Her book last year, A Little Christmas Spirit was one of my favorites of the season! This years was also very good. Three generations of the same family decided to change plans and visit one of their daughters new homes. All three couples must road trip through bad weather to get there by Christmas. Max and Michelle are on the verge of a divorce, but they decide to keep it quiet for the holidays. Hazel and Warren are in their golden years and dealing with some health issues. The last couple are sisters, Audra and Shyla. They have car trouble and their hotel reservation falls through, but they meet a kind stranger who welcomes them into their home.

This book is like a warm blanket and a hallmark movie. It definitely makes you believe in the magic of the Christmas spirit. All the couples have their issues, but they work them out by the end! Highly recommend this book and any of Sheila’s wonderful Christmas novels.

Thank you so much to @uplitreads, @_mira_books and Sheila for my gifted copy. The Road to Christmas is on sale now.

The Road to Christmas
Shelia Roberts

Roberts latest Christmas tale is heartfelt and touching. Her characters all go through challenges that every family experiences which makes them super relatable and they’re all likeable too. While each character goes through her and his own ah-ha life changing experience it’s definitely Max and Michelle that will touch every heart and will have every reader pulling for them and hoping that they find a way back to each other. By the end of this very special Christmas road trip the Christmas spirit will fill the heart of each and every reader and leave a smile on their face. If you love Christmas stories this one will fast become a favorite and one the audience will re-visit every year.

After a late-in-life miscarriage, a midlife crisis and misunderstandings and disappointments too much to count Max and Michelle Turbull’s twenty-five year marriage is on life support and not expected to survive. So after agreeing for the whole family to spend Christmas at their youngest daughter’s in Idaho they’ll be calling it quits. That is if they survive the road trip.
Shayla and Audrey Turbull are excited for this road trip together to spend Christmas at their sister’s. Shayla is unhappy to be away from her beau at Christmas but she thinks she might be getting a ring for New Year’s.
Audrey is happy to be leaving LA for a while, ever since her breakup it seems less and less like home but at the same time she’s reluctant to leave and look like a failure. She just wishes she could find Mr. Right like her two sisters.
Both sisters are worried that their mom and dad who used to have the perfect marriage may be on the verge of splitting up their relationship had been going downhill for a while even though they’vd tried to hide it from them.
Hazel and Warren Turnbull aka grandma and grandpa and mom and dad to Max are excited for the chance to spend Christmas with their first great-grandchild. Now that they’re getting older who knows how many road trips are left in their future, especially when Warren’s A-fib is unpredictable and he refuses to get the surgery his doctor says will make it better.
Santa has a lot to do for this family this Christmas and believers know he’s up for the challenge!

I love Sheila Roberts and enjoyed The Road to Christmas. It was an entertaining family Christmas story and even though it wasn't very realistic, it was a fun story with a happy ending for everyone.

I really enjoyed Sheila Robert’s A Little Christmas Spirit last year so I was super excited to get the opportunity to review her new one this year and it did not disappoint

Synopsis:

Three generations of travelers embark on a Christmas road trip filled with mishaps and warmth., set along the snowy mountains of Washington state.
Michelle and Max are begrudgingly going as to not disappoint their youngest daughter who has invited everyone to her new home in Idaho for Christmas. Their other two daughters, Shyla and Audrey and driving up from California together. Audry still scorned from a bad break up is subjected to Shyla’s matchmaking along the way with a hot rancher they meet during their travels. The grandparents Hazel and Warren have the shortest drive but with Warren’s heart problems and the dangerous snowy roads make it an eventful drive.
One thing is for sure this is a Christmas none of them will forget.

My thoughts

This book gave me all the feels because I could relate to Max and Michelle’s story. My own marriage of twenty-seven years is ending in divorce and I’m apprehensive about how the holidays and my future will look moving forward. I could also relate to Audrey and her bad luck with men after experiencing some dates post- marriage.

All of the characters get their HEA in the end which is just what you want in a holiday read! In my current predicament I almost didn’t want that for everyone but that's just me.

An amazing three generation Christmas story. Sat in the little town of Blossom Glen.

This Christmas is a bit different as, Julia the youngest of the three daughters just had a baby. So she wants her family to come to her house for Christmas.

This Christmas is a bit different as, Julia the youngest of the three daughters just had a baby. So she wants her family to come to her house for Christmas.Her grandparents Hazel in the morning run into some road conditions. Then Warren discovers that he forgot his medication at home!

