The Christmas Hummingbird - Davis Bunn

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AUTHOR: Davis Bunn

NARRATOR: Graham Winton
SERIES: Miramar Bay
GENRE: Contemporary Romance-Mystery.
RATING: 2.5 stars

In a Nutshell: A contemporary romance cum drama cum mystery. (!?!?) Contains diabetes-inducing levels of sweetness. I might have loved it two decades ago. Right now, I am too pessimistic to accept this plot with ease.

Story Synopsis:
Ethan Lange has recently lost his house and everything he owns to a forest fire. The only reason he escaped alive is that police officer Ryan Eames reached his house before the blaze did. Ryan and Ethan bond over shared trauma of the past and also over Ryan’s young son Liam, who is an artist just as Ethan is in his part time. The trio come closer when they end up planning an animal rescue operation. All this while still dealing with the fires. And also a mystery about the cause of the fires.
(I am not too happy with my story synopsis this time, but the plot is such that it goes all over the place!)


Where the book worked for me:
🔥 I’ve never read a story with hummingbirds in a prominent role. The animal lover in me was mighty pleased with everything related to animals, but especially the hummingbirds.

🔥 I was aware of the frequent forest fires in California, but just to what extent they cause damage and how untethered they are in reality was revealed to me through this story. This is the first time ever I read a fictional novel on this natural disaster, and it was an enlightening and sobering experience to see how life is lived with a raging fire in the background.

🔥 Whenever a male author writes a female character without focussing on her generous anatomical attributes, it deserves a plus point. The writing doesn’t focus on the physical appeal of the characters at all while still giving us enough information to picture them in our minds.

🔥 As a second-chance romance, the book proceeds well. There is no instant attraction between Ryan and Ethan, but a connection that grows from acquaintance level and progresses slowly. I liked this mature portrayal of their relationship.


Where the book could have worked better for me:
💥 It is set around Christmas but the story doesn't use the festive season at all, except if you consider the feel-good elements as part of the holiday spirit. The title made me expect a lot more of Christmassy content.

💥 Many situations are highly exaggerated and unrealistic. Ethan is supposed to be the Vice-President at a bank, while also dabbling as a set designer and a voluntary firefighter. Regardless, he still finds spare time to spend whole days with Ryan and her son Liam. Ryan seems to use the police vehicle for her personal reasons quite often. Also, why would she refer her ex as “my ex” even when she is musing alone?

💥 Related to the above but deserving of a separate point: While the relationship between Ethan and Ryan grows slowly, the connection between Ethan and Liam accelerates from zero to hundred in no time. It feels weird how Ryan has no issues with a stranger getting so close to her only son in hardly any time and spending so much time alone with him. I might have oohed and aahed at this behaviour in my early twenties, but as a mom, I just felt creeped out.

💥 The main characters are too perfect and goody-goody. Even Christmas stories need a Scrooge or a Grinch to be truly memorable.

💥 There are too many elements packed into this little 200 page novel: natural disaster, romance, drama, mystery, parenting struggles,… It handles the content decently but the plot feels directionless because of the kitchen sink approach.

💥 There are way too many conversations in the book! Luckily, the audiobook narrator was great, so understanding the flow wasn’t tricky.

💥 Okay, no offence to any woman with the name ‘Ryan’, but I have heard only of men named ‘Ryan’. It was very tough for my brain to remember that Ryan was a woman. This might sound like a silly point, but I kept confusing myself while listening because of this new-to-me nomenclature.


The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at about five and a half hours, is narrated by Graham Winton. He does a nice job, voicing the characters individually. I appreciate him not using a whiny or nasal tone to voice the female characters. If you want to read this, the audiobook is a good bet.


This book is supposedly part of the Miramar series. Though I haven’t read the rest, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything jumping straight to this title.

Overall, it was a good enough story, but it didn’t go the way I had expected. Ambitious in its plot, scattered in its flow, and too perfect in its characters. The lack of Christmassy feels didn’t help. But if you want to read a story that will teach you about forest fires and hummingbirds, this is a nice enough option.

My thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Christmas Hummingbird”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

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