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Christmas, Colorado #1
The Trouble with Christmas
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...
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...
380 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 24, 2013
368 people are currently reading
3655 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Mason
38 books1,691 followersDebbie Mason is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado series and the Harmony Harbor series. The first book in her Christmas, Colorado series, “The Trouble with Christmas,” was the inspiration for Hallmark’s “Welcome to Christmas.” Her books have been praised by RT Book Reviews for their “likable characters, clever dialogue, and juicy plots.” When Debbie isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family in Ottawa, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
October 12, 2013
This is it! This like the perfect Christmas romance book I have read so far this year! This book has it all. It was just so funny and cute with hints of seriousness and lots of yummy romance. The perfect hard-to-put-down book!
Madison Lane may have ruined Christmas for the small town of Christmas, CO. The town wants a resort but after a lot of research and explaining it all in a twenty page report, Madison finds that the company she works for would go bankrupt if they proceed. Now her name is and her company’s name is being dragged the through the mud so she has to go to Christmas, CO and explain to the townsfolk why this idea won’t work. As soon as she arrives one after another unlucky accidents start to happen to her!
Madison ends up having to stay with one of the locals, Nell McBride, who is the aunt to the handsome Sherriff Gage McBride. On the threat of losing her job Madison ends up staying longer than she had hoped and slowly starts to fall in love… with Christmas…
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is one of those books that I wouldn’t mind reading over again during the Christmas Holidays. Many times it brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. I am eagerly waiting for Ms. Mason’s next Christmas, Colorado book called Christmas in July.
Madison Lane may have ruined Christmas for the small town of Christmas, CO. The town wants a resort but after a lot of research and explaining it all in a twenty page report, Madison finds that the company she works for would go bankrupt if they proceed. Now her name is and her company’s name is being dragged the through the mud so she has to go to Christmas, CO and explain to the townsfolk why this idea won’t work. As soon as she arrives one after another unlucky accidents start to happen to her!
Madison ends up having to stay with one of the locals, Nell McBride, who is the aunt to the handsome Sherriff Gage McBride. On the threat of losing her job Madison ends up staying longer than she had hoped and slowly starts to fall in love… with Christmas…
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is one of those books that I wouldn’t mind reading over again during the Christmas Holidays. Many times it brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. I am eagerly waiting for Ms. Mason’s next Christmas, Colorado book called Christmas in July.
January 2, 2017
26/12 - Things were going really well and this was heading for a 4-5 star rating, until all the slow burn tension turned out to be a fake-out called off-the-page sex. I DON'T LIKE OFF-THE-PAGE SEX, it kind of makes a decent romance pointless (you might as well have a Christian romance, in my opinion). I was especially disappointed because Gage had been talking up how great the sex was going to be between him and Madison numerous times, and then we went from her being tossed onto the bed naked to a page break and then "Oh God, that was great." I felt completely ripped off because, for me, sex is a very important element in a romance book and great book sex can leave a lasting memory that has you returning to reread time and time again, while bad book sex can also leave a lasting memory but in a different way. An absence of book sex is almost as bad as bad book sex, which is why I can't go above three stars for this book.
Okay, so sex isn't everything in a romance, so what was it about the book that meant I still enjoyed enough to give it three stars? There were some laugh-out-loud scenes, particularly the one where Madison nearly killed Fred/Ted while he was up the ladder fixing Nell's Christmas lights. I also liked Madison's relationship with Annie and how she helped her with Trent and the other bullies. I didn't like Nell's machinations and if I had been in Madison's place I don't know if I ever would have softened towards her (or the other interfering busybodies of the town). I was originally interested in reading the next book in the Christmas, Colorado series, but knowing it's likely to be an off-the-page sex kind of book has put a dampener on my previous enthusiasm. If I see it on the 'new and recently returned' shelf at the library I'll probably pick it up, but I doubt I'll search it out and put a hold on it.
Okay, so sex isn't everything in a romance, so what was it about the book that meant I still enjoyed enough to give it three stars? There were some laugh-out-loud scenes, particularly the one where Madison nearly killed Fred/Ted while he was up the ladder fixing Nell's Christmas lights. I also liked Madison's relationship with Annie and how she helped her with Trent and the other bullies. I didn't like Nell's machinations and if I had been in Madison's place I don't know if I ever would have softened towards her (or the other interfering busybodies of the town). I was originally interested in reading the next book in the Christmas, Colorado series, but knowing it's likely to be an off-the-page sex kind of book has put a dampener on my previous enthusiasm. If I see it on the 'new and recently returned' shelf at the library I'll probably pick it up, but I doubt I'll search it out and put a hold on it.
July 14, 2024
2.5**
From the book jacket: Resort developer Madison Lane has been dubbed “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas,” after she 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.
My reactions:
Yawn. If you’ve seen one Hallmark Christmas movie, you’ve seen them all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these sappy films and the books that inspire or are inspired by the movies. But they aren’t really memorable.
There’s a fairly slow burn here, though the attraction is pretty instantaneous between these two. They tiptoe around the possibility of being together, but cannot avoid one another, as Madison is staying with Gage’s Aunt (and local rabble rouser). There’s clearly some subterfuge going on involving Madison’s nemesis back in the home office, but, again, this is a frequently used trope.
It's a fast read and the “snowy” setting, helped keep me cool during the heat of summer.
From the book jacket: Resort developer Madison Lane has been dubbed “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas,” after she 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.
My reactions:
Yawn. If you’ve seen one Hallmark Christmas movie, you’ve seen them all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these sappy films and the books that inspire or are inspired by the movies. But they aren’t really memorable.
There’s a fairly slow burn here, though the attraction is pretty instantaneous between these two. They tiptoe around the possibility of being together, but cannot avoid one another, as Madison is staying with Gage’s Aunt (and local rabble rouser). There’s clearly some subterfuge going on involving Madison’s nemesis back in the home office, but, again, this is a frequently used trope.
It's a fast read and the “snowy” setting, helped keep me cool during the heat of summer.
December 27, 2018
2.5 stars
This was a good, cozy, small town Christmas read that had an enjoyable story with a relatable main character. However, this story started out positive but had some elements that I didn't agree with which affected my feelings as I continued to make my way through the novel.
Initially, I liked the chemistry between the two main love interests but that feeling seemed to taper out as the story progressed. There were moments in this story that I felt the main male love interest made the main female character feel guilty for expressing reasonable feelings and concerns (e.g. the situation with his ex-wife). Also, I'm all for a forbidden/secret romance but it felt different in this novel. Instead of feeling secretive, it felt more shady than anything.
Most surprisingly was the plot twist. I really didn't enjoy the plot twist in this story. It didn't suit the story at all or this genre in general so instead felt like it was placed randomly within the story to add excitement.
***Thank you to Forever Publishing and Hachette Book Group for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
This was a good, cozy, small town Christmas read that had an enjoyable story with a relatable main character. However, this story started out positive but had some elements that I didn't agree with which affected my feelings as I continued to make my way through the novel.
Initially, I liked the chemistry between the two main love interests but that feeling seemed to taper out as the story progressed. There were moments in this story that I felt the main male love interest made the main female character feel guilty for expressing reasonable feelings and concerns (e.g. the situation with his ex-wife). Also, I'm all for a forbidden/secret romance but it felt different in this novel. Instead of feeling secretive, it felt more shady than anything.
Most surprisingly was the plot twist. I really didn't enjoy the plot twist in this story. It didn't suit the story at all or this genre in general so instead felt like it was placed randomly within the story to add excitement.
