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    The Nine Lives of Christmas
    The Nine Lives of Christmas
    The Nine Lives of Christmas
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Nine Lives of Christmas

    Written by Sheila Roberts

    Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Two people are about to discover that when it comes to finding love, sometimes Christmas magic isn't enough…sometimes it takes a pesky orange cat named Ambrose.


    When a guy is in trouble, he starts making deals with his Creator…and Ambrose the cat is no exception. In danger of losing his ninth and final life, Ambrose makes a desperate plea to the universe. He'll do anything—anything!—if he can just survive and enjoy a nice long, final life. His prayer is answered when a stranger comes along and saves him—and now it looks like he has to hold up his end of the bargain.

    The stranger turns out to be a firefighter named Zach, who's in need of some serious romantic help. If Ambrose can just bring Zach together with Merilee, the nice lady who works at Pet Palace, it's bound to earn him a healthy ninth life. Unfortunately for Ambrose, his mission is a lot harder than he ever thought. Merriliee is way too shy to make the first move on a ladies man like Zach, and Zach thinks he's all wrong for a nice girl like Merrilee. Now it's going to take all of Ambrose's feline wiles—and maybe even a good old fashioned Christmas miracle—to make them both realize that what they're looking for is right in front of their eyes.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateOct 25, 2011
    ISBN9781427221070
    The Nine Lives of Christmas
    Author

    Sheila Roberts

    USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Sheila Roberts has seen her books translated into several different languages, included in Readers Digest compilations, and made into movies for the Hallmark and Lifetime channels. She's happily married and lives in the Pacific Northwest. Website: sheilasplace.com; Facebook: @funwithsheila; Twitter: @_Sheila_Roberts; Instagram: @sheilarobertswriter.

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    Reviews for The Nine Lives of Christmas

    4/5

    46 ratings11 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Had a good story idea but the girl was just a bit too desperate and insecure.
    • 5/5
      This was such a cute, fluffy read and perfect for this time of year! I loved the parts from Ambrose’s point of view and the story was the perfect mix of second chances, family, love, cats, and humor.
    • 4/5
      Sheila Roberts is my favorite author and I've read all of her books so I had to read her latest Christmas novel! The writing style was different from her other books. She normally follows the lives of 3 or 4 women and they tie together throughout the story but this time she only focused on a male character and one female character and a cat. She is an awesome storyteller so it was easy to enjoy the story but I missed her traditional writing style. This story also had a little too much male perspective for me as well. Not my most favorite of her books but worth reading especially if you like cats and romance.
    • 2/5
      This book was horrible. The main male character is mostly a mesonginistic butthole who uses descriptors like "hot little bod" to describe our main female character who is a shallow characterization of a woman who used to be overweight (and thus undesireable by any man) and has now lost enough weight to be desireable. She still carries around her belittled self-image, and I found this really kind of disgusting. Oh hooray! This man thinks I'm hot enough to be his girl, and now I have a reason to live!! UGH. The only reason this book is getting two stars instead of one are the feline characters - but the kitties almost aren't enough to justify slogging through this mess.
    • 4/5
      Give me a book with a cat and Christmas in it and it's a surefire bet that I'm going to like it. The Nine Lives of Christmas is a lovely Christmas tale told partially from a cat's point of view. The cat is named Ambrose and he is a yellow tabby who is on his last life. Ambrose is so engaging. Sheila really captured what most of us cat lovers know about cats...little lovers with attitude. I enjoyed the parts featuring Ambrose best, with his inner monologue all focused on how he is going to achieve a long and comfortable ninth life. Of course, some matchmaking is in order. It wouldn't be a Christmas story unless there was a little romance thrown in.

      I was afraid at first that this book might end up very sad. It seems that a lot of the stories featuring animals often do. Luckily, this book filled the bill of a fun and heartwarming Christmas tail (tale...sorry, had to use Sheila's witticism) that just adds to the fun and magic of the season. Thank goodness Nicholas Sparks doesn't write Christmas books.

