I really enjoyed this sweet romance! I loved the whole baking show concept and appreciated the frequent Broadway references. I also loved the small town Vermont setting. Magda and Mac had great chemistry and did justice to the enemies to lovers trope 😍

This was a quick read! If you love animals & small- town romance this is the read for you! Bonus if you love reality cooking shows like I do! Total Hallmark vibes as well! This is my first read from this author and I would be interested in picking up more!

This was really cute. I always think this reality tv premise is kind of fun, and this one was no exception. This was actually the first I’ve read of this author but I’ll definitely be back for more. Plus who doesn’t love animals as extras.

What's more angsty? A second chance romance that ended badly the first time around? Or a one sided crush?

Woof. Magda and Mac do NOT get along.
A long time ago they used to be friends. Until Mac rejected her and a few years later when Magda returned home and saw Mac selling HER family’s maple cake.

Now their going to be closer than ever. Closer than both living in the same town and both being business owners. Closer than his cat deciding that he can go to her house to torment her dog any time he wants to. Because their both going to be contestants on The Great American Cake-Off.

Magda has been wanting to be a part of this show for years. Mac wants to be on to win the prize money to expand his business.

Their competitors right so they won't be working together or working near each other, right? Wrong. Paired up, next to each other, scheduled right after each other, staying in the same hotel they can't get away from each other! So the bantering keeps bantering.

The book also dives into their past so we get to read about that broken heart all those years ago.

There's the high stress of a competition and the fact that the show isn't the same as previous seasons. This one is fuled by rivalry and a new show runner.

Very enjoyable. I don't watch any baking or cooking shows and it wasn't hard to follow or anything.

We do find out who wins it all and I was a little shocked. But a sweet ending.

Here's my beef, I don't really watch cooking shows while cute it wasn't my jam.

For readers who love pets, reality cooking shows then this fluffy romance is for you!

Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever

Such a cute story! I was hooked right away with these 2. Madga and Mac definitely have chemistry and the banter between them is spot on. Add in the baking competition is the cherry on the top.
This is the 6th book in the series but can definitely be read as a standalone without missing any of the story.

Long time readers of Pine Hollow have watched Mac and Magda antagonistically dancing around each other throughout the series and knew that underneath all the surface opposition, there had to be a pretty strong attraction. In Like Cats & Dogs, we finally get their story and it's as intense and fun as I expected.

Magda is a classically trained French baker, who owns a bakery while Mac owns the local cafe. They have a long history, starting as friends when they met at a baking class, but Magda was 18 at the time, Mac, 24, and when she developed a crush on him, it didn't end well. Sprinkle in a few further misunderstandings, and their feud has hardened to the point where they can barely stand to be in the same room.

When Magda finally achieves her ambition of becoming a contestant on the Great American Cake-Off, she's elated to finally have a chance to move into the spotlight, only to be blindsided by the fact that Mac is a contestant also. As if that's not bad enough, the format of the show has been changed by the new producer from a lovely and supportive atmosphere to one of competition and rivalry. Although they start out as enemies, in the pressure cooker of a reality show shoot, their true feelings start to surface and the sparks between them can't be denied.

I loved Magda so much. When she hurt, I hurt. Her disappointment and feeling of betrayal when she realized the show format had been changed was so intense and strong, it leapt off the pages. At the same time, I sympathized with Mac also. A relationship between them wouldn't have been right when they were younger and he was mature enough to realize that and back away. After that, it was like they were both at cross-purposes and locked into a feud that they couldn't break out of. When they were forced together on the show, Mac is the one who made the first moves toward friendship.

This was truly a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. I often have trouble with the enemies to lovers trope but in this case, it totally made sense that they were able to see each other in a different light. The show forced them outside of their normal lives, truly in a bubble due to the demands and pressures of filming a reality show and they could finally admit the feelings that had been there all along. This was a great end to the Pine Hollow series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I haven’t read the other books in the Pine Hollow series, but I still was able to enjoy this one as a standalone! Pine Hollow is the type of small town that just sucks you in. Magda & Mac have been rivals for years. Magda owns a bakery, and Mac owns a local restaurant. Magda is a huge fan of the reality baking competition show “The Great American Cake-Off” but keeps getting passed over when she applies to be on the show. The third time she applies, she finally gets in, but what she doesn’t know is that this season, they are adding in contestants rivals. This means Mac & Magda will be competing against eachother, and will be stuck spending lots of time together.

This was a super cute enemies to lovers, and all the baking made me h u n g r y.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book.

While I didn't read the rest of the Pine Hollow series first, this book was still fun and sweet, and I can see how it would be the perfect wrap-up to someone's beloved small-town romance series. Mac and Magda are deeply passionate and flawed people who perhaps met each other too early in life. I appreciated that this book was conscious of how the age gap impacted them 14 years before, but it was now a normal gap between them. As they got to know each other again, they both realized that they had blown a very simple thing out of proportion.

As a small-town romance, I liked that this one pulled the town rivals out of the small town so they could see what they had been missing for over a decade.

The cooking show plot is always fun to throw characters into, and I liked that this one had background show drama outside of our MCs as they dealt with a new showrunner who was changing the show's vision. Our side characters played into that, and I thought while they weren't super fleshed out, they were quite fun and useful for the plot.

There was just some simplistic writing throughout that I thought should have been better for the sixth book in a traditionally published series. I'm unsure if I'll read the rest of the series, but it sounds cute!

Out now! Enemies to lovers with a cooking TV show backdrop.

I loved this! Exactly what I want in an enemies to lovers story. These two are adorable and too funny. Why are they even feuding? Did he steal something? Did she?
The pets added so much more cuteness to this story.

