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.
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"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!"
— Ricki (4 out of 5 stars)
“...witty characterizations, slapstick mishaps, and plenty of holiday cheer.
— Publishers Weekly...the perfect gift for the cat lover in your life.
— Five Alarm Book ReviewsIf you love Christmas, cats and happy endings, Sheila Roberts' The Nine Lives of Christmas is the ticket to great holiday reading pleasure!
— Literarily Speaking" The very predictable but entertaining story is narrated by a cat (duh) who's on his ninth life. The author has done an excellent job of portraying humans viewed through a cat's perspective. It's a quick, humorous read when you're in the mood for a bit of fluff. "
— Suzanne, 2/1/2014" This was an easy read and a delightful Christmas book. Definitely for cat lovers. I loved Ambrose. "
— Donna, 1/24/2014" This is such a sweet book. I loved the cat's perspective!! I recommend this book to get you in the holiday spirit!! "
— Jenny, 1/22/2014" I LOVED this book! It was charming, funny, and offered a GREAT breather between the suspenseful mystery novels I'd read. And so perfect in the Christmas season too. "
— Nora, 1/19/2014" A nice quick read, even if it is the middle of January. I especially loved the chapters written from the point of view of the cat! "
— Ilovetoread2, 1/15/2014" This was a very cute romance novel centered on the Holidays. Nothing special or out of the ordinary, just a cute warm your heart type of read. "
— Chivon, 1/11/2014" I liked the romance between Zachary and Merilee well enough but was not a big fan of Ambrose/Tom's "manipulation". I just didn't find it credible. In my opinion, this plot would have worked a lot better without the anthropomorphism. "
— Donna, 1/2/2014" Very sweet Christmas story with a cat who bargained for his 9th life. I really enjoyed this short Christmas tale - not sure if I enjoyed it as much as The Snow Globe- but one of the better ones I've read this year. "
— Lee, 12/28/2013" Sweet little story, mostly from the point of view of the cat. The cat, of course, saves the day and lives happily ever after... "
— Susan, 12/23/2013" It was great! I liked how the cat was portrayed. I really liked the ending. "
— M.G., 12/21/2013" I would like to see more Sheila books..... "
— Margaret, 12/14/2013" OK ... liked the NW setting. Plot was obvious from Page 1. "
— LikeTheDog, 12/9/2013" A cat tells the story...cute! "
— Doris, 11/27/2013" Page 31 and so far cute and charming. Who can resist an adorable cat that just needs a little TLC? This was so sweet and adorable. I love a happy ending - for Merilee and Zach and Ambrose and Queenie. "
— Normie, 11/18/2013" It was a sweet, quick Christmas story. Not anything terrifically amazing, but cute enough. "
— Shelley, 8/24/2013" I really enjoyed this book. I read it in 2 days. I laughed quite a bit. It is a really cute story. "
— Brandy, 7/28/2013" Funny, romantic light hearted Christmas storyas seen through the eyes of a cat. Sheila's Christmas stories make me happy!!! "
— Darlene, 5/23/2013" Would have liked if the story was more about the cat. Cute, slightly corny, but put me in the Christmas mood. And the cat is Aslan-colored too. "
— Jenn, 5/16/2013" A fun read - even if (like me) you don't have a particular fondness for cats. The idea of a cat purposely matchmaking is one that picqued my curiosity, and didn't fail to amuse. "
— Carla, 11/16/2012" Cozy X-Mas story! "
— Sharon, 9/16/2012" Cute, light romance. Reader is new to me and pretty good! "
— Jo-Ann, 3/4/2012" It's a quick eas and fun read. A non-cliche halmark movie in a book. :) "
— Jessica, 12/8/2011Sheila Roberts is the author of several romance novels and the Life in Icicle Falls series. She lives on a lake in Washington. Her holiday perennial On Strike for Christmas was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network and her novel, The Nine Lives of Christmas was also made into a movie for Hallmark.
Kathleen McInerney won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2011 and was a finalist for the Audie in 2010 and 2015. Her narrations have also earned several AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has performed in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and a broad range of animation voice-overs.