Not until I finished this book did I realize that it was by the same author as _The Girl With Three Birthdays_, a book I remembered enjoying when it came out a couple of years ago. This book is a very different kind of memoir than that one, as this book centers on Eddington’s many years as the wife of a Michigan veterinarian, but Eddington’s writing remains appealing regardless of the story she is telling. Because she herself is not a veterinarian, the perspective is slightly different from that of the James Herriot books, and many of the stories Eddington tells involve her own family’s pets over the years. But the often adventuresome, sometimes sad, and sometimes messy experiences she has to relate are almost wholly charmingly told here….and the reason for not looking in the freezer, per the warning in the title, ends up being what one might predict, and the warning is understandable. I was happy to read this book and will be happy to read anything else Patti Eddington might decide to write.

Don’t Look in the Freezer is a book for animal lovers and it is wonderful! Patti Eddington is the wife of a veterinarian and the mother of a vet tech and her memoir is full of the laugh out loud funny, sad and totally unexpected animal events that have happened in her long marriage. The title refers to what could be waiting in the freezer along with the ice cream and the frozen vegetables (you can guess). Each chapter is a short story in itself recounting an adventure. Dr. Jim’s experience with a bat, the cat in the ceiling, the day Gabbi the greyhound escaped, floating squirrels, the threatened pig dump - these are all my favorites. Underneath “the very strange life of a veterinarians’s wife” is the story of a marriage. A long, successful marriage. Patti dealt with missed special occasions when there were vet emergencies. She helped support Jim’s new career with long commutes to her newspaper jobs and evening hours helping at the vet office. She raised a daughter and cared for many, many cats and dogs at home and in the clinic. Don’t Look in the Freezer is a gem! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, She Writes Press and Patti Eddington for this ARC.

A delightful memoir by the wife of a veterinarian. Perfect for animal lovers and fans of poignant and funny life stories.

Have you truly loved a pet or creature in your time here on Earth? Have you even had some of these critters that tested your nerves & made you remark they will be “your very last pet ever” or even the last of your livestock? Initially I worried this book might be too sad bec’ we all know our pets do not live as long as humans. A veterinarian’s office has been the locale for too many farewells in my 60+ years.

You need not worry here, I read this book in 2 days bec’ it was a pleasure & during that time - I had a family member check thinking I was crying. I was laughing so darn hard at these adventures that the author’s pets & patients provided. The good news.? This went on & on throughout the entire 248 pages.

In these times, you don’t know how I welcome that opportunity to smile & laugh!. This book will stir your memory of pets from long ago or a pet you knew at someone’s home. Rest assured too that this book is written by an acclaimed journalist so you are getting a quality storyteller.

I was probably only 20/30 pages & I only wished I could meet this author & her spouse (the Dr) to tell them what reading it meant! Hopefully the fact that I am preordering two copies is a measure of my admiration. When you have to order a copy for your best friend 1,000 miles away bec’ you know she will love it, this is a good read.

The NetGalley provided this book in exchange for a fair & honest review. This is my first attempt at writing for NetGalley. May every coming book match this one and if I ever do get yet another “last pet”, Sophie
Zankman” is what its name will be, Read/buy this book to find out how that relates to Steve Martin in 1995’s The Father Of The Bride Part 2 & this particular read & get one of the endless giggles.

One of a kind book. So interesting. If you’re an animal lover you need to read this book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got this book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Don't Look in the Freezer is such a delightful collection of heartfelt memories and funny moments that I read it as fast -- if not faster -- than a novel.

I considered Don't Look in the Freezer as a collection of themed essays or short story style remembrances assembled into a book versus a linear memoir. I think this is essential to understand going in as the stories are more or less separated into themes within each chapter. This means the timeline goes back and forth regularly. Given this isn't a 'memoir,' I found it easy to keep up and think Patti Eddington did a good job of establishing the main players early. Very occasionally, you may encounter an additional mention of an employee who hasn't appeared for a while, but Patti usually attaches a brief note about them that clears things up -- oh, this was the teen with a crush or the first employee, etc.

