The fourth book in The Dog and Duck Series a well written story that kept me smiling as I read. Developer Max and his bride-to-be Ellie's story which I enjoyed seeing come together. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I listened to this on audiobook.

Well I am so pleased that I finally got around to reading this 4 part series, as it's been thoroughly delightful and entertaining from start to finish. I do highly recommend that the series be read in order so as to get the full benefit of the storyline and the full ins and outs of all of the characters.

Just like the previous 3 books, I really did enjoy this, loved being reaquainted with the characters and the dogs again, seeing how they are all doing. I always love it when pets are featured in the stories, as it just gives it that something a little bit extra not to mention lots of aaah how adorable.

Anyway I can safely say that I'm going to miss all of the characters and their dogs, some more than others. I really do feel like I've got to know them all so very well. I was almost sad to see the series come to an end.

I'm very much looking forward to reading more books by this author now though.

Lovely cover that drew me to the book. The book was lovely. A feel good read perfect for this time of year lazing on holiday or in the garden. It was easy to read and well written. Great read

Ellie is enjoying her life as mother, landlady of the Dog and Duck and Lady of the Manor but the icing on the cake will be marrying her beloved Max, but with so much in her lap already will she be able to cope with all of the stresses and strains organising it.......... especially when the mother in law turns up!

A lovely finale to what has been a great series and I will be sad to leave Little Leyton behind, a village of great characters and a lot of fun!

Definitely a really sweet and lovey Christmas read. I hadn’t realized at the time that it was the 3rd book in a series, however the author did a great job in filling in information about the characters and backstory. The characters themselves were so well rounded - I felt as if they were old friends. The story itself was a little long but it was very enjoyable. It centered around Ellie and Max, their families and their adventures in getting to their wedding day. Definitely a 4/5 from me.

Ellie and her fiance, Max, deal with whole bunch of drama while planning their wedding. That's...that's it. Sorry, there's a lot that goes on here but not a lot that could be summarized, which is kind of the problem. It's just one event after another, all piling on top of each other, until a happy ending comes around. A huge cast of characters and the fact that this is the last in a series kind of compounds the problem. Normally I don't mind coming in late to a romance series, but the Dog and Duck series follows the same couple through all four books, not four different couples. It really felt like the story was trying to one-up what came before it, just getting worse and worse drama, rather than having room to tell more fresh story. I felt so bad for Ellie and everything she had to deal with, and overwhelmed by the number of side characters and references to previous books.

It did have a very festive air, with lots of aspects of the holiday season worked in, and a satisfyingly final ending, but that's about all I could say to recommend it.

I have really enjoyed the Dog & Duck series and was sorry to find this was the final book in the series. But it was a great finale and was a fabulous round off the whole series!

I wouldn't recommend this as a standalone book, you need to read the first 3 books before this one.

This is a story of family, friendship, love, joy, happiness, community, mishaps and several dramas along the way. The whole series has been an entertaining tale of heartwarming, feel-good books. I really liked all of the characters in the book and I do feel sorry to leave Little Layton.

Delightful! I can't wait to read more from Jill Steeples.

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

A great continuation of the dog and duck series. A cozy story great for reading in the winter with likable characters.

I didn't realise this was a book in a series until now. I read it really confused as to why this was even a book. There is no plot to this book, it is just a series of slightly unfortunate events that aren't of any impact or interest. It's very diary like and the main protagonist is just anxious throughout for no apparent reason (perhaps that's clearer in the first 3 books). The writing was adequate, but the lack of plot frustrated me. The main reason I finished reading it is because I didn't want to have wasted reading half a book when I have a reading goal...

I thought the previous book was the last in this series about the villagers of Little Leyton. It seemed that everything was tidied up and there were no loose ends, of course sometimes you always want to nip back and see what is happening.

And this is what Jill Steeples has done with this, her definite last book in the series.

Ellie, now finding her feet as a mum, as well as still being the owner of the Dog and Duck and lady of the manor in the big house in the village, which seems to attract everyone.

Ellie realises that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Max and that it is the perfect time for them to get married. So with only a few weeks to get everything organised she adds another thing to do to her already full list!

But she doesn't bank on a fire, a mother in law moving in, lost dogs, secrets, accidents and snow!

With a lot packed into this book it is obvious that the path to the altar is not going to be straightforward, but has Ellie got the strength?

