A delightful Christmas read with 12 canine friends and a wonderful setting in the town of Avalon. Very heartwarming.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A lighthearted and fun holiday read. What can one woman do when she's lost her love for the Christmas season? Go on a road trip to deliver twelve dogs to their forever homes, and try to find a little love and sparkle of her own. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a sweet feel good Christmas book! Rescue dogs and romance, it’s the perfect combo! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from Library, NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 hearts

I am a fan of this author and couldn't wait to read about the dogs. Brenda has had some bad life experiences around Christmas so she is determined to avoid it going forward. She has done a great job of picking herself up and making a great new life in spite of those bad events. Her clinging to the negative was a bit over the top.

Adam is an awesome, kind guy who really supported Brenda from their first meeting. It was a bit insta. He was adorable with his son, as was Brenda. I wish the dogs had been a bit more central to the story with more of their personalities.

There is plenty of holiday cheer and kindness which is upbeat, along with some realistic difficulties. The relationship with Adam and Brenda was fast, but I couldn't help rooting for them. I liked the characters and wanted them to be happy. They had good hearts in the right place.

Narration:
I was happy to be able to get the audio book from the library. I believe it enhanced my enjoyment to have the audio performance. The voices felt comfortable and appropriate. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.

SO GOOD!! This was everything I hoped it would be: a small town full of Christmas cheer and a quirky community of family and friends, plus the book centered around rescuing a bunch of dogs!

There are two main parts of the story: Dolly and Brenda are driving twelve dogs from Houston, TX to Avalon, NY where they will be united with families waiting to adopt them. Dolly loves Christmas, Brenda can't stand Christmas. After a long ride full of Dolly's Christmas carols and holiday cheer, there is a snowstorm and an accident. Brenda finds herself stranded in Avalon while she waits for her van to be repaired.

Adam is a single father who has secretly adopted one of the dogs from Houston for his 4-year-old son's birthday. Right in the middle of Will's birthday party, Adam gets a call to assist with a vehicle accident. He's the paramedic on scene at Dolly and Brenda's accident. When Dolly's injuries require hospitalization and recuperation, Adam is the one that helps her deliver all of the pups to their new homes.

I'm a sucker for a dog book, and this one was fantastic. There is plenty of time with the dogs on the pages, and it is safe for readers that don't want to read about sad outcomes with dogs. I'm also a sucker for Christmas-y stories where I can practically feel the cold, snowy weather while I'm reading, where I can imagine myself walking in the beautifully decorated town square. This story felt like Christmas.

This is one of my favorite books from this year, and I'm adding it to my rotation for seasonal rereads. I just loved it so much.

Sidenote: This story takes place in the same area as Ms. Wiggs' Lakeshore Chronicles series. Avalon, NY, right by Willow Lake and Camp Kioga. There is also character crossover! I love the connection to Wiggs' other books.


Many thanks to William Morrow for sending me an early digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ (round down or up??? 🤔 I guess we will go up since I love everything Christmas). This is my second Christmas book of the season and it was a cute one. First off, I love the cover of this book and the synopsis. It’s a typical sweet, “hallmark type” Christmas story. I wouldn’t say it’s the best holiday book I’ve read but I did enjoy it. All of the characters (including the doggies) were likable. There were a few things that dropped it in star rating for me: the dialogue at times was just juvenile (especially the parts when a grown man used the word “cool”. Example: “I feel romantic about you. It’s really cool”. That just sounds really weird to me). Also another little annoying thing was the use of the word “shootfire”…who says that?! It’s an adult book, it’s okay to put “shit” in there 🤣😂. Okay so that might sound like I’m nitpicking the book but those were the reasons it wasn’t a 5 star for me.

As far as the storyline and ending, I really did it enjoy it. My favorite line of the book is “He’s like Christmas back when I used to believe in Christmas”. 🥰 If you like a corny, predictable Christmas book then definitely pick up a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
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Brenda has a history of bad Christmases. Let’s just say that last year Brenda found out her husband was cheating on her when they wound up at the emergency vet because their dog ate someone else’s underwear and that wasn’t Brenda’s worst Christmas!

This year Brenda has decided to help her friend out with transporting 11 rescue dogs to their new homes. The organization drives the dogs from Texas to New York. She also brings along her own dog.

They get into a wreck right before they arrive. This leads to Brenda meeting Adam and also to her having to single handedly deliver all of the dogs to their new homes.
Adam offers to help out and the two get closer despite Brenda fighting against her feelings.

I want to mention that all the dogs are fine, despite a few stressful moments that might lead the readers to worry.

