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Humbug
Ellie Pearce adores Christmas so much she celebrates all year round, earning herself the nickname Christmas Girl. If only she liked her job as much as eggnog lattes and mistletoe. Stuck as a marketing analyst for London-based recruitment company Caldwell & Atkinson, Ellie is desperate for a career change but afraid to take a chance.
CEO Rosalind Caldwell needs a new personal assistant after the last one quit, putting the extremely important corporate Christmas party in jeopardy. Christmas Girl is just the holiday miracle Rosalind needs, and Ellie is quickly promoted to the top floor of the Canary Wharf skyscraper.
Ellie isn't a PA, has never planned a party in her life, and is terrified of heights. If things weren't bad enough, she then goes and develops a ridiculous crush on her totally intimidating new boss. With the festive season fast approaching, what could possibly go wrong?
CEO Rosalind Caldwell needs a new personal assistant after the last one quit, putting the extremely important corporate Christmas party in jeopardy. Christmas Girl is just the holiday miracle Rosalind needs, and Ellie is quickly promoted to the top floor of the Canary Wharf skyscraper.
Ellie isn't a PA, has never planned a party in her life, and is terrified of heights. If things weren't bad enough, she then goes and develops a ridiculous crush on her totally intimidating new boss. With the festive season fast approaching, what could possibly go wrong?
242 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2021
12 people are currently reading
448 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Radley
31 books155 followersSee main profile as A.E. Radley
Amanda Radley had no desire to be a writer but accidentally turned into an award-winning, best-selling author. Residing in the UK with her wife and pets, she loves to travel. She gave up her marketing career in order to make stuff up for a living instead. She claims the similarities are startling.
Amanda Radley had no desire to be a writer but accidentally turned into an award-winning, best-selling author. Residing in the UK with her wife and pets, she loves to travel. She gave up her marketing career in order to make stuff up for a living instead. She claims the similarities are startling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
December 14, 2021
“Humbug” by Amanda Radley is an age-gap, workplace romance that takes place around Christmas.
Ellie Pearce loves Christmas and is known at her office as “Christmas Girl” for her year-round decorations. A few weeks before the annual office Christmas party she is given a new job as personal assistant to the CEO, Rosalind Caldwell.
Ellie has never planned a party before and especially not as one as infamous as their corporate party, which is known to be the party of the year. Also hindering her is the fact that the former assistant canceled all the plans she had made up to that point to get back at Rosalind. Ellie has a debilitating fear of heights which she’s also trying to overcome with her move up to the 22nd floor.
One of the things I really liked about this is that Radley went a bit off script with Rosalind. Most of the women in power in her stories are ice queens and Rosalind isn’t here. She’s dedicated to her job and her daughter but she’s shown to be a funny, caring person for the most part. I liked how Rosalind and Ellie respected and got to know one another as people as well as boss/employee.
While I did enjoy this as a nice Christmas read, I wouldn’t go into this looking for love and romance. There is a sweet, slow-burn romance but it doesn’t really come up until the last 25% or so (if that.) The majority of the books revolves around the planning of the Christmas party and everything that entails. I did like the message of this about the spirit of Christmas and it did feel festive overall.
My main issue with this was that there seemed to be a lot of telling rather than showing when it came to interactions between Ellie and Rosalind. They don’t spend a lot of time together but things get summarized to show they’re getting closer. I would have preferred to see the scenes rather than spend as much time as we did on everything else. A good portion of the book is Ellie working on the party and her dealing with her fear of heights.
I also didn’t love how vague Radley is about the characters. We know there’s an age-gap but are never told the ages of either character. There’s also no description given of either Ellie or Rosalind which hindered my enjoyment a little too. I’m one of those people who can see scenes play out in my head as I read and so they were both shadow people to me since I had nothing to go off of.
All in all, I think this is a sweet, heart-felt story. I think if you’re in the mood for a Christmas tale where the focus isn’t the romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie Pearce loves Christmas and is known at her office as “Christmas Girl” for her year-round decorations. A few weeks before the annual office Christmas party she is given a new job as personal assistant to the CEO, Rosalind Caldwell.
Ellie has never planned a party before and especially not as one as infamous as their corporate party, which is known to be the party of the year. Also hindering her is the fact that the former assistant canceled all the plans she had made up to that point to get back at Rosalind. Ellie has a debilitating fear of heights which she’s also trying to overcome with her move up to the 22nd floor.
One of the things I really liked about this is that Radley went a bit off script with Rosalind. Most of the women in power in her stories are ice queens and Rosalind isn’t here. She’s dedicated to her job and her daughter but she’s shown to be a funny, caring person for the most part. I liked how Rosalind and Ellie respected and got to know one another as people as well as boss/employee.
While I did enjoy this as a nice Christmas read, I wouldn’t go into this looking for love and romance. There is a sweet, slow-burn romance but it doesn’t really come up until the last 25% or so (if that.) The majority of the books revolves around the planning of the Christmas party and everything that entails. I did like the message of this about the spirit of Christmas and it did feel festive overall.
My main issue with this was that there seemed to be a lot of telling rather than showing when it came to interactions between Ellie and Rosalind. They don’t spend a lot of time together but things get summarized to show they’re getting closer. I would have preferred to see the scenes rather than spend as much time as we did on everything else. A good portion of the book is Ellie working on the party and her dealing with her fear of heights.
I also didn’t love how vague Radley is about the characters. We know there’s an age-gap but are never told the ages of either character. There’s also no description given of either Ellie or Rosalind which hindered my enjoyment a little too. I’m one of those people who can see scenes play out in my head as I read and so they were both shadow people to me since I had nothing to go off of.
All in all, I think this is a sweet, heart-felt story. I think if you’re in the mood for a Christmas tale where the focus isn’t the romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2021
Planning the Christmas party.
Humbug is a Christmas workplace novel. Rosalind is a CEO, forced to pick someone in the company to replace her PA after the PA quit, putting the company's annual Christmas party in jeopardy. She chooses Ellie from the marketing department and blackmails her into delivering an impossible task.
I think Radley has good ideas for storylines but sometimes I'm not a fan of how she executes them. I understand if an author chooses not to write descriptive sex scenes because isn't everybody's cup of tea. But to not write intimacy at all makes me wonder. The characters start out by having misconceptions about one another and soon discover positive qualities as they learn more about each other. But a lot of the story revolves around planning the impossible party, which Rosalind is not a part of (the planning). I buy that the characters have a mild affection for each other by the end of it but that's about it. They are not intimate and I don't think they have enough personal interaction to develop their chemistry beyond that.
The characters are a little exaggerated too. Ellie, for example, is known to be Christmas Girl, because she celebrates Christmas all year round. Rosalind is quite the opposite, less enthusiastic about it and is called a humbug by Ellie. And then we have Rosalind's daughter, Ava, who speaks and acts like a 30 year old instead of a 12 year old.
To be fair, this book isn't boring. In fact, I think the whole premise is fun and it's like a cheesy rom com. But I think people who are looking out for a good strong romance, wouldn't find it here.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Humbug is a Christmas workplace novel. Rosalind is a CEO, forced to pick someone in the company to replace her PA after the PA quit, putting the company's annual Christmas party in jeopardy. She chooses Ellie from the marketing department and blackmails her into delivering an impossible task.
I think Radley has good ideas for storylines but sometimes I'm not a fan of how she executes them. I understand if an author chooses not to write descriptive sex scenes because isn't everybody's cup of tea. But to not write intimacy at all makes me wonder. The characters start out by having misconceptions about one another and soon discover positive qualities as they learn more about each other. But a lot of the story revolves around planning the impossible party, which Rosalind is not a part of (the planning). I buy that the characters have a mild affection for each other by the end of it but that's about it. They are not intimate and I don't think they have enough personal interaction to develop their chemistry beyond that.
The characters are a little exaggerated too. Ellie, for example, is known to be Christmas Girl, because she celebrates Christmas all year round. Rosalind is quite the opposite, less enthusiastic about it and is called a humbug by Ellie. And then we have Rosalind's daughter, Ava, who speaks and acts like a 30 year old instead of a 12 year old.
To be fair, this book isn't boring. In fact, I think the whole premise is fun and it's like a cheesy rom com. But I think people who are looking out for a good strong romance, wouldn't find it here.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2021
Amanda Radley has a long, long list of well written novels in her repertoire and I was expecting the same to be true for Humbug. I was surprised to find that the first half of the book was not able to grab and hold my attention.
The story is interesting with Ellie being yanked by the company’s owner, Rosalind, from her cushy, non hectic job to being Rosalind’s new PA and Christmas party rescuer.
For a romance, there was just not enough interaction between Ellie and Rosalind to convince me that they were going to end up together. Frankly I was giving Will my side eye thinking he was going to be the romantic partner of Ellie.
By the last half of the book Radley seemed to hit her stride and the writing quality slid up a healthy notch. More things were happening in the story and Ellie and Rosalind were spending time together. The dialogue between them is humorous especially when they are flirting. By this point I wanted to see what happened to the main characters.
I am rating this with 3⭐️because of the unique premise and the improvement in the last half of the story.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
The story is interesting with Ellie being yanked by the company’s owner, Rosalind, from her cushy, non hectic job to being Rosalind’s new PA and Christmas party rescuer.
For a romance, there was just not enough interaction between Ellie and Rosalind to convince me that they were going to end up together. Frankly I was giving Will my side eye thinking he was going to be the romantic partner of Ellie.
By the last half of the book Radley seemed to hit her stride and the writing quality slid up a healthy notch. More things were happening in the story and Ellie and Rosalind were spending time together. The dialogue between them is humorous especially when they are flirting. By this point I wanted to see what happened to the main characters.
I am rating this with 3⭐️because of the unique premise and the improvement in the last half of the story.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
March 5, 2022
If you love age gap or ice queen lesfic, this is a lovely read around the holiday season.
This is a feel good, festive, slow-burn romance.
I would have loved more romantic moments, but it’s still a solid book even if there’s no steamy scenes.
This is one of those books I’ll come back to just about every December.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley:
ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.
This is a feel good, festive, slow-burn romance.
I would have loved more romantic moments, but it’s still a solid book even if there’s no steamy scenes.
This is one of those books I’ll come back to just about every December.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley:
ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.
December 9, 2021
What is my definition of a good book? It's easy: If I enjoy the story, the book is good. If not, it's bad.
So, did I enjoy this book, Humbug? Yes, it's a heartwarming feel-good Christmas romance. Therefore 4 stars. Easy.
So, did I enjoy this book, Humbug? Yes, it's a heartwarming feel-good Christmas romance. Therefore 4 stars. Easy.
May 25, 2022
Note: I actually wrote this review back in Jan 2022, but I didn't realize until now that I didn't post it!
I really liked this Christmas novel. The two main characters are Ellie Pearce, who is a statistician by training. She was unable to find a job in statistics and ended up as a marketing analyst at a Recruitment company. As a marketing analyst, she is asked to use data to prop up what her boss wants to promote. Opposite from what she was trained to do as a statistician, who analyses data and reports it as is. As brilliant as she is and as much as her job frustrates her, she lost her desire to search for a new job. Ellie is also known as Christmas Girl. She celebrates it year-round with her desk filled to overflowing with Christmas décor.
The second main character is the CEO, Rosalind Caldwell. I didn't think of her as an Ice Queen, but rather a very busy, head of a large company. Rosalind's PA quit and so she comes down from her twenty-second floor office to tell Ellie that she will report immediately to be her new PA. Ellie is shocked. She doesn't want to go up there. Not because of the job itself or having to work for Rosalind, but because of the floor it is on. Ellie has very severe acrophobia (fear of heights) so she avoids any height, barely adjusting to her second-floor office cubical. She also avoids elevators. But now she has no choice. The main reason that Rosalind sought out "Christmas Girl", was that the company's annual Christmas party for clients and employees is to be in a few weeks. This is the most important event of the year for the company, and it has a reputation of being THE party not to be missed. The problem - Rosalind's ex-PA cancelled all the arrangements before she left. So, who else to plan a Christmas party last minute, but the Christmas Girl?
Two other significant characters are Ellie's office mate and best friend, Will and Rosalind's twelve-year-old daughter Ava. Both help Ellie execute her Christmas party plans and help her hide her debilitating acrophobia from Rosalind. Ellie really needs their help, because the only venue she was able to find was a rooftop outdoor garden venue. In the middle of winter.
