Somehow, I missed that this was a collection of two previously published short novels. As I read the first one, I felt sure I'd read before but goodreads confirmed this was a new book....took me until chapter 5 to realize I HAD read it before. (Sigh) In spite of my self-induced confusion and disappointment that I wasn't reading new, I do love the idea of joining these two Christmas cozies under one cover. Perfect for somebody who loves to read seasonally!

When a series has run as long as this one has, there’s bound to be a few Christmas novels; this is just two of the many in this series and they’re some of my favorites. I am a huge fan of this series and though they focus on the world of dog shows, there’s plenty of other stuff here to keep you interested if that’s not your thing. Melanie and her circle of family and friends are so much fun to be with and there’s never a dull moment, particularly when Aunt Peg is around. The mysteries are the well-paced and keep you guessing until the very end. These are standalones but I always like to start at the beginning of the series to watch the characters (and poodles) grow.

Two fun shorts that will get you into the Christmas mood and feed your need to solve a mystery. In Wagging Through the Snow Melanie is trying to keep up with the holiday rush along with her household. During all the hubbub Melanie is faced with a new business venture that leads to a dead body. Melanie knows she has to figure out who the killer is before she ends up dead herself.
In Here Comes Santa Paws Melanie's event planner friend is working an event for the elites of Connecticut. When a body is discovered Melanie wants to help her friend out and figure out just who the killer is. With the help of her Aunt Peg she jumps into the investigation and hopes to find the killer before anyone else ends up.dead.

This book is 2 in 1...2 Christmas novellas in one cute little package. Short, quick, fun. Love Melanie & her family and I always enjoy the feisty Aunt Peg and the bumbling antics of Melanie's brother Frank. Get a jump on your holiday reading with these 2 fun furry "tales" 😉

This was actually a combination of two novellas which were delightful! I adore Melanie Travis and her family … including the four-legged ones! Her youngest son, Kevin, is a joy and I find myself smiling and chuckling whenever he appears in the story. Even Aunt Peg and her crotchety overbearing ways will have you rolling your eyes and wondering how Melanie keeps her cool.

Wagging Through the Snow
This murder mystery has you traveling along with Melanie as she worked to try to figure out who the man found in the forest is. The characters are well developed and the side story of her brother buying and starting a Christmas tree farm just added to the entertainment.

Here Comes Santa Paws
This novella has a great murder mystery that pulls in Melanie’s ex-husband’s new wife. Luckily they have a great relationship and she knows that she can count on Melanie to come to her aid.

The mysteries have you flipping through the pages to see who is guilty of murder. And with both of these books, you will be surprised! Lots of twists and turns that has you guessing until the end. I can’t wait for the next adventure with Melanie and her family. It will definitely be entertaining.

These short stories are set a year apart … both during the Christmas season and will be delightful reads during the holidays as you curl up by the fireplace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

I enjoy these characters. The mystery kept me guessing and Faith is such a great dog. I look forward to more in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A couple of enjoyable Christmas populated by a protagonist we all know well and plenty of puppies. What more could you want?

A Furry Little Christmas bundles two previously published shorter novels by Laurien Berenson into one book. Each features dog lover Melanie Travis who solves crimes, with some help from her outspoken Aunt Peg. Dog lovers and fans of this series will enjoy both stories.

The first story, Wagging through the Snow, is about a murder of a homeless man which takes place on a Christmas tree farm recently purchased by her brother and her ex-husband. The local police brush it off as an unfortunate accident, so Melanie decides to do some sleuthing of her own to get justice for Pete.

The second story is Here Comes Santa Paws, one that I had already read. Aunt Peg is shocked to find newborn puppies left in a stocking she had used to decorate her mailbox. While Peg deals with the puppies, Melanie puts her Christmas preparations on hold to investigate a murder after receiving an urgent call from a friend.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Kensington Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

I really enjoyed these short, cozy mysteries. I liked how fast they wend and I am always a sucker for dogs. One of the main things I liked about them, besides the dogs, was how it had a blended family and how much they worked together. It is nice to see a story that does not have a co-parenting situation that is hostile. This would be a wonderful book to read during the holidays especially for someone that wants a good, cozy mystery.