***Thank you to Forever Publishing and Hachette Book Group for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
September 23, 2015
Gah I cannot believe it took me so long to pick up a Debbie Mason book, I have been missing out on so much. Well I know this now, she is one of my new favorite authors. The Trouble with Christmas was a stellar start to the Christmas, Colorado series. My only hope is that the rest of them are just as amazing, but it looks like I will have to read to find out huh? ;)
Madison Lane works for a resort developing company. When her co-worker goes behind her back and tries to sign a deal with Christmas, Colorado to turn the small town into a tourist's winter wonderland, Madison's action to stop it has dubbed her "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas." Now she is forced to travel to Colorado in hopes of clearing up the misunderstanding and do some publicity damage control, but what she didn't expect that the citizens of Christmas, especially one very meddling old woman Nell McBride, has her own bag of tricks up her sleeve. When Madison is forced to stay in Christmas, Colorado to get to known the town and it's people - she doesn't expect to open up her heart to a very charming and sexy single father sheriff Gage McBride.
Seriously thought, Nell was just an amazing character. So fun, but so true to herself. I love the little matchmaking she had going on!
Wonderful story, it was such a fun and amazing read. I loved Christmas, Colorado and getting to know it's residents who I am sure now I will start to get more attached to as I plow my way into the second book. Madison was a fun character, very down to earth and honest. Due to the bad past, she has a hard time with Christmas and hates it, but thanks to a few very lovable people from Christmas, she slowly welcomes the holiday back into her heart.
Mason's writing and storytelling really shines with The Trouble with Christmas, I was so drawn in I had the hardest time putting this one down. The romance, the banter, the laugh out loud moments, and the friendship building was so sweet it was hard not to fall in love with all of it. The only reason I did not give this book a 5 star rating was due to Gage's treatment of Madison when his ex-wife showed up in town. I failed to understand it. I guess it was because of his daughters, but she just did not deserve it. I wanted to scream at him to grow a backbone. Other then that I found the romance very sweet and I love how it unfolded. It took time, it didn't feel rushed and everything just came together perfectly in a heart melting moments.
It sounds like the town of Christmas is going to stick with me for a long time.
Madison Lane works for a resort developing company. When her co-worker goes behind her back and tries to sign a deal with Christmas, Colorado to turn the small town into a tourist's winter wonderland, Madison's action to stop it has dubbed her "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas." Now she is forced to travel to Colorado in hopes of clearing up the misunderstanding and do some publicity damage control, but what she didn't expect that the citizens of Christmas, especially one very meddling old woman Nell McBride, has her own bag of tricks up her sleeve. When Madison is forced to stay in Christmas, Colorado to get to known the town and it's people - she doesn't expect to open up her heart to a very charming and sexy single father sheriff Gage McBride.
Seriously thought, Nell was just an amazing character. So fun, but so true to herself. I love the little matchmaking she had going on!
Wonderful story, it was such a fun and amazing read. I loved Christmas, Colorado and getting to know it's residents who I am sure now I will start to get more attached to as I plow my way into the second book. Madison was a fun character, very down to earth and honest. Due to the bad past, she has a hard time with Christmas and hates it, but thanks to a few very lovable people from Christmas, she slowly welcomes the holiday back into her heart.
Mason's writing and storytelling really shines with The Trouble with Christmas, I was so drawn in I had the hardest time putting this one down. The romance, the banter, the laugh out loud moments, and the friendship building was so sweet it was hard not to fall in love with all of it. The only reason I did not give this book a 5 star rating was due to Gage's treatment of Madison when his ex-wife showed up in town. I failed to understand it. I guess it was because of his daughters, but she just did not deserve it. I wanted to scream at him to grow a backbone. Other then that I found the romance very sweet and I love how it unfolded. It took time, it didn't feel rushed and everything just came together perfectly in a heart melting moments.
It sounds like the town of Christmas is going to stick with me for a long time.
December 9, 2016
I honestly didn't like this much. There's a part of me that's tempted to subtract another star, but that would be based solely on the ending and wouldn't reflect the entire book, because I didn't hate it, either.
The premise is somewhat ridiculous, but I am forgiving of such things. Madison is a caree-oriented woman who came from a small town, had a bad childhood/experience growing up in said small town and moved to the big city first chance she got. She has since sworn off ever going back to (let alone live) in a small town.
Cue the ridiculous plot that takes her to just such a small town.
So beware, this is one of those books where the big city girl will be convinced that small towns aren't all that bad and will see the error of her ways. And I'm not saying her reasons for hating that kind of life weren't legit, but it's still eyeroll-worthy.
This book pretty much had every type of plotline or plot twist that I despise. Above comparison city v. small town, ex-wife showing up to suddenly create tension, emotional manipulation, public shaming, kidnappings, ransoms, etc. You know a plotline or trope that tends to bother you in contemporary romances, this book has it. The manipulation was probably the worst of it, as that is one of my personal pet peeves and I have visceral dislike of anyone excessively doing it to another person.
Also, Gage was just such an ass sometimes. I get that his kids had to come first, that's a given, but I disliked the way when he and Madison fought, he always made her feel like she didn't have any valid concerns. She did. I would've reacted the exact same way in her situation. I could understand Madison's concerns about his ex-wife suddenly showing up and how he was treating Madison like a dirty little secret.
I'm also still on the fence about the writing in general. It wasn't bad, but to me it felt sort of awkward at times and I'm just not convinced.
However, there were some things this book did well (like some of the side characters and the way certain scenes were decidedly farcical, plus the banter between Madison and Gage early on) and since I'm undecided on the style of writing, I'm tempted to give just one more book in this series a try and see how that one goes. Because I'm known to not like a first book out of a series as well as I do future books, so we'll see.
ETA: upon reading some of the reviews for book 2 and 3, I've decided to pass on the rest of the series. Apparently, the other books are more of the same, with irritating and mean-spirited characters and a saccharine ending that suddenly makes it all okay. Nope.
The premise is somewhat ridiculous, but I am forgiving of such things. Madison is a caree-oriented woman who came from a small town, had a bad childhood/experience growing up in said small town and moved to the big city first chance she got. She has since sworn off ever going back to (let alone live) in a small town.
Cue the ridiculous plot that takes her to just such a small town.
So beware, this is one of those books where the big city girl will be convinced that small towns aren't all that bad and will see the error of her ways. And I'm not saying her reasons for hating that kind of life weren't legit, but it's still eyeroll-worthy.
This book pretty much had every type of plotline or plot twist that I despise. Above comparison city v. small town, ex-wife showing up to suddenly create tension, emotional manipulation, public shaming, kidnappings, ransoms, etc. You know a plotline or trope that tends to bother you in contemporary romances, this book has it. The manipulation was probably the worst of it, as that is one of my personal pet peeves and I have visceral dislike of anyone excessively doing it to another person.
Also, Gage was just such an ass sometimes. I get that his kids had to come first, that's a given, but I disliked the way when he and Madison fought, he always made her feel like she didn't have any valid concerns. She did. I would've reacted the exact same way in her situation. I could understand Madison's concerns about his ex-wife suddenly showing up and how he was treating Madison like a dirty little secret.
I'm also still on the fence about the writing in general. It wasn't bad, but to me it felt sort of awkward at times and I'm just not convinced.
However, there were some things this book did well (like some of the side characters and the way certain scenes were decidedly farcical, plus the banter between Madison and Gage early on) and since I'm undecided on the style of writing, I'm tempted to give just one more book in this series a try and see how that one goes. Because I'm known to not like a first book out of a series as well as I do future books, so we'll see.
ETA: upon reading some of the reviews for book 2 and 3, I've decided to pass on the rest of the series. Apparently, the other books are more of the same, with irritating and mean-spirited characters and a saccharine ending that suddenly makes it all okay. Nope.
October 3, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
The Trouble with Christmas
Christmas, Colorado
By Debbie Mason
ISBN: 9781455527687
Author’s Website: authordebbiemason.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary
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.
Review
I am a fan of Debbie Mason’s, having read the Harmony Harbor series, but I must say that she has outdone herself with this introductory novel The Trouble with Christmas in the Christmas, Colorado series. From the very beginning I was entrenched in the lives of the townspeople of Christmas, Colorado and just could not put this story down. It had everything I love in a good romance read: relatable (i.e. humanly flawed) characters, romance, a hiccup to overcome in the relationship department (in this case….a business deal for the town gone bad), hunky male character (can I loved her!) and finally…..a happy ending.
Madison Lane must travel to Christmas, Colorado to appease the townsfolk over the decision that Hartwell Enterprises is not going to build up their town as a tourist winter wonderland. Madison has crunched the numbers and it is just not an economically viable project for Hartwell. Unfortunately, the bosses’ grandson, Harrison, has other ideas. He has leaked to the press (New York Times no less) that this project will not go through as a result of Maddie’s report. In fact, the article has dubbed Madison as “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas”. What is he Harrison up to? Never fear, that will become abundantly clear as one continues to read.
Madison’s arrival in Christmas is anything but low key…and provided quite a chuckle for me – Madison loses control of her car as a result of very icy conditions and runs into and topples over…you guessed it:
“…Three-quarters of the way down the treacherous hill, as she was about to release the breath she’d been holding, a movement to her right caught her attention. A deer leaped from the woods, darting in front of her. She braked hard, the car fishtailing as she slid along the road. From behind a cluster of evergreens at the side of the road, a twelve-foot Santa holding a “Welcome to Christmas” sign seemingly sprang out in front of her like a giant jack-in-the-box.” …….Her last thought before the airbag slammed into her face was that she’d finally succeeded in killing Santa.”
Madison finally arrives at the town hall meeting and encounters MANY hostile townsfolks. But she also encounters a VERY hunky sheriff – Sheriff Gage McBride. I knew I was going to like him and his family from the beginning (okay…mostly because he was hunky but also because his family members were far from ordinary):
“Sheriff Gage McBride stood in the doorway of the old town hall, scanning the familiar faces in the standing-room-only crowd for he one person who could turn the law-abiding citizens of Christmas into a teeth-gnashing mob in ten seconds flat.
His great-aunt Nell.”…..
Gage noted – “Today has shitshow written all over it.”
Over and over again throughout the story Nell provided many chuckle worthy moments. And let me tell you…she is one slick schemer. Needless to say, she is a notable character throughout. A beloved family member who pulls no punches and uses every advantage she has to get what she wants ☺. And her buddies Ted and Fred were hilarious. The three of them definitely got into trouble!
I loved the support Madison has from her friends Vivi and Skye…mostly virtually through skype. Bringing technology into the mix adds a “new age” bit of realism, which as a reader I appreciate. The author also brings in a bit of realism to Maddie’s character – she can’t be good at everything and does have her flaws:
“Madison loved to sing, even though her friends encouraged her not to. No matter what they said, she didn’t believe she sounded that bad.”
One thing leads to another at this “meeting” in the town hall and Maddie ends up having to stay in Christmas longer than anticipated. It goes without saying…..the attraction between Maddie and Gage is palpable. I thoroughly enjoyed how the growth of their relationship was told and the pace in which it did grow. Early on, Madison definitely appreciated Gage’s finer qualities:
“Sweet baby Jesus, it should be illegal for a man to look that good in a pair of jeans. She touched the side of her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling.”
Depiction of the local scenery had me wishing for a trip to Colorado:
“Madison opened the French doors off the living room to step onto the deck. As much as the frigid, pine-scented air stole her breath, so did the view. The majestic mountains towering above the pristine snow-covered valley and spruce forest filled her with a sense of reverence. Up until that moment, she’d thought there was nothing more beautiful than the city vistas from her twenty-third-floor apartment window.”
Throughout the story, I was engaged, entertained and quite literally swept away into another world. Fun characters with a few twists and turns, which were unexpected but definitely amusing. I highly recommend this series by Debbie Mason. I shall have to get the second book in the series, Christmas in July and carry on with the series ☺.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
The Trouble with Christmas
Christmas, Colorado
By Debbie Mason
ISBN: 9781455527687
Author’s Website: authordebbiemason.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary
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.
Review
I am a fan of Debbie Mason’s, having read the Harmony Harbor series, but I must say that she has outdone herself with this introductory novel The Trouble with Christmas in the Christmas, Colorado series. From the very beginning I was entrenched in the lives of the townspeople of Christmas, Colorado and just could not put this story down. It had everything I love in a good romance read: relatable (i.e. humanly flawed) characters, romance, a hiccup to overcome in the relationship department (in this case….a business deal for the town gone bad), hunky male character (can I loved her!) and finally…..a happy ending.
Madison Lane must travel to Christmas, Colorado to appease the townsfolk over the decision that Hartwell Enterprises is not going to build up their town as a tourist winter wonderland. Madison has crunched the numbers and it is just not an economically viable project for Hartwell. Unfortunately, the bosses’ grandson, Harrison, has other ideas. He has leaked to the press (New York Times no less) that this project will not go through as a result of Maddie’s report. In fact, the article has dubbed Madison as “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas”. What is he Harrison up to? Never fear, that will become abundantly clear as one continues to read.
Madison’s arrival in Christmas is anything but low key…and provided quite a chuckle for me – Madison loses control of her car as a result of very icy conditions and runs into and topples over…you guessed it:
“…Three-quarters of the way down the treacherous hill, as she was about to release the breath she’d been holding, a movement to her right caught her attention. A deer leaped from the woods, darting in front of her. She braked hard, the car fishtailing as she slid along the road. From behind a cluster of evergreens at the side of the road, a twelve-foot Santa holding a “Welcome to Christmas” sign seemingly sprang out in front of her like a giant jack-in-the-box.” …….Her last thought before the airbag slammed into her face was that she’d finally succeeded in killing Santa.”
Madison finally arrives at the town hall meeting and encounters MANY hostile townsfolks. But she also encounters a VERY hunky sheriff – Sheriff Gage McBride. I knew I was going to like him and his family from the beginning (okay…mostly because he was hunky but also because his family members were far from ordinary):
“Sheriff Gage McBride stood in the doorway of the old town hall, scanning the familiar faces in the standing-room-only crowd for he one person who could turn the law-abiding citizens of Christmas into a teeth-gnashing mob in ten seconds flat.
His great-aunt Nell.”…..
Gage noted – “Today has shitshow written all over it.”
Over and over again throughout the story Nell provided many chuckle worthy moments. And let me tell you…she is one slick schemer. Needless to say, she is a notable character throughout. A beloved family member who pulls no punches and uses every advantage she has to get what she wants ☺. And her buddies Ted and Fred were hilarious. The three of them definitely got into trouble!
I loved the support Madison has from her friends Vivi and Skye…mostly virtually through skype. Bringing technology into the mix adds a “new age” bit of realism, which as a reader I appreciate. The author also brings in a bit of realism to Maddie’s character – she can’t be good at everything and does have her flaws:
“Madison loved to sing, even though her friends encouraged her not to. No matter what they said, she didn’t believe she sounded that bad.”
One thing leads to another at this “meeting” in the town hall and Maddie ends up having to stay in Christmas longer than anticipated. It goes without saying…..the attraction between Maddie and Gage is palpable. I thoroughly enjoyed how the growth of their relationship was told and the pace in which it did grow. Early on, Madison definitely appreciated Gage’s finer qualities:
“Sweet baby Jesus, it should be illegal for a man to look that good in a pair of jeans. She touched the side of her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling.”
Depiction of the local scenery had me wishing for a trip to Colorado:
“Madison opened the French doors off the living room to step onto the deck. As much as the frigid, pine-scented air stole her breath, so did the view. The majestic mountains towering above the pristine snow-covered valley and spruce forest filled her with a sense of reverence. Up until that moment, she’d thought there was nothing more beautiful than the city vistas from her twenty-third-floor apartment window.”
Throughout the story, I was engaged, entertained and quite literally swept away into another world. Fun characters with a few twists and turns, which were unexpected but definitely amusing. I highly recommend this series by Debbie Mason. I shall have to get the second book in the series, Christmas in July and carry on with the series ☺.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
December 22, 2018
The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason is book One in the Christmas, Colorado series. This is the story of Sheriff Gage McBride and Madison Lane.
The little town in Colorado wanted a resort to add to their Christmas town but when Madison was crunching the numbers for the company she works for it wasn't a good investment. Which made the town very upset with her and the Company. So she goes forward to the town to explain why they decisions was made. But it leads her into a lot of misshapes along the way...she ends up staying with Nell McBride who is kin to Gage. Gage was standing strong with his town and agreeing with them but when he caught site of Madison she made him feel things he has felt before. Now trying to keep her misshapes down and work on the feelings he has for her is keeping them both busy.
Such a sweet enjoyable romance ...loved it.
The little town in Colorado wanted a resort to add to their Christmas town but when Madison was crunching the numbers for the company she works for it wasn't a good investment. Which made the town very upset with her and the Company. So she goes forward to the town to explain why they decisions was made. But it leads her into a lot of misshapes along the way...she ends up staying with Nell McBride who is kin to Gage. Gage was standing strong with his town and agreeing with them but when he caught site of Madison she made him feel things he has felt before. Now trying to keep her misshapes down and work on the feelings he has for her is keeping them both busy.
Such a sweet enjoyable romance ...loved it.
December 16, 2020
The Trouble With Christmas is the first book in the series and I really enjoyed it. Madison is a resort developer who basically ruined the holidays for the residents of Christmas after she killed a deal to bring a resort to town. The town hates her, but her boss doesn’t care and sends her there to do damage control anyway. Also, she hates Christmas and is a total grinch. Gage is the local sheriff and really doesn’t want to deal with her arrival and all the drama it brings to his beloved town. I loved their chemistry together and thought they were a cute match and the citizens in the town were hilarious and added something super fun to the story.
December 16, 2018
With Christmas only weeks away, I was craving a cute Christmas romance to curl up on the couch with under a warm, snuggly blanket. I thought The Trouble with Christmas would be perfect and I couldn't wait to pick up this small town Christmas romance.
As a resort developer, Madison Lane is very analytical and numbers are her friend. When it comes to the resort that is planned to build in Christmas, Colorado, Madison knows the numbers don't lie, and building in Christmas won't work out. When the people of Christmas are up in arms over Madison ruining their town, Madison must visit the small town to convince them the deal won't work. Sheriff Gage McBride isn't too happy the "Grinch" is in his town causing all sorts of trouble, but he soon can't help be see the good person underneath the Christmas drama. He is determined to put his daughters first, but Madison is growing on the hearts of Christmas and Gage can't help but feel his own heart warming as well.
As this book was starting, I felt like I had fallen right into a Hallmark movie-- in the best possible way! I loved how Madison had come to Christmas and everything was going wrong. Her chemistry with Gage was so adorable and I absolutely loved how good of a dad Gage was. Then, throw in all of the unique citizens of Christmas and I adored this book. Gage's family was definitely something and it was so cute how loyal they all were to each other.
While I did love this story and how adorable the romance and town was, I did think it went on a bit too long. After about 300 pages, there were some things added that I didn't think were necessary, including some drama that was a bit unrealistic. The first 300 pages of this, though, were Christmas perfection!
If you can't tell, I absolutely adored this book. I already have the movie adaptation from the Hallmark channel saved on my DVR and can't wait until I have a moment to watch it! I can't wait to see Madison, Gage, and the whole town of Christmas come to life!
As a resort developer, Madison Lane is very analytical and numbers are her friend. When it comes to the resort that is planned to build in Christmas, Colorado, Madison knows the numbers don't lie, and building in Christmas won't work out. When the people of Christmas are up in arms over Madison ruining their town, Madison must visit the small town to convince them the deal won't work. Sheriff Gage McBride isn't too happy the "Grinch" is in his town causing all sorts of trouble, but he soon can't help be see the good person underneath the Christmas drama. He is determined to put his daughters first, but Madison is growing on the hearts of Christmas and Gage can't help but feel his own heart warming as well.
As this book was starting, I felt like I had fallen right into a Hallmark movie-- in the best possible way! I loved how Madison had come to Christmas and everything was going wrong. Her chemistry with Gage was so adorable and I absolutely loved how good of a dad Gage was. Then, throw in all of the unique citizens of Christmas and I adored this book. Gage's family was definitely something and it was so cute how loyal they all were to each other.
While I did love this story and how adorable the romance and town was, I did think it went on a bit too long. After about 300 pages, there were some things added that I didn't think were necessary, including some drama that was a bit unrealistic. The first 300 pages of this, though, were Christmas perfection!
If you can't tell, I absolutely adored this book. I already have the movie adaptation from the Hallmark channel saved on my DVR and can't wait until I have a moment to watch it! I can't wait to see Madison, Gage, and the whole town of Christmas come to life!
November 24, 2017
Loving this cute little town of Christmas.. On to the next.
December 6, 2015
Goodreads has just announced its winners in the 2015 Best Books of the Year contest. If there had been a category for "best send-up of a literary genre," Debbie Mason's "The Trouble with Christmas" would certainly have won hands down. If you aspire to such writing, here's what you will need to do:
Give the title a double meaning. Mason set the book at Christmas time, yes, and she also set it in Christmas, Colorado. How cute is that?
Make sure the lead character hates Christmas and everything associated with it. Madison Lane fits the bill; because of events in her past, she is a modern day Scrooge.
Set things up in such a way that your lead character is hated by the townspeople before she arrives. The residents are excited about the plans to build a resort there. However, Madison has just issued a 20 page report nixing the idea. Her boss sends her to Colorado in an attempt to calm the waters.
Your love interest must be gruff on the outside, but a softie underneath. It goes without saying that he must be a "hunk," and, of course, he must be the sheriff. He has to have cute kids so the reader will fall in love with them. And his x-wife must appear at some point during the story.
Find a way to keep your heroine in the town by coming up with ridiculous plot twists which prevent her from leaving.
Give your reader a puzzle to solve. Here's the best way to approach this book: read a paragraph. Then stop reading and guess what the next paragraph will say. Each time you get it right, reward yourself with a Christmas cookie. I promise that this strategy will have you looking like dear old Santa in no time at all.
The only trouble with "The Trouble with Christmas" is that, from what I can tell, it wasn't meant to be a pastiche. I'm amazed that most of those who reviewed it for Goodreads absolutely loved it. If you like this sort of thing, you might want to give it a try. As for me, I plan to move on to other kinds of Christmas trouble; I will next tackle Otto Penzler's "The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries."
Give the title a double meaning. Mason set the book at Christmas time, yes, and she also set it in Christmas, Colorado. How cute is that?
Make sure the lead character hates Christmas and everything associated with it. Madison Lane fits the bill; because of events in her past, she is a modern day Scrooge.
Set things up in such a way that your lead character is hated by the townspeople before she arrives. The residents are excited about the plans to build a resort there. However, Madison has just issued a 20 page report nixing the idea. Her boss sends her to Colorado in an attempt to calm the waters.
