Happy Tuesday y'all and happy release day to Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane! Pride and Puppies is the 4th book in the Pine Hollow series and y'all I love these books so much!!! Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Pride & Puppies!
Pride & Puppies 5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
Struggling to find her modern-day Mr. Darcy, a Jane Austen fan gets more than she bargained for when she swears off men and adopts an adorable puppy. 
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?
I thought Pride & Puppies was so incredibly cute! I had really liked Charlotte as a character when she was introduced in her sister Elinor's book, so when I realized that she was going to be the main character in Pride & Puppies, I was the most excited. Charlotte was such a relatable character- someone who pushes herself too hard, someone who feels like she's too much everything to be loved, someone who feels like she needs to change to become someone other people want to love. And then there's George- man, George is such a great guy! He loves his sisters and his dog and is so passionate about becoming a part of the Pine Hollow community. And of course, I loved the way him and Charlotte built out their relationship! It was incredibly cute and their dogs were so cute. I also really liked how seamlessly their lives intersected with their community and their friends and even though there were some misunderstandings and miscommunications between them, because they were both adults, they were able to work them out pretty easily, either on their own or with some help from their support systems. Plot and pacing wise, I thought that things were done really well. I liked all of the plot points a lot. A couple of times in the middle, I thought that the book was dragging the tiniest bit, but it picked up again pretty soon, so it didn't really impact my enjoyment in terms of reading. Overall, I really liked Pride & Puppies and I definitely suggest picking it and all of the Pine Hollow books up today!

After her most recent disastrous breakup, Charlotte Rodriguez has sworn off men and decided to form a Puppy Pact with her two best friends. She meets a golden retriever puppy she names Bingley and falls instantly in love with, deciding to give all her time and affection to him instead of a new man. George Leneghan moved to their small town eighteen months ago with his dog, Duke, but still feels like the new guy. He’s also quite smitten with Charles, his nickname for Charlotte, and decides to finally ask her out now that she’s single again. Charlotte firmly puts George in the friend zone and they begin to spend quite a bit of time together until George has to make the tough decision to stay or move home after his contract expires soon.

Pride & Puppies, a modern day Jane Austen retelling, you don’t have to be an Austen fan to enjoy, is a sweet friends to lovers rom-com with just enough chemistry between George and Charlotte to keep your interest! And did I mention dogs? The two dogs are enough to read the book in my opinion, as they steal the scene many times with their cuteness and antics. This novel is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone without feeling that you are missing any backstory details.

A super sweet romance that is perfect for fans of Jane Austen. I thought the main characters were well rounded and supported by a cast of equally lovable minor characters. I felt connected to the story line throughout, and I couldn't wait to see how everything played out. The writing had a few nods toward Jane Austen's literary style which was such a nice touch! The small town setting was perfect; I loved the Stars Hollow vibes of this book!

Read if you like:
Small town setting
Dual POV
Closed door romance
Cute dogs
Jane Austen

This book was good. Nothing extraordinary, but certainly not a DNF. I enjoyed the characters, their relationships, drama, and stories. I found the book to be very predictable and at points dragged on unnecessarily with not enough drama. It was a cute read, made me smile and was definitely a great distraction from real life. The characters were cute and their obsession with Jane Austen was entertaining. Overall a fun book, I just wish there was a little more detail to make it stick out and not drag on in parts.
Charlotte is tired of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, so swears off men and gets herself a puppy. Her coworker and neighbor, George is sweet but totally not her type, until he becomes a good friend who she can talk to about anything. When George announces he may move across the country, Charlotte decides to risk their friendship and share their feelings. Will they remain friends or more?
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single and not in the mood to mingle. She is ready to swear off men after dating too many Mr. Darcy fails. As a result, the puppy pact is born. Charlotte has found the love of her life, a little puppy in need of a loving home. After spending her whole life proving her worth to others, she is ready to give her puppy the best life possible and she knows just the neighbor to go to for help.

