IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS – Jennifer Crusie, Donna Alward, and Mandy Baxter
St. Martin's
ISBN: 978-1-250-10637-7
October 2016
Contemporary Romance Anthology

Three sizzling tales of Christmas love will put you in the holiday spirit.

Hot Toy – Jennifer Crusie

It's Christmas Eve and Trudy has promised her nephew a hard-to-find toy as his gift. She's at the toy store frantically searching the shelves for it when a man she went out with once shows up at her side, offering to help her. Trudy found Nolan rather odd and has refused his offers for a repeat date, but he's persistent. Then another man, Reese, shows up and both are clamoring to better the other in helping her. Trudy magically finds the toy, but now everyone is after what she has. When she finds out she has last year's edition of the action figure toy, she is back in search for the right one. Both Nolan and Reese offer to help her. Or are they wanting something else?

In Hot Toy , Trudy doesn't know which man is truly protecting her, or if she should be afraid of both. All she does know is that her nephew is depending on her to make his Christmas better. The toy she found isn't quite the right one, and it's a madcap race to find the right one, then to protect it from others who are willing to pay big bucks to get it. Even readers will not be sure who is the good guy. Hot Toy is a great start to IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS.

Christmas at Seashell Cottage – Donna Alward

Dr. Charlene “Charlie” Yang has struggled to make friends in the small Maine town she moved to, and to help change things, she's helping to put up a nativity manger. The hot new guy in town that she's been secretly ogling from afar, Dave Ricker, happens to be her helper, and the two hit it off. Before they leave the church, however, they discover that an infant has replaced Baby Jesus in the manger. Charlie and Dave work together to take care of the baby while the mother is being found, which deepens their growing attraction.

Who would leave a child out in the cold and only hope it's rescued? In Christmas at Seashell Cottage , the crazy actions of an unknown person bring together Dave and Charlie to care for an abandoned baby. Both have struggled in the past developing relationships, but their friendship soon slides into something more. But as their feelings deepen, so do the insecurities from their pasts. At the center of it all is the mysterious baby who brought them together. Will it be solved in Christmas at Seashell Cottage? A sweet and emotional tale, readers will love the slow building romance between Dave and Charlie.

Christmas with the Billionaire Bachelor – Mandy Baxter

Chloe needs three million dollars to help save the nonprofit charity she runs, and if the rumors are true that wealthy rancher Nate is about to inherit billions he doesn't want; well, she wants him to throw some her way. They meet at his father's funeral and the two hit it off so well they're heading off to a hotel room before the funeral is over.  Their affair sizzles as it continues in the days that follow, but Chloe hasn't yet asked for the money because he makes it clear he is suspicious of women with dollar signs in their eyes. Wouldn't Chloe be accused of that when Nate finds out she plans to approach him for the money?

Christmas with the Billionaire Bachelor is one hot tale with plenty of sex. Chloe and Nate have barely met before they're hitting the sheets, and their affair continues to sizzle even after the first night. But the longer Chloe puts off asking Nate, the harder telling the truth becomes, even though she needs the money by Christmas or she'll have to shut down the charity. As expected, the truth comes out, and in Christmas with the Billionaire Bachelor they must fight some trust obstacles before Chloe and Nate can find that happily-ever-after.

Each installment in IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS is uniquely different and there's a bit of everything for readers. We start out with a tale that relies on comedy and not sex, then a sweet small town romance, before diving into the last one that features some steamy hot sex. If you like a bit of variety in your reading material, then grab IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS and make it your must-read holiday read.

Patti Fischer