The author did a good job crafting the characters. Despite there being a bunch of characters to keep straight (we meet a lot of the dogs’ new parents) I didn’t find it hard to keep everyone straight.

This book was more emotional than I’d expected. The dog storyline is very sweet. But Brenda is dealing with a really heartbreaking memory from Christmastime as a kid.

This was a quick, enjoyable read.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

What could be more feel good than a road trip to deliver 11 dogs from a shelter in Texas to their "fur-ever" homes in the Northeast? For Brenda Bellamy, the thought of the dogs finding families that will love them is heart-warming. She's even taking her own pup Tiny Tim along for the ride (12 dogs of Christmas, right!) but as her van mate and friend spends the hours singing Christmas carols and practicing her elf part for a Christmas pageant across the 1400 mile trip, Brenda wonders if she made a mistake. While everyone around her seems to love the holiday season, Brenda finds it a trying time filled with bad memories and disappointments -- the latest being the break up of her marriage. When an early season snow storm outside Avalon (their destination) sends the two women, their van, and the dogs spinning out of control, Brenda finds that her well-calculated plans to be out of the quaint Christmas-card village before the holidays may be crumbling. For those readers who like some romance with their cocoa and tinsel, Susan Wiggs delivers. Add in those furry canines, and you are sure to be delighted. I received a copy from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

This one was delightful! A perfect Christmas read for sure. Wiggs sucked me in with a dog and kept me hooked with more dogs.

The humans were pretty good too. Brenda and Adam were great together, good chemistry and I wanted it to work for them right away.

The return to a much loved setting and a happily ever after made all of it good.

Cut romantic story that includes dogs!! I love dogs so I had to read this one. I enjoyed the story of Brenda who ends up taking a van of dogs up north to be adopted right before Christmas. Brenda volunteers at the dog rescue, and since her divorce the year before, she's become much more invested in the care of these stray dogs. She's scroogetta and ends up stranded in a town that is all about Christmas. It doesn't hurt that the paramedic who helped her and her drive Dolly when they crashed their van is super good looking and has his eyes on her. Definitely a book that gives all the holiday feels and perfect start to getting in the Christmas spirit!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas was just about as cute as my own sweet dog and just as sweet as a whole tray full of Christmas cookies 😉 Fun and sappy in the best ways with some twists of and turns but, I really loved highlighting the plight of uniting homeless dogs with the perfect pup parent or family!

A light romance which brings hope and understanding. Last Christmas was a combination of good and not so good as Brenda was able to save her beloved dog Tim, but it exposed her husband and resulted in the demise of their marriage. In the last year she has proceeded with making a new life for herself and that includes devoting more of her time to a dog rescue which is how she finds herself on a road trip escorting 11 dogs to their new homes, but all does not go according to plan. Adam is there when Brenda needed someone the most but this single father with a huge heart does more than help her out of the current situation, he also agrees to go with her to ensure that she is able to escort the dogs to their homes. Adam and his son Willie are exactly who Brenda needs in her life as they show her the magic of love, family and Christmas. When you add in the adorable menagerie of dogs this is a story that is sure to warm your heart. Really enjoyed how Susan Wiggs was able to provide a personality to the dogs through writing.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, by Susan Wiggs is an absolutely enchanting, feel-good Christmas story. This story was a delight! The cover is gorgeous, the dogs were charming, the town is quintessential Christmas cheer, and the romance is heart-warming. The sentiment of not loving Christmas and the struggle of being surrounded by the season and all the frivolities everywhere you look was valid and realistic.

This story features Brenda, whose latest Christmas ends in disaster when she almost loses her new pup and finds out that her husband has been cheating. A past Christmas was also hauntingly sorrowful for her, and intrinsically tied into the holiday, the wintery cold, and pivotal heartbreak.
When she is asked by her friend and fellow Underdogs volunteer, Dolly, to help drive a group of 11 dogs (in addition to her own) to the north to be placed in their forever homes, she reluctantly agrees. Brenda prefers to ignore Christmas and stay as far away from the cold as possible, but she cares deeply for the dogs and the organization. When a harrowing car accident occurs just a few miles outside of town, Brenda is forced to spend more time in the town than she originally planned, and steps in to take on greater responsibility than previously expected. The effects are significant and long-lasting. The story that follows is sweet, festive, insightful, and touching.

There were times when I didn’t care for how stubborn the main character was about her antipathy towards Christmas, though it was ultimately understandable. She was also unreasonably adamant about returning to her warm, “safe”, home in the south, despite how welcomed and idyllic her time in Avalon was. I was also a bit uncomfortable that Brenda was a primary reason why Adam wasn’t giving his ex-wife another chance. Despite all of that, this story was a joy to read. It was endearing, hopeful, humorous and heartfelt…the perfect, feel-good read for the season.

