Dating Mr. December

September 6, 2010
British author Ashley infuses her debut (first published in the U.K. in 2006, and the inspiration for Lifetime TV's 2009 movie 12 Men of Christmas) with humor that somewhat offsets the formulaic tale of a woman retreating from urban life after being betrayed by her boyfriend and her boss. In England's Lake District, PR executive Emma Tremayne tries to help a local mountain rescue group stay solvent by creating a nude calendar featuring the rescuers. Will Tennant is the most reluctant model, and the most attractive. Emma needs him to agree to pose as Mr. December for the sake of the fund-raiser—and to show she can handle her new job. Emma and Will are clearly destined for each other, so their relationship and inevitable obstacles lack suspense, but readers will enjoy the breezy style and repartee.

October 1, 2010

After losing her job and her boyfriend, London PR executive Emma moves to England's Lake District for a much-needed change of scenery. Landing a job with a local tourist board, she thinks small-town life might just be the respite she needs--and then the local mountain rescue team taps her to put together a "tasteful" nude calendar for a fund-raiser. This sexy romantic comedy, the basis for the Lifetime TV movie 12 Men of Christmas starring Kristin Chenoweth, is not your typical cozy Christmas tale. For fans of Brit chick lit.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2010
Tiny but valiant, Emma Tremayne fled a promising London career for the wilds of Cumbria after her employer and her client-turned-lover betrayed her, both personally and professionally. Now working for the Bannerdale tourist board, her job is to support local industry and initiatives, and their mountain rescue team desperately needs a new base camp. Her daring suggestion of a nude calendar fund-raiser, featuring members of the team clad only in the tools of their trade (helmets, rope harnesses, ice picks, etc.) draws the ire of Will Tennant. The ruggedly handsome, wealthy, and influential local outdoor-sports entrepreneur/rescue-team leader seems determined to seek her out and rile her at every opportunity, and in a small town they are thrown together more often than not. Although Emma seems remarkably immature for a 28-year-old sophisticated PR executive, Ashleys fun contemporary romance is crafted with humor, a sexy premise, and the intriguing backdrop of the picturesque Lake District.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)