Pride and Puppies by Lizzie Shane is a wonderful friends to lovers trope contemporary romance. I love Pride and Prejudice so I was thrilled to pick this up. Charlotte finds herself single again and does what many people do, buys a puppy to cope. What could go wrong?

I really enjoyed Shane's writing. I had SO many emotions while reading this book (there may have been some crying). The dual POV enhanced the writing. I've said it over and over how much I love multiple narrators. It was definitely a little cliche at times.

3 out of 5 stars for this quick and cute read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this novel.

I freely admit: I did not finish Pride & Puppies.

I didn’t find either main characters likable, especially Charlotte, our heroine. She’s grown up idealizing romantic relationships (a la Jane Austen) yet doesn’t seem to understand why she’s had so many bad relationships. She’s decided to focus on a puppy and no dating. So of course her coworker George is immediately friend-zoned.

Frankly, the only thing that reminded me of Pride and Prejudice was characters’ names. George was unassuming and passive and was no Mr. Darcy. And Charlotte honestly annoyed me and seemed much younger than she was intended to be.

And I refuse to let my love of Pride and Prejudice be tainted, so I quit Pride & Puppies.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the review copy.

I really enjoyed this one! This was my first read by Lizzie Shane and it won't be my last. Although I felt a little silly when I realized this was book 4 in a series and I had not read the previous three LOL! However, I don't think my reading experience suffered at all having not read the rest of the books - I will definitely go back and read them though.

What I Liked:
- Themes of self-discovery and growth
- Friends-to-lovers (one of my favorite tropes!)
- Jane Austen references!
- Great side characters (another reason I want to go back in this series!)
- Puppies!!!

Something I didn't love was how long it took for the two MCs to admit their feelings for each other! I wish there had been better communication between them, but that isn't unique to this book and something I see a lot in romances overall. I also wish we got a little more spice, but hey, that's just my preference. Also George's sister Beks seemed pretty toxic throughout the book but redeemed herself towards the end.

Overall, really enjoyed this one and the fact that the two MCs were both strong individuals and didn't settle easily.

TW: Loss of a parent, mention of cheating

I love Pine Hollow, and while I wasn't sure if I'd love Charlotte Rodriguez after meeting her in Elinor's story, it turned out that she and George were just the charming couple I needed to read about. I love George, and that this was one for the good guys, and that he never asked Charlotte to be anything less than she was. The Jane Austen references were fun, Pine Hollow is its usual quirky self, and this was an entirely enjoyable reading experience.

This was a really cute friends to lovers romance. It was a fun little twist on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. I hadn’t read any of the previous Pine Hollow books so I was a little lost with the characters here, but it was still enjoyable.

Thanks goes to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Forever for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are you a Jane Austen fan? I am a die-hard Austen lover so am always intrigued by books that are Austen-esque updates. This isn't a Pride and Prejudice retelling (which can honestly go either way) but just a book about Charlotte, who- like all of us- is obsessed with P&P, and, more specifically Mr. Darcy.

Charlotte is on the hunt for the perfect Mr. Darcy- men who are cold on the outside but eventually show their inner softie. Except in her case, they just don't.. It's too bad George- who has a crush on her- is more of a Bingley, sweet and straightforward. Charlotte decides to swear off men and instead get a puppy and this seems to me like the most intelligent decision anyone has ever made. But will Charlotte and George find love?

Let's start with the good. Every chapter starts with an Austen quote and there were lots of puppies and therefore this book will appeal to pet owners. It was a quick read and I liked the small town everyone knows everything and everyone knows everyone vibes. I liked that Charlotte was smart and a doctor, and George was incredibly likeable (honestly a guy like that should not be single). However, I wanted more from this book. I found it just a little too fluffy for my liking and lacked depth and substance. It would be good for those looking for a light and breezy read.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pride and Puppies is a cute, clean friends-to-lovers romance. At first I thought this would be a modern adaptation, but after reading, it is more like a Jane Austen themed novel. I am a Pride and Prejudice lover, so the Jane Austen quotes at the beginning of each chapter was amazing and I loved it.

George moved to the town looking to belong, but after 1.5 years, he still felt like an outsider. He had not found his community or a solid group of friends. Charlotte has sworn off men and decided to get a puppy. George and Charlotte are neighbors, and George has had a crush on Charlotte since they met, but Charlotte has always been in a relationship.

Charlotte's insecurities and issues cause the majority of the issues in this book, and anytime I would get annoyed I was thankful her friends continued to call her out on her bs. George was a sweetheart and you could arguably say Charlotte did not deserve him, but she was what he wanted, and that made them perfect together.

As a Jane Austen fan, I love a good book that highlights aspects of my favorite author. The book was charming and adorable.

My thanks goes to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Forever for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Romcom
Heat Level: Low spice (closed door)
Trope: Friends to Lovers

I needed something light and funny! Whew—this fit the bill in every way. I even laughed aloud. And I had to reread some lines because they tickled me so much.

