Title: Yes, Carol… It’s Christmas
Author: Cindy Vincent
Chapters: 10
Pages: 103
Genre: Christmas Stories, retellings
Rating: 4 stars
My favorite Christmas
story after the birth of Christ happens to be A Christmas Carol.
Even though it was 7th grade before I read the actual book and saw the stage
production. The story itself was a part of my Christmas traditions from a young
age as my mom loved the story, and Disney gave us a Mickey's Christmas
Carol. It's so much a Christmas tradition that I've seen even movie
version of the book to date. So when I heard about this book Yes,
Carol… It's Christmas by Cindy Vincent I knew I just had to read
it.
Yes, Carol... It's
Christmas is a modern
retelling of the classic story but with a twist. Carol is our Scrooge, a
woman who at one point loved Christmas. Decorating and hosting parties.
But when an incident happened during a Christmas party when her kids were
young, Carol become pretty become a workaholic and turned her back on all
things Christmas. Until one plane flight a few days before Christmas when
she is visited by the ghost of her friend, who tells her in the course of the
night she will be visited by three ghosts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present,
and Christmas Future much like the original story. But in Yes, Carol... It's Christmas Carol makes
an even bigger change than Scrooge did at least in my opinion.
I liked Yes, Carol… It's Christmas even more
than A Christmas Carol if that is even possible and will now become a Christmas
season re read in the years to come. To me Carol was a character I
could relate too with not wanting to celebrate Christmas, but not for the same
reason as Carol. But when my mom passed away in May of 2016 that Christmas I
didn't want to celebrate or decorate because my mom loved holidays and
decorating especially for Christmas. It was hard to want to celebrate when she
wasn't here to celebrate with. Though I did try to keep some of the
traditions alive, I failed miserably. The only thing I remembered was the
ornaments for me and my sister. The same for 2017 as well. It also
didn't help that Christmas has always been hard to celebrate since 2003 when I
lost my grandpa 13 days before Christmas. But after reading Yes, Carol...
It's Christmas I am willing to try to bring back my mom's Christmas
traditions to keep them alive for me and my sister and my dad. Because as this
book as taught me keeping the traditions and the celebrations can also help
keep the good memories alive.
There was a scene
towards the end of the book when Carol was in the grocery store line in which
she did something that my mom had totally done many times through the years,
because in my mom words, "No one should spend Christmas alone."
I recommend this book to anyone who loves A Christmas Carol, a good
retelling or Christmas in general. This is the perfect read and rather
short at 10 chapters and 103 pages.
I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
As the top salesperson
for Pfunn Party Supplies, Carol Frost doesn’t exactly know how to have fun
herself these days. Though she wasn’t always such a humbug. Once upon a time,
she was famous for hosting Christmas parties that were filled with everything
from laughing guests and luscious hors d’oeuvres, to artfully iced sugar
cookies and creatively decorated Christmas trees. To top it off, she even wrote
a bestselling book that became the authoritative tome on Christmas party
entertaining at the time—The Complete,
Total, Ultimate, Everything-You-Might-Possibly-Want-to-Know Guide to Hosting
the Best Christmas Parties Ever.
Yet that was long ago, before her life changed and she stashed her tinsel and twinkle lights away once and for all. And while Carol soon learned to settle for her boring but comfortable existence, an old friend knows that Carol isn’t really living up to her potential. An old friend who . . . well . . . now enjoys her eggnog in the afterlife, you might say. To goad Carol into going back to her former party-hosting ways, said friend sends three of her specter pals to pester Carol. Then, much to Carol’s annoyance, she is visited by the Ghost Hosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on a plane filled with plenty of holiday revelers. And though Carol only wants to be left alone, the Ghost Hosts have other plans. Instead, they take her on an adventure that wasn’t exactly on her itinerary . . . or printed on her ticket stub. From that moment on, Carol’s life will never be the same. Provided, of course, she survives the jingle-bell rollercoaster of a ride and makes it home in time for Christmas . . .
Yet that was long ago, before her life changed and she stashed her tinsel and twinkle lights away once and for all. And while Carol soon learned to settle for her boring but comfortable existence, an old friend knows that Carol isn’t really living up to her potential. An old friend who . . . well . . . now enjoys her eggnog in the afterlife, you might say. To goad Carol into going back to her former party-hosting ways, said friend sends three of her specter pals to pester Carol. Then, much to Carol’s annoyance, she is visited by the Ghost Hosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on a plane filled with plenty of holiday revelers. And though Carol only wants to be left alone, the Ghost Hosts have other plans. Instead, they take her on an adventure that wasn’t exactly on her itinerary . . . or printed on her ticket stub. From that moment on, Carol’s life will never be the same. Provided, of course, she survives the jingle-bell rollercoaster of a ride and makes it home in time for Christmas . . .
About the Author
CINDY VINCENT, M.A. Ed., was born in Calgary,
Alberta, and has lived all around the US and Canada. She is the creator of the
Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective
Series games for girls. She is also the award-winning author of the Buckley and
Bogey Cat Detective Caper novels and the Daisy Diamond Detective series. She
lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and an assortment of fantastic
felines.
Giveaway!
Put together your own
best-ever Christmas party with this fun “party in a box” giveaway! Enter for a
chance to win a package with the following prizes: a signed copy of Yes, Carol…It’s Christmas! by Cindy
Vincent, two Betty Crocker sugar cookie mixes, two cookie cutters, a four-pack
of sprinkles, a strand of Christmas lights, and two glass ornaments. Due to
shipping costs and varying international laws, this giveaway is open to US residents (age 18 or older) only.
Void where prohibited. Good luck!
[Bloggers, you can find the embed code for the giveaway by
clicking the link below!]
Seasons of Humility
Carissa, this is such a heartfelt and lovely review! I'm so sorry for the heartache and loss you've experienced. Your mom sounds like such a special, loving person. ♥ To know this novella inspired you to keep her traditions alive and share her joy for Christmas is so wonderful! Thank you so much for being part of this blog tour and sharing your review. I'm grateful for your friendship!
ReplyDelete~Amber
First, Carissa, I want to thank you for your wonderful review of my book. What an joy it has been to meet you and connect with you during these blog tours!!
ReplyDeleteBut second, I want to say, I know that your Mom is looking down on you from Heaven, and I have no doubt she is so proud to have a daughter like you. What a remarkable young woman you are! And yes, I'll bet she'd love to see you continue the family traditions. But don't be so hard on yourself, since she had a lot of years to practice and develop those family traditions and such. She was your age once, too, and she didn't start out doing everything "just so." These things simply take practice. You'll get it down pat, and add in some traditions of your own. You have paid me the highest compliment that I could ever imagine, in letting me know that this book has inspired you to keep those family traditions alive. And I thank you for that! Let me be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas!