Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I can't believe it took me this long to read this , it was cute and adorable, plus I loved the interaction between the main characters as well as the Puppies, this book had me smiling and laughing though out it .

I loved this book! The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was a quintessential Christmas book - filled with an utter lack of unpredictability, good hearted characters and a slow burn romance. I absolutely loved the dog story and think that Lizzie Shane did a great job weaving it in while also creating other, deeper storylines. my only complaint - and it is really more of an observation than complaint - is the glaring similarities to Gilmore Girls. Pine Hollow, Stars Hollow.. the Gilmores.. small town.. this might be coincidence, and I found that it did not impact my experience very much though it was very clear from the onset.

This sweet holiday small town romance has been on my TBR since publishing. I really enjoy Lizzie's investment into setting the scene and using dogs as a catalyst to a sweet relationship developing.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

Story
I’ve had this egalley waiting on my Kindle since last year’s holiday season when I didn’t get to it. I always overcommit on my holiday reading! I’m always, always down for a new companion series set in a cute small town and this series starter is no exception! It takes place in Pine Hollow, Vermont, which is super cute and full of nosy neighbors that really care for each other. More on the Christmassy setting later though!

Ally comes to her grandparents house in Pine Hollow to escape her lackluster life in NYC and learns their animal shelter is losing funding, thanks to Ben and the rest of the town council. Ben, a generally grumpy guy, is caring for his niece Astrid after her parents passed away, so he has a lot on his plate (including renovating their house and taking one of their spots on the town council). He’s always stressed and Scrooge-like, but feels bad about the lack of animal shelter funding. The two of them decide to feature “the Twelve Dogs of Christmas” so they can get everyone adopted before the new year.

They had some good chemistry but I have to admit, the back-and-forth was SO frustrating to read about. They each had their own hang-ups about starting a relationship and assumed so many incorrect things about the other person without asking. The whole book was basically one big miscommunication after another, with the same repetitive internal dialogue happening in both of their heads for over 300 pages. The ending made up for some of my frustration, as it was super cute and made me a little teary-eyed at times!

Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels
Any Christmas book set in snowy Vermont is a win for me! I loved learning about the many holiday events the town has (a parade, pageant, fair, etc.). Because of all these events, there was a good amount of holiday cheer leading up to Christmas in the story. It was really nice to see how everyone came together for the holiday season and made a big deal of the season.

Overall
I ended up really loving the final chapter of the book and that gave me a little bit of rose colored glasses on the whole book. I think the best part of companion series is that you have the opportunity to learn about someone new in the next story while still enjoying the adorable small town setting. Needless to say, I’m actually super excited to read book number two and hope to get to it as soon as I can!

In 12 Dogs of Christmas, the town council has cut funding for the animal shelter leaving Ally and her grandparents (who run the shelter) scrambling to save the shelter and find homes for all the dogs. Ben, a council member who feels guilty agrees to help her get the pups adopted. As they spend more time together the town starts gossiping about their relationship.

But for real..puppies + Christmas + romance…what could be better? This is the cutest small town, grump + sunshine holiday romance and I’m going to need Hallmark to turn it into a movie, ASAP. It was so sweet and made my heart so happy to read. And the scenes with Ben and his niece were so beautiful.

I read the 2nd book in the series and loved it so I grabbed a copy of this one. AND book 3 just came out so I’m pumped for more Pine Hollow and puppies.

Did you hear that? That was my sigh of contentment after reading this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down because I loved it so much. This is a small town holiday romance set in Vermont that pairs up Ben, a grumpy town councilman, and Ally, a sunshine dog shelter owner. The two don't exactly hit it off when they meet but quickly begin working together towards a common goal.

I really loved the setting and characters in the book. All were just so likable...even Ben's niece. While I don't always love children in a romance, this is well written and in no way annoyed me. The slow burn was satisfyingly delicious. I could feel Ally's need to belong and really related a bit too strongly to Ben's need to not let his guard down and do it all himself. The community feel and warmth in this book reminded me of a Kate Clayborn novel so I would recommend it to any fan of hers. The dogs were lovable and great and the book was just the right amount of Christmasy without been too sweet. This one is a slump buster sure to put you in the holiday mood. A solid 5 stars!

