The Perfect Christmas: The Perfect Christmas / Can This Be Christmas?

The Perfect Christmas: The Perfect Christmas / Can This Be Christmas?
Debbie Macomber

What would make your Christmas perfect? For Cassie Beaumont, it's meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far nothing's worked. Not blind dates, not the internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.What other options are there? Well…she could hire a professional matchmaker. Simon Dodson has quite a reputation, but he's very choosy about the clients he takes on—and very expensive. Cassie considers him a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she's astonished when he accepts her as a client.Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets this paragon. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell-ringer, dressing up as Santa's elf at a mall and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (most of whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and then she's finally ready to meet her match.But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

Praise for Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Stories (#u15850430-1e81-5cd9-a0c0-2e61c8bbeff0)

“With The Perfect Christmas, Macomber has spun Christmas gold… The author’s charming style comes through with every turn of the page, leading readers through a variety of emotions—so keep a box of tissues at hand! Definitely one for the keeper shelf, highly recommended!”

—The Romance Readers Connection

“Call Me Mrs. Miracle is an entertaining holiday story that surely will touch the heart… Best of all, readers will rediscover the magic of Christmas.”

—Bookreporter.com

“With a wink and a wish, there’s always magic whenever Mrs. Miracle shows up, along with some good old-fashioned romance! Don’t miss this special Christmas book!”

—Romance Reviews Today on Call Me Mrs. Miracle

“Familiar townspeople, three impulsive brothers on the hunt, and a pair of appealing protagonists bring to life this sweet, humorous romance that, with its many obvious parallels, is a satisfying, almost tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Christmas story.”

—Library Journal on A Cedar Cove Christmas

“A lighthearted, decidedly modern retelling of the Christmas story, this is vintage Macomber. Its charm and humor are balanced by the emotional impact of heroine Mary Jo’s situation, and many readers will find it irresistible.”

—RT Book Reviews on A Cedar Cove Christmas

“Macomber’s latest charming contemporary Christmas romance is a sweetly satisfying, gently humorous story that celebrates the joy and love of the holiday season.”

—Booklist on Christmas Letters

“Macomber’s take on A Christmas Carol…adds up to another tale of romance in the lives of ordinary people, with a message that life is like a fruitcake: full of unexpected delights.”

—Publishers Weekly on There’s Something About Christmas

“It’s just not Christmas without a Debbie Macomber story.”

—Armchair Interviews

The Perfect Christmas

Debbie Macomber

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)

To

Gary and Marsha Roche

And

In Memory of Bob Mullen With thanks for sharing their love of Civil War history With Wayne and me

October 2011

Dear Friends,

I believe many of us dream—or dreamed!—about hosting the perfect Christmas. It took me most of my adult life to realize that “perfect” and “Christmas” are two words that don’t really go together….

I remember the year the kids and I bought a huge Christmas tree, leaving my poor husband to fit it into a stand about seven times too small. That “perfect” Christmas tree ended up being tossed out the front door with a few choice words from Wayne.

Then there was the Christmas I spent the entire day in the kitchen cooking the perfect dinner for my young family. Just about everything that could go wrong did, including losing electricity in the middle of roasting the turkey. By the time dinner was ready, I was exhausted. Imagine my dismay when I realized all four kids were far more interested in playing with their new toys, and Wayne had been snacking all afternoon and wasn’t hungry. Let me just say—not our best Christmas.

Over the years we’ve refined our family traditions but the idea of the perfect Christmas lingers in my mind, so—as inevitably happens with writers—I decided to create a story based on that elusive goal. This book was first published in hardcover in 2009; you’ll see that I’ve provided a new epilogue, which gives you a brief update on the characters and their lives. I’ve also included additional bonus material, such as a few recipes from my brand-new Christmas cookbook and a knitting pattern. And you’ll also find one of my first Christmas stories—still a favorite of mine— Can This Be Christmas?

I’d love to hear from you—whether it’s just to say hello, to tell me what you think of the story or to describe your own “perfect” (or not so perfect!) Christmas. You can reach me at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366, or through my website, www.DebbieMacomber.com.

Merry Christmas!

Contents

Cover (#u0c918b2d-9ff5-5a53-b5fb-4af0a0d42898)

Praise

Title Page (#u59fc45e3-9fb9-5be1-98c6-ef43735e10c0)

Dedication (#u97ad5eec-5e88-5152-b69e-7eef4afc1944)

Letter to Reader (#u3c82c8ff-a10a-51cd-8307-d8d3ec79fa8d)

Chapter 1 (#u5af18cfd-a962-542a-8bc7-8128a9b2567c)

Chapter 2 (#u4de4868c-6d38-546f-8b53-af3f9f2a16eb)

Chapter 3 (#u83ccc85b-1f8f-51cb-a4e1-480d23c98c54)

Chapter 4 (#u060acc5e-4849-5be8-b734-65d8aae53a25)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)