Your love interest must be gruff on the outside, but a softie underneath. It goes without saying that he must be a "hunk," and, of course, he must be the sheriff. He has to have cute kids so the reader will fall in love with them. And his x-wife must appear at some point during the story.
Find a way to keep your heroine in the town by coming up with ridiculous plot twists which prevent her from leaving.
Give your reader a puzzle to solve. Here's the best way to approach this book: read a paragraph. Then stop reading and guess what the next paragraph will say. Each time you get it right, reward yourself with a Christmas cookie. I promise that this strategy will have you looking like dear old Santa in no time at all.
The only trouble with "The Trouble with Christmas" is that, from what I can tell, it wasn't meant to be a pastiche. I'm amazed that most of those who reviewed it for Goodreads absolutely loved it. If you like this sort of thing, you might want to give it a try. As for me, I plan to move on to other kinds of Christmas trouble; I will next tackle Otto Penzler's "The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries."
November 24, 2018
Do you like Christmas? Do you like Hallmark Christmas movies? Do big city ladies forced into small town living pique your interest? No? Ok, how about a hot cop? Did I get you yet?
THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS has all of the above and more. A little matchmaking, quirky characters, ex-wives, and some good ol’ Christmas cheer. Make sure you have your DVR set to record “Welcome to Christmas”, the Hallmark movie inspired THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS, on December 9th!
THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS has all of the above and more. A little matchmaking, quirky characters, ex-wives, and some good ol’ Christmas cheer. Make sure you have your DVR set to record “Welcome to Christmas”, the Hallmark movie inspired THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS, on December 9th!
July 4, 2025
I tried. I tried to read this book before and had to DNF. I gave it another chance for a buddy read, but it's god-awful. I hate saying that. I am not the targeted audience, lots of other people loved it, but it was so cheesy and such lazy writing, and so many "gag me" lines.
I won't be continuing this series. I DNF so rarely. But I hate it. Should not have picked it up again.
1 star (personal preference).
I won't be continuing this series. I DNF so rarely. But I hate it. Should not have picked it up again.
1 star (personal preference).
October 23, 2017
A wonderful escape read that will remain in your heart as a charming treasure!
“He stood in the open door, hands planted on the roof of the Suburban. "I've never had a woman tell me I gave her nightmares before, but plenty have told me I played a prominent role in their dreams.”
The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason is a delightfully fun and yummilicious contemporary holiday romance. I confess; I love to read Christmas romances year-round. There’s something about settling down with a romance set against snow, snow and more snow on a hot summer day. I’m so glad I saw this book on display at my library on a hot summer day and, on a whim, picked it up. Now, I cannot believe that I’ve not previously delved into a Debbie Mason book previously!
As this story opens, readers learn that The New York Times has dubbed Madison Lane, our heroine, to be “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” after she had made the difficult decision to nix a resort that would have bankrupted her employer. Her employer, a resort development company reeling from the bad publicity Madison’s decision instigated, has sent her back to the small town of Christmas, Colorado for emergency damage control. The town of Christmas wants that resort and Madison quickly realizes that the town’s citizens have pulled out all the stops to change her mind. When she is unexpectedly forced to extend her stay in Christmas, she is surprised to find that she is slowly starting to fall in love with Christmas. The town is beyond charming and sexy single father Sheriff Gage McBride, one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, is downright hot. Will Madison really welcome the spirit of Christmas back into her heart? You need to read this tale to find out!
Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from The Trouble with Christmas:
“If Madison had a gun, she'd shoot out the sound system pumping "Jingle Bells" through her office speakers. Instead, she bit off Rudolph's chocolate head and pointed a finger at the brightly colored, foil-wrapped Santa on her desk. "You're next, big guy.”
---
“You smell like you showered in gingerbread," he said, his breath warming her ear.
"Bite me," she croaked.
His low laugh ruffled her hair. "I might just do that. I really, really like gingerbread."
---
“He grinned, "Honey, the only fire you're going to need is the one I light in you."
---
“I thought love was supposed to be blind, not deaf, too.”
I thoroughly enjoyed falling in love with Christmas, Colorado along with Madison. The book is well-written and sports it all: laugh-out-loud humor, an engaging story, wonderful characters, drama galore, scenery to die for and a sweet and steamy, heart-melting romance. Gage and Madison make a great couple. If you are looking for a wonderful escape read that will remain in your heart as a charming treasure, I would encourage you to check out The Trouble with Christmas.
My full review is published at Reading between the Wines Book Club. Please check it out there!
“He stood in the open door, hands planted on the roof of the Suburban. "I've never had a woman tell me I gave her nightmares before, but plenty have told me I played a prominent role in their dreams.”
The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason is a delightfully fun and yummilicious contemporary holiday romance. I confess; I love to read Christmas romances year-round. There’s something about settling down with a romance set against snow, snow and more snow on a hot summer day. I’m so glad I saw this book on display at my library on a hot summer day and, on a whim, picked it up. Now, I cannot believe that I’ve not previously delved into a Debbie Mason book previously!
As this story opens, readers learn that The New York Times has dubbed Madison Lane, our heroine, to be “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” after she had made the difficult decision to nix a resort that would have bankrupted her employer. Her employer, a resort development company reeling from the bad publicity Madison’s decision instigated, has sent her back to the small town of Christmas, Colorado for emergency damage control. The town of Christmas wants that resort and Madison quickly realizes that the town’s citizens have pulled out all the stops to change her mind. When she is unexpectedly forced to extend her stay in Christmas, she is surprised to find that she is slowly starting to fall in love with Christmas. The town is beyond charming and sexy single father Sheriff Gage McBride, one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, is downright hot. Will Madison really welcome the spirit of Christmas back into her heart? You need to read this tale to find out!
Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from The Trouble with Christmas:
“If Madison had a gun, she'd shoot out the sound system pumping "Jingle Bells" through her office speakers. Instead, she bit off Rudolph's chocolate head and pointed a finger at the brightly colored, foil-wrapped Santa on her desk. "You're next, big guy.”
---
“You smell like you showered in gingerbread," he said, his breath warming her ear.
"Bite me," she croaked.
His low laugh ruffled her hair. "I might just do that. I really, really like gingerbread."
---
“He grinned, "Honey, the only fire you're going to need is the one I light in you."
---
“I thought love was supposed to be blind, not deaf, too.”
I thoroughly enjoyed falling in love with Christmas, Colorado along with Madison. The book is well-written and sports it all: laugh-out-loud humor, an engaging story, wonderful characters, drama galore, scenery to die for and a sweet and steamy, heart-melting romance. Gage and Madison make a great couple. If you are looking for a wonderful escape read that will remain in your heart as a charming treasure, I would encourage you to check out The Trouble with Christmas.
My full review is published at Reading between the Wines Book Club. Please check it out there!
December 8, 2013
Madison Lane’s past has made her loathe Christmas. Bah and Humbug. Her center of happiness is her career making projections and working numbers for a resort company. Her recent report recommending they cancel resort plans, with the town of Christmas, Colorado; is about to turn her world upside down. When her data squelches the deal for Christmas, Colorado the townsfolk there dub her “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” Did I mention the media jumped on the story, and it made the front page, complete with her picture? Seeing this as a PR nightmare, she is sent to Christmas, Colorado to persuade the citizens that ending the deal was the right thing to do. The tale that unfolds is hilarious, as of course chaos ensues. Madison may just end up fired or maybe, just maybe she may find the spirit of Christmas.
