The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

He felt his face flushing as Cara opened the door. Wearing a garnet-colored knit dress and with her dark hair pinned up, she looked even prettier than he remembered. Suddenly he wished he'd thought to bring a hostess gift. Like a cat.

After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly--especially since he is severely allergic to cats--his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends. 

Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way?

My review:

   Melody Carlson has been publishing a new Christmas book every year for the last several years, and I always look forward to reading her newest Christmas novel, and this year is no different. A couple of years ago, she wrote The Christmas Dog. This year, it is The Christmas Cat.

  This may be her best Christmas novel yet. It isn't a long book, which is good since I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it. It was most entertaining and humorous. A single guy that is allergic to cats, being stuck with finding suitable homes for his aunt's six cats, to fulfill the wishes in her will. Unfortunately, the requirements are pretty rigid, and the young lady he is interested in doesn't fit the bill, so his attempts at romance get off to a rough start.

  The book doesn't have any great moral lesson, though it is commendable how seriously Garrison takes his charge to find a home for six cats, but it is a heartwarming and humorous story that shows what Christmas is all about: giving and caring. I highly recommend it.

About the author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, the Life at Kingston High series, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. She is the winner of aRomantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon.

For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.

The Christmas Cat is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.