      If you love Christmas themed books, you will really enjoy this book. I know it has become part of my permanent Christmas book collection and, I'm sure, will get a reread in Christmases to come!
    • 2/5
      Ambrose, the cat, is in danger of losing his ninth life…unless he can help Zach, who rescues him. Can he get Zach and Pet Palace Merilee together?
    • 4/5
      The Nine Lives of Christmas is a fun read that is perfect for getting the reader into the holiday spirit. Narration is shared by three very different but equally likable characters, a firefighter who is in search for love (although he doesn't always acknowledge it), a sweet heroine, and Ambrose the cat who takes on the most important role of all, the matchmaker. I was a fan of The Nine Lives of Christmas from the very beginning. Ambrose is absolutely hysterical and Zach and Merilee are completely believable and likable characters. While the main story-line is somewhat predictable, there are plenty of surprises sprinkled in.
      I recommend The Nine Lives of Christmas to readers who are looking for a good romance with a Christmas backdrop and as one of Sheila Roberts best books it is not to be missed by her fans. It is also the perfect gift for the cat lover in your life.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this on the back of the film caught on cable. Ambrose the cat really shines through in the book vs. film. Also liked the much better character development of the fireman. Book had a good balance between fantasy and ordinary, decent plot line and interesting characters. On the whole, pleasantly surprised.
    • 5/5
      Well, Ambrose is on his ninth life – and he’s about ready to lose it. He’s at the top of a rather tiny tree with a dog bounding higher with every leap just below him. Like we all do when we’re in trouble, we begin making promises to our maker in order to be spared. Zach is jogging nearby and comes to Ambrose’s rescue by chasing the dog away. Now Ambrose thinks he ‘owes’ the man something for saving his life. First, he needs the man to accept him into his home. Then, he needs to figure out exactly what the man requires and how to fix it.Zach is a bachelor. His home is temporary – it’s a beautiful Victorian home that he’s remodeling in order to sell it. He’s not a cat person. But, he has a heart and eventually lets Ambrose in from the cold and snow. He can see from the collar that the cat is Ambrose, but changes it to Tom – something not so ‘wussy’. He needs some supplies for Tom, so he visits Pet Palace. Merilee knows a lot about cats and helps Zach pick out the best food. Zach is not interested in a serious relationship; he’s been burned before. In fact, he’s dating Blair who is Pet Palace’s owner’s daughter.Merilee is a bit down on herself. She’s lost weight recently so she has curves, but she hides them under big unappealing clothing. She likes Zach, but doesn’t think he could like her back in a million years. Her sisters take her shopping; they want her to see herself in a more positive light. They talk her into signing up on a dating website.Ambrose likes Merilee. In fact, he remembers her from a prior life. He doesn’t like Blair. But how can a cat get two people together who are perfect for each other? Romance is not my usual genre, but every now and again, I find one that really makes my heart smile. I loved the characters in this novel and I loved watching it all come together. I have a cat, so I could easily envision the antics of Ambrose and Merilee’s cat, Queenie. This is a great read anytime, but it has a real holiday flavor. It is told from Ambrose, Zach, and Merilee’s perspective. I rated Nine Lives of Christmas at 4.5 out of 5.
    • 4/5
      This was so cute! I normally avoid animal stories, but I thought this one might be happy, and I was right. It's a sweet romance, but what really makes the story is Ambrose, the cat. The parts from his point of view are priceless!
    • 5/5
      "The Nine Lives of Christmas" is a perfect little holiday present for lovers of poignant and funny romance, ornery and endearing pets, and finding the spirit of the season in unexpected places. Author Sheila Roberts gifts her readers with a terrific, touching tale of a tabby cat named Ambrose down to his ninth, and last, chance of finding a happy home for keeps. About to go down for the final count in the jaws and paws of a determined dog, Ambrose makes a last plea for mercy to the powers above--he'll be a good cat, do good deeds, if only he doesn't meet his demise by dog. Ambrose is granted a reprieve when he is saved by fireman Zach Stone, whom Ambrose targets as his pet project. Zach is a guy's guy who doesn't want to be committed to anyone or anything. He has a relationship with Blair, a spoiled and pampered businessman's daughter and divorcee who seems to just be looking for fun. In his spare time from his duties at the firehouse, Zach remodels and resells homes. He thinks he has things all figured out, including keeping his distance from his family. He has never really forgiven his mother for divorcing his father, especially as his father can't forget Zach's mother. His dad uses alcohol to blur his reality, and Zach is carrying a lot of personal issues and bitterness of his own. When Ambrose makes it clear that Zach is "his human", Zach seeks cat food and supplies and helpful advice from the pet supercenter owned by Blair's father. At the store, his interest is captured and held by Merilee White, a clerk who loves cats and thinks Zach is the cat's meow. Merilee is sweet, sincere, and sympathetic, and Zach hears warning bells all around. She makes him thinks of things like a real home, a loving family of his own, and commitment--all of the things which scare him the most! Thanks to the plotting and planning of a certain formidable feline, Zach and Merilee's lives become entwined and entangled in ways they never thought possible. Both of them must take a leap of faith and reach for their chance at real happiness. Sheila Roberts writes wonderful characters, and this story is filled with humor, heartbreak and healing. There are fabulous insights into human and animal behavior, and they all presented in a most entertaining way. Sometimes letting go of what you thought was your only reality is the greatest gift that you can give yourself. There comes a time when we all have to open our eyes, move on, and live our lives to the fullest. All nine lives, that is! Review Copy Gratis St. Martin's Press