“My 4* review for Saving Mr Scrooge by Sharon Booth, which I was asked to read and review.

I always enjoy reading Christmas books through December, just to get me in the mood for Christmas and this one certainly did that for me. It tells the story of Carroll’s Confectionery Factory, it’s new Manager Christopher Carroll (Kit), his P.A. (and ex-girlfriend from when they were teenagers) Marley Jacobs and how they struggle to save the factory, it’s workers and themselves in the process.

The story begins with Marley choking on a sweet in the pub and Kit rushing to save her. Having recovered, Marley is convinced she was “brought back to life” to save someone and so spends the rest of the book trying to work out who needs saving and why. For Kit Carroll, the meaning of Christmas seems to have been forgotten and for some reason, he is being mean to her and everyone else at the factory, having cancelled the annual buffet meal, decorating of the canteen and the Christmas bonus. He might just as well have shouted “humbug” and cancelled Christmas altogether.
Marley also has a grumpy Uncle Charles who she is fond of, but who believes she is only looking after him to inherit his money when he dies. However, Marley Jacobs is determined to make them see the error of their ways, and return the festive spirit. Marley decides to save this modern-day Mr Scrooge and the factory, but is it only Kit who needs saving? Doesn’t everyone need to be reminded of the meaning of Christmas at times?

I loved the play on the names from the original Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, and although from the beginning you could see where the story was going and probably how it would end, it was nevertheless a really well written and enjoyable book to read in the lead up to Christmas. There are so many different characters included in the book from Marley’s Mum and Sister to Kit’s Brother who left him in charge of the factory with no word to anyone, but each of them are lovely to get to know. I did not take to Marley or Kit straight away, I found them both selfish, self-centred, arrogant, materialistic, sulky and downright annoying and wanted to bang their heads together at times, but all of that added a richness to the story and certainly made me invest emotionally in them and I warmed to them in the end, exactly as I wanted to. Their back story of love, loss and misunderstandings unravels slowly throughout the book and Sharon Booth does a perfect job of teasing you with snippets of their past relationship.
I assumed it would be a short story, but was pleased it was a full-length novel because she was able to elaborate more on the secrets and lies that each and every family hides and which eventually all come pouring out after someone has died. Marley’s Dad being a boo hiss baddy was a great addition to the story too. I rushed through the last few chapters because I was rooting for them all and was rewarded with a perfect ending which was a little unexpected, and that is what I was hoping for.”