Loved reading this book and series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. I suggest reading in order.

I am a very simple girl, I see a romance book with dogs on the cover, I read it. I loved the dogs in this book. They were a highlight for me. I'm not a Jane Austen fan so I didn't get the Darcy references, but I see fans of her loving this book like our main character. I didn't like how half of this book is Charlotte trying to set George up with someone else when it's her he wants to be with, but it worked out in the end. George is so charming and I liked the sisters. I could easily see spin off books with them or Charlotte's friends.

This was a really sweet book. At the beginning of this book we meet Charlotte a brilliant doctor who is just coming out of a bad relationship. Charlotte decides that she is never going to find her Mr. Darcy and decides to give up men and get a dog instead. George is thrilled to find out Charlotte is single, since he has been crushing on her for a long time, until she tells him she is done with men. George’s family wants him back home and he has to decide if there is anything worth staying for in Pine Hollow. If you love dogs or Jane Austen, then this book is definitely for you. A sweet story about two people trying to find love, and learning to accept themselves as they are. I can’t wait to visit Pine Hollow again soon, hopefully to hear Magda’s story. I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Goes along the Jane Austen remake of Pride and Prejudice, but with puppies and dogs! I absolutely loved this lighthearted romance and will be buying it as soon as it's out
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own

3.5 stars
This was a satisfying read. Good concept with the Puppy Pact. They do give unconditional love and help out when you need a friend, so great idea. Love that the relationship between Charlotte and George was built on a friendship first. They were perfect for each other but was missing some chemistry between them. Love the interaction and anticipation but it felt a little flat once they got together. It was mostly repeating a lot of their concerns about the relationship. Great supporting characters and set ups for future romances. I would be interested in reading them. This is a must read for Jane Austen fans. The Emma book part was the best.

This is a new to me author who combined my two favorite things in the world and created my new favorite book. There are few things that make me happier than puppy dogs and Jane Austen and this book created a happy ever after that I didn’t want to end.

The author created Charlotte and George as fully developed characters. They were both relatable, and I could see them as people I would want to hang out with.

The build up of the story was a steady climb, pretty much a perfect pace. For me that means I couldn’t wait to get to the end, but was still sad to see it over. I am hoping to see more of these characters in future stories including the Duke and Bingley!

Oh what a fun book! If you want to read a lighthearted romance filled with puppies/dogs and good friends then this is it. Truly enjoyed it.

This book follows Charlotte Jane Rodriguez who just broke up with her cheating boyfriend and decides to take a break from dating and get a puppy and George, her coworker and neighbor who has had a crush on her for a while. They start spending more time together and their relationship evolves from there.

Here's a quote I think describes the hero of the book quite well: What did you do when the women you were secretly half in love with declared she was swearing off romance? If you were George, you smiled and supported her. So that’s what he did. “I think that’s a great idea.”

This is a closed door small town romance. George has been pining for Charlotte for quite some time but she has always been in a relationship so there hasn't been a good time to ask her out. Charlotte is totally oblivious to his feelings and thinks she ruins any relationship she is in.

There are quite a few references to Jane Austen. Although I find that those can be easily overdone, I appreciated that they weren't just the most commonly used Pride and Prejudice quotes that are normally used.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Charlotte had flaws but she was aware of them. I enjoyed their journey to their HEA and I would recommend this book if you are looking for a closed door small town friends to lovers romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane
Rating: 4.5 stars

Have you ever been so done with love that you consider swearing off men entirely and adopt a puppy? That’s exactly what Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez does until she realizes that her neighbor/coworker/hot friend may just be what she’s been looking for all along.

Pride and Puppies is a fun friends to lovers romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The MC is Jane Austen obsessed, so if you love Austen references you are in for a treat (see what we did there 🐶🦴).

What we loved:
-Friends to lovers trope
-George! George is the absolute sweetest and so kind.
-Small town setting
-Lizzie struck the perfect balance of fun with this book. It’s a very laid back read

What didn’t work for us:
-Charlotte was too wishy-washy for our liking. We get that past relationships have put her off, but there’s only so much back and forth you can take until you get frustrated with her.
-Even though there is a lot of dialogue with side characters (Beks, Magda, Kristin), we didn’t feel strongly for them.

All in all, we really enjoyed Pride & Puppies! If you love a lighthearted romance with a side of puppies and Jane Austen, add this one to your list!

📖: Pride & Puppies by @lizzieshaneAK
Pub Date: 22 Nov 2022  

Thank you to NetGalley, Lizzie Shane, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this ARC.

** 2.5 STARS **

Just like many before, “Pride & Puppies” is a Jane Austen inspired modern-day romance featuring a MC who is well obsessed with… Jane Austen. Like almost every other page, ‘Darcy’, ‘Blingley’ and ‘Jane’ are mentioned obsessed. Was it annoying to the point you couldn’t help but roll your eyes when the forsaken three were mentioned? Ab·so·lute·ly.

Despite my digressions, Charlotte (“Charles” by her wannabe Darcy) is single again after dumping her cheating boyfriend, Jeff. After a wild night of venting with her best girlfriends with a strong bottle of liquor in her hands, she decides it’s time to swear off men… for six months at least and get a puppy that she always dreamt of and who would love her unconditionally—forming the Puppy Pact. Cue in her neighbor, co-worker and friend George—who has been pining for her since the moment he arrived at Pine Hollow—providing pet advice and being a shoulder to lean on as Charlotte rediscovers herself and what love should mean to her. Amidst that, George announces he’s contemplating a cross-country move which then spirals Charlotte's emotions out of whack and pushes her to realize she may have less than friendly feelings for him. Mixed emotions, miscommunications, should they shouldn’t they drama upfolds—leaving me much to desire.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with either MCs—George and especially Charlotte. I found her to be pushy, messy and just plain annoying. In regards to the romantic components—the chemistry and flirting was practically non-existent. In all honesty, I truly didn’t believe Charlotte's feelings were genuine for George and the romance seemed too forced, especially after she discovered his decision to possibly move back home and her sudden ‘realization of her feelings’. They worked better as friends than lovers. Let’s not forget Jane Austen obsession and references were too much of the focal point of this novel.

All in all, a strong engaging start but once the wishy-washy back-and-forth with Charles and George began, I started to tune out. It gradually became worse towards the later half of the novel when Charlotte proclaimed she was in love with the real life Blingley. It just was not believable nor did the romance stand out. I was far more intrigued by the side characters and their stories. Nonetheless, not the worst Jane Austen inspired romance novel I have read but it could have been better.