Author: L.B. Dunbar
Narrator: Stella Hunter, Teddy Hamilton
Publisher: L.B. Dunbar Writes, Ltd.
Publication Date: November 2022
Genre: Christmas / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: 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, 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?
My Thoughts: 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.
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