Scrooge-ish

A Second Chance Holiday Romance

De: L.B. Dunbar

Narrado por: Stella Hunter, Teddy Hamilton

I hate Christmas.

I don’t know who thought every female must love shopping, wrapping, baking, and hosting, but I’m missing the memo. On top of that, I manage a top-end department store. Sprinkle in the fact I’ll be turning 40 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 (insert sarcasm) 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 with after graduation and before 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.

Which leads to my discovery that there is a lot more to this 40, fine former NFL quarterback who's now a fireman, like being a 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 25 days of December test all my strength.

Just what the Dicken 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?

Find out in L.B. Dunbar’s first over-40, flirty sexy-silver-fox second-chance holiday romance.

©2022 L.B. Dunbar (P)2022 L.B. Dunbar

Scrooge-ish

This was a cute second chance romance plus all the heat. The two main characters had a hot summer fling before college. They never truly said goodbye. They also never really forgot about the other. They reconnected on their 22nd high school reunion. This is a sexy over fourties’ romance great to get you in the holiday spirit 😉. Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton did a fabulous job narrating this in duet style narration.

Wonderful Holiday Listen

This sweet, angsty, steamy Hallmarky holiday story was the perfect weekend listen. I quite enjoyed this short novella that had A Christmas Carol twist. Eva and Zebb are given a second chance at love. Eva hates Christmas because of her hurtful memories from her childhood. She believes she doesn’t deserve love because she has been abandoned by the people who are supposed to love her. Zebb is the opposite. He comes from a big loving family and all he wants to do is show Eva how much she deserves to be loved by him. Their chemistry was instant and hot. It was as if they had never been apart. I loved Zebb and how determined he was to win Eva back.
Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton bring this second chance, emotional romance to life with their stellar narration. Stella and Teddy are wonderful as Eva and Zebb. They truly capture each character’s personalities and insecurities flawlessly. I love listening to these two narrators. I hope to listen to more from this author.

Such an adorable holiday series. GREAT LISTEN!

🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧
📚Scrooge-ish by L.B. Dunbar
🎤Narrated by Stella Hunter & Teddy Hamilton

This holiday audio series is just so cute. I LOVE that the MC's are in their 40's & mature. Dealing with adult problems & insecurities. All of the books in this series have been a delight to listen to. LB's writing is fun, angsty & filled with holiday spice. This is a series is definitely one I'll come back to again every winter.

🎧Let's talk narration...Stella & Teddy are so fantastic at narrating all of the characters in this series. This is a series is one I totally recommend. The perfect stories to listen to while you're wrapping presents, buying gifts or just want a good ol' comfort, holiday listen.

Sweet second chance story

Even though this was a short story, it was jam packed. It was a great holiday story but did delve into some emotional stuff. Dealt with family tragedy at the holidays. But there was a HEA. Duet narration was great. My only wish is that it was a little longer with more build up. Things progress VERY fast because it was so short.

Wonderful Story & Listen🎧 A Charming Gift of Love❣

I loved everything about this fabulous second chance romance, from L.B. Dunbar’s wonderful writing style to the amazing characters and storylines she created to the perfectly cast narrators who bring it all to life from the pages to your ears. Also love the originality of this story and the author’s spin on Scrooge’s tale. The characters are realistic, easy to connect with and relate to, they are easy to care about too. Eva Nazar works in a department store and is not a fan of the Christmas holidays, the busiest time of the year for the store, but that is not the only reason she hates Christmas, her past Christmases have not been good ones. And then a H.S. reunion brings in her past and the boy she had a summer fling with before he headed off into the sunset to become a quarterback in the NFL. Zebb Scroggs is a firefighter, and the attraction he had for Eva in H.S. is still there and he still wants her, though his life is not as simple as it was when they were in high school, but neither is hers. I loved these two together and for each other, he loves Christmas, she doesn’t, but he will do his best to get her to enjoy it. This is a charming and heart-warming holiday romance that you can enjoy anytime of the year, it has a perfect balance of drama, heartfelt emotions, some humor to lighten things up and a fantastic second chance romance. L.B. Dunbar, thank you for another wonderful story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the fabulous narration, Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton are the perfect cast to bring these characters and story to life. Their voices complement each other’s and they work well together grasping the essence of the story and who these characters are. I love how they take each role, run with it and make it their own, sounding natural and believable in every role they played. You could hear how much heart they put into the work as they capture the characters emotions and project them into their performance. These mega talented narrators are versatile voice artists and entertaining storytellers. Their performance enhances this already fabulous story to another level. Thank you for another amazing listen, it is alway a pleasure to listen to your work.

