IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS - Leslie Kelly
Harlequin Blaze #654
ISBN: 978-0-373-79658-8
December 2011
Contemporary Series Romance

Chicago, Illinois - Present Day and New York City - 2005

While she may not be a big fan of Christmas, Lucy Fleming has enjoyed taking photographs at the company party for Elite Construction.  As she is leaving though, she hears a voice she thought she'd never hear again: Ross Marshall's.  Six years ago to the day, Lucy met Ross in a coffee shop in New York City, and what followed was one of the most memorable Christmases of her life.  But on Christmas morning he was called away on a family emergency and they lost touch, breaking Lucy's heart.  Now, she's back in Chicago , taking children's portraits (something she vowed she would never do) and she runs into Ross again.

As improbable as it sounds, Ross fell in love with Lucy in the two days they had together before he learned of his father's stroke.  His father's ill health meant a return to Chicago for Ross and taking over the family business, while Lucy was about to head off to Europe , hoping to become a fashion photographer.  He's spent the last six years missing Lucy and viewing her as one more dream he had to let go of, but when he sees her again, he can't help but hope for a second chance.

When an unusual sequence of events leaves Lucy and Ross stranded in the office building with no power during a blizzard, neither can resist the attraction.  Though Ross quickly realizes that Lucy still has some hurt over his lack of communication, he can't help but hope that fate has given him a second chance with the only woman he's ever loved.

Alternating between past and present, IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS tells the story of Lucy and Ross.  The loss of her parents during the Christmas season has turned Lucy off the holidays, and, when they first meet, she's still trying to get through the pain.  Her career plans don't involve anything that might resemble the happy family scene she no longer enjoys, and she's looking forward to the move to Paris .  Ross, on the other hand, is feeling a bit nostalgic and missing home, but his need to prove himself outside of the family business has him living on his own and away from his family.  Six years later, while some things have stayed the same, others have changed drastically.  They are both living back in Chicago ; Ross enjoys running the company, and Lucy has shifted her focus to photographing children, yet her dislike for Christmas only grew worse after Ross left her.

A tale of second chances and winter nights that still manage to sizzle in spite of the weather, IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS should not be missed.

Jennifer Bishop