Thursday, December 10, 2015

Bookish Thoughts: Twelve Nights by Sharon Struth

"If you value your reputation, you'll get moving." ~ Opening of Twelve Nights


Twelve Nights by Sharon Struth
Grand Central Press, 2015
Romance (Holiday); 119 pgs

Beryl Foster has worked hard to get where she is in the company, and all that is threatened when her ex-fiancé, Erik Lindholm, becomes her boss. They had not exactly broken up in good standing, both angry with each other for putting their careers first without taking the other one into consideration. Angry feelings remain on both sides, but so does the strong attraction between them.

I think my favorite part of this short romance was the chapter headings, a variation on the Twelve Days of Christmas song. The meaning becomes clear towards the end of the novel, and so I won't spoil it here, but I love the idea behind it.

Both Beryl and Erik are good people, who made a difficult choice all those years before. They had been young and at the start of promising careers. Beryl has worked really hard to be where she is, and she doesn't want to compromise that when Erik appears and sparks fly between them. The last thing she needs is for people to think she slept her way to the top--or even that she slept with the boss to keep her job. Erik has many regrets for what he threw away all those years ago, and seeing Beryl makes him realize just what he lost out on. There is definitely chemistry between Beryl and Erik. Both are strong characters with formidable careers.

Beryl has a fun little secret that very few people know about her. I was surprised at how quickly she confided in Erik after his return, but I was also glad. It isn't the kind of secret that could make or break a relationship--it shouldn't be anyway--and it's good to see it didn't come between them.

Author Sharon Struth captures gossip office and the speed at which things get around via social media quite well in this novella. And I liked the approach she took at the end without compromising her characters. Have I said too much?  Twelve Nights made for a fun Christmas read.

To learn more about Sharon Struth and her books, please visit the author's website

Source: I received an e-copy of this book for an honest review from the publisher via NetGalley.


© 2015, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

14 comments:

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    1. Kathy - It was fun! I love a good Christmas story. :-)

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  2. :) I haven't read anything by this author. Will check out her website.

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    1. Jenclair - I'd be curious to try something else by Struth at some point.

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  3. I hadn't heard of this author but I like the sound of it. I'm a little leery of romances where there could be uneven power but it sounds like this really works and I love novellas where the characters have a history. I'll have to add this to my Christmas TBR for next year!

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    1. Katherine - Me too; I was just mentioning that in another review I was writing (which will hopefully post next week). The issue of his being his boss was kind of weird in this one given he was actually contemplating firing her, but given their history, their falling back into a relationship made sense. I was a little worried about how it would end, given their positions in the company. I was satisfied with how the author decided to handle it.

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  4. This short romance sounds good and I like that opening line :)

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  5. I love Christmas stories and this one sounds like a lot of fun:) Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Sandra - I love them too. :-) They leave me feeling festive and content, which I think are good feelings to have this time of year.

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  6. Oh yes, social media, I'm always amazed at the speed infos spread and how everyone reads what they want to read ! It looks like a fun novella perfect for the season :)

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    1. Iza - It's unbelievable how fast something spreads on social media--and it's easy to forget how permanent it is too. This one was fun one. :-)

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  7. Like Katherine, I'm always leery of office romances, but from what you've said, it sounds like the author handled the situation well. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. Lark - I thought the author did a good job given the setting. I will be curious to try something else by her.

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