I enjoyed watching Ellie blossom into a very efficient and effective PA and party planner. I did like the boss-employee romance between Ellie and Rosalind. However, if you are looking for a steamy romance, its not here. I didn’t miss it. This story has made it onto my annual Christmas re-read list.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this Christmas novel. The two main characters are Ellie Pearce, who is a statistician by training. She was unable to find a job in statistics and ended up as a marketing analyst at a Recruitment company. As a marketing analyst, she is asked to use data to prop up what her boss wants to promote. Opposite from what she was trained to do as a statistician, who analyses data and reports it as is. As brilliant as she is and as much as her job frustrates her, she lost her desire to search for a new job. Ellie is also known as Christmas Girl. She celebrates it year-round with her desk filled to overflowing with Christmas décor.
The second main character is the CEO, Rosalind Caldwell. I didn't think of her as an Ice Queen, but rather a very busy, head of a large company. Rosalind's PA quit and so she comes down from her twenty-second floor office to tell Ellie that she will report immediately to be her new PA. Ellie is shocked. She doesn't want to go up there. Not because of the job itself or having to work for Rosalind, but because of the floor it is on. Ellie has very severe acrophobia (fear of heights) so she avoids any height, barely adjusting to her second-floor office cubical. She also avoids elevators. But now she has no choice. The main reason that Rosalind sought out "Christmas Girl", was that the company's annual Christmas party for clients and employees is to be in a few weeks. This is the most important event of the year for the company, and it has a reputation of being THE party not to be missed. The problem - Rosalind's ex-PA cancelled all the arrangements before she left. So, who else to plan a Christmas party last minute, but the Christmas Girl?
Two other significant characters are Ellie's office mate and best friend, Will and Rosalind's twelve-year-old daughter Ava. Both help Ellie execute her Christmas party plans and help her hide her debilitating acrophobia from Rosalind. Ellie really needs their help, because the only venue she was able to find was a rooftop outdoor garden venue. In the middle of winter.
I enjoyed watching Ellie blossom into a very efficient and effective PA and party planner. I did like the boss-employee romance between Ellie and Rosalind. However, if you are looking for a steamy romance, its not here. I didn’t miss it. This story has made it onto my annual Christmas re-read list.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2021
Humbug is a holiday romance that features two of my favourite tropes - ice queen with an age gap.
Rosalind is an icy boss who thaws for Ellie, her young, naive EA. The relationship development between the two was confusing in a way. One second their boss and employee, the next it felt as though Rosalind begins to fancy Ellie without really knowing her. It jumped a bit in this part of the story development.
Humbug is a very sweet romance though with a great festive feel to it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Rosalind is an icy boss who thaws for Ellie, her young, naive EA. The relationship development between the two was confusing in a way. One second their boss and employee, the next it felt as though Rosalind begins to fancy Ellie without really knowing her. It jumped a bit in this part of the story development.
Humbug is a very sweet romance though with a great festive feel to it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2021
Perfect!
Rosalind’s PA leaves her in the lurch after becoming disgruntled and in an effort to replace her as quickly as possible she chooses ‘Christmas Girl’ Ellie from the second floor. Ellie quickly adapts to life as Rosalind’s PA and organising a Christmas Party from scratch but it isn’t without complications.
I loved this! It really is the most festive romance in the whole world and it couldn’t be any more perfect! Everything, and I mean everything was just amazing. I could really put myself in Ellie’s shoes, and have said this before but it really is like Amanda has been in my head when creating some of her characters because I can just relate on so many levels. A lot of what Ellie did, felt, worried about, or things that stood in her way were things I could not only empathise with but I just completely understood.
Ellie’s love for all things festive was infectious and I loved the spirit and warmth she injected into her story, even when she was terrified or panicking, there was still something so special and magical about Ellie! I adored Rosalind too. Expecting an Ice Queen I was prepared for Ellie being the one to melt her heart and she kind of did but not in the traditional sense or as I expected!
Not only was this a great romance, there were hints of comedy too which made it extra special. I would love it if this were made into a movie or tv show, it literally is the only way it could be any more perfect but the story was just so immersive that I got lost in it. The imagery was beautiful and I could just picture everything. There were so many moments in this story where I was speechless, overwhelmed with emotion, excited, or just falling even more in love with everything from the plot, to the characters, to things the characters said and liked. Amazing in so many ways and real Christmas gem that I am certain will be read time and time again, not just at Christmas.
I was hooked from the first chapter and unable to put the book down. I just wanted to know what would happen, what surprises were in store for Ellie and Rosalind and I just hoped a happily ever after would also be possible too. I can’t recommend this story enough, nor express how wonderful, magical, and truly beautiful it was.
Rosalind’s PA leaves her in the lurch after becoming disgruntled and in an effort to replace her as quickly as possible she chooses ‘Christmas Girl’ Ellie from the second floor. Ellie quickly adapts to life as Rosalind’s PA and organising a Christmas Party from scratch but it isn’t without complications.
I loved this! It really is the most festive romance in the whole world and it couldn’t be any more perfect! Everything, and I mean everything was just amazing. I could really put myself in Ellie’s shoes, and have said this before but it really is like Amanda has been in my head when creating some of her characters because I can just relate on so many levels. A lot of what Ellie did, felt, worried about, or things that stood in her way were things I could not only empathise with but I just completely understood.
Ellie’s love for all things festive was infectious and I loved the spirit and warmth she injected into her story, even when she was terrified or panicking, there was still something so special and magical about Ellie! I adored Rosalind too. Expecting an Ice Queen I was prepared for Ellie being the one to melt her heart and she kind of did but not in the traditional sense or as I expected!
Not only was this a great romance, there were hints of comedy too which made it extra special. I would love it if this were made into a movie or tv show, it literally is the only way it could be any more perfect but the story was just so immersive that I got lost in it. The imagery was beautiful and I could just picture everything. There were so many moments in this story where I was speechless, overwhelmed with emotion, excited, or just falling even more in love with everything from the plot, to the characters, to things the characters said and liked. Amazing in so many ways and real Christmas gem that I am certain will be read time and time again, not just at Christmas.
I was hooked from the first chapter and unable to put the book down. I just wanted to know what would happen, what surprises were in store for Ellie and Rosalind and I just hoped a happily ever after would also be possible too. I can’t recommend this story enough, nor express how wonderful, magical, and truly beautiful it was.
December 20, 2021
This was so cute and sweet 🥰 I mean, I love me some age-gap romances, especially when it’s an office romance, and if it has a kid in the middle cheering for her/his/their mom to get together with her love interest, even better. I just love this dynamic 👌🏻 so I really enjoyed this story.
