Revisiting old friends in this next installment of the Dog & Duck series. I love seeing how the characters have grown and found love. A bit slow, but that's ok. It's just a cozy read for a cozy time of year.
Hooray for Max and Ellie!

I loved this light-hearted story and I'm pretty sure this book is part of a series but I think it can be picked up at any point and enjoyed

I am a big fan of Jill Steeples and was really excited to read Wedding Bells at the Dog and Duck.

It was lovely to revisit the lives of Ellie and Max who are expecting a baby just in time for Christmas. Ellie runs the Dog and Duck in the village of Little Leyton, she has moved into Max’s manor house and agrees to arrange a wedding for her friend Polly. With marriage on her mind, it gets Ellie wondering about her own future plans, has she left it too late to finally accept Max’s proposal?

There is a little of everything in this book, adorable dogs, dramatic snowstorms, romance, and heart-searching. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the other books in the series, Jill Steeples does a great job of filling in the spaces, without repeating too much of the story.

This truly is a great feel-good read, especially for this time of year. The location is described perfectly (I think there should be a Dog and Duck in every village!) and the characters become like old friends. Jill Steeples has a unique way of making relationships come alive, there is lots of drama along the way and humorous moments too.

The third book in a series of 4. This one has Ellie heavily pregnant just before Christmas, and she is keeping Max busy. Fun story, and one I enjoyed a lot. Kinda wish the books were a little more stand alone though, as it is easy to miss a piece of the puzzle when the story-line is so tightly written in order. Other than that I highly recommend this book and series.

I so loved this book and the characters!

Ellie Browne, landlady of The Dog & Duck, and her partner Max are having a baby! Max has proposed a few times, but Ellie doesn't think it's the right time yet.

It's Christmas Day and Ellie wants to provide a Christmas dinner at the Dog & Duck for all of the villagers that want to come. . It's a wonderful party, until their baby decides to make an entrance. There's no way of getting Ellie to a hospital due to the snowstorm so the baby is born in the barn behind the pub.

After the dramatic events of the holiday season, Ellie settles into her new life at Max's huge country mansion Braithwaite Manor. And she gets involved in planning a wedding for one of her best friends. With all the wedding planning, Ellie starts thinking it might be the right time for her and Max to be married... but now she has told wait for him to propose again.

Many more characters and side stories add to the charm of this book.

Delightful continuation of story of Ellie, the friends and families in the village of Little Leyton, who gather around the pub ‘Dog & Duck’. Can be read as a stand alone but better if read in order. (Read Winter at the Dog & Duck, Christmas at the Dog & Duck is a earlier issue, similar storyline but different main character) Very enjoyable & cute. Can’t wait to start next book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have loved everyone of these novels in the series and was great catching up with some of the characters.

This is the first 'Dog & Duck' story I have read in the series and I was a little worried that having not read the previous novels I would maybe be a little out of my element.
This notion was quickly quashed. Jill does such a wonderful job of bringing Ellie and Max to life on the pages, I wouldn't have known I hadn't read about them before.
The novel is heartwarming and full of humour and will leave you grinning from I ear to ear, I would strongly recommend.
Definitely one for a cosy read by the fire.

Firstly I have to admit that I have not read Winter at the Dog and Duck or Summer at the Dog and Duck. If I am entirely honest I think this was a mistake.  Although there are explanations to the many references to previous events, I feel like I really should have read both of those books in the Dog and Duck series before I started on this one.  It's not a deal breaker, but I think it would have made my reading experience a little better.

However, all that said, do not be put off if you haven't read the rest of the series! It is just my personal opinion that I should have read them, and I fully expect to go back and read them in the future.

So, onto the story.

Ellie is the very pregnant landlady of the Dog and Duck.  Along with her partner Max, she is looking forward to a relaxing but fun Christmas and New Year before their new arrival joins them in January.  With the onset of heavy snow, a mysterious visitor to the village and an unexpected delivery, Christmas does not happen in the way she expects!