It was lovely to go back and especially spend another Christmas at Little Leyton, it felt like getting caught up again with your favourite characters in a television programme (that perfect Sunday Night Drama).

Heartwarming and a simply lovely read, best read as a whole series from the beginning then I think you get a real sense of the place and the people.

A charming romance filled with various family dramas and one spectacular event. The village of Little Leyton plays a starring role as do some of the village residents. A great winter read!

This is one of those stories that are ideal for a lazy afternoon or a weekend snooze read. Satisfying, romantic, idyllic setting, very nice people and all is right with the world.

We have a young couple not married with a baby who want now to get married. They are financially very stable - have a beautiful home, a manor in fact, and owners of a successful pub the said Dog & Duck. They are surrounded by the village with nice friends and the only worry is that something will happen to put off the much planned for wedding.

A broken ankle of the bride's father, the entire barn burning down are two of the mishaps on the way on top of the bride's mother leaving her husband and turning up on their doorstep. The bridegroom's sister is a stroppy one who cannot get on with the mother so there is tension in the house but the house is sufficiently big enough for all to have their own space, thank God.

A lovely read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

It kind of feels like full circle. The first book in the Dog & Duck-series I ever read was the winter-one. And now, about a year later, I’ve finished the last one. And – if I may say so? This is probably my favourite one. Jill Steeple really managed to get Ellie’s voice so right, there was the return of old characters, some pretty fun new characters.
As I mentioned in my reviews of some of the previous books , Ellie can be a bit of a Mary Sue at times. However, I actually found her character to be a lot more balanced then it had previously been. Maybe it’s just that her life is more together? Maybe it’s that she’s really grown since being a mum? Maybe it’s the fact that she seems to have found something of a purpose in “hoarding” the small village that is now living in her home?
Either way, Happily Ever After at the Dog & Duck gives that perfect mix of winter, Christmas, and – you guessed it – a happily ever after! Even if there are quite a couple of stumbles on the way there. Throughout all of that, though, there’s a perfect transition from a sea-side fall to a white Christmas, a lot of friendship, all sorts of family-connections and of course: the ultimate tree-side read to pleasantly get you through a stormy night!

The final book in in The Dog and Duck series. A lovely heartwarming series. I suggest reading in order. I loved each book.

If you're looking for a little me time as Winter approaches, this is the perfect book to curl up with. I've already read other books in this series, but with sufficient backstory and character information provided, you can read this last book as a standalone.

This instalment of life at the Dog and Duck is full of family drama, and unexpected incidents and you meet familiar characters and new faces. The story portrays the dynamic flow of everyday life well, and this gives this lovely story an authentic edge.

It is pleasantly seasonal and rounds up the series perfectly.

Read this and enjoy and then put the other books in the series on your Christmas list.

I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved all the previous books in this series and I was really looking forward to this instalment.

Things haven’t been easy for Max and Ellie. They have their lovely baby, Noel, who was born the previous Christmas, but there are other things going on in their lives that are not so straightforward.

It seems that as soon as things settle for a while, another disaster befalls them.

But as always, they are a strong couple, and they have such great support from family and friends. Ellie is a worrier by nature, but she copes very well.

There is a wonderful atmosphere in this book, one of friendship, family, love, and community, and it’s really festive, with the preparations for both the wedding and Christmas underway.

As always, a triumph from Jill Steeples. So readable, with a beautifully flowing plot, and excellent characters. I’ll be so sorry to leave Little Layton.

5☆ A Heartwarming Must Read with plenty of Winter Sparkle!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER AT THE DOG AND DUCK  is an amazing warm, Feel Good, page turner.
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone as Jill explains the backstories as you read along. But I highly recommend reading them all in order you won't be disappointed!!

So I'm a huge fan of the Dog and Duck Series, so I was thrilled to be able to read this latest instalment, and wow so much has happened. But it was like I had never been away!

All the fantastic characters are there, the storyline is just as warm, compelling, poignant and enchanting. Everything you come to love from Jill's writing. She literally makes the story come to life. It's like I'm living the story alongside the Characters.

The pace just flows so easily, before I knew it time had whizzed by and it was 5am!

I am not going to discuss the plot as I don't want to risk giving spoilers especially if you are new to the series.
But what I will say is there is plenty of surprises, a few twists, maybe some new arrivals, a fire, and definitely plenty of winter sparkle, and a potential Christmas Wedding.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER AT THE DOG AND DUCK is a heart warming story, filled with loveable characters, humour, romance, emotion, friendship, family drama, mishaps & a lil mayhem. The perfect cosy winter read.
I highly recommend this gorgeous page turner and the whole series!

