I really, really wanted to like this.

Between the Pride & Prejudice retelling and the inclusion of dogs, I was so excited to jump in, but I struggled with the main character. Charlotte was kind of annoying, making it hard for me to root for her romance with George. In a romance, I want to feel satisfied when a couple gets their HEA and an element of that is stripped away if I don't like one of them. It was slow-going to get to the end.

Having said that, I did enjoy the writing.

This book just made me happy. It was like a glass of sweet tea on a hot day.

I’ve been obsessed with all things Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen for so long now, but was also raised on Hallmark movies. This book was the perfect mixture of both for me plus PUPPIES.

While I would love to find my own Mr. Darcy, I really appreciated the sort of self awareness that this book had. We all love the broody love interest, but sometimes the douche bag is just a douche bag and the nice guy truly is the one.

I’m 100% guilty of being obsessed with all things morally Grey, but the realistic part of me really enjoyed the lessons this book contained. I also feel like Charlotte was really relatable, her insecurities, worries and hopes, so many of her thoughts were ones that have definitely crossed my mind.

If you are looking for a friends to lovers story with Jane Austen’s flair for the dramatic but a storyline that actually feels possible, this is a book for you.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

This was so stinking cute and sweet. I loved the Austen parallels, the genuine friendships, the realistic dawning of feelings and denial of them. It was such a great palate cleanser book (especially after reading a LOT of crime fiction) and I found myself grinning at the screen on more than one occasion.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I’d give this book a 3.75 rounded up to 4. Overall, I enjoyed the humor and relationships in the story, specifically amongst the group of friends. Charlotte, Kendall and Magda were so supportive of each other, always wanting the best for each other which was really special.

The romance was where I struggled a bit because the miscommunication/withholding information storyline is hard for me. That’s personal preference though, not a reflection of the writing/author. I loved George and how he pined for Charlotte, but Charlotte was hard for me to connect with because of always holding back and comparing to fictional characters.

This was a cute story overall, thank you for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I enjoyed the characters in this book. I did not know until reading the author page at the end that this book was part of a series. I will definitely be going back and reading the first books of the series. Pride & Puppies is based on the characters George and Charlotte. George is the "new guy" in a town where he moved hoping to find the love of his life. Charlotte is the overachieving orthopedic surgeon. Both characters had to work through their own pride and issues on love before truly loving and being accepting of another's love. I will be reading more books by Lizzie Shane in the future.

Super cute neighbors / coworkers / friends to lovers romance with Jane Austen references. ❤️

Charlotte has made a pact with her friends - no men, only puppies. She’s tired of picking the wrong men and getting her hopes up. She needs to find herself and quit looking for her own Mr Darcy. George moved to the small town hoping for a sense of peace and to find his home. He’s had a crush on his neighbor ever since - too bad she’s always in a relationship. So for now he’s her friend until she’s ready, or until he gives up hope.

These two. I love their friendship so much! George is so sweet and caring, and Charlotte is honestly a force to be reckoned with. They’re both pretty insecure in their own ways but fight for what they want, even if it takes time. I felt so many emotions reading this, it truly was a beautiful story. The epilogue 😍

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

Predictable contemporary rom com. Independent heroine swears off men and instead gets a dog. Hero has a crush on heroine and has a dog. They fall in love after a series of misunderstandings. Throw in some Jane Austen references. voilà!!

Thank you to the Publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the e-ARC! Swearing off men and adopting a puppy sounds like something I’d do (I kind of did, to be honest), but for the heroine of our story, it’s just the ticket to happily ever after! This sweet friends to lovers story had nice main characters who I was really rooting for. The book did lean a little heavily on the “oh we don’t know how to communicate our feelings and it’s leading to misunderstandings” for my taste, but that was partly because the characters seemed so pulled together in other aspects of their lives. A fun, quick read that was light and easy.

quick thoughts: it was cute, but felt like how you feel when you pull the cookies out just a minute too late and you know they’re going to be burnt once they’re done cooling on the pan.

i really enjoyed this book for about the first 50, maybe 60 percent of it. but by then, i was honestly just ready for it to be over. it just became very bland, repetitive, and annoying.

there was heavy emphasis on the miscommunication trope, which i abhor and so maybe i didn’t like it because of that and it has nothing to do with the book itself. i don’t hate miscommunication as much in young adult novels (i still hate it, just not as much) because it’s more understanding. typically in a ya novel, you are dealing with—yep, you guessed it—young adults. it’s understandable for them to lack communication skills and the courage to voice what they want because they’re still learning what it is to be alive in this wild world. but when miscommunication is a major focal point of the plot of an adult romance novel, it’s just plain annoying. why? i don’t know. maybe because these characters are borderline 30-years-old and they still don’t know how to communicate like adults. i feel like if the only vantage your conflict has in your story is the fact that the hero and the heroine won’t communicate with one another, then maybe you should rethink your storyline.

pride & puppies follows our two main characters, charlotte and george. the novel is written in dual perspective, giving you a look from charlotte and george’s points of view throughout the story. the novel opens with charlotte having discovered her boyfriend had been cheating on her and she ended things with him. this was her first time being the one to end a relationship with someone. you quickly learn that charlotte is obsessed with all things jane austen and all she wants is to find her mr. darcy and have her happily-ever-after. but she’s tired of being let down by swarm after swarm of assholes. she decides she’s done with dating, done with men altogether. amidst her swearing off men, she comes up with the idea of the puppy pact. instead of spending all of her time swooning over men that aren’t worth a second of her time, she will dedicate that time to swooning over a puppy.

and of course we have our hero, george. george is new to pine hollow and just wants to find love and happiness in the small town. he wants to be a part of everything pine hollow, wants to be a part of the community he’s found. and ever since he met his coworker, charlotte (charles) rodrigez, he has been awestruck by her. he spends the entire two years of his term at the estates (where they work) hoping she will eventually notice him and realize he is what she wants. but as george’s contract with the estates comes closer to it’s end, it doesn’t look like he will get that happily-ever-after he had hoped to find here and he has to start making the decision to either stay in pine hollow, pining after a girl that doesn’t want him, or move back home and be close with his sisters who need him.

there were a lot of cute moments that i really enjoyed throughout the book. i loved the relationship that george had with his sisters, though at times i felt they were a little too pushy—but whose siblings aren’t? i loved that they have a bookclub with one another and have video meets every week. that seems like such a special thing to have with your siblings. i wish i had something like that with my brothers. i also loved the idea of the story. the puppies was such a fun addition. i mean, who doesn’t love puppies?

but there were just some aspects that were excessive. for instance, charlottes obsession with jane austen was a little over-the-top at times. it was a little too obsessive. it made it unbelievable. another excessive piece of the story were charlotte’s insecurities. it felt like i was reading the same page over and over at times. there were literal instances that i was like, “wait, did i already read this??” only to find out, no, i indeed had not. the mc was just complaining about the exact same thing she was complaining about three pages ago and ten pages ago and fifteen pages ago and—you get the point. and like i said, those insecurities and her lack of communicating or resolving them with george is what drove the story…

touching base on the dual pov…i love when a book gives the perspective of both the fmc and the hero. when i read a book that doesn’t give dual pov, i often sit and wonder, what is going through his head right now?! i wish i could see this from his pov. but this book just didn’t do it well, in my opinion. the only thing that changed whenever the pov changed were the names being said. the personalities were exactly the same. their voices were exactly the same. and maybe that’s not a big deal to others, but that really dampened the story for me because it really didn’t feel like the pov had changed at all and it didn’t give that satisfaction of getting both perspectives that i have gotten from other dual povs.

in the end, the story was cute. however, there were a lot of things that i feel need worked on.

Jane Austen inspired, check.
Swoony read, check.
Awesome side characters, check.
DOGS?! Check!
What more could you ask for in a book!?

Thank you Forever Reads for providing me ARC for an honest review of the book. Charlotte has just broken off with her boyfriend and has decided that she is sworn off men and that is done.  She is going to get a puppy instead she's trying to convince her besties to join her in Puppy Pact. Her neighbour George who happens to also be a coworker has a dog who is really behaved and is single too.  Charlotte decides she is going to help him find the perfect girlfriend since he's a good guy.

This is a cute romcom with dogs and puppies in it.  Story revolves around a small community called Pine Hollows. If you like Jane Austin books and puppies then you'll probably enjoy this one. Each chapter starts off with a quote from one of Jane Austen's books. It is definitely a sweet and feel good story.  It's a light read so if you are looking for something sweet and light this one is perfect.

Cute hallmark romance! If you like a play on Pride and Prejudice with dogs this it! Thank you for the arc!

I love dogs and Pride and Prejudice so I was rooting for this one.

The characters didn't connect for me. It was a friends to romance story but I wasn't a big fan of Charlotte. The story dragged a bit in spots for me.

The bright spots were the interweaving of Austen quotes and references. The puppy pact was a unique idea and for that I really give this author credit. It sets the book apart from a cookie cutter formula.

It's a solid effort and I think some people are going to love this book. If you like contemporary romances and characters like you would hang out with after an episode of Friends, this might really hit the mark for you.

Thanks netgalley for letting me read this book I haven't read a book by this author before and I loved it it was fun and easy to read and you could feel the emotions I can't wait to read another

I’ve never read a Lizzie Shane book but this one won’t be my last! I needed a fun, quick summer romcom read and this book was just that!
Charlotte swears off men after a string of failed relationships and instead snags a cute puppy! But shortly there after George comes into her live. Charlotte questions her ever move - but in the end love wins. Overall, enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

I really enjoyed the complex insecurities and emotions of the leads. They are an interesting couple and refreshing watching them work through all of their emotional baggage that they brought to the relationship.

Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane was the feel good Rom-Com book that I needed to start with this September. A group of friends decide to swear off men and start the “Puppy Pact”. I can 1000% get behind anything having to do with puppies because I love those four-legged creatures more than my own life.

You get workplace romance, friends-to-lovers, small town, Jane Austen, and furry friends galore. What more could you get from this book? I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast read, cute, and it made me giggle a time or two at how sweet George was to Charlotte. I can’t wait for more to read this book and to hear others thoughts.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for an early arc of Pride & Puppies.

This is the first Lizzie Shane book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last! I loved it from beginning to end. The characters are richly developed, with flaws and all! The women have actual careers, intelligence, and lives outside of their romantic relationships. The romantic tension was realistic, unlike most manufactured drama in romance novels. The Jane Austin references were just enough to be thematic without being overdone. And there were puppies!

This just wasn’t the book for me, it leaned more into the miscommunication trope than I wanted and the plot took way too long to get going for a contemporary romance. I think will be the book for some people, the characters are endearing, and it’s fun and whimsical. This was a me issue not a book issue.

Pride & Puppies was a cute HEA book. The main characters were good, although I was interested in learning more about the male character (George) and wanted to get further into why he moved across the country. Charlotte is the female lead. We start off in a break up and a moment where she swears off men and decides to adopt a puppy. While she goes about finding out about herself and adopting the puppy, she begins to hang out with George. Of course, he is crushing on Charlotte and it leads to fun, a little miscommunication and HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Grand Publishing and Lizzie Shane for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Pride & Puppies.