This novel is very much based around family and loved ones.  Ellie is someone that wants to please her friends and family, and make them feel loved which is why she jumps at the chance to arrange her best friend Polly's wedding.  It does though highlight her own lack of wedding, despite her and Max now having a beautiful son.

This story is full of love and relationships, with Max and Ellie, George and Polly and Ellie's parents to name just a few.  It explores long term relationships, new relationships, broken relationships and family relationships.  I enjoyed reading about them all, and found all of the supporting characters to be believable and likeable.

At times however I found Ellie frustrating - she clearly adores Max and he adores her yet following events early on in the book (I don't want to give them away, sorry!), she seems to spend the majority of the book confused as to why he won't propose to her or agree to marry her!  Personally I found this a little irritating but having had children myself I can fully appreciate that having a baby can often make you a little irrational (us Mums would obviously never admit to this, but it's regularly true in those first few months!) which would explain where she is coming from.

All in all this is an enjoyable book, and a pleasant way to while away a few hours on a rainy day!

Such a lovely and delightful book. It's full humour and it's heartwarming.
Once I started I couldn't put it down.
Even if I didn't read the previous instalments there was no problem in understanding what was going on.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Aria

Ellie now heavily pregnant is happily running the Dog and Duck and looking forward to a quiet Christmas with Max..... but obviously fate has other plans for her when the baby decides to come in the middle of a snow storm! Life is suddenly very busy running the pub, looking after a new born baby and moving in with Max in his mansion and to top it all her best friend Polly is getting married and wants Ellie to host it at the pub...... but will that be the only wedding there or will Ellie and Max eventually tie the knot themselves?

Great to be back with all the characters from the first two books and catch up on their lives,,, I love Ellie she is such a great character and the books are so easy to read and lose yourself in

I was really looking forward to reading this one after reading some of the author's other books but I sadly didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. Don't get me wrong it was still a good story but I have only given it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads and Amazon.

Unfortunately I found it a tad predictable in places and at times a little repetitive. I also thought that the book was set at too slow a pace (that could well be as I am used to more fast paced reads and they are what I favour) but it isn't all negative and some people will love it and 3.5 stars isn't a bad rating from me either - I enjoyed the ending, I liked the characters, they are very personable and the cover is just perfect for the book!

I do think that to get the most out of the book you probably need to read the rest in the series.

It has been a while since I have pulled up a bar stool and had a drink in The Dug & Duck in Little Leyton. So when I discovered this book available to review, the third in the series, I realised I had not even got round to the second one - Summer at The Dog & Duck. Which means for a couple of days I was immersed in Little Leyton and all its residents and caught up with what they have all been up to.  

Nothing adds pressure to Christmas than hosting it for more than just your family. But that is what Ellie is doing at the pub which she runs in her home village. Add to the mix a strangers stranded in the snow and Ellie being heavily pregnant and you can probably see that this is going to be a Christmas that no one forgets. 

Once the snow starts to melt and there is whiff of spring in the air, it turns to Ellie to help organize her friend POlly's wedding. Of course the venue has to be The Dog & Duck but can Ellie really deal with all this as well as looking after a newborn, her parents returned from abroad, settling into being lady of the manor in her new home with Max as well as maintaining her independence.

It puts a lot of pressure on Ellie as if she didn't have enough pressure when Max keeps proposing and she keeps saying ....not at the moment.

What if the moment has now suddenly passed?

Perhaps Polly's simple wedding will make Ellie see that perhaps taking a risk at marriage is one worth taking?

Or maybe it is a risk too far?

I assume that this is the final book of the series, it has that finality to it with all the right loose ends tied up but enough to know that their lives will continue once the reader has finished reading. I maybe wrong?

This is an entertaining novel that you can while away a couple of hours.

I have read the previous books in this series and was looking forward to continuing Max and Ellie's story at the Dog & Duck. I wasn't disappointed and read this in a day - I couldn't put it down. So easy to read, the story flowed beautifully.

