Book Review: It Happened at Christmas by Debbie Mason

This is a lovely small town romance with delightful characters.
It Happened at Christmas
by Debbie Mason

• File Size: 1177 KB
• Print Length: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forever (September 30, 2014)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• ASIN: B00HQ2N246

Genre: Contemporary

My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Love is the best Christmas gift of all.
Free-spirited activist Skylar Davis is out of money and out of options. After using up her trust fund trying to save the world, she hides out in Christmas, hoping the kindness of friends will help her forget the reckless actions of her past. All goes well . . . until she comes face-to-face with one of her mistakes: the town's gorgeous young mayor.
Ethan O'Connor likes his life drama-free and predictable now that he's about to make the move from small-town politics to the Colorado State Senate. Then Skye blows back into town, as impulsive and passionate as he remembers. If word ever got out about their night together-the night he's never been able to forget-the scandal could cripple his career. Yet as he starts his campaign, Ethan finds that, like the town of Christmas itself, he can't get Skye out of his head . . . or his heart.

Review:
Skylar Davis is an activist with a trust fund that has allowed her to travel extensively and support her liberal views with action, not just words. She has been chained to a few trees trying to save the rain forest and spent a few nights in jail for harassing fur-clad stars. She is a vegan and doesn’t agree with policies of most of the cattle, dairy and poultry industries. She knows that she is an embarrassment to her Republican politician father. She believes her dad was responsible for running her free-spirited mother away when she was just a child.

Skylar has lost her trust fund, not by her own actions but by failing to watch over the account manager. She refuses to tell her father or seek his help so she seeks refuge with her best friend Maggie, who lives in Christmas, Colorado. She has accepted the help of friends and is working to get back on her feet. Then she spots Ethan O’Connor in town.

Ethan is a successful Assistant State’s Attorney, and a staunch Republican who is making a bid for State Senate. This was his father’s dream and a death bed promise. His high society mother and Sklyar’s childhood society nemesis, who is Ethan’s campaign manager, are his biggest supporters. They are horrified to learn that Ethan can’t take his eyes off of the flighty Skylar. Even Ethan knows that a loose cannon like Skylar would not be helpful to his campaign efforts.

Skylar and Ethan met a few months earlier and had a rousing night together. She would be more than glad to stay out of Ethan’s way especially when she discovers she is pregnant. But ‘bad’ news travels fast and when one of Skylar’s friends finds out she slips and reveals the secret in front of her friends, Ethan and his family. There is no way Ethan will step away from her now but can he keep her contained until he is elected? Skylar tries to present herself as the proper, quiet socialite, Kendal (her real name). But there is no way to keep her past and her activist activities a secret for long.

These are two adorable characters - well she is adorable and he is hunky, confident and yet so snuggable. There was much miscommunication that made for lots of conflict. I enjoyed the light-hearted style and easy flow of the writing. Although there was sizzle between the characters the sex was mostly kept in the bedroom or at least without detailed description.

The small town setting creates a warm atmosphere. The strong primary and secondary characters add plenty of energy and created interest in me for the prior stories and the stories to come. This story follows the drama of Skylar and Ethan’s romance from summer through Christmas to a very happy result. This is the first time I have read Ms. Mason’s work but I look forward to more warm entertainment from her.

I received this title from Hachette, Forever Romance, through NetGalley.