Charlotte has abominable taste in men. Yes—like many other women—Mr. Darcy has ruined her for ever finding the right man. So she, with much enthusiasm, declares it is time for her to give up men. Permanently. Forever.

Then there's George. He's not the leading man—in fact women run away from him when they find the ONE. But this time, he's going to change. Maybe. Maybe not. Charlotte has shut him down! But at least they can be friends.

The one thing that I had to navigate was Charlotte's friends and her sisters—I read fast, but I got a tad confused for a moment. Especially when "Bailey" was a women—that sounded like an androgynous name and I didn't realize Charlotte's sister was marrying a woman. There are also the other townsfolk and mature people at the fancy condos.

The dogs in this book are loved and the people do all the goofy things we do with our pets. They also provided opportunities for close proximity. Our lead characters both had reasons to doubt the other's intentions—and it worked very well. I felt like they had great chemistry because of their friendship.

This was such a fun read. Now I need to check out if this author has written more romcoms, because I'm in!

It's a YES—recommended especially if you need a break from anything. It's lighthearted and funny!

Happy reading!

This romance novel was super sweet, where we have a ton of Jane Austen references, a ton of denial, puppies and a puppy pact that just doesn’t make sense lol. We have charlotte who has the worst luck with men, she keeps dating them, but then she has a friend who is the new guy in town who has been crushing on her since he got there.

The denial dragged til I was blue in the face because of Charlotte and her true feelings, but she decided to stick to her pact to only dedicate her love to her new puppy for the time being instead of a man. Listen, I get it, but George was the total package, and he was SOO friendzoned, I kept thinking “how is this going to even end between them.” But then it ended up working out of course but with a ton of more insecurities between both characters.

I loved their friends and families in this book. Very straight forward, funny as hell, and I know without them added to this book I don’t think I would have liked it as much. Even though there was a ton of sweetness in between, I was expecting a little bit more of a connection between them, I didn’t feel it as much as I should, I was expecting a HUGE explosion of romance since they FINALLY got together but, no.

Not saying that it’s not a good read because it is if you understand the Jane Austen references, which I don’t, and if you like the hallmark channel romances.

Having read all three of the previous Pine Hollow books, I was already in love with this town in Vermont, its slightly quirky inhabitants and all of the doggos that have passed through the Pine Hollow shelter. Charlotte is an orthopedics specialist, the younger sister of Elinor from the third book. She's very bright, has a big personality, messy emotions, and wants nothing more than a partner who chooses her first and loves all of her. The problem is that she tends to be attracted to egotistical jerks and then ties herself into knots trying to fit in the box they want to put her in. After her most recent relationship crashes and burns, Charlotte swears off men, instead deciding to adopt a puppy whom she can lavish all of her big emotions on.

Of course, as soon as she's decided this, complications arise in the form of George, a sweet, adorable cinnamon roll who works as a PT at the local senior assisted living facility. George moved to Pine Hollow attracted by the small town charm but after two years of despairing that he'll ever be seen as anything other than "the new guy", and two years of pining after Charlotte who is oblivious to his crush, he's about to give up and move back to CO.

George and Charlotte have always been friends, but now that she's out of a relationship, their friendship quickly deepens and turns into more, but both characters have baggage that prevents them from seeing what's right in front of them, that they are perfect for each other. I liked both Charlotte and George individually and as a couple and was happy to get plenty of puppy in action in the form of Bingley, Charlotte's newly adopted golden pup, plus a bonus of Duke, George's full grown Bernese Mountain dog. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Pride & Puppies was inescapably charming and captivating from the first few lines. I started it while at the airport waiting for a delayed flight and devoured the first ten chapters without even noticing the time—I’m so grateful they loudly announce when boarding begins! Seven days later I was reading the last few lines.

It’s a very sweet and light story that quickly became the highlight of my nights (generally I only have time to read when I go to bed). The writing is solid. George, Charles, and the entire cast of characters is easy to love. Communication problems abound between the two as their hangups and imperfections threaten their HEA, but my frustrations never led me to lose hope.

My favorite moment that made me laugh out loud? “I hate my job,” Kendall said without missing a beat. “Are we just saying obvious things now?”

Lastly, a plea that Magda and Mac are the next protagonists in the Pine Hollow series. I NEED their love story. I could feel it living amidst the lines.

Pride and Puppies is a charming story. Charlotte loves Jane Austen but hasn’t found her Mr. Darcy so she gets a puppy instead. Sounds reasonable to me.
George, a potential Mr. Darcy, is right under her nose, but they’re just friends. Who hang out together, a lot.
The romance developed slowly which is more realistic than white hot forest fires of love.
Charlotte and George are both hesitant to open themselves up for love, but their dogs are a perfect match.
The best scenes involved Bingley. I wanted to reach through the pages and give him a big squeeze.
You can’t go wrong with this book.

