A Little Christmas Spirit is a standalone Christmas book by Shelia Roberts. The characters are absolutely wonderful, and it will be very difficult not to fall in love with them. A sweet romantic holiday read that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

Thank you to#netgalley and #harlequintradepublishing for an advanced copy of this novel to read and review.
In A Little Christmas Spirit, talented author Sheila Roberts tells the story of single parent Lexi and her son Brock in the days leading up to the holiday season. An injury forces Lexi to rely on friends and neighbors for assistance even though she is fiercely independent but she will do anything for Brock. Enter Stanley Mann, whom Brock dubs ‘Grandpa Stanley.’ Following the death of his wife Stanley has become a hermit and he thinks he likes it that way. Will ‘ spirited’ visits from his wife Carol, and a loving pull from Lexi and Brock convince him otherwise?
I loved this cute yet thoughtful holiday story. It is at times funny and thoughtful. The only thing that keeps it from being a 5 star read for me is that while there is a romance for Lexi included, To me it felt rushed and thrown in at the end. Overall, I think this novel is well worth a read and I highly recommend it!

Lexi, Brock and Stan made this a wonderful holiday story. Sheila Roberts has really come thru again. Sure there was a bit of romance, but it was more about creating a family and helping each other. Loved this book

Warning: A Little Christmas Spirit not only tackles life post-Covid, it’s also one of those throwback novels where only The Magic of Christmas And Other People can heal extreme emotional trauma. If you want to dodge either subject, this book definitely isn’t for you. But the book’s off-kilter sense of humor got to me after a while, as did the honestly sweet story about a bunch of souls becoming a found family.  If you’re in the right mood, the author’s talent helps pull you through and ultimately wins the day.

The amazingly-named electrician Stanley Mann has been hermiting in his Fairwood, California home ever since the tragic death of his wife Carol in a car accident AND the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the last thing he wants to deal with is the cheer of the holiday season or family togetherness.  He’s ignored his sister’s pleas to get together for Thanksgiving and is resolutely avoiding human contact or participating in holiday rituals as he indulges in some mourning.  Then his wife appears to him in a dream, demanding he get on with the process of living and telling him to participate in holiday celebrations again – something he barely did when she was alive.  She proceeds to haunt him during his waking hours forcing him through the customs of the holiday season.

Kindergarten teacher Lexie Bell* has no living family other than her young son, six-year-old Brock, who is the result of one of a string of failed dead-end relationships. When she buys the house next to Stanley’s and moves in just after Thanksgiving, it’s in the hope of trying to establish a happy and orderly life - and Christmas - for the boy.  Which means lights, tinsel and a traditional Christmas puppy**.  When Brock pops over to Stanley’s house to interrogate him - when Brock is supposed to be climbing a tree within his mother’s line of sight - it brings the two families in contact.

Stanley does not want to be anyone’s adopted grandpa.  Lexie does not want to bother the lonely older man next door.  But thanks to Brock, the spectral Carol’s stubbornness, and a stray dog, the two of them begin to care about one another.

A Little Christmas Spirit is, one should be aware right off the bat, not a flat-out romance.  It’s definitely fluffy women’s fiction, and definitely about Brock, Lexie and Stanley becoming a found family.  Even though Lexie and Stanley spend a lot of bonding time together – to the point where I honestly believed they were going to become an item – he becomes the dad she never had in a lot of ways.  While there are two secondary romances – Stanley’s ongoing love for and infatuation with the ghostly Carol, who is trying to get him to let go, and Lexie’s connection to the handsome Truman Phillips, whom she meets during the last third of the book – they are nowhere near as important as family bonding is to this book.  And I truly enjoyed the very sweet connection between this newfound family, which boosts this grade up to a B.

And that’s quite all right.  Sweet, even.  The book has a sense of kindness that is soup to the soul and it really works – for every character but Brock. Good lord, the saccharine sweetness of Brock, who comes off as a child even younger than six and cloys and simpers like someone half his age.  He’s the main reason this doesn’t make it to DIK level.

If you can tolerate all of that sweetness, that kindness, that light, then A Little Christmas Spirit will be right up your alley.  But if you’re a trifle diabetic – well, trust me when I say it’s worth avoiding.

Note: * I do not encourage readers to google the character’s name with SafeSearch off.

** Multiple animal experts encourage adopters NOT to adopt “Christmas pets” and instead pick them up after the holidays, because it’s bad and stressful for the animal.  Just putting that out there...

