Trading houses. Trading towns. Trading Christmas.

Emily Springer, widowed mother of one, decides to leave her hometown of Leavenworth, Washington, to spend Christmas with her daughter in Boston.

Charles Brewster, history professor, seasoned curmudgeon and resident of Boston, wants to avoid Christmas altogether.

Through an Internet site, they arrange to swap houses for the holiday. So Emily goes to Boston--and discovers that her daughter has gone to Florida. And Charles arrives in Leavenworth to discover a town that looks like Santa's village, full of Christmas trees, Christmas music and elves.

Meanwhile, Emily's friend Faith Kerrigan travels to Leavenworth to visit her--and finds Charles the grouch...whose brother, Ray, shows up at Charles's place, to find Emily living there.

Through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, amid the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge in unexpected ways. Because when Christmas comes, so does love....