The Trouble with Christmas is a thoroughly entertaining romance in the Credence, CO series and a story I adored. Suzanne St. Michelle has come to Credence to get in touch with her artistic muse and spend Christmas with a friend. When her parents want to come spend it with her she tries to deter them but it ends up backfiring on her. Her little white lie turns out to be a nightmare for Joshua Grady when he agrees to turn his ranch into the hokiest and cheesiest Christmas he’s ever seen. To make it even worse he has to pretend to be her fake rancher boyfriend!

Josh doesn’t do Christmas. He hasn’t done it since his parents and girlfriend died in a car accident 17 years ago right before the holiday. Now he’s stuck with a very chatty woman wearing all kinds of ugly Christmas sweaters and expects him to partake. It’s going to cost her and he knows right where it hurts. The one thing he can’t deny is that Suzanne has a killer body and tempts him at every turn. She also understands him and empathizes with him. Stuck together in a blizzard their attraction and passion explode together and her muse comes alive. With every touch and encounter with her, Josh finds himself falling in love but doesn’t want to feel that feeling ever again. It hurt too much when his life was upended and he’d rather do without it. But can he?

I love opposite attraction tropes because it is so obviously to everyone else than to the actual two people in love. She’s an artist from New York and he’s a recluse rancher may seem like they don’t belong together, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t right for one another. She barged into his quiet life and turned it upside down and he found it hard to return to it after she left him. I love it when characters grow over the course of a story and realize what they’d be missing if they didn’t take the chance. The author’s writing was witty and captivating and created animated and likable characters. Her secondary characters enriched the romance and storyline and I can’t wait to return to Credence to read more about them. Amy Andrews has written a delightful romance that is perfect for the holiday season.

Credence, Colorado #2, Not to long ago the population of Credence increased due to the advert put out to lure women into moving here most of the women moved hoping to find a husband Susanne St. Michelle is not one of those women. She moved temporarily to help inspire her muse into painting original work again. Susanne has made a career of painting replicas, legal forgeries but she wants to create her own work. She rented a cottage on a ranch unfortunately the nephew of the man who owns the ranch isn't very welcoming. Joshua Grady regretted not letting his uncle sign over the ownership of the ranch when he told Grady that he rented out the cottage. Grady likes his peace and quiet and he never plans on marriage and he doesn't want someone on his property that will disrupt his life.

Susanne's muse woke up the moment she set eyes on Grady and her muse couldn't be quited until she painted him, so she did as the statue of David, as Adam, as a cherub and a couple other famous works of art all with his face. Unfortunately Grady is not amused when he finds them. Susanne wasn't planning on going home for the Holidays but when her mother confesses that she's having marital problems Susanne gives in and lets her parents come to her for Christmas, unfortunately that was after she told them all about her Christmas obsessed boyfriend Grady. Now all she has to do is convince Grady into it, he does but only after getting her to give up the paintings of him in return.

Overall, this was a fun read. It works fine as a standalone so you don't have to read the first book of the series. I loved Grady and Susanne they were quite the pair. Everytime Susanne said Joshua it made me think of Rachel from Friends pronouncing it "Josh-u-a". I really enjoyed the story and characters I look forward to more from this author and this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

First just let me say that I didn't particularly care for this book. But now that I say that just because this book didn't resonate with me doesn't mean that other readers may enjoy it better. These are just my feelings for me personally. I had to put this book down and go on to read other books to get over the way I felt about Suzanne. As I hate to not finish a book, I forced myself to come back and finish it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book of this series and was looking forward to this one. I was a little disappointed as I LOVE cowboy romance. I really didn't care for Suzanne. I didn't connect with her at all. I felt she was self-centered and egotistical. She gets mad at Grady for not getting back from his morning chores on Christmas and doesn't give him time to explain why he was late. He had a logical explanation as one of his bulls had gotten sick. Later when she finds out why he was late, she then gets mad AGAIN for not telling her. SAY WHAT?! I don't know if I didn't connect with her as I am in my 50's but I felt she was selfish and didn't try to understand what ranch life entailed as she was busying with her things and her worries and didn't try to understand him and his concerns at all. Poor Grady had to almost bend to her will. I cheered when he demanded the paintings back one by one. I also felt that one of the lies about Grady over doing Christmas was okay but then she goes and buys the gaudiest, most tasteless ornaments. Now you can go over board with funny decorations but that wasn't the case here. I just felt it was in poor taste.

