Susan WiggsRessenyes

I didn't care for this book as much as the others that the author wrote. I really thought it would be more about running a restaurant while being romanced. I'm not sure if I particularly cared for any of the characters in the book, except maybe Kevin, the cat.½

This book centers around Caroline Shelby, who desires to be a fashion designer in New York. When she gets her "chance", something happens and she is blacklisted. When one of her best friends (whom Caroline suspected of being a victim of domestic violence) dies, Caroline takes her friend's two kids and returns home to Oysterville Washington. She moves back in with her parents and tries to start her life over while being a "mom" to 2 kids. She runs into Will, whom she fell in love with when they were kids and is now married to her best friend.

When she realizes that domestic violence is more prevalent than she thought in Oysterville, she creates the Oysterville Sewing Circle - a place where woman can go to talk and just get support. She starts designing and making clothes for the kids and that business starts to take off.

The story is told in alternating time-frames. Current time and when Caroline, Will and Sierra were kids. This is a well-written book and the stories (and characters) are believable. When a group of women come together to right a wrong, it shows there is strength in numbers.

Romance

Romance

Romance

Romance

Historical Romance

Family

Romance

A sweet romance book with a twist. Daughter?s mom and boyfriend die in a plane crash on way to a promotion party for her. She ends up leaving her safe and secure job she does not like to take over her mom?s deep in debt bookstore and her failing grandfather who owns and lives at the bookstore. She hires a tradesman to do some much needed repairs to the 1800?s building and finds herself attracted to him. But she does not trust herself to fall for the right guy. Kirkus: With her promotion to vice president of digital inventory at a Sonoma winery, Natalie Harper finally has the financial security she's always wanted, but a sudden tragedy sends her home to rescue her late mother's charming bookstore.Once in San Francisco, Natalie moves back into her childhood home, an eclectic set of apartments above the bookshop, a home she shares with her grandfather Andrew, who is suffering from dementia and other mysterious ailments. Blythe, Natalie's mother, loved books, but she was not a savvy businesswoman. Natalie arrives to find unpaid bills and back taxes. Housed in the historic Sunrose Building, the bookshop certainly has stories of its own to tell: Originally a saloon and brothel, it was eventually bought by Natalie's great-grandparents, who converted it into a home and apothecary. Luckily, ?hammer for hire? Peach Gallagher shows up. Strong and gorgeous, the contractor catches Natalie's eye, and he certainly is drawn to the curly-haired proprietress. But Peach doesn't date clients, and Natalie is gun-shy from her previous relationship. Plus, she's already met Peach?s adorable little girl, Dorothy. Natalie isn't about to break up a marriage, but she doesn?t know Peach is actually divorced. Wiggs skillfully manipulates the stock in trade of a master romance novelist as she orchestrates Peach and Natalie's inevitable love story. To challenge Peach, enter Trevor Dashwood, a gorgeous and wealthy children's book author, whose books have already won Dorothy's heart. Hosting a book signing with Trevor might help the store?s bottom line. Meanwhile, Natalie, Peach, and Andrew find historical artifacts hidden in the Sunrose building?s walls. Will it be enough to save the store?A gentle love story perfect for anyone looking for love amid personal, family, and financial crises.

Friendship with boy at summer camp turns into love years later during renovation of camp.

Begins with a tragic auto accident killing parents of 3 kids. Uncle and school teacher take over and we watch the family begin to heal. Good writer.

By no means is this a normal read for me. Largely I stay away from this branching of fiction because...well I hate reality so I don't want to read about it.

But I received this for review (from William Morrow) and I do have a fondness for Wiggs' historicals. Also this is as unlikely to devolve into a zombie apocalypse as possible and after reading several stories in RISE I needed something like this.

Overall, not so bad. A bit glossy and "this could only occur in fiction" feel to it, but enjoyable in its own way. I liked that Annie figured out pretty quickly what she didn't need in her life after the accident. She prioritized her needs and that was important. It was also refreshing that when she got the life she deserved it wasn't at the expense of anything important.

In any other circumstance I wouldn't have read this, but in this weekend, after the tragedy I had been reading, this book helped lift my spirits and that's all I ask for from my reading.

Another nice holiday romance, this time with dogs! The dogs were probably the best part, as I didn't particularly warm up to either main character. Brenda was pretty flat, and Adam a little too good to be true. Still, the book delivered warm feelings and loads of holiday spirit, which is what I wanted.

3.25 stars

NB: One does not "throw" a "mean line drive" in baseball. See my comment in the review above about minor details that annoy me. They take me out of the story and have me rolling my eyes. And they are so easily avoidable!