"As Melanie attempts to deck the halls in a house overrun by pampered Poodles, her event planner friend, Claire, is busy playing Santa for the wealthiest clientele on Connecticut’s Gold Coast. But when Claire’s stylish stint uncovers a dead body, Melanie and her nosy Aunt Peg dash into a dizzying investigation to rein in a sinister Kris Kringle before they’re the next ones on someone’s deadly wish list "
A jealous wife leads to murder and mayhem.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.. .

A Furry Little Christmas
Laurien Berenson
September 26, 2023

In Berensonś's latest book she gives us two of her past holiday stories. Wagging Through the Snow features Melanie and her family off on holiday vacation. Her brother, Frank has recently purchased a Christmas tree farm. When he and his partner, Bob, Melanieś ex-husband, take her and the family on their first tour they find a large acreage of trees and a very old, broken down office and customer service building. It will need a lot of work but Frank maintains that it can be brought up to code, ready for the upcoming Christmas tree buying season. What they didn´t predict was a lonerś body being found amongst the trees.
The second selection is Here Comes Santa Paws. Aunt Peg has put a large socking attached to her mail post. It is colorful and she thinks itś a perfect seasonal addition. However not long after, she goes out front to a commotion coming from the stocking. Inside someone has put 3 tiny Australian Shepherd puppies. They were adorable but way too small to be taken away from their mother. Of course as the story goes on another crisis is discovered to bring suspense into her delightful tales.
A Furry LIttle Christmas will be published by Kensington Publishing on September 26, 2023. I was able to read and review Laurien Berensonś latest publication via NetGalley. Each new book is full of humorous tales of poodles, Kevin, Scott and Melanieś youngest preschooler, and of course Aunt Peg. I have enjoyed them all. They are entertaining and fun to read. Do enjoy!

I love Laurien Berenson books. These two stories are reprint from previous years and worth reading again and again. Her love of family and dogs shows though the stories.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for any story with a dog. And who could resist the cover of this one? I’ve not read any of the prior Melanie Travis series. But it wasn’t a problem and these two novellas can easily be read as stand-alones.
Melanie is a math tutor at the local school, but she’s also the pet parent to five poodles and a mutt. In the first story, Melanie’s brother buys a Christmas tree farm at auction. When they go to see it, they discover a dead body on the property. The body is a homeless man and his death is initially believed to be accidental. The man was supposedly an alcoholic who had burned all his bridges. But it turns out there was no alcohol in his system when he died.
I struggle with crime mysteries where the “investigator” isn’t a professional. Why was Melanie so invested? Her time spent on this mission, given her full life, felt forced and questionable. But maybe I’m missing something from not having read the prior books. Berenson doesn’t spend a lot of time providing much depth to Melanie’s character (or anyone’s, to be honest).
In the second story, Claire’s friend finds her personal shopping client dead when she enters her house to deliver presents. Berenson sets up several silly plot premises to move the story forward. Again, Melanie deciding to investigate doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Comic relief in both stories is provided by her Aunt Peg who was the only character I really enjoyed. In the Author’s Note, Berenson indicates that Aunt Peg will be getting her own series. Now, that’s a series I would check out.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.

This adorable cover drew my attention and I didn’t read the blurb to know I was getting two books in one. I am not familiar with this cozy mystery series featuring Melanie Travis. She has a blended family with two sons and co-parents well with her ex and his wife. She has four full sized poodles and a nose for solving murders. This book includes two holiday themed mysteries that were previously published.

Wagging through the Snow (#21, published Sept 2017). This involves a body of a homeless man found on a tree farm that Melanie’s brother spontaneously buys as an investment. The police aren’t that interested assuming he was drunk but Melanie investigates his history and visits people from the town where he grew up.

Here Come Santa Paws (#24, published Sept 2019). Melanie gets a frantic phone call from her friend Claire (her ex-husbands wife). She has found a dead body when dropping off some gifts for a side gig she has being a personal shopper for the holidays.