November 10, 2023
Very enjoyable and just right to get in the mood for the December festivities.
February 20, 2023
Really excellent story - books like this are why I read LesRom. Brilliant characters, so well written the book glides along. Highly recommended.
December 16, 2023
I started reading this 1 AM and planned on reading the first chapters before bad, now it’s 5:45 AM, do i regret read it? No
It was such a delightful read!
It was such a delightful read!
November 12, 2021
Ellie Pearce loves Christmas. She maintains her Christmas spirit year round with music and decorations but really ramps it up starting November with the first of two annual advent calendars as a result her colleagues have nicknamed her Christmas Girl. She is stunned when the CEO of her company appears at her desk telling her she’s been promoted to be her PA and is now in charge of the company Christmas party. The only problem is she is deathly afraid of heights and can’t imagine having to work from her new desk all the way up on the 22nd floor, never mind the terrifying elevator ride up. Rosalind Caldwell has just lost her PA and is worried that the notoriously popular company Christmas party will be in danger of being a dud. She recruits the best person for the job, there must be a reason everyone calls her Christmas Girl, right?
This was a cute, light read that I enjoyed. I liked Ellie but there wasn’t much interaction between the two MCs, they felt more like ships passing in the night and I just didn’t get a feel for their attraction to each other. Ava was cute but her age felt a bit unbelievable, her dialogue and the way she picks up on the feelings of the other characters make her seem more like an older teen. At one point she even helps an adult work through a severe panic attack and I just don’t see any 12 year old being able to do that, unless for someone they know already quite well. This was good but not my favorite Amanda Radley novel.
This was a cute, light read that I enjoyed. I liked Ellie but there wasn’t much interaction between the two MCs, they felt more like ships passing in the night and I just didn’t get a feel for their attraction to each other. Ava was cute but her age felt a bit unbelievable, her dialogue and the way she picks up on the feelings of the other characters make her seem more like an older teen. At one point she even helps an adult work through a severe panic attack and I just don’t see any 12 year old being able to do that, unless for someone they know already quite well. This was good but not my favorite Amanda Radley novel.
November 30, 2021
As you probably know I’m a fan of Ms Radley’s books, long before she’d moved to BSB. Her first two books using this publisher were ok but not what I was used to reading. Ms Radley is one of those rare writers who can make me laugh out loud.
Being a fan of Ms Radley's helped me get over the first part of ‘Humbug’ that I found a little dull. Now when some books I read are slow I just shelved them but being a fan I decided to go a few more chapters. Glad I did.
Ellie Pearce wasn’t doing the job she envisioned for herself after her years spent at university. But after being turned down for every job she applied for she decides if she wants to keep a roof over her head she’d have to find something, anything. That’s how she finds herself working at Caldwell & Atkinson, a recruiting company. Now Ellie loved Christmas so much she celebrated it year round keeping her desk covered in decorations earning her the nickname ‘Christmas Girl’.
Rosalind Caldwell, CEO of C&A was someone who worked just as hard, if not harder than most of her employees. The one thing she let someone else do was plan the annual Christmas party where not only the employee’s but their clients are welcome as well. Plus each year Rosalind wanted a different theme, hopefully surpassing the last party's success. But when her assistant quits with only a few weeks left before the party’s date she has to look for someone to take the lead on this project. Seemed to her that ‘Christmas Girl’ would be perfect to take the reins, finishing the planning. Big problem when they find all the work done so far was lost.
Now Ellie finds herself doing a task she’d never done before, all with Rosalind looking over her shoulder. Ms Radley does a great job turning what could have been a bust into a very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books
Being a fan of Ms Radley's helped me get over the first part of ‘Humbug’ that I found a little dull. Now when some books I read are slow I just shelved them but being a fan I decided to go a few more chapters. Glad I did.
Ellie Pearce wasn’t doing the job she envisioned for herself after her years spent at university. But after being turned down for every job she applied for she decides if she wants to keep a roof over her head she’d have to find something, anything. That’s how she finds herself working at Caldwell & Atkinson, a recruiting company. Now Ellie loved Christmas so much she celebrated it year round keeping her desk covered in decorations earning her the nickname ‘Christmas Girl’.
Rosalind Caldwell, CEO of C&A was someone who worked just as hard, if not harder than most of her employees. The one thing she let someone else do was plan the annual Christmas party where not only the employee’s but their clients are welcome as well. Plus each year Rosalind wanted a different theme, hopefully surpassing the last party's success. But when her assistant quits with only a few weeks left before the party’s date she has to look for someone to take the lead on this project. Seemed to her that ‘Christmas Girl’ would be perfect to take the reins, finishing the planning. Big problem when they find all the work done so far was lost.
Now Ellie finds herself doing a task she’d never done before, all with Rosalind looking over her shoulder. Ms Radley does a great job turning what could have been a bust into a very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books
November 20, 2021
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
I love this author what I like about this author is she knows who her characters is and I like she does aged gap with her characters. With that being said I wish author focus more on the romance I don’t care about having love scenes but it could’ve been more intimate.
Ellie is known for loving Christmas so when she gets recommended for position to help plan a Christmas party she basically gets blackmail into doing despite having fears of heights. Rosalind the CEO doesn’t realize how afraid of heights Ellie is but she can’t deal with that because she already made some mistakes and needs this party to go without a hitch.
The characters are great I like the daughter for kid to be twelve she sure didn’t sound like it. Rosalind is painted as a ice queen but she doesn’t seem like one maybe because how she is with her daughter Ava. Ellie is great and like how she was overcoming her fear of heights. The only thing about this story is I would have like to see the feelings that Ellie and Rosalind have come to share more because in my opinion they barely interact especially planning this party because I’m like when did it happen.
I love this author what I like about this author is she knows who her characters is and I like she does aged gap with her characters. With that being said I wish author focus more on the romance I don’t care about having love scenes but it could’ve been more intimate.
Ellie is known for loving Christmas so when she gets recommended for position to help plan a Christmas party she basically gets blackmail into doing despite having fears of heights. Rosalind the CEO doesn’t realize how afraid of heights Ellie is but she can’t deal with that because she already made some mistakes and needs this party to go without a hitch.
The characters are great I like the daughter for kid to be twelve she sure didn’t sound like it. Rosalind is painted as a ice queen but she doesn’t seem like one maybe because how she is with her daughter Ava. Ellie is great and like how she was overcoming her fear of heights. The only thing about this story is I would have like to see the feelings that Ellie and Rosalind have come to share more because in my opinion they barely interact especially planning this party because I’m like when did it happen.
December 15, 2021
A fluffy well-written story about a woman in her twenties who spent a good deal of time getting an education, but hasn't found a job that makes use of her education (that is the theme throughout the book, though she got an education to be a statistician and works as one, albeit not where she thought she'd be working as one). Instead she found anything that would give her a pay check (after a failed search for something else). Which is where this story opens: on the second floor of a recruitment firm, working as a statistician massaging data for the marketing team (putting a "good story" twist to bad data).
Ellie Pearce's days of lazily poking at numbers and gossiping with her friends ends when the CEO of the company marches up to her and tells "Christmas Girl", Ellie's nickname, that she is now Rosalind Caldwell's assistant.
Several immediate issues for Ellie: she doesn't want to work as a personal assistant, but more importantly, she had to adjust to working on the 2nd floor. Adjust because she has a massive fear of heights and suffers panic attacks, blackouts, etc. Her new job puts her about twenty floors above her old one. She makes it up to Rosalind's office, without her stuff, to try to "fix things". Rosalind gruffly mumbles things that are illegal (they both mentally acknowledge) about how Ellie takes the new job or leaves the company. So that's one early red flag against Rosalind. Ellie doesn't put up much of a fight.
Why did Rosalind do this? That morning she arrived at work to find that her prior PA, Vanessa, had left a resignation note on Rosalind's keyboard. Rosalind fears Vanessa did certain things to sabotage the company holiday party. And asked HR for someone who is known for liking Christmas (or something like that). And Ellie is known as Christmas Girl because she has Christmas stuff up year round (with the logic that others have their interests up year round, why can't she?).
Right, so: as noted, a well written story. An interesting one. A two person POV story. A relatively good foundation was created with this book to show two women developing some type of friendship. Romance? There wasn't really much there. Sure, some, but not a lot. The romance basically consisted of .
As a holiday book, as a friendship book, this was good. As a romance, not so much. As such, it doesn't really matter that one of the women was in her twenties and the other was some much more advanced in age (not sure what age, not sure if it was explicitly stated; it's possible Rosalind's 12 year old child could be closer in age to Ellie than Ellie is to Rosalind); and doesn't matter that Rosalind has an ice queen persona; or that Ellie is more of a bubble-ly type - at least not in terms of how those issues does or does not matter for a romance.
Rating: 4.00
December 14 2021
Ellie Pearce's days of lazily poking at numbers and gossiping with her friends ends when the CEO of the company marches up to her and tells "Christmas Girl", Ellie's nickname, that she is now Rosalind Caldwell's assistant.
Several immediate issues for Ellie: she doesn't want to work as a personal assistant, but more importantly, she had to adjust to working on the 2nd floor. Adjust because she has a massive fear of heights and suffers panic attacks, blackouts, etc. Her new job puts her about twenty floors above her old one. She makes it up to Rosalind's office, without her stuff, to try to "fix things". Rosalind gruffly mumbles things that are illegal (they both mentally acknowledge) about how Ellie takes the new job or leaves the company. So that's one early red flag against Rosalind. Ellie doesn't put up much of a fight.
Why did Rosalind do this? That morning she arrived at work to find that her prior PA, Vanessa, had left a resignation note on Rosalind's keyboard. Rosalind fears Vanessa did certain things to sabotage the company holiday party. And asked HR for someone who is known for liking Christmas (or something like that). And Ellie is known as Christmas Girl because she has Christmas stuff up year round (with the logic that others have their interests up year round, why can't she?).
Right, so: as noted, a well written story. An interesting one. A two person POV story. A relatively good foundation was created with this book to show two women developing some type of friendship. Romance? There wasn't really much there. Sure, some, but not a lot. The romance basically consisted of .
As a holiday book, as a friendship book, this was good. As a romance, not so much. As such, it doesn't really matter that one of the women was in her twenties and the other was some much more advanced in age (not sure what age, not sure if it was explicitly stated; it's possible Rosalind's 12 year old child could be closer in age to Ellie than Ellie is to Rosalind); and doesn't matter that Rosalind has an ice queen persona; or that Ellie is more of a bubble-ly type - at least not in terms of how those issues does or does not matter for a romance.
Rating: 4.00
December 14 2021
December 13, 2021
Humbug follows Ellie, a Christmas obsessed woman who works at a dead end job in a recruitment office. Ellie’s boss, Rosalind, surprises Ellie one day by making her become her own personal assistant after hers quit unannounced. Ellie is left with no choice but to take the job and soon finds that Rosalinds last assistant sabotaged the biggest party of the year and it’s her job to fix it.
This book was exactly what I thought I was looking for. It has a workplace romance between the boss and her newly promoted assistant and it was a sapphic Christmas romance, which is what I wanted to read this time of year. Unfortunately this book didn’t hit the mark for me. It was very heavy on what was happening within the workplace and not so much on the romance. Due to the lack of focus on the relationship, it was left feeling rushed and unnatural. The relationship was also only at the very end of the book and with this book being labeled as a romance it felt like there was not enough. Overall this book just wasn’t for me, but it is still a cute Christmas story for those who want one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
This book was exactly what I thought I was looking for. It has a workplace romance between the boss and her newly promoted assistant and it was a sapphic Christmas romance, which is what I wanted to read this time of year. Unfortunately this book didn’t hit the mark for me. It was very heavy on what was happening within the workplace and not so much on the romance. Due to the lack of focus on the relationship, it was left feeling rushed and unnatural. The relationship was also only at the very end of the book and with this book being labeled as a romance it felt like there was not enough. Overall this book just wasn’t for me, but it is still a cute Christmas story for those who want one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
December 23, 2022
Well, this was delightful! A fun, fast-paced workplace Christmas romance - I devoured it in one sitting!
November 9, 2021
This is not my first Amanda Radley book, in fact I tend to love her works (almost always.)
As a queer gal living near ish London myself I really *really* wanted to love this book.
However for me it didn’t quite hold up (but perhaps that’s just because it didn’t click with me?)
If you like age gap stories and are looking for some fairly PG rated, cute and wholesome, warm Christmas reads then this is for you.
The romance lies between: Rosalind (the strict boss) who has a twelve year old daughter who she is protective of due to her health issues. And Ellie (the assistant) who is far younger and is working on the second floor before she gets promoted up to a higher floor, (an issue due to her fear of heights) and thrown into the hell of planning a party the last assistant sabotaged.
