Little Christmas Spirit: A Novel

A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Connolly is a heartwarming Christmas tale. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. This is a cute holiday tale that will put a smile on your face. The book is well-written with realistic dialogue and characters. Stanley Mann is still mourning the loss of his wife, Carol. He has become something of a hermit and curmudgeon. Then his deceased wife, Carol makes an appearance. She is tired of Stanley moping about the house and has come to give him a big nudge. Lexie and her son, Brock have moved in next door. They are new to town and could use a father/grandfather figure in their lives. Stanley begins by doing little things and then he starts spending more time in their company until he says the wrong thing. It looks like he will end up spending Christmas alone despite Carol's best efforts. Is there a way to get them all back together again? Stanley may seem gruff but there is a softie in there somewhere. We get to know more about Stanley and Carol's life together through the reminisces. We get to see the special life the couple had together as Stanley travels down memory lane. Lexie is a teacher raising her son on her own. She is grieving the loss of her father. Lexie wishes her mother would visit her, but her mother is grieving as well. Lexie would like to find a man to be a part of her and Brock's life, but she wants to make sure that he is nothing like her ex-boyfriend. Brock was your typical little boy. He really took a shine to Stanley and helped bring the man out of his shell. Brock's behavior could be an example to adults especially his ability to forgive. There is a cute Westie in the story too. I have a feeling Carol helped the dog find Stanley. A Little Christmas Spirit is just what I needed to put me in the mood for the holidays. I knew I could count on Sheila Connolly to provide a touching Christmas tale. A Little Christmas Spirit is a tender holiday story with a cute canine, a bubbly boy, a calamitous matchmaking attempt, a grouchy grandpa, an inconvenient injury, and a tenderhearted teacher.