was a fast read, but I enjoyed the story. He's the grumpy to her sunshine. But he truly is smitten with her, even if it doesn't always show!

In this story, you follow a married couple that have had their marriage tested but are still very much in love. And yet, you feel for them as they seem to be trying to mend fences that distance and all time in the service created. When they get some unexpected (but wonderful) news, Jill is expecting her husband to be happy. But he seems to be hiding a secret, and she assumes the worst. But... she tries to be patient, and it'll be worth the wait to see what her " babe" Houghton has been hiding from her.

This was a quick read. I was a little surprised by the crude humor among Houghtons friends, but it still remained a closed door read, which I appreciated. All in all, it's a sweet read. For me, it was a 3.5, rounded up to a 4 star story.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and reflect my personal thoughts and experiences with the book.

[Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5 probably the worst book I’ve read

[Randi Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tying the Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge is part of the Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs, a multi-author series of short and sweet standalone holiday romances.

This was such a sweet holiday read! Unlike many romances, where we get the meet-cute and the falling in love part of the love story, this one starts when Houghton and Jill have already been married for 20 years and find themselves in a season of change. I thought that made this a really unique story... and being a military wife myself, I think that adjustment after deployments is quite relatable too. As much as I love a good falling in love story, there's definitely something really special about seeing a couple that stays in love and works through life together that I absolutely adore too, and I loved that in this story. The found family was really fun and I loved the banter between Houghton's friends as well. This story is connected to the Healing Hearts series with many characters from that series making appearances. I had not personally read any of that series, and I do wonder if I would have appreciated the friendships and history there even more if I had... but I still enjoyed it just the same! This was a quick holiday read, easily read in just a sitting!

Tying the Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge is a closed-door romance with kisses only.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Courtney Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tying the Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge is part of the Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs series—a multi-author collection of short, sweet, standalone holiday romances.

This novella offers a refreshing take on romance, focusing on Houghton and Jill, a couple married for 20 years, as they navigate a season of rediscovery and healing. I appreciated the unique perspective on a long-standing marriage and loved the themes of family, Christmas cookies, and renewed love. The found family dynamic and banter between Houghton’s friends added charm, and the story’s Christmas cheer was heartwarming.

However, as this novella ties into the Healing Hearts series, I found it challenging to keep track of all the characters and their backstories, having not read the previous books. Without that context, it was harder to fully connect with the characters, especially the MMC, whose actions felt hurtful despite his good intentions.

While sweet and heartfelt, I’d recommend reading the Healing Hearts series first to better appreciate this story. Tying the Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge is a closed-door romance with kisses only and a unique tale of love, healing, and second chances.

[Angie (mushmysteriesandmore) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit this is my first Ginny Sterling book so I have no background knowledge of any of the characters, including the MMC of this novella, Houghton and his wife Jill.

We meet them in this story at a pivotal moment, Jill has just discovered she is pregnant, after it is implied they have been trying for a while, yet Houghton does not seem to be as overjoyed about the news as one would expect. He also seems to be keeping a secret from Jill.

I did fall in love with Houghton though, he was a grumpy man but his good heart always seemed to shine through despite his actions over his wife’s pregnancy. And this is why this is only 4 stars and not 5. I won’t give away the secret that Houghton was keeping. However, I will say that the secret involved had no bearing on his not reacting well to the news of the pregnancy, the pregnancy made no difference to the secret as far as I could tell so I’m not sure why he reacted the way he did.

That being said, I did enjoy this story, it’s always sweet to read something where the two MC’s are already established as a couple, a bit different to the usual romance stories.

[Kimberly Prytherch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet Christmas novella, filled with characters from the Healing Hearts series! I love the banter between Houghton and Jill as well as between Houghton and his army buddies, it’s just how you would expect them all to talk to each other! A little Christmas magic, lots of fun, and a sweet ending!

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart! Jill and Houghton, aka Babe (it explains the nickname in the book) are adorable. Even if they have some unknowns happening in their lives at this point. After years of Babe serving in the military and living in Afghanistan, he's home and they get to have Christmas together. Except there's a really fun surprise and before they can really even talk much about it, they have many guests coming to stay with them and visit for the holiday. Jill hasn't met any of Babe's friends he served with, who are more like family to him, and she gets to finally meet them after hearing about them for years. I loved seeing so many of the characters that I've read about from one of this author's series. It was so fun having these rowdy characters back together!

