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Holiday Hotties #1
Scrooge-ish
I hate Christmas.
I don’t know who thought every female must love shopping, wrapping, baking and hosting but I missed the memo. On top of that, I manage an upscale department store. Sprinkle in the fact I’ll be turning forty during this holiday season, and my life is a Christmas cookie recipe gone wrong.
And every year I become a little more Scrooge-ish.
But the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year seems to have a plan for me and my midlife-crisis attitude.
First, my past returns when I attend a high school reunion happy hour and run into that boy—the one I had a summer fling before I left for college, then promptly ghosted me.
The torture continues because that boy is now a man, worldly and wise and sexier than I remember. And he invites me to attend a holiday work party with him.
That’s where I learn this forty, fine, former NFL quarterback, now fireman has a new role: single father to the sweetest little girl, putting me at risk of falling for both of them.
However, I have my reasons not to believe in love and the happiest time of the year. And the first twenty-five days of December tests all my strength.
Just what the Dickens is happening? Charles himself might approve of this plot.
Even I’m a little curious to see how it all plays out.
+ + +
With the past behind her and the future uncertain, can Eva Nazar accept that the present is a gift and love is the greatest treasure we receive even if it isn’t always wrapped in pretty paper with a perfect bow on top?
I don’t know who thought every female must love shopping, wrapping, baking and hosting but I missed the memo. On top of that, I manage an upscale department store. Sprinkle in the fact I’ll be turning forty during this holiday season, and my life is a Christmas cookie recipe gone wrong.
And every year I become a little more Scrooge-ish.
But the spirit of the most wonderful time of the year seems to have a plan for me and my midlife-crisis attitude.
First, my past returns when I attend a high school reunion happy hour and run into that boy—the one I had a summer fling before I left for college, then promptly ghosted me.
The torture continues because that boy is now a man, worldly and wise and sexier than I remember. And he invites me to attend a holiday work party with him.
That’s where I learn this forty, fine, former NFL quarterback, now fireman has a new role: single father to the sweetest little girl, putting me at risk of falling for both of them.
However, I have my reasons not to believe in love and the happiest time of the year. And the first twenty-five days of December tests all my strength.
Just what the Dickens is happening? Charles himself might approve of this plot.
Even I’m a little curious to see how it all plays out.
+ + +
With the past behind her and the future uncertain, can Eva Nazar accept that the present is a gift and love is the greatest treasure we receive even if it isn’t always wrapped in pretty paper with a perfect bow on top?
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2022
712 people are currently reading
2226 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Dunbar
93 books3,299 followersL.B. Dunbar loves sexy silver foxes, second chances, and small towns. If you enjoy older characters in your romance reads, including a hero with a little silver in his scruff and a heroine rediscovering her worth, then welcome to romance for those over 40. L.B. Dunbar’s signature works include women and men in their prime taking another turn at love and happily ever after. She’s a USA TODAY Bestseller as well as #1 Bestseller on Amazon in Later in Life Romance with her Sterling Falls, Lakeside Cottage, and Road Trips & Romance series. L.B. lives in Chicago with her own sexy silver fox.
To get all the scoop about the self-proclaimed queen of silver fox romance, join her on Facebook at Loving L.B. or receive her weekly newsletter, Love Notes.
To get all the scoop about the self-proclaimed queen of silver fox romance, join her on Facebook at Loving L.B. or receive her weekly newsletter, Love Notes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 528 reviews
December 20, 2022
This was another of those books that wasn’t great but wasn’t terrible either. Eva hates Christmas. Her mom left on Christmas Eve when she was little and her dad stopped celebrating the holiday after that. She ends up reuniting with her former summer after high school fling and Zebb is determined to help her fall in love with the holiday (and him) again.
I didn’t find Eva’s character to be very memorable. She was your typical grumpy woman who is only focused on work and has let her personal life take back seat to everything else in life. Zebb is a fire man who is hot then cold for really no good reason. Really all the problems in this book could have been solved with good old adult conversations.
It’s a quick read for anyone looking for a holiday romance with a little steam.
I didn’t find Eva’s character to be very memorable. She was your typical grumpy woman who is only focused on work and has let her personal life take back seat to everything else in life. Zebb is a fire man who is hot then cold for really no good reason. Really all the problems in this book could have been solved with good old adult conversations.
It’s a quick read for anyone looking for a holiday romance with a little steam.
November 16, 2022
Amidst the influx of sweet and cheesy christmas romances during this time, Dunbar's Scrooge-ish comes like a breath of fresh air and perspective for readers.
On the surface it's a holiday themed, second chance romance, but Dunbar takes it to the next level. Given the maturity of the characters, it touches upon the poignant sentiment of loneliness during holidays. It's an anxious time for single people, and if older, the bustling energy of families, loved ones & kids just becomes too much to bear.
Working harder and longer become a coping mechanism and this is what makes this particular story extra emotional and sensitive.
Such is the case of Eva Nazar who meets her school time summer crush, Zebb in Chicago. Old flames rekindle but too much life has past over the years adding to the baggage they both carry.
They want to revisit their relationship, but present circumstances are a huge chasm they have to cross.
An insurmountable task seeing their emotional issues and physical responsibilities.
“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
As Dr Suess says, it's about being with the loved ones, having someone to cuddle up to on Christmas eve. Having the house fill with laughter and joy, ripping gift wrappers and steaming cups of cocoa. These aromas and noises make Christmas special.
Beautifully penned, it got me teary eyed looking at Eva Nazar & Tam at some places and made me laugh at Zebbs antics at some places
As always a it's a delight to read Dunbar's words but this one will be extra Sweet-Ish for me
5 stars for Angel Of Christmas Past
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On the surface it's a holiday themed, second chance romance, but Dunbar takes it to the next level. Given the maturity of the characters, it touches upon the poignant sentiment of loneliness during holidays. It's an anxious time for single people, and if older, the bustling energy of families, loved ones & kids just becomes too much to bear.
Working harder and longer become a coping mechanism and this is what makes this particular story extra emotional and sensitive.
Such is the case of Eva Nazar who meets her school time summer crush, Zebb in Chicago. Old flames rekindle but too much life has past over the years adding to the baggage they both carry.
They want to revisit their relationship, but present circumstances are a huge chasm they have to cross.
An insurmountable task seeing their emotional issues and physical responsibilities.
“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
As Dr Suess says, it's about being with the loved ones, having someone to cuddle up to on Christmas eve. Having the house fill with laughter and joy, ripping gift wrappers and steaming cups of cocoa. These aromas and noises make Christmas special.
Beautifully penned, it got me teary eyed looking at Eva Nazar & Tam at some places and made me laugh at Zebbs antics at some places
As always a it's a delight to read Dunbar's words but this one will be extra Sweet-Ish for me
5 stars for Angel Of Christmas Past
Follow me on:
Email🌻 Bookbub 🌻 Twitter🌻 Instagram🌻 Blog🌻 Facebook🌻 Amazon 🌻
December 22, 2023
I hate to give Christmas stories bad ratings. They get a bit of a pass from me. Tis' the Season and all that jazz but this was dreadful.
The initial meet up was ok and had some potential but it just went down hill from there.
What happened after was horrible. The behavior of both characters, the past, the parents. Add to that the fact it seemed a lot was an info dump and maybe characters we should already know about and I think I hated it.
Bummer, the covers, the blurbs and the length were right up my alley and perfect for Christmas reads. I don't think I'll be continuing. This was depressing and sort of ugly.
The initial meet up was ok and had some potential but it just went down hill from there.
What happened after was horrible. The behavior of both characters, the past, the parents. Add to that the fact it seemed a lot was an info dump and maybe characters we should already know about and I think I hated it.
Bummer, the covers, the blurbs and the length were right up my alley and perfect for Christmas reads. I don't think I'll be continuing. This was depressing and sort of ugly.
December 27, 2023
Finally a fun story that can be flirty and sexy with a character who is turning forty. As a reader who is more than a dozen years older than this character, it’s nice to read a story about a woman who isn’t in her twenties or just turning thirty, who is still viable and has a lot to offer the right man. For Eva, turning forty may be the best thing that has happened to her in quite a long time.
Right after high-school graduation, Eva had a fling with the guy she had a major crush on. But it was over practically as soon as it started. Zebb went on to a successful NFL career and Eva went on to college and now manages a large department store in Chicago. She never really got over Zebb, but life moves on and we all get older and hopefully, wiser.
Working in retail at Christmas time was the job I hated most and Eva tries to power through it as she doesn’t have any family to celebrate with, so staying busy with work is just fine with her. Her mother left when she was ten and her father pretty much cancelled all celebrations. Eva is definitely a scrooge-ish character, absolutely no holiday spirit. She is not in a festive or celebratory mood so when her coworker practically forces her to attend her high-school reunion, she grudgingly agrees. Imagine her shock and surprise when she runs into none other than Zebb, who is back living in the same town again and is a fireman.
Their attraction reignites, though in Eva’s case, I doubt it was ever fully extinguished. This story mainly centers on Zebb’s efforts to change Eva’s mind about Christmas and he can be pretty persuasive. I absolutely adored Zebb’s daughter and loved how accepting she was of Eva in their lives. I loved Zebb and Eva as a couple, but really wish I were given more information about why they didn’t stay together. The blurb for this book says he ghosted her, but I don’t recall that being addressed in the story. It seemed that there was no real resolution with that, but it didn’t seem to affect my enjoyment of the story.
My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable story and recommend it to readers who enjoy Christmas themes and second-chance romance plot devices. This story has a lot of spice and heat that will make the most grinchiest of grinches blush.
Right after high-school graduation, Eva had a fling with the guy she had a major crush on. But it was over practically as soon as it started. Zebb went on to a successful NFL career and Eva went on to college and now manages a large department store in Chicago. She never really got over Zebb, but life moves on and we all get older and hopefully, wiser.