The only good thing for me was having it written in a dual POV format.

This is a spicy book so I don't recommend anyone under 18 should read this.

Ahhhhhhh The Trouble with Christmas was just such a wonderful book and I just thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn’t want to put this book down. I just fell in love with this wonderful story and it’s wonderful characters. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

What a cute book! This is the first book of Amy’s that I’ve read and definitely was not disappointed! What’s not to love? A brooding rancher and an upbeat New Yorker...what could go wrong? Well everything. Joshua Grady likes his peace and quiet. Especially during the holidays. But that changed when Susanne St. Michelle pulled up in her Scooby Van. She was chatty and an artist trying to find her muse. Well she found it...Grady! But when she painted him, only part of the painting was actually of Grady. And when he found them...didn’t go well. But these paintings did come in handy when Susanne needed help. She needed a pretend boyfriend who loved Christmas. Her parents were coming and she needed them to believe in her new life in hopes they would head home early. Well that plan backfired as well. During the make believe things started to become real. Grady tried to fight his feelings. Did not want a repeat of his past. And Suzy never saw it coming until it hit her canvas. This book had me laughing in parts and angry in others. But as the book came to an end, I was smiling and very happy. I think reading this book during the holidays is perfect. So for your holiday season, definitely pick up this book!

THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS is the second book in the Credence, Colorado series. It stands on its own, but I’m whining that I want the first book any way!

This story was full of sexy irreverent fun, blackmail, and silly Christmas sweaters. The fire between Suzanne and Josh was ignited from the moment they met. I’ve been to after-Christmas bonfires that looked like mere match flicks in comparison.

What I loved the best about this book was that it wasn’t Hallmark ready. There was very little sweetness. There was way too much cussing for TV and there were giant penis cookies for Santa and the reindeer!

No, this is not going make anyone say, “Aww.” Instead, it’s real. It made me laugh aloud and cheer. Suzanne and Josh deserved to find their happiness together.

I loved all of the tacky, silly Christmas traditions that Suzanne and Josh created in their first year together. I can’t wait to see what next year may bring!

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Suzanne and Joshua could not feel more differently about the Holidays. But with Suzanne's parents coming for a visit, she needs a boyfriend fast and Josh is drafted. He doesn't want anything to do with the high-maintenance parents or Suzanne for that matter but he doesn't mind kissing her under the mistletoe.

Josh realizes what he missed out on as a kid during the holidays but too bad Suzanne is leaving Colorado to return to New York after the season is over.

Adorable and sweet story that I recommend to romance readers. Any Andrews is a funny and fine writer.

This book makes my heart so darn happy. It’s hilarious, snarky, sexy, and oh so sweet in the best ways. The Trouble with Christmas by Amy Andrews is absolutely the perfect holiday romance story that will keep readers delightfully entertained and engrossed with all the silly shenanigans and the wonderfully touching moments.

Suzanne St. Michelle is convinced that a change of scenery is exactly what she needs to awaken her muse. She rents a cabin in Credence, Colorado and hopes to paint the beauty all around her. But, her muse has other plans and inspires her to paint Joshua Grady, her handsome and sexy Scrooge-like landlord who wants nothing to do with her.

With Christmas just around the corner, Suzanne’s mother is insisting that she come home. However, Suzanne doesn’t really want another boring Christmas with her parents, so she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind – her landlord is actually her new boyfriend and she really wants to spend time with him. To deter her mother from wanting to visit her, Suzanne exaggerates and explains that Joshy is super in to the Christmas spirit and has gone over the top cheesy with all the decorations. But, Suzanne’s scheme backfires and she has to do everything she can to convince Grady to play along with her lie cause her parents are spending Christmas with them.

Having lost some very important people in his life, the holiday season is difficult for Grady and he just really wants to be left alone to do whatever he wants. The last thing he needs is an outsider disturbing his peace and complication his simple life. However, Grady just can’t stop thinking and fantasizing about Suzanne, the most annoying woman he’s ever met who can’t seem to stop chatting or pestering him. Grady knows she’s nothing but trouble and unnecessary distraction. Willing to do anything to get his quite life back, Grady agrees to go along with Suzanne’s scheme and pretend to be her fake rancher boyfriend who’s crazy in love with Christmas.

Amidst all the mistletoes, sparking lights, Christmas traditions, and tacky couple activities, Suzanne and Grady suddenly realize that there's something special between them. What happens when they can't pretend anymore and deny their feelings for each other?

I am utterly over the moon smitten with this cozy and fun holiday romance story. Suzanne and Grady are sooo great together and their chemistry is swoony to the max! The writing is fantastic, the pacing is just right, the setting is gorgeous, the characters are charming and loveable, and the fun surprises throughout the story will definitely make you smile. I enjoyed the bantering, the humor, the romance, the hooky Christmas parts, and all the touching moments. I honestly loved everything about this book, even had a few tears, and the ending is just so adorable and heartwarming.

Loved all the characters in this book. Suzanne and Grady are complex and interesting characters that will steal a piece of your heart. I loved watching them challenge, inspire, and slowly trust each other. There’s definitely some hesitation, conflict, and drama between them, but I loved the way they came together. They’re so precious and perfect for each other and they deserve to have their happily ever after. They made me laugh out loud, swoon like crazy, and smiled like a dork. And if you want a little steam and sexy time, no worries... I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

With plenty of heart-melting swoons, hilarious scenes, and sweet moments, The Trouble with Christmas will sweep you off your feet and have you turning the pages past your bedtime. It’s irresistibly charming, entertaining, emotional, and romantic. Amy Andrews has written a beautiful story that brings so much warmth, joy, and love and I just can’t rave about this book enough. Definitely add this wonderful gem on your TBR or grab yourself a copy now!

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever picked up a book and got so engrossed in the story that you skipped meals and stayed up late until you finished reading it because you didn’t want to put it down? Then the next day all you want to do is tell everyone you know, that they need to read this book? Well “The Trouble with Christmas” is that book. And what makes it that much more phenomenal it’s a Christmas cowboy book. Well done Amy Andrews on another spectacular book. Can’t wait to see what you write next!! Happy reading!!

Suzanne is an artist who reproduces art as a profession. She now wants to create her own original pieces but her muse is missing. To find her muse she rents a cottage in Credence, on Grady’s ranch. One look at Grady and her muse perks up. And the only thing Grady wants is to be left alone.
When Suzanne parents insist she visit them for Christmas, she claims that she and Grady are in love and that he loves Christmas. Now her parents coming to celebrate Christmas with them, and though she manages to blackmail Grady to pretend to be her boyfriend, how will they manage the chemistry that sizzles ever time they are in the same room
I had so much fun reading this book, loved the banter between Suzy and Grady. The over the top Christmas decorations were hilarious. It’s a funny, snarky read with some amazing chemistry that I will happily recommend.

I requested to read an review for free from Entangled Publishing LLC.

This book was great! I didn't want to put this book down. The plot and story line was great. Yes you know what's probably going to happen. But you don't know how they get there without reading the entire book. This is a great book for anytime of year. You can't help but fall in love with brooding Josh and the go with the flow Suzanne. You will fall in love with all of the people from Credence they have there own way of doing things! And it works! And Winona you can't forget about her. This a definite must read for mature readers and can be read anytime.

I've read a couple of books from this author, and have really enjoyed them. The Trouble with Christmas started a bit slow for me, but when it picked up, I found it to be hysterical, full of sexual tension, alot of hot steamy lovin', a bit of heartbreak, and lots of great characters. The small town of Credence was your perfect rumor-filled, everyone knew your business, kinda place, except Joshua Grady just wanted to be in the middle of nowhere on his ranch by himself still trying to get over the death of his parents and girlfriend seventeen years prior. Suzanne St. Michelle is a frustrated artist trying to find her muse, and desperately trying to get away from her parents non Christmas celebrating style. She's in Credence to experience Christmas the way it's supposed to be with her friend Winona, but she doesn't expect the brooding Joshua Grady's standoffish demeanor. Suzanne is staying on Grady's ranch in a cottage for a month, and he's none too happy about it. This is probably one of the least likely couples to get together, but I loved it. Their chemistry jumped off the page at you, and when the sparks finally started flying, it was something to behold! A great Christmas treat, but can be enjoyed anytime of year. Well written and well worth the read!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

Book 2 in the Credence, Colorado series, The Trouble with Christmas is a wonderful, sweet romantic Christmas story. I loved the characters and the storyline and will definitely be recommending and reading more.