The anecdotes in this book run a full range of emotions. While there is sad (and you receive a disclaimer about a chapter that could be more sensitive early on), the book overall focuses on humorous moments or heartwarming tales. There is the journey before and the struggle through veterinary school, rough early years working for other -- often less caring -- individuals, and notes about Patti's career in media. There is also a good bit of reflection featuring better times, so you end up with a solid tale of success even though the book doesn't live in this arena. Most of it has the spotlight firmly on anecdotes featuring animal care or the pursuit and maintenance of a practice.

I think Patti is charming, and I loved her stories about Vet Jim and her daughter. The family's love for their own personal pets and those they care for really shines through. After reading this, I wish more of us had doctors for humans who cared as much!

Patti's other book will be a definite read for me now.

As with Eddington's previous book, The Girl With Three Birthdays, I feel as if I should start out this review with a disclaimer. Although I don't know the author personally, her husband (who is the veterinarian mentioned in this book) cleans my greyhound's teeth. He's also been the dentist to several of my other previous animals (because my superpower is choosing animals with terrible teeth), and I have, as it probably goes without saying, interacted with him a whole bunch of times. I don't feel that it makes me unable to review this book impartially, but do with that information what you will.

Anyway, Don't Look in the Freezer is kind of what I imagine a book written by James Herriot's wife would have been like, except for with much less Yorkshire Dales — zero Yorkshire Dales, if we're getting technical — and more Michigan (and a lot more implied foul language). It's filled with interesting vignettes from Eddington's years as a veterinarian's wife, and it's really all quite entertaining and fun. It's not a deep, minute-by-minute account of their lives together, but I do feel as if I got to know them decently well through the anecdotes in this book.

I especially enjoyed the chapters involving Gabbana Huffington the Greyhound (aka Gabbi) for obvious reasons, although I was very surprised to find out that the dog responsible for the “dramatic-screeching shenanigans” initially mentioned in Chapter 15 was not Gabbi. There is something called the Greyhound Scream of Death and it is soul-shattering and usually done for the most benign of reasons. (My hound causes herself to scream on a regular basis by yanking on her giant stuffed caterpillar and getting surprised when it touches her as it moves.) I can also totally relate to having a dog who would “likely roll over and yawn” if I were in danger.

Also, I laughed out loud when Eddington mentioned putting feta cheese on their current (non-greyhound) dog's kibble, as my hound's food is only considered edible once I grate some fresh Parmesan over it — I feel like an Olive Garden server most days — and announce “Cheesy dinner!” (Questions such as “Are you ready for dinner?” are ignored with disdain from her bed until the cheese is mentioned.)

I do think that Dr. Moore — it feels weird to call him Jim even though that's how he's mostly referred to in this book — and my husband would probably get along wonderfully because they both seem to like saying “no” to new pets. That doesn't exactly stop me (or apparently the author) from bringing them home, mind you (at our max we've had eight animals in this house at one time, down now to a respectable four), but it's cute that they try.

So, yeah, lots of fun stories in this one (and a few serious ones too). I'm sad to hear that the clinic might be sold soon, even if I totally get the desire to retire and have more free time, but I do hope that Patti will continue to write books about their adventures.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is April 28, 2026.

If you love animals and memoirs, and funny tales, then this is the story for you. Honestly, it was a great little read. It’s nice to see the light-hearted side of family and vet medicine. I wasn’t sure what to expect when i got this, honestly, i picked it up, for the same reason i pick up most of my books, the cover, but, i was pleasantly surprised. It was a light, easy read and after all the heavy i’ve read this year it was needed.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

This was an excellent read! I loved it enough to go and search to see if this author had written any other books as I loved her humor and her voice in this story.

I was laughing out loud through the whole book. This is a great book for any animal lover. The stories were touching with the right amount of humor and touching memories mixed in.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc. These are my own free opinions.

Don't Look in the Freezer is one of those books that completely pulls you in without trying too hard. I started it casually and couldn’t stop reading once I began. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and by the end it left me feeling genuinely warm.