Tis the season

Tis the season and one of the things I love is all the stories based around the holidays that are releasing. What a fun, entertaining and well written story Scrooge-ish is, with moments of humor but also moments that broke my heart
I really enjoy L.B. Dunbar’s writing style, there is something about her writing that I really relate to. Perhaps it’s because her characters are more mature than the majority of romance stories and therefore I can easily relate to them.
Eva Nazar hates Christmas and has no interest in celebrating the holidays. Attending her high school reunion she comes face to face with Zebb Scroggs, her high school fling. Both have been through difficult times which has impacted them in different ways.
Meeting Eva again, Zebb is determined to bring the Christmas spirit back to her but he will have his work cut out for him. Not only has he grown into an attractive man but his tittle girl Tamarra (Tam) is adorable and she quickly earns a place in Eva’s heart.
Their journey was rocky at times as Zebb does his best to break down the walls that Eva has surrounded herself with. Can they come to terms with the past and in doing so make a wonderful future together? One click and find out.

Narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter they did a wonderful job bringing the characters and fabulous story to life for me.

Wonderful Holiday Listen 💙🎄🎁♥️

This book has everything I love in a romance. Second chance-they were high school lovers, holiday, it’s Christmas, single dad-adorable daughter and older couple-entering their 40s.

I love how she brings Zebb and Eva together. They’re so cute and perfect. It does answer the question of what happens to the one that got away. It just feels like if they had been able to stay together when they were in high school, they truly could’ve made a good life together.

But the author lets you know, that things always happen for a reason. And the reason is so apparent that it makes you feel good for the separation. I love the way they are brought back together, and that they finally make it work. Even with the pain that they both have to go through, you know that it was all serendipity.

I loved the duet style narration. Teddy Hamilton is my favorite, and they both deliver wonderfully. Loved this book!!

Wonderful second chance

Eva and Zebb had a fling the summer after high school before they both went in different directions. They meet again at their high school reunion. Eva doesn't like Christmas for several reasons. Zebb doesn't let Eva go and keeps chipping away at her wall. Just because you turn 40 isn't a reason to give up on your dreams. The duet narration of Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter is fantastic.

Great 2nd chance romantic comedy Christmas book!

This is my first experience with LB Dunbar’s work, and my first Christmas book. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version narrated in duet style by Stella Hunter and Teddy Hamilton. I liked that the story isn’t a sugary-sweet journey through Romancelandia. This is a story about Zeb and Eva, who hooked up between high school graduation and their departure to different colleges and lives. Fast forward to age 40 where they run into each other and find neither of their lives ended up where planned. Zeb has given up his NFL career to be a firefighter and Eva gave up her dreams of opening her own boutique store to work at a local retail icon.

Eva’s Mom left on Christmas one year and her Dad gave up, just kind of phoning it in from then on at Christmas. Working in retail does not endear her to the holiday what with demanding shoppers and long workdays, but Zeb tries his best to start changing her Scrooge-ish outlook. In the end, Eva learns that “The gift of time is the most precious present.”

The storyline includes a Chicago setting, second chance romance, single father, and characters at age 40. There are plenty of steamy scenes, although I would still consider this a pretty clean book. Many Christmassy phrases are substituted for cursing which was kind of cute! The book is mainly from Eva’s perspective and Stella Hunter’s very talented narration was a major factor in how much I enjoyed the story. Teddy Hamilton is one of my favorite male narrators and his performance was spot on as usual. I would definitely read more of LB Dunbar’s work, and this book is on my list for rereading!

SPOILER
It turns out Zeb left his NFL career because he became a single father when his daughter’s mother died during childbirth nine years earlier. He made a decision to change his life with the change in circumstances and luckily has family to help him through it. Eva is an only child and after she realizes she didn’t want to be far from home after leaving for college, her father moves away and starts a new life. She leads a very solitary existence with limited social interactions aside from one good friend and a motherly coworker. But we find out that her mother returns to her life under sad circumstances; a suicide attempt leaves her in a mental health facility where she eventually dies on Christmas.

Super cute holiday story!

I really enjoyed listening to this story – Eva is a workaholic that isn’t a fan of the holidays ever since her mom left on Christmas Eve. Every holiday after that, her dad just took her to a beach for the holiday instead of celebrating, so she has just gotten out of the habit. She takes her work at a retail location to the extreme. She ends up going to her high school reunion and runs into a guy she had a summer fling with after high school. They fizzled out because he left for the NFL and her to college.

Now they are able to take things further… except things start popping up that are unexpected and Eve and Zebb may not be able to make it work. But he does his best to try to get her into the holiday spirit.

I really enjoyed this story and the narrators did a great job keeping the story alive and captivating!

I received an ALC for my honest review!