This is painful to read. Wrong choice to start my holiday reading.

I wish all the women in this story would stand up for themselves. ( )

A romance category novel about ex-husbands. Interesting. [a:Sheila Roberts|529302|Sheila Roberts|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1364758419p2/529302.jpg] also never concentrates only on one couple. I still don't know why I'm still reading this series. It's good to see some continuity of characters however. Overall this on my favorite in the series to date. Disclaimer: I received [b:Better Than Chocolate|13548078|Better Than Chocolate (Life in Icicle Falls, #2)|Sheila Roberts|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348144419s/13548078.jpg|19113250] from the Tell Harlequin reader panel.

Ellla O'Brien is sharing the house with her newly ex-husband while trying to sell it. Cass Wilkes, owner of the bakery, is dealing with her daughters last minute wedding and her ex-husband. Charlene Albach, owner of Zelda's restaurant, is dealing with her ex-husband who has returned without the hostess he ran away with and swears he wants her back.One couple gets back together, another makes peace with their lots and yet another sees her ex for the snake he really is.

Cross-posted: Ramblings of a Lost Dancer ( )

Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts
ISBN: 9780778313922 Icicle Falls and the bakery, Gingerbread
Haus, Cass Wilkes is making gingerbread boys and girls for the
holiday season. All of their friends and family were sharing in
this years Thanksgiving dinner. Her daughter Cass announced her
engagement and wedding plans for her daddy to walk her down the
aisle, the daddy who was never there for her whole life. The
wedding to take place the week before Christmas so her new
husband could move them to his new job in Spokane. Love the
meaning of the ex in ex-mas in the title as this story does
involve a few of the ex husbands. Loved the first book about
going on strike from doing it all and this one is going to be
right up there with the laughs and tears and when things are
running smoothly. Ella and Jake are struggling with still living
in the same house but they are divorced. They each have habits
that get on the others nerves. She is getting the house ready
to sell by decorating it for the holidays and he in turn leaves
dirty laundry and dishes around when the real estate agent
comes by with potential buyers. Love catching up with the
others in town and what's going on in their life's. Picture
postcard Kincaid setting, breathtaking scenery and atmosphere.
Others having problems but it helps to talk with female friends
and spend some time together, watching movies, drinking
chocolate liquor beverages, discussing things. Men meet at
the man's cave place. Not much goes according to plan,
tears when things go bad and laugh out loud when some
things happen, along with recipes at the end, make this
another worthwhile book from Sheila to read. And another
book due out April 2013!!! ( )

Merry Ex-Mas is the second book I have read in the Icicle Falls series and I enjoyed running into some old friends from the last book. I love small town series so this quickly became another series for me to follow.

I enjoy this book. It was full of lots of family drama but Sheila Roberts kept it running at a nice page to keep me flipping pages.

Cass Wilkes is a very busy women with a bakery to run & children to raise. Her oldest daughter is getting married and wishes for her father to walk her down the aisle. This presents a lot of funny accidents that aren't all the funny to Cass but I found myself laughing though some of this.

Charlene Albach's ex-husband arrives back in town. He wants Charley back. Well he has some major proving to do to show Charley he has changed. Has this man changed enough to be lucky enough for Charley to work on their relationship again?

Ella O'Brien & her ex-husband Jake are sharing their home until it sells even though they are divorced. This one is interesting to watch. Did these two make the right decision by divorcing. These two really are a cute sweet couple that makes you cheer for them.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next book in the series and a chance to visit with some all friends again.

I would recommend this book if you like small town stories. I think you would enjoy it. ( )

Welcome back to Icicle Falls, Washington!

In this second book of the Life in Icicle Falls series, the reader returns to picturesque Icicle Falls, Washington and is reintroduced to the quirky townspeople that they met in the first book of the series, Better Than Chocolate. Merry Ex-Mas tells the story of three divorced women: Cass Wilkes, Charlene Albach and Ella O'Brien, and how they each deal with their ex-husbands over the Christmas holiday.

Cass's daughter Danielle is getting married the weekend before Christmas, and she wants her father, Mason, to walk her down the aisle. The very same man who has been an absentee father throughout her childhood. And to make matters even worse, Mason and his younger trophy wife will be staying at Cass's house!

Recently divorced, Ella is still living in the same house with her ex-husband Jake. They plan to sell the house and get on with their lives, but they both struggle with their feelings. She still loves the man who insists he never cheated on her despite evidence to the contrary; and he keeps sabotaging every attempt to sell the house when the realtor brings prospective buyers for a tour.

Charlene's ex-husband Richard cheated on her with one of their restaurant hostesses, took her money and moved to Seattle with the other woman. Now he's back in town, he knows he made a mistake and is asking for forgiveness and a second chance.

Merry Ex-Mas is the heartwarming story about love, heartbreak, family, forgiveness and second chances. In the true Spirit of Christmas, author Sheila Roberts weaves another fun story filled with drama, romance and humor. Written in the third person narrative, the story is told in alternating chapters surrounding Cass, Ella and Charlene's lives. Set in the picturesque village of Icicle Falls, Washington, the reader is welcomed back to the town and reintroduced to its townsfolk, while being invited to follow along with the family drama of three ex-couples who reunite over the Christmas holiday season.

Author Sheila Roberts brings the town of Icicle Falls to life with rich details and vivid descriptions. The reader is transported to the heart of the village with its quaint landmarks like Gingerbread Haus Bakery, Zelda's Restaurant, Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company, and the Breakfast Haus. Did I mention that the author teases her readers with some tasty food recipes and delectable treats throughout the story?

With a quirky cast of characters who are realistic and simply endearing, the author creates a story full of family drama and good old fashioned romance that will keep the reader captivated. The author captures the true essence of small-town life with its close knit community of townsfolk, especially within the close circle of women, who make this humorous story one heck of an entertaining read! When drama occurs in these three women's lives, and nothing seems to go as planned, you can be sure that there is plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in each household!

Merry Ex-Mas is a lighthearted romance story full of love, laughter and Christmas Spirit that will leave you wanting to return to Icicle Falls for another visit!

Be sure to look for the release of the third book in the Life in Icicle Falls series, What She Wants, which will be released on March 26, 2013!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/merry-ex-mas-by-sheila-roberts... ( )