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is a new addition to The Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wigg. We once again spend time in Avalon with all it's delightful citizens, but not before starting the story in Texas with a recently divorced aspiring young author and dog rescue volunteer.
Her background leaves her a bit bitter about love and Christmas or anything to do with its celebration. In a move to escape her confusing feelings about Christmas, she agrees to help the rescue driver haul 11 dogs, plus her own rescue, Tim, to new homes in Avalon, New York.
So begins her adventure and perhaps a change of heart as she finds herself in a city that doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to Christmas and a man who is just waiting for one of the rescue dogs for his young son. Adam is also ready for someone like her to walk into his life. Will his willingness to love reach her guarded heart?
I absolutely recommend this title for anyone who has read and loved the other books of The Lakeshore Chronicles, but also to rescue dog lovers and fans of Christmas magic. There is a good mix of interesting characters and delightful dogs in a picturesque setting along with a second chance love story.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Just for the record, I received and read the paper version of The Oysterville Sewing Club book. This was an amazing read! I thank Goodreads and Susan Wiggs for the opportunity to read this amazing romantic novel. When I had read last than half of it, someone asked for an amazing book to recommend, and I already knew this one was living up to those standards, and recommended it. I called it "a romance novel with substance". In fact, when you read it, you will wonder when the romance is explained and kicks in (try halfway through the book!) I loved this book for the #metoo movement mentioned, the meaning behind the title/name of the club, and how they related this to hiding the Jews during the Hitler reign of terror. I liked the fact that church was mentioned without being a hard sell, as I know that some readers might have a hard time with that. It was interesting from first page until the end. The one character that shocked me at the very end was Caroline's friend. The reaction she had was just not the one I would have predicted, based on her own behaviors. I loved how Caroline's mother comes up with names, too! It is a very appealing book to either male or female. I wish I could have rated it more than five stars! I could give many more reasons why this book is amazing, but I don't want to give spoilers.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs is a 2023 William Morrow publication.

Brenda is not a ‘Christmas’ person. Too many bad memories attached – not to mention the recent Christmas eve discovery of her husband’s infidelity-which makes her even more determined to escape the holiday this year- which is how she finds herself traveling thousands of miles from Houston to New York to deliver a slew of dogs to their forever homes. But a series of events leaves Brenda stranded, sorely testing her ability to avoid Christmas...

Well, who can pass up a tail wagging Christmas tale? That cover is just too precious to pass up. This is a lovely romantic story with plenty of holiday cheer. There’s a nice balance between the romantic elements and the heartwarming holiday magic- nothing too sweet or too heavy.

The story is not entirely ‘clean’- the intimacy is closed-door-and though the language is infrequent- and pretty mild- there should be a ‘no-cursing’ clause in all holiday- themed novels- it just doesn’t feel right to me.

But besides that one complaint- I enjoyed this story. It was fun, whimsical, and super romantic… and of course… there were dogs!! Enough said!

4 stars

Meh. The story started out really, really slow and only became marginally interesting after the crash but this was bland, trite and repetitive. So repetitive! And the "big reveal" as to why the MC detests Christmas... Meh.

The romance didn't feel genuine and I didn't warm up to any of the cardboard characters. Just the dogs! This read like a "paint by the numbers romance". Corny and bland. I'm just glad that it was a short read.½

So what does it take to turn someone who is a Christmas Scrooge who hates winter into a snow bunny who embraces the Christmas season? Placing twelve dogs into forever homes with the help of a hunky guy volunteering to help however he can is a very good start. Brenda has good reasons to dislike the Christmas season, but her love for dogs trumps that emotion when she is pressed into service to head two thousand miles north to deliver shelter dogs to new homes. Helping drive the van, she and her co-driver are involved in a deer encounter on icy roads in a snowstorm that leaves the van damaged and her friend injured. Brenda and her new helper now must make the delivery rounds, spending a lot of time together, not that either of them minds the new arrangement. This cute story is a Christmas season winner. You can’t go wrong when Christmas and dogs are combined with the talented writing author Susan Wiggs.

When I saw Susan Wiggs had a new holiday themed book coming this year, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, I didn’t hesitate at the chance to read an early copy. My super-fan status of Wiggs books is well known around here a while, and this delivers all the warmhearted winter goodness with the added bonus of puppy love! This is set in the Lakeshore Chronicles universe but reads very well as a stand alone book.

Brenda Malloy spent the last year putting her life back together and wants nothing to do with Christmas ever again. Few would blame her after the memory of a devastating Christmas Eve finding out her husband was having an affair. This year she’s helping drive rescue dogs from Houston to their new FUR-Ever family’s in New York just in time for Christmas. Brenda wasn’t counting on snowstorm, an escaped dog on the run, and a very handsome paramedic named Adam Bellemy complicating her trip. When Adam offers to help deliver the dogs Brenda accepts the much needed help.

