Book Review: The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

"When Kiley Gray discovers an enchanting snow globe in an antique shop, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. For years, the snow globe has passed from generation to generation, somehow always landing in the hands of a person in special need of a Christmas miracle.

Kiley could use a miracle herself. This year, all she wants for Christmas is someone to love. A hopeful shake leads her on an adventure that makes a believer out of her. When Kiley shares the story of the snow globe with her best friends-two women with problems of their own-they don't believe it. But they're about to discover that at Christmastime, sometimes the impossible becomes possible and miracles really do come true."


Rating:

Festive Feeling Rating:

You can buy The Snow Globe as a paperback or an eBook now.

I was sent a few books by publishers Piatkus a while ago, and it was a bundle of Christmas reads from Sheila Roberts. Sheila isn't an author I had heard of before, but the books all sounded really enticing. I'm not usually drawn to magical type books, but there was something about this one that really made me want to read it. I adored the festive looking cover straight away, and dove in, eager to read it, even though it's a short book at just over 160 pages. In fact, that is enough for this book to charm you and leave you with a warm festive feeling inside!

The characters in the book are made up of 3 friends, Kiley, Suzanne and Allison. Kiley has recently been dumped, and lost her job, so really isn't feeling the festive spirit this year. When she finds this charming old snow globe in an antiques store, she desperately wants it and makes a rash purchase. When she later shakes the globe and sees a different scene to the one that she purchased inside the globe, it sends her on a festive journey to find the scene in the globe, and see just who she might meet there. When she's convinced the globe has worked its magic on her, she decides to pass it along to her friends for it to work its charms on them as well...

As I said, I don't tend to read magical books, I prefer to read something more rooted in reality, but I found this one quite charming. I enjoyed the way the magic made the characters in the book feel, happier with themselves and determined to find something good in everything around them. Kiley in particular was a great character. She's pretty low, dealing with betrayal and loss, but the magic of the globe makes her want to carry on, and find some happiness. I really liked how Kiley's relationship with Craig developed slowly, albeit rather quickly. It then too takes it magic to Suzanne, whose daughter just wants a puppy for Christmas, but Suzanne is scared it'll damage their perfect show home. But is Suzanne really thinking about what is truly important?

It is a short book, and so things do seem to happen quickly, but it was still very enjoyable, if not exactly believable. I really enjoyed how the book was split into 3 parts, with Kiley's story first, followed by her friend Suzanne and finishing up with Allison. The book felt very festive too, with all the characters approaching Christmas, decorating their houses for it and shopping for lots of Christmas presents as well. I felt very festive reading it, and liked the warm feeling it left me with as I turned the final page just over an hour later. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a charming, heart-warming and smile inducing read that's perfect for an evening's read with a big mug of hot chocolate with the fairy lights twinkling in the background. I really enjoyed this magical tale, and look forward to reading more from Sheila Roberts.