Christmas on Candy Cane Lane

I don't know about you, but in our city we have places where it has become a bit of a Christmas tradition in that particular neighborhood to really go all out in decorating for Christmas. You know those places, where people will drive miles just to share the Christmas displays with their friends and family. This is just what Candy Cane Lane is famous for and each year, the entire neighborhood gets into the Spirit of not only going all out on the decorating, but even dressing up and passing out candy canes to those who drive through the neighborhood. In fact Maddy Donaldson is considered by her neighbors and even family as being the Queen of Candy Cane Lane's Christmas festivities. She ensures that everyone is up to par on making sure they are participating, having their light displays up and if there are any lights out, she is the one to let them know. However, she has been neglecting her husband Alan and her daughter Jordan in the process and they are trying hard to convince her to let some of that responsibility go.

Tilda Morrison, has just bought the run down house on Candy Cane Lane with plans of fixing it up, but her lack of home economic skills are lacking severely. Between her job at the Icicle Falls Police Force, and trying to figure out her own love life, she isn't quite sure she is ready to battle Maddy's spirited insistence that she participate in the Christmas light display. But when someone begins to vandalize the lighted candy canes, Tilda will have to get involved. Unfortunately as well, her family is insisting that they all celebrate the holiday at her new home with the dinner being cooked by Tilda. The only thing she knows how to do when it comes to planning a meal is stopping at the local Safeway deli and picking up something to go.

Ivy Bohn is struggling to find a way to hold down her busy family business as well as raising her two young children after her husband Rob decided that he wanted to go it alone. Not dealing with the implications of running into him during his time of visitation, she can't help but seem quite a bit grinchy towards him. The last thing she wants to do is rely on him to help do things like fix her broken washing machine, help catch her ever escaping dog, Gizmo or figure out a way to put up her Christmas lights on the house while dealing with her fear of heights. To top it off, her new neighbor Tilda, is a friend from school that she didn't not get along with at all. How can she find a way to get into the true Christmas spirit? Oh if only things didn't turn out the way they did.

I received Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Shelia Roberts compliments of Mira Books and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review. This is a great contemporary Christmas fiction, that you can find yourself relating to at least one of the many characters in the book. While this novel is clean to some degree, some implied ideas such as the thoughts Tilda considered when thinking of possible men she'd like to do more than simply date, might not be the subject matter some might wish to see in a book. However, that is about as far as it goes. In my opinion, I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and loved the laughter and friendship that is formed in a wonderful neighborhood like Icicle Falls! This is the 8th book in the Life in Icicle Falls Series!

For more information about Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, Shelia Roberts, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Shelia Roberts

You can find Shelia Robert's on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Christmas on Candy Cane Lane, please visit Pump Up Your Books Tour Page. 

The Nine Lives of Christmas

When a guy is in trouble, he starts making deals with his Creator…and Ambrose the cat is no exception. In danger of losing his ninth and final life, Ambrose makes a desperate plea. He’ll do anything—anything!—if he can just survive and enjoy a nice long, final life. His prayer is answered when a stranger comes along and saves him, and now it looks like he has to hold up his end of the bargain.

The stranger turns out to be a fire fighter named Zach, the quintessential commitment- phobe who’s in need of some serious romantic help. If Ambrose can just bring Zach together with Merilee, the nice lady who works at Pet Palace, it’s bound to earn him a healthy ninth life. Unfortunately for Ambrose, his mission is a lot harder than he ever anticipated. Now it’s going to take all his feline wiles—and a healthy dose of Christmas magic—to bring them all together in time for the holidays.

The story is told from three different points of view from the residents of Angel Falls, first is Ambrose, the cat who fears that he is on his last of nine lives and wishes for one more opportunity at his last life, as long as it's relaxing and a very LONG one. He silently makes a vow to his maker that if he can just have one more try, he promises that he will do better at if given just this last chance. He has spent most of his other eight lives searching for a permanent place to live, dodging dogs, and trying to find a warm meal. Now if he can only find someone to save him from the tree he managed to climb up in with a vicious dog waiting for him at the bottom. Lucky for him, he's about to get his wish!

Zachery Stone, a firefighter in search of something besides just working. He liked helping people and fixing up his old Victorian home but not to fill it with a family much to the suggestion of his mother and his sister. Even though they had both attempted to set him up with online dating services and even the Bachelor, he had hoped they figured out that he wasn't interested in marriage. No worries, no stress, no "Honey Do" lists, just good times being a single guy. But his life is about to change when a stray orange cat shows up unexpectedly on his front porch with a chewed up ear and a flea collar. He hoped to hold on to him long enough for his owner to come pick him up. Yet Ambrose has other plans.

Merilee White, our heroine who works at Pet Palace and runs into Zach when he heads there to find some cat food for the stray that has now found a home with him. She provides him with advice on what to feed cats, even though she is cute and reminds Zach of an elf-ette with curls! She thought she may have connected with Zach but when he takes her advice and just buys the cat food, she feels rejected. She keeps questioning what she said or did wrong. Even though her sisters seem to have no problem finding guys. They keep telling her she's sending out the wrong signals. If only she could the right guy, someone like the guy who she gave advice about the cat food. He was a Viking and the plus side, was that he liked animals too. The insecurity she held onto since middle school along with the recent weight loss keep holding her back. She kept thinking she was a failure. If only seems to be her Christmas wish this year.

Each one takes an opportunity at sharing their version of how their lives all combine to make for a heart warming, romantic Christmas story! I received The Nine Lives of Christmas by Shelia Roberts, compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and was more than delighted. It's like a version of It's A Wonderful Life from a cat's point of view with a surprising blend of a romantic matchmaker thrown in. Just what you need to get in the spirit for Christmas and well worth every one of 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

The Nine Lives of Christmas by Shelia Roberts

You can follow Shelia on her Facebook page by clicking here.