Working in retail at Christmas time was the job I hated most and Eva tries to power through it as she doesn’t have any family to celebrate with, so staying busy with work is just fine with her. Her mother left when she was ten and her father pretty much cancelled all celebrations. Eva is definitely a scrooge-ish character, absolutely no holiday spirit. She is not in a festive or celebratory mood so when her coworker practically forces her to attend her high-school reunion, she grudgingly agrees. Imagine her shock and surprise when she runs into none other than Zebb, who is back living in the same town again and is a fireman.
Their attraction reignites, though in Eva’s case, I doubt it was ever fully extinguished. This story mainly centers on Zebb’s efforts to change Eva’s mind about Christmas and he can be pretty persuasive. I absolutely adored Zebb’s daughter and loved how accepting she was of Eva in their lives. I loved Zebb and Eva as a couple, but really wish I were given more information about why they didn’t stay together. The blurb for this book says he ghosted her, but I don’t recall that being addressed in the story. It seemed that there was no real resolution with that, but it didn’t seem to affect my enjoyment of the story.
My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable story and recommend it to readers who enjoy Christmas themes and second-chance romance plot devices. This story has a lot of spice and heat that will make the most grinchiest of grinches blush.
November 14, 2022
Scrooge-ish
By L.B. Dunbar
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Eva Nazar can prove that for many, her included it is not! The last twenty years have held little to no Holiday cheer for her. She’s been through more loss than many and some of those losses took place around the Holiday season. Her way of protecting herself was to keep her distance, not get involved and build walls; because she’s come to believe odds are good she is unlovable.
Zebb Scroggs to date has had a pretty good life. He played in the NFL, he has a daughter and he loves being a Firefighter. His regrets are few, he is sorry that his daughter lost her mother, and probably a few smaller regrets, but his biggest regret is he lost the woman he loved, the woman he has never been able to get out of his head. The person who he felt he was meant to be with.
It isn’t until a colleague pushes Eva to go to her high school reunion when the man she hasn’t really ever gotten over recognizes her. Yes, Eva and Zebb where high school sweethearts. They have a past, but could they have a future together. Zebb wants to see but will he be able to tear down Eva’s walls and heal her emotional scars from the past.
Around the backdrop of Holiday Traditions of carols, shopping excursions, parties and afternoon teas we as readers will find out, can they work their way through all the pit stops Eva has put up or will it end before it begins.
I love Dunbar’s characters, her characters are in the forty plus age group, they’ve been through the early part of their lives and now is the time for many of them to find their first love and in some cases find their original love who has been living in their hearts all this time.
I could connect with how the loss of family traditions can affect a child as they grow and I can see how the right person could help a character bring new traditions to their lives. It was a fairly quick read, it does get emotional, but who doesn’t get emotional around the holidays. If your looking for a Holiday book that will give you traditions old and new, look no further Scrooge-ish will have you laughing and crying and celebrating!
By L.B. Dunbar
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Eva Nazar can prove that for many, her included it is not! The last twenty years have held little to no Holiday cheer for her. She’s been through more loss than many and some of those losses took place around the Holiday season. Her way of protecting herself was to keep her distance, not get involved and build walls; because she’s come to believe odds are good she is unlovable.
Zebb Scroggs to date has had a pretty good life. He played in the NFL, he has a daughter and he loves being a Firefighter. His regrets are few, he is sorry that his daughter lost her mother, and probably a few smaller regrets, but his biggest regret is he lost the woman he loved, the woman he has never been able to get out of his head. The person who he felt he was meant to be with.
It isn’t until a colleague pushes Eva to go to her high school reunion when the man she hasn’t really ever gotten over recognizes her. Yes, Eva and Zebb where high school sweethearts. They have a past, but could they have a future together. Zebb wants to see but will he be able to tear down Eva’s walls and heal her emotional scars from the past.
Around the backdrop of Holiday Traditions of carols, shopping excursions, parties and afternoon teas we as readers will find out, can they work their way through all the pit stops Eva has put up or will it end before it begins.
I love Dunbar’s characters, her characters are in the forty plus age group, they’ve been through the early part of their lives and now is the time for many of them to find their first love and in some cases find their original love who has been living in their hearts all this time.
I could connect with how the loss of family traditions can affect a child as they grow and I can see how the right person could help a character bring new traditions to their lives. It was a fairly quick read, it does get emotional, but who doesn’t get emotional around the holidays. If your looking for a Holiday book that will give you traditions old and new, look no further Scrooge-ish will have you laughing and crying and celebrating!
December 12, 2022
Review
(audiobook) I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did.
And it’s a clever one. Look at the characters’ names, sound familiar? It’s a play on the main character in A Christmas Carol. Are you seeing it now? Well, little bits of the classic story are scattered around. Look for them, it makes the book even more enjoyable.