Julia’s parents Michela and Max have not told the girls yet but they have not shared a room in a few years. After the holiday a divorce may be in their future. But after getting stuck on the road and some bad weather has that decision changed?

Audrey and Shyla The other two sisters decide to do the road trip together. Like the rest of the family they run into some weather conditions.

Do they all make it to Julia’s?
You will need to read the story to find out!

As always Sheila Roberts does not disappoint! This is my review and my opinion.

When Julia invites her entire family to her new house in Idaho for Christmas, it’s going to be an adventure for everyone. Three sets of travelers, from three different generations, are about to hit a lot of bumps in the road.

There are so many fun characters in this book. The parents, Max and Michelle, are trying to hide their very rocky marriage from their kids. This road trip could bring them back together or be the final nail in their coffin. The grandparents, Hazel and Warren, insist on traveling on their own even though lots of things can go wrong on their snowy trek. My favorite storyline comes from the sisters, Audrey and Shyla. On the hunt for a sexy rancher, they end up on quite the detour.

This book has so much to love
👫 marriage in crisis
🚗 road trips
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 heartwarming family moments
💕 new and old love
🙊 plenty of mishaps

It's adventures all around for the Turnbull family this holiday season, which makes Sheila Roberts's The Road to Christmas a thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish. The story does require some suspension of disbelief, but that's part of its charm, in my opinion. It doesn't have to be entirely believable to be full of Christmas spirit. The book is well written, the characters are likable, and the story is engaging. It's a great way to while away a weekend and get in the holiday spirit, so I'd say grab your beverage of choice, curl up in your favorite chair, and fall into the Turnbull family Christmas. IF this one doesn't have you ready for your own road trip, nothing will.

The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts is a contemporary novel that does have a bit of romance and is set during the Christmas season. The story in The Road to Christmas is one that changes the point of view between several characters during the book.

Michelle and Max are at a point in their marriage that divorce is being thought of by both now that their girls have all grown. Even with their marital troubles tough they can’t say no to their youngest, Julia, when she asks for the family to all come see her new home in Idaho.

Audrey and Shyla are Julia’s older siblings and of course they agree to Christmas with their younger sister and set out together to make the journey. And then Hazel and Warren, otherwise known as grandma and grandpa to the girls, also need to make a drive to get to Julia but are determined to do so too so that the whole family will be together for Christmas.

Even though I’ve read several books by Sheila Roberts and enjoyed them I think The Road to Christmas would have screamed read me regardless of the author as I love a good travel read and I love a good Christmas tale. With three pairs setting out on their own road trips I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what would happen. As much as I loved the story and all the action that came along though I did kind of think to myself just how realistic would it be for all three pairs to have such an adventure so I settled on four stars although the adventures certainly had me hooked!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I'm getting the itch for Christmas books.... My favorite time of year is just around the corner! If you are too, The Road to Christmas is a great transitional book as it begins around the dinner table at Thanksgiving and then transitions to three groups making the trek to spend Christmas together in Idaho! Thank you @sheilarobertswriter and @uplitreads @harlequinbooks for sending me a copy of this book. It's on shelves now. Add this one to your Christmas TBR!

Michelle and Max are not planning on a happy holiday. Their marriage is in shambles and the D word has entered their vocabulary. But now their youngest daughter, Julia, wants everyone to come to her new house in Idaho for Christmas, and she’s got the guest room all ready for Mom and Dad. Oh, joy.

Their other daughters, Audrey and Shyla, are driving up from California and hoping to meet a sexy rancher for Audrey along the way. What they don’t plan on is getting stranded on a ranch when the car breaks down.

The ones with the shortest drive are Grandma and Grandpa—also known as Hazel and Warren. It’s still a bit of a trek, and Hazel doesn’t like the idea of driving all that way in snow, but Warren knows they’ll have no problem. They have a reliable car—and snow tires and chains if they need them. They’ll be fine.

Surprises lie in store for all three sets of intrepid travelers as they set out on three very different adventures, all leading to one memorable family Christmas.

Three generations set off on a road trip to Idaho for Christmas. Each car experience varying life events along the way from minor to life-changing.

Car one: The Grandparents - Hazel & Warren
Car two: The sisters, Shayla and Audrey
Car three: The parents, Michelle & Max

This family saga touches on everything that could go wrong on a road trip during a snow storm. It also shows the struggles of miscommunications as the parents are on the brink of divorce. The story is set over the course of 2-days until together they all arrive at the third sisters home. The Road to Christmas is a quick read full road trip snacks, mishaps and newfound and reignited love.