Madison has friends but has never had a really serious relationship. She is smart with numbers and at seeing the big picture when it comes to business. I adored her and all of her complexities. She loathes the holiday and the reasons will crack your heart. The author slowly reveals the warmer, fuzzier side of this misunderstood Grinch. Sheriff Gage McBride is a smexy, divorced, Daddy of two and the heart of Christmas, Colorado. He is the thread that holds them all together and may I just say he looks good doing it. There were a few sparks when these two meet, but this romance is slow to build. I laughed, sighed and covered my head while blushing. The townsfolk, the developer owner’s nephew and a nosy reporter all add suspense to the mix. Gage’s Aunt, Nell McBride, was a hoot and a force of nature I would not want to cross. Other characters added drama, tender moments and Christmas magic.
The Trouble with Christmas offered the perfect elements to make a tale memorable, from the town folks to the drama I was completely captivated. Mason did a wonderful job of bringing Christmas, Colorado to life, and I was beyond tickled to learn this will be a new series. Besides the humor, off key singing and stolen kisses, Mason also gives us hope, joy and the holiday spirit as the town changes Madison and she in turn changes the town. *cue snow* The romance was sweet felt genuine,and had just enough heat to curl your toes without any steamy details. The story unfolded at a wonderful pace, with twists and a few turns as we moved towards a climatic ending and our HEA. I closed the book with a smile, and thoughts of gingerbread dancing in my head.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and full review originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Madison has friends but has never had a really serious relationship. She is smart with numbers and at seeing the big picture when it comes to business. I adored her and all of her complexities. She loathes the holiday and the reasons will crack your heart. The author slowly reveals the warmer, fuzzier side of this misunderstood Grinch. Sheriff Gage McBride is a smexy, divorced, Daddy of two and the heart of Christmas, Colorado. He is the thread that holds them all together and may I just say he looks good doing it. There were a few sparks when these two meet, but this romance is slow to build. I laughed, sighed and covered my head while blushing. The townsfolk, the developer owner’s nephew and a nosy reporter all add suspense to the mix. Gage’s Aunt, Nell McBride, was a hoot and a force of nature I would not want to cross. Other characters added drama, tender moments and Christmas magic.
The Trouble with Christmas offered the perfect elements to make a tale memorable, from the town folks to the drama I was completely captivated. Mason did a wonderful job of bringing Christmas, Colorado to life, and I was beyond tickled to learn this will be a new series. Besides the humor, off key singing and stolen kisses, Mason also gives us hope, joy and the holiday spirit as the town changes Madison and she in turn changes the town. *cue snow* The romance was sweet felt genuine,and had just enough heat to curl your toes without any steamy details. The story unfolded at a wonderful pace, with twists and a few turns as we moved towards a climatic ending and our HEA. I closed the book with a smile, and thoughts of gingerbread dancing in my head.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and full review originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
March 4, 2014
The Trouble with Christmas was a different, yet wonderful, read about a small town and all it's messy crazy Christmas loving glory and a heroine who's been sent to mend fences between the town and her company after a commercial deal falls through that they'd been promised by someone who shouldn't have promised it.
My favorite part--which so usually isn't the case--was the heroine. Madison is having a devil of a time with her job and life just knocking her on her rear. I could feel her frustrations and despair over how everything she did was twisted and turned by those against her. And I swear I wanted to wrap this woman up and just hug her then turn around and have a throw down with everyone else that was picking on her. *nods* She was awesome.
The town of Christmas. Yeah. They had to win me over. And they did manage to in the end and I absolutely loved them and can't wait to read more about them. They gave Madison such a hard time for a good portion of the book and whewboy yeah they had to make that up to me. Including the sexy sheriff that wants her gone but can't seem to resist her and falls for her just as hard as I did. He was...pretty tasty. Especially when he stopped making me want to pinch him. ::snort:: Heat-wise it's fairly tame but there's some excellent tension between them and a friendship of sorts that starts up. I really did love them together and seeing Madison take on this town and change their ways. It's quirky, sweet and had me a bit emotional as I read it and related to Madison and her plight. Will definitely be reading more in the future.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
My favorite part--which so usually isn't the case--was the heroine. Madison is having a devil of a time with her job and life just knocking her on her rear. I could feel her frustrations and despair over how everything she did was twisted and turned by those against her. And I swear I wanted to wrap this woman up and just hug her then turn around and have a throw down with everyone else that was picking on her. *nods* She was awesome.
The town of Christmas. Yeah. They had to win me over. And they did manage to in the end and I absolutely loved them and can't wait to read more about them. They gave Madison such a hard time for a good portion of the book and whewboy yeah they had to make that up to me. Including the sexy sheriff that wants her gone but can't seem to resist her and falls for her just as hard as I did. He was...pretty tasty. Especially when he stopped making me want to pinch him. ::snort:: Heat-wise it's fairly tame but there's some excellent tension between them and a friendship of sorts that starts up. I really did love them together and seeing Madison take on this town and change their ways. It's quirky, sweet and had me a bit emotional as I read it and related to Madison and her plight. Will definitely be reading more in the future.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
July 13, 2015
I loved getting the know the people of Christmas and falling in love with the town along with Madison. Debbie Mason as a wonderful way of making us except that people are not perfect but that they can still be good. The romance is sweet and steamy! Gage and Madison make a great couple.
Madison can not believe that her boss is making her go to the small town of Christmas to calm the waters after she nixed a resort that would have bankrupted the company. His nephew had pretty much promised the community that it was a done deal and they need economic growth. This "Grinch" not only doesn't get a warm welcome, but between their anger and her klutziness, the visit is sure to be a disaster, one that keeps getting extended. She knows that the nephew wants her job but there seems to be more going on than that. The hot cop is sure to be trouble too.
Madison can not believe that her boss is making her go to the small town of Christmas to calm the waters after she nixed a resort that would have bankrupted the company. His nephew had pretty much promised the community that it was a done deal and they need economic growth. This "Grinch" not only doesn't get a warm welcome, but between their anger and her klutziness, the visit is sure to be a disaster, one that keeps getting extended. She knows that the nephew wants her job but there seems to be more going on than that. The hot cop is sure to be trouble too.
November 9, 2018
Read this last Christmas during my holiday romance binge, and pretty much immediately read it again! It's basically a romcom with a steamy romance between the beautiful Melanie and her handsome suitor Gage. And just like a romcom, a lot of their problems are the result of misunderstanding and miscommunication, but always gets figured out in the end. I enjoyed the fun of this story, and the occasional touches to deeper topics, but my only complaint it the strange and somewhat unneeded ending. I don't think it adds to the story. But altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday love story, and I hope you will too!
December 25, 2018
Please see all of my reviews on my blog at https://www.robinlovesreading.com.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
No. No. No. Madison Lane, a resort developer, must now fight to protect her reputation - and her job - when she ends up on the front page of The New York Times. Folks in the small town of Oklahoma, Nebraska want their town decorated and turned into something really special. Madison is part of the team that has denied a resort being built for the town. Bah humbug!
Madison has very good reason, backed by a lot of research, that shows building this resort would not be financially feasible. She travels from New York to attend a town meeting. Her visit was supposed to be brief, but the townspeople have other ideas. Now Madison’s brief visit has just been extended.
The rather underhanded behavior of one person in particular is slowly beginning to reap positive results. For one thing, Madison gets plenty of time to ogle the town’s sheriff. As Madison is now staying with the sheriff’s aunt, through rather curious and humorous circumstances, she begins to see the man behind the uniform.
Sheriff Gage McBride is struggling to keep the peace in his town, be a good father and look after his Aunt Nell. What is it about the apparently uptight executive that affects Gage? He s a very busy man. Hopefully she will leave his town before his heart becomes involved. By the way, Nell is a hoot. She is a really fun character and I enjoyed visiting with her through the pages of this book. There were a few other busybodies in town and other characters that I hope to get to know more about in future books in this series.
