A Little Christmas Spirit: A Holiday Romance Novel

Sheila Roberts

Sep 2021 · Sold by MIRA

About this ebook

“Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Sheila Roberts story . . . a heartwarming confection that's as sweet as a sugarplum, and as deeply moving as snowfall.” —Susan Wiggs

The best Christmas gifts—family, friendship and second chances—are all waiting to be unwrapped in this sparkling new novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts.

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!

Ratings and reviews

3.5 stars--A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Sheila Roberts is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, slightly paranormal, story of women’s fiction focusing on kindergarten teacher/single mother Lexie Bell, and her elderly neighbour / widower Stanley Mann. Told from third person perspective A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT follows two intersecting pathways in the days and weeks before the Christmas holidays. Single mom Lexie Bell is new to town and doesn’t know many of her neighbors. A slip and fall at the local hardware store finds Lexie unable to navigate the wintery streets on her own, and finds herself dependant upon her reclusive and elderly but reluctant neighbor Stan, a gentleman who has struggled in the three years since the death of his wife. Lexie’s six year old Brock, whose only grandfather passed away one year before, is pulled towards the neighbor, bestowing Stan with the moniker of Grandpa Stan. When a single father moves in across the road, Lexis and Brock’s attention is pulled from Stan, and placed on the man with whom Lexie will fall in love. Meanwhile, Stanley continues to grieve the loss of his wife but late night visits by the spirit of his beloved, push Stan out of his comfort zone, and in the proverbial arms of a potential new family. But Stan commits a Christmas faux pas, and Lexie must do battle with her son in the aftermath, pushing Stanley out of their lives until a potential tragedy strikes at the small Bell family. A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT is a slow building, sweet and impassioned Christmas story line somewhere in the tone between A Christmas Carol and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Stanley Mann and his wife never had children, and in this, Stan struggles with the social graces towards family and kids. When the spirit of his dead wife continues to make nightly visits in an effort to push Stan our of his ‘funk’, Stan’s only desire is to reunite with his wife, keeping to himself, shutting out the world around. The premise is heart warming; the characters are animated; the romance is virtually non-existent and only implied.

This was a sweet and delightfully heartfelt holiday women's fiction story that gently touched the feels while warming the heart and frequently pulled my lips into an amused smile with wry humor and witty observations. This was my first taste of the clever craft of Sheila Roberts and I am kicking myself for not noticing her works sooner. Her engaging storylines were easy to follow, relatable, and enjoyably entertaining. The characters were original, realistic, knowable, and highly likable people, even the old curmudgeon who was happy being haunted by his late wife. I was pulling for him even when he pushed back.

A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Connolly is a heartwarming Christmas tale. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. This is a cute holiday tale that will put a smile on your face. The book is well-written with realistic dialogue and characters. Stanley Mann is still mourning the loss of his wife, Carol. He has become something of a hermit and curmudgeon. Then his deceased wife, Carol makes an appearance. She is tired of Stanley moping about the house and has come to give him a big nudge. Lexie and her son, Brock have moved in next door. They are new to town and could use a father/grandfather figure in their lives. Stanley begins by doing little things and then he starts spending more time in their company until he says the wrong thing. It looks like he will end up spending Christmas alone despite Carol’s best efforts. Is there a way to get them all back together again? Stanley may seem gruff but there is a softie in there somewhere. We get to know more about Stanley and Carol’s life together through the reminisces. We get to see the special life the couple had together as Stanley travels down memory lane. Lexie is a teacher raising her son on her own. She is grieving the loss of her father. Lexie wishes her mother would visit her, but her mother is grieving as well. Lexie would like to find a man to be a part of her and Brock’s life, but she wants to make sure that he is nothing like her ex-boyfriend. Brock was your typical little boy. He really took a shine to Stanley and helped bring the man out of his shell. Brock’s behavior could be an example to adults especially his ability to forgive. There is a cute Westie in the story too. I have a feeling Carol helped the dog find Stanley. A Little Christmas Spirit is just what I needed to put me in the mood for the holidays. I knew I could count on Sheila Connolly to provide a touching Christmas tale. A Little Christmas Spirit is a tender holiday story with a cute canine, a bubbly boy, a calamitous matchmaking attempt, a grouchy grandpa, an inconvenient injury, and a tenderhearted teacher.

About the author

Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. To date, she has seen over three million books sold both at home and abroad. Several of her books have been adapted for film by Hallmark, Lifetime, and GAF, including her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas, The Nine Lives of Christmas, with a sequel The Nine Kittens of Christmas, and most recently, Christmas on Candy Cane Lane.