This Christmas romance follows town councilman Ben who votes to close the the town’s animal shelter before the end of the year and Ally whose grandparents run the shelter. Ben quickly sees the error of his ways and does all he can to help Ally in getting the twelve dogs adopted before the shelter is shut down. While spending time together the two become friends and then fall for each other. This is a sweet romance with only a few kisses and nothing more content-wise.

I really liked both Ally and Ben. Both were sympathetic even when they were unlikable at times. I am a sucker for a story with dogs so of course the dogs captured my heart. I do struggle with books heavily featuring children and grew tired of Ben’s niece Astrid, but at least she acted age appropriate. I really enjoy small town romances with a large cast of fun side characters. The side characters all added to the story without distracting from Ben and Ally’s romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a sweet feel good Christmas Story!

I loved this book and it has all the feel good moments of a hallmark movie! A great meet cute, a small town, cute lovable dogs, a hunky uncle turned dad, a woman finding herself, a young girl scheming and throw in Christmas makes for some great feel good moments. I loved the dogs and could picture each of them and their personalities. Enjoyed the writers style and found I was engaged the entire story and found it a quick read.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own .

Ben West has become known as Scrooge. His life has been spiraling out of control since he became the guardian of his niece. He is on the city council to finish the term of his brother-in-law. He never asks for help and the list of things to do keep getting bigger and he is the only one that keeps saying no. Ally Gilmore is a professional photographer. She is back in Pine Hollow to help her grandparents with the animal shelter they run. She feels more lonely and in a way looking to find her roots. A letter arrives and a showdown is coming. Only from the first time they come in contact, the world has shifted. It is all the dogs that start to steal the story. Trying to get them all adopted and a rescue that is pregnant. Neither planned on falling in love but Scrooge is fighting it and Ally has finally decided what she wants. It takes an intervention to get their HEA.

Photographer Ally Gilmore is in Pine Hollow helping her grandparents run the towns animal shelter. When she receives news of the shelters funds being cut due to budget issues she finds herself having to work with the grumpy town councilman, Ben West in hopes of getting all 12 dogs adopted.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is everything I love about small town Christmas books plus some. It has the small town charm, Christmas atmosphere, a fantastic cast of characters, a grumpy hero, and of course dogs.

I highly recommend this one to get you in the holiday mood...even in July.

A romance story with two of my favorite things; Christmas and dogs. If you like those two things, you will love this story. Two people coming together to help shelter dogs find homes while maybe falling in love. Will it all work out in the end? You’ll have to read this to find out.

I graciously received an advance e-copy from Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I started The Twelve Dogs of Christmas during the holidays last year, and at some point I stopped it and never picked it up again. I thought the small town and all the characters were cute, but I think it may have been a little too sweet to hold my interest at the time. Once I'm in a sweet small town mood I may try again. DNF

Such an adorable and fun book! Lizzie Shane is a "new to me" author and I'll be sure to search for more from her and watch for future publications. This story is lovely, sweet, and a clean romance. Great characters - both human and canine. The characters are well-rounded and I loved them all. The story is well written and engaging, an excellent Christmas feel-good read. This story not only tugged at my romantic human heart, but I'm a dog rescue Momma also - it touched my animal loving side also.

Thank you #NetGalley , #LizzieShane , and #Forever #ForeverGrandPublishing

What more could you ask for in a book? Christmas, a sweet romance, and dogs! The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was a fun, festive read and should be on everyone's holiday TBR!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was another Christmas in July read offered by Forever on NetGalley, and I’m so glad that I grabbed this book to read. I’ve been on a stretch of romance books this summer, and this one was the perfect Christmas in July romance to take with me on a recent trip for work.

We meet Ally Gilmore, a city girl who comes to live with her grandparents and help at their dog rescue when her plans in the city don’t work out exactly as she intended. She’s not in town long before she runs into Ben West, who doesn’t have the friendliest reputation in town, despite caring for his adorable ten-year-old niece. When Ben and the city council decide to take away the funding from the dog rescue, Ally and Ben team up to try and find new homes for the dogs before the end of the year. Romance follows, but you’ll have to read the story for yourself to find out more!

There was so much I loved about this, and I was hooked from early in the book between the grumpy Ben and the adorable dogs that Ally’s family has at the rescue. Ben’s niece adds another layer to the story, and I enjoyed seeing her journey as well as the others. There were so many characters that I connected to and loved throughout the book, and I thought the author’s writing style was extremely easy to read and hard to put down.

