Saturday 20 December 2014

Review ~ Spirits of Christmas by Nicky Wells.



Title: Spirits of Christmas: A Rock'n'Roll Christmas Carol.
Author: Nicky Wells.
Publication Date: October 3, 2013.
Source: Review copy.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Purchase: Amazon UK | Amazon US

At one time, up-and-coming rock singer Jude had it all: a great band, a platinum record, a loving girlfriend. This Christmas, however, he is well down the road towards spontaneous self-destruction.

Unwitting at first, Jude has progressively alienated his band and driven away the love of his life. Tonight, the night before Christmas Eve, he has broken the final taboo during a disastrous gig. Yet Jude doesn’t see how badly his life has derailed, not until a ghostly procession of legends passes through his bedroom with a series of vivid and powerful wake-up calls.

Will the Spirits help Jude put the friendship, love, and rock music back into his Christmas?

Spirits of Christmas is a modern-day rock’n’roll adaption of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. This novella will enchant romance readers, rock lovers, fans of ghost stories, and everybody who adores the festive season.





Spirits of Christmas is a rock and roll take on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. I’ve actually never read A Christmas Carol or any of its adaptations so I don’t know how Nicky Wells’ take on it fares in that aspect but I did think it was a really creative and entertaining festive novella. Nicky looked to be having tons of fun when writing this book, with the rock and roll side shining out and this was a refreshing, vibrant tale with a difference. When the author looks to have put their absolute heart and soul into a story, I find I enjoy it a lot more and that was the case here as Spirits of Christmas was tons of fun.

The novella starts with Jude in the middle of an argument with his band The Blood Roses, soon to be followed by discovering his girlfriend Carrie has left him. He’s rude, arrogant, ungrateful and unappreciative and though on surface not a very likeable person at all, he does make the perfect Scrooge. After a few too many beers, Jude encounters the Ghost of Forewarning who is later followed by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. This is where the story really gets going and I really did love the rock and roll edge to the spirits. They added a great twist to a tale which is about to get a little darker as their involvement leads to us learning a lot about Jude and his character – the bad traits but also some of the good too. I loved how Jude went from being obstinate to then becoming more emotional when the ghosts try and get through to him. I found myself willing his character to transform and for him to try and make amends. I would have liked to have learnt more about the other characters impacted by Jude’s actions, but then I do understand why the focus remained strongly on Jude.

The lessons the ghosts teach Jude change the tone of the book and I loved the last third or so of the story. I found myself reading with a big smile on my face and hoping everything would turn out right for him. Of course, it was Christmas, so I invested in that festive spirit and wanted the best outcome possible. Nicky’s style of writing does a wonderful job at making you invest in a character who isn’t your typical nice guy – he makes mistakes and likes putting the blame on other people but you just know there’s more to him than that! I loved Spirits of Christmas and especially the way it ended – it’s a story of hope, opportunities and second chances and one that will be staying with me this Christmas time.




Review also posted on Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US



Ultimate rock chick author Nicky Wells writes romance with rock stars—because there’s no better romantic hero than a golden-voiced bad boy with a secret soft heart and a magical stage presence!

Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous romance with rock stars—imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill! If you’ve ever had a crush on any kind of celebrity, you’ll connect with Nicky’s heroes and their leading ladies.

Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor at Siren 107.3 FM with her own monthly show. Rock on!

Nicky’s books: Sophie’s Turn | Sophie’s Run | Sophie’s Encore | Spirits of Christmas | Fallen for Rock | Fairy Tale in New York

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Romantic Novelists’ Association | Sapphire Star Publishing | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+


Did you know? There’s a single out now by Nicky’s fictional rock band Tuscq come to life! “Love Me Better” is available for download from Amazon, iTunes and many other places.

6 comments:

  1. Sophie, thank you so much for taking part in the promo party for my Christmas novellas. I'm so honoured to be here, and I'm delighted you enjoyed Spirits! Here's wishing you and your family and readers a wonderful Christmas and a great 2015. Keep in touch and rock on! X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very welcome, Nicky, and hope you have a lovely Christmas too! x

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  2. I really enjoyed this novella.

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  3. Thanks for taking part in the promo. x

    ReplyDelete

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