Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, by Lisa Kleypas

I have to admit I was feeling kind of protective toward Kleypas' newest book after reading a couple of not so positive comments about it on the net.
However, after reading it in a little more than 2 hours, I found out that I liked the book on its own merits. The writing is beautiful, with an economy of words that manage to convey deep feelings without endless whining. As I read the novel I was transported back to the Californian seaside (the nearer I've been to the Washington State shore, where the plot takes place). Kleypas' description of falling in love hit the bullseye once more; as I read Maggie's reaction to Mark, how she's hot & cold and doesn't know how to behave, I was reminded of the times I fell in love too.
The plot is simple, and is driven by the internal conflicts of the characters. Watch out, spoilers ahead!
Mark Nolan is the older of 4 siblings, survivors of their parent's crappy marriage (something along the lines of "The War of the Roses"), which left them all with some degree of emotional scarring. He's not a family man, but when his only sister Victoria dies leaving him in charge of her six year old daughter, he decides to take his responsability seriously and make a home - as well as he can do it - for the little girl, Holly.
Maggie Conroy has always liked children, which is why after her husband dies, she moves to Friday Harbor and opens a toy store, where one day, as she says, the man of her dreams walks in. Maggie and Mark get to know each other thanks to Holly, but the attraction that sparks between them has nothing to do with the child. However, both have issues: Mark thinks that maybe it's time to get serious with his girlfriend so Holly can have some female influence in her life, and Maggie is afraid of commiting herself again after the death of her husband. Their's is not a blietzkrieg kind of romance (you know, the kind when they've only know each other for a couple of days and decide that they're soulmates), but the kind composed of talking, and dates, and actually getting to know each other. Kleypas toned down the sex in this book, but the physical attraction and sexual chemistry is present.
As a rule I don't like romance novels in which children play an important role ( a kid being a matchmaker? Get real!), but Holly was well behaved and she acted like a child most of the time, so I didn't have a trouble with that.
So... this isn't a scorching love story, but it's a sweet romance set in a fantastic landscape that will give you a couple of hours of enjoyment. It's about two regular people falling in love, and making it believable for you.