Review: Four Weddings and a Puppy

Lizzie Shane has become a go-to author for me when I need a sweet, entertaining, gosh-darn-lovely romance. I fell in love with the town and characters she created back in 2020 with The Twelve Dogs of Christmas and I’ve enjoyed every subsequent novel since. I read Four Weddings and a Puppy at the perfect time and had a great time reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones in this latest Pine Hollow novel.

Here’s the book’s description:

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.

I’ll be honest (as usual), if you’re looking for a super well-crafted, thought-provoking romance novel and/or want some steam, this series is not for you. But I firmly believe there are different types of books (and romance books in particular) for a reason and sometimes you want the cupcake version of a book and there is NO shame in choosing the cupcake over the carrot.

I loved Brody and Kendall as a couple. They created a partnership first, flirting a little, but they were both so inside their heads and trying to figure out What’s Next that romance didn’t quite have the space it needed to start. Not until they worked through some of their own personal demons. But the beauty of the story was they each helped the other work through those demons, too. It felt like such a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to have someone solidly on your side when you’re figuring out some of the hard choices. Knowing they had built a foundation meant rooting for them romantically was really easy!

As I said, Kendall and Brody both had some hard stuff to figure out. Kendall needed to work out if she could, in fact, walk away from the family business and deal with the trauma from her skiing accident once and for all. Brody had walked away from competitive skiing with no real plan and couldn’t figure out how to balance his life. I respected their problems but I think this is where Shane lost me, just a little bit. I can’t put my finger on why, either, which is frustrating. Maybe it’s just that it seemed like they were both hiding from the truth and seemed stuck for too much of the story. I get that happens in life but being “stuck” isn’t really something you want in a novel.

One thing I see as a pro in this series is you really don’t have to read every previous book to enjoy the latest. Each one features a different couple and they’re all somewhat connected, either by friendship or by blood relation, but it’s the town that holds it all together. And the puppies that always show up! So, what I’m saying is, if you want a brand new romance to read right now but haven’t read the rest of the Pine Hollow series, rest assured, you can pick this one up with no problem or confusion.

I had such a great time reading Lizzie Shane’s latest romance, Four Weddings and a Puppy. I highly recommend picking this one (and the others in the series) up if you want a sweet romance that will leave you with a smile and a full heart (and perhaps a longing for a puppy of your own!).

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Pride and Puppies

I’ve gotten away from reading “true” romances these days. You know the ones, where the entire plot is based around two characters who will end up together at the end of the story without much else happening. I make an exception for Lizzie Shane, however. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying her Pine Hollow series and the latest, Pride and Puppies, was no exception. It was so delightful!

Here’s the book’s description:

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single—again—and she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh so dreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides it’s time to swear off dating. She’s going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.
And there’s no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan. He’s quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happens—Charlotte starts catching feelings.
Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces he’s contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if she’s kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that she’s entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible she’s had it wrong all this time?

First things first, this is not a Pride and Prejudice retelling. It is, however, an homage to Jane Austen, an author who is clearly close to Lizzie Shane’s heart. Charlotte and her sisters were all named after Austen characters - and yes, Charlotte can’t believe she’s named after heroine Elizabeth Bennet’s best friend who marries the horrid Mr. Collins - because their mother had loved the author. So, once you know that you’re not expecting Mr. Darcy to stride across the moors, you can buckle in for a sweet and fun romance that has lovely Austen touches.

I love a good friends to lovers trope but it’s always hard when it’s clear one of the characters has romantic feelings from the start and the other is an oblivious idiot. That was the case with this book as George most definitely wanted to date Charlotte as soon as he met her but Charlotte just didn’t see him as someone for her. Surprise, surprise, she had some work to do on herself and her self-esteem. A bit of a tired trope? Perhaps. But it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this book one bit.

Part of the appeal of these books is the small town they’re set in, Pine Hollow. It’s the quintessential small town setting and so lovely. I’d move there in a heartbeat. The neighbours all look out for each other, there are great shops and restaurants to enjoy, and they have lots of nature in their backyard. What’s not to love? (Why, yes, I am a small town girl at heart.)

You don’t have to read all the books in Lizzie Shane’s Pine Hollow series but I think you should. Pride and Puppies was such a lovely romance and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series. What kind of doggos will we get to meet next?!?

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: To All the Dogs I've Loved Before

Recently I’ve found myself not being drawn to traditional romances. I love my rom coms and other stories (contemporary or otherwise) with heavy romance elements but something about the sweeter, Happily Ever After stories hasn’t been working for me lately. But To All the Dogs I’ve Loved Before? Oh. Oh, friends. I adored it. It’s the third book in Lizzie Shane’s Pine Hollow series and I have to say it’s my favourite.

Here’s the book’s description:

The last person librarian Elinor Rodriguez wants to spend time with is her first love, Levi Jackson, but it seems her mischievous rescue dog has other ideas. Without fail, Dory slips from the house whenever Elinor’s back is turned. And in Pine Hollow, calls about a dog herding cars on Main Street go straight to Levi. The quietly intense lawman broke Elinor’s heart once, and now she’s determined to move on, no matter how much she misses him.
As the kid who barely graduated—and still struggles to hide his dyslexia—Levi always believed that Elinor was way out of his league. Even though he ended their engagement all those years ago, Elinor still takes Levi’s breath away whenever he sees her. But with a little help from a four-legged friend, Levi and Elinor may just get the second chance they deserve.

I’ve been burned by second chance romances in the recent past so I admit I was a tad wary of this one and how the trope would play out. Happily, it totally worked for me. Elinor and Levi had had an on again-off again relationship for years and they had such a solid friendship foundation. Their romantic relationship ended only a few years ago so it wasn’t like they were wide-eyed high school kids when they broke up. They had some big issues to work through and I was almost worried that they wouldn’t be able to get past them. There wasn’t really miscommunication so much as no communication and Elinor didn’t really understand why Levi ended things. She was quite protective of her heart, and I couldn’t blame her, so I was firmly Team Elinor as Levi worked on his issues.

Speaking of Levi’s issues, it was sometimes difficult to get past his “woe is me, no one can love me because I’m not worth it” feelings. They’re totally valid feelings and I’m so SO glad that Shane had him work past his prejudices to therapy and realize how much it can help. It just seemed like that was the only thing holding him back from being with Elinor and he refused to discuss it. It got a bit repetitive by the time they figured everything out.

Some of the storyline was pretty heavy because Levi’s personal issues were tough for him and Elinor was still working through her grief after the death of her best friend. Shane made sure to have some light hearted moments throughout to keep this romance more sweet than sad. Dory’s antics provided some much needed levity and the couple-to-be’s friends were always welcome on page. It was nice to get caught up on what was happening with the crew from the previous books and planning for a wedding always makes for some good stories.

An aside: I loved that Elinor and her sisters were all named after Jane Austen characters. It was a delightful added bonus for this Austenite.

I just loved getting back to Pine Hollow and the world and characters Lizzie Shane created. I really, really enjoyed reading To All the Dogs I’ve Loved Before and was a bit sad when it was all over. I’m looking forward to book 4, about Elinor’s sister, but it will take some time before I can accept it’ll be a new story and won’t be focused on Elinor and Levi who I just adored.

Content warnings: grief (death of best friend and mother in the past and off-page), cancer (death by in the past and off-page and side character currently in remission), father-son strained relationship (some emotional abuse when growing up)

Read my review of The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
Read my review of Once Upon a Puppy

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Once Upon a Puppy

I really enjoyed Lizzie Shane's holiday romance that kicked off the Pine Hollow series. So, after enjoying The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, I was happy to pick up Once Upon a Puppy and revisit the town (and doggos) to see what had been happening since the holidays. It was a delightful romance and I already can't wait for the next book in the series!

Here's the book's description:

Opposites attract when a straitlaced lawyer and whimsical party planner must fake-date as co-parents of a rambunctious Irish wolfhound in the second book of this im-paw-ssibly charming small-town romance series.
Connor Wyeth has a plan for everything. But when he adopts Maximus, an unruly Irish wolfhound mix, he gets more than he bargained for. If he doesn't act fast, the big dopey mutt is going to destroy his house. The only person Max ever listens to is the volunteer who used to walk him at the shelter—a perennially upbeat woman whose day job is planning princess parties for little kids. Connor couldn't ever imagine that she'd be able to tame such a beast as Max, but he's desperate enough to try anything.
Deenie Mitchell isn't looking forward to spending more time with uptight, rules-oriented Connor—no matter how attractive he is. But when her sister announces her engagement, Deenie realizes he's the perfect person to impress her type-A family. When she learns he needs a plus-one for his law firm's work events, an unlikely alliance is formed. But as they play the perfect couple, the friendship—and the feelings—that are forming start to feel all too real. Opposites may attract, but can the man with a plan for everything and the misfit who makes her own rules ever find common ground?