The Trouble With Christmas is a delightful book by Debbie Mason. It is an enjoyable romance peppered with humor. One thing I loved about this book is that it is a very sweet romance without being explicit. That said, the chemistry between Madison and Gage was palpable. Madison’s transition to a woman developing a love for Christmas was quite enjoyable. The author even had the opportunity to deal with a couple of serious issues in this story. I had the pleasure of reading this wonderful and engaging book from cover-to-cover in one sitting.
This book is a re-release, with the original publication date in 2013. There are seven other stories in the Christmas, Colorado series.
Many thanks to Forever for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
No. No. No. Madison Lane, a resort developer, must now fight to protect her reputation - and her job - when she ends up on the front page of The New York Times. Folks in the small town of Oklahoma, Nebraska want their town decorated and turned into something really special. Madison is part of the team that has denied a resort being built for the town. Bah humbug!
Madison has very good reason, backed by a lot of research, that shows building this resort would not be financially feasible. She travels from New York to attend a town meeting. Her visit was supposed to be brief, but the townspeople have other ideas. Now Madison’s brief visit has just been extended.
The rather underhanded behavior of one person in particular is slowly beginning to reap positive results. For one thing, Madison gets plenty of time to ogle the town’s sheriff. As Madison is now staying with the sheriff’s aunt, through rather curious and humorous circumstances, she begins to see the man behind the uniform.
Sheriff Gage McBride is struggling to keep the peace in his town, be a good father and look after his Aunt Nell. What is it about the apparently uptight executive that affects Gage? He s a very busy man. Hopefully she will leave his town before his heart becomes involved. By the way, Nell is a hoot. She is a really fun character and I enjoyed visiting with her through the pages of this book. There were a few other busybodies in town and other characters that I hope to get to know more about in future books in this series.
The Trouble With Christmas is a delightful book by Debbie Mason. It is an enjoyable romance peppered with humor. One thing I loved about this book is that it is a very sweet romance without being explicit. That said, the chemistry between Madison and Gage was palpable. Madison’s transition to a woman developing a love for Christmas was quite enjoyable. The author even had the opportunity to deal with a couple of serious issues in this story. I had the pleasure of reading this wonderful and engaging book from cover-to-cover in one sitting.
This book is a re-release, with the original publication date in 2013. There are seven other stories in the Christmas, Colorado series.
Many thanks to Forever for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.
December 11, 2020
So this was an interesting read for me, it was definitely something different from my usual reads. This was my first contemporary romance since I am trying to branch out and read more than just new adult or historical romance. When I got this recommendation I was pretty excited since I wanted a Christmas book to get me in the festive spirit. I honestly didn't have extremely high hopes for this book since I am not the biggest fan of hallmark Christmas movies and this is advertised as basically one of them. I was pleasantly surprised that I got attached to a lot of the characters. I loved the development and detail the author took with all the side characters, even some that were just background characters. However, I felt while reading that I was more interested in these side characters than the main 'couple' and I found myself bored with their romance. I personally thought that the first three quarters of this book could've been shortened as it seemed to drag on at parts, with unnecessary obstacles inhibiting the main two characters to get together. As a side note as well, the lack of sex but an overwhelming amount of talk about it was in my opinion childish. If you're going to include an abundance of talk from the main characters of how much they want to bed each other and that it will be/was amazing I find it confusing as to why not just add the scenes in. Overall, I didn't hate this, and who knows I may reread this in a few years at Christmas. However, it was a very forgettable book so I can not give it a higher rating than 3 stars.
March 27, 2020
This got a little overly dramatic towards the end (, but for the most part it was warm and welcoming. I really enjoyed Madison and her relationship with Gage's girls. As for Gage himself, on the whole he was a good counterbalance for her, but at times I found him to be a bit too controlling. I understand he was concerned about how people would react, but he maybe should have just talked to her about that?
Anyhow, this is the kind of light reading I'm needing right now so it did its job.
Anyhow, this is the kind of light reading I'm needing right now so it did its job.
December 13, 2022
5 ⭐️ for the first 300 pages, 2 ⭐️ for the last 80
This one had me going in the first half, not gonna lie. It was Hallmark-y with a big city girl in a small town, a cast of eccentric characters, and mountain Sheriff love interest. The banter was good and the FMC was one I could root for. (Don’t recommend ever reading a book where the main character has your name though 😂 the stress was real)
And theeen it fell apart. The conversations became stale and the plot veered off course. Overall a cute story, but the weak ending left me disappointed.
This one had me going in the first half, not gonna lie. It was Hallmark-y with a big city girl in a small town, a cast of eccentric characters, and mountain Sheriff love interest. The banter was good and the FMC was one I could root for. (Don’t recommend ever reading a book where the main character has your name though 😂 the stress was real)
And theeen it fell apart. The conversations became stale and the plot veered off course. Overall a cute story, but the weak ending left me disappointed.
July 18, 2017
This is one of the best contemporary romances I have read in a while. Debbie Mason weaves a story that grabs you from the first. Characters like Madison that you can't help but love and want to protect and Harrison who you want to smack up side the head. A great read that leaves you wanting more.
December 7, 2018
A lovely story.
February 8, 2020
I would just pass on this one... unless you care about how good people look in certain outfits. Not much of a storyline in this one.
June 6, 2019
first read July 8th 2013-July 11th 2013
second read December 1st 2015-December 5th 2015
it was even better this time around and I own almost all the books in this series.
The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason was a wonderful book that I have truly enjoyed reading. I won this book on Goodreads as a first reads. I loved the main characters so much; I even fell in love with the town itself. Nell McBride even grew on me and I didn’t know if she would at first. Come take a vacation to Christmas, Colorado…. You might just stay… I know I want to.
Madison Lane is a resort developer and there is one thing that you should know, she hates everything about Christmas. There is a reason behind that; it comes from her childhood and the Christmas Eve she lost her mom. However, Madison, or as the people call her at first the “Grinch” who killed Christmas, is about to get a change in all things Christmas.
Madison is sent to Christmas, Colorado right after Thanksgiving to try and change the minds of people in Christmas. The resort deal that her boss’ nephew tried to push through isn’t going to work. It would not only put the company she works for, but Christmas in jeopardy too. Madison is against going, she doesn’t want to set one foot in the town, but she has to. (I think this should really become one those hallmark or Ion movies in my opinion.)
Madison gets to town and right off things go bad from being the ‘Grinch’ that Killed Christmas she becomes the one that killed Santa, the one that killed Nell, and then it just gets worse from there for a few days at least. The bad luck starts wearing off as Madison is force to stay in Christmas for a week at first, which turns into three weeks. She is in need of some cheer, and that is what Christmas gives her. She starts to fall for not only the Sheriff, but the town.
Nell is the one that can turn things around her boss thinks so she is trying to get Nell to see that a resort would make the town less of a small one. The crime rate would go up, it wouldn’t be safe and secure any longer. She does turn Nell around to her way of thinking along with a lot of other people in the sleepy little town.
Gage McBride is one of those people, he fell for her the second he saw her after she crashed into the Santa sign her first day. He falls hard for her, but he has to think about his girls, Annie and Lily who are twelve and eight. He wants things to work, but doesn’t want to crush his girls who really like Madison. Annie even opens up to her after she’s been moody and started down the Goth scene. Their mom is pretty much a no show in their life since she ran off eight years before to be a Nashville country singer star.
They are firmly divorced by legal standards, but some of the citizens in Christmas don’t think of it that way. It causes some trouble when Sheena drops in unexpectedly near the end of the book. It even makes Madison question herself till her and Gage has a heart to heart. Madison wants their relationship in the open; it goes back to her loosing her mom all those years before. She doesn’t want to be like her mom at all.
