Charlotte Rodriguez is a Jane Austen super fan looking for her own Mr. Darcy. After her most recent romantic disappointment, she swears off men and adopts a puppy. It’s an unfortunate turn of events for George, Charlotte’s coworker and friend. He moved to the small town of Pine Hollow for a job and has had a crush on Charlotte practically from day one. This is a closed door romance but there is some swearing that I could have done without. It’s book four in a series, but the first that I’ve read and it works well as a standalone story. I really liked the Austen references throughout and quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Check it out if you enjoy small town romance with adorable pups and a nice guy for a leading man (who’s kinda swoony, too). Thanks to the publishers/NetGalley for the advanced copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an adorable contemporary romance is a heartwarming hat tip to Jane Austen. This was a pleasure to read and 8 enjoyed the addition of the sweet dogs to complement the romance. Thank you for the opportunity to read this romance.

I loved this book. It was so good. The charecters were so amazing =. SO SO Good. I loved the main charecters

Pride and Puppies is a loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Dr Charlotte has sworn off dating and gets a dog, make a Puppy Pact with George the nice guy next door. Charlotte realizes late that maybe she has feeling for George but is it too late when he lets her know he is going to move to Colorado. Overall the dogs were the stars of the show.

as a gal who LOVES her Austen, this book stood out to me IMMEDIATELY. i’m always in need of a mushy romance and this one was so lovely. it centers around Charlotte, who has just discovered that her boyfriend had a whole other secret relationship, and after a streak of bad luck with men, she decides to make a pact with her friends - she will swear off men and adopt a puppy. but her dog-loving and super handsome coworker becomes one of her best friends in the process of becoming a pet parent, and well…you can guess the rest. 💛

i was hoping that this would be a part of a series because I loved the community of Pine Hollow so much, and when I saw that it was, i squealed! i absolutely will be adding The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (AND To All the Dogs I’ve Loved Before) to my holiday TBR so I can spend more time in Lizzie Shane’s world. the characters were SO lovable, and the Pine Hollow community gives me major Stars Hollow vibes - so family-oriented and cozy. It only really fell short for me because I felt the lovers’ conflicts were a little too stretched out after they initially got together. But it was still such an enjoyable read, and a PERFECT beach read for all my friends in the climates that don’t go below 50 degrees farenheit✨

This story was so cute and sweet! Charlotte is hilarious with her Puppy Pact and George is pretty amazing. You can feel tension between the two for sure. Plus, who doesn’t like puppies?!

There were times when it felt a little prolonged, but it’s still a pretty good story.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC!

Ms. Shane always does an amazing job with character development and this book is no different. You feel like you know the people or would want to. The relationships they have with each other are so supportive whether they're family or just friends. When Charlotte makes a pact with her friends to stay away from men after another failed relationship she never imagines that her coworker has a crush on her. She even tries to play matchmaker for him. Meanwhile, George still feels like an outsider in this quaint small town and starts to consider returning home to Denver. Can they find each other before it's too late?? I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I loved this pride and prejudice retelling that was focusing more a Charlotte Lucas like character instead of Lizzie. Which is fine. I just wish they would stop with the retellings about Lizzie and Darcy.

This is a sweet small town romance that features adorable puppies.

This is a book for Jane Austen fans. It has some clever references to Austen characters . It’s part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone. This felt like a sweet and funny romance. I enjoyed the many references and side remarks that pulled in Austen but felt like it got a little heavy handed at times. The ending is super sweet and ties it all together.

Charlotte and George are a cute couple of friends but I kind of found them both a little boring? I liked their banter at the beginning of the book but didn’t see the stakes needed to make their relationship believable. I think it’s partially a character development issue for me rather than a storyline. Charlotte was a little annoying and overpowering for me and George was very much the sweet nice guy. While I know a lot of the book is about character growth and personal development, it didn’t make for a tight romance in my opinion. They are, however, delightful characters and I was rooting for them.

I loved the dogs in this book. If you are an animal lover than you will laugh out loud and be charmed at the antics. Lizzie Shane really nails her dogs here. And how can you not love this cover? And the friends and small-town vibe of this book was perfection. I fell for Pine Hollows and all of the antics of the locals. Also – this book is partially set in a retirement home and I live for wise older characters sharing their life experience. It makes my heart grow three sizes every time. 

All in all Pride and Puppies is a sweet and charming Hallmarkesque story that will keep you entertained for an afternoon. 

Thank you to Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet and funny at times contemporary romance.
Charlotte is looking up to change something in her life and what better way to do that then getting a pet, in this case a puppy. Of course she has no idea what that involves and how to raise and live with him, so she asks for help. That help comes from her neighbour and co worker George. They seem to have a lot in common, complement each other and are really great friends. But soon enough, both realise that this friendship is transforming into something much deeper really quick.
I liked both of them and their interactions. The secondary characters are fun to read and add a bit to the story as well.
It’s a perfect feel good romance that many readers will enjoy a lot.

After another romantic breakup, the heroine sworn off dating and just focus on her adorable puppy. To help with her pet, the heroine turns to her neighbor, the hero. As the two friends interacted more with each other, their banter turns towards a direction the heroine wasn't expecting. The heroine must make a choice in which direction this particular relationship will go when the hero makes an announcement that changes everything.

This is a nice addition to the Pine Hollow series. It features the adorable animals that is an essential part of the series. This book focused on a resigned single heroine that was looking for love in the wrong places. It also features a sweet hero who adored the heroine and his family. I really enjoyed the secondary characters that surrounded the main couple. These characters were such a great addition to help the couple and the story move onward. The couple really has some issues that they must face, and I really appreciated seeing growth in them. However, I did feel that there were parts that dragged along, and maybe in those parts it needed some more details to help the transition within the story. Otherwise, this is a solid addition to the Pine Hollow series.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is tired of waiting around for her “Mr. Darcy” and decides to swear off dating. To keep herself occupied she adopts a puppy, who she appropriately names Bingley, and determines to match-make her handsome neighbor/coworker, George Leneghan. What Charlotte doesn’t know is that George has been a long term crush on her.

Pride & Puppies is book four of the Pine Hollow series. While it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. This book is a sweet, friends to lovers romance loosely based on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Both of the MCs are quite likable and they have good chemistry. For a friends to lovers, this book is low on angst. I had difficulty with the pacing. Some points of the storyline are just too slow and the momentum is lost.

This is the first book that I have read from author Lizzie Shane. While it was not my favorite, I would be interested in reading some of her other work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)!

2.5 stars

Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me at all. It was in a word — boring and it felt soooooo long. I couldn’t connect to Charlotte or George and didn’t feel any chemistry between them. George had more chemistry with his little band. And I’m not saying all heroes have to be alphas, but George was a beta to the extreme. Like come on, man…be a little assertive. For a doctor, Charlotte came off as clueless. The only thing I really enjoyed were the dogs and the Pride and Prejudice references.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

This wholesome, sweet romance is a small town love retelling of Austen’s Emma between Charlotte and George, and their dogs Bingsley and Duke. They’re neighbors and coworkers in a small mountain town in Vermont. Charlotte has just been dumped again by the latest in her never-ending cycle of bad boyfriends (known as Darcys), and drunkenly decides that she’s done with men and the only thing she needs is a dog. At the same time she I inadvertently friend-zones George, who playfully calls her Charles. She never considers George a love interest or leading man since he’s so nice. But they’ve grown close - platonically dating according to their friends - while George harbors an intense secret love for Charlotte, while she swears off men for good as part of the Puppy Pact. But when George tells Charles that his time in Vermont is coming to an end and he’s heading home to Colorado, she realizes that maybe she’s been missing what’s right under her nose the whole time.

This wholesome and clean romance was just ok. It didn’t quite do it for me, but there isn’t any one thing that made it less than a great read for me. I didn’t quite connect with the characters or with the storyline. I found Charlotte just a little annoying and whiny. There was nothing here that excites me.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
A small town romance with puppies? Sign. Me. Up. I really didn’t need to read the synopsis on this one to add it to my TBR because one, the cover was too cute, two, puppies are involved. So that’s an automatic yes for me! Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
After a recent break up, Charlotte had sworn off men. She feels that she needs to direct her affection to someone who deserves it, so she decides to get a puppy. In their small town of Pine Hollow, she asks for puppy advice from George, her co-worker who has been pining for her but was put in the friend zone because of her promise to stay away from men.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Any books that include dogs are always a winner. The cute overall plot of the book was enough to draw me in. I enjoyed the low key flirtations and banter between the two MCs and George was the perfect cinnamon roll! I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with Charlotte about her refusal to just get it on with George lol. So the miscommunication trope takes some toll on this one. On the other hand, this was set in a small town so there were of course side characters that will capture your heart. There are also a lot of Jane Austen references on this one that a fan would appreciate. Overall, i enjoyed this cute little romance and was a quick and light read.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 & 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘳𝘰𝘮-𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘴, 𝘛𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰, 𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘔𝘊

Only barely like Pride and Prejudice
The heroine of this book is Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez, who is a huge fan of Jane Austen, especially of Pride and Prejudice. So much so that nearly everything she says is either from the book, or about the book, or comparing to the book. Which means when she dates, she compares the man to Fitzwilliam Darcy. And no man has come close to being “her” Mr. Darcy. Working with Charlotte in the same medical center in the small town of Pine Hollow, Vermont is George Leneghan, a physical therapist who is originally from Colorado. He’s moved to this small town to start over, leaving his home and his sisters behind. All he has is his dog Duke for support. He is a giver and has had a crush on Charlotte since he arrived 2 years ago. This is a very sweet story, with a lot of moving parts. It is well-written, with well-developed characters and plot line. One small thing that bothered me during my read was that Charlotte, who is a medical doctor, comes across as someone who isn’t sure of herself, which I find hard to believe in a profession that requires such a large amount of confidence. George is the nicest person, doing things for everyone else but himself. Those two bits made the story seem to go on and on…. sometimes less can be more. But Lizzie Shane writes a great story, and overall, the story is very well done. I did not realize that this is part of a series, so I will be reading the other books; this can be read as a standalone with no problem. I received an ARC of the book from NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

Happy Tuesday y'all and happy release day to Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane! Pride and Puppies is the 4th book in the Pine Hollow series and y'all I love these books so much!!! Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Pride & Puppies!
Pride & Puppies 5/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
Struggling to find her modern-day Mr. Darcy, a Jane Austen fan gets more than she bargained for when she swears off men and adopts an adorable puppy. 
Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single—again—and she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh so dreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides it’s time to swear off dating. She’s going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.
And there’s no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan. He’s quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happens—Charlotte starts catching feelings.
Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces he’s contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if she’s kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that she’s entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible she’s had it wrong all this time?
I thought Pride & Puppies was so incredibly cute! I had really liked Charlotte as a character when she was introduced in her sister Elinor's book, so when I realized that she was going to be the main character in Pride & Puppies, I was the most excited. Charlotte was such a relatable character- someone who pushes herself too hard, someone who feels like she's too much everything to be loved, someone who feels like she needs to change to become someone other people want to love. And then there's George- man, George is such a great guy! He loves his sisters and his dog and is so passionate about becoming a part of the Pine Hollow community. And of course, I loved the way him and Charlotte built out their relationship! It was incredibly cute and their dogs were so cute. I also really liked how seamlessly their lives intersected with their community and their friends and even though there were some misunderstandings and miscommunications between them, because they were both adults, they were able to work them out pretty easily, either on their own or with some help from their support systems. Plot and pacing wise, I thought that things were done really well. I liked all of the plot points a lot. A couple of times in the middle, I thought that the book was dragging the tiniest bit, but it picked up again pretty soon, so it didn't really impact my enjoyment in terms of reading. Overall, I really liked Pride & Puppies and I definitely suggest picking it and all of the Pine Hollow books up today!

After her most recent disastrous breakup, Charlotte Rodriguez has sworn off men and decided to form a Puppy Pact with her two best friends. She meets a golden retriever puppy she names Bingley and falls instantly in love with, deciding to give all her time and affection to him instead of a new man. George Leneghan moved to their small town eighteen months ago with his dog, Duke, but still feels like the new guy. He’s also quite smitten with Charles, his nickname for Charlotte, and decides to finally ask her out now that she’s single again. Charlotte firmly puts George in the friend zone and they begin to spend quite a bit of time together until George has to make the tough decision to stay or move home after his contract expires soon.

Pride & Puppies, a modern day Jane Austen retelling, you don’t have to be an Austen fan to enjoy, is a sweet friends to lovers rom-com with just enough chemistry between George and Charlotte to keep your interest! And did I mention dogs? The two dogs are enough to read the book in my opinion, as they steal the scene many times with their cuteness and antics. This novel is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone without feeling that you are missing any backstory details.

A super sweet romance that is perfect for fans of Jane Austen. I thought the main characters were well rounded and supported by a cast of equally lovable minor characters. I felt connected to the story line throughout, and I couldn't wait to see how everything played out. The writing had a few nods toward Jane Austen's literary style which was such a nice touch! The small town setting was perfect; I loved the Stars Hollow vibes of this book!

Read if you like:
Small town setting
Dual POV
Closed door romance
Cute dogs
Jane Austen

This book was good. Nothing extraordinary, but certainly not a DNF. I enjoyed the characters, their relationships, drama, and stories. I found the book to be very predictable and at points dragged on unnecessarily with not enough drama. It was a cute read, made me smile and was definitely a great distraction from real life. The characters were cute and their obsession with Jane Austen was entertaining. Overall a fun book, I just wish there was a little more detail to make it stick out and not drag on in parts.
Charlotte is tired of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, so swears off men and gets herself a puppy. Her coworker and neighbor, George is sweet but totally not her type, until he becomes a good friend who she can talk to about anything. When George announces he may move across the country, Charlotte decides to risk their friendship and share their feelings. Will they remain friends or more?
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.