Goodreads

Release date: September 28, 2021

Publisher: Harper Audio

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

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!

Review:

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!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.