Rating 3.5

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for the complimentary e-book of this novel.

Each year, I look forward to Sheila Roberts' Christmas novel and was happy to dig into The Road to Christmas. With the weather getting cooler in this part of my world, I snuggled up with a hot chocolate (spiked with Bailey's) to follow the story of 3 generations of one family take road trips to celebrate Christmas together. Grandparents, Hazel and Warren, are a sweet couple who just want everyone in their family to be happy. They are worried about their offspring and in their hurry to get going, things get forgotten at home, some that will have ramifications for their travel. Michelle and Max, mom and dad, are in the process of breaking up their marriage. They haven't told their family yet, planning to wait until after the holidays. Will their trip drive a further wedge between them, or give them the time and proximity to really talk to one another. Sisters, Audrey and Shyla, are travelling together. When they get a flat tire and their reservation for the hotel they plan to stay at wasn't confirmed properly they are stranded, until a local comes to their rescue. Three different roadtrips, three different situations and three new beginnings. A sweet story about family, love and opening your heart.

I enjoyed this story about a wonderful family. Each of the duos/couples have some trepidation about the upcoming Christmas celebrations. They were relatable in that the squabbles, teasing and even irritating behaviour can be seen in most families and relationships. There were times I wanted to reach into the pages and shake some of them, but that is also very realistic. I loved the idea of the groups all on a roadtrip, separately. The three storylines were well meshed, even though each group was on their own venture, they tied together through phone calls. With some Christmas Magic, love and forgiveness, we see New Beginnings and Family Relationships mended. A great story to read over the holidays.

I really enjoyed this book. So I will admit that this book did take me a while to get through but that was on me because when it comes to reading I have a hard time with multiple perspectives. When I finally was able to piece things together and get to know who each group was it got better. I mean you go the grand parents who are aging and not wanting to face having to go to a place that'll be better suited for their needs and are faced with a situation on their drive that get things kick started to really questioning things. Then you got the parents who are on the verge of divorce and with the possibility of a second chance. But what I loved about that couples road to their destination was getting to see their downfall and finding out the resentment that was going on. I mean the author really crafted these characters very well that your heart goes out to them and rooting for them to try before breaking the news that after the holidays it just might as well be the end of their marriage. Then you got the daughters on the road as well just comeing across mishap after mishap but then running into the possibility of love. It was so fun watching the sparks fly and hoping that she'll meet him again and it was just such an enjoyable read. Overall great book I really enjoyed it.

So happy I gave this new to me author a chance, I instantly fell in love with this story! 5 Christmas stars for this one!
Michelle an Max are at the end of their rope with each other, agreeing to divorce after the holidays. Now with Thanksgiving upon them and the family coming to celebrate, it's time to put on their happy faces so they don't see what's truly going on with them. Her mother in law knows something is going on, and tries to be there, but Michelle is just trying to get through the weekend with 2 of their 3 daughters. When their youngest who's married with a daughter wants the entire family to come to her home for Christmas, this sets off a series of road trips from all different locations, from the grandparents, her sisters, and her parents, each hitting a road block of sorts trying to get there in time for Christmas day!
I absolutely loved this entire story, second chances, personal struggles, you name it, this story had it! Perfect story for the holidays! Grab this one asap!

The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts is a sweet holiday novel. I look forward to reading Sheila Roberts’ latest Christmas story each year. The Road to Christmas has family members traveling to Idaho for Christmas. Julia, Max and Michelle’s youngest daughter, has invited everyone to her new home for the holidays. Max and Michelle are traveling from Washington. It is guaranteed to be a tense trip since the two have been sniping at each other and are weeks away from separating forever. Hazel and Warren, Julia’s grandparents, are traveling from Oregon. The trip gets off to a messy start. Audrey and Shyla, Julia’s sisters, are traveling from California. A flat tire turns into an unexpected blessing for the sisters. I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing. The characters and situations were realistic. I could picture each of the incidents happening to me or one of my family members (one was similar to an experience I had one year). I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Leavenworth, Washington. It is a picturesque town during the holidays. I loved the ending which had me smiling. The Road to Christmas shows us how “mishaps can turn into golden opportunities.” This is a story that will get you in the mood for the holidays (is September too early to put up the Christmas tree). The Road to Christmas is about family, forgiveness, second chances, and happiness. There is nothing better than a story that makes you laugh. The Road to Christmas is a special holiday tale with a holiday invite, squabbling sisters, a snowstorm shut down, parent problems, ticker troubles, a car misfortune, and red velvet lava.