Melanie is pretty fearless as she talks to people and tries to figure out who perpetrated the crimes. She is helped by her Aunt Peg who evidently gets her own mystery book as there is a couple bonus chapters included with this book. I had no problem jumping into this series for these small mysteries. There are well plotted and include lots of cute dogs. I didn’t love it enough to seek out the other 29 and counting books. But if you like cozy mysteries these are quick and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

A Furry Little Christmas is my first time to this series and author and I highly enjoyed this book. What happens when Melanie's brother and her ex buy a Christmas tree farm ? Let just say things get complicated for them when they discover the former resident dead. Then the second part of the book Melanie's friend Claire discovers one of her clients dead. Not soon after Claire vanishes. What is really going on with these mysteries? If you like dog's or cozy mysteries in general then I highly suggest you read this one. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC book of this.

Two mysteries in one book here! This has two Melanie Travis mysteries, both set around Christmas. Fans of Melanie’s mysteries are sure to enjoy this collection! It would make for great reading by a cozy fireplace during winter.

A Furry Little Christmas by Laurien Berenson is a re-release of two previous holiday themed Melanie Travis mysteries, Wagging through the Snow and Here Comes Santa Paws. Although if you are like me, you may have snapped up the book before realizing that it wasn’t a new story. All that said, reading this book was an enjoyable visit down Melanie’s memory lane. Laurien Berenson does not disappoint. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) So if you want an enjoyable holiday read, don’t hesitate to pick up this book.

A Furry Little Christmas was a light, cozy mystery with many of my favorite components: set at Christmas, small town in New England, family antics, and lots of dogs. This book was two novella length books, so not a lot of complexity to either of them which was fine for reading while I was sick.

Definitely fun to pick up, especially if you need a little pick me up after reading other heavier books.

I discovered Laurien Berenson last year---I am catching up on her series now These cozies are guaranteed to please, whether or not you are a dog lover. In this book, two of her holiday short stories are a double dip of Christmas any time of year. I can't get enough of feel good holiday reads!
A Christmas tree farm is the setting in the first story, Wagging Through the Snow. When a dead body is discovered on her brother's new farm, Melanie jumps in to help him find the killer.
The second story, Here Comes Santa Paws, finds Claire with a dead customer and then a disappearance. Melanie and Aunt Peg join forces to get to the bottom of this one.
It is difficult to choose a favorite because I enjoyed both so much! Thank you #NetGalley, #KensingtonCozies for an advanced reader's copy that I received on my request. All opinions and thoughts are my own. #AFurryLittleChristmas #KensingtonCozies

I love Christmas books anytime, especially Christmas books with a big helping of dogs. This dog mystery offers up two novellas from Laurien Berenson, one of my go-to authors, so it was a win-win-win for me.

The stories are set a year apart, focusing on the weeks leading up to Christmas. In the first, "Wagging Through the Snow", Melanie's brother Frank, routinely a thorn in her side but loved, buys unseen a Christmas tree farm. As if that isn't bad enough, especially since he didn't do it with his partner's knowledge, a dead body is found in the trees. What leads them into the deeper part of the tree farm? A strange whimpering sound. Bet you can guess what they find. Who was the dead man and why was he there? Will Melanie be able to find time between herding kids and dogs and shopping and decorating her own home to investigate? Will it get her in trouble?

The second story, "Here Comes Santa Paws", takes place a year later. In this case, three very young Australian Shepherds are dumped in an oversized stocking hung at the end of Aunt Peg's driveway. Melanie is visiting to cuddle puppies when Claire, her ex-husband's current wife, calls, pleading for help. Seems she has stumbled over a body. Who is it? Why are there no real records of the victim's past? Why is the gatehouse she's living in in such poor repair?

Who... oh, enough teasers. Both stories are short, easy reads with strong characters and, yes, lots of dogs. I've increasingly become a fan of character driven books and the characters here are fully fleshed out, even the dogs, and you'll chuckle as you observe the often chaotic scenes at Melanie's home, not to mention her not so adept efforts to evade the strength of will that seems to radiate from Aunt Peg. In my mind, although Melanie is doing the legwork and is the one ultimately in danger, Aunt Peg simply dominates the tale. Needless to say, I'm fully enjoying the new series where Aunt Peg and her sister-in-law Rose are the sleuths, not Melanie, so it was fun to watch the action. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me along to cuddle with the puppies and watch Melanie and Aunt Peg in action. This series is one of my favorites!