This was the cutest book! I am a total dog lover and I enjoyed this novel of a woman who volunteers to deliver 11 rescue dogs to new homes in time for Christmas. I say 11 because she brings her own dog Tim along for the ride and he’s the 12th pup. They are driving from Houston to Avalon, NY to deliver these Christmas presents. Brenda volunteers because she’s not Christmas lover and this would be a good distraction.

Unfortunately, there’s an accident and the rescue’s van goes off the road. Brenda’s partner is hospitalized with an injury and Brenda is determined to help deliver the pups. She gets some help from the hunky paramedic (who is also a recipient of one of the lucky pups!) to use his car and help deliver the dogs. He also helps show her the real meaning of Christmas after Brenda has soured on the season.

This book was so cute and perfect for the holidays. It would make such a good hallmark movie with all the different styles of pups. Avalon, NY is adorable and the perfect background for the novel. I loved the author’s note that encouraged readers to adopt, not shop when picking a pet and to support local animal rescues and shelters. She is also donating a portion of sales to her own local rescue.

Last Christmas was a combination of good and not so good as Brenda was able to save her beloved dog Tim, but it exposed her husband and resulted in the demise of their marriage. In the last year she has proceeded with making a new life for herself and that includes devoting more of her time to a dog rescue which is how she finds herself on a road trip escorting 11 dogs to their new homes, but all does not go according to plan.

Adam is there when Brenda needed someone the most but this single father with a huge heart does more than help her out of the current situation, he also agrees to go with her to ensure that she is able to escort the dogs to their homes. The more time they spend together the closer they become but where do they go from here?

Adam and his son Willie are exactly who Brenda needs in her life as they show her the magic of love, family and Christmas. When you add in the adorable menagerie of dogs this is a story that is sure to warm your heart.

Brenda's character was one I liked and the dog transport to a northern snowy city was so fun! I wasn't sure if I would like this holiday read but I ended up loving it and have already recommended it to others. This book is perfect for all animal lovers and people that want a cozy holiday read!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is all that you would expect or want from a Christmas romance.

It is between 4 and 5 stars, but I'm rounding up because Susan Wiggs gives a huge shout out to advance reviewers and copy editors in this book. Brenda is a budding writer and to a librarian that also reviews advance copies she says ... "And I learned a lot from your notes to the editors. It's so cool that they look for feedback from you." (I love that!) Many authors acknowledge advance reviewers at the end of their books, but this is the first time I've seen it incorporated into the story. :) Another favorite quote is "My wife reads books the way other folks breathe air." sigh. my heart is aflutter. :)

This is only my second book by Susan Wiggs; I will definitely be trying another.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher William Morrow for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Twelve Dogs of Christmas in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 17 Oct 2023.

So many Christmas romance titles are published each year that it is hard to know which ones to read. That said, those who enjoy these holiday stories cannot go wrong if they pick up this latest title by Susan Wiggs.

As can be seen from the cover, there are twelve adorable dogs. Eleven of these are from a charity and are being driven to their new homes in time for the holiday. The twelfth dog belongs to Brenda and he is a real charmer.

As the story opens, Brenda has a horrible Christmas. She learns something that makes her world implode. A year later it is again the festive season (even though she does not feel that spirit), when Brenda is begged by the dog charity’s benefactor to ride with her to drop off the pets and socialize them with their new families. Somewhat against her better judgment, Brenda agrees to go.

Readers of Wiggs’s Lakeshore Chronicles may well be besides themselves with joy when they learn that the van is bound for Avalon. Those who don’t know this wonderful place and the stories of its characters can still easily read and enjoy this book. That said, anyone who wants an absorbing women’s fiction read, should definitely grab hold of those books. The interlinked stories are lots of fun.

What will happen to Brenda in Avalon? Will its magic embrace her? Things start out a bit shaky but what then? Will there be a happy ever after? Readers will certainly hope so.

I very much enjoyed this story. It makes me hope that Wiggs will return to Avalon again in the future. In the meanwhile, this book is truly a gift to the author’s many fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.

What a delightful Christmas story filled with needy animals, needy characters, and lots of heart. Sometimes you just need to step out of your comfort zone to move on. I fell for this warm community filled with holiday spirit and love.

A cute feel-good Christmas story from Susan Wiggs. This was an enjoyable quick read for me. I liked the uplifting growth of the characters and of course the dogs! Who doesn't like a dog rescue and adoption at Christmastime?

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.