George Leneghan and his dog Duke are the best of friends, two peas in a pod. After moving across the country, George is making a fresh start and a new space to grow into and explore. He loves this little town but he doesn’t want to be the overlooked new guy anymore. George has been biting his tongue for the last two years, keeping in his feelings towards a certain someone. As his job contract slowly fizzles out, he knows he has to make a decision, speak his true feelings and stay or keep it all in and move back home to his mildly overbearing family.

George and Charlotte have worked in the same building, lived in the same complex, and been ships passing for nearly two years. Charlotte has filled that time with mediocre boyfriends and setting up George on lackluster dates but George just wants the wonderful Dr. Rodriguez to finally see him. He has been told too many times that he is too giving and too kind, everything Catherine says she wants in a man. So why can’t she see the man in front of her? News of George’s potential has caused suppressed emotions to spark, questions to bubble to the surface and some unusual feelings to pop up.

This read had a nice and slow build-up between George and Charlotte where you knew where it was likely going but understood both characters had to take their own paths first. The addition of Duke and Bingley was amazing, their antics were hilarious at times and allowed you to connect more to George and Charlotte. Both main characters have interesting family dynamics which added to the novel. Charlotte has always felt the need to compete with her sisters and try to make her own mark. George is the only brother from a large family and at times you wanted to tell his sisters to zip it and let him live his life. Overall, author Lizzie Shane did a great job writing a fun rom-com with an underlying Jane Austen essence that allowed readers to relate to the story and come along the journey of George and Catherine.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review an ARC!

Pride and Puppies is a contemporary romance novel where our heroine, Charlotte, loves Jane Austen. She's spent her life searching for her "Darcy" only to find that every man she dates is a jerk in disguise. After being cheated on, she dumps her boyfriend and makes the "puppy pact" with her friends. They will all swear off men and get a dog instead.

Unbeknownst to Charlotte, her neighbor George has been head over heels in love with her since he moved to town. Now that she's sworn off men, he's worried he'll never get his shot with her.

This book is absolutely adorable. I loved the dogs as integral parts of the story, and George is so sweet.

If you're looking for a clean romance where the man falls first... this is a great one. At times I was frustrated with Charlotte because she tends to self-sabotage, but still really loved her as an MC.

I thought this book was precious! Both main characters were relatable, although maddening at times. Just communicate! It was a cute, quick read, and while in the Acknowledgments the author calls it a love letter to Jane Austen, it’s also a love letter to dog people, and makes me want to read Lizzie Shane’s other works. It’s very low stakes, and gets a bit predictable at times, but overall I enjoyed reading it!

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez blames Jane Austen for her recurrent single status. She gave haughty, gloomy males an oh-so-dreamy sound. But Charlotte believes it's time to give up dating after trying for years to find her own Mr. Darcy. She's going to shower Bingley, her new dog, with all of her love and devotion because he deserves it.

And her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan is the best person to offer her pet advice. He is too kind to ever be her type, but he is quiet, patient, and most importantly, compassionate. The unthinkable occurs though—Charlotte begins to feel things as their casual chat turns flirtatious.

George makes the announcement that he's thinking about moving across the country as Charlotte struggles to figure out what it is she really wants. Charlotte starts to question whether she's kept her soulmate in the friend zone for so long that she's lost any possibility of a happily ever after.

Let me tell you this, Pride & Puppies was a finger-licking-good read. The characters were lovable, their development is top-notch. I felt the love they have for Jane Austen. I liked George, he is so sweet, and way he always made Charlotte feel important and loved, which she is of course. The relationship George has with his siblings is amazing, I liked the established book club. The events that occur in these characters' lives are what brings them together, the same thing for Charlotte and her sisters. Overall, this story is sickly sweet and I'm so glad to have read it.

This is a sweet, closed door romance. Pride & Puppies takes us back to Pine Hollow, Vermont as the fourth in a series. But this can absolutely be read as a standalone novel. This is one of my very favorite small town romance series. I loved getting the chance to know some of the characters from previous books better here. And George is such a great, romance reading hero!