Buy it at Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

Visit our Amazon Storefront

I always look forward to Sheila Roberts' Christmas stories and this one was one of the best I have read this year. This was a bit of a Scrooge retelling, but it is a very different story. Stanley Mann lost his Christmas spirit when he lost his wife and he sees no point in looking for it. He is miserable, unfriendly and very unneighbourly. When a single mother, Lexie Bell and her young son, Brock move in next door, Stanley has no intention of getting to know them. When he begins seeing his wife in his dreams he gets a rude awakening. She prods him to get to know the new neighbours and Brock very quickly begins calling him Grandpa Stanley as he just lost his grandfather. It takes a while, but Stanley becomes close to Brock and Lexie and they become a surrogate family to him.

I loved this story. It was all about family, both found and blood, as well as love, community and caring. Brock was such a great character. He brought Stanley and Lexie together as a family and he made me smile so many times. Lexie was such a great mom. She wanted the best for her son, even if it meant moving away and starting over with a new job and a new community. I also loved Stanley. I totally understand how he felt, losing my husband 6 weeks before Christmas several years ago. Stanley didn't have any family to pull him out of the doldrums, so Lexie and Brock did the job. I also liked learning about Stanley and Carol as well as their romance and life together that was told through flashbacks. I can't forget to mention the little dog that Stanley finds at the beginning of the story that also becomes part of his life. This was such a wonderful story of caring, community, found family, Christmas Magic, friendship and hope.

I really liked A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts. Sheila Roberts is a very descriptive writer. You can see in your mind the grumpy neighbor I guess you could say the grinch. But there is much kindness and love in the grumpy old man. Read the story I think you love it. This is a story of kindness and love which is great anytime of year but is especially good at Christmas time.

Sweet, quirky and fun. Family and friends feature in this very cute story. Even deceased family! I loved it.
Single Mom, adorable kid and grumpy haunted widower next door combine to make the perfect Christmas tale.

A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts is a delightful, heartwarming Christmas book. It’s the perfect story for the holidays as it’s all about helping neighbors and working together.

Lexie Bell is a single mom to her six-year-old son Brock and has recently moved to a new home and she’s hoping they both can make new friends with their neighbors. Except their neighbor is Stanley, a recently widowed grumpy recluse.

Stanley hates Christmas and doesn’t want anything to do with his new neighbors, but Brock has taken a liking to him and insists on calling him, Grandpa Stanley. Can a young woman and her charming young son help Stanley get back his Christmas Spirit? Maybe with a little help from his late wife’s ghost, they can.

I enjoyed this heartfelt Christmas book and it really got me into the Christmas spirit. I liked how these characters needed each other but didn’t necessarily want to be near each other! I liked how the author told Stanley’s story of meeting and falling in love with his wife, it gives Stanley a bit of humanity as he’s so grumpy and anti-social.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a feel-good Christmas story that will warm your heart. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A sweet and heartwarming story, this book is guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit! In the vein of grumpy old man meets young family who tries to draw him out of his shell, with a few twists along the way, there is family (chosen and birth), friendship, community, and a whole lot of heart. It's also perfect for this year, when many haven't been able to gather with their families and friends for some time. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advance digital copy!

A Little Christmas Spirit
Sheila Roberts
September 28, 2021

The holidays are always hardest when you are alone. Since Carol died three years ago Stanley Mann has elected to remain alone. He lives a solitary life in the home that he and his wife built. They had no children despite Carol´s wanting a child. She taught school and loved working with her students. Stanley was an electrician. Upon retirement they planned to travel, explore, and have a grand life together. When she passed he could not get past his loss. He lived in their home, took care of it. He refused invitations to visit his brother and sister-in-law for visits. Again the call came to persuade him to make the drive to Seattle for Thanksgiving. Once more he refused. He spent the day watching games on TV, had frozen pizza for dinner with ice cream for dessert. Although the neighborhood was changing with people selling and others buying he ignored the changes. At night he filled his head with memories of his life before.
Roberts latest book celebrates the holiday season through her characters wins and losses. She spends part of the journal with remembrances and Stanley's journey into the past. From there she becomes involved in his neighbor´s life since she moved to Washington to teach school and raise her son, Brock. She too was alone. She made acquaintances through school but her hopes to meet her neighbors were unfounded.
This was an interesting rather sad tribute to the holidays. Characters lead lonely lives and spend those special times without family. As the days progressed Stanley and Lexie became familiar but hardly friends. A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts was published on September 28, 2021 by Mira via Harlequin Books. I appreciate them allowing me to read and review this novel via NetGalley. I did enjoy reading it but found the memory sequences rather long; however I became more involved with the latter section of the book. Many of her fans are relishing this new book. Holiday novels are wonderful reads, in this case it shows us a different path.