Babe is just trying to fly under the radar with his wife for just a few more days because he has the best surprise ever! Oh how I love how much he loves his wife Jill. It was so adorable and beautiful. I loved the flashbacks to how they met and their love story. Let's just say that I smiled and giggled and cried. Yes, I cried! I loved it so much. Ginny Sterling can bring me to tears in her books. I love the characters she writes, even if some of them are a little rough around the edges, they're incredible and full of heart and desire to do good and cherish their loved ones.

Have some chocolate and tissues handy because you might really want and need them. Just warning you! I loved it all!!! And I need more of Jill and Babe! Please!!!

Content: Sweet kisses and nothing further. Some mild innuendos scattered throughout from the rowdy military friends.

I received a copy from the author via BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Allegra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a heartwarming lovely book. This is a sweet kisses only, military man, patient wife, built in the trenches friends who became family, and one big secret. This book had so many accurate feelings and you felt like you were right there with them as you are reading. Ginny has a way with these military stories that keeps me coming back for more.

[Kendra Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5☆

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet, short read!

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge by Ginny Sterling (2024)
Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs #8
Healing Hearts #21.5
66-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-55/58

Genre: Holiday > Christmas; Romance, Short Story, Military Romance, Christian Romance

Featuring: Link to Newsletter, Praise, Introduction/Blurb, Quadragenarians, Babe, Afghanistan Veterans, Wounded Warriors, Matchmaking, Surprise Pregnancy, Army, Pen Pals, Text Graphics, Letters, Series Bibliography for Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs with Covers, Danish Knots (Kringlers) Recipe, Bonus Epilogue - Christmas in July, Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe, Lwtter From Author, Covers and Blurbs for Remember Legacy - Healing Hearts Series, In Love with a Rascal - Reserve Ranch, Pucks and Promises; Author's Links

Rating as a movie: PG-13 for innuendos

Books and Authors mentioned: Healing Hearts Series by Ginny Sterling, Forever Faithful - Flyboys #1 by Ginny Sterling, Remember Home - Healing Hearts by Ginny Sterling, Courageous Beginnings - Ember Creek's Flirt's Battalion #1 by Ginny Sterling, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salten

My rating: ⭐️⭐️🤰🪖💍🇨🇱✝️🎄

My thoughts: This story was very disjointed and the dialogue was peculiar. It seems to be characters from a series so we pretty much start at the end of another story, even so the plot and conflict make little sense to me. This is very different from the other books in the series. I had to read parts of it twice, because it was a bit confusing.

Recommend to others: No.

Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs
1. Baking Spirits Bright! (2024) Kaci Lane
2. Christmas Tree Connection (2024) Elle Rush
3. Holiday Lights and Cocoa Cookie Nights (2024) Meg Easton
4. Madeleine's Mistletoe Meet Cute (2024) Ellie Hall
5. Molasses and Mr. Christmas (2024) Lindsey Jesionowski
6. Pistachio Craze for the Holidays (2024) Kimberly Krey
7. St. Nick and Me Are Mint to Be (2024) Tamie Dearen
8. Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge (2024) Ginny Sterling
9. 'Tis the Gingerbread Season (2024) Monique Brasher
10. The Cowboy's Chocolate Covered Christmas (2024) Danae Little
11. Second Chance Christmas Cracker Crush (2024) Jessie Gussman
12. The White Chocolate Christmas Wish (2024) Jess Mastorakos

Healing Hearts
0. Remember Moments (2023)
1. Remember Hope (2019)
2. Remember Love (2019)
3. Remember Joy (2019)
4. Remember Fate (2020)
5. Remember Courage (2020)
6. Remember Laughter (2020)
7. Remember Dreams (2020)
8. Remember Honor (2020)
9. Remember Mercy (2020)
10. Remember Destiny (2020)
11. Remember Grace (2020)
12. Remember Patience (2021)
13. Remember Forever (2021)
14. Remember Peace (2021)
15. Remember Lies (2022)
16. Remember Forgiveness (2022)
17. Remember Memories (2022)
18. Remember Faith (2022)
19. Remember Wishes (2022)
20. Remember Yesterday (2023)
Remember Charming (2023)
Remember Always (2023)
Remember Fear (2023)
Remember Loyalty (2023)
Remember Romance (2023)
Remember Home (2024)
Remember Beloved (2024)
21. Remember Legacy (2024)

