In a Nutshell Reviews - The Dog Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

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The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs
Published by William Morrow on October 17, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

The ultimate holiday gift from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs: a delightful novel about a Christmas transport of rescue puppies that’s guaranteed to warm readers’ hearts.

Brenda Malloy wants nothing to do with Christmas ever again. Last year, Brenda and her husband rushed their beloved dog Tim to the emergency vet on Christmas eve. The good news: Tim survived after the vet cleared the obstruction--a pair of women’s lace undies. The bad news: the undies were not Brenda’s.

A year after the breakup, Brenda has put her life back together. She’s trained for a marathon, is writing a children’s novel, and she’s found purpose and healing as a volunteer with a dog rescue organization in Houston, Texas. The rescue partners with a program in Avalon, New York--a small, snowy town deep in the Catskills. Now Brenda is arranging the transport of rescued dogs from Houston to Avalon—just in time for a merry Christmas with their forever families. Brenda’s friends worry about her driving a van two thousand miles with twelve dogs in crates, but she shrugs off their concern. How hard can it be? She knows the way, and she’s just looking to escape the Christmas overload for a while.

But a blinding snowstorm, an escaped mutt, and a life-saving encounter with Adam Bellamy—a single dad and paramedic—means Brenda has to stay in Avalon longer than she planned. As she drops off each precious pup at their new homes, some of the comfort and joy of the season begins to creep up on Brenda despite her determination to avoid the holidays. Perhaps you can bring Christmas into your heart after all...if you have the right furry friends to guide the way.

Brenda found it difficult to enjoy the holiday season due to some painful events that occurred on past Christmases. Just when she thought she would have the chance to escape all the holiday nonsense via a yacht, she gets roped into transporting several rescue dogs to their forever home. It seemed inconvenient, but this journey could be just the thing to help Brenda heal and allow some holiday magic back into her life.

Dogs, Christmas, and romance - who could ask for anything more? I absolutely adored this sweet, fun, and touching tale. This story began one year after Brenda's divorce. She seemed to be doing well, building a new life, but she continued to struggle with opening her heart to others. Her experience had led her to believe it was better NOT to love because you would lose that person, and unfortunately, she associated Christmas with the loss of someone who was very important in her life. As prickly and grinchy as she was, I still found my heart aching for Brenda, and I really wanted her to embrace this opportunity to begin again.

Avalon was such a wonderful town! I knew Brenda felt it was a place too obsessed with Christmas, but I could feel the spirit and joy that ran through that community. It was a town filled with holiday magic, and I had a good feeling that it would eventually infect Brenda.

Brenda might have been rebuilding her life back in Texas, but she lacked connections. In Avalon, she was welcomed into the community and made meaningful friendships. Among them were those she established with Adam and his son Will. Adam was an EMT who rescued Brenda. He was a sweetheart and exactly the sort of man she could trust with her heart. Will was adorable, and along with all the dogs, increased the sweetness and fun factor of this book.

Overall, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas has everything I look for in a holiday book. I laughed and smiled, and felt the warmth and cheer I associate with the season.

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Dog Days Forever by Shannon Richard
Published by Avon on February 28, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A heartfelt, romantic novel inspired by Sweet Home Alabama and perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Kristan Higgins, and Susan Mallery, in which a young woman who only fosters dogs discovers an abandoned puppy and finally starts to open herself up to love again…

Once inseparable as children and romantically entwined as young adults, Caroline Buchanan and Maximillian Abbot are now virtual strangers. It might be Caro’s fault—considering she abruptly ended their engagement—but she had good reasons. After their devastating breakup, she stayed in North Carolina, building a quiet, cozy life, while Max went to New York City. In the fourteen years since, Caro has experienced more than her share of heartache and loss. She rarely lets anyone in, not even the steady stream of rescue dogs she fosters.

When Max returns to town for the summer at the behest of his grandmother, Caro must finally face their past because she keeps running into Max, and old feelings come rushing back. Shortly after Max arrives, Caro finds a puppy, alone and shivering in a thunderstorm. She takes the dog in, planning to find her the perfect new family. But at a time when her life is in turmoil, this new furry friend—who she names Frankie—unexpectedly becomes her anchor.

As she opens her heart to the sweet, cuddly canine, Caro begins to wonder if she could love Max again, too. Max and Frankie feel like home and she can’t bear to say goodbye to either of them. But secrets, both old and new, are still lingering and Max hasn’t completely forgiven her for breaking his heart all those years ago. Will this be a summer of second chances or are they bound to make the same mistakes twice?

I will admit, this is one of those the-cover-made-me-do-it books, but I was not disappointed. This was a delightful second chance romance that made me laugh while tugging my heartstrings.

Caro and Max had so much history, and it really pained me that their future together was shattered due to a chain of events in their past. I was obviously delighted that they still carried a flame for each other, and I loved how Max's grandmother plotted to get them to reconnect. But, Ava was so right! These two hadn't had true happiness since they parted ways. It showed how they simply belonged together.

I was wholly on board with this romance, but I also loved meeting everyone in town and being with their families. The big group events were lots of fun. I felt like the author was planting the seeds for another book. Keeping my fingers crossed we get to visit with them again.

Overall: A heartwarming second chance romance that earned extra points with me by featuring some precious canine companions.

Favorite book featuring dogs?
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