When Nell ends up in the hospital Madison at first thinks it is her fault, but after Nell tells her other wise they come up with a plan. A plan that will stop the resort from being built once and for all in Christmas. Madison has not only fallen for Gage, but the town and the people in it, (except for Rick Dane, who’s been the source of trouble since Madison got to town and even before then with the Sheriff (Gage) daughters pictures being sold to tabloids.) There is some trouble in this book that surrounds Rick Dane and I actually enjoyed that bit. He is a busy body sticking his nose where doesn’t belong.
I did not think that this book could be saved from a four star rating since there is not real love scene. There were lots of teasers and mentions of it, but no out right scene which always does something to help the characters better for me. However, I have to give this a five star because the entire book was so amazing. From page one I was so hooked that I didn’t want to put it down (even though had to for daily life.)
I had gotten an advanced copy, but really hope that people enjoy this like I have. The town of Christmas will warm hearts, even melt one, (Madison). Thank you Goodreads for this chance to read this book ahead of schedule I hope to pick up the sequel when it comes out as well. (Whenever that might be, its called Christmas in July).
second read December 1st 2015-December 5th 2015
it was even better this time around and I own almost all the books in this series.
The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason was a wonderful book that I have truly enjoyed reading. I won this book on Goodreads as a first reads. I loved the main characters so much; I even fell in love with the town itself. Nell McBride even grew on me and I didn’t know if she would at first. Come take a vacation to Christmas, Colorado…. You might just stay… I know I want to.
Madison Lane is a resort developer and there is one thing that you should know, she hates everything about Christmas. There is a reason behind that; it comes from her childhood and the Christmas Eve she lost her mom. However, Madison, or as the people call her at first the “Grinch” who killed Christmas, is about to get a change in all things Christmas.
Madison is sent to Christmas, Colorado right after Thanksgiving to try and change the minds of people in Christmas. The resort deal that her boss’ nephew tried to push through isn’t going to work. It would not only put the company she works for, but Christmas in jeopardy too. Madison is against going, she doesn’t want to set one foot in the town, but she has to. (I think this should really become one those hallmark or Ion movies in my opinion.)
Madison gets to town and right off things go bad from being the ‘Grinch’ that Killed Christmas she becomes the one that killed Santa, the one that killed Nell, and then it just gets worse from there for a few days at least. The bad luck starts wearing off as Madison is force to stay in Christmas for a week at first, which turns into three weeks. She is in need of some cheer, and that is what Christmas gives her. She starts to fall for not only the Sheriff, but the town.
Nell is the one that can turn things around her boss thinks so she is trying to get Nell to see that a resort would make the town less of a small one. The crime rate would go up, it wouldn’t be safe and secure any longer. She does turn Nell around to her way of thinking along with a lot of other people in the sleepy little town.
Gage McBride is one of those people, he fell for her the second he saw her after she crashed into the Santa sign her first day. He falls hard for her, but he has to think about his girls, Annie and Lily who are twelve and eight. He wants things to work, but doesn’t want to crush his girls who really like Madison. Annie even opens up to her after she’s been moody and started down the Goth scene. Their mom is pretty much a no show in their life since she ran off eight years before to be a Nashville country singer star.
They are firmly divorced by legal standards, but some of the citizens in Christmas don’t think of it that way. It causes some trouble when Sheena drops in unexpectedly near the end of the book. It even makes Madison question herself till her and Gage has a heart to heart. Madison wants their relationship in the open; it goes back to her loosing her mom all those years before. She doesn’t want to be like her mom at all.
When Nell ends up in the hospital Madison at first thinks it is her fault, but after Nell tells her other wise they come up with a plan. A plan that will stop the resort from being built once and for all in Christmas. Madison has not only fallen for Gage, but the town and the people in it, (except for Rick Dane, who’s been the source of trouble since Madison got to town and even before then with the Sheriff (Gage) daughters pictures being sold to tabloids.) There is some trouble in this book that surrounds Rick Dane and I actually enjoyed that bit. He is a busy body sticking his nose where doesn’t belong.
I did not think that this book could be saved from a four star rating since there is not real love scene. There were lots of teasers and mentions of it, but no out right scene which always does something to help the characters better for me. However, I have to give this a five star because the entire book was so amazing. From page one I was so hooked that I didn’t want to put it down (even though had to for daily life.)
I had gotten an advanced copy, but really hope that people enjoy this like I have. The town of Christmas will warm hearts, even melt one, (Madison). Thank you Goodreads for this chance to read this book ahead of schedule I hope to pick up the sequel when it comes out as well. (Whenever that might be, its called Christmas in July).
September 25, 2013
Thanks to Madison Lane, Christmas may be ruined forever. Christmas, Colorado that is. The people of Christmas have been hoping for a resort to go up in their small town. They felt it would bring in more people and increase jobs in their community. Thanks to Madison, the deal was off. She had presented a twenty page argument against the construction of the resort. She knew that this deal could potentially cause her boss to go bankrupt, but now she is facing much scrutiny from the press and the people of Christmas, Colorado.
With a not so flattering picture of her on the front page of the New York Times, and the headline reading “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas”, her boss had to do some damage control … and quick! He decides to send Madison to Christmas to speak to the people and hopefully get them to understand that their decision was the best for everyone. However, from the very second Madison steps foot in Christmas, Colorado everything gets turned upside down. She manages to nearly kill Santa. Okay, not THE Santa, but the twelve foot Santa that held the, “Welcome to Christmas” sign. And that was just the start of the craziness that Madison was able to stir up during her stay.
The town’s Sheriff, Gage McBride, is a popular and upstanding member of the community. His family is one of the first families of Christmas and are very active in the community. Sheriff McBride is also very popular among the women of this small town, but his main focus is on raising his two girls that his wife left him behind with. Now Sheriff McBride also has to referee all of the conflict that Madison is causing in his town and try to get her to keep a low profile. But what he didn’t expect was for him to find her so attractive and catch feelings for her. Knowing that she’s only there for a week, he’s trying to stay professional. But with every interaction his professionalism is getting more and more difficult to maintain.
I was so excited to read this book. I love the holidays and when I first heard about The Trouble With Christmas, I knew I had to read it. It has everything that I love in a novel … comedy, a great story, amazing characters and drama. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s a fun holiday story that will make you laugh and also renew your faith in the magic of Christmas.
With a not so flattering picture of her on the front page of the New York Times, and the headline reading “The Grinch Who Killed Christmas”, her boss had to do some damage control … and quick! He decides to send Madison to Christmas to speak to the people and hopefully get them to understand that their decision was the best for everyone. However, from the very second Madison steps foot in Christmas, Colorado everything gets turned upside down. She manages to nearly kill Santa. Okay, not THE Santa, but the twelve foot Santa that held the, “Welcome to Christmas” sign. And that was just the start of the craziness that Madison was able to stir up during her stay.
The town’s Sheriff, Gage McBride, is a popular and upstanding member of the community. His family is one of the first families of Christmas and are very active in the community. Sheriff McBride is also very popular among the women of this small town, but his main focus is on raising his two girls that his wife left him behind with. Now Sheriff McBride also has to referee all of the conflict that Madison is causing in his town and try to get her to keep a low profile. But what he didn’t expect was for him to find her so attractive and catch feelings for her. Knowing that she’s only there for a week, he’s trying to stay professional. But with every interaction his professionalism is getting more and more difficult to maintain.
I was so excited to read this book. I love the holidays and when I first heard about The Trouble With Christmas, I knew I had to read it. It has everything that I love in a novel … comedy, a great story, amazing characters and drama. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s a fun holiday story that will make you laugh and also renew your faith in the magic of Christmas.
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