The Trouble with Christmas

by Debbie Mason

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Elements/Tags: romance, Christmas

Publisher: Hatchette/Forever

Publishing Date: Sept. 24, 2013

Format: Print and Ebook

Length: 407 Pages

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Goodreads

It will take a Christmas miracle to melt her heart.

Resort developer Madison Lane is about to lose the one thing she loves most in the world—her job. Dubbed “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas,” Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist’s winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.

For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it’s his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he’s had to deal with all year. He can’t decide if she’s naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain—Christmas will never be the same again…

Madison and Nell arrive at the older woman’s home as the school bus drops off Gage’s daughters, Lily and Annie.

Excerpt #8

“Say hello to Ms. Lane. She’s Auntie’s little helper.”

A sinking feeling came over Madison at Nell’s introduction, but she managed a smile for Lily, whose freckled nose wrinkled when she giggled. “She’s not little, Auntie.” She smiled up at Madison. “Hi, Ms. Lane.”

“Hi, Lily. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Annie, get a move on. It’s freezing out here,” Nell hollered at the young girl, who was being teased by the three boys who’d gotten off the bus after Lily.

“Yeah, Goth Girl, better get inside before you catch cold,” one of the boys jeered.

“Leave my sister alone?” Lily yelled.

Just as Annie went to walk away, an embarrassed flush working its way up her face, the tallest of the boys drew back his arm and drilled a snowball at her.

She went to duck, but the snowball hit the side of her face. Madison winced as a memory of the taunts and bullying she’d endured growing up walloped her at the same time. They hadn’t called her Goth Girl; she’d been the home wrecker’s daughter, the ho’s daughter, and trailer trash. Furious on the young girl’s behalf, Madison wasn’t thinking when she strode across the lawn. Scooping up two fistfuls of snow, she packed them into a hard ball then fired it at the boy who hit Annie. She missed his head. The snowball glanced off his shoulder instead. Sharing a shocked look, the boys hightailed it down the street.

Madison grimaced as the anger and memories faded. Good Lord, what had she been thinking. She was lucky she hadn’t really hit the kid, or some parent would be hauling her in for assault Once in one day was enough, thank you very much.

She ignored Nell’s startled expression and walked over to Annie. “Assholes,” the young girl snarled.

Madison saw the hurt and embarrassment in her heavily made-up eyes, the tremble of her purple-glossed lips, and gently brushed the snow from the young girl’s hair. “Guys are such jerks, aren’t they?”

Annie lifted her gaze to hers. “Yeah.”

Madison sucked in a surprised gasp. Beneath the pancake makeup, the girl was beautiful, as beautiful as the man she was a carbon copy of. With those winter green eyes, inky-black hair, and the shallow dent in her chin, there was no doubt in Madison’s mind that Gage McBride was Annie’s father.

Her stomach lurched. She’d been flirting with a married man, imagining him kissing her, fantasizing about his hands on her naked flesh. She was no better than her mother, she thought in disgust. It took a moment for her to calm herself–it wasn’t as if she’d know he was married. But he did, and that hadn’t stopped him from flirting with her, touching her. She was right. Guys were jerks, especially Gage McBride.

Meet Author Debbie Mason:

Praised as a “writer to watch” by RT Book Reviews, Debbie Mason also writes Scottish-set historical paranormals as Debbie Mazzuca. Her MacLeod series debuted in April 2010 and is said to “combine the passion of Hannah Howell’s Highand romances with the seductive fantasy of Karen Marie Moning’s bestsellers.”

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