My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Hawktale Publishing, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of ‘A Ruff Royal Christmas’, by Karen Schaler.

This Hallmark movie type story features Princess Ava, from an unknown European country, in a constant struggle with her mother, the queen. She is supposed to announce her arranged engagement to Duke Henry at the annual Christmas extravaganza. When the queen brings home a rescue dog, Ava’s life is totally upended. After the queen leaves town, leaving the dog behind, the castle’s Christmas decorations are destroyed and the dog goes missing. When the American dog trainer, Justin, and Ava start the search, it starts the process of bringing the two together, defrosting the very icy persona of the princess.

This was a fun Christmas read, even in the middle of the hot summer.

I received a free copy of, A Ruff Royal Christmas, by Karen Schaler, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Princess Ava cant find the Queens dog, Stormy. This was a sweet Christmas romance, I really liked Ave ad Justin's story.

A hilarious feel good festive romp. I love the cheeky stormy who is just a typical dog who brings everyone together. The banter had me eagerly anticipating what would happen next. A great time was had while reading this book.

A Ruff Royal Christmas is a cozy, feel-good holiday romance that gave me all the feels. I loved how mischievous Stormy brought all of the humans together during this special season.

What a beautiful and heartwarming Christmas book. It has everything, a strong willed and beautiful princess, a dashing and funny man, a fun loving queen, a slimy duke and an oval rescue dog. There is mayhem and shenanigans galore. It’s a very festive book with a glorious ending. I highly recommend reading this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Karen Schaler for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
I thought the book was a delightful short read, perfect for a Hallmark adaptation. While it took me awhile to warm up to Ava, I loved Justin right off the bat. Definitely a nice read to get me excited for the holiday season!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228684382

Princes Ava has planned a Christmas charity event, but it all goes wrong when she loses the Queen's dog. she teams up with Justin, a dog trainer to help find the missing dog.

Everything is going according to schedule. Princess Ava of Skydovia is heavily engaged in preparing Vailgate Castle for the annual royal Christmas party. She demands perfection from the placement of decorations on the perfect tree and the setting for a big announcement. Once the Queen gives permission, she will have a public proposal from the duke her father planned she would marry. This, the first Christmas since her father, Prince Frederick's untimely passing she had to have the best party ever, in his memory.
But, her mother, Queen Kathleen, has shocked her by bringing an intruder into the castle, a Dog! That dog is named perfectly; Stormy is destroying everything he gets close to. Along with the dog the Queen has brought an American into the situation. Justin is to take the Border Collie into his Puppy Bootcamp training program. He can't teach this dog quickly enough. Actually, Stormy takes off and is missing so the Princess has more problems to deal with. Her mother will never forgive her.
This is a sweet and sometimes comical romance with a beautiful Christmas setting. I totally felt the Christmas movie vibe all through reading the book. The slightly adventurous search for Stormy takes Ava and Justin from place to place in Skydovia. Ava begins to see things differently during the exhausting search.
I want to thank the author Karen Schaler, Hawk Tale Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this feel-good Christmas tale. It was a good book to read during "Christmas in July" season while near an air conditioner. Fans of royal romance stories should enjoy this, especially if you love a mischievous dog.

Recipes and Festive Activities including the very special recipe; Stormy's Paw-sitively Delicious Dog Treats are added in.

Thank you NetGalley and HawkTale Publishing for sending me the ARC of another cute Christmas story by "Christmas Karen" Schaler. If you are looking for a "deep" story, this isn't for you. But it you want a feel-good Christmas story, then you will enjoy this one. Since a lot of the action takes place involving a dog, Stormy, this story is different from the usual royal romance...thankfully! This royal family cares deeply about animal shelters. Plus, this princess is an engineer and comes up with quirky inventions that are so much fun! Her platform will be to push science and math to youngsters, encouraging them to follow their dreams. This is a new, modern twist.

A Ruff Royal Christmas was delightful!

Princess Ava has put together the most perfect Christmas Eve charity event. Not only is it a tradition, but it's to honor her father after he passed away this last year. Things are running smoothly until her mother, The Queen brings home Stormy. A Border Collie who is a bit naughty. Naughty, playful, mischievous. A handful for sure. Things would be ok, but The Queen needs to make a quick trip to Paris and asks Ava to watch Stormy, until the dog trainer can come and pick him up. She is not thrilled and even less so when Stormy makes a bit of a mess. Where is that trainer already?

Justin loves nothing more than training dogs. He has a gift when it comes to them and then finding them their forever homes. He has known The Queen for many years through charity events and when she asks him to come and train her new dog, he can't say no. When he arrives at The Palace he gets into a bit of a bickering match with The Princess. After that things quickly spiral out of control. Stormy runs off and from there Justin and Ava spend the next two days searching for The Queens precious pup.

This story was super cute. It was fast paced, full of humor, festive and so much fun!

I love reading a Christmas story in July. The heat is always unbearable where I live and picturing snow gives me hope. This author never lets me down with her signature humor, romance and heartfelt royal escapades. This a cute plot with Princess Ava in the midst of the annual benefit Christmas party when Queen Kathleen arrives with an untrained, mischievous adopted dog. I’ve never related more to a character than with Princess Ava. She’s all business with no time or patience for a dog who’s destroying all her hard work. Shocker, there are people who don’t like dogs, I’m one who prefers cats. The Princess has been expected to marry Duke Henry since she was a child. Justin, a much needed dog trainer, could upset traditions and expectations. I laughed at many of the capers the new pet created and there were surprises along the way. It was a quick and easy read that brightened my day. Thanks so much to HawkTale publishing and Karen Schaler (via NetGalley) for providing an Advance Reader Copy of “A Ruff Royal Christmas”. Get yourself a copy, it’ll be published 09/30/2025. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.

Fans of Karen Schaler, christmas romance, and romantic. Comedy will love.this new boom by Karen Schaler. Princess Ava, is not really looking for her HEA, but feels duty bound by the last wishes of her late father. She is ready to marry a duke as her father had always wanted. Her mother, however has other ideas and wants her daughter to marry for love. Throw in a handsome dog trainer, (who doesn't always follow all the rules), a mischievous border collie and the magic of Christmas readers will be taken on a journey that will have them laughing one moment and then crying the next; as prin and proper Princess Ava learns what is really important. With rich character development, humor in just the right places, and relationship dynamics we can all relate to; Karen gives readers the perfect romance novel to cuddle up with their christmas blanket and beloved pet for an amazing read.

A Ruff Royal Christmas 🎄 🐶
RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Review:
This is such an amazing heartwarming Christmas romance!
Princess Ava has planned a Christmas Eve charity event, but all goes wrong when she loses the Queen’s mischievous dog. Ava teams up with Justin, who is a dog trainer, to find the dog.
The longer they spend together trying to find the runaway dog, the more tension and sparks fly.
The even bigger issue- Ava is engaged and ready to marry the duke. She needs to figure out, should she marry the duke or follow her heart?

This is the sweetest holiday romance! It is packed full of fun, Christmas cheer and love. This was the perfect read for Christmas in July! The main characters, Ave and Justin, are absolutely perfect for each other.
If you are looking for the perfect Christmas romance read for the holidays this year, this is it!

Review will also be posted on Instagram and Goodreads.

Another Christmas classic by Karen Schaler to add to her growing lists.

The main characters go through a journey of growing and they work well together and you can never go wrong with including a dog with Christmas joy.

I laughed so often while reading and I could picture this one as a movie so easily.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.