Sheila Roberts

A Christmas Carol / The Grinch / Up Mashup. If you go into this book expecting a romance - how it was marketed to me - ... ummmm.... yeah, this isn't really that. The "romance" here is fully tacked on in the last 20% of the book, with the guy barely mentioned at all before that point (and even in the "romance" here, the rest of the plot of the book is still truly the driver). But if you go into this as more of a women's fiction / Christmas type book, it works quite a bit better. The focus is show more largely on Stanley, who is an amalgamation of the memorable parts of Scrooge (from A Christmas Carol, including a Christmas Ghost in the form of his dead wife), The Grinch (and his too-small-due-to-pain heart), and Carl from Pixar's Up (grump old widower who doesn't really like kids... at first). Then we're introduced to Lexie and her son Brock, and from that point on Stanley's life will never be the same again. But the majority of the book really is spent on Stanley, Lexie, and Brock, with the edge to Stanley and his memories of his wife (and interactions with her ghost). Here, it really does work to be a heartwarming tale (or heartworming, for those adverse to stories that get a bit saccharine at times, and in nod to the word I originally wrote there :D) again in line with A Christmas Carol and The Grinch. A fun tale that could have gotten a lot more depressing than it ever did, this is a solid Christmas tale... just not a Christmas Romance. Very much recommended. show less

Don’t dismiss this book by its cover (c’mon, who DOESN’T lick chocolate off the spoon?) or name. It’s not a Fifty Shades book – not at all. This is a sweet, fun book about a woman and her sisters who are trying to save a family business from ruin. Add in a Mr Dreamy competition, some good guys (and bad ones) and life lessons, and you’ve got an entertaining book on your hands.

Samantha Sterling runs Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company, which has been in the family for generations. Life show more was pretty sweet until the untimely death of her stepfather leaves the business in managerial and financial shambles. Add in the untimely return of former football hero and man with something to prove, Blake Preston, as Samantha’s new bank manager and she’s in serious trouble – not even chocolate can fix this one! Or can it…Samantha decides to host the ailing town’s first chocolate festival in a last ditch attempt.

Filled with warm and funny characters – from Samantha’s financially inept mother (whose sideline is self-help type books) to Bill Will, cowboy who isn’t averse to stripping – in public - this book will put a smile on your face. There are plenty of gratuitous references to chocolate (particularly salted caramel and other new delights) – so much so that I’d put in an order to Sweet Dreams if I could! The luckless in love Sterling sisters – Samantha, Bailey and Cecily are like the sisters you wish you had. I would have liked to read a little more about Cecily and Bailey, but I hear that this book is the first in a series, Life in Icicle Falls, so perhaps we will later.

Samantha’s attempts to get the chocolate festival underway were both fun and frustrating. I loved reading about the Mr Dreamy (Icicle Falls’ hottest man) competition and I emphasised when her plans were thwarted by Prissy of the local council. The unresolved sexual tension between Samantha and Blake was also well played out, as it was more of an accompanying plot to trying to save Sweet Dreams rather than the main focus. However, there are plenty of potential romances blossoming around Icicle Falls if that’s what tickles your fancy!

Definitely yummy, this is a book that chocolate addicts shouldn’t miss!

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

First, let me say how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Life's waters have been a little rough for me lately, and there's nothing quite like the support of family and friends to help keep you bobbing and afloat until you reach a nice tranquil bay. In SMALL CHANGE, Sheila Roberts writes about just that - the strength and encouragement that three women friends provide to each other during difficult times, and how that friendship also helps to strengthen and renew the women's individual show more family relationships as well.

Our heroines, Rachel, Jessica, and Tiffany, are each experiencing financial problems in a realistic reflection of what has been happening across the U.S. in the last couple of years. It's not hard to relate to any of these women or the tough times they experience and the choices they have to make. Rachel is a single mom struggling to land a permanent job, Jessica is a not-so-empty nester who is forced back into the workplace after years of being a stay-at-home mom, and (the saucily named) Tiffany is a shopaholic whose retail therapy just perpetuates her problems.

Though their problems are serious, Roberts writes with a light touch and plenty of wit. I think I found Jessica to be the most fun character. She has to resort to some clever scheming to get her grown son up on his feet and out of the house. And her decision to audition as a lead singer for an all-girl oldies band is spunky and bold and just made me smile.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tiffany's inability to control her spending and the potential threat to her marriage is a cautionary tale. The term "shopoholic" really rather trivializes Tiffany's affliction. But this is not a heavy book, and I like the way Roberts handled Tiffany's problem. She made it serious enough that it could not be ignored, but not so devastating that recovery wasn't possible.

There's also room in this story for romance, which provides tension of another sort: how will the long-suffering Rachel react when her Prince Charming presents her with an engagement ring AND a pre-nup? I'm not giving anything away, but I loved the way Roberts resolved that issue.

