Special thanks to Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Resting Scrooge Face
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: 29 November 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
📖 SYNOPSIS
From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a festive short romance about old flames and mistaken identities.
After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood.
To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.
Nola writes back to her new pen pal—who, unbeknownst to Nola, is none other than Caleb. When Caleb gets a response hand delivered by the mailman, he’s intrigued by the mystery sender. A friendly correspondence develops—and quickly turns flirtatious.
Although Nola and Caleb claim they can’t stand each other, they can’t deny the simmering attraction that brought them together in the first place.
Can these nameless pen pals write their own love story—or will they be too caught up with the ghosts of their Christmases past to find a future together?
TL;DR: This was a sweet second-chance romance between Nola and the high school sweetheart who walked away, Caleb. If you’re looking for a romantic Christmas-themed short story to brighten up your holiday reading lists, then I would definitely recommend checking this out!
Having just come off reading about one of Nola’s younger brothers in another recent MQ release, I was very excited to learn that this was going to be about Nola herself!
At the start of the story, Nola and Caleb are both grumpy guts for various reasons. Nola is sad about being unceremoniously dumped by her partner and Caleb is just feeling extra crabby this season thinking about his life. With their extensive dating history and bad breakup years ago, there are a lot of unresolved emotions between them that added to the tension of knowing they were unwittingly writing to each other. I loved it! 😍
If you enjoy epistolary formats, then you’ll really enjoy these letter exchanges between “Resting Scrooge Face” and “Ho Ho No”. Aren’t those names great? 😂 It was so fun to see them unknowingly connect again, even if it’s bonding over all the reasons they “hate” the holiday season. Being a short story, there’s not much room for a lot of development or for drama—which I appreciated—but even though we don’t get many pages to spend with Nola and Caleb, I still liked their romance and rooted for their HEA. I definitely would read a full-length story about them but I’m glad that we at least get this short because their romance was sweet and fun! I loved to see them reconnect over stories while fixing up Nola’s parent’s house.
Aside from the rekindled relationship and the letter exchanges, one of the highlights for me was revisiting Port Snow. This place is one of my favourite fictional small towns that I still desperately wish was a real location, lol! I will take every chance I get to return to this place. Overall, I really enjoyed this and my only criticism is that it ended cos I wanted more.
Do you have Resting Scrooge Face on your TBR or does it sound like a romance you’d like to read?
dinipandareads 
I knew this was second chance, but I did not know it was epistolary. I love that format! AND PORT SNOW!!!! You sold me
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PORT SNOW! I mean, that could’ve been the only two words written in the synopsis and I would’ve scooped it up immediately. I love that town so much 😍 I hope you enjoy this one if you pick it up, Sam!
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This is so on my TBR! I cannot wait for it. I just “wished for it” on NG today, so hopefully they’ll grant that. If not, I’ve only got 5 days! Your review has me even more excited.
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YES! It’s soon, so soon! 3 days now 😍 I hope you enjoy it, Deanna!
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I know I will!
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bfghbgfbhfnb i’m so glad you enjoyed this so much!! books about people hating the holiday season ARE ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN TO READ??? I LOVE THEM. but also. “letter exchanges between “Resting Scrooge Face” and “Ho Ho No”” OK THIS IS IT. DEFINITELY READING IT THANK YOU!! your review is FABULOUSNESS. BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS ARE. I LOVE.
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I actually haven’t read a lot of romances (or actually any genre of books) with holiday-hating grumps but this was definitely fun! I loved watching these two unwittingly exchange hate notes that bring their natural spark further to life. Your enthusiastic comments on my posts never fail to put a smile on my face! Thank you, Anoushka! 💜
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