Thursday 30 September 2021

Book ~ "A Little Christmas Spirit" (2021) Sheila Roberts

From Goodreads ~ Single mom Lexie Bell hopes to make this first Christmas in their new home special for her six-year-old son, Brock. Festive lights and homemade fudge, check. Friendly neighbors? Uh, no. The reclusive widower next door is more grinchy than nice. But maybe he just needs a reminder of what matters most. At least sharing some holiday cheer with him will distract her from her own lack of romance.

Stanley Mann lost his Christmas spirit when he lost his wife and he sees no point in looking for it. Until she shows up in his dreams and informs him it’s time to ditch his scroogey attitude. Stanley digs in his heels but she’s determined to haunt him until he wakes up and rediscovers the joys of the season. He can start by being a little more neighborly to the single mom next door. In spite of his protests, he’s soon making snowmen and decorating Christmas trees. How will it all end?

Merrily, of course. A certain Christmas ghost is going to make sure of that! 

Lexie is a single mother of six-year-old.  She has recently moved to a small town in Washington because of a teaching job and has bought a house.  She had to leave her family behind in California but looking forward to starting a new life there.  

Stanley is a senior widower and Lexie's neighbour.  When Carol, his beloved wife, passed away in an car accident three years ago, he shut himself off from life.  When Lexie and Brock move in next door, he wants no part of them.  He and Carol never had children and he's never wanted any.  But Brock adopts him as his grandpa and when Stanley tries to resist, Carol starts haunting him in his dreams, pushing him to open up and have a life again.  That starts with being neighbourly and helping Lexie and Brock since they don't know anyone yet.  As reluctant as he initially is, he has to admit he eventually enjoys being part of someone's family.

I've read many books by this author and liked this one.  It is written in third person perspective with the focus shifting between Lexie and Stanley.  The story jumps back and forth in time starting in present time with Lexie, Brock and Stanley and going back to when Stanley and Carole met and telling about their life together.  Because it is a Christmas story, there is a happy ending so a nice "feel good" book just in time for the holidays.

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