Emily, widowed mother of one, decides to leave Leavenworth, Washington, to spend Christmas with her daughter in Boston. Charles, history professor, curmudgeon and resident of Boston, wants to avoid Christmas altogether. Through an internet site, Charles and Emily 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 that its not the prison town its Santas village! Meanwhile, Emilys friend Faith travels to Leavenworth to visit her and instead finds Charles the grinch. Then Charles’s brother, Ray, shows up at his home in Boston to discover that he isn’t there but Emily is.Through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, amid the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge in unexpected ways. Because everything changes at Christmas!