I've recently started coming around to the enemies-to-lovers trope, but only if they're done in a certain way. I cannot understand it when the couple-to-be is fighting constantly and almost cruel to each other but a little bit of sniping and banter that turns into a romance? That I can handle. Especially when they don't really know each other to start and don't actually want to dislike the other person. With Connor and Deenie, their lives are so vastly different, they get on each other's nerves because they can't understand each other. But once they get to know each other and the why behind their lifestyles? Opinions change and sparks start to fly. And that's really enjoyable to read in a romance. Plus there was also a fake dating trope and I enjoy that one too. You know there are going to be issues but OF COURSE they're going to realize they should actually be dating each other. I love it!

Connor and Deenie were so great to read about. They were both wicked smart but showed it in different ways. They were also both hiding major parts of themselves and I loved reading as they were encouraged to really look at what they love and learn it's OK to feel certain things and want different things than maybe you'd always wanted. The feelings between the two seemed really genuine and watching them grow from annoyance to acceptance to friendship to romantic was lovely. 

It was really nice to see what was happening with the rest of the residents of Pine Hollow, too. Shane has created a really great little town and residents that I care about. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I think I know which couples are up next and both will provide lots of swoon and amusement!

Once Upon a Puppy was such a fun read and the romance is perfect if you want something that you know will put a smile on your face. Lizzie Shane has created such a great romance series and I'm really looking forward to book three already!

My review of The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is here if you missed it! 

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

I had been looking forward to reading The Twelve Days of Christmas by Lizzie Shane ever since Forever's publicist, Estelle, gushed about it during a virtual event at the end of July. And I only just got to it! For shame! I love small town Christmas romances and all the doggos seemed liked such a cute addition. Final verdict? Super sweet and super festive.

Here's the synopsis:

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 Christmas magic in this novel comes through with the town having various holiday events (tree lighting! A parade! A pageant!) leading up to the big day, which was featured at the end of the novel (which is not always the case). Not only were there festive events taking place for the characters to attend, but there was a big emphasis on family. Ben and Astrid are still trying to figure out how their family looks after the loss of her parents (his sister and brother-in-law) and Ally just wants to help out her grandparents but they're not allowing her to spend her "vacation" doing work (even if she's good at it and enjoys it). There are a number of sweet moments throughout as family, found and blood relatives, come together to celebrate the season.

I had some minor issues with the ridiculous lack of communication between Ally and Ben. It wasn't just lack of communication, it was the assumptions they each made even though they hardly knew a thing about each other. Instead of asking Ben about the fiancee she heard he had in a passing comment that should not have counted as fact, Ally just assumed there was one. And Ben assumed Ally wanted to get the hell out of Pine Hollow as soon as she could but she had never definitively said she wanted to go back to New York City. I know it's easy to judge when I'm outside of a situation and not trying to figure out my feelings for someone but that was the main conflict between the two - this confusion and the assumptions they make. The end of the world? No. Just a bit tiresome by the end.

I was so invested in the dog adoptions! I was, of course, rooting for a Happily Ever After with the humans, but I may have been even more into seeing who was going to bring a dog home for the holidays. That might be because I knew Ally and Ben had to get together (and which dog I was sure Ben was going to adopt after caving to pressure from his niece) but I didn't know who would get together with the dog they were meant to adopt. And each doggo had their own personality! You'd think it would get a bit confusing with twelve dogs to home but it didn't and I was cheered every time there was a successful adoption. Adopt, don't shop!

I love Pine Hollow and can't wait to revisit the town. Normally I get a bit annoyed when I can tell when an author is setting up a series or sequel but something about this town and these characters really got under my skin, in a good way, and I really enjoyed spending time with all of them. I was sad to say goodbye but happy to know I'll be able to see them again soon enough in Once Upon a Puppy.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was a delight to read. Yes, Lizzie Shane's holiday novel was a bit predictable but that's the charm of these types of stories. I appreciated the twist she put on the small town and having all the dogs was surprisingly charming (obviously dogs are always appreciated but I wasn't expecting to be so wooed by them!). I wanted to keep reading and am already looking forward to the second book so consider this a successful reading adventure!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*