This was a wonderful Christmas story! I loved the dog as instigator and helper plot line and how each character is created as a stand alone and then are woven together as the story continues. I enjoyed reading this one around the holidays and especially how hopeful the ending was.

Title: The Christmas Dog Sitters
Author: Lucy Mitchell
Narrated by: Charlie Albers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 3 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank you!

Christmas dog or Christmas cat? I love them both.

Rachel is having a hard time as Christmas nears. Her best friend has passed away, she has lost her job, and her heart has recently been broken. Her family decides on their WhatsApp chat that Rachel will watch her sister’s dog over Christmas at their fabulous estate while the rest of the family vacations elsewhere. They also decide that Rachel will also watch her Grandpa as well. Rachel is not happy with her family making these decisions for her. As she settles in and meets contractor Ben who is working on her sister’s house, will she be able to make a change to her life?

My thoughts on this novel:
• As Rachel and Grandpa settle into the estate, they learn that no one likes Frank Baxtor (Rachel’s rich famous actor brother-in-law who owns the estate).

• The dog seems annoying but turns out to be a hero.

• I loved Grandpa. I also liked how at first, Rachel is annoyed that her family has stuck her with watching Grandpa for Christmas. Grandpa helps her to remember that he is a person too with dreams and the loves and cares for her and their family.

• All Grandpa wants for Christmas is to live and to have his own romance and adventure.

• I enjoyed the comedic elements of the story. It was a very fun romantic comedy.

• Rachel is a cook and I always enjoy descriptions of foods and feasts.

• I liked how one of the themes was not to judge people and that there is always a second chance for everyone in life.

• I really wanted to know what was going on with Rachel’s sister Maddie and her husband Frank. I guessed mostly what was happening but did have a surprise at the end.

• Rachel and Ben had a sweet romance story.

• I loved all of the characters and the setting in the English village.

Overall, The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucy Mitchell is a charming romantic comedy story which was a lot of fun to read.

Inspiring, heartwarming and beautiful, I loved The Christmas Dog Sitters. Dealing with any type of grief isn’t easy, and Rachel needs a little push from her grandfather and new friend, Ben, who is also grieving his wife. The shenanigans the dog, Humphrey gets into lighten the mood and make this great holiday read!

There comes a time in my holiday reading where I am tired of the genre. This did not happen while reading The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucky Mitchell. I absolutely loved this one and everything about it. Loved the sister (and soul sister) dynamic, the family dynamic which was similar to my family in many ways, and the dog of course!

This one is a light, fun, fast read that has all the Christmas nostalgia while also having a backstory that you will enjoy. I could not put this one down and really wanted to know what was going to happen at the end. It left me with a smile on my face and I will be recommending this one even if the holiday season is coming to an end.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my gifted audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

To say this book relatable regarding family is an understatement.
The numerous WhatsApp chats talking about members of the family and judgmental and snarky comments from family.
It all just hits very close to home.

I don’t know if because of this I couldn’t actually like the story because all it just felt similar to my own world.

The story lacked something and it wasn’t gripping me.

It was ok and that’s all I can really say.
Would I recommend? Yes if it’s a free read for something to pass time.
Would I pay it? No I wouldn’t.

A cute & sweet holiday story about the stress of a dysfunctional family at Christmas and the needed good rescue romance! With a DOG as a character. A feel good, heart warming holiday must!

The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucy Mitchell is a heart warming holiday romance that follows a woman and her grandpa as they house sit for her sister. The plot was so much fun. I loved all of Grandpa Eric's antics. Humphrey is such an amazing dog and I adored his role in the story. The romance was really cute but I liked Grandpa Eric's romance the best. This was definitely a refreshing change from the typical holiday romance. The audiobook was amazing. Charlie Albers did an amazing job with the narration.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little of everything and I loved it. It had family drama, a little romance, a little mystery and a cute mischievous dog. Rachel is struggling since her best friend's death. She is at a job she hates stuck in the apartment she shared with her best friend. She knows something is wrong with her sister but no one will listen to her and her sister won't talk to her. For Christmas, she is chosen to dog and grandpa sit for the holiday. The small town she is in seems so nice but when she tells whose house she is staying in, her brother-in-law, everyone immediately shuns her. What is going on? Rachel has so much growth in this book. I'm just so proud of her. I love how some in her family make sure she knows how important she is to them. The narration was perfect. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so sweet and heartfelt! I loved the story and how wonderful Rachel was even though to her mother she was a failure. Rachel embodies what everyone she be like during the holiday season, caring, generous, and helpful. I loved the focus on family dynamics and how they shape our self worth. This book was a perfect holiday read and I loved it!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I found this book to be okay; it was nothing unique or different from other books I've read. I wanted to finish it, though, to find out the big secret.

"The Christmas Dog Sitters" is an entertaining, chaotic story about a woman named Rachel and the family that loves to control her.

Rachel's best friend, Olivia, passed away unexpectedly, and Rachel's been at a bit of a loss ever since. Her overbearing mother strong-armed her into a career she doesn't love, viewing Rachel's culinary talents and passion as unreliable. And now her mother has convinced her to dog-sit Rachel's rich sister's misbehaved dog, Humphrey, for the Christmas holidays.

