I enjoyed this sweet second romance more than I thought I would. Mistletoe Junction is almost like it's own character in this one.

Super cute holiday story with lots of puppies. So you truly can’t go wrong here! If you’re looking for an easy read to break up your spicy reads - this book is for you!

It was a cute story. Not a huge Christmas theme for being titled Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction. Sometimes, it was a little confusing on who the story was focused on (the characters tended to shift at times with no warning) and there were a lot of characters to keep track of.

It was cute and cozy holiday story with dogs, which is exactly the type of story I look for during the holidays.

I did not realize this was a second book in a series, but even without reading the first one I absolutely loved it. It was ,y first book by Shannon Richard and it did not disappoint.
The banter was so great. I loved Theo and Lucy so much. Such a great enemies to lovers book. Then they rescue a pregnant dog together and it’s just wonderful. One of my favorite books I read this holiday season.

A sweet second chance romance that's part of a series. Please note that you are introduced to what feels like a thousand characters from the previous book. This is a small town romance which has Lucy coming home after struggling in Los Angeles as a singer. Theo and her had a previous secret hook up and pick it back up. There's cute christmas events and a pregnant dog but the puppies don't appear until the end. The book give hallmark vibes but has a lot more spice.

The book could have been better if the MMC didn't get upset when he decided he wanted more than "friends with benefits" relationship but never conveyed it to the FMC.

3.5 stars

The title and cover of Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction set up expectations for a cozy holiday story centered around puppies and a charming small-town setting. However, that's not exactly what the novel delivers. Puppies make a late entrance, Mistletoe Junction is only mentioned as a song, and the story focuses more on Theo and Lucy’s steamy relationship than anything resembling “puppy love.”

On the positive side, I liked Theo, the male protagonist, a baker, and the discussions of baked goods that come with his character. Unfortunately, Lucy’s character felt flat. Her emotional struggles, though pivotal to the plot, were buried and underdeveloped.

The romance between Theo and Lucy lacked depth, relying too much on physical attraction and nostalgia. There was little meaningful connection between them. The brief moments of vulnerability were overshadowed by too many physically charged scenes that detracted from their relationship. I’m still not sure what they actually saw in each other.

That said, I’m glad I finished the book, and met its most endearing character, Bear, the dog, who arrives far too late in the plot. Plus, the sense of community that emerges near the end also adds a heartwarming touch, redeeming some of the story’s shortcomings.

Perfect story to get you in the holiday season!
I really loved reading Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction.
A second chance romance that pulled me in from the first page to the last page.
The banter between the main characters is hilarious.
The romantic tension was so much fun to follow.
The dogs and puppies…..well, what can I say? They were so adorable.
All in all, a perfect slow burn read with just the right amount of spice.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is PERFECT for the holidays! Curl up with a hot cocoa and this book, and you will be melting at the cuteness. All the hallmark feels...but MUCH spicier! I found the banter to be so much fun, it makes me miss the early days of dating someone. The only thing that threw me was the title x puppies... the puppies didn't show up until the end of the story. The emphasis was more so on a 2nd chance romance and taking care of a cute pregnant mama dog together.

The supporting characters that stole the show were Gia and Chloe. They were so funny and I found them to be a perfect representation of besties in middle school/high school years.

I enjoyed the secondary story line of Lucy staying/going. With a book like this you know how it's going to end, but it's nice to see a character have this inner dialogue with herself, deciding if staying in her small town surrounded by all the people she loves will be enough, or if she will take another shot at "the big city" (first LA, now possibly NYC) just to discover that the big city isn't so great after all... and that it CERTAINLY does not have a talented baker making cupcakes that quite literally are inspired by HER! Seriously, what more could you want?!

This wasn't quite 4 stars for me, but a solid 3.85. It was cute and cozy and exactly the type of story I look for during the holidays.

Lucy and Theo have never liked each other, even as children, but Lucy returns home for a visit and she and Theo must work together to save a pregnant dog. good story

Read This Book If…you want a Hallmark movie to have a little spice!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction by Shannon Richard

Genre: holiday romance
Series: no series declared, but there is at least one previous book
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: small town in North Carolina
POV: dual, 3rd person, past tense
Tropes: second chance romance, friends with benefits, brother’s best friend, “it’s just sex”

My Thoughts:
I did not realize there was another book before this one and I really wish I did. There is a HUGE cast of characters introduced in the first few chapters and it was honestly overwhelming.

Also, if you’re going to market this as a holiday/dog-centric romance, those things should happen before the halfway mark. I kept waiting for the puppies to be introduced and it took foreverrrrr.

For the positives, I thought this was a really cute read! It felt like a Hallmark movie, expect there were a few spicy scenes sprinkled throughout. They get together pretty early on and it’s mostly internal turmoil keeping them from committing.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

A copy of this book was mailed to me and I was excited because the cover was cute. I mean, there's dogs on the cover!! The title was cute and I thought it was going to be a sweet romance that involved a dog or dogs. Well, I was wrong.

