I found this book to be quite dull. Rachel was a mess and a push over. Her family other than her grandfather were quite awful to her. Her sister redeemed herself in the end but I didn’t like one character. I hate to be negative but the narrator’s voice could be described as screeching to me at some points in the book. I feel on edge listening the whole time. Thank you to NetGalley and dreamscape media for this free advanced copy . I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is a cute story. I related to the characters and their stories. I was my mothers caretaker so I related to this book. The ending was sweet.

I honestly feel a little duped by the book. This cover and the blurb make you think it's going to be a cute holiday romcom but it's not - I repeat - NOT a romance. The MMC that is supposed to be the love interest is not even on the page until after 30%!

This book is like a cheesy hallmark movie in book form but extra chaotic. Multiple deaths at the beginning left me very confused as to who and what we were grieving. There was such a chance to explore mutual grief but there is none of that.

Our FMC goes to her sister and brother in law's giant estate to dog sit with her grandfather. The dog runs off multiple times to save the day, the grandfather falls in love with another senior at a dance, the cleaning lady reconnects with her long lost dad, multiple people are in messy relationships.

It just missed the mark for me. Too much going on rather than just focusing on it being a romance.

Audio notes - the narrator was a bit too over the top and over acting for me at times which took me out of the story as well.

I did receive the ALC from NetGalley in exchange for this review. Thanks to NetGalley!

Thank you netgalley, dreamscape media and Lucy Mitchell 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.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Narrator: The narrator was an excellent choice for this book. She brought the main character (and side characters) to life and gave each of them their own voice. She did a wonderful job telling the story.

Story: This story was not quite what I expected, but in a good way. There were a few moments in the book I didn't see coming, but it only made the story better. I enjoyed the fate element found through this story as well as our main character's growth. She is still processing the loss of her best friend and through this story we see her heal and grow to the person she wishes to be.

The characters are such a great mix and entertaining listening to throughout the story. We have the overprotective, controlling mom and aunt, the cool aunt, the perfect sister, and an adventurous grandfather who just wants to find love. There are wonderful side characters as well and I enjoyed watching the relationships grow throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Some books are hits, and some are just misses, and unfortunately, this one was the latter for me.

When Rachel's sister is going away with her new husband on a 3-week vacation, she asks her to come to their English manor to dog-sit their misbehaved dog Humphrey. Her family insists she takes her aging grandfather to care for while she's there. She's been struggling to cope with the death of her best friend and roommate, and her love life has been in shambles as well. This may just be the holiday season that will change everything.

I may have been in the wrong space to read this one, but it felt like a pretty bad Hallmark movie. A lot of the conflict was incredibly high drama, some of which was recycled several times, which bothered me (how many times are we supposed to be interested with the dog running away? Like, maybe two? Not four, five, six...I lost count). I was really looking forward to the romance, but that storyline might have been my least favorite of them all. I didn't feel like there was a lot of support there to justify a lot of what happened. Ben seemed to do a 180 personality-wise, and why? Just so he could be the 'grumpy' half of grumpy/sunshine? That's how it seemed to me. Her family was pretty wretched, except her grandfather. Also, the audiobook narrator didn't help with the over-the-top drama. Some of the voices were exaggerated to the point of silliness in some cases (Fiona comes to mind).

I did like the grief plotlines. It integrated a lot of the characters together in a common feeling and tangle the relationships up a little bit. That was the part of this book that shined the brightest for me.

If you really like goofy high-drama stories, you might enjoy it. In my opinion, there are far better holiday stories to invest your time into.

I did get an advanced listening copy from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this warm-hearted and uplifting story of people dealing with grief and change. Naughty dog Humphrey and Grandpa Eric were highlights for me with their unapologetic decisions to grab opportunities. This different kind of Christmas story has some implausible storylines but is still an enjoyable and uplifting tale. Narrator Charlie Albers contributes to the pacing, humor and friendly feel. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy. This was a fun Christmasy read to get you in the spirit. The idea of the story was good: friend is struggling with best friends death and needs to get away for awhile to recoup and relax. This book is written from a single POV from Rachel's perspective. I liked how the story embraced the themes of grief and healing and second chances. Even though we had the humor from grandpa and the dog, I would have loved more from Rachel and Ben. Their overall relationship development was lacking intrigue, detail, and more romance. Overall, it was a good book that got the holiday spirit moving. I'm always looking for new authors to read and I will look into more of Lucy Mitchell's books.

There were a few characters that played a role in this book: the FMC Rachel, the MMC Ben, the dog Humphrey, grandpa, sister, and sister's husband.

Rachel (FMC): She's invited to stay at her sister's house over Christmas break to dog sit Humprey with grandpa. When she gets there, she suspects something is up with her sister's husband and is determined to figure out what it is. She runs into Ben while there and finds out that he was supposed to be her blind date before her best friend passed away. She rejects him multiple times until the end.