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.

This is a quick fun read. The protagonist, a widower, is a quirky character who is visited by the ghost of his wife often. I don't love that part, but I do understand how it adds to the story...his character evolves from a disgruntled person to one who can look at the world and live again. The book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for review. I enjoyed it...

Ok y’all this one is just begging to be made into a Hallmark movie! It was completely heartwarming, it had all the holiday vibes and I think it would appeal to a few different types of readers because it wasn’t just a straightforward romance. At its heart it’s about an unlikely friendship between Lexie, a single mom and her neighbor, Stanley. Stanley is a grouchy old man who is mourning the loss of his wife and he wants nothing to do with the holidays, in fact he really wants nothing to do with the outside world period. Until Lexie’s son decided Stanley would make a perfect stand in grandpa and he begins seeing his late wife’s ghost. Or is he cracking up? So an adorable premise and it was executed so well, I really enjoyed this one. I liked that romance was a very small part of the story and that it was really about found family and embracing the holiday spirit with friends instead. It sure made me get into the right frame of mind a few months early 😉 but I definitely recommend it when you’re ready for a warm and cozy holiday read! The audio was also fabulous, Ann Marie Gideon also narrated the authors previous series and I’ve grown to love listening to her!

Reading Sheila Roberts' stand-alone Christmas books has became an annual tradition for me. The character-driven stories are filled with humor, emotion, kindness, and hope. In A Little Christmas Spirit, there's enough complexity to keep things interesting, a meddling ghost who elicited both laughter and tears, and happy endings of the romantic, family, and chosen family kind.

I immediately liked and empathized with Lexi and her young son, Brock. I would have loved hanging out with them, baking cookies and having fun. I was cheering for both of them to find the right people to complete their family.

Stanley about broke my heart with his broken heart. I enjoyed reading the flashbacks of his relationship with his late wife. They were so poignant but also instrumental in helping him remember the joy they had shared. That's so often forgotten amidst grief. And then there were the ghostly visits. Some hilarious, some heart-tugging, all helping Stanley to move forward. And Brock. I loved Stanley's reluctant relationship with Brock. That little boy is hard to say no to and it made me so happy to watch Stanley's heart begin to open up to both mother and son even while his crusty outer layer remained intact. This Christmas Grinch was not going down easily.

If, like me, your idea of a good time on a cold December night is to curl up with a cozy blanket, a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and a feel-good, Hallmark holiday movie, then you are going to love this book. I recommend adding it to your holiday reading list.

4.5 Stars
*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

I adore all 0f Sheila Roberts’ books. Stanley is a curmudgeon who lost his wife three years ago. He’s a grump, but he does the right thing, promoted by the ghost of his wife. Lexie and her son Brock are adjusting to a new town. Brock latches on to Stanley, along with a cute dog. All of the necessary ingredients are present for a happy holiday read with warmth, sadness, and joy. I’ve always had a soft spot for old grumps so Stanley went straight to my heart. If you need a little Christmas right this very minute, read this book.

Stanley is quite the curmudgeon in this Christmas tale. I didn't especially like the back and forth between present day and the past. Carol appearing to Stan was a little weird. I liked that Lexus and Brock did help bring Stan out of his own little world.

I have read many of Sheila Roberts' books and found "A Little Christmas Spirit" to be quite different but really good. It is the story of neighbors who struggle to get along in the beginning but come to realize that they need each other in their lives. The spirit comes in when the older curmudgeonly man is visited on several occasions by his dead wife who convinces him to make friends with the young mother and her son next door. It's a sweet and happy Christmas story with the right amount of conflict and angst thrown in. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Christmas read with heart and a little romance.

I absolutely love Sheila Roberts and her Christmas novels are my favorite! This one her typical story and it gave me all the holiday goodness I look for in her stories.

This is another great book from Sheila Roberts. The two main characters are Lexie and Stanley. Lexie is a single mother and school teacher. Stanley has had a good life with his wife Carol until three years ago when she had a deadly car accident. Lexie and Stanley are neighbors. They start out trying to help each other and become good friends. Lexie finds true love and Stanley has Lexie’s help with his wife’s death.