Garen McLaren is a bit of a mess. But so what? His curling teammates adore his manic energy, and so do the kids he teaches. And nobody does Christmas like Garen. (Snow globes in October? Why not?) He's vowed to make this year's holiday the best ever, despite his hot but Scrooge-y new flatmate.

Simon Andreou is a bit of a control freak. The pressures of a new job in a new city are making his head spin. The last thing he needs is an agent of chaos like Garen for a flatmate-much less the memory of their single naked night together.

Just as this odd couple are fumbling toward friendship, a debilitating setback steals Simon's precious control over life and limb. To be there for Simon, Garen must learn to stop running away when things get tough. And Simon must learn that accepting kindness can be a gift in itself-at Christmas and all year through.

This holiday season, treat yourself to this heartwarming stand-alone novel where love defies fear and gingerbread defies gravity!

More Lads are on the way! The series features a recurring cast of teammates, but each novel contains its own stand-alone romance, so they can be read in any order.

• Play On, Duncan & Brodie novella
• Playing for Keeps, Fergus & John novel
• Playing to Win, Colin & Andrew novel
• Play It Safe, Fergus & John short story
• Playing with Fire, Liam & Robert novel
• Play Dead, Colin & Andrew novella
• Playing in the Dark, Evan & Ben novel
• Play Hard, Liam & Robert novella
• All Through the House, Duncan & Brodie short story

• Throwing Stones, Luca & Oliver novel
• Must Love Christmas, Garen & Simon novel