Nothing really new under the snow. Grumpy loner agrees to a fake relationship with a lively and chatty single woman from New York who needs to save her parents’ marriage by making them see what a loving couple looks like. Fake gets real and they lived happily ever after. The dialogues are funny, but the author is verbose and overindulges in foul language - I’m not a prude, trust me, but I hardly think anyone can use words like f..., sh... etc. so often in everyday conversation. I didn’t need to be impressed by aggressive banter, I needed the story to get going, and it wasn’t until 30% of the book that the plot started outlying. So, while I did laugh here and there, I struggled to get into the story and lost part of my enthusiasm along the way. A little editing (read: shortening) might help next time.

Misadventures in Credence: Griswold Style

Oooooohhhhh lordy have somebody’s mercy!!! After reading THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS, its guaranteed to produce a laugh out loud riot of giggles while reading.
Before we dive in let me say I have a lot of Amy Andrews’ books on my TBR pile. Secondly, they have moved to the top. It all started with ONE BIG LIE!!! New York City slicker Suzy and her Cowpoke Dude Rancher Grady are a match made for Comedy Central.
Rancher Josh Grady lives a quiet life and he is used to being lonely. The only thing Suzy needs is time away from her “minimalist” family who don’t believe in the Christmas spirit. So, what does a girl do? She pretends she is too busy to visit her family. What happens? “Operation Hokiest Christmas Ever”

Suzanne St Michelle arrived in Credence, Colorado to find inspiration for her art. As it seems, there is a market for Professional Forgers and its very profitable. Who ever thought, right?! However, when Suzy meets Joshua Grady all bets are off and her inner muse perks up for the first time to create original works of art. Instead, she finds herself painting Grady’s face on everything.
With Christmas around the corner, Grady gets roped into a fake relationship to help scare away Suzy’s parents for the holidays. It doesn’t take long before she’s in danger of falling for the aloof Grady. And the rest as they say is……. happily, ever after. There’s family, laughs, and a WHOLE lot of steam in this sexy, heart-melt of a romance! Oh, and a dominatrix Barbie.
The Trouble With Christmas

All she wants in an over-the-top, eggnog-induced holiday with her best friend, but her parents insists she comes home for a boring Christmas in New York, so Suzanne St. Michelle does what any sane rational woman would do, she claims her landlord is really her boyfriend who really loves Christmas. He does not love Christmas or company or chatty women, unfortunately Joshua Grady finds himself agreeing to Suzanne’s charade.

This ‘Credence Colorado’ holiday romance an emotional gripping tale with the most delightful hokiest Christmas ever to tickle the readers' holiday spirit . Although a bit hard to get into at first, the story soon picks up and the strong, captivating characters subtly draw readers into their story and before readers know it, they are hooked. The chemistry between Suzanne and Joshua is quite electrical and leaps off the pages but this relationship is one where the hero fights tooth and nail against opening his heart and letting anyone due to his past and the heroine has her own issues to deal with, so while this couple ‘fits’, the relationship is full of sparks, clashes and emotional turmoil that keeps things quite interesting.

The plot of the story happens at a steady pace and is quite suspenseful as readers wonder how this unlikely couple will manage to pull this elaborate charade. This results in lots of chuckles and fun, especially as the couple go to some pretty cut throat negotiations to get through this holiday and readers just have to turn the pages to find just what will happen next as it spreads some holiday cheer the readers' way.

**3.5 Stars**

Suzanne just wants to celebrate Christmas her way, and there's nothing wrong with it including her best friend and a lot of eggnog. That's what the holidays are for, aren't they? And Credence is where she wants to spend it. But nooooo, Her uptight, uhh, pretentious, no, that's not nice either, appearance appreciative? - okay, that works - parents insists she stay in New York. Perhaps blurting out that she doesn't want to be away from her new boyfriend wasn't the best defense considering he doesn't exist. Well, he does, but he's really just her landlord.