Memorable Quotes: True love meant sacrifice, but her sweet Babe took it to an extreme – and she had told him that more than once, quite bluntly, too. He never minced words with her, and she was just as open with him… until now. “You scared me,” she began… and that infernal eyebrow arched in slow motion as a smile touched his lips. “What are you doing?” “Brushing my teeth. Why are you creeping up behind me like some weirdo?” “Because I am a weirdo, Jill,” he chuckled warmly, gazing at her with this look in his eyes. She knew that look and that single flicker of secrecy in his gaze, making her almost throw up in awareness.

“You wouldn’t know because you haven't been here,” she snapped immediately and slapped a hand over her mouth in horror. “Babe, I’m sorry.” “It’s true,” he said quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at her. “You’re right. I messed up leaving you alone out here for so long while I signed up for tour after tour in Afghanistan – but the pay was so good, and I wanted to give you your dream house.” “I would have rather had my ‘dream husband,’” she said emotionally, moving to hug him. Taking a deep breath, she treasured the woodsy scent that was just him and adored the feeling of him being close. “I know you’ve been home eight months, but we’ve lost so much time that it’s going to take me a while to get used to not being alone anymore.” “I’m sorry, Jill,” he whispered against her hair. “I can’t change the past, but I can make our future everything you’ve ever imagined. I promise you that you’ll never regret marrying me all those years ago.” “Ya’ big lummox,” she chuckled tearfully, burying her face against his neck. “I told you then, and I’m telling you now – you are stuck with me.” “How did I end up so lucky?” “You showed me the real you,” she admitted, leaning back away from him and meeting his eyes. “You let me fall in love with the lonely man that just needed someone to talk to, the guy who was struggling to find his place in this world and the best person anyone could ever know.” “How’d you figure all that out?” he laughed nervously, looking suddenly shy now that he wasn’t hiding behind some massive Grizzly Adams beard. “Well, considering Dasher took me to my junior prom back in high school and the fact that we kept in touch as friends when he took off to join the Army – I felt like I could trust that friendship we had.” “I still don’t like the idea that you two actually dated,” her sweet Babe grumbled in irritation, sounding overly protective. “Babe, it was one time, and it would have never worked because he was more like my wimpy brother. I wanted a real man,” she smiled at him, touching his smooth cheek. “The Dasher Logan you know now was not the same person way back when and neither are you.”

“Whatever,” Ortega shrugged. “Griffin’s ‘Po-Po-Princess’ is probably some goth chick with weird fetishes – and you are putting her in the cabin with the Boy Scout who has PTSD? I had no idea you were so twisted… and I love it.” “You realize ‘Po-Po’ is derogatory, right?” “So is calling a girl ‘Princess’ to some women, the term ‘chick,’ ‘goth,’ and sooo many more words I use on a daily basis. I’m just a derogatory kinda guy, I suppose.” “You are, but you are also pushing to try to get your way.” “I could help you get your way if you trusted me with this big ol’ secret,” Ortega grinned playfully – and Houghton sighed, looking at the man and realizing that this wasn’t going to be a secret for very much longer. No, he needed to handle this, start putting his plans into motion, and repair whatever was broken with his wife. “It’s a huge secret…” Houghton said guardedly. Ortega clapped his hands together gleefully, rubbing them with delight. “I’m in, dude – what can I do to help?”