Thank you to Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Cute romance. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the author’s writing. Ms. Steeples is a new author to me and I anticipate reading more of her books. I recommend to fans of romance books. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

It’s always an absolute joy to go back to Little Leyton and The Dog and Duck! Feel-good, uplifting and a delight from start to finish, Jill Steeples’ stories are full of fun and laughter and having won a legion of fans with her wonderful series, she is back with another fantastic book that will make you switch off your phone and cancel all social commitments: Happily Ever After at The Dog & Duck.

Life in Little Leyton is certainly never boring! There is always something going on and drama is never too far away, however, when handsome property developer Max and his lovely bride to be Ellie get some upsetting news, Max decides that they need some time away to rest and recuperate and to recharge their batteries. Some distance from Little Leyton can only give them some perspective and make them appreciate their life and their relationship more. But their homecoming is far from perfect, as Max and Ellie find themselves tested by events that could jeopardise their future and their relationship!

A devastating incident at Ellie’s pub, The Dog & Duck, could have serious repercussions not just for the business, but for Ellie herself. And as if things weren’t bad enough already, poor Ellie goes back home and rather than a safe haven founds out that her future mother in law has just moved in – much to everyone’s dismay! As events continue to conspire against them, both at work and at home, Ellie and Max find themselves wondering whether the happy ending they have dreamed of for so long will ever happen…or whether luck is simply not on their side!

With Christmas fast approaching, will Ellie and Max finally get to walk off into the sunset? Or will they need a miracle to make their wishes come true?

Jill Steeples’s books are absolutely wonderful! Sparkling with humour, hilarity and heart, Happily Ever After at The Dog & Duck is one of those books that once you start reading, you simply will not be able to put down! With a cast of fantastic characters who will make you laugh out loud, charm by the bucket-load, nail-biting emotional drama and uplifting romance, Happily Ever After at The Dog & Duck is the perfect book to chase the autumnal blues away!

It wouldn’t be a visit to Little Leyton if the challenges and moments weren’t piled together one after another. From her childhood wish of a busy, fun-filled, family filled home now all too true, Ellie and Max have been busy with the pub, family, little Noel and the always outrageously exuberant Flora it’s been a few months for them. Katy is more settled, Arthur has fitted in just perfectly, and there’s no end of distractions. But all isn’t entirely happy, a miscarriage a few weeks earlier still have Ellie emotional, although she is trying, in her usual way, to just power through it all. With a few days before their week away on the Northwest Coast of Northumberland, Max is determined that a date for the wedding will be set. Picking out a date where the barn at the pub is free – the planning can begin on their return.

But then, an unexpected guest in the form of Max’s mother, sans husband and declaring her unwillingness to return to the marriage has Katy up in arms in her typical exploding over everyone and everything, and putting Ellie right in the middle. Soon the fuller house is not the only issue as a fire at the Dog & Duck guts the kitchen, destroys the barn and throws everything planned and booked into chaos. Max, as always, has come forward as the voice of reason, nearly dragging Ellie away from home and off to their seaside views and escape from everyone and everything. A week in a luxurious castle turned hotel, glorious food and a lovely seaside café where Ellie’s curiosity and warmth brings yet another into their circle – and the cares and worries about wedding prep, the pub and even Katy and Rose getting along are pushed aside as Max and Ellie reconnect.

Of course things are madly busy – with the holidays, Ellie’s parents’ wedding anniversary and trip, the bridesmaids announcements and Flora going missing: Ellie’s dad tripping off a curb, mid-tango in Paris, and the never ending stress from Katy’s attitude, the multiple construction projects that Max is overseeing, the loss of the Dog & Duck while in reconstruction and the worries about timetables all play in. As does Polly’s big secret and the distance it put between them…… until another holiday snowstorm threatens like the one a year before, and the wedding day dawns cold, snowy and utterly enchanting.

This is a village that comes together to celebrate and support its own, and Ellie and Max at the center are just the perfect couple to bring everyone together in ways unexpected. Steeples has created a storybook village with plenty of life-challenges, yet allows everyone to both be themselves and bring out the best in others. A lovely series that will sweep you away and make you long for your own little cottage, just off the village green to call your very own, with a welcome that is only possible at the Dog & Duck.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-a4O/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>