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.

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