The Christmas Shoes by Donna Vanliere

This is the first I have read by this author, don't worry I have a couple more by her to read next. lol!

I really enjoyed this story. It seems my Christmas reads this year were mostly holiday romance books - so this was a nice change.

Robert is a lawyer, married to a wonderful wife Kate, and has two young daughters. He works very long hours and comes one one night and Kate tells him that they are through and after the Holidays he needs to leave. His mom can tell something is wrong and tells Robert he needs to do what he can to keep his wife, because she still loves him, but needs more attention and needs to know she is needed/wanted. On Christmas eve Robert is at the store late at night, because he left work late and still didn't do any shopping, he sees a young boy who really wants to buy a pair of womens sparkly shoes but doesn't have enough money. Robert pays for them and then realizes that he has no idea who his own kids are or who his wife has become. He rushes home to talk to his wife and tell her that he wants to work on the marriage. In the meantime the kid, Nathan, goes home with the shoes and wraps them and gives them to his mom, who is dying of cancer. He wanted her to have beautiful shoes when she got to heaven.

This is really a story of two familes. You have the rich family where the husband ignores his family and wife and doesn't know who they are or the jow that being a parent and good husband can be. Then you have the poor family who doesn't care about how much money they have but spend every minute with each other enjoying what they have and the family they are.

I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read and perfect for Christmas time.