Their romance is sweet and a slow burn but definitely doesn’t amount to any heavy romance scenes, more a handful of kisses and an epilogue.
This lacked the kind of sexy or intriguing feel of Radley’s usual works. I felt the characters were slightly one dimensional with there being so much plot revolving around Ellie’s fear of heights that it became slightly overdramatised.
I also felt that whilst Ava was intellectual, some of her vocabulary was rather advanced or adult like for a twelve year old. I was told I spoke like a middle aged person as a child but Ava could be pushing sixty in some scenes.
However these were small things in a story that was overall and enjoyable read, the plot and characters just didn’t click with me. If you like age gap tales or warm sapphic romances with a single parent it is a sweet read for the holidays.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.
As a queer gal living near ish London myself I really *really* wanted to love this book.
However for me it didn’t quite hold up (but perhaps that’s just because it didn’t click with me?)
If you like age gap stories and are looking for some fairly PG rated, cute and wholesome, warm Christmas reads then this is for you.
The romance lies between: Rosalind (the strict boss) who has a twelve year old daughter who she is protective of due to her health issues. And Ellie (the assistant) who is far younger and is working on the second floor before she gets promoted up to a higher floor, (an issue due to her fear of heights) and thrown into the hell of planning a party the last assistant sabotaged.
Their romance is sweet and a slow burn but definitely doesn’t amount to any heavy romance scenes, more a handful of kisses and an epilogue.
This lacked the kind of sexy or intriguing feel of Radley’s usual works. I felt the characters were slightly one dimensional with there being so much plot revolving around Ellie’s fear of heights that it became slightly overdramatised.
I also felt that whilst Ava was intellectual, some of her vocabulary was rather advanced or adult like for a twelve year old. I was told I spoke like a middle aged person as a child but Ava could be pushing sixty in some scenes.
However these were small things in a story that was overall and enjoyable read, the plot and characters just didn’t click with me. If you like age gap tales or warm sapphic romances with a single parent it is a sweet read for the holidays.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.
November 25, 2021
Humbug is both an opposites attract and an age gap romance, and I use the term "romance" loosely Ellie Pearce, statistician extraordinaire toiling away as a drone writing reports that have nothing to do with her degree at a very large, eponymous recruiting firm cofounded and run by Rosalind Caldwell, who is seen as an ice queen and who is somewhat feared by the employees who work for her. Rosalind knows Ellie only by her nickname "Christmas Girl", so dubbed because Ellie is one of those people who keeps christmas year round, her desk a riot of decorations and her music that of the season. But just so we know it isn't tacky, we're told Ellie listens to choral music and that she is involved in a christmas chorus each year.
One day, Rosalind comes marching down to the second floor to tell Ellie to pack up her stuff and haul herself up to one of the higher floors. This terrifies Ellie, as she's deathly afraid of heights. But Ellie does as she's told, and her new job is to be Rosalind's assistant and take over the planning for the company christmas party, a Very Big Deal each year. Ellie digs in, only to find the previous assistant has sabotaged everything: canceling all vendors, caterers, and the space they had reserved.
Those looking for instalove will be disappointed. Those looking for some kind of meaningful romance to develop through the book will likewise be disappointed. If it weren't for Rosalind's 12-year old daughter, the two of them would rarely speak, and only about business - and mainly about the christmas party. It's only in the last third of the book that anything really crops up, and as with a couple of Radley's books I've read, the ending feels a littler artificial and a lot rushed. As with those books, I'd have been willing to read a longer book with those threads teased out a little.
I'll give the book points for no instacure for Ellie's fear of heights, and points for Rosalind and Ellie's bestie to give her the experience of the party on the roof without actually taking her to the roof.
Three out of five stars.
Publication date: December 14, 2021
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.
One day, Rosalind comes marching down to the second floor to tell Ellie to pack up her stuff and haul herself up to one of the higher floors. This terrifies Ellie, as she's deathly afraid of heights. But Ellie does as she's told, and her new job is to be Rosalind's assistant and take over the planning for the company christmas party, a Very Big Deal each year. Ellie digs in, only to find the previous assistant has sabotaged everything: canceling all vendors, caterers, and the space they had reserved.
Those looking for instalove will be disappointed. Those looking for some kind of meaningful romance to develop through the book will likewise be disappointed. If it weren't for Rosalind's 12-year old daughter, the two of them would rarely speak, and only about business - and mainly about the christmas party. It's only in the last third of the book that anything really crops up, and as with a couple of Radley's books I've read, the ending feels a littler artificial and a lot rushed. As with those books, I'd have been willing to read a longer book with those threads teased out a little.
I'll give the book points for no instacure for Ellie's fear of heights, and points for Rosalind and Ellie's bestie to give her the experience of the party on the roof without actually taking her to the roof.
Three out of five stars.
Publication date: December 14, 2021
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.
December 20, 2021
I am a huge sucker for Christmassy sapphic reads, and Amanda Radley did not disappoint with her latest release. This is my second book by Radley and I have to say, I really enjoy her writing style! This is an age-gap office romance with an ice queen main character (very fitting for the season, no?), Rosalind, who tasks our second main character, Ellie, with re-planning the company's famous Christmas party after it is sabotaged last minute.
The romance in this book was definitely sweet and I think that the way Radley tackled the office romance while taking into account the ethics of the situation was really well done. The two main characters definitely had amazing chemistry and I loved all of the side characters too, including Rosalind's daughter and Ellie's best friend in the office. Everything about the character relationships in this book was so heartwarming and just perfect for the chilly weather we're having right now.
Ellie is tasked with taking on the Christmas party because she is known as 'Christmas Girl' - she has tinsel up on her desk year-round and loves listening to carols in the height of summer. Despite this, I did find it to be one of the less Christmassy books that I've read, so if you're looking for a festive read but you're a bit of a humbug yourself, then I think this one would be perfect for you.
I did have one wee issue with the book, and that's why it is my least favourite of the two Radley books I've read so far, and that's the pacing. I really feel like this book could have been a novella. There was so much waiting for the ending and the Christmas party that I did find the second half of the book, especially, to drag. That being said, I'm thoroughly looking forward to Radley's next release and I'll definitely be checking out some of her backlist!
