Dating Mr. December

Phillipa Ashley, Sourcebooks Landmark, $9.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-1-4022-4142-0

British author Ashley infuses her debut (first published in the U.K. in 2006, and the inspiration for Lifetime TV's 2009 movie 12 Men of Christmas) with humor that somewhat offsets the formulaic tale of a woman retreating from urban life after being betrayed by her boyfriend and her boss. In England's Lake District, PR executive Emma Tremayne tries to help a local mountain rescue group stay solvent by creating a nude calendar featuring the rescuers. Will Tennant is the most reluctant model, and the most attractive. Emma needs him to agree to pose as Mr. December for the sake of the fund-raiser—and to show she can handle her new job. Emma and Will are clearly destined for each other, so their relationship and inevitable obstacles lack suspense, but readers will enjoy the breezy style and repartee. (Nov.)

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