A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts Review

 Happy May Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I can't believe we're already into a new month. Lately I've found that the time seems to be slipping by even faster than normal, and it's reminding me just how important it truly is to try and enjoy each and every day.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by reading amazing stories whenever I have the free time to do so, and today, strange as it may sound, I'm here to share my review of a Christmas themed read with you all.

I adore reading Christmas books all year long, especially when I'm having a hard time as I find they really give me a nice case of the warm fuzzies. 

I recently finished Sheila Roberts' newest Christmas release, and today I'm here to share with you all what I ended up thinking about it.

A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts:

Source: Libby App

Publisher: Mira Books

Publication Date: September 28th, 2021

Genre: Christmas Read/Contemporary

Synopsis:

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!

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I always look forward to reading Sheila Roberts' newest Christmas release, but this one unfortunately missed the mark for me. While there were certain elements I did enjoy, it didn't end up being what I've come to expect from her stories, and I'm glad I ended up borrowing it from Overdrive, instead of purchasing a copy for myself.

I loved the premise. A sweet Christmas story about a single mom and her adorable six year old son who decide to befriend the grouchy widowed man next door. The story premise was made even more promising with an added touch of A Christmas Carol in that the spirit of Stanley's deceased wife Carol comes back to try and show him that he needs to mend his ways and let people in.

However, I didn't end up connecting with the story, and I didn't think the two separate storylines meshed well together. The bits of Stanley looking back on his and Carol's relationship seemed out of place, and I thought that Lexi's romance angle took way too long to develop, and then stopped from reaching its full potential. For me personally, I think this story would have been made much more enjoyable if only one character was the central focus, which is honestly strange as I usually love these type of stories. 

I did enjoy the ending, and I loved the references to Icicle Falls, but it definitely isn't my favorite of this author's Christmas stories, and it won't be one that I will personally be rereading. I found it hard to get into, I found a lot of the plot was kind of unnecessary, and there really wasn't anything that truly made it stand out.

I'm thankful I gave it a try, but most likely won't be recommending it.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.