A feel-good story, heartwarming with lovely characters including adorable dogs. This book has it all - romance, family, relationships, secrets and a wedding. Lovely location, I look forward to returning to the Dog & Duck for the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is in a dilemma with the imminent birth of her and boyfriend’s Max’s first child. Max is everything a woman could wish for, handsome, devoted, loyal and owns a manor house, but
As several of their friend’s relationships don’t seem to be surviving well, Ellie has niggling doubts about Max’s wish to get married. Will a ring spoil their perfect idyll?
As a snowy winter turns to spring and then summer, Ellis moves through a series of shall-I-shan’t-I scenarios until she makes up her mind. Or does she leave it too late and her wavering changes Max’s mind?
A charming story of the pitfalls of human relationships and the way life, motherhood and family affect them.

I just could not engage with the characters and the story was far too slow really struggling to hold my interest.

This is the third book in the Duck and Dog series. I absolutely LOVED it! It was so much fun to catch up with the characters from the past 2 books and see how they had gotten on in their loves. It was like sharing a cuppa and catching up with old friends. Full of laughs,friendship and family and oh yes a few rambunctious fun loving dogs. The wedding descriptions were divine. When Ellie Browne, landlady of The Dog & Duck helps her friend plan her wedding her thoughts turn to planning her own wedding, but wait there is no wedding upcoming as she hasn't accepted her boyfriends' proposal. Will all the fun Summer wedding plans change her mind? Wonderfully fun book to read!
Pub Date 01 Mar 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Aria through NetGalley. All opinions are entiely mine.

What a delightful read, I'm completely new to Jill's books so I've not had the pleasure of reading books1 and 2 to this series yet, but having thoroughly enjoyed this book I will definitely being reading the previous 2 books. In fact they are already on my kindle waiting for me.

I loved how fast paced the story was, there were definitely a few surprises along the way and it was a delight getting to know the characters.  I especially loved Ellie, she's so clever, strong willed and will tackleany challenge that comes her way in a methodical levelheaded way.

I'm so putting this author on my permanent tbr list for future reads.

Christmas at the dog and duck, a big party for the village is being held, hosted by the heavily pregnant Ellie.
A great book with an interesting range of characters of all age, just like real village life (but with more drama!).

I haven't read the other books in the series so some things did take a while to catch up on.

5☆ SO Glad to be back! A Charming Read!

 WEDDING BELLS AT THE DOG & DUCK is the third book in the series but I highly recommend you reading at least the second book to catch up on all the gossip and news.

I was so glad to be back at the Dog and Duck and what better way to open up the story than Christmas day.
Ellie the landlady of the Dog and Duck is heavily pregnant and Max her partner is running about giving everyone a Christmas to remeber!

Wow what a day to remember.... A fight, a mystery stranger, snow, ohh and a baby born in a barn.

We welcome the newest member to  little Leyton.... Noel.

Poppy (is Ellies best friend) and George are getting married and ask Ellie if she will organise the reception at the Dog and Duck.

I am not going to say any more as I really don't want to give anything away.
I adore the character in this story. They all feel like good friends I know them so well.
Jill has created life long friends in her characters. Not to mention the adorable dogs. Digby is so faithful and looks after Ellie so well it melts my heart.

I loved Ellie and Max. Max adores Ellie. If only she would say Yes to his never ending proposals.
He thinks now with their perfect family and gorgeous Braithwaite Mansion she would say Yes! I was screaming at the Book for her to say yes!

Ellie has a big heart, and now she has baby Noel and her parents to worry about. She is strong but I was worried cracks might be beginning to show!

 WEDDING BELLS AT THE DOG & DUCK is a beautiful heartwarming, poignant read that will melt your heart. With Romance, drama, secrets,  relationships, family, friendship, a wedding, community spirit, a gorgeous location, memorable characters you will grow to love.

I hope this isn't the end of the Dog and Duck as I have fallen in love with little Leyton and all the wonderful characters.