REVIEW: “Humbug” by Joanna Chambers
ABOUT:
Quin Flint is unimpressed when his gorgeous colleague, Rob Paget, asks for extra time off at Christmas. As far as Quin is concerned, Christmas is a giant waste of time. Quin’s on the fast track to partnership, and the season of goodwill is just getting in the way of his next big project. But when Quin’s boss, Marley, confiscates his phone and makes him take an unscheduled day off, Quin finds himself being forced to confront his regrets, past and present, and think about the sort of future he really wants…and who he wants it with.
BOOK INFO:
Title: Humbug
Author: Joanna Chambers
Publisher: Self-pub
Pages: 74
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Purchase Links: Amazon, ARe
REVIEW:
I suppose that at some point, retelling of classic tales might get old. But not over the holidays!
I love A Christmas Carol. I embrace stories about self-realization…about growth…about redemption. And to repurpose it into a romance, one where falling in love helps you to reset priorities and reflect on not just the true meaning of the holidays, but the true meaning of life as a whole? Gah…I’m getting all verklempt.
So, there’s Quin. He’s driven to a fault. His ambition for his law career comes at the expense of others. I honestly don’t find him malicious or cruel. I just find him to be single-minded. Is he likable? Not so much, and that’s made clear by how others that he works with feel about him. But there are tiny nibbles of hope that there’s more. He has a roommate and best friend that hasn’t given up on him. And he has a coworker, Rob, that, well…likes him! I mean, LIKES him likes him!
As you can guess, Quin goes through a series of hard moments that make him come to the epiphany that he’s been mistreating others and there’s a not-surprising HEA for Quin and Rob. *sigh* & *squeee*
BUT, what I really truly appreciated with Joanna Chambers’ take on this story, what really resonated with me, was how badly Quin felt when he found out what people thought about him, what they were saying about him behind his back. I felt…well, I felt his pain. I felt the pangs in his heart. It was almost like he hadn’t a clue, and when a clue showed up, it was a slap in the face – a wake-up call.
Having been in situations in life where sometimes I didn’t know that people might have been hurt by me or disliked me…and finding out the truth…well, I can relate to that painful realization. And wanting to fix things…to change…to be better. I related to Quin more than I expected from a short, holiday story.
I am an uber-fan of Joanna Chambers’ writing and this book was no different. She never fails to entertain.
Definite recommended reading!
Great review. I just read this book last week and i loved it :)
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