The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is a feel-good story about Christmas miracles and finding love.
Brenda Mallory hates Christmas, its always a remind of the day she lost her dad. To find out her
husband was cheating on her on Christmas Eve just added to her hatred.
One of the ways she has been coping since the divorce has been helping out with Underdogs, a pet rescue group. Although she hates the cold and snow almost as much she does the does the holiday, she gets roped into taking 11 dogs and her own rescue pooch to Avalon, New York just before Christmas. In Avalon she meets and falls in love with Adam Bellamy. Can this hero salvage her heart and teach her to love Christmas again?
I liked both the main characters and the others in the story. The dogs were especially well done. There may have been a little to much self-contemplation on Brenda’s part, but overall, the book had a good pace and she didn’t automatically fall right back in love with the season. Do not expect hot sex, but overall, this was a well done book about a special time for special people.

I tend to be attracted to holiday stories with dogs in them and happened to read two back to back. This one was by far the better of the two and I very much enjoyed it. The story opens with Brenda almost losing her beloved dog on Christmas Eve when he ingests a pair of panties that isn't Brenda's. The dog survives just fine, but his accident leads to the breakup of her marriage. A year later, again at Christmas, she's well on her way to reinventing her life when she agrees to assist in the transport of a group of 11 rescue dogs from Houston to their forever homes in upstate NY. Warmth loving Brenda has every intention of dropping the dogs off, then immediately hightailing it back to Houston.

However, an unexpected snowstorm and a string of events all conspire to strand her for a week in the small town of Avalon, NY where Christmas hating Brenda keeps on getting roped into the snow and holiday festivities totally against her will. She also makes a strong connection with Adam, a paramedic and single dad who is the new adoptive dad of one of her rescue pups.

This story was absolutely charming, filled with likable characters and adorable doggos. Poor Brenda was so sure that the best way forward was to guard her heart from any real feelings, but of course, that's only a half-life at best, something that her experiences in Avalon all conspired to teach her. I really felt the magic of the season in this book and highly recommend it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Susan does it again! Loved this
Get your copy Tuesday October 17th
This was a delightful read. Who doen't love a romance surrounded by twinkling lights, snow and a dozen cute furry friends. I highly recommend if you need a pick me up. Grab a hot chocolate a cozy blanket and settle in for the night and read this scrooge like story.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved everything about this story! It's the perfect recipe for a holiday romance. One divorcee and her faithful dog, a handsome EMT, a wise cracking sidekick, and a van load of rescued dogs on a road trip from the warm lands to a cold and snowy northern climate, right before Christmas. Stir it up with an almost disastrous car accident that leaves our heroine stranded with dogs to rehome and you have a delightful story of new beginnings for everyone involved.

Who wouldn’t be instantly drawn into this cover with all those precious faces on it???
I totally identified with Brenda about not liking the holidays. I wish I could just skip them permanently.
Brenda has good reasons for not liking Christmas but she is a good sport about all the holiday stuff she has to do.
Olaf was my favorite dog because he was a huge goofball. I loved Dolly with her irrepressible spirit and pragmatism.
It’s a lovely heartwarming story about finding joy and opening one’s self up to new possibilities. And doggies.

This is definitely a winner! Brenda alias Scroogetta, lost the spirit of Christmas when she lost her father at a young age when she started doubting there is a Santa Claus. Now as an adult anything to do with Christmas is a turn off still. Unfortunately she gets recruited to help with an adoption dog run from Houston, TX to Avalon, NY during the Christmas season. Her co-partner has Christmas overload and the town is like a Christmas village, But a series of mishaps, cute puppies, and adorable Will starts to thaw out Scroogetta..
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheTwelveDogsofChristmas

I received a free copy of, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, by Susan Wiggs, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Brenda is not a fan of Christmas, after finding out last Christmas about her husband cheating on her. Brenda decides to drive with twelve rescue dogs in winter, what could possible go wrong. This is a cute holiday read, I enjoyed it.

The magic of Christmas and dogs! Two of my favorite things. I was surprised to realize that Susan Wiggs returned to Avalon in this charming Christmas tale. Although you need not have read The Lakeshore Chronicles series to follow the story, I am tempted to now do a reread. This is a heartwarming novel guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

A light Christmas read, filled with plenty of holiday touches, a happy ending and puppies! You will finish this book with a smile on your face!

Actual rating 3.5, rounded up because dogs.

The main character loves dogs and dislikes Christmas. So do I. I'm intrigued. And eventually disappointed. I know this is supposed to be a fun take on real life, but so many situations described were just completely outrageous and unlikely, that it felt more like a fairy tale fantasy story. I found myself talking to the book too often, saying things like "come on, that NEVER happens", and it pulled away some of the enjoyment. Wiggs has skill with description and her style is easily readable, but my feeling is that there was a LOT of imagination about real life. Still, a fun story and I got a little dog fix.