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
The romance in this book was definitely sweet and I think that the way Radley tackled the office romance while taking into account the ethics of the situation was really well done. The two main characters definitely had amazing chemistry and I loved all of the side characters too, including Rosalind's daughter and Ellie's best friend in the office. Everything about the character relationships in this book was so heartwarming and just perfect for the chilly weather we're having right now.
Ellie is tasked with taking on the Christmas party because she is known as 'Christmas Girl' - she has tinsel up on her desk year-round and loves listening to carols in the height of summer. Despite this, I did find it to be one of the less Christmassy books that I've read, so if you're looking for a festive read but you're a bit of a humbug yourself, then I think this one would be perfect for you.
I did have one wee issue with the book, and that's why it is my least favourite of the two Radley books I've read so far, and that's the pacing. I really feel like this book could have been a novella. There was so much waiting for the ending and the Christmas party that I did find the second half of the book, especially, to drag. That being said, I'm thoroughly looking forward to Radley's next release and I'll definitely be checking out some of her backlist!
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an eARC in return for an honest review!
Want more sapphic books? You can find me here: Book Blog | Twitter | Instagram
May 2, 2022
A cute, stress free, slow burn winter themed story. This book was peculiar in which none of the characters was given visual descriptions.
I agree with other reviewers, that there was barely a romance between the two leads. When they got together, it wasn't a fire, but instead a cosy heater. A few characters were just there, having a bit of personality, being supportive in the scenes a few times, without playing any important roles (Rosalind's co-owner, Ellie's roommates).
For a female led book, there were no female friendships other than between the two leads. This is just my personal grievance, because most of the book put emphasis on trust and friendship. There were male/female friendships, which was fine, I just enjoyed reading about female companionships more.
I agree with other reviewers, that there was barely a romance between the two leads. When they got together, it wasn't a fire, but instead a cosy heater. A few characters were just there, having a bit of personality, being supportive in the scenes a few times, without playing any important roles (Rosalind's co-owner, Ellie's roommates).
For a female led book, there were no female friendships other than between the two leads. This is just my personal grievance, because most of the book put emphasis on trust and friendship. There were male/female friendships, which was fine, I just enjoyed reading about female companionships more.
April 10, 2023
There is a scene I would have died for, but it wasn't there. I liked this one either way.
January 7, 2022
What I'm missing here is the genuine consumption of smoldering emotions. At the highest point, all we get is kissing. Then there was more kissing. And, on rare occasions, a kiss.
Rossalind is fantastic! I just adore her! Self-assured, kind, and with a sharp sense of humour. I wouldn't say I'd prefer to work for such a boss; I'd rather be one! Of course, only from time to time.
3,5
Rossalind is fantastic! I just adore her! Self-assured, kind, and with a sharp sense of humour. I wouldn't say I'd prefer to work for such a boss; I'd rather be one! Of course, only from time to time.
3,5
January 10, 2022
Enjoyable and fun read, with characters that for the most part appeared real. Ellie Pearce, Christmas lover, stuck in a job she does not enjoy, and maybe looking for a long term romance. Rosalind Caldwell, semi-ice queen, CEO of a large company, with a young daughter, not looking for romance.
After reading a few Radley stories, I know what to expect. Heavy on storytelling, especially the surrounding and friends. Light on physical interaction (sex). I embraced the Christmas party preparation, especially the description of the party location. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, Ellie's friend Will and especially Rosalind's daughter, Ava.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
After reading a few Radley stories, I know what to expect. Heavy on storytelling, especially the surrounding and friends. Light on physical interaction (sex). I embraced the Christmas party preparation, especially the description of the party location. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, Ellie's friend Will and especially Rosalind's daughter, Ava.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
December 26, 2021
There was so much build up that I felt the ending was lackluster. But I still liked the book- adorable holiday read.
November 27, 2021
When you set out to read an Amanda Radley book you pretty much know what you are in for when it comes to the romance. I think that is why this one was a bit of a let down. When I read a Radley book I expect lots of interaction between the characters, banter, joking, that at some point culminates into sparks and tentative steps into a romance. This one was slightly different.
This book covers a lot of tropes, office romance, age gap, opposites attract and the obvious holiday theme. So lots of things to consider here. Ellie gets ripped from her boring, yes very boring, existence by her boss Rosalind. She gets promoted demoted to Rosalind’s PA, she needs Christmas Girl to save her Christmas party. That’s basically how the mess starts. Rosalind doesn’t even know Ellie’s real name until Ava, Rosalind’s daughter comes in at just the right time. Ellie has acrophobia, severe fear of heights. And I mean it, it’s rather extreme and a lot of the story revolves around how she deals with her phobia. There isn’t a lot of interaction between Rosalind and Ellie for I’d say 50% of the book and I was just wondering where it was going. Radley’s writing is entertaining enough to keep me going but it took a little too long to get into full swing. The next 50% was much more fun, with the expected banter and joking, and finally seeing the characters growing towards each other. Still not extremely believable, I don’t necessarily see how they could become a couple, but it’s ok. I like it enough to just roll with it.
I have no real idea of their age, but it is mentioned on several occasions that there is a big difference. I gathered Ellie is mid to late twenties and I suspect Rosalind to be in her forties. Ellie seems so much older than the years I assume her to be, I’m not sure what to think about it.
As for hitting all the tropes, when working with an age gap I need to know the gap, it’s just this thing I have. And it is intensified by it being a workplace, even worse boss-employee relationship. Even if this line isn’t necessarily crossed. I do like that Radley points this out as well, or rather Rosalind talks about the power imbalance in these situations. And the holiday theme is omnipresent so it’s nice for all you festive people, I’m with Rosalind on this, I actually like this new term Humbug to describe us not too interested in Christmas people.
Anyway, this is pretty much what you’d expect from a Radley book, but it just kicks into gear a bit later than I would’ve liked. It’s an enjoyable enough holiday themed romance. Even if it takes forever to go there.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
This book covers a lot of tropes, office romance, age gap, opposites attract and the obvious holiday theme. So lots of things to consider here. Ellie gets ripped from her boring, yes very boring, existence by her boss Rosalind. She gets promoted demoted to Rosalind’s PA, she needs Christmas Girl to save her Christmas party. That’s basically how the mess starts. Rosalind doesn’t even know Ellie’s real name until Ava, Rosalind’s daughter comes in at just the right time. Ellie has acrophobia, severe fear of heights. And I mean it, it’s rather extreme and a lot of the story revolves around how she deals with her phobia. There isn’t a lot of interaction between Rosalind and Ellie for I’d say 50% of the book and I was just wondering where it was going. Radley’s writing is entertaining enough to keep me going but it took a little too long to get into full swing. The next 50% was much more fun, with the expected banter and joking, and finally seeing the characters growing towards each other. Still not extremely believable, I don’t necessarily see how they could become a couple, but it’s ok. I like it enough to just roll with it.