Charlotte is a doctor, and she works with George, a physical therapist new to the town. She has tried setting him up with lots of women, while she searches for her own Mr. Darcy.

I always love all the puppies in this series. In this book, I was especially pleased by how seriously Charlotte's decision to get a puppy was treated. While she made an impulsive decision to give up men in favor of a puppy, she then spent a month learning about and preparing to be a responsible dog owner.

Just to clarify in case you were wondering from the name, this is not a Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Instead, it features a heroine who loves all things Jane Austen. Each chapter starts with a quote from Jane Austen, and her books are celebrated. As a fellow Jane Austen lover, I loved it.

Thank you to Forever for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

If you are a fan of Jane Austen (I am a huge fan) - pick up this book! If you like sweet & swoony romances or stories where dogs bring a couple together - pick up this book!

Charlotte goes through yet another breakup with a guy who didn’t deserve her - another dud to add to her growing list of “Darcy’s” as she and her best friends have deemed them… swearing off men, she thinks up the puppy pact, where she figures they should all just adopt puppies instead of seeking out men in their lives. A dog will love her, no matter what. For the next six months, Charlotte will devote herself to her new golden, named Bingley (because of course - as an Austen obsessed gal, what else would she go with).

Neighbor and coworker George has had a crush on Charlotte for ages, but she’s gone from one relationship to another and he’s never had a chance to make a move… and besides, they’re coworkers. And she’s always trying to set him up with her sisters and friends! Now that she’s single, he still has no opportunity because she’s sworn off men and dating… but he’s got a chance to help out with her new puppy and they can bond over that, becoming best friends - just in time for his contract to be up and job offers from back home (across the country) to start rolling in. Right when they’re getting comfortable with their friendship maybe moving further, he’s moving farther… away.

Such a swoony Austen-infused tale where dogs bring these friends together in the cutest way! I enjoyed it so much - and pretty sure everyone else will too, Austen fan or not (though just know she and all her books and characters are mentioned a lot, so being a fan, or at least knowing her works, definitely helps)!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest review and feedback.

We are big Jane Austen fans so you know we had to read this book! Pride & Puppies follows Charlotte, a huge Austen fan forever looking for her Mr Darcy, but with another failed relationship she decides to give up men and get a puppy instead. Then there’s George, her neighbour and co-worker, who has an unrequited crush on her and doesn’t think he’s a Darcy. He’s such a nice guy that Charlotte immediately puts him in the friend zone. Once they start to get flirty and more friendly, Charlotte finally figures out that nice guys might be the way to go!

This is small town romance at its best! We loved the community and characters who popped up through out the book. This is book 4 in the Pine Hollow series and we’re gonna have to go back and check out the other 3!

This was such a cute and heartfelt romance that had all the Hallmark movie feels.

What we liked:
▪️Their friendship & chemistry
▪️The dogs: Duke & Bingley
▪️George’s family book club! (We would love an invite)
▪️All the Austen love

What we didn’t like:
▪️The pacing is a bit slow

My last name is Rodriguez, I'm obsessed with my dog, I love Jane Austen, and I gave up on dating a long time ago. This should have been a home run for me. Unfortunately, it was just okay.

This is one of those books that somehow feels very rushed and very slow at the same time. The big life moments happen fast but the plot itself seems to drag on. I like George and his relationship with his sisters. I also like that he calls Charlotte Charles. It's cute.

I think I just didn't like George already knowing he was in love with Charlotte at the beginning of the book. It kind of killed any will-they-won't-they possibilities. And yes, it's a romance, we know what's gonna happen... But there should still be a hint of higher stakes.

This was fine. I was just underwhelmed.

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez has not found her Mr. Darcy. She's mad at Jane Austen. She makes a pact, she swears off men and decides to get a puppy.

George has been secretly in love with Charles. An inside joke between the two. George is trying to decide if he should stay in Vermont or move back to Colorado to be with family.

This book was such a fun read. I laughed out loud and cried. I loved this book.