My thanks to William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is the perfect Christmas book to read. If you love dogs and Christmas then this is a must read book for you. This book just warms your heart and has you loving every character and fur ball in this story. The book is definitely one of my favorite Christmas books and I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

The first books I read by Susan Wiggs were The Lakeshore Chronicles series , delightful tales of emerging love in the small town of Avalon, New York, and of all the trials to get to lasting love. Twelve Dogs of Christmas begins in Houston and takes the reader to charming Avalon, all decked out for Christmas and alive with Christmas spirit.
When Brenda is coerced to help bring dogs from Houston to Avalon for their forever families, diehard, no thank you to Christmas Brenda is in for it. The transport van for the dogs gets into a wreck and Brenda meets the handsome and charming Adam. He and his little boy Will love all things Christmas and Adam sets out to transform Brenda to a lover of Christmas, too. All along they are falling for each other but distance between their homes and Brenda’s determination to not fall for anyone brings times of love and anxiety, of love and fear, and of love and maybes.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Susan Wiggs always writes a good story. Brenda Mallory has a life-changing Christmas almost losing her beloved dog and the repercussions of what caused the dog to almost die. Brenda has to move on and rebuild her life. She just doesn't want to be a part of Christmas anymore. When a series of events throws her into a new town, a snowy which she hates and a well-celebrated town she wishes she could just go back home alone and stay away from the festivities. However, meeting a man and his child plus trying to help place twelve dogs she can't easily escape.
Cute story it has the components of a good book, betrayal, an accident, and love. You will enjoy it. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC this is my opinion.

A perfect Christmas story for lovers of dogs, rescue, and romance. It took me a while to warm up to Brenda, but then I really began to enjoy her rescue journey to New York. Cute dogs, cute kid, hot paramedic, over the top Christmas celebrations. What’s not to love?

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a quick, easy read to get the reader in the holiday spirit. Even if you're not a dog lover, this is an enjoyable, sweet romance. There's a nice mix of humor and romance.

Brenda is avoiding Christmas- lots of sad memories- and so she agrees to drive rescue dogs from Houston to Avalon, New York. Not as easy as she thought! There's trouble along the way from the weather to wrangling the pups in and out of the van but then she meets Adam. He's a paramedic and single dad who is more than happy to help her. Yes this is a bit insta-romance and yes it's a tad trope-y but it's a fast cheery read with....dogs! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This should make you chuckle occasionally and smile at the end.

I love this story. It has two of my favorite things – dogs and Christmas. I enjoyed the story of Brenda. I could relate to parts of her life. We all wish for an Adam who can make us feel so special. Who wouldn’t want a friend like Dolly? I love her so much. This is a wonderful Christmas story with awesome characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

The Lakeshore Chronicles is the first series that I read by Susan Wiggs. Reading this book was like visiting an old friend and jumping back into conversations like you were never apart. It was nice to catch up on the lives of many characters. Brenda has rebuilt her life over the last year following the discovery that her husband had been cheating on her. She is heavily involved with a dog rescue organization in Houston but balks when asked to help transport 11 dogs to Avalon, NY in December due to the second volunteer driver falling ill. She does not like Christmas at all and does not want to go somewhere cold and snowy, plus she has her mother’s retirement cruise to attend. Eventually she is convinced to go and fights her attraction to the cute guy who rescues them after they skid off the icy road close to their destination. This is a wonderful humorous heartwarming Christmas book.

❄💖Warm fuzzies and Christmas cheer🐕

4.5🌟stars
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas had all the canine cuteness and holiday romance I had hoped for. It was warm and sweet, with a female lead stuck in a funk from her failed marriage. She's thrown into a road trip she really doesn't want and finds challenges left and right (along with a handsome, single dad paramedic and his little boy). Brenda ends up way out of her comfort zone again and again at a time of year she dreads with only friendly strangers, her rescue dog Tim and a man whose company she enjoys too much to help her through.

The rescue dogs at the heart of the plot are cute and cuddly as they make their way to forever homes and the romance for Brenda is sweet and healing. Plus, I love a devoted single dad and paramedic Adam has an engaging four year old son for whom every good day is the best day ever! Adorable!

I loved this quick, holiday romance and its characters, both two- and four-legged. It was a great way to get in the mood for the holiday season.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

While romance books are not my favorite genre, this one was such a heartwarming, tug at your heartstrings read. I loved the focus on rescuing dogs and finding their forever home. The characters are well developed and you will find your heart aching as you discover behind the scene stories of their lives. So glad that Dolly was part of this story. With her positive attitude and delightful personality, she helped soften some of the negative vibes that Brenda exudes. And then you factor in Adam and his son, Will, and you have your heart set on how the book should end.

A delightful holiday story that touches all the right emotions ... small town community connections, love for dogs, discovering the joy of Christmas, giving life a second chance, finding a place to belong. Just the perfect cup of hot chocolate warmth to satisfy you this holiday season. I strongly encourage you to pick this book up and get lost in the wonder of the season.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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