If you’re looking for a fun Christmas romance featuring some lovable pups, this is the story for you!

I know I will be looking up the other two books in the Pine Hollow series. I’m excited to see what comes next in this small town!

Warning: This book discusses some sensitive topics that may be triggering for some readers including the unexpected death of a loved one.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love love love this book! As someone who has had rescue dogs all of my life, I cannot resist a book about a dog shelter! I loved all of the dogs and their adoption stories and absolutely adore the cover!!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is an adorable, heartwarming, feel good story that is sure to grow your heart three sizes, whether in July or December. ❤❤❤

The first in the Pine Hollow series, this book introduces us to a small town in Vermont whose residents are trying to keep the magic alive for the holidays, despite the challenges of a closing animal shelter, single parenthood, and aging grandparents.

Our main characters, Ben & Ally, are sweethearts who love their families and are trying to take a bad deal and make a royal flush (cue Olivia Rodrigo 🎵). Beyond the romance, there's an emphasis on community and belonging, which adds to the charm of Pine Hollow and the development of our characters.

I'll be gifting this to every dog-loving romance reader I know this holiday season. 😂🐾 Make a note if this sounds like one you would enjoy!

Forever Publishing is promoting Christmas in July by sharing free digital copies of some of its books in exchange for an honest review. This book was published in Sept 2020 and was the first in the Pine Hollow series.

This is a Hallmark type, sweet romance, in a Christmas picture perfect town in Vermont. The story comes with puppies, bake sales, grandparents and Christmas parades. Ally Gilmore is spending the holidays helping out her grandparents who run the local dog shelter. She is between jobs as a NYC photographer. The town council votes to pull funding from the shelter as of the end of the year leaving Ally scrambling to find homes for the animals.

Ben West (the town grumpus) decides to help out by promoting the dogs Christmas themed photos in the town newsletter. He is the guardian of his ten-year old niece Astrid and is constantly stressed trying to make up for the two parents she lost. Astrid seems like a real kid. She loves her uncle but it doesn't stop her from being creative to get what she wants.

This is sweet, squeaky clean, slow burn romance. Ben and Ally are both good characters but Ben lost some of my respect for not taking responsibility or reflecting on his part in his previous engagement ending. I like the story and have already read and reviewed the second in the series giving it even a higher rating.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane is an excellent festive contemporary romance that was hilarious, creative, warm, and fuzzy novel that put me in the Christmas spirit.

There are so many things I love about this book:

1. First off, I am a passionate advocate and lover of all canines, have furry babies here at home, and am a firm believer in supporting local animal shelters, rescues, and Humane Societies. So, obviously this was right up my ally (no pun intended haha). I loved that this book centered around a small town, Pine Hollow, Vermont, and saving/keeping the doors open on the much-needed Furry Friends Rescue that is owned by Ally Gilmore’s grandparents. The passion, love, compassion, selflessness, and drive this family had to help out these down on their luck dogs, touched my heart so many times. I loved it!

2. I love all of the character cast, especially the main characters: Ally Gilmore and Ben West (and Astrid of course...and Deenie, and Elinor, and Connor...). I really loved the complexity, the backstories, the strengths, weaknesses, and gifts that each of the two MC have. They compliment each other perfectly and seem to bring out the best in one another. I am really glad that both are able to overcome the difficulties they have experienced in life, find a second chance at happiness, both find a sense of belonging, home, and purpose and find love and acceptance within themselves and one another. I also think Colby and Partridge are some of the cutest canine characters around!

3. I love the adorable, quaint New England town. Its picturesque descriptions, businesses, inhabitants, and of course, decorations! There is plenty of material here to use for future books.

4. I love the dialogue. It is cute and romantic, but at the same time it is sarcastic, hilarious, witty, surprising, and the one-liners are just classic. It all balanced out so well to create a wonderful story.

5. Finally, I loved the end! Perfect in every way.

I love this novel so much, and to add to my excitement, I also find out that it is the first in a new series: Pine Hollow. Eeeek!!!! I am also now a legit fan of Ms. Shane!

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you Forever/Grand Central Publishing for this copy and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, Bookbub, Amazon, and B&N accounts immediately. Published on 9/29/20.