Ben (MMC): He's the builder at the sister's house. He is a widower and has a young daughter that is 7 years old. He slowly falls for Rachel and does everything in his power to prove to her that he is all in with her even though she rebukes some of his attempts.

Grandpa (support character): He is by far my favorite character. He was humorous, lovable, and just wants to find someone to share the rest of his life with.

Sister/Sister's husband: At the beginning, sister seems like a pushover who goes along with whatever she's told to do. Then by the end, she comes back and has grown a spine and stands up for herself. The husband is a horrible human being. He doesn't like his wife, wants a kid with her but wants it to live half a year in London and half a year in California with separate parents, and makes his wife stay in a completely different wing of the house than him.

I think the audio affected my enjoyment of this book. Rachel’s family was obnoxious, which was definitely the point, but the voicing of them was over the top and off putting for me. The rest of the story was a cozy, English village setting at Christmas with Hallmark vibes and a touch of mystery. I’m not a lover of the Hallmark stories so this one was just okay for me. If you love those stories and are looking for a Christmasy read, this might be a good option for you.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Kisses

3.5⭐
Genre ~ contemporary fiction
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ September 19, 2024
Publisher ~ Dreamscape Media
Est Page Count ~ 292 (44 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 3 minutes
Narrator ~ Charlie Albers
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ Christmastime, small town, single dad, slow burn, no steamage

Rachel and Grandpa Eric are house and dog sitting for her sister, Maddie and brother in law, Frank. They’re in a posh town, but it’s a small town where hardly anyone likes The Baxters. I don’t blame the town one bit after meeting him.

Humphrey the dog is quite mischievous, but also a do-gooder. At first I was like can’t they get a handle on this dog and keep him from running away, but then when he’s helpful all my thoughts on that go out the window.

The romance between Rachel and Ben is a slow burn and doesn’t happen until much later in the book. They didn’t get off on the right foot, but eventually they grew to care for each other. I loved the ‘link’ that brought them together.

I didn't particularly care for Rachel all the much, or her mother and aunts for that matter. Actually there's a whole crew of unlikable characters, with only a handful of nice ones.

This is more about Rachel's journey of figuring her life out after losing her BFF and her job, and spending time with grandpa (my favorite part). Grandpa was great and I loved their bond. Always up for an adventure and just trying to live out the rest of his life how he wants.

Overall, there were some heartwarming moments amidst the chaos in this snowy Christmasy read.

Narration notes:
She did fine. She differentiated her voices well for an array of characters.

Thank you Lucy Mitchell and Dreamscape for a copy of the audiobook.

This book was very cute. I really enjoyed listening as the narrator did a fantastic job. The only thing I did not care for was that Rosie does not sound like a 7 year old. More like a 4-5 year old. Other than that the narrators voices were perfect.

I enjoyed the story with Rachel finding herself and love. I enjoyed her finding her backbone and sticking up for herself. If she didn't, I was about to! Ha.

I am not a fan of cheating tropes so that would be my one turn off. However , it was very small part and not main. Otherwise a great book.

This was a cute, fun holiday read. The title is a bit misleading, as the FMC was only taking care of her sister’s dog while she was away for the holiday. The romance was a slow burn and fun to watch unfold. I felt her grandfather stole the show though. He was hilarious!

3.5

This is a review of the audiobook version of this story which, unfortunately, does tarnish my impression of the book. Part of that was the narrator trying to do all these voices for the millions of characters in the story.

It is a typical rural British Christmas story. If you’ve read any of them, you probably know the recipe and the class of literature this story contains, though they don’t take place in Scotland, Cornwall, or other more popular locales.

Rachel lives in London and at 32, is, to put it nicely, a bit of a mess. It seems like too much, and it really is, but I liked that she was experiencing real life. I can relate to times when many things weren’t working for me and I was at an age when I (and typically most people) assumes one will have it all together and be the grownups we thought we would be.

Rachel goes to a village in rural Surrey. She will be taking care of the dog of her sister, who is married to a an American business Mogul and former actor, and lives in a big manor house. Her husband is pretty much an ass to the highest degree.

Rachel is there with her grandfather for three weeks over Christmas and people keep piling on. Meanwhile, the dog seems out of control but is really helping to rescue people, in more ways than one. Rachel is also karmically introduced to a man with a bit of a rough start, but there’s promise. The village, which really isn’t the biggest fan of Rachel‘s brother-in-law, is won over by Rachel and her grandfather with their down-to-earth, generous personalities.

There’s a lot going on here, but the book has some interesting themes. I’ve never wanted to scream “Stop the video chats and use the phone!” more. However, there is some interesting threads about loss, grief, and moving on; helping others; and making fresh starts at any age. For that alone, it’s a cute read if this is your kind of thing. I would probably stick to reading the book yourself though, as some of the voices in particular annoyed me and I had to listen at an increased speed to expedite things.

Thank you to Lucy Mitchell, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

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!