“What are you doing?” she breathed, trying to turn toward him but he held her firmly in place, kissing her cheek softly as he nuzzled her ear. “Explaining stuff,” he continued, picking up the clotted butter spoon that was caked with flour and pulled the bowl close, awkwardly stirring and beginning to cream the two ingredients. “I mean, Jill, look at this – and you are right. It’s a mess because I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m trying, and it’s never worked until you said ‘hello’ to me… and again, our recipe is changing.” Jill swallowed silently as he shoved the filthy spoon into the sugar container – and she slapped her forehead in annoyance, but treasured his laugh as he dragged sugar across the countertop to the bowl and kept stirring. “If you are romancing me, making a mess isn’t the way to do it…” “Silence, woman, we’re creating something beautiful together,” and his voice was thick with emotion, causing her to instantly comply. “See, when it’s just you and me, we’re a thing – kinda messy, kinda works – but when you add a bit of sweetness. Things change, and I like the changes, Jill.” She looked up at him in awareness and saw the truth in his gaze. “It might scare me. I might not be any good at this, but I am excited that we are going to have a baby.” “You are?” she uttered tearfully. “Are you sure?” “I think it’s an incredible blessing that has finally happened – and if you want to know the truth?” he said hoarsely, his eyes holding hers as his arms tightened around her waist, and she heard the clatter of the spoon on the counter, uncaring. “I feel like I’ve put myself through Hell for so long that I am able to finally enjoy a little time in heaven with you. You are my heaven, my happiness, my forever, Jill. How could I ever be upset that God has given us a chance to take the best parts of each of us, swirling it around in your sweet belly, creating a miracle we get to love for the rest of our lives?” “Why didn’t you say that?” she whispered, gazing at him. “I’ve been so scared that you were mad, upset, or wanted me to get rid of it – because then I would have to beat you to a pulp and show you who’s the boss,” she wept, smiling through her tears as she teased him.

[Gwen Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute story this is and here we meet the perfect military couple, Jill and Houghton. Even though they have been married for many years they have to get reacquainted after every one of the tours he has served in Afghanistan. And sometimes just when you feel you are getting to know your partner again, they have to leave on another tour. Living with and loving a person in the military is sometimes very hard but true love can work through anything if you try. Houghton is now retired from the Army as a medic, so he has seen so much over the years working with the wounded and sick. Thank you to all of the military personnel (male and female) that have served and protected our country, and made it a safer place.

We start our story with Jill and Houghton after he has been home for a few weeks, and they are still at the getting readjusted to having someone by your side. Jill has some news that she is afraid to share it with Houghton. After years of not using any kind of protection they have never gotten pregnant, until now. Jill breaks the news to Houghton not knowing what his reaction might be. And unfortunately he does not act or sound too happy, maybe like her he has to get used to the idea of a baby. At least he did not ask her to get an abortion.

Jill does not know that he is secretly thrilled and has a big surprise coming for her and if he stays around her for too long he is afraid he will blurt out the surprise. Their anniversary is coming up soon and that is what he has everything planned for. Plus Jill is under a lot of extra stress right now because some of his military buddies and their families (some that she has never met only heard stories of) are coming to stay with them over the Christmas Holiday. Some of the little kids have never seen snow, so they are excited. You have to read this book and see how Houghton gives his surprise to Jill.

[Koren | the_blue_eyed_bluestocking · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a special place reserved in my heart for soldier stories. I love them on the page or in real life... they get me every time!

The unique thing in this particular novella is that we get dropped into a long-term love story. But change is brewing that threatens to shake it up, and it's hard to tell whether it's going to be a good or bad thing until the very end. There is a secret in play as well that makes the timing of several big events difficult. But as they say, love conquers all, and no one is more deserving than our men in uniform.

The dialogue was a little uneven, which may be a pitfall of a hefty storyline in a novella sized story, and there was some unexpected crude humor that gave this story a different feel than the previous four in this "series." It isn't necessarily a bad thing, but a personal preference on my end as a reader and reviewer. I love stories that showcase marriage in all its moxie and messiness, and this novella definitely delivered.

"Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge" is Book Five in the Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs multi-author collab. I received a complimentary copy of the author's story to read and review. All thoughts contained here are my own.

[A Novel Approach · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3/5. This is a cute story about Christmas cookies, renewed love, and healing from trauma. I think the author did a great job creating visuals with her words.
Even so, I had a hard time however, because I didn’t know going into this that this novella is part of an established universe. I was introduced to many characters at the beginning and it was hard to keep straight who was who. Additionally, because I had no emotional attachment to the characters before this, I had a really hard time looking past the actions of the MMC. Even though he was acting with noble intentions, he really hurt his wife and I know I would have been hurt and not been able to look past it as easily as the FMC did. I felt like he messed up and then love-bombed her; and then she just looked past it. However, I do acknowledge that if I had read the rest of the series all these feelings might be different. I guess my piece of advice would be, I don’t recommend this as a stand-alone, but rather read the rest of the series first.