3.75 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Lizzie Shane for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If a book has a dog on the cover, I will read it. This one has 2, so I definitely had to read it. This was cute. But I couldn't connect with the main characters. At times I found Charlotte to be pushy and whiny. It was also repetitive at times.

I did like the Jane Austen quotes thrown in here and there. I loved loved loved Duke and Bingley.

There was no spice, but that's okay! If you like Hallmark movies, then this may be the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was drawn to Pride and Puppies because I can't help myself when there are dogs on the covers. But I have to admit that I have never read the original Pride and Prejudice, so while I know this is a modern retelling, I have nothing to actually compare it to. Also, I didn't realize that this book is part of a series....oops.

Read this book if you enjoy:
small town romances
friends to lovers
guy falls first
all the dogs
closed door / fade to black

As a pet owner, I adored this story. I also really enjoyed the hallmark vibes. The biggest issue I had was pacing.

This was super cute!! I loved all of the dogs in it and how fun the characters were. Looking forward to the next book!

“Pride and Puppies” is a fun and sweet clean read that was fun to read. Charlotte and George are great characters and I liked reading a modern take on “Pride and Prejudice”.

After another disastrous relationship, Charlotte has decided to take a break from dating. And during her break, she’s decided she’s finally going to get the puppy she’s always wanted. Her friend and co-worker, George, supports the idea but has also had a secret crush on her.

I was immediately intrigued by the title and synopsis of the story. Charlotte is a total woman goals. She knows her worth and refuses to settle for anything less than what she wants and deserves. George is a total sweetie and a great human. Not pushy or judgy and willing to be the friend she needs until she’s ready for the next step. It’s a clean read and focused more on the friendship and romance side of things. I don’t need a steamy scene every other chapter but I definitely miss that adult connection that adds to the storyline. All the secondary characters were great. Charlotte’s best friends and George’s sisters are amazing. There's a lot of character development and overall a good story.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book—and my first from this author or series and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m a sucker for anything Jane Austen adjacent and a love story that also features adorable puppies fits the bill! I love Charlotte and all her over the top ways and George with his caring sweetness. Throw in a charming, quirky small gown and a motley crew of supporting characters and you have a winner! I think my favorite part of the book was the surprise (and delayingly gratifying) gift George has for Charlotte. If only I had my own! Definitely pick this one up!

Pride & Puppies
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 11/22/22
Author: Lizzie Shane
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 368
GR: 3.71

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This is book number four in the Pine Hollow series, however, each of the books in the series can be read as stand alongs, including this one. The story is narrated by Charlotte and George, in their respective POVs. Charlotte was independent, strong, sworn off men for six months, and decided to get a puppy that would love her unconditionally. Her coworker and friend, George, was secretly in love with her, so when she asks for his help in training her new puppy, he jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with her. I adored the Jane Austen references sprinkled throughout the story. The story follows a friends to lovers trope, which is one of my favorites. Shane delivers an excellent plot with turns and of course, the HEA. The characters were well fleshed out well with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and creatively paired up with dogs. I adored the side characters in this book. All of the characters were likable and relatable. The author’s writing style was complex, funny, heartwarming, and kept me engaged. This book releases tomorrow and I highly recommend picking up.

This was the sweetest small town romance! I loved all of the Jane Austen references, loved the friend and sister groups, loved the protagonists, and especially loved all of the sweet, tender moments. My heart feels so full.

Pride and Puppies is the 4th book in the Pine Hollow series, but can absolutely be read as a standalone! It follows Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez right as she breaks up with her most recent boyfriend. She decides to swear off men and form the Puppy Pact. Instead of putting all her love and energy into dating, she adopts a puppy instead. Her friend George helps her get things set up for when the puppy is ready to be adopted, but he’s been secretly in love with Charlotte for a long time. This story pulls off the friends to lovers trope so, so well!

I loved the ease the characters had with each other, how they listened when the other had big feelings, and also how they supported one another. This book covers a lot of insecurities- like always being too much or never feeling good enough, and I think the way the author handled the conflict was done beautifully.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Pub for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!