Book Review: The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Sheila Roberts is back with another seasonal story that tickles your funny bone and touches your heart.

The Nine Lives of Christmas opens with Ambrose the cat making a deal with his Creator, begging him to save his ninth and final life from the scary, mangy dog threatening to tear him limb from limb as he dangles from a tree.

A kind stranger saves him, and it soon becomes apparent to Ambrose that the Creator wants the furry little beast to save his benefactor, firefighter Zachary Stone, who is deeply in need of some romantic help. Ambrose figures that Merilee, the nice, pretty woman who works at the Pet Palace would make a good match for Zach. And the silly cat is fairly certain if he can get Zach and Merilee together, his happy, long ninth life is secure.

I love seasonal titles. Nothing gets me in the Christmas mood quicker than a great story set during my favorite holiday. I fell in love with the work of Sheila Roberts when I read On Strike for Christmas. With The Nine Lives of Christmas, Roberts continues her tradition of unique stories that blend humor with heartwarming moments. There are times when you feel for Zach and understand why he isn't quick to get involved with a woman. There are times when you want to encourage Merilee to step out of her comfort zone and follow her heart. Through all of it, there is this quick-witted furry little beast working as hard as he can to guarantee his last life is a long one.

If you're looking for a delightful seasonal love story with tons of laughs, look no further than The Nine Lives of Christmas.

Title:  The Nine Lives of Christmas
Author: Sheila Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN-10: 0312594496
ISBN-13: 978-0312594497
SRP:  $14.99 (hardcover)
Also available in a Kindle edition and as an audio book.

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO EXCERPT FROM THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTMAS BY CLICKING HERE!

December Special Feature: On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Robert

For those of you who like your seasonal tales to hold more than a few chuckles, check out On Strike for Christmas, the next book in our month-long spotlight of seasonal books.

A group of small town wives from a knitting club get tired of laboring over elaborate Christmas preparations that their husbands don't appreciate. Their clueless husbands can't have any idea how hard they work. One by one the women of the club decide to go on strike, watching in horror as their husbands try to make Christmas special for their families while the women fight against the urge to interfere.

This is one of the funniest holiday stories I have ever read, which is why it ends up in our favorite tales of the season line up.

You can find my full review of On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts here.

On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts--Book Review

Funny, inspiring, and unforgettable, On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts left me crying tears of laughter and found me cheering for characters who became so real that I would swear they lived on my street.

Joy, Laura, and some of the other wives in their knitting group feel their husbands don't appreciate the time and effort that goes into making Christmas special. From entertaining to shopping for gifts, from mailing out cards to decorating their homes, these women do it all. But this year they are sick and tired of not being able to enjoy the season and fighting to get their husbands to understand they need some help.

When Joy decides to go on strike for Christmas she has no idea what she's started. One after another, women from the knitting group join her, and once the local newspaper gets wind of the story, letters of support roll in and create an environment in the town of Holly where women and men are choosing sides. As the husbands learn exactly what it's like for their wives to create the perfect Christmas, the wives struggle not to interfere and make sure it is done the right way. And Rosemary Charles--the local reporter covering the story--has a bet with the newspaper's photographer that the women will win.

This is one of the funniest holiday stories I've ever read. Watching these husbands try to cook and decorate in addition to working all day was a rare treat. But On Strike for Christmas is more than a book about a battle between the sexes. It is about love, understanding, compromise, and friendships. While Joy and Laura get a lot of the limelight, the one character I truly loved was Carol. She is a widow and she can't understand why the women in her knitting group don't appreciate the men in their lives. Watching Carol's story unfold in the background is a special gift to the reader because it happens so calmly against the booming madness of the strike.

Sheila Roberts has written a story that is overflowing with unforgettable characters who inspire and entertain. I found myself not wanting any of them to fail. There were points where I was cheering on the wives, but then some of the husbands were trying so darn hard I wanted them to come out on top. And some of the best scenes included the children of these parents who were warring against each other.

On Strike for Christmas by Sheila Roberts is not a classic tale like A Christmas Carol, but it will leave you appreciating the season and the people you love as much as George Bailey did at the end of It's A Wonderful Life. With On Strike for Christmas, Sheila Roberts touches upon the heart of Christmas in a very funny way.


Title: On Strike for Christmas
Author: Sheila Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37022-0
ISBN -10: 0-312-37022-9
Price (US): $13.95