I've always said it's true - when you stop looking for your mate, the perfect person will appear. And for Dr. Rodriguez, she's learned this lesson is true. She's a tad obsessed with Jane Austen, but aren't all good readers? And then there is the saying about opposites... or giving things a chance... Oh there are so many cliché love messages in this book. Anyone looking for something heartwarming - this is a must read.

Homage to Jane Austen!

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez had given up on men because she was done looking for her own Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen. She decided to get a puppy because she was done dating for a while and she could give the puppy all of her attention and love. But Charlotte has absolutely no experience with a puppy so she asks her co-worker George Leneghan for advice since he has dog.

Charlotte had been trying to set George Leneghan up with someone since he started working with her but he refused to tell her that he was in love with her but maybe something could happen since she was single again while he helped her with her new puppy.

I love how Lizzie Shane mixes up Jane Austen with a friends-to-lovers co-workers romance with some of the cutest dogs and friends that you will want to fall in love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Forever Publishing for the free book.
It was so good to be back in Pine Hollow, this time with Charlotte and George. I adored their friendship and exploration of a relationship. I liked how they both pined and has hesitations - everything felt so realistic. This book also did a great job of exploring sibling hood in adulthood. Some of my favorite parts of the book centered around George and his sisters. There were also so many lovable dogs and little glimpses of the characters from the first three books. This book is definitely Jane Austen heavy, and if that's your thing, you are going to adore all of the little hints and references. I have only read one Austen book, so I didn't get all of the little winks, but that didn't detract from my reading experience. I hope there are more books coming in this lovely town because I could spend a lot more time here with all of these amazing characters.

On the hunt for her Mr. Darcy, Charlotte is dealing with a breakup and gets a puppy. An new friend George comes into her life and their friendship bonds and grows from their love of dogs. George has feelings for Charlotte, Charlotte does for George but her insecurities get in the way. Will they, wont they! Ah!

This book was enjoyable and I would recommend to anyone looking for a warm and fuzzy read! Thank you to Netgalley, author, and the publisher for this copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, and Lizzie Shane for the ARC of the book!
Charlotte is like most girls who love Jane Austen. She wants to find her Mr. Darcy. After going through yet another breakup, she decides to swear off men and adopt a puppy. Her neighbor, George, is new to Pine Hollow and is trying his best to fit in. George has always had feelings for Charlotte, but because she's been unavailable and his job contract up soon, has contemplated moving back home. To George's delight, they start forming a friendship because of their love of dogs. Charlotte tries to remind herself that they are just friends, but she slowly starts to feel more for him. Her self doubt and insecurities keep her from pursuing more even though everyone tells her George is head over heels for her. Will him possibly moving back home make her want to get him to stay?
This was a fun and cute story. It was a quick read filled with love, humor, and the warm fuzzies. There were times I was frustrated with Charlotte because she constantly let her insecurities get the best of her, but it is what made her a relatable character. The development of their friendship felt natural and sweet. I would recommend this for fans of sweet romances.

I’ve enjoyed all the previous book in the Pine Hollow series and I like this one as well with some reservations. This series takes place in the small Vermont town of Pine Hollow. It isn’t necessary to read the previous book in the series as there isn’t much catching up with the romances from the previous books. Dr. Charlotte (Charles) Rodriguez is a doctor at a senior living center. After realizing her current boyfriend is cheating on her she declares she is making a puppy pact. She is swearing off men and getting herself a puppy. Her golden retriever Bingley is perfect for this Jane Austin obsessed girl.

George Lenegham is a neighbor and also works doing physical therapy at her same senior living center. He has been nursing a crush on her ever since he moved to town 18 months before. He thinks it may finally be time to make a move when he learns she is swearing off men. But she is in need of help training Bing and he is up for the task. But he doesn’t want to stay in the friend zone.

This is a cute, fairly low angst story. The author chooses to write closed doors for intimacy which is fine, but in some of her other books I saw the passion building more before the door closed. And I missed the longing or increase in sexual tension. One of the fun things in the book is Charles love Jane Austin. But this went on and on to where at times I wanted to shake my device and say stop comparing life to fictional characters. (Which is funny considering I’m frustrated with fictional characters for doing that.) But this is a romance and you know things are going to work out.

I thought this might be the end to the series. The original poker group all got romances with the first three books. Charles is the sister of the female lead in book #3 and brings a new group of friends so I can see this series continuing. And even though I didn’t love this one as much I still recommend it and will still look forward to more from Lizzie Shane. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 stars)

3.5 stars

Again with the requesting books in a series lol I gotta stop with that!

Pride & Puppies was freaking adorable! I loved this fun little twist on Pride & Prejudice, even if I was a little confused by the side characters and somethings I should have known from reading the previous Pine Hollow books. It's cozy and emotional, and just so sweet