Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade tells the story of dog trainer Chelsea and her former love interest Andrew, who has moved into her building and started a gym. After a run-in with Andrew's dog leads to a hurt wrist for Chelsea, they strike up an agreement: Chelsea will train Andrew's dog and he will help rehab her wrist. I really do love a second chance romance trope and I enjoyed the banter between Chelsea and Andrew. I also thought the dogs were adorable and enjoyed reading the scenes with the pups. I did think that this was a story I had read before better a couple of times. It was cute and quick, but not memorable.

If you like enemies to lovers/second chance romance, dog antics, seasonal stories, and some great banter, you will enjoy Unleashed Holiday.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was an OK read for me. I thought it was a little slow in some places, and while the dog part of it was really cute, I wanted more of a swoony romance between the characters.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I’m here for the holiday romance, and Unleshed Holiday was so cute! It gave me all those sweet Hallmark holiday movie feels, and was the perfect escape I needed this month. The characters were sweet and charming, and who can resist a book with a few furry friends.

I paired the book with the audiobook and loved this immersive reading style.

*many thanks to the publisher, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

When Chelsea’s former nemesis moves in, she finds her dog training business competing with Andrew’s gym for the vacant space in the middle. When an accident with Andrew’s dog leaves Chelsea with a hurt wrist, the two strike a deal: Andrew will help Chelsea rehab the injury if she’ll work with him to train his adorably uncivilized boxer. Their typical bickering soon turns to bantering, and Chelsea finds herself inexplicably drawn to the man she thought she had nothing in common with. 

I’m not typically a fan of a man bun, but I really thought this was cute! I have several on Victoria Schade books on my TBR shelf that I can’t wait to get to. The audiobook was great!

I could not get into this one and ended up DNF-ing. I have been trying to chip away at this one for months with no progress made. Nothing wrong with it per se I was just bored. Clearly not for me.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: One POV, rivals, slow burn, second chances

I would have preferred both points of view. Our mc was a bit tough to like. I just didn't connect well with this one. They just seemed like they were being overly mean to each other. It wasn't Christmassy enough. You may love it.

𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚⁠ by 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞⁠ was precisely what my Christmas-loving heart desired to read during the holiday season. It felt like one of my favorite Hallmark movies but without commercials interrupting the flow! The book provided a perfect and enjoyable escape from the holiday chaos, with its mixture of comedy, romance, adorable furry friends, and even some goats. Its holiday charm and goodness had me swooning! If you're a sappy, feel-good romance fan, this book should definitely be added to your reading list.⁠
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Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the complimentary ARC of this fantastic book.

“Unleashed Holiday” is a delightful romantic comedy filled with furry friends and holiday cheer. The story introduces us to charming characters and their canine companions, setting a heartwarming backdrop. While the initial romance may feel a bit slow, the adorable antics of the dogs and the festive ambiance keep the reader engaged. The witty dialogue and humorous situations make this a perfect read for anyone seeking a light-hearted escape into a world of love, laughter, and furry friendships.

This was an okay Christmas romance, well a holiday romance it starts out in September going through to Christmas. I really loved the dogs/goats in this one they made the story way more enjoyable but I had a really hard time with our main character Chelsea. She had just a bad attitude through the whole thing and I found it really hard to like her. This was through her whole pov and I think maybe I would of enjoyed it more if it had both hers and Andrew sense he was so much more or a likeable character

Unleashed Holiday has a cute premise. However, I struggled to get invested or care about these characters. I know others will enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me.

What I loved: the cover, the dogs, the entrepreneurship, the "hate" you but lust after you vibes. What I didn't like: the miscommunication, the "funny" digs at each other, what felt like a lack of meaningful emotional connection.

Unleashed Holiday is a quick, fun story to read around the holiday season. The romcom meet cutes - or not so cute since Chelsea does not want to keep running into Andrew - and puppy interactions are light and entertaining. The main characters both have issues with their fathers in very different ways but those relationships clearly have a huge impact on their daily lives. For Chelsea this means struggling to move forward and for Andrew it affects how he views himself and how he believes others view him, which is a big part of their story. I didn't love that the biggest piece of miscommunication isn't addressed for a long time but overall the story is cute and a good read.

Recommended if you like:

- Miscommunication
- Forced Proximity
- Enemies to Lovers
- Small Business Owners
- DOGS

3.5 stars

This book came out in September but now's the perfect time to read it since it's a holiday romance! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can a book gaslight the reader? Cause I kinda feel like that’s what happened here. There were a lot of non-apologies, they’re both judgemental and belittling and then somehow shocked that the other doesn’t know their true feelings of lurve. Andrew made nitpicky digs at her body in the past and then is angered that she attacks his intelligence, saying, “it’s not the same.” And Chelsea thinks, “well, I guess all the comments he said were true and he’s right.” Da fuk? And the reader is supposed to think it’s all great cause they “talked” it out?

There’s also non-problems with non-solutions. NO actual sense of business doom, the selling of their building by the landlord, because the answer is there from the start. We just have to drag along until what you know is going to happen happens.

I initially thought Chelsea was worse because she comes across as an anal bitch but really, as a dog lover and trainer and general adult, is it ridiculous to ask your dog be leashed (especially in parking lots) and to properly dispose of trash (especially because of raccoons)? To worry about parking for your business? No! Andrew was horrible. And it only got worse once Chelsea’s insecurities flared late in the game. I was over it.

This was a huge nope for me. The only good parts were the animals and the way Chelsea interacted with them. Let’s cut out the romance entirely. I’d read that book.

This was a total request for the cover pick. Not my favorite holiday romance but definitely unique who couldn’t love a holiday book with dogs

I love a good holiday romance and this one has the added benefit of also have dogs and forced proximity.

Adorable holiday read. I can't say no to Christmas or puppies! Thanks to the publisher and author for the early read of this one.

This was another Hallmark-esque book. I liked that Andrew wasn't what you expected from a buff tattooed fella. It was obvious to me from the start that something didn't go right in their past and she didn't have the full story. Miscommunication is a no no for me. Other than that, this was a fun and quick read.

There's nothing bad to say about this novel. Victoria Schade writes pitch perfect rom com with dogs (and goats this time). This is a low-ish stakes cozy read perfect for the holiday season

I found this to be a very cute and quick read! The story was solid enough, and I just loved the dogs! I felt like they played an important enough role, and I loved it when they appeared in the story. Unfortunately, it brought nothing new for me, which is the main reason why I'm giving it 3 stars. It was a lovely book though!

This is a perfect Christmas Romance for pet lovers. It’s former nemesis trope that has great banter between the two MCs. It’s an overall great holiday romance, with low spice.