There is something magical about Debbie Mason. Never has an author made me giggle so much and then promptly made me feel a wee bit guilty for giggling. Poor Madison. All she wanted to do was help yet her life in Christmas, Colorado has been filled with one misunderstanding after another. Run over Santa? Bake rock hard gingerbread cookies? You name it, Madison probably did it. She even got caught making out with the town's sexy Sheriff, but I think that is one thing she doesn't feel the least bit guilty about. Not that I can blame her. Those McBride men... Yum! Gage doesn't quite know what to do with Madison.One minute he wants to strangle her and the next he wants to kiss her senseless. *grins* He had his hands full being a single parent to two young daughters, but I think he's got it under control. For the most part... Watching these two find love and doing so in the middle of small town antics was so much fun. This is why I love small town romances, especially when they welcome an outsider into their family. Makes a budding relationship more special.

I fell in love with this series after reading the 4th book. When it was announced that Forever was re-releasing The Trouble with Christmas, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to read the first books in the series. And I am so glad I did. Debbie Mason's writing is amazing. When I start one of her books it feels like I am stepping inside a world were love and family knows no bounds. It felt like Gage and Madison were waiting for me to wake up and read their book. It didn't bother me reading the series out of order. Now I am determined to read the 2nd and 3rd books as soon as I can.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

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*