📘 The Trouble With Christmas
by Debbie Mason
Genre Fiction ◦ Romance ◦ Christmas
Format & Source Print ◦ Library
Publication Forever ◦ 2013
Dates Read December 19 – 31, 2013
Rating ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
📚 What It's About
Madison Lane is a bigshot NYC business woman whose past has caused her to hate the holiday season. When she turns down a deal to develop a resort in small town Christmas, Colorado, the citizens are livid. They hoped that the resort would improve their economy, but Madison knows it would have been a total flop and gone bankrupt within a year. To appease the angry masses, her boss sends her to Christmas to try and shed some light for the people of Christmas, and help restore the company’s good reputation with them, though she is less than thrilled with having to go. Within hours of her arrival, Madison has caused tons of trouble in the small town, and sheriff Gage McBridge, single father (and hot to boot), is the one who has to deal with the backlash. Love-hate relationships ensue, both between Madison and Gage, and Madison and the town, as everyone learns lessons from one another in this sweet Christmas romance.
📝 My Review
This was a really cute and lighthearted Christmas romance. I know, I’m reviewing it a bit late, but I just finished it! While I started it before Christmas, I also didn’t mind reading it after the holiday had passed because the main story was the romance with a touch of Christmas cheer mixed in, so it’s not overwhelmingly holiday-ish.
I really enjoyed this story. It had a variety of wonderful characters, including Gage’s crazy Aunt Nell, who loves to rile up the crowd and cause a ruckus. Though she and Madison are initially at each other’s throats, you’ll enjoy seeing what becomes of their relationship as time passes.
I loved seeing Madison evolve as a person as well. She arrives in Christmas as an uptight, all-business, totally serious workaholic whom the town dubs “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas,” but begins to thaw and mellow out as the story progresses. While she will initially irritate you, she will eventually grow on you, just as the town begins to grow on her.
The romance was fun and not without a few conflicts! Gage and Madison also have a rough start upon their first meeting, but slowly begin to fall for one another. Love never goes smoothly though, and when Gage’s celebrity ex-wife shows back up in town, things look like they may not work out. I’ll also mention that the romance, while it had a few steamier moments, was quite tame, for those who are wondering.
Madison causes a lot of trouble (mostly unintentionally) while in Christmas, and repeatedly winds up on the front page of the paper, and these incidences are quite entertaining too.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read. It was lighthearted, sweet, and had wonderful characters. The second book in the series, Christmas in July, will be released in June, and I already cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!
⚡ Quick Take: A charming, feel-good romance with quirky small-town vibes and just the right touch of Christmas cheer.
No comments