As Rachel heads to Surrey to take care of Humphrey for a few weeks, her mother then informs her that Rachel will be taking care of her grandfather too in order to give her aunt (his "caregiver") a break.

While Rachel had been looking forward to a quiet and relaxing holiday away, it proves to be anything but, yet everything she didn't know she needed.

I truly enjoyed this story, especially the book within the book that Olivia had written on "how to get over the loss of a friend."

Thank you to Lucy Mitchell, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Overall a good Christmas read, while I struggled with liking the main character I still enjoyed listening. The narrator did fine.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. The book was very cute and well written, I could visualize the scenes as they played out! I loved all the different types of characters from obnoxious to adorable to quirky. Highly recommend this one!

"The Christmas Dog Sitters" by Lucy Mitchell is fiction and set at Christmas in England in a small town in Surrey.

Rachel gets drafted into dog sitting for her sister's dog spaniel, Humphrey, while Maddie and her husband go on vacation. This dog is known as an escape artist. Next, Rachel finds she has been assigned to care for her grandfather as well.

Grandpa Eric arrives, and he's ready for an adventure and a romance! He isn't planning to sit in the house and do nothing the whole time. As soon at they arrive at the mansion, Maddie's husband gives her a list of rules such as not going into the west wing and not leaving the house at all. As soon as Maddie and Frank leave, the little dog takes off.

Grandpa finds romance, and eventually, Rachel does, too.

It was a better book than I thought it would be at first. The author is really good at writing very nasty characters. There is a bit if humor and some heartwarming bits.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 4/5 by Charlie Albers
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 26/8 = 3 3/8

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Lucy Mitchell for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel, recently dumped, grieving from the loss of her best friend, is living in a leaky apartment when her wealthy sister asks her to stay at her country estate and dog sit over the holidays.

Rachel's (ailing?) grandfather also needs constant care, according to her aunt and mother, and is sent to the country with her while they holiday at a villa in the sunshine.

Amid snowstorms and a constantly running away dog, Rachel navigates her grief, finds new love, and learns to trust herself. She also deals with hostile visitors and the mystery of her sister's marriage.

I didn't really care for Rachel. She was an annoying dormat for most of the book, but she had some redeeming moments at the end. This was a cute Christmas story, extremely, extremely unbelievable and with the perfect happy ending.

Definitely add to your Christmas binge list! Thank you for the ARC.

Dogs and Christmas; what more could you ask for? An entertaining and compelling story…..

Rachel is struggling. She’s navigating the loss of her best friend, she’s left heartbroken by her ex-boyfriend, and she’s recently been made redundant by her employer. So the impending holiday season is the last thing she wants to think about.
Then her rich sister suggests that Rachel dog-sit her spaniel, Humphrey, in her luxurious country house in a quaint village in Surrey. However, Rachel is soon manipulated into caring for her elderly Grandpa Eric, too. Between managing flight-risk Humphrey and rebellious Grandpa Eric, Rachel uncovers family truths, discovers a secretive west wing . . . and must cook Christmas dinner for an entire village.

This book was soooooo boring. It took way too long to get to any sort of plot/the dogs. It was also heavier than I expected, which is fine. But man boring boring boring

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title.

I had fun with this and enjoyed most of it. The supporting characters were a highlight. I did not enjoy the mystery aspect, and did not feel like it was resolved in a realistic or believable way.

The Christmas Dog Sitters by Lucy Mitchell
This was a heartwarming story with laughs, tears, and self discovery.
Rachel has a crappy apartment with a leaky roof, she loses her job, and she constantly gets dumped on by her family. Her life is in shambles. Her sister talks her into dog sitting her spaniel, Humphrey. One of the perks, she gets to stay in the fancy manor house for free, what choice does she have.
Then her family dumps her grandfather on her for the holidays.
The unlikely pair have some hysterical adventures. Rachel allows her grandpa to live a little and he encourages her to be herself.
Rachel finds hope in helping those around her. Even Humphrey is an unsung hero in the community, but labeled as an escape artist. As family drama builds and secrets erupt, Rachel finds friends.
This was a sweet story with romance, heartache, and some huge secrets. I loved the endearing funny characters and their interactions. I got so frustrated with Rachel at times, she made me crazy and mad. I loved the story! 4/5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to listen to this cute story. The Christmas Dog Sitters is a feel good holiday rom com set in London. The narrator has that lovely English accent which really adds to the charm of the book. Some annoying characters at times, some holiday magic and Hallmark vibes brought us to a solid 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

I absolutely loved The Christmas Dog Sitters audiobook! This is the first book I've read/listened to by Lucy Mitchell, and I'm excited to explore more of her work in the future. If you're in the mood for a heartwarming Christmas rom-com, this book is a must-read!

The book is narrated by Charlie Albers, and she did a great job. She managed to distinguish the voices of the various characters effectively.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Mitchell and Dreamscape Media for providing advanced access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date- September 19 2024
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