There are dogs but they don't appear until about halfway through the book. How disappointing! As far as the sweet romance that the title may have implied? Nope. This book wasn't a sweet romance but story that included smut and didn't do anything for me as a reader but make me cringe and roll my eyes. Oh, and by the way, I don't remember any place in the book called Mistletoe Junction. I remember a song about a mistletoe junction being played in the bar but that was it. So, where did we get this title from???

I had zero connection to Lucy and Theo, the main characters. There were a lot of secondary characters in the book too and it was difficult keeping track of who was related to who and dating or married to who. I just kinda gave up on trying to keep it all straight.

This book which I was excited to read ended up being a disappointment. I won't recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

This is a wonderful second chance romance that takes place around the holiday season. The characters are wonderfully flawed and very beautifully written. They are delightfully supported by friends, family and community. I admit to going through an assortment of emotions while reading this book and an absolute inability to stop reading.

When a woman, Lucy, returns to the town she used to live in, she ends up caring for a pregnant dog, sharing the care with the man, Theo, that she used to love.

It’s been seven years since she has returned to her town, but she returns there to heal her broken heart after a breakup.

When Theo finds out that she has left Los Angeles to return to their hometown, his attitude is enough to keep him from contacting him, believing that she will inevitably leave again. But, despite that, they end up trying to attempt to avoid each other, at least until they don’t.

But when they find themselves rescuing a dog, a pregnant dog, they end up sharing the responsibilities of caring for her and her puppies.


Published: 15 Oct 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Avond and Harper Voyager / Avon

I really really wanted to love this one. I love this publisher. However, this one was just too sweet. I need more external conflict pulling Lucy and Theo apart. The issue at the school and the dog just wasn’t enough conflict and Lucy’s internal issues just didn’t hold me into the story. I just kept wanting to put that book down. I also needed more of a journey of self discovery. There just wasn’t a solid reason for Lucy not to stay in town other than her indecision.
Did you see her? Also, the thought of puppies just wasn’t enough to keep me as interested as I wanted it to be. The writing was good, and I liked the small town and the characters. Sadly, this one just didn’t live up to the storytelling of Jill Shalvis, Kristan Higgins and Susan Mallery. They are legends in the industry.
Huge thanks to Avon Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this holiday book.

Give me a book with dogs on the cover and I am all in. Give me a book with a friend group, a second chance romance, and dogs? Even better!

I had high hopes for this story and for the most part it delivered. Lucy and Theo are complex characters with snappy banter, a sort of frenemies-to-lovers journey, steamy chemistry, and a friend/relative group who isn't shy about giving their two cents. The main characters are multi-layered, especially Lucy who has an abundance of emotional baggage to work through. Other favorites are Theo's teen sister and her bestie, Lucy's dad, and friends, Gavin and Sasha (who I really hope are on target for a book of their own).

The secondary characters are enjoyable but also plentiful. It took me a while (several chapters) to sort through who they all were and what were the connections that tied them all together. It was distracting and confusing. For a standalone book (which is how this is marketed), it felt a bit like beginning the story in Chapter 15. I later discovered that Lucy's sister, Caro has a previously published book titled Dog Days Forever. I don't know if reading that first would have helped keep everyone straight in Puppy Love but I enjoyed Lucy's book enough to download Dog Days and plan to read it soon.

I adored Mama Bear, the pregnant rescue dog and her puppies. Did I mention I'm a total pushover for dogs and puppies in a book? I loved how much of Lucy's and Theo's character growth was tied to their shared custody of and deepening feelings for Bear.

If you enjoy second-chance romance, large friend groups with shared history (think Jill Shalvis), rescue dogs, adorable puppies, heart-tugging emotional depth, significant character growth, and cupcakes (drool warning - both for the delicious cupcakes and Theo, the baker who makes them), give Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction a try. But maybe read Dog Days Forever first.

This was a cute holiday romance, but nothing that stuck with me. The FMC annoyed the crap out of me for most of the book and reminded me why I am an avid reader of MM romance. Sadly the puppies don't make their appearance until very near the end of the book, which was disappointing for a book that literally has puppy in the name...

Wonderful story!

I really enjoyed this book. Lucy is carrying a lot of baggage from her life experience, and it has taken a lot for her to get past it. When she is back in town and keeps running into her old flame Theo, those sparks reignite, but she's afraid to go beyond the physical and risk hurting anyone, including herself.

Theo is ok with just the physical (and there's a lot of open door physicality in this book!) at least for a while. As time moves on, he can't help but imagine his future once Lucy moves away. The two of them find a wonderful dog, Bear, and that just adds to their story.

While set at Christmas, this isn't as much a holiday story as it is a second chance romance, small town, plus dogs, cats and families. How can it not be a winner?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

A Christmas themed booked with dogs in it just spells fun holiday themes~! If you like a little spice to go with your Christmas cheer, then this is the book for you. With a friends to lovers trope going on this book is a perfect addition to your holiday bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shannon Richard and Avon and Harper Voyager publishing for allowing me this arc version in exchange for my opinion.

A cute Christmas novel brimming with holiday touches and romance. Cozy up in front of the fireplace and enjoy!