For instance, the story is about Eva. We only read her point of view, so she’s really the main character. And she’s being scrooged for Christmas for sure. Because the holiday reminds her of a past trauma, she keeps reliving it, thanks to Christmas spirit everywhere. After meeting again with Zebb and seeing how he spends his holidays, she’s thinking hard about how she does it. And by her mother returning in her life, she’s lead to believe she’s seeing her future Christmases too. By the end of the book, she sure is reevaluating what’s important in her life and what she wants to make of it. Totally scrooged.
The book has more to offer than just this gimmick, and it’s first and foremost a romance between forty something people who had a short fling decades before and finally reunite. We don’t get much details about their love life, except for the fact that Eva hasn’t had a boyfriend in a long time, and Zebb has had one meaningful relationship… with the mother of his daughter.
Of course, they couldn’t forget each other. To be honest, it’s an annoying trope for me, because it too often means nothing–since the characters had multiple relationships in between–and is mostly used to skip the seducing and falling in love part of a romance. I understand here, as it is a novella, it’s a convenient trope, so I won’t complain. And there’s a bit of seducing anyway.
It’s a little angsty, just so you know. Eva’s childhood wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows; and Zebb lost the mother of his child, and the child is disabled. Those elements aren’t there just to bring some tears. They play an important role in the way their personality developped, and also may hinder their new relationship.
Also, it’s hot.
The narration was quite good. Even though the story is said through a unique point of view, the author chose duet narration, meaning there’s a male narrator for the male characters. And it was a great idea, as it makes the audio more dynamic. And the male narrator was perfect for Zebb. The female narrator narrates and does the female characters, and she did great in both.
Quickie
- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #novella #holiday romance #second chance romance #older couple #single father #firefighter
- Triggers: past neglect, past death
- Main couple: Eva Nazar & Zebb Scroggs
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + A Christmas Carol with a twist
- – the love of his life that he never contacted again, yeah right
(audiobook) I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did.
And it’s a clever one. Look at the characters’ names, sound familiar? It’s a play on the main character in A Christmas Carol. Are you seeing it now? Well, little bits of the classic story are scattered around. Look for them, it makes the book even more enjoyable.
For instance, the story is about Eva. We only read her point of view, so she’s really the main character. And she’s being scrooged for Christmas for sure. Because the holiday reminds her of a past trauma, she keeps reliving it, thanks to Christmas spirit everywhere. After meeting again with Zebb and seeing how he spends his holidays, she’s thinking hard about how she does it. And by her mother returning in her life, she’s lead to believe she’s seeing her future Christmases too. By the end of the book, she sure is reevaluating what’s important in her life and what she wants to make of it. Totally scrooged.
The book has more to offer than just this gimmick, and it’s first and foremost a romance between forty something people who had a short fling decades before and finally reunite. We don’t get much details about their love life, except for the fact that Eva hasn’t had a boyfriend in a long time, and Zebb has had one meaningful relationship… with the mother of his daughter.
Of course, they couldn’t forget each other. To be honest, it’s an annoying trope for me, because it too often means nothing–since the characters had multiple relationships in between–and is mostly used to skip the seducing and falling in love part of a romance. I understand here, as it is a novella, it’s a convenient trope, so I won’t complain. And there’s a bit of seducing anyway.
It’s a little angsty, just so you know. Eva’s childhood wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows; and Zebb lost the mother of his child, and the child is disabled. Those elements aren’t there just to bring some tears. They play an important role in the way their personality developped, and also may hinder their new relationship.
Also, it’s hot.
The narration was quite good. Even though the story is said through a unique point of view, the author chose duet narration, meaning there’s a male narrator for the male characters. And it was a great idea, as it makes the audio more dynamic. And the male narrator was perfect for Zebb. The female narrator narrates and does the female characters, and she did great in both.
Quickie
- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #novella #holiday romance #second chance romance #older couple #single father #firefighter
- Triggers: past neglect, past death
- Main couple: Eva Nazar & Zebb Scroggs
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + A Christmas Carol with a twist
- – the love of his life that he never contacted again, yeah right
December 11, 2022
*ALC received from Audibly Addicted in exchange for my honest review. *
Sweet Christmas romances and I go together like peanut butter and jelly, but L.B. Dunbar came through with a powerful story of a woman finding her true holiday spirit after giving up hope. With mature characters approaching their forties and a second chance romance with all the feels Scrooge-ish gave me a reason to be thankful for this holiday season when I wasn't really feeling it due to life constantly tearing me apart.
Eva Nazar has every reason to hate the holidays from her job to her mother abandoning her, but this Christmas might prove to be different. Zebb, an old flame who is back home still sees the woman he fell for all those years ago even if Eva can't see it in herself in anymore. From a cold football game to homemade from a jar spaghetti Zebb starts to give Eva hope for a future of good Christmas's.