Additionally, Roberts found a terrific way to weave in some basic financial tips and advice -- Rachel creates a blog! Now raise your hands if you can relate to that!

This was the first book by Sheila Roberts that I've read, but it won't be the last. It's an enjoyable and "light" read that also provides plenty of provocative material to mull over and/or discuss. I like the way Roberts focused in on real issues and created believable and empathetic characters. I don't think reading SMALL CHANGE will change your life, but its story and characters will provide a triple threat of humor, hope, and happiness against whatever hard times might be clouding your days. show less

I don't think I would have re-read this book if it hadn't literally fallen on my head...as books stored on high precarious perches are wont to do. Back in the early days of my romance reading life I read Zebra and Signet Regency novels as if they were the air I breathed. My locker at school was crammed full of them so I could grab a new one every time I finished one (in class), my backpack had a couple, my closet was overflowing. They were some of the few I could afford at the used book show more store as well.

I remember reading this one--I'm a sucker for "switcheroo" romances in any form--and sighing over how romantic it was all was.

Look I was a henwitted and sheltered child so forgive my transgresses.

Reading this now I'm simply APPALLED that I ever found it romantic. Until page 188 (out of 221pages) our romantic male lead Charles Trevor is UNCERTAIN if he still loved the female lead's sister (Elyza) still. Elyza being the beautiful sister he had been admiring from afar for ever so long and whom he thought he was proposing to after spending an evening at the masquerade conversing with.

I can't help but wonder how he enjoyed himself so greatly with Emily (disguised as Elyza). Did he never SPEAK to Elyza? Did it not occur to him that Emily's brand of humor, which largely consists of clever quips and commentary about social foibles, was entirely DIFFERENT from Elyza's more...shall we say narcissistic humor? He claims to have loved Elyza from afar for "all of the season", yet it must have REALLY been from afar to not notice the differences between the two girls even with masks on.

I mean the differences were ENDLESSLY pointed out by Emily or Elyza or others. Starting with how Emily had dark brown eyes and darker blond hair while Elyza had cornflower blue eyes and almost WHITE blonde hair. Maybe the hair could be excused--she could have been wearing a wig--but they didn't have colored contacts back in Regency England so how then did he not notice the eye color when ALL he spoke about was how lovely Elyza's eyes were when compared to the sky?

Let's put that aside for his behavior post-proposal to Emily, aka the "wrong" sister. He legitimately spends 90% of the book saying what a good girl Emily is and how understanding she is to be letting him out of the engagement (at some point or other in the nearish future), but gosh won't it be great to be able to marry her sister? Meaning he's going to be tossed over by Emily (because they "don't suit") and immediately engage himself to Elyza. I'm certain the ton would never be so crass as to gossip that the reason they didn't suit was because he preferred Elyza to Emily (and that's assuming they're nice about it). In all honesty if that came to pass Emily would be looked on with far more favor then Elyza or Charles because the ton would instantly surmise (rightfully or otherwise) that Charles preferred Elyza because she was the beauty.

The only real bright spot in this entire book is Emily. While I couldn't quite get past her constantly sighing over being a martyr (even if she never said as much) I greatly enjoyed her otherwise. To be perfectly honest I wish Lord Beddington (a "rakehell" and ruiner of gently bred women's reputations :eyeroll: more on this in a moment) had swept Emily away. Once her got past the nonsense over Elyza he was far more intriguing, upfront and honest then Charles ever was. He stated quite plainly that Elyza was pretty, but pretty wasn't enough for him anymore. He was bored of it and Emily, with her quick wit and tongue, was perfectly suited to him.

Truthfully Rabe does a terrible job of making him seem unsuitable for Emily. Yes he tried to lure her sister into scandalous things, but really I could well see Elyza chasing him first. Girl had as much sense in her head as a peagoose. He acted no worse for his behavior then most formerly rakehell heroes...but then I suppose that's the rub. Around when this was originally published (1994) I don't think it was quite the thing to have the romantic male lead be a "rakehell" or "have a reputation". From the books I read published around that time and earlier, insofar as Regencies went, leading men tended to have perhaps a reputation as a heart breaker or as having mistresses, but that's as grey as they got. Men rumored to have ruined gently bred young ladies were not likely.

Where was I before I started my love of Beddington. Oh yes. Charles' other sin was to blatantly flirt with Elyza in front of Emily (in front of other guests!), then redden when he realized what he was doing and as an after thought offer Emily some compliments of a less passionate nature. To Elyza it often was "You look stunning!" and to Emily "You aren't hard on the eyes at all". Rousing romantic that he was.

So really I can't help but think the me of 15 was an incurable IDIOT. But I suppose that's bound to happen when your only brush with romance was through the pages of a book. show less