Thanks to NetGalley I received this ARC!
This was a super sweet book. It had elements of romance, but overall it was about finding yourself, dealing with heartbreak and creating your true family.
I really enjoyed all the fun characters. The grandpa was funny and I loved their relationship. I really loved the main character, Rachel. She was bold and fun. I really liked Ben the love interest as well. I just only wish we got to hear a little more of their story and focus a tad more on them.
But overall I really enjoyed and it was a fun holiday read.

The Christmas Dog Sitters will have you crying both tears of joy and sadness during this excellent romantic story.

Rachel is really struggling. She has suffered a lot of loss including the passing of her best friend. Rachel ends up dog-sitting for her sister. Dog sitting turns into house sitting and that turns into grandpa sitting.

During her house-sitting, Rachel meets Ben who is also no stranger to heartbreak. Ben’s loss has left him a single parent to his young daughter.

Both of these characters went through so much that you just want happiness for them. I was rooting for them both and their personalities made it easy. It feels a little weird to start my Christmas books around the same time I am starting my fall books but this was definitely a great way to start the season.

The Christmas Dog Sitters
Lucy Mitchell
Christmas is just around the corner, but Rachel has very little Christmas cheer. Her best friend has passed away, her boyfriend has dumped her, and she has been laid off from her job. Her sister calls needing a dog sitter over the Christmas holiday. The spaniel’s name is Humphrey and he’s a bit of a problem. Rachel agrees and travels to Surrey. The house is a mansion with two wings. Her brother-in-law demands she stay in the east wing and not open the west wing. Rachel’s mother calls and demands she take care of her grandfather, Eric, over the Christmas holiday. Rachel has her hands full. Humphrey keeps running away. Eric wants an adventure. Rachel’s mother and aunt Karen are constantly calling and facetiming her to criticize everything she does. Her mother keeps comparing her to her sister. Rachel suspects something isn’t right in her sister’s marriage. Ben is a construction contractor working at the mansion; they find they have the loss of a friend in common. There are secrets in the mansion and Rachel discovers some of them. Then Rachel did something her brother-in-law would think was unforgivable.
Poor Rachel, she’s a doormat to her mother and aunt. She cowers to their every whim. Rachel’s mother, Dorothy is a real piece of work. She is demanding, abusive and self-serving. Her aunt is a martyr; she claims to sacrifice herself for her father’s care. Eric, Rachel’s grandfather is a sweet, lovable gentleman whose daughter wants to boss him around and control his life. Rachel has a kind heart. The town’s people dislike Rachel’s brother-in-law, causing them to judge her and her grandfather.
I enjoyed this book and cheered Rachel on. Eric was so much fun; I loved how he fell for Dorothy. Little Humphrey stole the show. He kept running away but there was a reason.
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

The Christmas Dog Sitters is a fun holiday book. It's a lovely story about a granddaughter, her grandpa, and a dog who seems to be wayward but actually helps out those who are in need. The narrators are good.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my review copy of this book.

I enjoyed the writing (it was so descriptive I could easily imagine where the characters were) so would give Lucy Mitchell another chance but, unfortunately, this book was not for me.

There were some elements I enjoyed, including a few of the characters (e.g., grandpa Eric, Layla, Ben). I appreciated that Rachel seemed to rediscover some of her old self and ended the story with a plan for her future she was excited for. And without giving anything away, I liked the ‘happily ever after’ but with a twist that we ultimately got.

However, my dislike for most of the characters ultimately distracted from my experience reading this. First and foremost, I didn’t like Rachel. I never understood (or maybe bought into?) her character’s motivations. She was quick to blame others and not take responsibility (e.g., blaming her mom’s call or the contractor for the dog escaping). She also listened to town gossip (from sources she knew weren’t reliable) vs. trusting her, and Olivia’s, own experience. While there were times where she started to show growth, it was quick to unravel and revert back to her passive, scared self.

I also found several of the subplots disconcerting (e.g., her family was meddlesome to the point of manipulative but framed as helpful; when the dog escaped she never seemed to be in too big of a rush to find him or learn from her mistakes).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this story. The characters made me laugh and perfectly brought a Christmas story to life.

Rachel is a heroine who is easy to relate to and finds it hard to say no to her demanding sister. However, after agreeing to look after Humphrey the dog and her grandfather Eric, Rachel’s fortunes begin to change. She meets Ben, who is working at the house and becomes involved in the village community in the lead up to Christmas. Although the issue of loss is touched upon, this is a fairly lighthearted, feel good, festive read that will put you in the mood for Christmas. The narration is great and made the book more enjoyable.

I love spirited elderly characters and canine characters so this audiobook was right up my alley. It gave me all the feels, really touched my heart and made me laugh out loud. hadn’t thought I was ready for holiday books until I saw this one and then I could not resist. So much to love about this story - - a gorgeous country home, complicated family dynamics, small town charm and more. Rachel was a wonderful character and I was cheering her on big time. I could not have loved this more and the narrator was delightful!

Everyone needs to read this book this holiday season! It was just sooooo sweet and such a beautiful story. We loved it.

Thank you Net Galley and Bloodhound Books for this advanced audiobook of The Christmas Dog Sitters. The main character Rachel and her grandfather go to dog sit for her sister's dog Humphrey at the manor that had a East Wing and West Wing which I couldn't help make the Beauty and the Beast reference throughout the story. It was a beautiful mixture of trying to find oneself after loss, caring for others and hope. Lucy Mitchell did a lovely job making you love (and not like) the characters. With a little rescue type feel from Humphrey gave the story just the feel good token necessary to tie it all together. I had it at a 5 throughout but the subplot for her sister made me go to a 4- I had other ideas and this one was just ok. Overall it was a sweet Christmas read for the joy of the meaning of Christmas.

When I first started reading this book, I felt like it was rather slow. Furthermore, I was wondering “Why is this dog so important?” but I understand after reading it. It was a great book! I loved it. This book had all my emotions. I was sad, angry, happy, and I even laughed out loud. I love a great book that can get me emotionally involved. I highly recommend this book and i’ll be reading it again close to December!

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were fun and there was just enough mystery to keep you hooked. Fun format. Fast read.

I know I always have to suspend my disbelief reading fiction, but so much of this was so unrealistic that it was a bit hard to take. I loved the grandfather, the one good aunt, and the friend/cleaner, but the rest of the family was insufferable. The love story felt incomplete, and it felt like there was a huge plot hole in terms of why the sister ever would’ve married her horrible husband in the first place.

It was a quick read with lots of whimsy. Wasn’t my favorite, but I can see how somebody else may like it more if they can overlook the criticisms above.

2.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

thought that the book was cute. There was a lot of ups and downs to the book. I thought that the characters had a lot of growth. The book is very emotional and entertaining. I would not change anything about the book.

I am one of the lucky ones that got to listen to The Christmas Dog Sitters. The audiobook was just as good as the print book.