The book does a beautiful job of capturing the everyday realities of veterinary care. The small struggles, the emotional moments, and the unexpected chaos, all while being anchored by a strong, steady, and deeply dependable marriage. That relationship runs quietly through the stories and gives them a lot of heart.

The characters are memorable, both human and animal, and many of the situations are absolutely hilarious in a very natural, unforced way. Everything feels real - real people, real animals, real life - with all its messiness, humor, and tenderness.

Thank you for writing this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it stayed with me long after I finished. A warm, engaging, and completely unputdownable read.

There are memoirs that whisper, and then there are memoirs that trot right into your heart with muddy paws and impeccable timing. *Don’t Look in the Freezer* by Patti Eddington does the latter.

Told from the wonderfully observant vantage point of a veterinarian’s wife, this book is a spirited romp through the tender, complicated, and often hilarious realities of loving animals for a living. Eddington invites us behind the exam room door where life and loss sometimes share the same freezer shelf. The result is a story that feels both intimate and universal.

What delighted me most is how deftly she braids together the strands of her life: career, motherhood, marriage, and the steady parade of pets who shaped their days. The animals are not props in the background. They are characters with gravity and personality, each one leaving paw prints across the family’s story. Through them, we see the emotional terrain of veterinary life: the joy of healing, the heartbreak of goodbye, and the quiet resilience required to love creatures whose lives are far too short.

Eddington’s writing balances humor and tenderness with remarkable grace. One moment you are laughing at the chaos of a busy practice or unexpected houseguests with whiskers, and the next you are sitting still with the weight of loss. She never overplays either note. Instead, she lets the moments land honestly, trusting the reader to feel what is there.

Above all, this book is a tribute to partnership. Her commitment to her husband, to the calling that shaped their family, and to the animals entrusted to them shines through every chapter. It is a portrait of devotion in its many forms: marital, maternal, and wonderfully fur-covered.

Don’t Look in the Freezer* is funny, moving, and deeply human. It reminds us that love, especially the kind that comes with claws and hooves and beating wings, is always worth the mess.

Don’t Look in the Freezer by Patti Eddington was exactly what I needed after a few heavy darker reads. My daughter is a vet tech so I know that heartbreak is a part of veterinary medicine but this book focused more on the humorous and poignant moments. There were many actual laugh out loud moments especially when it involved the owners of patients.
My favorite parts of this book was when the author reflected on her family’s pets throughout the years. I often look back on the seasons of my life and reflect on what pet was present and how that season wouldn’t of been the same without the love and laughs that particular pet provided so her anecdotes felt so familiar.
All in all this book provided many laughs and just a few tears. Thank you so much She Writes Press for providing this advanced copy for me to enjoy.. It will be highly recommended to friends #Netgalley#Don’tlookinthefreezer

A delightful and poignant memoir of a veterinarian’s wife. A book filled with love and friendship that you can only get by owning an animal.

Highly recommend for anyone who has loved and cared for a furry family member.

‘Don’t Look in the Freezer’ was such a charming book that I really enjoyed reading about. Patti Eddington does a wonderful job at retelling stories that capture my attention from start to finish. This memoir is told from the viewpoint of a veterinarian’s wife. The story has its ups and downs, however, they are told in a humorous way that looking back on them now, how else do you get through a rough patch in life? By looking at the good in all things. I definitely will be looking up her other book, ’The Girl with Three Birthdays’.

** Thank you, NetGalley, She Writes Press, and Patti Eddington, for an eARC copy of ‘Don’t Look in the Freezer’.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realize it until the very end, but I have read another book by this same author - Three Birthdays - about her journey to discover the truth about her biological family amidst conflicting histories and records. I enjoyed Don’t Look in the Freezer so much more.

This book was an ode to animals, the ones who love and protect us, the ones who test our last nerve, and the ones who are often one and the same. As an animal lover myself, I was often moved to tears by the stories of the pets the author and her family have loved and lost, as well as those who graced the doors of their vet clinic in the 30+ years they owned it. I will always devour any book with anecdotes about animals, and the perspective of this one being from the vet’s wife made it just different enough to seem fresh.