Phillipa Ashley is a funny, entertainingly romantic author that will have readers sighing and believing in love.Let me just start by stating that I love this book. I need to get all of my gushing out of the way. I have nothing but praises to dish out because this is exactly what I expect in my romance books. Dating Mr. December is a wonderfully, well written love story. Emma Tremayne is a PR officer working for the Lake District’s tourist board and her first assignment is to help the mountain rescue team. They are in need of some serious money and in order to raise the cash, Emma proposes for the team to do a nude calendar. The idea is preposterous but the members take it in stride, knowing the money and exposure is what they need. All is in agreement except the stubborn Will Tennant, the small town’s wealthy entrepreneur. Will and Emma ideas clash and they are not too friendly with one another. In fact, the initial banter between the two is funny. The dialogue is witty and humorous. Eventually Will concedes and is the last man in the calendar—Mr. December. Sure enough Will is sexy and is the perfect candidate but Emma refuses to let him know. She has had enough heartache in her past and she is not ready to tumble down that path again but it is so hard because she can’t fight her attraction to Will. Prior to her arrival in Bannerdale, Emma was a top PR consultant in London with a dream client. Too bad she was sleeping with her client and he was sleeping with her boss (no spoiler). Needless to say, when Emma’s boss forces him to choose between the two, Emma makes the decision for them by throwing smoothies at them and getting fired. Now she is starting a new life in Bannerdale and she will not fall into the same trap.Will is the rumored bad boy of the town. Everyone is still whispering over the fact that he left his fiancée two years ago, leaving him with this love them and leave them perception. He really doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him because he knows the truth of his failed engagement. Meeting Emma changes Will’s perception on everything and the two fight their feelings until the end.As the story progresses, Will and Emma find themselves around each other a lot and they grow to like each other. The development of Will and Emma’s relationship is a slow progression but it is so well written and the story flows so nicely. They are both likeable characters. At first, Will is a bit standoffish and uses his snarky humor to take jabs at Emma but the author does a great job showing how Will fights his attraction to Emma and that he is not as cold as I had initial thought. Later on, when Will’s past is revealed, his behavior is more understandable. Emma is so sweet and hilarious. It is fun to watch her gain her confidence back and fall in love. This book has everything that I’m looking for in a “feel good” love story. The characters are great. The story moves at a great pace. You can actually sit back on a cold day with hot cocoa and read this straight through. There is enough angst and conflict without distracting and taking away from the romance. Though the two main characters bickered the author does a great job revealing their emotions and you actually believe that they are falling in love with one another. It is not an overnight affair. The ending is real cute and sigh-worthy. Bottom line is that this book left me feeling good. Honestly, since I’ve seen the movie before reading the book (something I never do), I can say that this book is just as cute and entertaining as the movie (Lifetime’s 12 Men of Christmas). There are subtle differences such as physical descriptions and locations but the overall premise is the same.Overall, I recommend Dating Mr. December for true romantics who will want some holiday cheer this season. I look forward to reading other books by this author.
