Blog Tour and Review: Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts

Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts

Harlequin Mira

October 2012

Format: e-book ARC, 

First line: Once in a while, if a woman is really lucky, the perfect day she envisioned turns out to be just that.

 

Synopsis: Cass Wilkes, owner of the Gingerbread Haus
bakery, was looking forward
to her daughter Danielle’s wedding—until Dani announced that she wants her
father, Cass’s ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? Even worse, it
appears that he, his trophy wife and their yappy little dog will be staying
with Cass .

Her
friend Charlene Albach arrives at their weekly chick-flick night in shock.
She’s just seen the ghost of Christmas past: her ex-husband, Richard, who left
a year ago when he ran off with the hostess from her restaurant, Zelda’s. Now
the hostess is history and he wants to kiss and make up. Hide the mistletoe!

And
bring out the hot buttered rum, because the holidays aren’t easy for Ella
O’Brien, either. Ella, newly divorced, is still sharing the house with her ex
while they wait for the place to sell. The love is gone. Isn’t it?

But watch as Christmas brings all kinds of surprises .

Merry
Ex-mas, ladies!

My thoughts: This is Sheila Roberts’ second book set in the fictional town of Icicle Falls and it is the perfect book to get in the holiday spirit. It is a story about heartbreak and second chances.

Three women – all friends – are each dealing with their ex’s as the holiday season approaches. Being in close quarters with these men brings feelings of jealousy and insecurity for Cass;  feelings of doubt for Ella;  and questions of whether second chances are really possible for Charlie.  It is very easy to love all these characters – flaws and all – and boy do they have some flaws! But isn’t what what makes a character lovable – ones that are not perfect, but true to life? How many of us can honestly say we have no flaws? 

Cass has a hard time sticking up for herself to not only her ex, but also her daughter during the wedding planning process – Dani is whiny and stubborn and leaves Cass in the lurch at work a few times. Cass also bites her tongue many times while her ex, Mason and his wife  stay at her house for the wedding.  Ella has always let her controlling mother have the last say – as in the case of the proof of Jake’s “straying.” She lets her mother decide what’s best for her instead of standing up to her and believing what’s in her heart. And Charlie refuses to listen to the warning bells in her head when Richard comes strolling back into her life.

All in all, Merry Ex-Mas is a fun, light, holiday read. We were first introduced to Icicle Falls in Better Than Chocolate, and some of those main characters make appearances in this one, including Samantha and her sisters.  I loved catching up with them and will be looking forward to catching up with everyone in the next Icicle Falls book, What She Wants. I also loved the cupcake recipes that were included at the back of the book – I foresee some baking in my future!!!

About the author: Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. She’s happily married and has three children. Her
books have been printed in several different languages and have been chosen for
book clubs such as Doubleday as well as for Readers Digest Condensed books. Her
best-selling novel On Strike for Christmas was made into a movie and appeared
on the Lifetime Movie Network. Her novel Angel Lane was named one of Amazon’s Top Ten Romances for
2009.

When she’s not making public appearances
or playing with her friends, she can be found writing about those things near
and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

You can visit Sheila Roberts’ website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Thanks to Dorothy at Pump Up For Book for coordinating this tour and to NetGalley for sending me the e-book. 

Books in this series:

1. Better Than Chocolate
2. Merry Ex-Mas
3. What She Wants – due out April 2013