BLAME IT ON CHRISTMAS – Janice Maynard
Southern Secrets , Book 1
Harlequin Desire #2633
ISBN: 978-1-335-97193-7
December 2018
Contemporary Series Romance

Charleston, South Carolina – Present Day

Mazie Tarleton and J.B. Vaughan go way back…all the way back to high school and the time he turned down her request to go to a dance with her. She has never forgiven him for that, so when he shows up at her jewelry store, she doesn't hesitate to turn down his offer to buy her building. But J.B. is persistent and turns on the charm, trying to change her mind. Finally, he convinces her to go out on a date, where it's clear there's an attraction between them. Mazie has no intention of giving in to him. Or, maybe she will. Then, J.B. has a family medical crisis that leads him to blurt out to his family that he and Mazie are engaged. Will this lead to complications—or love—between them?

Mazie has let a lot of bad history between herself and J.B. build up through the years in BLAME IT ON CHRISTMAS by Janice Maynard, the first book in her  Southern Secrets  series. J.B. is good friends with Mazie's brother, Jonathan, and unbeknownst to her, big brother warned his friend to not date her. She believed all these years that J.B. thought she wasn't good enough for him. Even as far back as high school, they were attracted to each other. If only her brother hadn't interfered…

J.B. has plans for the building Mazie owns, and she's thwarting them by refusing to sell to him. He even shows her an alternative (and better) location for her business, but she plays it cool. After being pushed into a corner about their “engagement,” Mazie could've denied it, but instead, she goes along. She is aware of their mutual attraction. Is this why she ends up moving in with J.B. temporarily? They'll end up in bed together, but will it just be a Christmas fling?

BLAME IT ON CHRISTMAS is a sizzling hot read of long-simmering hurt feelings turning into love. Once love enters the picture, this leaves J.B. and Mazie vulnerable to real or imagined hurts. While set around the Christmas holiday, the focus in this tale is on the burgeoning romance between our couple. When Mazie suspects J.B. might be betraying her, how will she react? Can they make their romance turn into the forever kind? Find out in BLAME IT ON CHRISTMAS. Next up in the series: Jonathan's story.

Patti Fischer