Resting Scrooge Face: A Short Story

3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars | 21,537 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 12-26-2024


About this item

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?


Top reviews from the United States

Carin Camen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Ba Humbug Tale of Love
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
What truly sets "Resting Scrooge Face" apart is its ability to infuse the classic themes of Christmas with a modern twist, blending moments of humor, tenderness, and hope. The mystery surrounding the exchange of 'Bah Humbug' letters adds an element of intrigue and keeps the reader eagerly turning the pages.

Quinn's storytelling prowess shines as she skillfully weaves together a tale of love, redemption, and the power of forgiveness. The characters are beautifully developed, and readers will find themselves emotionally invested in their journey. The intricate dynamics between the protagonists evoke a sense of nostalgia and warmth, making the story relatable and endearing.
Selena Thomason
4.0 out of 5 stars a light, enjoyable read - charming and romantic
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024
This is a charming story, easy to read in one sitting. Very festive and romantic. I think the characters and setting are well-drawn. I liked the small town in Maine setting. I also liked that the romance feels real-world instead of overly idealized. The characters feel like real people not fantasies.
The Papaya Mama
3.0 out of 5 stars • home for the holidays •
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2023
| holiday romance | romcom | short story | novella | sweet not spicy | enemies to lovers | second chance romance | grump x grump | small town romance | holiday spirit | christmastime |

very short and sweet holiday romance. This was definitely a novella at only 80 pages. If you’ve read Meghan Quinn, you can expect the usual.

Returning home from the big city Nola is avoiding her first love and ex Caleb. The wheels of Christmas are turning and this small town is turning up the holiday charm.

They bond anonymously through letters, and eventually find forgiveness during the most festive time of year.

This book is sweet, not spicy. Meghan Quinn usually gives us some lovely spice, but due to the length, and lack of character development, history, and building I can see why she gave us just the sweetness of holiday cheer to round out a sweet christmastime romance.

Happy Reading Friends xx
The Hodgenator
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
This was such a fun short story.

The page length qualifies it as a novella, but the word count keeps it as a short story, and it was fun.

Think ‘You’ve Got Mail’ meets its original ‘Shop Around the Corner,’ but instead of two work rivals, they’re a former couple.

From the first word until the last, I was invested in Resting Scrooge Face and Ho Ho No getting together.

But that’s not their intention. Oh no. But of course we have a schemer who finds a letter thrown away and decides a little Christmas spirit is just what someone needs.

And this is really where the story begins.

Neither knows who the other is, and this makes it even more fun to read. The letters exchanged between the two had me tickled. From sharing their distaste for the holiday season to sharing embarrassing anecdotes to keep each other in the friend zone (massaging balls, y’all ????), it’s clear these two click.

But what happens when the truth is revealed?

What really worked for me with this story is how authentic both main characters are on the page. There was one moment where I caught myself rolling my eyes, but that was part of the story’s charm - there has to be a moment of cheese because sometimes in a relationship, when someone is trying to make things right, there IS a moment of cheese. And that just leaned into the authenticity of the story for me.
Ttly Addicted 2 Reading
4.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2022
Resting Scrooge Face  tells the story of Nola and Caleb.  Nola left Bright Harbor, Maine for New York. However, a breakup and the feeling of wanting to be near family she returned home.  Now although she's happy to be home, she dreads running into the guy who broke her heart years ago. Added to that she's not to keen on Christmas. After all what's cheery about having your broken twice.

Caleb, the guy who broke Nora's heart before she left for New York, owns and operated the local hardware store.  He harbors regrets regarding his breakup with Nora and he clearly still has feelings for her. Now that Nola is back in town, the regrets have intensified leading to him acting like a grumpy Scrooge.  On one of his not so good days Caleb took pen to paper and listed all the things he despised about Christmas. A list which was written out in the form of a letter. He threw it in the trash, however his elderly friend who so happened to be the mailman, took it out the trash and delivered it to no other than Nora. Soon the two began exchanging letters not knowing to whom they were expressing their shared hate of Christmas.

Despite the brevity of the story, Resting Scrooge Face was heartwarming, charming and delightfully hilarious. I loved the concept behind the exchange of letters. My only wish is that the story was longer. The narrators did a great job in bringing the story to life. If you are looking for a short and sweet Christmas read with Hallmark vibes I recommend this latest offering from Meghan Quinn.
LCRITCHIE
3.0 out of 5 stars short and sweet
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2023
It was a fast and cute short story. I think the ending felt rushed and a little too convenient. Otherwise, the characters were likeable and I wish we got a full story with them!
Jessica DiMonte
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a cute, uplifting holiday story!!
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2023
I picked this from my free book from my points after picking my December’s First Read. I did not expect to finish this short story in 2.5 hours, but here I am writing a review.

As someone who had literally had a bah-humbug Christmas in 2015, and literally had a somewhat similar situation to this story, I literally couldn’t stop laughing at the letters written back and forth between two high school sweethearts that fell apart. Needless to say, they had no clue they were writing to each other until a little mishap happens at the hardware store.

When you know it’s the right person, you just know. You go your separate ways, and if it is meant to be, it will find a way to be. This was definitely an uplifting short story and definitely a good one to read to get into the holiday spirit. Looking forward to reading more from Meghan Quinn.

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