Teddy Hamilton reignited my love for him with this book. I never forgot about him but sometimes after not hearing a narrator for a while you realize again that they are phenomenal and that was how I felt about his performance as Zebb. Then Stella Hunter as Eva was everything, I love in a good female narrator from funny, to sweet and downright sexy in that dressing room scene. She about burned a hold straight through my headphones!!
With so many emotions from not only Eva but Zebb this is not your traditional Christmas story with only good tidings. They had to work for their happily ever after and with a couple of little surprises tossed in this has been my favorite Christmas book of the season. L.B. is a new to me author but now I know why I see her name everywhere because she not only gives you heart and heat, but she gives you hope and that is something I think we can all use this time of year.
Sweet Christmas romances and I go together like peanut butter and jelly, but L.B. Dunbar came through with a powerful story of a woman finding her true holiday spirit after giving up hope. With mature characters approaching their forties and a second chance romance with all the feels Scrooge-ish gave me a reason to be thankful for this holiday season when I wasn't really feeling it due to life constantly tearing me apart.
Eva Nazar has every reason to hate the holidays from her job to her mother abandoning her, but this Christmas might prove to be different. Zebb, an old flame who is back home still sees the woman he fell for all those years ago even if Eva can't see it in herself in anymore. From a cold football game to homemade from a jar spaghetti Zebb starts to give Eva hope for a future of good Christmas's.
Teddy Hamilton reignited my love for him with this book. I never forgot about him but sometimes after not hearing a narrator for a while you realize again that they are phenomenal and that was how I felt about his performance as Zebb. Then Stella Hunter as Eva was everything, I love in a good female narrator from funny, to sweet and downright sexy in that dressing room scene. She about burned a hold straight through my headphones!!
With so many emotions from not only Eva but Zebb this is not your traditional Christmas story with only good tidings. They had to work for their happily ever after and with a couple of little surprises tossed in this has been my favorite Christmas book of the season. L.B. is a new to me author but now I know why I see her name everywhere because she not only gives you heart and heat, but she gives you hope and that is something I think we can all use this time of year.
December 17, 2023
Middle of the road 2 1/2 stars but rounding down.
Some parts were likeable but it needed better pacing, and also better editing.
The good: the main trio (and not like that😉)
Otherwise, it was underwhelming.
Some parts were likeable but it needed better pacing, and also better editing.
The good: the main trio (and not like that😉)
Otherwise, it was underwhelming.
December 14, 2022
Eva is a holiday 'scrooge' who has been burned by her past. She works as a retail manager in downtown Chicago so just by that fact, who can blame her? But add to that she never felt like she had a great Christmas growing up. Enter: high school flame (almost literally--he is now a fireman!) Zebb, who is a cup of Christmas cheer. He is determined to show Eva that they were meant to be and that the holidays are more than commercialism if you put your heart into it, and this man is all heart. I loved this quote from the book:
While there are a couple of eyeroll moments, there were several moments that were so heartwarming I had tears in my eyes. I just loved the two main characters and how their lives came together. They had obstacles to overcome (and I wanted to shake Eva a few times--its not all about you!) but hey, life is tough. So for a heartwarming read this holiday season, give this one a try.
Time. It can’t be produced, bought, or sold. It doesn’t come in a box with ribbons and bows. It comes from the heart and given without cost.
While there are a couple of eyeroll moments, there were several moments that were so heartwarming I had tears in my eyes. I just loved the two main characters and how their lives came together. They had obstacles to overcome (and I wanted to shake Eva a few times--its not all about you!) but hey, life is tough. So for a heartwarming read this holiday season, give this one a try.
March 25, 2024
Отже, гг в минулому зустрічались коли ходили до школи, але коли прийшов час їм роз'їхатися, то ніхто не взяв телефону ні у кого, і не сказали вони що і мають почуття. Після 20 років, вони зустрілися на випускному, і здається у них щось там було. Далі момент, де у чгг виявилась дочка, але жгг відреагувала не дуже. Вона стала його звинувачувати що він їй про неї не сказав, там щось і про те, що він збрехав і про дружину тоді. Я розумію чого він не сказав одразу, бо він впевнений в ній, він її давно не бачив і не знав що вона зробить. Потім під кінець мене вибисіла реакція, коли її виклали до боса? наче, і сказали, щоб вона взяла відпустку, бо коли вона працювала щось вкрали. Що вона зробила? Звільнилась! Їй було образливо, що про неї так придумали, ну і ще те, що вона багато працює
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2025
Meet Eva + Zebb 💕
Eva is a bit of a Christmas Scrooge, and with good reason - her past trauma has made the holidays hard to love. When she reunites with Zebb, he slowly helps her rediscover not only her love for Christmas but also her love for him.
While there were a few parts I didn’t care for, overall it wasn’t a bad read. It’s a heartfelt story about healing, second chances, and finding joy again during the most magical time of year.