[thisBandherbooks ✨☀️🌻Buffy🌻☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Arc Review✨

💖Houston & Jill💖

This was different than what I thought it was going to be! I really enjoyed it. It made it a very unique story and those stick with me more.
Houston is a rough and grumpy marine but his wife is his everything even after 20 years of marriage. Jill has some news though… and this news threatens to expose Houston’s secret. A secret he’s been keeping for months. How will they navigate this twist? What will happen when the cookie crumbles?
This story is connected to the Healing Hearts Series as well. I have not read any of those yet, but I plan on it now. I might have to read this again after I read those now. I feel like I would appreciate the found family aspect of this so much more. Overall, this was a sweet story of how to deal with unexpected things that are thrown your way when you’ve been married a long time and I really loved that. I also really enjoyed the banter between everyone, not just the MMC and MFC. Definitely recommend!

🎄This is part of the Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs Series and it comes with a recipe for a yummy treat at the end!!!🎄

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 ⭐️

Ew. I hated this and would have DNF’d it if it wasn’t short and if I wasn’t trying to reach my reading goal. Also, I like the idea of completing the set, I guess. These shorts are all “stand alones” that are part of larger series, but this one really is barely a stand alone. It would need 50 more pages to actually be able to be a stand alone. It’s so wildly confusing with the insanely bloated cast of characters. The author could have EASILY kept the same emotional arc with just the MCs as the focus and then still had the secondary characters at the end for the pay off. There was no point in having such a bloated cast. You don’t KNOW anyone when you’re trying to introduce like ten people, especially the MCs, since it’s such a short story. Also, I just absolutely hated the way this military story was written.

[HEATHER · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another wonderful quick read by the AMAZING Ginny Sterling! Tying The Knot with Her Her Sweet Scrooge is part of Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs Series but are all standalone reads. This one is about Houghton and Jill. WOW Houghton was definitely a scrooge in the beginning but cue the SWOONING once he was came around. He had me smiling so much. I loved catching up with all of the other characters I have come to love this year. I love me some Ortega and that mouth of his. LOL..If you want a fun quick holiday read then this is the perfect book. You will laugh, swoon and smile like crazy! Ginny does NO wrong in my eyes. I would HIGHLY recommend this book and anything she writes.

Thank you Ginny Sterling for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet, quick read stars characters from my favorite favorite series - Reserve Ranch.

Jill and Houghton have a strong and steady marriage, and their love for another is obvious. They have survived long deployments and other hurdles. However, when Jill shares news with Houghton, his reaction is not what she expected, and she senses he is hiding something from her. He is acting weird and honestly like a Scrooge.

This was a fun and quick read with some funny moments and some definite signature Sterling swoon.

Romance and Christmas are the perfect combo for this short story which you can easily read in one evening.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Oruare Ojimadu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful love story. Jill and Houghton are two different beings with their own unique character being together in marriage for years, working with their flaws and blending to build a beautiful home. Their marriage is built on friendship, trust and understanding. Houghton almost allowed fear to override his peace but with an understanding partner like Jill, their lives is more beautiful. Houghton is indeed a caring man under the hard exterior and Jill knew and made him her choice over and over again. A sweet read.
I enjoyed reading a different perspective- not the usual boy meets girl but about a married couple still in love and working daily to improve their love for each other.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Debbie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and heartwarming story! After years of being married, Jill and Houghton are surprised to find out that they are going to have a baby. They are still deeply in love and this is the perfect grumpy/sunshine read complete with a Christmas surprise! I love that Houghton acts all tough and gruff on the outside but inside he’s so sweet and loving and thoughtful. I also love that Jill is tough and doesn’t put up with anything from him and has no problem calling him out on things. The icing on the cake is them being surrounded by loved ones who are all always there for one another, in the good times and the bad. It was fun seeing everyone together during such a momentous occasion.

[Hannah Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎄ARC REVIEW🍪

This is the 5th book of the 12 book Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs series! I absolutely loved this quick and sweet story! Once again, for being such a short story, it didn’t skip out on important details that make a story worth reading! ♥️

Houghton and Jill have the sweetest marriage but it could use a little TLC. Being away so much, Jill has struggled with worrying about her husband and they also haven’t had a lot of time together. With unexpected surprises and secrets, they’ll need to work together to get through and remember their love for one another. The secret Houghton is keeping is SO worth the wait by the way!! 😍🥰 Houghton is retired from the army, but even after all of the traumatic events he’s endured, if there’s one thing that’ll bring him to his knees it’s his wife, Jill.

