Dating Mr. December is my second Phillipa Ashley novel after reading Wish You Were Here, her wonderful modern-day romance which takes us to some of the most beautiful and exotic locations in Europe. As mentioned in my review of her first book, I first came to know about Ms Ashley in an interview on Fly High!, the fantastic blog run by Italian Maria Grazia. About two months ago, I managed to watch 12 Men of Christmas, the Lifetime television movie based on Decent Exposure, the UK title for this same book which fueled my interest and add this novel to my list.
As with almost all chick-lit fiction, the story follows the same formulaic plot where girl meets boy, girl is attracted to boy, boy feels the same, boy loses girl and they finally end up together. What sets this story apart is the picturesque backdrop of Bannerdale with its snow-covered mountains, rocky fells, peaceful lakes and calm tarns. Bannerdale is a town in Cumbria and is part of the Lake District located in the northwest of England. I feel it acts as another character in this wonderful tale explored by Ms Ashley and certainly ignited my interest to visit The Lakes one day but I digress.
Emma Tremayne is a twenty-eight-year-old successful public relations executive from London who has relocated to Bannerdale to escape her bitter past. She is now a PR officer at the local tourism board and in her free time, she devices a marketing campaign to help the Bannerdale mountain rescue team come up with the necessary funds to build a new base to replace the cramp old barn. When she presents her idea of creating a nude calendar with each male member of the team, she meets the strongest objector in the form of thirty-four-year-old Will Tennant who thinks that they will become a laughing stock of the community if they agree to participant. Will is a wealthy entrepreneur and owner of Outdoor Edge, a chain of stores selling outdoor equipments and lives at Ghyllside Cottage. Sparks began to fly and before long, both are sexually attracted to each other. However memories of failed relationships are holding them back before they can embrace a future together.
It was interesting to discover the history of past relationships that made them cautious to be together. Back in the metropolitan city of London, Emma was betrayed by her ex-boyfriend Jeremy Forbes who is also a client of Rogue Communications, the company where she used to work. He was also sleeping with her boss, Phaendra. Her work performances suffered since Phaendra started to nitpick and complain before Emma was fired for throwing mango smoothies on her and Jeremy during an important business presentation. This scene made me chuckle at Emma's strength and spunkiness in defending herself. What a way to go!
On the other hand, the village gossip has it that Will left his ex-fiancée Kate Danvers on the morning of the wedding two years prior. No one actually know his real reasons so he is labelled as a casanova and playboy who is only interested in one-night stands. In due cause, Will shows a gentler and tender side of him to Emma when she was hurt and scared to rappel down a slope. So she is left wondering who the real Will Tennant is. Is he a charming and cruel seducer who always like to be in control of things or a compassionate, caring and seasoned climber who likes to help others in need or a bit of both?
This potent combination reminds me of Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice at times when they form misconceptions about each other before learning the truth. As with other contemporary fiction, there are a few sexual scenes which spice up their relationship. If you don't mind this, then may I suggest that you pick up Dating Mr. December as your next read. The sweet and lovely ending will endear you as it did with me. I look forward to reading more of Philippa Ashley's work published by Sourcebooks since her UK titles are currently out of print. So next up is Carrie Goes Off the Map or known in the UK as It Should Have Been Me which I am lucky to have bought it in a remaindered bookstore.
I have never read Ms. Ashley's books, but I love this kind of writing. I'll have to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review!