One Old, One New - The Lizzie Shane Edition

One Old, One New features two books – one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today I am featuring two books by Lizzie Shane.

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Four Weddings and a Puppy by Lizzie Shane
Published by Forever on November 21, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

When two childhood friends return home after their sports careers don't go as planned, a puppy just may give them a second chance at happiness together. She’s always been the girl with the plan . . . until the plan crashed big time

Kendall Walsh has exactly one second to save a fancy, five-tiered wedding cake and any possibility of being a wedding planner—not to mention her family’s struggling ski resort. All because of one very cute, very furry, golden menace of a retriever who has a serious thing for butter chiffon icing. Which is exactly when Olympic skier Brody James shows up and saves the day . . . and the cake.

Brody makes Kendall feel about a million indecipherable things. He’s her brother’s bestie. Her first crush. And a ridiculously popular Olympic hero, which only reminds her of her own failed Olympic dreams. What Brody isn’t telling her is that he’s walked away from it all. The fame. The sponsorships. The celebrity girlfriend. Now he and Kendall are both lost somewhere between their past and a future they can’t yet see. But four weddings, one mischievous puppy, and a few steamy kisses later, these two might just realize that they are both exactly where they need to be…with each other.

This was such a sweet romance! I am always excited for romances where people have history with each other, and Kendall and Brody went back twenty some-odd years. Their early friendship was one of a competitive nature where Brody spent his time trying to catch Kendall on the slopes. Fast forward, Brody became an Olympian and a star on the circuit, while Kendall's racing dreams came to an end with a catastrophic accident. But fate found them both in Pine Hollow this winter, and as we all know, timing is everything.

Friends-to-lovers is a favorite trope of mine, and Brody and Kendall shared so many years together. They may not have been close as teens, and it may have been several years since Brody has spent time in Pine Hollow, but the bond remained and latent or unknown feelings were awakened upon his return.

This reunion was thrilling to me, but I really loved that spending time with each other helped Kendall and Brody see their futures a bit clearer. Both were at a point in their lives where they were trying to figure out who they were beyond skiing. For Kendall, it was the loss of her Olympic dream, and she had been struggling for years trying to find herself. Brody's situation was a bit more complicated as he was currently still a star in that world, though he was grappling with wanting more for his life. It touched my heart that they were able to nudge each other towards taking those steps forward. For Kendall, it was finding a new dream while Brody needed to find balance and time for life outside his sport. Regardless of what they were seeking, it was obvious that being together was something that made them feel grounded and happy.

The romance and personal journeys definitely stood out for me, and this was nestled perfectly in a beautiful mountain setting. I very much enjoyed learning about Pine Hollow and this mountain resort. The weddings and antics of one rambunctious puppy added to the fun. I would be remiss in not mentioning the great supporting characters. Kendall's two best friends were standouts, and they all shared the type of friendship that would make me jealous. 

As if I was not already feeling the feels that epilogue had me grinning from ear to ear. It was then that I realized how invested I was in Kendall and Brody's futures, and I was so pleased with where they landed. This was my first trip to Pine Hollow, but I plan on making more and catching up with the previous couples in the series.

*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER

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The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane
Published by Forever on September 29, 2020
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A delightful holiday romance about a small-town single dad and an animal rescue owner as they try to find forever homes for a dozen lovable pups before Christmas.

Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.

As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays... and the whole year through.

The world is sort of ugly right now, and I have some heavy woes weighing on me in my life, so this book was the fluffy goodness I needed. It was the sweetness I necessary to soothe my soul, and I rather loved my return trip to Pine Hollow.

After finishing the forthcoming book in the series, Four Weddings and a Puppy, I knew I needed to read the rest of the series. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. How could one go wrong with an adorable grumpy-sunshine romance, dogs, and Christmas? So many good things all rolled up into one story which put a grin on my face.

Ally had been feeling isolated and a bit adrift in New York. She was trying to figure out what was next for her, and she thought she would be able to spend time with her grandparents as she formulated her life plan. That was the plan, however things became a bit clearer when she ran into Ben.

Ben had spent the last two years trying to fill the shoes of sister and brother-in-law. He assumed their roles on the PTA, the town council, and as the guardian of their daughter Astrid. It was no easy task when Ben was so resistant to letting others into his life to support and help when needed. That was until Ally ran into him, literally.

It was so sweet watching these two connect, and it was even more fun due the presence of twelve cute and fuzzy friends. Not only did I love the human characters in this book, I adored all the canine companions as well. I also found it lovely the way Ally and Astrid connected with each other, and though I went into this book knowing a few things about Pine Hollow, the town endeared itself even more to me with the way all these folks came together and opened their arms and hearts to Ally.

As I have already mentioned, this book made me happy. The winning combination of dogs, romance, small town charms, and holiday magic gave me a good case of the warm-fuzzies, leaving me in a sunshine sort of mood.

Favorite dog breed?
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