REVIEW: All He Wants For Christmas by Lisa Plumley

In All He Wants For Christmas (Kismet, Michigan #4) by Lisa Plumley, Jason is the CEO of a large toy company. There is always some kind of conflict within the board, and Jason was happy to be away on vacation. When a compromising photo from his vacation threatens his future with the company and he refuses to apologize, he is sent to small town Kismet’s ‘model store’ to bolster his image and the company image.

Jason is used to the big city and the heat. Not the cold, snow, and small town feeling that he gets in Kismet. A feeling that starts to grow on him as much as the toy store manager Danielle does. Danielle is divorced with 3 children and life is a struggle sometimes. She has high hopes to get out of Kismet, and sees Jason’s visit as an opportunity for promotion. She does not foresee the attraction she feels to him, the way he makes her body tingle in places it hasn’t tingled in a long time…but Danielle is determined to be professional, even when Jason ends up having to stay in her home while he’s in Kismet.

Between work and home, Jason and Danielle spend a lot of time together. Soon they give in to the incredible attraction between them, even if it will only be temporary. In Kismet, Jason finds a part of himself he’s been missing, and he’s thinking he just might stay. Danielle still has high hopes to leave…but does she really want to? Danielle and Jason are not being completely honest with one another though, and when secrets and misunderstandings come tumbling down around them, will they be able to pick up the pieces?

All He Wants For Christmas is a sweet holiday read about finding unexpected love, finding, and being true to, yourself. Jason is a fun guy, and at first it was difficult to feel a connection to him because on the surface he doesn’t seem to take much seriously. Once Lisa took me past his outer layers, I saw Jason as still being fun and enjoying life, but also saw him as being much deeper, and actually very private. I ended up really liking him and his personality. Danielle was great! She didn’t beat around the bush for the most part, does her own thing, and calls Jason on his actions or in-actions. She does a great job of juggling a career and three children, while at the same time having to deal with her ex-husband and his new wife. I liked how Lisa brought these two together when they were least expecting it, and the trials and tribulations they went through made it realistic. There is a lot going on in both of their lives through out All He Wants For Christmas, and this new romance adds excitement and fear.

There are a lot of secondary characters who add even more depth to All He Wants For Christmas, from Danielle’s children to Jason’s mentor. I really enjoyed the small town of Kismet, and through Lisa’s writing it is easy to picture yourself there for the Christmas season on a sleigh ride. Although this is the 4th book in this series, All He Wants For Christmas can easily be read as a stand alone.

All He Wants For Christmas is all about opening yourself up to love, and knowing that the end of one road means the start of another one. I felt that the first third of the book was a bit slow and drawn out, but once I passed that point, the plot flowed smoothly and all of the characters really drew me in. Entertaining with a strong Christmas feel, I’d recommend All He Wants For Christmas to romance readers looking for humor and a bit of a rocky road to love.

Book Info:

Published October 7th 2014 by Zebra | (Kismet, Michigan #4)

In Kismet, Michigan, Christmas is special: big fluffy snowflakes, sleigh bells, carolers singing. It’s a picture-perfect holiday—you just have to choose who’s in the frame…

Jason Hamilton is on thin ice with the board of his toy company. The young CEO may be a kid at heart, but his party boy reputation requires damage control. So Jason’s off to Kismet to inspect a model store, stay on Santa’s Nice list, and stick to business—no goofing around. Which is too bad, because the store manager, Danielle Sharpe, is the definition of what makes Naughty fun…

Danielle is thrilled to show off her thriving little toy store—especially if it’s her ticket out of Kismet. The single mom is tired of manufacturing cheer solo while her ex-husband has all the fun. But if she’d known Jason was this hot, she wouldn’t have offered to host him. With Jason in her house, Danielle is getting warmer than spiked cider. She’s supposed to impress him with her expertise, not daydream about catching him under the mistletoe. Now whatever she does, she can’t get swept up in the magic…