Susan Mallery: It Started One Christmas

One crisp December night, Keira Carlesso takes in yet another stray—this time, a man. Dalton is a brilliant scientist with no home for the holidays. As Christmas works its magic, two strangers become friends, then best friends, then something much, much more...

Susan Mallery’s heartwarming charmer proves that true love is the greatest Christmas gift of all!

“Heartwarming...this book is sweet and will appeal to readers who enjoy the intricacies of family drama.”—Publishers Weekly on When We Found Home

#1 New York Times bestselling author SUSAN MALLERYwrites heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship and romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise and delight readers. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages.

Susan lives in Washington State with her husband, two cats and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at susanmallery.com.

Also by Susan Mallery Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Praise CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN EPILOGUE Extract About the Publisher

When We Found Home

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

Daughters of the Bride

Happily Inc

Not Quite Over You

Why Not Tonight

Second Chance Girl

You Say It First

Mischief Bay

Sisters Like Us

A Million Little Things

The Friends We Keep

The Girls of Mischief Bay

Fool’s Gold

Best of My Love

Marry Me at Christmas

Thrill Me

Kiss Me

Hold Me

Until We Touch

Before We Kiss

When We Met

Christmas on 4th Street

Three Little Words

Two of a Kind

Just One Kiss

A Fool’s Gold Christmas

All Summer Long

Summer Nights

Summer Days

Only His

Only Yours

Only Mine

Finding Perfect

Almost Perfect

Chasing Perfect

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

It Started One Christmas

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09599-0

IT STARTED ONE CHRISTMAS

© 2018 Susan Mallery, Inc.

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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Praise for New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS ~An Amazon Best Book of the Month~

“Mallery blends the friend-and-family relationships and self-actualization focus common to women’s fiction [with the] happy ending of a contemporary romance, making this an excellent summer read for fans of both genres.”

—Booklist

“Mallery creates a cute and charming world in Tulpen Crossing, and her three main characters are immensely likable and sympathetic.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Verdict: [a] charming tale of love unrequited (maybe), love ignited, and wild sex with naked cooking. The men here are pretty awesome, while the gals have a lot to learn about facing the truth. For romance fans and admirers of fresh women’s fiction.”

—Library Journal

DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE

~An Amazon Best Book of the Month~

“Susan Mallery never disappoints and with Daughters of the Bride she is at her storytelling best.”

—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“[Mallery] will appeal to fans of women’s fiction, especially such friendship books as Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club.”

—Booklist

“Heartfelt, funny, and utterly charming all the way through!”

—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text One crisp December night, Keira Carlesso takes in yet another stray—this time, a man. Dalton is a brilliant scientist with no home for the holidays. As Christmas works its magic, two strangers become friends, then best friends, then something much, much more... Susan Mallery’s heartwarming charmer proves that true love is the greatest Christmas gift of all! “Heartwarming...this book is sweet and will appeal to readers who enjoy the intricacies of family drama.” —Publishers Weekly on When We Found Home

About the Author #1 New York Times bestselling author SUSAN MALLERY writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship and romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise and delight readers. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages. Susan lives in Washington State with her husband, two cats and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at susanmallery.com .

Booklist Also by Susan Mallery Contents Cover Back Cover Text About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Praise CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN EPILOGUE Extract About the Publisher When We Found Home Secrets of the Tulip Sisters Daughters of the Bride Happily Inc Not Quite Over You Why Not Tonight Second Chance Girl You Say It First Mischief Bay Sisters Like Us A Million Little Things The Friends We Keep The Girls of Mischief Bay Fool’s Gold Best of My Love Marry Me at Christmas Thrill Me Kiss Me Hold Me Until We Touch Before We Kiss When We Met Christmas on 4th Street Three Little Words Two of a Kind Just One Kiss A Fool’s Gold Christmas All Summer Long Summer Nights Summer Days Only His Only Yours Only Mine Finding Perfect Almost Perfect Chasing Perfect Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk .