The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
-
-
4.5 • 8 Ratings
-
-
- $6.99
Publisher Description
A delightful holiday romance about a small-town single dad and an animal rescue owner as they try to find forever homes for a dozen lovable pups before Christmas.
Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable -- and handsome -- than she ever expected.
As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays. . . and the whole year through.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shane (A Royal Christmas Wish) gets her Pine Hollow series off to a strong start with this quaint, Christmassy contemporary. Picturesque Pine Hollow, Vt., relies on the hard work of town council members, including hyper-responsible Ben West, to cultivate its "practically perfect" small-town charm. This charm ramps up even further for the Christmas season, though this year it's slightly marred by Ben's Scrooge-like vote to balance the town's budget by cutting funds to the local dog shelter. The shelter managed by octogenarians Rita and Hal Gilmore, with the assistance of their granddaughter, photographer Ally, who's recently returned to Pine Hollow from New York City must now spend the holiday season scrambling to find homes for a dozen dogs before they're forced to shut down. Ally and Ben's first interactions are understandably disastrous, but when Ben's dog-loving 10-year-old niece, Astrid, whom Ben is raising, finagles a volunteer job at the shelter, Ally and Ben grow closer. Shane integrates Ben's control issues and Ally's feelings of perpetual displacement smoothly while also introducing the town at large via cute holiday events and dog adoptions. The mix will be just right for animal lovers seeking a seasonal happily ever after.
