A wonderful Christmas Novella that included rescue animals, romance, and mystery. Great characters and setting, a fun inbetween novella in a great series.

This is a quick short Holiday read. Jill is hosting a Holiday Pet Adoption event at store. One of the dog's owner has died and Jill sets out to discover who the owner was and the mystery. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. There is a lot Holiday cheer, dogs and food but the mystery is pretty weak. Read this for a quick Holiday read not the mystery.

I was pleasantly surprised with this tourist trap mystery novella. For a christmas theme and a ebook exclusive novella I didn't have high hopes that the story would be interesting/a good mystery. This one was really heartwarming, there was some character growth/good interaction and the mystery was predictable but still had me wanting to learn more about it. I enjoyed it! 3.5-4 stars.

The story follows Jill Gardner as she volunteer's at the local Humane Society and works to solve a mystery surrounding a 10 yr old terrier named Baby. Baby is found after her Military Vet owner passes away, but he leaves behind a clue to his identity and history hidden in Baby's collar.

A Tourist Trap Mystery novella.

I say it enough times…I love the Tourist Trap Mysteries!

Well plotted and written, with a great set of characters.

’Twas the season of Christmas, and all through South Cove, California, Santa is working overtime to deliver a special gift . . .

Jill Gardner has volunteered her Coffee, Books, and More to host a Christmas adopt-a-pet party. Among the potential forever friends is a male terrier named Baby, whose owner died of a heart attack. With few clues to go on, even finding the name of Baby’s human is a daunting task. But there’s no challenge too big for Jill this holiday season.

Playing Santa’s Little Helper, Jill is determined to find out what happened —and to fulfill a long-time coming Christmas wish . . .

I cheated a little bit, as I listen to my 2 discs audio copy of the book. Narrated as per usual by Susan Boyce.


The Tourist Trap Mysteries are always well worth reading/listening.

I was given this free review copy from Lyrical Press via Netgalley at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Lynn Cahoon does it again. Santa Puppy has great writing and the plot and characters are well developed and keep you coming back for more. The setting in on the Coast of California draws you in and the quaint town makes you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. I highly recommend this series.

This is my first ever read from Lynn Cahoon. I wanted to try this series because I liked the sound of the concept but another thing that drew me to this novella was the fact that it was also holiday themed.

SANTA PUPPY is book 9.75 in the Tourist Trap mystery series and you definitely don’t need to read the others to enjoy this one. I really like Cahoon’s writing style. It’s quite simple and easy to read, so I think that helped me in jumping into this series in the middle of it.

I really like the dog aspect to this story. It added a lot more cuteness to an already sweet read. Jill was a great character and I’m sure that I will enjoy her even more when I read the other books in the series. But I thought that the author did a good job of creating an engaging story despite the very short word count. I look forward to reading more of Lynn Cahoon.

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

A cute, quick read that is perfect for an evening read in the festive season. Wrapped up nicely and leaves the reader satisfied.

I re-read Santa Puppy in order to write a review for it and I found it just as enjoyable as the first time. It's listed as book 9.75 in the Tourist Trap Mysteries, but it can be read as stand-alone if you ask me. The relationships between the characters are explained and I didn't feel like I dove into a series that was almost 10 books long, which was great. I liked the mystery we got in this book and I was almost worried that it wouldn't end of a good note. As it turns out, everyone got a happy ending which was very fitting considering that this is a Christmasy story. It wouldn't be fitting if someone got a sad ending including the dog. Overall the book was good and I would recommend it, even to those who have no idea what the series is about.

A quick read, but fun to be back with Jill Gardiner and some of her friends in South Cove. Several of the characters are donating their time to wash senior animals to be ready for an adoption event right before the holidays. One of the dog's owners is recently deceased and Jill hopes to answer the mystery of what happened to the love of his life. This takes place a bit in the past as far as the regular South Cove books go, just to be aware of the time warp feeling.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the opportunity to read this one. I always enjoy a good holiday short story and when dogs figure prominently in the story it's just that much more enjoyable! Jill is holiday an adopt-a-pet event at her store as part of a "clear the shelters" effort. One of the dogs up for adoption, Baby, a 10-year-old terrier was found by the body of his owner, a homeless man who died of an apparent heart attack. When they take his collar off to give him a bath a safety deposit box key falls out. Jill is all set for solving the mystery of the dead man's lost love after they find what's in the box. A bittersweet tale about lost love along with finding "fur-ever" homes for the dogs! A fun read!

I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute holiday mystery novella, well written and great plot. Loved the characters.

This was either a short novella or a long short story that I enjoyed very much. I've been reading Ms. Cahoon's Jill Gardner's series from the first. This one din't fail to appeal me. I can identify with Jill's angst over the cookie exchange. What to do with all those cookies after the exchange struck a chord with me. I've been ducking the local cookie exchange for years because I can't imagine what I'd do with 12 dozen cookies. The pet party featuring senior animals for adoption is a fun, original idea. Nice, also, to have an intriguing mystery to solve that doesn't involve a murder. Best of all Jill's Aunt is less obnoxious than usual...maybe due to the new man in her life who really seems to "get" her. Looking forward to the next entry in this fun series.