A great Christmas story about a marriage on the rocks and family and how love can get you through the hard times.

It was decided at Thanksgiving that Michelle and Max’s youngest daughter, Julia would host the whole family for Christmas. This meant grandparents, Hazel and Warren, would travel to Idaho on their own while sisters Andrey and Shyla drove up from California. This also meant that Max and Michelle would have to make the trek together, when they are on the verge of a divorce. Add in winter conditions and no one could imagine what could happen on the road. However, in the spirit of the season, all 3 sets of travelers encounter their own adventures on their way to one of the best family holidays in a long time.

This book really had it all. I loved each individual story and how as a family, they all wove together on their own road. Each one could have been its own Hallmark movie. I especially enjoyed Audrey and Shyla’s adventure as Shyla was so sure in her relationship. As much as Audrey would get under her sister’s skin, she only wanted to see her happy and did everything in her power to make that happen. Each road trip had their own lesson learned and as much as this put you in the holiday spirit and ready for Christmas, it was great to see second chances and foreignness shine through as well.

Thank you again to UpLit Reads and Sheila Roberts for my early copy of The Road to Christmas! I am definitely in the holiday mood and am certainly on my own road to Christmas now!

Thoughts

Michelle and Max, the parents in the story, are planning on getting a divorce after the holidays. When their daughter invites them to her house for Christmas they agree to carpool. Everything that can go wrong does including bickering and a whole lot of tension.

We get to travel along with not only the unhappy couple but also their daughters. I definitely liked getting everyones story, but this is not your average feel good holiday read. The cover had me fooled because it’s the type that draws me in. Snow covered with Christmas Trees.

Overall I thought this was a cute read, but just know that not everything is cheery.

Loved it! This was my first book by Sheila Roberts and I felt that the story was very well written with lovable characters and I was immediately drawn into the story from the first page! . 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 is a story about family (3 generations), forgiveness and second chances.

If anyone is like me and obsess over those cute Christmas movies on Hallmark even though we know how they’ll end but we can’t get enough of them anyway, this book is for you! It’s a feel good book that is perfect for the holidays!

The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts is a unique balance of comedy and family drama. Three generations of family are all trying to make their way to Julie’s house for the holidays.
The parent’s drama was the most heartbreaking to me and unfortunately, we can see our own actions matching theirs too often. Blaming our spouse, rude responses, and short tempered, etc. It was good to see a happy ending for them. There are some sexual scenes between the married couple eventually, but it was all behind closed doors.
My favorite was Audrey and Shyla. These two sisters were hilarious, and the author created such real conversations between them. I am the oldest but hopefully not quite as controlling as Audrey. I loved how she met her Santa miracle. Shyla helps Santa just a tad in making it all happen. Russ and his family were perfect.
The grandparents were the third couple and probably my least favorite storyline.

I would recommend this story if you enjoy a Christmas Hallmark family drama with romance. I enjoyed it and would have loved for Audrey and Russ to get their own story.
Sexual content - sex between the parents behind closed doors. Kissing and hugging for the single girls
Violence - purse snatching attempt
Triggers - loss of baby,

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

“Life is about trying.”
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The Road To Christmas had such a great focus on family -both good and bad. We had stories from grandparents, the parents, and the three adult children all wrapped up into one. The grandparents, Helen and Warren, were very much in love but to the point where they maybe needed a little bit of help. The parents, Michelle and Max, were on the fast track to divorce after this holiday season. The 3 sisters, Audrey, Shula, and Julia, were all dealing with different phases of life -motherhood, new love, and heartbreak. Julia invites everyone to her new home for Christmas and they all decide to go, some more reluctantly than others. A rogue deer, a closed road, and a flat tire all end up being life lessons for everyone traveling. Can a marriage be saved? I’d love at first sight real?
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I really enjoyed the little “blasts from the past” memories sprinkled throughout this novel. We got to see some more depth to how everyone got to be in their current situations. There’s kind of a sense of sadness at the beginning learning about Michelle and Max but the author really cued us in behind the scenes that, perhaps, all love wasn’t lost. Yet. My favorite story line was Audrey’s. She had given up on relationships when “Santa” suddenly drops a handsome man in her world. The epilogue gave us the rest of that story that I needed and absolutely loved it. This story takes place at Christmas and ultimately that’s what brings everyone together but the overall theme was more of the familial relationships, I think. Overall I really enjoyed this book and getting to know this family. Now, off to bake a recipe from the back of the book! 👩🏻‍🍳🍰🎄
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