Plot summary

It's a few weeks before Christmas. Seven months ago, 26-year-old Kelly Harding moved from New York City back to her small rural hometown of Cedar Grove, Illinois when the publishing house where she worked as a children's book-jacket writer folded. She's back in her parents' home (Mom's a fledgling realtor, Dad's the town minister) and old bedroom, which looks exactly the same as it did when she moved out at 18, complete with a life-sized poster on the wall of pop idol Dax. Kelly tells herself that the move is only temporary--although she's having trouble figuring out what to do with her life; her mother wouldn't mind if she stayed permanently. Without telling her, Kelly's adopted 12-year-old brother Tim, using her name, has entered a "make a wish" contest being held by Dax, who will fulfill the wish of the randomly-drawn winner. Tim's wish is for Dax to come to Cedar Grove Christmas week culminating in him performing at the town's annual Christmas concert, but he figures that the wish would be more palatable coming from a true fan, even the true "past" fan Kelly was as a teen. Tim craves Dax's presence so they can raise enough money to restart the town's boys' club, which shut down from lack of funds. Tim's entry is chosen, something else he fails to tell Kelly or anyone else until Dax shows up in Cedar Grove. What Tim doesn't know is that Dax's manager, Jason Chandler, cooked up this scheme solely to boost Dax's sagging popularity, after he was caught on camera in a public drunken incident. In reality, Dax fights this wish-granting all the way to Cedar Grove. He also hates his life as the spoiled, pampered rock star stuck in inertia; he even lets his vacuous "girlfriend" Chelsea hang around although he does't even really like her. He also hasn't written a song in four years; the reason he entered the music business has been taken over by the trappings. With no hotel in Cedar Grove open during the off-season, Dax is forced to live in the Harding family home under Reverend Harding's house rules: no smoking, no drinking, early curfew, and--most importantly--no touching his daughter. If Dax makes it through the week, he will either get the better of Cedar Grove, or the wholesome small-town life will get the better of him. What happens is also affected by Jason and Chelsea, who have their own wants for Dax over the Christmas season.—Huggo