Eli Easton’s standalone novella, The Curse Before Christmas, is a cute bit of undemanding seasonal fluff in which a lonely game designer finds love with an overworked ER doctor in a way that is more naughty than nice!

Patrick Bocker moved from California to take a job as lead coder at Myth Monster Games in Chicago, but several months later, he still hasn’t really made any friends among his colleagues and is basically planning to spend Christmas alone playing video games. On Christmas Eve, just before everyone heads home for the holiday, the office Secret Santa gifts are distributed – and Patrick is surprised to discover that he does actually have one, as the person who had drawn his name has left the company. The gift, however, turns out to be a little… strange. The elaborately painted, ten-inch-tall figurine of Krampus (in Central and Eastern European folklore, Krampus punishes the naughty children while St. Nicholas rewards the good ones) has something written on the bottom in a different language, but there’s a card with a translation on it:

“Make a wish for you heart’s desire. Krampus will bring it through flood and fire.”

Eh. Patrick figures he’ll give it a go and quietly wishes to meet someone who will see him and love him for who he really is. And then calls himself pathetic and thinks maybe he needs to get out more.

On the way home, Patrick is trudging along the snowy sidewalk when he slips on a patch of ice and hits his head. Next thing he knows, he’s being picked up, loaded into an ambulance and taken to the local hospital to be checked out. The one bright spot in the day appears when his doctor does; he’s handsome and kind with gorgeous eyes – and Patrick is more than a little bit smitten.

A patient who may be concussed after slipping on ice is far from unusual in the ER at this time of year, but Dr. Gray Reynolds can’t help being temporarily thrown off balance by the stunning red head with the big blue eyes (and the pissed off expression) – who is definitely flirting with him. Still, he isn’t about to make a move on a patient, no matter how cute he is.

Unfortunately for Patrick, his bad luck doesn’t end there, and shortly after he’s discharged, he’s back in the ER after being hit by a car. He has a broken arm, but it could have been a lot worse; a concerned Gray arranges an Uber to take Patrick home and thinks that will be the end of it. Until later that evening, when one of the EMTs tells him that he’s just picked up Patrick again. Gray almost can’t believe it – surely no-one is this accident prone?

When Patrick lands in the ER for the third time that day, he’s tired and he’s hurt, and he decides he might as well tell Gray everything. He’s already begun to suspect that the Krampus figure is somehow responsible for the bad luck that’s been following him around all day, and has worked out that the way to break the curse is to return it to whoever gave it to him. Gray offers to drive him home to make sure he gets there safely; on the way, they stop off for something to eat and really start getting to know each other, discovering a mutual love of gaming, horror movies, and hiking and learning that they have similar aims and outlooks as Patrick realises that for the first time in probably ever, here is someone who gets him. As Gray and Patrick call on some of his colleagues to see if they can return the Krampus, Patrick finally gets to know something about the people he works with and realises how closed-off he’s become and that maybe he’s misjudged them. And Gray realises that he, too, has been guilty of putting parts of himself into a box in order to focus on his career and that it’s time to stop letting life pass him by. Maybe getting to grips with living life to the fullest is something they can do… together?

The Curse Before Christmas is a light-hearted, whacky and magical story about two lonely men finding their heart’s desire in the unlikeliest of circumstances. I liked Patrick’s wryly humourous voice and Gray’s quiet confidence together with the underlying message that it’s important not to lose sight of the things in life that make the difference between living and merely existing. It’s impossible not to have fun with this one – it’s silly, upbeat and charming, (and thankfully devoid of the overdone sentimentality that can creep into romances at this time of year!) and while the romance is insta-love-y, it works because of the premise, the chemistry and because it’s clear that we’re seeing the beginning of a relationship that will go the distance. Recommended for when you’re in the mood for a quick but delightful festive pick-me-up.