✨ T r o p e s ✨
Christmas Season | Novella
Second Chance
Fire Fighter MMC | Single Dad
Spicy
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Author L. B. Dunbar for the arc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Eva is a bit of a Christmas Scrooge, and with good reason - her past trauma has made the holidays hard to love. When she reunites with Zebb, he slowly helps her rediscover not only her love for Christmas but also her love for him.
While there were a few parts I didn’t care for, overall it wasn’t a bad read. It’s a heartfelt story about healing, second chances, and finding joy again during the most magical time of year.
✨ T r o p e s ✨
Christmas Season | Novella
Second Chance
Fire Fighter MMC | Single Dad
Spicy
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Author L. B. Dunbar for the arc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
December 13, 2022
2.5 stars — I enjoyed certain parts of this, but other parts were boring. Zebb was a great guy, but I felt bad for him a lot with the way Eva treated him. I never warmed up to her. I understand the whole Scrooge aspect of Christmas. After all, I am a self professed Grinch. Eva was more than a Scrooge though. She was miserable and came off as a bitter woman with a woe-is-me attitude and abandonment issues. Even after people went out of their way to encourage her, she was so negative about everything. Zebb’s sister was so kind to Eva and she even had a wonderful coworker who lifted her up. I wanted to see transformation and happiness. There wasn’t enough to convince me this woman appreciated what she ended up with in Zebb and his family.
I’ve never read anything by this author, but even though I wasn’t all that impressed with this story, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying something else she’s written.
I’ve never read anything by this author, but even though I wasn’t all that impressed with this story, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying something else she’s written.
December 3, 2022
For a novella this book packed such an emotional punch!! I absolutely LOVED this grumpy/sunshine, second chance, single dad, firefighter holiday romance between two high school sweethearts who reunite in their 40s.
I love when the woman is the Grinch and does Eva ever have reason to hate the holidays. Dealing with the death of her estranged mother (who suffered from mental health problems), Eva has never had good memories of the holidays but her high school flame/ex-NFL player Zebb is determined to make this year different!
STEAMY and full of heart! I seriously couldn't put this book down and felt ALL the feels. Bonus that there was some great disability rep in the form of Zebb's daughter who has prosthetic limbs. Double bonus this was AMAZING on audio narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter!!
I can't recommend this book enough, especially on audio. Excuse me while I go binge everything else this author has written because I am a new die-hard fan!
I love when the woman is the Grinch and does Eva ever have reason to hate the holidays. Dealing with the death of her estranged mother (who suffered from mental health problems), Eva has never had good memories of the holidays but her high school flame/ex-NFL player Zebb is determined to make this year different!
STEAMY and full of heart! I seriously couldn't put this book down and felt ALL the feels. Bonus that there was some great disability rep in the form of Zebb's daughter who has prosthetic limbs. Double bonus this was AMAZING on audio narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter!!
I can't recommend this book enough, especially on audio. Excuse me while I go binge everything else this author has written because I am a new die-hard fan!
January 25, 2026
Scrooge‑ish by L.B. Dunbar warmed me with a modern, emotional twist on the classic A Christmas Carol theme, grounding its holiday spirit in real feelings and second chances. Eva Nazar, a woman approaching forty and hardened by past loss, really hates Christmas and buries herself in work managing a department store rather than celebrating the season. When she reluctantly attends her high school reunion and runs into Zebb Scroggs, the man she once had a summer fling with and then ghosted, old sparks, regrets, and hope all flare up again. Zebb, now a firefighter and devoted single dad, is determined to show her that joy and love are still possible even when your heart has been burned.
I felt swept along by the warmth and vulnerability in their reunion, especially the way Zebb’s daughter and their slow rebuilding of trust softened Eva’s holiday cynicism. While some moments felt quick and a bit trope‑y, the emotional core of rediscovering love and confronting old wounds made this a cozy, touching read perfect for winter evenings.
Rating: 4 out of 5, because its heartfelt characters and holiday cheer outshone its familiar beats.
I felt swept along by the warmth and vulnerability in their reunion, especially the way Zebb’s daughter and their slow rebuilding of trust softened Eva’s holiday cynicism. While some moments felt quick and a bit trope‑y, the emotional core of rediscovering love and confronting old wounds made this a cozy, touching read perfect for winter evenings.
Rating: 4 out of 5, because its heartfelt characters and holiday cheer outshone its familiar beats.
November 14, 2023
If any book should be a full length novel, this is it. Eva doesn't like Christmas, for many reasons. Zebb, is an old "flame" that has a few secrets but loves Christmas. This is totally a Hallmark movie in the making. If you are ready for a fun story to get you in the holiday spirit, this is it.
December 20, 2022
This was a totally different, but also totally lovely holiday tale that embraced second chances and communication. Thoroughly enjoyable!
November 25, 2022
I don't know if I had too high expectations for this book but they were not met at all. There was a nice storyline but I just didn't believe in them as a couple, supposedly they had a super intense Summer romance and they both just walked away because they had different plans for their futures, fast forward 20 years and they reconnect at a bar and suddenly know they are soulmates, I honestly didn't buy it. The spicy scenes we're okay but I just didn't see any chemistry, to me it seemed more like two people who were lonely and found company with each other than two people who fell in love.
