Scrooge-ish

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the premise at first—another ‘woman who hates Christmas learns to love it’ story? But *Scrooge-ish* flips the script by making Vivienne’s Scrooge act *earned*. She’s not just a curmudgeon for plot convenience; her disdain stems from years of being the invisible labor behind everyone else’s holiday magic, and Hunter’s narration sells every ounce of her exhaustion. When she snaps, *“I didn’t climb the corporate ladder to become Santa’s unpaid elf,”* you’ll cheer. Teddy Hamilton’s performance as the love interest, a former pro athlete turned PR whiz, is the perfect foil—his deep, unhurried tone makes even throwaway lines sound like foreplay, and the push-pull between their vocal styles keeps the tension simmering. The audiobook’s strength lies in its dialogue-heavy scenes, where the narration *sings*. A lesser production might’ve let the banter blur, but the pacing here is surgical, with pauses and inflections that make their verbal jabs land like dart throws. That said, the plot’s midsection sags slightly when it leans into workplace drama over romantic development—Vivienne’s corporate battles, while fun, occasionally steal focus from the central will-they-won’t-they. And while the ending delivers the requisite holiday warmth, it wraps up *just* a touch too neatly for a story that otherwise thrives on messiness. Still, the narration elevates even the weaker moments, and the final act’s emotional payoff (complete with a surprisingly steamy scene that had me blushing in traffic) makes up for any stumbles. If you love enemies-to-lovers with bite, narrators who *commit* to the bit, and a Christmas romance that doesn’t require you to check your cynicism at the door, this is your audiobook. Pro tip: Save it for a long drive—you’ll want to savor the back-and-forth without interruptions.