There is no spice, but there is some humorous talk and tender moments while keeping it behind the closed door!

I truly enjoyed watching the friendships, and love, and humor in this story! The way that Houghton loves Jill is just so special and will leave your heart so full! ♥️

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read a copy in advance and share my thoughts.

[sassygirlreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge is the fifth book in the Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs series. This book is related to Ginny Sterling’s Healing Hearts series.

Jill is a sweet, understanding, and loving military wife who always stands by her man. Houghton is a gruff and grumpy retired military man who dearly loves his wife.

I had a hard time with this story to start because I felt like I had missed something, which I had, Houghton and Jill’s back story seeing that I had never read any of the Healing Hearts books. But as I continued to read and got to know the characters, I quite enjoyed the story.

Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge is a sweet story about true friendships, heartache, and lasting love!

Happy reading!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed each of the Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs series that I've read. They each are a quick read that includes a fun Christmas recipe.

I really liked Jill in this book. She's been married to Houghton for a while. They have been through some hard things together through his military service. The reader feels her anguish as she goes through the beginning of her pregnancy, not knowing if her husband was okay with it. But she hangs on.

As the reader, I was never sure quite what Houghton thought. It was obvious he loved Jill so much. But not until the end was it obvious. I loved his grand gesture at the end. It was beautiful!

This is a cute, quick read, you'll love it!

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill and Houghton have been married for 20 years and are very much in love. While she is trying to get used to the fact that she is not alone anymore since he’s back from multiple tours in the Army. When she shares some unexpected news, he does act like she would have thought.

I just really loved how Houghton is a scrooge, but not when it comes to Jill. I love the banter that they have, it makes it all that more real. I loved the relationship Houghton has with his army buddies, who is like family to him.

This is such a cute fun novelette that can be read in one sitting.

This story is part of the Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs multi author series.

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great addition to the Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs series this one by Ginny Sterling.
Jill and her “Babe” have been apart more than they’ve been together since he’s been deployed to Afghanistan multiple times. Now he’s home and she’s pregnant but he’s avoiding her because he has big plans to surprise her.
They have several wounded/damaged people living on their property with them. Houghton gets the help of one of them, Ortega.
When her Babe starts to avoid her, she’s hurt and confused since he’s always put her first.
“Friendship, trust, and understanding” the best motto.
*I received this as an ARC reader and am leaving my unbiased review.

[MacKenzie Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited for this story! I have seen so much of these two in Reserve Ranch and Rescue that it was nice to see them as the main characters. I feel like we got to see Jill how we always see her but definitely got a behind the scenes look on Houghton. He has always been viewed as a burly, no nonsense man so seeing his softer side will make you melt.

This is a dual pov, clean romance. It is part of a multi author series but can be read as a stand alone novel. Like all of Ginny Sterlings books, this story is interwoven with characters across her series so if you know their stories already you get a fun new look on their lives.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. It is a quick read and gives a little Christmasy reading for the holiday season but I didn't really like scrooge being a jerk to his wife for a while there. It didn't make sense to me. The Christmas Kisses & Cookie Crumbs series is fun and clean but I felt like this one was just a little edgier than others I've read. Like they weren't using swear words on the page but it was because people kept interrupting them to prevent them from using them in front of their kids. Or they gave each other the finger. It just felt rougher than other books in the series.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out Dec 7th..

This was another wonderful read by Ginny Sterling! If you want a sweet and fun quick holiday read then this is the perfect book. Tying The Knot with Her Sweet Scrooge is part of Christmas Kisses and Cookie Crumbs Series but can be read as a standalone. This one is about Houghton and Jill. Houghton was a scrooge in the beginning but eventually he comes around. He had me smiling and clapping with giddy excitement. You’ll laugh out loud and swoon! This book is truly amazing book it’s got some Christmas magic, lots of laughs and a beautiful ending!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

For starters, I love the book covers for this series. They just scream curling up with a book, a cozy blanket, and a hot drink. Unfortunately, my expectations for the story were not met. As others have mentioned, the characters and backstory are confusing if you try to read it as a stand-alone like I did. I really didn't enjoy the crass soldier banter (looking at the cover, would you expect that?), there were some grammar issues that were a little confusing for readability, and I never felt like I was really understanding Houghton.