I actually read this novella over Christmas but totally forgot to add a review. So please accept my apologies.

This series just keeps getting better but I have to say I didn't really need this novella and would have preferred another full length story. While this wasn't a bad read I found it was a little rushed and I missed a lot of the elements that make this series as good as it is. There wasn't enough bookshop and town gossip, most of the characters didn't appear and nothing really progressed in the relationship between the main character her and guy.

I like a quick read now and again and do love novellas for their size but as I have said many times before, I don't believe some writers can or need to add novellas to their series and this is one of them. I enjoyed the read, it was nice enough but it left me feeling slightly disappointed and a little underwhelmed. The Christmas theme was there but it felt forced and the mystery part was ok but somehow unbelievable.

This short Christmas story has Santa keeping an eye on the animal shelter and Jill Gardner in South Cove, Ca. A small puppy that belonged to a homeless Vet is being put up for adoption at the big annual push to empty the shelter for Christmas. Jill and her friends and family are volunteering to bath and prep the dogs for the big day. When she discovers a key in Baby's collar she and Greg set out to find out more about Baby's owner. With Santa nudging her along every step, there is sure to be a happy ending in book 9.75 of the Tourist Trap mystery series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jill Gardner loves animals which is why she is holding a pet adoption event at her store. Jill discovers that one of the dogs needing a forever home was found next to his homeless owner who had died and that he holds a secret - a safety deposit box key. The items in the box lead Jill and the police on a merry chase to find the details of who the man was and who will love this dog.

A wonderful, wonderful Christmas addition to this series!

I was given this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute holiday cozy featuring not a murder mystery but a mystery of a lost love. When a homeless man dues, leaving behind his loyal dog plus a ton of money and a letter and journal detailing his lost love, Jill has permission from her police detective boyfriend to help solve the mystery.

The ending was a little surprising, but ended in a not exactly happily ever after, but in a good way.

A beautifully written holiday story with an uncovered mystery woven throughout. I really thought the way it was intertwined with their holiday project to get the shelter animals adopted was a stroke of genius. Nothing was terribly far-fetched and though I did see the ending coming, I still found it completely heart warming. This was a fabulous cozy to pass the time with without getting too bogged down in darkness and angst.


Thank you to Kensington Books, NetGalley, and Lynn Cahoon for allowing me the chance to read this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Well, nothing like jumping into a series when it is well underway. Santa Puppy is the 9.75 book in the A Tourist Trap Mystery series and the first book I have read of Lynn Cahoon’s. I am now asking myself…why? While this series has been on my to-be-read (TBR) pile of books for quite a while, I had not managed to read one of the books until now. Generally, I am not a fan of novella’s but during the festive holiday season, I try and find worthwhile novella’s to fit into the bustling season. So I pulled this from my TBR pile and what I found was a charming and engaging story!

I love how this story starts – with Jill Gardner (owner of Coffee, Books and More), her boyfriend Greg King (South Cove’s primary police detective as well as a hottie) and other friends off to the Humane Society – to wash dogs in preparation for the next week’s event showcasing the animals to boost adoptions.

I really enjoyed the beginning when after a couple of pages of storytelling, the reader encounters introduction of both Jill and the setting:

“I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Jill Gardner, and I run the only bookstore slash coffeehouse in South Cove. Well, I own the place. My aunt Jackie is the manager and she runs the store-and me, most days. Of all the places I’ve ever lived, South Cove feels like home. The town is the perfect little tourist spot right off Highway 1. We have one restaurant and a tone of art studios and galleries and a few specialty shops, so if you’re looking for coffee and a treat, it’s either my place-Coffee, Books, and More-or Diamond Lille’s. We have a pretty good hold on the food business. The closest grocery store is in Bakerstown. A fact I’d bemoaned more than once.”

So the scene is set…Jill and crew are at the Humane Society…and with the title Santa Puppy – you know a dog is a major component of the storyline. Baby, a small ten-year-old terrier dog seems to catch Jill’s eye. Turns out his history is tied to the recent death of his owner – a homeless man found on the beach having died from an apparent heart attack.

So a mystery is borne. Jill is determined to find out all that she can about Baby and his deceased owner. What ensues is an intriguing and captivating novella.

I came to enjoy the people of South Cove and as such, want to learn more about Jill, Greg, Aunt Jackie…. the whole darn town actually.

The ending ties up the story with a nice, neat little bow. A true feel good Christmas time novella leaving this reader happy she picked up this book. If you like short reads set around Christmas time, I suggest Ms. Cahoon’s Santa Puppy as your next read. For now, I am off in search of the first book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series – Guidebook to Murder.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

This was a nice quick read that was just perfect for Christmas! Jill and her friends are working to help dogs and cats to find forever homes but there is also a mystery to solve. The mystery was well-done and the book is well-written. I love this cast of characters and look forward to 'seeing' them in the future!