I have no real idea of their age, but it is mentioned on several occasions that there is a big difference. I gathered Ellie is mid to late twenties and I suspect Rosalind to be in her forties. Ellie seems so much older than the years I assume her to be, I’m not sure what to think about it.
As for hitting all the tropes, when working with an age gap I need to know the gap, it’s just this thing I have. And it is intensified by it being a workplace, even worse boss-employee relationship. Even if this line isn’t necessarily crossed. I do like that Radley points this out as well, or rather Rosalind talks about the power imbalance in these situations. And the holiday theme is omnipresent so it’s nice for all you festive people, I’m with Rosalind on this, I actually like this new term Humbug to describe us not too interested in Christmas people.
Anyway, this is pretty much what you’d expect from a Radley book, but it just kicks into gear a bit later than I would’ve liked. It’s an enjoyable enough holiday themed romance. Even if it takes forever to go there.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
December 27, 2021
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a pretty charming Christmas romance. It features Ellie, a statistician working in marketing for a recruitment firm who also loves everything about Christmas and celebrates it year round. She works for Rosalind, who runs the company and has just lost her PA, who also happened to torpedo the Xmas party plans on the way out. Rosalind then ‘promotes’ Ellie as her PA to plan the Xmas party, due to her love of Xmas. Ellie also has a debilitating fear of heights and is forced to work on the 22nd floor.
The characters interact quite a bit, but a lot of the book is devoted to the planning of the Xmas party, I would have preferred more time spent on developing the relationship between the MCs. They don’t declare feelings for each other til around the 85% mark, which is where the manufactured drama usually takes place, this book blessedly avoids that, but the pace of the relationship could have been done better, it left the end feeling rushed. I also found Ellie’s love for Xmas a bit much, but it was a somewhat necessary plot device. This is also an age-gap story, but I found it fairly believable that these two would be attracted to each other.
I liked both characters, although Ellie is something of a dichotomy, in that she’s very bright, and excels in her work (no matter the role) and has no trouble standing up to Rosalind, but is a doormat who lets her roommates walk all over her. Rosalind is made out to be some sort of hard ass boss, but there’s little evidence of this (this book gave me major DWP/SuperCat fanfic vibes) and she’s a soft touch where it comes to her daughter Ava, who is a delight. The only other characters with much to do are Will, Ellie’s coworker and co-conspirator, and Eric, Rosalind’s business partner. There’s no major drama here, it’s a fairly simple story with enjoyable characters.
Overall, it’s a sweet story and a nice holiday romance. 4 stars.
This is a pretty charming Christmas romance. It features Ellie, a statistician working in marketing for a recruitment firm who also loves everything about Christmas and celebrates it year round. She works for Rosalind, who runs the company and has just lost her PA, who also happened to torpedo the Xmas party plans on the way out. Rosalind then ‘promotes’ Ellie as her PA to plan the Xmas party, due to her love of Xmas. Ellie also has a debilitating fear of heights and is forced to work on the 22nd floor.
The characters interact quite a bit, but a lot of the book is devoted to the planning of the Xmas party, I would have preferred more time spent on developing the relationship between the MCs. They don’t declare feelings for each other til around the 85% mark, which is where the manufactured drama usually takes place, this book blessedly avoids that, but the pace of the relationship could have been done better, it left the end feeling rushed. I also found Ellie’s love for Xmas a bit much, but it was a somewhat necessary plot device. This is also an age-gap story, but I found it fairly believable that these two would be attracted to each other.
I liked both characters, although Ellie is something of a dichotomy, in that she’s very bright, and excels in her work (no matter the role) and has no trouble standing up to Rosalind, but is a doormat who lets her roommates walk all over her. Rosalind is made out to be some sort of hard ass boss, but there’s little evidence of this (this book gave me major DWP/SuperCat fanfic vibes) and she’s a soft touch where it comes to her daughter Ava, who is a delight. The only other characters with much to do are Will, Ellie’s coworker and co-conspirator, and Eric, Rosalind’s business partner. There’s no major drama here, it’s a fairly simple story with enjoyable characters.
Overall, it’s a sweet story and a nice holiday romance. 4 stars.
December 11, 2021
This was sweet, and I did stay up until (checks time) 5am reading it, but that’s more to do with me starting the book at nearly one am and my shitty sleeping habits than anything else. I enjoyed this. I’d even recommend it, but it was just okay overall. I wish it had picked up a bit more. I liked all of the characters a lot, I liked a lot of their interactions with each other, but it felt like the central romance didn’t really have enough time to develop. They don’t spend a lot of time together in the first half of the book, a lot of the plot is focused around Ellie trying to plan this Christmas party in a very short amount of time, while hiding her debilitating fear of heights from her new boss, Rosalind. (She now has to work on the 22nd floor, her boss lives in an even higher 46th floor apartment, and the only place she can find to host the party this last minute is a high rooftop. If she doesn’t want to have a panic attack, it’s a problem).
I honestly just wish we’d actually had more of them together. It seemed like not a ton of interaction and not a ton of interest on either end, initially. Which is fine! I’m cool with a romance building slowly, I even love it, but I do want it to build to something. And to do so a bit more organically. Once the attraction was realized it was kind a just suddenly there. Not in a glaringly bad or too much of an unbelievable instalove way, but it left me, personally wanting more. That said, I stayed up all night reading and enjoying it!
I honestly just wish we’d actually had more of them together. It seemed like not a ton of interaction and not a ton of interest on either end, initially. Which is fine! I’m cool with a romance building slowly, I even love it, but I do want it to build to something. And to do so a bit more organically. Once the attraction was realized it was kind a just suddenly there. Not in a glaringly bad or too much of an unbelievable instalove way, but it left me, personally wanting more. That said, I stayed up all night reading and enjoying it!
December 25, 2021
A lovely Christmas themed romance. I thought Ellie's acrophobia was written sensitively and well. The gentle reminder that we may be doing our future selves a disservice by settling for less in our life choices was perfect too.
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