Josh merely rented a cottage on his land to the woman, a chatty one at that. He doesn't like Christmas, nor talking, nor people that much, to be honest. And now she's just made his life even harder by inviting her parents to stay with her AND is insisting he pretend to be her boyfriend. This has to be a nightmare or a joke, right? But if he wants things to return to how they were before she turned his world upside down, maybe the charade won't be so bad. Everything else might be a bit too much to take, but kissing Suzy just could make up for all of it, and help him get back his holiday spirit.

If only she wasn't returning home, putting a deadline on what they may have found.

One-click now and follow along as this cranky loner and a Christmas happy chatterbox discover the best gift of all might be each other. I loved watching these two spend time together and how Suzy helped Josh recover what he lost...family.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

Will get your tinsel in a tangle
5 stars

No-one combines the feels and the funny quite like Amy Andrews; as such she’s fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

And then she wrote a Christmas book.

This is the second book in the Credence, Colorado series. While the couple from the first book (CC and Wade from Nothing But Trouble) are mentioned in this one, they don’t make an appearance themselves. Although many of the townsfolk are back again - along with all their crazy ways! You definitely don’t need to have read the first book to read this one although it’s such a good book I would obviously suggest that you do!

From their first meeting, Suzanne and Grady light sparks off each other. At first it’s annoyance and anger. Then lust-fueled anger. Then just lust. And then the whole damn place ignites! The pair have a chemistry that’s so exciting to read. Normally I find I favour one character over another in a pairing, and want my favourite to “win” while falling in love. I wanted them both to “win” as they were just so darn perfect for each other - and they needed each other to make the other whole!

There was something so relatable about Suzanne. She was successful, sophisticated and worldly - yet she was missing something in her life. It was heartbreaking in its own way. She was honest about her feelings and emotions and just an all round nice person. I loved her.

Joshua Grady is my jam. Ovaries exploding all over the place! He’s a strong, silent rancher with a little bit of boy sass about him in that he’s so damn grumpy. Mmm hmm hmm. But with all that surliness comes a past that is so tragic that it explains him and his behaviours. While we learn about the long-past incident and see how it's affected Grady - Ms Andrews’ never goes too deep so as to drag the book down. But still deep enough to make an impact.

And I have to mention the funny in this book. But can’t do that without first mentioning the writing itself. It’s so flawlessly effortless (which probably takes mountains of work and effort!) and the writing just flows. You almost forget you’re reading as you’re sucked into Credence and this snowy wonderland. That’s why the humour works so well as it just appears in the book organically. Meaning you’re just as often surprised by a big laugh as you are at finding a whole scene amusing or just plain hilarious! The paintings, the penis cookies, the wrecking ball decorations. It was awesome!

Christmas threw up in this book for sure - and that’s exactly what Suzy wanted. She goes full-on ridiculous with her Christmas theme and that just added a special touch to the book - not least because I myself love a tacky Christmas!

Along with the sparks comes a full dose of sexy between Grady and Suzy. Yum! And during a blizzard? Slow clap for Christmas effect!

This was a really fun book with a dose of the feels and a huge dump of Christmas cheer. It’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from Ms Andrews and cannot wait for this wonderful series to continue. 5 stars and Christmas lover or not, I would highly recommend this book.

A great read!
Suzanne is new in town, and renting a cabin that just happens to be on the ranch run by Joshua Grady.
Since he lost his parents and girlfriend in an accident, he hasn't let anyone in or relied on anyone. But with Suzanne in his space all the time, will he give her a chance.

I liked how it is told from both their points of view, and it is a great christmas read!

Hoping there will be more books in this series.

Sparks Fly when a Painter gets a Surly Rancher to be her Fake Boyfriend

Loved this quirky romance full of laugh out loud moments. Although they are so different, every time Suzanne and Josh are together, there’s a lot of sexually charged intensity simmering between them. The only thing that bothered me was the over the top cursing. I could have done with less of that as this story is able to hold its own without it. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Ms. Andrews.