The first time Mac called Magda "Cupcake" I about lost it, he's way too into ribbing her and I should want to pick a side but they are FUN. Their relationship progression felt really natural over the course of the show filming. I loved the friendships that grow between Magda and her teammates. When they finally actually TALK about what happened from each of their perspectives, they start to move towards forgiving each other and it was great to read.

There's nothing like a rivals to lovers book trope!! I loved this book and the vibes were *chef's kiss*

Like Cats & Dogs by Lizzie Shane
Pine Hollow series #6. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but many of the secondary characters are from prior stories.
Magda Miller owns a bakery in Pine Hollow, Vermont. She and the owner of The Cup, Mackenzie Newton have a feud that has been going on since they took classes together and then he rejected her when she told him she loved him. She was only eighteen at the time. She left to study pastry in Paris and now that she’s back, they avoid each other and don’t talk about the past.
Magda has tried out for The Great American Cake-Off twice in the past without winning a spot. But this year she’s in and she’s not telling anyone until it’s over. When she gets there, the bakers are surprised with a reformat in the show that has them in competition with their Arch Rivals. Mac agree to be on the show to help Magda finally get her shot but the producers aren’t making anything easy. No phones, no internet, and baking contest directly against each other. The more time they spend together, the higher the attraction levels, and people are noticing.

Amusing story of enemies to friends via a takeoff from a few merged popular baking shows. Magda and Mac have always had a love hate relationship but neither want to address it in current day. Until they are forced to work together without outside interruptions. And that’s when their attraction spikes. And the tension ramps up.
I loved they learned to trust putting an end to a problem.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I was so happy we finally got Magda and Mac's story. We knew it was coming but you really never know until the book is written. I do feel like it's been a very long road for these two. And the mystery about why they disliked each other made us all wonder and I'm so happy to have finally found out why.

I was so freaking happy about this story as a big fan of all baking shows I couldn't wait to get into this one. I've been holding off watching the latest series of The Great British Bake Off so I can watch all the episodes at once.

From the past books we've learn that there is an issue between them and that they both own their own business. I was a bit shocked that Mac was a good enough baker to go on this show, but it does make for a bunch of tension between them. I think the author does a good job of what each of the characters were feeling during the show. Having Magda mess up a bunch of times and having Mac beat her on some of the challenges really work. If you are a fan of baking shows, then you know how often the best can fall.

I really like how these two worked out their issues and came together. I won't comment too much about it because it's important to the story but since this is a romance we all know they will get together. I will tell you that things come out that is very surprising in a good way.

This is a wonderful story to enjoy as the weather is getting cold and maybe, just maybe, you'll find of love of baking shows too.

Bakers Magda and Mac reignite their decade-long feud on the reality TV show “The Great American Cake-Off.” The on-air competition uncovers a simmering attraction that threatens to set their rivalry on a new course.

This book is fast-paced and fun, with relatable characters and a heartwarming second-chance romance. Despite their long-standing feud, Mac and Magda really do want the best for each other, so there’s no pettiness between them. It’s sweet to see them find their way back to each other.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

romance, 2024

I have enjoyed the Pine Hollow series with all of the involving mischievous pets. If you love baking, then this one is for you.

This wasn't my favorite of but it was cute and a quick read. I felt there rift between Magda and Mac was really created by Magda and she was very immature to hold on to the grudge for 14 years. I enjoyed seeing Mac being so caring to Magda during the baking competition.

I felt the side characters (the other bakers) were a bit one dimensional and didn't add much to the story other then being needed as contestants. I did enjoy seeing the return of the other characters from the series and wished they had a bigger role in the story.

Pine Hollow is such a fun small town and I enjoyed going back to there with this book.

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this book.

3.5

This was a fun book. It’s a quick read and the romance was cute! I also loved the baking show competition. I felt like a few parts were a little drawn out but altogether- i’d recommend.

What a sweet escape that I so needed right now! Magda and Mac are small town nemeses. Unknowingly to Magda, when she makes it onto a baking reality show, the premise require an adversary like Mac must be there too.

Cue all reality TV drama and emotions... throw in baking... and this was a very enjoyable read. I liked the character development and pacing. Throw in cats and dogs and it's a no brainer!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Forever/Grand Central for the ARC.

I love baking show romances and this was no exception! Thanks to NetGalley and Read Forever for the advanced copy. Likes Cats & Dogs is out November 12!

Lizzie Shane returns with Like Cats & Dogs, a cute enemies to lovers rom com about small town rivals who end up on the same baking show. In the special arch rival edition, Magda must contend with the man who she has hated with a passion for the past 10 years while fighting to win a baking competition that she has auditioned for three times. Who will win the competition? Or is it about winning the other’s heart? That’s for Magda and Mac to figure out, along with where things went wrong 10 years ago. I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and also baking shows so I might be biased here, but I loved this one! It is a solid 4 star read, with a few abrupt transitions from one character to the next. If you want small town feels, yummy desserts, and cute tense moments, this is the book for you!

3.5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this e-arc!

This is my first book by Lizzie Shane and I enjoyed this one. A page turner nonetheless.

It had the right amount of angst between the main characters with all the drama and slow burn included.
Their past was a mess of all the things gone wrong, the present they were enemies and the future… well it became suddenly interesting just how these two enemies were linked. The feud was bouncing off the pages. Add the intense competitive nature in the reality TV environment and nothing was withheld.

A recommended light read that will have you going through all the emotions with Magda and Mac in this small town enemies to lovers story that may just bring out your competitive nature!

Happy Reading!