I recommend fans of holiday romance, The Lakeshore Chronicles and Bella Vista Series, and those that adore small town stories that feature rescue dogs. Please be sure to read the author’s note where Susan Wiggs talks about the ASPCS and Safe Pet Transport. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be going to support PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap, Wiggs local animal rescue organization.

Thank you to William Morrow Books for the early review copy via Netgalley.

#FirstLine - Emergencies never happen during normal business hours.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs is a heartwarming holiday tale that revolves around the themes of love, healing, and the unexpected joys of Christmas. Brenda Malloy's journey to escape the overwhelming memories of the previous Christmas takes an unexpected turn when she embarks on a mission to transport rescue puppies from Houston to Avalon, New York. The story takes readers on an emotional ride as Brenda faces the challenges of a snowstorm, an escaped mutt, and the company of Adam Bellamy, a single dad and paramedic. As she delivers these precious pups to their forever homes, the spirit of the season begins to melt Brenda's heart, reminding us all that the right companions can make even the most reluctant of us embrace the magic of Christmas. Susan Wiggs has crafted a delightful and touching story that's sure to warm the hearts of readers and leave them with a newfound appreciation for the holiday season. It is a holiday must read and plays out in the readers mind like the best Hallmark movie! I loved it so so so so much!

Annie Rush, producer for a successful cooking show, finds out she's pregnant, her husband is having an affair, and then gets hit in the head in a freak accident that puts her in a coma for a year. She wakes up to find herself back home in Vermont, not remembering much about her previous life. As memories gradually return to her, she regains her strength and starts a new life.
It's a charming story, very Hallmark in describing the Vermont countryside and life. The story goes back and forth between Annie's high school/college years and the present, sometimes from the POVs of her mother or her high school boyfriend, Fletcher. Some things took me out of the story occasionally: for example, Fletcher getting into Harvard Law School after taking college night courses, then becoming a lawyer and judge in what seemed to be about ten years, or Annie only being able to do a cooking show in LA, one that seemed high-budget for someone just out of college with no real experience.
Mostly, I enjoyed the story, though the ending seemed a bit forced. Why couldn't Annie do a show from her kitchen, a local affiliate, or even Burlington or Boston? Why the drama of having to move to Los Angeles? It cheapened her romance with Fletcher, in my opinion, that she couldn't make compromises in the third or fourth time she left him behind. His career was not as flexible at this point, but meh. Anyway, 3 1/2 stars.½

Caroline Shelby returns to Oysterville, Washington, a small town on the Pacific coast, after living in New York for ten years. After a career as a fashion designer/seamstress who was working her way up to some major recognition, her success collapses due to an unscrupulous employer and subsequent blackballing by the fashion industry. Caroline is struggling along, but when a tragedy occurs and she is suddenly the guardian of her best friends two children, five-year-old Addie and six-year-old Flick, she knows she needs to return home in order to take care of the children. She also needs help after being suddenly thrust into the role of mother to two grieving children.

Caroline never thought she would return to the small town of Oysterville, but once there, she knows she made the right decision as she has the support available to help her raise her children. With her arrival is the complication that her childhood best friend, Will, is now living there with his wife, Sierra, another friend. Caroline never really got over her feelings for Will, but is able to set that aside. Caroline also reconnects with Mrs. Lindy Bloom. Lindy is the woman who inspired Caroline and taught her to sew at her sewing shop. What Caroline learns now, as an adult, is that Lindy was abused. This knowledge along with the stories of other women inspires Caroline to start the Oysterville Sewing Circle, a domestic violence support group and business where women can join together to encourage, support, and assist each other through the abuse and secrets they keep hidden.

I usually enjoy books by Susan Wiggs, but this one just didn't resonate with me. I think there were too many plot points to make me really care about any of them.½

I picked up this book in the freebie box at the laundromat. The plotline involves a bookstore, family history, and architectural mysteries, so the tediously teasing romantic angle is bearable. I had to skip pages here and there cause things drag with repetition and overly obvious hints of eventual romance, but it's an okay book for lazy vacation reading.

Chick lit at it's finest! Not really, but there are times, particularly after reading too many serious books in a row, I look for something quick and not too challenging. This one falls into that category, and I chose it because I actually enjoyed "The Lost and Found Bookshop" by this same author. It looks like Wiggs has a formula: young woman is at a crossroads in life, faces difficult decisions, finds love with an irresistable guy who already has a kid. The food descriptions keep things interesting.