Also I felt like this book tried to capture as many topics as possible but then just didn't develop any of them properly, you have the death of the mother of the hero's child and the death of the heroine's mother, a distant father who never got over his wife's abandonment, an alcoholic brother, a little girl with disability, and so on.
Also I felt like this book tried to capture as many topics as possible but then just didn't develop any of them properly, you have the death of the mother of the hero's child and the death of the heroine's mother, a distant father who never got over his wife's abandonment, an alcoholic brother, a little girl with disability, and so on.
January 2, 2024
Eva is a scrooge. Childhood trauma made the holidays have bad memories for her. She is the manager of a department store and works her butt off during the holidays while everyone else celebrates, and to top that off, she’s 40 and alone.
She attends a high school reunion and meets up with the guy she had a fling with between high school and college, Zebb Scruggs. Since then he’s played in the NFL, became a firefighter, and is now a single dad. Eva has worked.
Zebb loves Christmas, and he is determined to show Eva the magic of the holiday with the help of his daughter who has prosthetic legs (very briefly touched on, I loved how it was treated very matter-of-factly). There was a lot of sex in this book, and I love me some smut, but found that I was eager to get past it and back to the story, even though I love the message that sex and passion is plentiful at any age.
Scrooge-ish was a subtle take on A Christmas Carol. I had planned on listening to Naughty-ish after this but ended Scrooge-ish needing a break and never got back to it.
The Narration was fabulous and made the book even better.
Rating: 3.75 Stars, 4 heat, 5 Narration
She attends a high school reunion and meets up with the guy she had a fling with between high school and college, Zebb Scruggs. Since then he’s played in the NFL, became a firefighter, and is now a single dad. Eva has worked.
Zebb loves Christmas, and he is determined to show Eva the magic of the holiday with the help of his daughter who has prosthetic legs (very briefly touched on, I loved how it was treated very matter-of-factly). There was a lot of sex in this book, and I love me some smut, but found that I was eager to get past it and back to the story, even though I love the message that sex and passion is plentiful at any age.
Scrooge-ish was a subtle take on A Christmas Carol. I had planned on listening to Naughty-ish after this but ended Scrooge-ish needing a break and never got back to it.
The Narration was fabulous and made the book even better.
Rating: 3.75 Stars, 4 heat, 5 Narration
December 9, 2022
Scrooge-ish by L.B. Dunbar was a uniquely modern romantic twist on a Christmas classic. I loved that the heroine was the grump who needed a little Christmas cheer, and a loveable single dad was just the right man for the job. Plus, throw in a second-chance romance and a single dad trope as well, and I was sold on the cute, steamy, holiday book!
Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton narrate this audiobook in duet, and both were an absolute delight at bringing Dunbar's words to life. Stella was magic portraying Eva's past pain and learning to love and trust Zebb. Teddy conveyed Zebb's lovable, charismatic persona perfectly making me fall hard for his character. Both were on fire, showcasing the undeniable chemistry.
Overall, I loved the book, and will add it to my Christmas re-listen list every year!
Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton narrate this audiobook in duet, and both were an absolute delight at bringing Dunbar's words to life. Stella was magic portraying Eva's past pain and learning to love and trust Zebb. Teddy conveyed Zebb's lovable, charismatic persona perfectly making me fall hard for his character. Both were on fire, showcasing the undeniable chemistry.
Overall, I loved the book, and will add it to my Christmas re-listen list every year!
December 8, 2024
So I loved Zebb and I loved Tam (the only reason for 2 stars instead of 1) …. I absolutely hated Eva… she was a 40 yr old cry baby … and she drove me insane.. I actually skimmed parts she was so annoying. Like everybody has bad in their life but at 40 you should have dealt with it and let it go. 🙄🙄🙄
November 26, 2022
This books stands out amongst all the holiday flufff that I will read (and love) this year. This shows a whole different side of Christmas. The lonely side. It is such a real and raw, emotional story. Eva’s life is not perfect; she’s pretty sad about her lot in life. And she’s not doing anything to make it better.
I love this grumpy/sunshine story where the woman is the grump! And, quite frankly, I don’t blame her and lot of bad stuff happened Eva around Christmastime and she doesn’t want to force herself to be happy about it.
Eva and Zebb had a magical summer together before college and haven’t seen each other since. Zebb has the interest and stamina to get Eva interested in him again. But both of these two live very different lives and it’s so heartwarming to see Eva come out of her shell and Zebb trust out of his immediate family.
I loved these two and the spicy scenes between them were amazing. You could not help but root for these two and their happiness, even when it seemed they weren’t doing all the right things to ensure it.
I loved this quote towards the end “I will forgive the past, stop doubting the future, and love myself and others more in the present.” Seems like good advice for all of us.
I requested an early reader copy of this book and these are my honest opinions.
I love this grumpy/sunshine story where the woman is the grump! And, quite frankly, I don’t blame her and lot of bad stuff happened Eva around Christmastime and she doesn’t want to force herself to be happy about it.
Eva and Zebb had a magical summer together before college and haven’t seen each other since. Zebb has the interest and stamina to get Eva interested in him again. But both of these two live very different lives and it’s so heartwarming to see Eva come out of her shell and Zebb trust out of his immediate family.
I loved these two and the spicy scenes between them were amazing. You could not help but root for these two and their happiness, even when it seemed they weren’t doing all the right things to ensure it.
I loved this quote towards the end “I will forgive the past, stop doubting the future, and love myself and others more in the present.” Seems like good advice for all of us.
I requested an early reader copy of this book and these are my honest opinions.
December 23, 2022
Why were there so many A Christmas Carol references?
Want to read
November 6, 2023Free today 11/5/23 on kindle! (US)
September 30, 2024
This was cute, a little insta lovey for me, but a perfect short novella for the season. If you want a quick cute low angst read with all heart, grab this one. Especially for the older MCs.
November 10, 2025
My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a lovely and quick holiday read.
Looking forward to the next one!
Looking forward to the next one!
December 5, 2023
These books are just so wholesome but also sad in a good way. She was a tad annoying about her past but I also get it. It’s just a great holiday read and I adore the author notes.
July 1, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
Cute idea but I just didn’t buy any chemistry between the main characters at all.
Cute idea but I just didn’t buy any chemistry between the main characters at all.
November 18, 2022
What a great holiday read! Watching Zebb and Eva reconnect after being apart for almost 20 years was fantastic. Eva has lots of baggage with her and my heart hurt for her, but seeing how Zebb tried to help her heal was swoony!
I loved the snippet of seeing related characters - Amelia and Jude. I sense a story for Jude hint, hint ;)
I loved the snippet of seeing related characters - Amelia and Jude. I sense a story for Jude hint, hint ;)
December 12, 2022
I'm not one to read a ton of holiday type books, but I've been seeking them out this year. And with a title called Scrooge-ish, this one called to me! Give me a scrooge, because sometimes I feel like one. But LB Dunbar gave us a little twist. The scrooge in this case is Eva. 40 year old single woman that hates Christmas and is a workaholic. I loved that she was near my age and she was single, not really seeking out love, but was also lonely. She basically was someone that didn't have the best history with Christmas, so she worked herself to the bone to keep herself busy so she didn't have to think about the holiday.
But what I loved best about Scrooge-ish was the simple fact that these characters were older. They were in their 40's and they were getting a second chance at love. Loved that for them and loved that for their journey. Eva may be a workaholic, but she is basically forced to take time off to go to her 20th (which changed to her 22nd because of the pandemic) high school reunion where she runs into Zebb. The man she had a summer fling with right before them both left home for college. Little do they know they both have been harboring feelings for one another over all these years, but they both have some baggage and history that they will now bring to the table.
Yes, this was a Scrooge type story, but it was also sweet and we got to see 2 people work through their faults and their pasts. I didn't care for Eva jumping to some conclusions about situations and I didn't like Zebb keeping a pretty big secret from Eva, but his made a little bit of sense. I really liked their connection and their "first date" at a high school football game. It was steamy, delicious fun!
This was my first LB Dunbar book. I will definitely be back for more books with characters closer to my age. It is so very welcomed within this genre. You don't see it often enough, but I wish we would. These characters know what they want and need and don't need to play games. That's what I want to see more of. With all that said, this was a cute and fun fast paced story that was perfect for the season. You get to see how someone can change your scrooge ways with simple little thoughts and actions. And for that, I may just be in the mood for Christmas now. ;)
But what I loved best about Scrooge-ish was the simple fact that these characters were older. They were in their 40's and they were getting a second chance at love. Loved that for them and loved that for their journey. Eva may be a workaholic, but she is basically forced to take time off to go to her 20th (which changed to her 22nd because of the pandemic) high school reunion where she runs into Zebb. The man she had a summer fling with right before them both left home for college. Little do they know they both have been harboring feelings for one another over all these years, but they both have some baggage and history that they will now bring to the table.
Yes, this was a Scrooge type story, but it was also sweet and we got to see 2 people work through their faults and their pasts. I didn't care for Eva jumping to some conclusions about situations and I didn't like Zebb keeping a pretty big secret from Eva, but his made a little bit of sense. I really liked their connection and their "first date" at a high school football game. It was steamy, delicious fun!
This was my first LB Dunbar book. I will definitely be back for more books with characters closer to my age. It is so very welcomed within this genre. You don't see it often enough, but I wish we would. These characters know what they want and need and don't need to play games. That's what I want to see more of. With all that said, this was a cute and fun fast paced story that was perfect for the season. You get to see how someone can change your scrooge ways with simple little thoughts and actions. And for that, I may just be in the mood for Christmas now. ;)
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